Archive
May 2013
NHTSA Requesting Comments on Revisions to New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a Request for Comments asking the public for assistance in improving the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) by identifying areas that may provide the greatest potential safety benefits. NHTSA has periodically updated NCAP content in order to maintain effectiveness and relevance. The last revision occurred in 2011 model year.
Apr 2013
New EU Type Approval Framework Regulations for Motorcycles and Agricultural Tractors Published
On 2nd March 2013, two new EU type approval "framework" Regulations were published; EU Regulation No. 167/2013 covering agricultural and forestry tractors and EU Regulation No. 168/2013 covering two or three wheel vehicles and quadricycles.
Mar 2013
NHTSA Moving Ahead with Rulemaking for Quiet Vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an NPRM to require minimum sound requirements for hybrid (HV) and electric vehicles (EV), Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 - Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. The intent of this standard is to ensure that blind, visually-impaired, and other pedestrians are able to detect and recognize nearby hybrid and electric vehicles, by requiring that hybrid and electric vehicles emit sound that pedestrians would be able to hear in a range of ambient environments, and contain acoustic signal content that pedestrians will recognize as being emitted from a vehicle.
Feb 2013
EU Publishes new Regulation on Masses and Dimensions
On 21st December 2012, the new EU Implementing Regulation on masses and dimensions, (EU) No. 1230/2012, was finally published. This new Implementing Regulation not only combines the requirements from the two repealed Directives on masses and dimensions, but introduces a number of significant new and revised requirements.
Jan 2013
Rulemaking to Rescind FMVSS 219-Windshield Zone Intrusion is Withdrawn
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has withdrawn a proposal to rescind Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 219 - Windshield Zone Intrusion. The withdrawal responds to comments submitted for the NPRM, potential evolving hood / vehicle front end structure designs and anticipated new vehicles in the marketplace.
Dec 2012
Proposal for Adding FMVSS 226 Exemption to Part 595
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 49CFR Part 595 - Make Inoperative Exemptions. The proposal includes a new exemption relating to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 226 - Ejection Mitigation. This proposal will facilitate the mobility of physically disabled drivers and passengers.
Nov 2012
NHTSA Proposal to Address Early Warning Reporting (EWR), Foreign Defect Reporting, and Motor Vehicle and Equipment Recall Regulations
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise a currently approved information collection. Affected would be 49 CFR Part 573 Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports, Part 577 Defect and Noncompliance Notification and Part 579 Reporting of Information and Communications about Potential Defects.
Oct 2012
NHTSA Issues Final Rule Amending FMVSS 122 - Motorcycle Brake Systems
On August 24, 2012, NHTSA published a Final Rule (Vol. 77, Number 165; Docket No. NHTSA-2012-0123) amending requirements for FMVSS No. 122 - Motorcycle Brake Systems. These revisions were driven by Global Technical Regulation No. 3 which reflects the capabilities of current in-use motorcycle braking technologies.
Sep 2012
NHTSA has issued a Final Rule in response to Petitions for Reconsideration for Part 563 Event Data Recorders
NHTSA has published a Final Rule amending requirements for voluntarily installed event data recorders. This action responds to three Petitions for Reconsiderations addressing the August 2011 Part 563 Final Rule. The Agency has granted some aspects of the petitions and denied others.
Aug 2012
EU Proposals on "Long Term" CO2 Emissions Limits Published
On 11th July 2012, the European Commission published two proposed Regulations confirming the "long term" CO2 emissions targets for passenger cars and for light commercial vehicles and specifying the modalities for their implementation.