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Occupant Protection

Sep 2026

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 225 Child Restraint Anchorage Systems in Response to Petitions for Reconsiderations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published a proposal in the Federal Register addressing petitions for reconsideration of its January 7, 2025, Final Rule amending FMVSS 225, Child Restraint Anchorage Systems. The proposed changes would extend certain compliance deadlines and provide an additional two years for the sunset of the tether anchorage exemption for convertibles. NHTSA also proposes to deny a request that would allow tether routing over adjustable or removable head restraints to satisfy tether anchorage location requirements. The proposal further includes several technical corrections and clarifications to existing test procedures. Importantly, NHTSA would allow manufacturers to voluntarily comply with the revised requirements before the applicable compliance dates. These proposed changes may have implications for vehicle manufacturers and other stakeholders subject to FMVSS 225 and are worth monitoring as the rulemaking process moves forward.

Sep 2024

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Issues Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Revise Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 207 for Seating

On July 16, 2024 NHTSA issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the Federal Register addressing direction to the Secretary of Transportation to initiate rulemaking to update FMVSS 207 Seating Systems. The NHTSA partially granted rulemaking petitions which sought changes to improve the safety of children during rear-end crashes. NHTSA denied a petition which sought to require additional warnings instructing adults regarding which rear seating position to place children in. Comments must be received no later than September 16, 2024.