Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 231 / Monday, December 2, 2024 / Notices 95351 

restriction granted upon passing the full 

skills test. 

FMCSA believes requiring States to 

include ‘‘school bus only’’ and K 

restrictions on CDLs issued under this 

exemption per 49 CFR 

383.153(a)(10)(vii) and (ix) addresses 

concerns about drivers operating under 

the exemption moving to a jurisdiction 

that did not adopt the exemption. The 

new jurisdiction will become aware of 

these restrictions when driver 

applicants surrender their old CDLs, as 

required by 49 CFR 383.71(c)(4). 

FMCSA agrees with comments from 

AAMVA and NAPT that additional data 

would be useful to examine the impact 

of a longer-term exemption. FMCSA 

therefore requires States report to 

FMCSA on a monthly basis the names 

and CDL numbers of drivers who are 

issued a CDL pursuant to the terms of 

this exemption. 

VII. Exemption Decision 

A. Grant of Renewal of Exemption 

This exemption covers States for the 

period beginning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) on 

November 28, 2024, through 11:59 p.m. 

on November 28, 2026. Under this 

exemption, a State may, but is not 

required to, waive the engine 

compartment portion of the pre-trip 

vehicle inspection skills test, set forth in 

49 CFR 383.113(a)(1)(i), only for CDL 

applicants seeking the S and P 

endorsements, subject to the K 

restriction limiting their operation to 

intrastate commerce. States issuing 

CDLs pursuant to this exemption are not 

subject to the requirement in 49 CFR 

383.133(c)(1) that this portion of the 

pre-trip vehicle inspection test be 

administered in accordance with an 

FMCSA pre-approved examiner 

information manual. 

FMCSA intends to continue to closely 

monitor the safety impacts of the relief 

granted under this exemption. As 

necessary, FMCSA may take action to 

modify the exemption, including scaling 

back the regulatory relief provided, or to 

terminate the exemption sooner, if 

conditions warrant. 

B. Terms and Conditions 

States issuing CDLs pursuant to this 

exemption must abide by the following 

terms and conditions: 

1. The State driver’s licensing agency 

must submit the names and CDL 

numbers of drivers who are issued a 

CDL pursuant to the terms of this 

exemption, as authorized by 49 CFR 

383.73(h) and 384.225(e)(2), monthly to 

MCPSD@dot.gov. 

2. The CDL credential must conform 

to the requirements of 49 CFR part 383, 

subpart J. 

3. When issuing a K-restricted CDL 

with the S and P endorsements pursuant 

to this exemption, States must continue 

to comply with the applicable 

provisions set forth in 49 CFR 383.73. 

4. When issuing a K-restricted CDL 

with the S and P endorsements pursuant 

to this exemption, States must place a 

school bus only restriction on the CDL 

in accordance with 49 CFR 

383.153(a)(10)(ix). 

5. States must conduct the remaining 

pre-trip vehicle inspection components 

of the skills test for drivers subject to 

this exemption, as set forth in 49 CFR 

383.113(a)(1)(ii–ix). 

6. This exemption applies only to the 

intrastate operation of school buses used 

to transport pre-primary, primary, or 

secondary school students from home to 

school, from school to home, or to and 

from school-sponsored events, as 

defined in 49 CFR 383.5. 

C. Termination 

FMCSA does not believe that drivers 

issued CDLs under the exemption will 

experience any deterioration of safety 

below the level that would be achieved 

without the exemption. The exemption 

will be rescinded if: (1) States fail to 

comply with the terms and conditions 

of the exemption; (2) the exemption has 

resulted in a lower level of safety than 

was maintained before it was granted; or 

(3) continuation of the exemption would 

not be consistent with the goals and 

objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 

31315(b). 

Vincent G. White, 

Deputy Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28098 Filed 11–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2021–0080; Notice 2] 

FCA US LLC; Receipt of Petition for 

Decision of Inconsequential 

Noncompliance 

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Receipt of petition. 

SUMMARY: FCA US LLC f/k/a Chrysler 

Group LLC (collectively referred to as 

‘‘FCA US’’) has determined that certain 

model year (MY) 2018–2022 Alfa Romeo 

Stelvio motor vehicles do not fully 

comply with Federal Motor Vehicle 

Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 111, Rear 

Visibility. FCA US filed a 

noncompliance report dated September 

21, 2021. FCA US subsequently 

petitioned NHTSA on October 14, 2021, 

for a decision that the subject 

noncompliance is inconsequential as it 

relates to motor vehicle safety. This 

notice announces receipt of FCA US’ 

petition and amended petition. 

