The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has again postponed the effective date for the revised lighting standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, from December 1, 2009 to December 1, 2012. The agency wants the extra time to confirm that there were no substantive changes included when the agency published the reorganized and simplified FMVSS 108 in 2007. The revised standard was originally scheduled to take effect in 2008.
The lighting standard has been amended many times since it was first adopted in 1967 in order to address technological advances and enhance safety. As a consequence, the old regulation was unnecessarily complex and difficult to understand.
The NHTSA will also use the additional time to address petitions from some industry groups for additional clarifications or revisions to FMVSS No. 108. Early compliance to the revised standard continues to be permitted. Both the old and new versions of 108 are published in one location: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/octqtr/pdf/49cfr571.108.pdf. The “new” version starts at page 76.
Questions or comments may be directed to Steve McDonald.