Denial of Petition for Rulemaking; Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Résumé

This document denies a petition from Mr. Charles Smyth for rulemaking to require the use of Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) on all vehicles in America. The agency does not have the authority to require retrofitting of vehicles in use, and the issue of mandatory DRLs on new motor vehicles has been considered by the agency on numerous occasions and is still under consideration. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108; ``Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment,'' was amended in 1993 to permit new vehicles to be equipped with DRLs and to assure that if used, they cause no safety problems. Canada mandated DRLs on all new passenger cars, multipurpose vehicles, buses and trucks manufactured for sale after December 1, 1989. General Motors (GM), SAAB, Volvo, and Volkswagen have begun to market DRL equipped vehicles in the United States (U.S.). NHTSA is monitoring Canadian U.S. crash data to evaluate the benefit of DRL use in the U.S. Should the safety experience demonstrate that DRLs are cost-effective safety devices, NHTSA would consider mandating them.