Denial of Petition for Rulemaking; Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Résumé

This document denies a petition for rulemaking submitted by the Coalition of Small Volume Automobile Manufacturers (COSVAM). COSVAM requested that small volume automobile manufacturers be given additional time to comply with the phase-in of the upper interior head protection requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, Occupant Protection in Interior Impact. Specifically, COSVAM requested that the agency initiate a rulemaking proceeding to create alternative compliance dates to address concerns of manufacturers producing or importing 10,000 vehicles per year or less. The petitioner based its request on the argument that compliance costs for such manufacturers would be disproportionately burdensome. NHTSA denies this petition because the agency has already established a variety of compliance schedules that afford these manufacturers sufficient compliance flexibility.