Interpretation ID: 11414WKM
Sales, Marketing Department
Unidex Group, Inc.
2400 Devon Avenue, Suite 205
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Dear Mr. Tartakovsky:
This responds to your letter of December 6, 1995, requesting information on any laws, standards, and/or regulations "covering snow chain use for roads and/or for motor vehicles." The short answer to your inquiry is that there are no Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) or regulations regarding the use of snow chains.
By way of background information, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has the authority to issue FMVSSs applicable to new motor vehicles and new items of motor vehicle equipment. In this case, snow chains for use on motor vehicles would be considered motor vehicle equipment, defined at 49 U.S. Code '30102(7)(B) as any "part or component manufactured or sold for replacement or improvement of a system, part, or component." Thus, although NHTSA has the authority to regulate the manufacture and sale of snow chains, the agency has not done so.
Some states regulate the use of snow chains, but this agency does not maintain such data. You may, however, be able to obtain some relevant information from:
Automotive Manufacturers Equipment Compliance Agency, Inc. 1090 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 1200 Washington, DC 20005 Tel.: (202) 898-0145; FAX (202) 898-0745
I hope this information is helpful to you. Should you have any further questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact Walter Myers of my staff at this address or at (202) 366-2992.
Sincerely,
Samuel J. Dubbin Chief Counsel
Ref:VSA d:1/25/96