G/TBT/N/USA/1593/Add.1  
 
31 March 2022  
(22-2624) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication , dated  31 March 2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the United States of America . 
 
_______________  
 
 
Title:  Occupant Protection for Automated Driving Systems  
 
Reason for Addendum:  
[ ] Comment period changed - date:   
[ ] Notified measure adopted - date:  
[X] Notified measure published - date: 30 March 2022  
[X] Notified measure enters into force - date: 26 September 2022  
[X] Text of final measure available from1:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-03-30/html/2022 -05426.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-03-30/pdf/2022 -05426.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/TBT/USA/final_measure/22_2458_00_
e.pdf 
Effective date: 26 September 2022. Optional early compliance (i. e., prior to the effective 
date) is permitted. Petitions for reconsideration must be received on or before 16 May 
2022. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the rule was 
approved by the Director as of 6 February 2012.  
[ ] Notified measure withdrawn or revoked - date:  
Relevant symbol if measure re -notified:   
[ ] Content or scope of notified measure changed  and text available from1:  
New deadline for comments (if applicable):   
[ ] Interpretive guidance issued and text available from1:  
[ ] Other:  
 
Description:  TITLE: Occupant Protection for Vehicles With Automated Driving Systems  
  
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation.  
  
ACTION: Final rule  
  
 
1 This information can be provided by including a website address, a pdf attachment, or other 
information on where the text of the final /modified  measure and/or interpretive guidance can be obtained.  G/TBT/N/USA/1593/Add.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  SUMMARY: This final rule amends the occupant protection Federal motor vehicle safety standards 
(FMVSSs) to account for future vehicles that do not have the traditional manual controls associated 
with a human driver because they are equipped with Automated Driving Systems (ADS). This final 
rule makes clear that, despite their innovative designs, vehicles with ADS technology must continue 
to provide the same hi gh levels of occupant protection that current passenger vehicles provide. The 
occupant protection standards are currently written for traditionally designed vehicles and use terms 
such as "driver's seat" and "steering wheel," that are not meaningful to veh icle designs that, for 
example, lack a steering wheel or other driver controls. This final rule updates the standards in a 
manner that clarifies existing terminology while avoiding unnecessary terminology, and, in doing so, 
resolves ambiguities in applying  the standards to ADS -equipped vehicles without traditional manual 
controls. In addition, this final rule amends the standards in a manner that maintains the existing 
regulatory text whenever possible, to make clear that this rule maintains the level of cr ash protection 
currently provided occupants in more traditionally designed vehicles. This final rule is limited to the 
crashworthiness standards to provide a unified set of regulatory text applicable to vehicles with and 
without ADS functionality.  
  
DATES:  
Effective date: 26 September 2022. Optional early compliance (i.e., prior to the effective date) is 
permitted. Petitions for reconsideration must be received on or before 16 May 2022. The 
incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the ru le was approved by the Director as 
of 6 February 2012.  
  
This final rule is identified by Docket Number NHTSA -2021-0003. The Docket Folder is available on 
Regulations.gov at https: //www.regulations.gov/docket/NHTSA -2021-0003/document  and provides 
access to primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
  
Petitions for Reconsideration: WTO Members and their stakeholders interested in submitting 
petitions for reconsideration of this final rule are asked to submit to the USA TBT Enquiry Point by 
or before 4pm Eastern Time  on or before 16 May 2022. Petitions for reconsideration of this final rule 
received by the USA TBT Enquiry Poin t from WTO Members and their stakeholders by or before 16 
May 2022 will be shared with the regulator by e -mail and will also be submitted to the Docket  on 
Regulations.gov.  
  
The notice of proposed rulemaking notified as G/TBT/N/USA/1593  identified by Docket Number 
NHTSA -2020-0014. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NHTSA -2020-0014/document  and provides access to primary 
and supporting documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
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