Interpretation ID: nht75-6.8

DATE: 10/31/75

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; Richard B. Dyson; NHTSA

TO: Dunlop Tire and Rubber Corporation

TITLE: FMVSR INTERPRETATION

TEXT: Thank you for your letter of July 8, 1975, to Ed Wallace of our Tire Division, enclosing a letter from Mr. W. Preuss of Dunlop Germany, concerning the allocation, between vehicle manufacturers and tire manufacturers, of responsibility for the safety of original equipment tires.

Section 159 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, as amended by the Motor Vehicle and Schoolbus Safety Amendments of 1974, specifies that, except as otherwise provided in regulations of this agency, a defect in or noncompliance of an original equipment tire shall be the responsibility of the vehicle manufacturer. The NHTSA has recently granted the petitions of the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association, General Motors, and the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation for a reallocation of this responsibility. We expect to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on this subject in the near future.

YOURS TRULY,

July 8, 1975

E. N. Wallace Chief, Tire Division National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Further in regard to our letter of July 1st, which had enclosures from Bob Clifton, I am attaching a copy of a letter from Mr. Preuss of Dunlop Germany to Mr. Clifton, concerning Part 577, Notice 1, May 6, 1975.

Will you please discuss in your circle and let me have your comments.

DUNLOP TIRE & RUBBER CORPORATION

J. W. Boyd, Manager

Government & Industry Technical Relations