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

Résumé

This document proposes to amend the Federal motor vehicle safety standard on lighting to relieve design restrictions that may inadvertently prevent the implementation of certain new-technology light sources in motor vehicle lamps. These are light emitting diodes (LEDs) and miniature halogen bulbs. The standard would be amended to add two paragraphs reflecting SAE specifications for measurement of photometrics in taillamps and in certain stop and turn signal lamps with more than one lighted section and for LED heat testing. The agency issued a proposal on these issues in 1994, but terminated rulemaking the following year. These issues are being revisited in response to a petition for rulemaking from Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG.