The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a proposal that would reduce some of the early warning requirements and reporting burden for manufacturers (71 Fed. Reg. 52,040). The proposal would amend portions of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act related to the act's reporting provisions.
Among the changes proposed are the elimination of the requirement that manufacturers submit copies of product evaluation reports; a revision of the definition of fire to eliminate two precursors to fire, "sparks" and "smoldering," and add one term, "melt;" modifications related to the reporting on fuel-systems for medium-heavy vehicles and buses; and a limiting of the time period required for reporting updates to a few data elements in reports of deaths and injuries.
NHTSA is accepting comments on the proposed amendments through Oct. 31. Comments must be identified by DOT DMS Docket Number NHTSA 2006-25653 and can be submitted electronically, or by fax, mail or hand delivery. For the complete notice, click here.