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[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 106 (Friday, May 31, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27325-27329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13711]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 96-51, Notice 01]
RIN 2127-AG16

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Door Locks and Door 
Retention Components

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

ACTION: Grant of petition for rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: This notice grants a petition for rulemaking submitted by 
Independent Mobility Systems, Inc. (IMS), to exclude wheelchair ramps 
from the Federal motor vehicle safety standard that establishes 
performance requirements for door locks and door retention components. 
Since side doors equipped with wheelchair lifts are excluded from the 
standard, the petitioner requests that the standard be amended to also 
exclude side doors equipped with wheelchair ramps.
    NHTSA believes that the amendment suggested by IMS merits further 
research and study. To that extent, therefore, the agency grants IMS' 
petition. The granting of this petition, however, does not necessarily 
mean that a rule will be issued.
    The determination of whether to issue a rule will be made in the 
course of the rulemaking proceeding in accordance with statutory 
criteria.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical issues: Mr. Maurice 
Hicks, Light Duty Vehicle Division, Office of Crashworthiness 
Standards, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-6345; facsimile 
(202) 366-4329.
    For legal issues: Walter Myers, Office of the Chief Counsel, 
National Highway

[[Page 27326]]

Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 
366-2992; facsimile (202) 366-3820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal motor vehicle safety standard 
(Standard) No. 206, Door locks and door retention components, specifies 
strength requirements for door locks and door retention components, 
including latches, hinges, locks, and other door supporting means. The 
purpose of the standard is to minimize the likelihood of inadvertent 
door opening and consequent occupant ejection from the vehicle in the 
event of a crash or other unintended release of the door latch. 
Excluded from the requirements of the standard are, among others:

    [S]ide doors which are equipped with wheelchair lifts and which 
are linked to an alarm system consisting of either a flashing 
visible signal located in the driver's compartment or an alarm 
audible to the driver which is activated when the door is open.

    This exclusion was added to paragraph S4 of the standard by final 
rule dated March 27, 1985 (50 FR 12029), in response to a petition for 
rulemaking submitted by Thomas Built Buses, Inc. The agency's rationale 
for excluding doors equipped with wheelchair lifts was that when lifts 
of the Thomas Built design were retracted, they were secured in 
position by either hydraulic pressure in the extension/retraction 
cylinders and mechanical latches, or by electrically-operated drive 
mechanisms. The metal grate floors of the lifts were stowed in a 
vertical position parallel to and in close proximity with the interior 
surface of the vehicle door. Thus, in its retracted position, the 
wheelchair lift could provide an adequate barrier to occupant ejection 
from the vehicle if the door were to open while the vehicle was moving 
or if involved in a collision. The final rule also required a visual or 
audible alarm system designed to be activated if the door opened while 
the ignition was on. Such alarm would ensure that the lift is kept in 
its retracted position and the door is kept closed while the vehicle is 
in operation.
    On May 18, 1995, IMS wrote a letter to NHTSA stating that the 
company converts minivans into wheelchair accessible vehicles by 
lowering the vehicle floor and adding a wheelchair ramp to the right 
rear sliding door area. The ramp retracts into a vertical position 
parallel to and in close proximity to the vehicle door when not in use. 
IMS also equips the doors with an audible and/or visual alarm system. 
IMS asked, therefore, whether the exclusion of wheelchair lifts from 
the provisions of Standard No. 206 would also apply to the wheelchair 
ramps with which IMS equips its vehicle conversions. NHTSA responded 
that the term ``wheelchair lifts'' did not include wheelchair ramps. 
The agency noted that the two components shared many similar 
characteristics, however, and that IMS was free to petition the agency 
for rulemaking to amend the standard by adding wheelchair ramps to the 
current exclusions from the standard.

The Petition

    IMS petitioned the agency to amend Standard No. 206 to exclude from 
the standard those multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPV) that are 
equipped with wheelchair ramps for the transportation of wheelchair 
users. IMS argued that because wheelchair lifts and ramps serve the 
same purpose and are similarly configured when in the stowed position, 
the rationale for excluding wheelchair lifts from the standard should 
also apply to wheelchair ramps. Accordingly, IMS urged that paragraph 
S4 of the standard be amended to exclude wheelchair ramps from the 
standard in addition to the existing exclusions.

Agency Analysis and Decision

    The IMS petition requesting exclusion of ramps from the standard is 
based on the similarity of performance characteristics of wheelchair 
lifts and ramps. NHTSA evaluation, however, has revealed several 
structural differences between the IMS ramp and the Thomas Built lift 
on which the current exclusion was based. In fact, most ramps and lifts 
currently produced are structurally different from the Thomas Built 
lift.
    A schematic of the IMS ramp is shown in Figure 1. The IMS ramp 
operates much like a lift, in that it retracts into the vehicle in a 
vertical position that is parallel to and in close proximity of the 
vehicle door. However, in its retracted position, the ramp can detach 
and swing open like a gate to permit ingress and egress of ambulatory 
people, with a latch at the lower part of the gate to hold it in place. 
Finally, the IMS ramp in question, when in the retracted position, does 
not completely cover the doorway opening. The ramp folds into the 
vehicle to a position that covers from one-half to three- fourths of 
the doorway, the intent being to avoid obstructing the driver's vision 
to the side.
    NHTSA's evaluation of the lift and ramp designs revealed a wide 
variety of lift and ramp designs produced by other manufacturers, 
including those that retract under the vehicle, those that suspend 
within the door sill (which lifts the wheelchair user by means of a 
pulley), those that retract within the vehicle parallel to the floor, 
and some that are, like the IMS ramp, detachable from at least one 
side. Also like the IMS ramp, many lifts and ramps produced by other 
manufacturers do not cover the entire door.
    In order to install the IMS ramp in a vehicle, the vehicle is 
altered by lowering the floor between the firewall and the rear axle. 
This alteration is commonly performed on most lift/ramp-equipped vans 
and MPVs. The original floor is replaced with an interior panel of 16-
gauge steel and an exterior panel of 18-gauge steel. Both are hollow z-
member panels which together have an equivalent thickness of one inch. 
The lower edge of the side sliding door is extended to meet the lowered 
floor and the lower track of the sliding door is refitted to 
accommodate the larger door. Structurally, the sliding track guide is 
similar to the vehicle's original track guide for non-electric doors. 
For electric doors, however, the design is significantly different. 
Specifically, the installation of the electric IMS ramp requires that 
the latch be disabled to accommodate the electric track closing and 
opening the door.
    Because of the many different designs of wheelchair lifts and ramps 
currently being produced, the agency is concerned that its exclusion of 
wheelchair lifts from the requirements of the standard, based on the 
then-current Thomas Built design, may be overly broad. At the same 
time, the agency believes that wheelchair ramps and lifts are essential 
to the safe and efficient transportation of persons with disabilities. 
Accordingly, the change requested by IMS warrants further investigation 
and research into the installation and manner of operation of the 
various wheelchair lift and ramp designs currently in production, with 
a view toward adoption of uniform criteria for both. To that extent, 
therefore, the agency grants the IMS petition.
    The granting of the IMS petition, however, does not necessarily 
mean that a rule will be issued. The determination of whether to issue 
a rule is made after study of the requested action and the various 
alternatives thereto in the course of the rulemaking proceeding, in 
accordance with statutory criteria.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 571

    Imports, Motor vehicle safety, Motor vehicles, Rubber and rubber 
products, Tires.

[[Page 27327]]

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

BILLING CODE 4910-59-P

[[Page 27328]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP31MY96.120

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    Issued on May 27, 1996.
Barry Felrice,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 96-13711 Filed 5-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-C
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