By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued an advanced proposed rule asking the public to identify any test procedures under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) that should be modified or repealed. The notice is a follow-up to a request in October 2017 to identify outdated NHTSA regulations. Comments are due February 8, 2021.
Most of the FMVSS governs the entire motor vehicle from braking systems and tire pressure monitoring systems to the crashworthiness standards (roof crush, side impact, air bags, etc.). Some standards cover equipment such as tires, brake hoses and fluids, and glazing materials. Click here for a guide to the FMVSS.
NHTSA provided several examples of safety standard test procedures that may be outdated including the outrigger test used to test MPVs under FMVSS No. 126, Electronic Stability Control. Sample questions to be considered include: do the tests require equipment that is obsolete or no longer available at a reasonable cost? Are there any test procedures that do not accurately reflect real-world scenarios? Has industry developed better and/or more cost-effective tests?
For additional information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.