G/TBT/N/USA/2043  
11 September 2023  
(23-6010) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation 
(DOT) [2074]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle co mments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  
Anthropomorphic test devices; Test conditions and procedures in general (ICS code(s): 
19.020); Road vehicles in general (ICS code(s): 43.020); Crash protection and restraint 
systems (ICS code(s): 43.040.80)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  
Anthropomorphic Test Devices; THOR 50th Percentile Adult Male Test Dummy; 
Incorporation by Reference; (54 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking - This document proposes to 
amend NHTSA's regulations to include an adva nced crash test dummy, the Test Device 
for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR) 50th percentile adult male (THOR -50M). The 
dummy represents an adult male of roughly average height and weight and is designed 
for use in frontal crash tests. NHTSA plans to issue a  separate NPRM to amend Federal 
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant crash protection,"  to specify 
the THOR -50M as an alternative (at the vehicle manufacturer's option) to the 50th 
percentile adult male dummy currently specified in FMVSS No. 208 for use in frontal crash 
compliance tests.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Prevention of deceptive practices and consumer protection; Protection of 
human health or safety  G/TBT/N/USA/2043  
 
- 2 - 
 
  8. Relevant documents:   
88 Federal Register (FR) 61896, 7 September 2023; Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Part 572 : 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-09-07/html/2023 -19008.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-09-07/pdf/2023 -19008.pdf  
This Notice of proposed rulemaking is identified by Docket Number NHTSA -2023-0031. 
The Docket Folder is available from Regulations.gov a t 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NHTSA -2023-0031/document  and provides access 
to primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are  also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number. WTO Members and their stakeholders 
are asked to submit comments to the USA TBT Enquiry Point  by or before 4pm Eastern 
Time on 6 November 2023. Comments received by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO 
Members and their stakeholders will be shared with the regulator and will also be 
submitted to the Docket  on Regulations.gov if received within the comment period.  
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Crash Protection, Seat Belt Reminder 
Systems, Notice of proposed rulemaking (notified under G/TBT/N/USA/1533 ): 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-09-07/html/2023 -18413.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-09-07/pdf/2023 -18413.pdf  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  6 November 2023  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2023/TBT/USA/23_12268_00_e.pdf