DATES: Send comments on or before 

January 2, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written data, views, 

and arguments on this petition. 

Comments must refer to the docket and 

notice number cited in the title of this 

notice and submitted by any of the 

following methods: 

• Mail: Send comments by mail 

addressed to the U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 

30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver comments 

by hand to the U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 

30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 

Washington, DC 20590. The Docket 

Section is open on weekdays from 10 

a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Federal 

holidays. 

• Electronically: Submit comments 

electronically by logging onto the 

Federal Docket Management System 

(FDMS) website at https://

www.regulations.gov/. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Comments may also be faxed to 

(202) 493–2251. 

Comments must be written in the 

English language, and be no greater than 

15 pages in length, although there is no 

limit to the length of necessary 

attachments to the comments. If 

comments are submitted in hard copy 

form, please ensure that two copies are 

provided. If you wish to receive 

confirmation that comments you have 

submitted by mail were received, please 

enclose a stamped, self-addressed 

postcard with the comments. Note that 

all comments received will be posted 

without change to https://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. 

All comments and supporting 

materials received before the close of 

business on the closing date indicated 

above will be filed in the docket and 

will be considered. All comments and 

supporting materials received after the 

closing date will also be filed and will 

be considered to the fullest extent 

possible. 

When the petition is granted or 

denied, notice of the decision will also 

be published in the Federal Register 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
95352 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 231 / Monday, December 2, 2024 / Notices 

1FCA US provided photos of the noncompliance 

in its petition which can be viewed in full at 

https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NHTSA-2021- 

0080. 

2FCA US cites https://www.umtri.umich.edu/wpcontent/uploads/sites/11/2021/12/CPPRP_

brochure12_21.pdf, pg 2. 

pursuant to the authority indicated at 

the end of this notice. 

All comments, background 

documentation, and supporting 

materials submitted to the docket may 

be viewed by anyone at the address and 

times given above. The documents may 

also be viewed on the internet at https:// 

www.regulations.gov by following the 

online instructions for accessing the 

docket. The docket ID number for this 

petition is shown in the heading of this 

notice. 

DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement is available for review in a 

Federal Register notice published on 

April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477–78). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Overview 

FCA US has determined that certain 

MY 2018–2022 Alfa Romeo Stelvio 

motor vehicles do not fully comply with 

the requirements of paragraphs S2 and 

S.5.5.1 of FMVSS No. 111, Rear 

Visibility (49 CFR 571.111). FCA US 

filed a noncompliance report dated 

September 21, 2021, pursuant to 49 CFR 

part 573, Defect and Noncompliance 

Responsibility and Reports. FCA US 

subsequently petitioned NHTSA on 

October 14, 2021, for an exemption from 

the notification and remedy 

requirements of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 

on the basis that this noncompliance is 

inconsequential as it relates to motor 

vehicle safety, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 

30118(d) and 30120(h) and 49 CFR part 

556, Exemption for Inconsequential 

Defect or Noncompliance. 

NHTSA previously published notice 

of receipt of FCA US’ petition on June 

17, 2022, in the Federal Register (87 FR 

36573). FCA US submitted an amended 

petition to NHTSA on July 30, 2024, 

that broadened the scope of FCA US’ 

petition. Therefore, NHTSA invites 

interested persons to comment on FCA 

US’ petition and supplemental 

information. This notice of receipt of 

FCA US’ petition and amended petition 

is published under 49 U.S.C. 30118 and 

30120 and does not represent any 

Agency decision or other exercise of 

judgment concerning the merits of the 

petition. 

II. Vehicles Involved 

Approximately 43,701 MY 2018–2022 

Alfa Romeo Stelvio motor vehicles 

manufactured between April 12, 2017, 

and August 27, 2021, are potentially 

involved. 

III. Noncompliance 

FCA US explains that the 

noncompliance is that the subject 

vehicles are equipped with rearview 

camera displays that when tested to 

FMVSS No. 111, covers a required 

portion of a test object and therefore, do 

not fully meet the field of view 

requirements outlined in paragraphs S2 

and S5.5.1 of FMVSS No. 111. 

