Regulations

49 CFR Part 571

49 CFR Part 571

49 CFR Part 571

49 CFR Part 571

In accordance with NHTSA’s 2007 Motorcoach Safety Plan and DOT’s 2009 Departmental Motorcoach Safety Action Plan, NHTSA is issuing this NPRM to propose to amend the Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) on occupant crash protection (FMVSS No. 208) to require lap/shoulder seat belts for each passenger seating position in new motorcoaches.This NPRM also proposes to require a lap/shoulder belt for the motorcoach and large school bus driver’s seating positions, which currently are required to have either a lap or a lap/shoulder belt.

49 CFR Part 571

Amends the FMVSS on air brake systems to improve the stopping distance performance of truck tractors. The rule requires the vast majority of new heavy truck tractors to achieve a 30 percent reduction in stopping distance compared to currently required levels. For these heavy truck tractors (approximately 99 percent of the fleet), the amended standard requires those vehicles to stop in not more than 250 feet when loaded to their gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and tested at a speed of 60 miles per hour (mph). For a small number of very heavy severe service tractors, the stopping distance requirement will be 310 feet under these same conditions. In addition, this final rule requires that all heavy truck tractors must stop within 235 feet when loaded to their “lightly loaded vehicle weight” (LLVW).

49 CFR Part 571, 572, 589

49 CFR Part 571, 598

49 CFR Part 571,596

A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) amending FMVSS No. 218 was published on May 21, 2015 (80 FR 29458). The NPRM set forth an interpretation of the definition of “motor vehicle equipment” in the United States Code, as amended by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP–21) Act, and requested comments on two proposed changes to the motorcycle helmet safety standard, FMVSS No. 218. NHTSA proposed to add a definition of “motorcycle helmet” and modify the existing performance requirements of the standard by adding a set of dimensional and compression requirements. These requirements and the associated test procedures would identify those helmets whose physical characteristics indicate that they likely cannot meet the existing performance requirements of the standard. Third, NTHSA proposed an optional alternative compliance process for manufacturers whose helmets do not comply with the proposed dimensional and compression requirements, but do comply with the performance requirements and all other aspects of FMVSS No. 218 . If this proposal is adopted, NHTSA will publish a list of helmets that have complied with the alternative compliance process and can therefore be certified by their manufacturers. The NPRM was the result of the agency’s assessment of other actions that could be taken to further increase the percentage of motorcyclists who wear helmets that comply with the helmet standard.

49 CFR Part 573, 574, 576, 579

49 CFR Part 575

Safety Rating Program for Child Restraint Systems