[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 148 (Monday, August 3, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 41222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20630]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. NHTSA 98-3967; Notice 2]


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Lamps, Reflective 
Devices, and Associated Equipment

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Extension of comment period for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
(NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This document extends the comment period on an NPRM concerning 
a petition from Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG. to amend the 
agency's lighting standard. The petition asks that the standard be 
amended to relieve design restrictions that may inadvertently prevent 
the implementation of certain new-technology light sources in motor 
vehicle signal lamps. In the NPRM, the agency sought comments on adding 
requirements reflecting Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 
specifications for measurement of photometrics in taillamps and in 
certain stop and turn signal lamps with more than one lighted section. 
In response to a petition from the American Automobile Manufacturers 
Association (AAMA), the agency is extending the comment period from 
August 10, 1998 to October 9, 1998. The reason for the extension is to 
give commenters sufficient time to review new information that has come 
to light since the NPRM was published.

DATES: Comments on Docket No. NHTSA 98-3967; Notice 1 must be received 
by October 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket number and notice 
number, and be submitted to: Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 
Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 (Docket hours are from 
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Flanigan, Office of Safety 
Performance Standards (202-366-4918).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 24, 1998, NHTSA published in the 
Federal Register (63 FR 34350) an NPRM concerning a petition from 
Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG. The petitioner requested the 
agency amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, 
``Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment,'' to relieve 
design restrictions that may inadvertently prevent the implementation 
of certain new-technology light sources in motor vehicle lamps. The 
petition was submitted to relieve design restrictions that may 
inadvertently prevent the implementation of certain new-technology 
light sources. These new lamp technologies include light-emitting 
diodes (LEDs), miniature halogen bulbs, and other light sources with a 
limited luminous flux. Because the requirements contained in FMVSS No. 
108 for signal lamps are based on SAE Standards and Recommended 
Practices that were developed many years before LEDs, when incandescent 
bulbs were the only light sources in use at that time, the standard 
does not take into account the characteristics of these new-technology 
light sources.
    On July 23, 1998, AAMA petitioned for an extension of the comment 
period. AAMA noted that new information has recently been published 
which should be thoroughly considered before offering comment on the 
NPRM. Namely, the University of Michigan Transportation Research 
Institute published a report in June 1998 entitled ``Photometric 
Requirements for Signal Lamps Using Innovative Light Sources: Updating 
Requirements Based on Lighted Sections'' (UMTRI-98-19). The opportunity 
to examine the views expressed in this report should be given to those 
who will comment on the NPRM.
    After considering the arguments raised by AAMA, NHTSA has decided 
that it is in the public interest to grant the petitioner's request.

(Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117, and 30166; 
delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50)

    Issued on: July 29, 1998.
L. Robert Shelton,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 98-20630 Filed 7-31-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P