Law and Order is an update of some of the most recent federal and state legislative and regulatory issues that could potentially impact the automotive specialty-equipment industry. These include issues affecting small-business owners and their employees.
A bill to ban motor vehicle exhaust systems that increase the noise level died when the legislature adjourned for the year. Under the bill, violators would not have passed the state’s required inspection and would have been subject to fines of up to $350.
Legislation that would have established a pilot program administered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation to impose a vehicle mileage user fee died when the legislature adjourned for the year.
Legislation to provide for a program that will allow classic car status to be determined from nationally recognized standards and guides was signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton. Under the current system, this status must be designated by the state through a time-consuming amendment to the law.
The National Park Service (NPS) has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for managing off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity at Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina. The DEIS Plan considers four alternatives for OHV management, along with a fifth alternative that would prohibit OHV activity altogether.
As of August 2014, manufacturers must file recall reports and associated documents electronically to a website maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Between July 28 and August 8, 2014, the NHTSA will offer 20 online training sessions to instruct manufacturer staff on the new system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published a technical report that evaluates the effectiveness of electronic stability control (ESC) systems in reducing crash-related fatalities involving light-duty vehicles weighing less than 10,000 lbs. The report updates statistics previously analyzed in 2004, 2007 and 2011.
As of January 1, 2016, it will be illegal to sell, distribute or install a wheel weight in Minnesota that contains lead or mercury. The law also requires proper recycling of lead- or mercury-based weights removed from vehicles. California, Illinois, New York, Maine, Vermont and Washington have already enacted laws banning the manufacture, sale and use of lead weights.
The U.S. House of Representatives included a provision within the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015 to include the word “National” within the title “Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area.”
A bill to expand the range of vehicles eligible to use original year-of-manufacture license plates on antique motor vehicles was approved by the New Hampshire Senate and now moves to the governor for her signature and enactment into law. The measure has already been passed by the House of Representatives.