Specifically, the rearview camera 

display includes ‘‘dynamic gridlines’’ 

that project the vehicle to be wider than 

it is. As a result, the ‘‘dynamic 

gridlines’’ partially cover the lower 

inside edges of the front test object 

when the steering wheel is straight. 

IV. Rule Requirements 

Paragraphs S2 and S5.5.1 of FMVSS 

No. 111 include the requirements 

relevant to this petition. Paragraph S2 of 

FMVSS No. 111 specifies that the 

purpose of this standard is to reduce the 

number of deaths and injuries that occur 

when the driver of a motor vehicle does 

not have a clear and reasonably 

unobstructed view to the rear. Paragraph 

S5.5.1 of FMVSS No. 111 requires the 

rearview image to include: (a) A 

minimum of a 150-mm wide portion 

along the circumference of each test 

object located at positions F and G; and 

(b) the full width and height of each test 

object located at positions A through E, 

when tested in accordance with the 

procedures in S14.1 of FMVSS 111. 

V. Summary of FCA US’ Petition 

The following views and arguments 

presented in this section, V. Summary 

of FCA US’ Petition and Amended 

Petition, are the views and arguments 

provided by FCA US. They have not 

been evaluated by the Agency and do 

not reflect the views of the Agency. 

A. Summary of FCA’s Petition 

In its petition, FCA US describes the 

subject noncompliance and explains 

that it is caused by an incorrect 

calibration in the subject vehicles. 

According to FCA US the subject 

noncompliance is inconsequential to 

motor vehicle safety because the subject 

noncompliance ‘‘does not create an 

unclear or unreasonably obstructed 

view to the rear.’’ FCA US specifies that 

although the subject noncompliance 

exists, the obstruction caused by the 

gridlines while performing the FMVSS 

No. 111 test is ‘‘transitory’’ and does not 

‘‘significantly obstruct the view to the 

rear.’’ 1 Further, the gridlines will move 

rearward as the vehicle does, resulting 

in the test objects to be ‘‘displayed in 

full.’’ 

FCA US quoted an excerpt from the 

notice of final rule for FMVSS No. 111 

in which FCA US says that NHTSA 

‘‘acknowledged that over lays, such as 

gridlines, could provide safety-related 

benefits.’’ 

B. Summary of FCA’s Amended Petition 

In its amended petition, FCA US adds 

that an analysis of the gridline’s overlap 

with the lower inner portion of test 

object E, which exceeds that of test 

object D, shows that the overlap is 

smaller than the size of a seated Riley 

Low Birth Weight Infant, the smallest 

test dummy, as referenced by the 

University of Michigan Transport 

Research Institute and 49 CFR part 572.2

While FCA US acknowledges that the 

gridline intersects a portion of the test 

object specified in FMVSS No. 111, FCA 

US believes that the obstruction is 

minimal and insufficient to cover the 

area where a small child would be 

seated or lying at the point of the 

gridline meets the test object. 

FCA US concludes that the subject 

noncompliance is inconsequential as it 

relates to motor vehicle safety, and that 

its petition to be exempted from 

providing notification of the 

noncompliance, as required by 49 

U.S.C. 30118, and a remedy for the 

noncompliance, as required by 49 

U.S.C. 30120, should be granted. 

NHTSA notes that the statutory 

provisions (49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 

30120(h)) that permit manufacturers to 

file petitions for a determination of 

inconsequentiality allow NHTSA to 

exempt manufacturers only from the 

duties found in sections 30118 and 

30120, respectively, to notify owners, 

purchasers, and dealers of a defect or 

noncompliance and to remedy the 

defect or noncompliance. Therefore, any 

decision on this petition only applies to 

the subject vehicles that FCA US no 

longer controlled at the time it 

determined that the noncompliance 

existed. However, any decision on this 

petition does not relieve vehicle 

distributors and dealers of the 

prohibitions on the sale, offer for sale, 

or introduction or delivery for 

introduction into interstate commerce of 

the noncompliant vehicles under their 

control after FCA US notified them that 

the subject noncompliance existed. 

(Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120: 

delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.95 

and 501.8) 

Otto G. Matheke III, 

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28117 Filed 11–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1