[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 153 (Monday, August 10, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 42582-42584]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21285]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. NHTSA-98-4268]
RIN 2127-AG84


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

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This document amends the Federal motor vehicle safety standard 
on lighting to permit asymmetrical headlamp beams on motorcycle 
headlighting systems. This amendment will allow upper and lower beams 
to be emitted by separate dedicated headlamps on either side of a 
motorcycle's vertical centerline or by separate off center light 
sources within a single headlamp that is located on the vertical 
centerline. This action completes action upon the grant of a rulemaking 
petition from Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. and represents a further 
step towards harmonization of Standard No. 108 with the lighting 
standards of other nations.

DATES: The amendment is effective September 24, 1998. Any petition for 
reconsideration of the amendment must be filed on or before this 
effective date.

ADDRESSES: Petitions for reconsideration should refer to the docket 
number and notice number, and must be submitted to: Docket Management, 
Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. (Docket 
hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jere Medlin, Office of Safety 
Performance Standards, NHTSA (Phone: 202-366-5276).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Table IV of Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 
No. 108 specifies the location of headlighting systems on motorcycles. 
If a motorcycle has a single headlamp, the headlamp must be located on 
the vehicle's vertical centerline. If two headlamps are provided, they 
must be symmetrically located around the vertical centerline. Under 
Standard No. 108, a center-mounted headlamp must provide upper and 
lower beams with a single light source, and each headlamp in a two-
headlamp motorcycle headlighting system must provide both an upper and 
a lower beam with a single light source. In interpretation letters in 
1994 and 1995, NHTSA advised Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. (Kawasaki) 
that a single-lamp headlighting system in which an upper beam or lower 
beam is provided by a single light source that is not on the vertical 
centerline is not permitted by Standard No. 108.
    Kawasaki has developed a projector beam headlighting system which 
it wishes to offer on motorcycles that it sells in the United States. 
The system incorporates light sources that are not on the vertical 
centerline and that will typically be illuminated singly. The 
consequence is that the motorcycle will have a single-off center light 
source. Under the Kawasaki system, separate headlamps provide the upper 
and lower beam respectively, or separate light sources in a single 
headlamp, which lie on either side of the vertical centerline even if 
the headlamp itself is centered on it. Accordingly, Kawasaki petitioned 
the agency for rulemaking to amend Standard No. 108 in a manner that 
would allow its asymmetrical headlighting system.
    The agency granted the petition and published a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) on this subject on September 9, 1997 (Docket No. 97-
45; 62 FR 47414).
    As NHTSA explained in the NPRM, at the time that the motorcycle 
headlight requirements in Standard No. 108 were originally issued, the 
predominant concern was that the headlighting system clearly identify a 
motorcycle as such when the vehicle was being operated at night. Thus, 
the location of a single headlamp on the vertical centerline was 
required to aid motorists in distinguishing an approaching motorcycle 
from an approaching passenger car whose left headlamp was inoperative. 
To assist oncoming drivers in detecting the nature of an approaching 
vehicle, Standard No. 108 also requires passenger cars and light trucks 
to have parking lamps, and requires the parking lamps to be illuminated 
when the headlamps are on. Motorcycles are not required to have parking 
lamps. Thus, their appearance at night will differ in this respect from 
that of a four-wheeled motor vehicle. Kawasaki assured the agency that, 
in markets where projector beam headlamps are common, there has been no 
increase in crashes because of misjudgment of a motorcycle's presence.
    This assurance allowed the agency to contemplate the advisability 
of allowing a single beam to be projected somewhere other than on the 
vertical centerline. Kawasaki brought the agency's attention to the 
Official Journal of the European Communities, Council Directive 93/92/
EEC, dated 29 October

[[Page 42583]]

1993. This Directive allows separate upper and lower beam headlamps, 
but specifies that their ``reference centers must be symmetrical in 
relation to the median longitudinal plane of the vehicle'', and that 
the distance between the edges of the illuminating surfaces of the two 
headlamps must not exceed 200 mm., i.e., approximately 8 inches. 
Adoption of this maximum separation distance should ensure that 
asymmetrical beams remain relatively close to the vertical centerline 
of the vehicle and do not mislead oncoming drivers. It will also ensure 
that NHTSA's amendment of Standard No. 108 will be consistent with 
regulations of other nations concerning the same lighting 
specification.
    The agency therefore proposed that Standard No. 108 be amended in a 
manner that would allow Kawasaki to use the projector beam headlighting 
system. Two comments were received on the NPRM, from Stanley Electric 
Co. Ltd. (Stanley) and Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (Koito). Both 
commenters supported the NPRM.
    Koito commented that the installation of the headlighting system 
proposed is already allowed in Japan, and that a final rule would 
harmonize U.S. requirements not only with the regulations of Europe 
(93/93/EEC) but also those of Japan. Stanley, too, supported the NPRM 
as in the interests of harmonization. Koito noted that proposed 
S7.9.6.2 (a) and (c) allow both vertical and horizontal arrangements, 
while S7.9.6.2(b) allows only a horizontal arrangement. Koito asked for 
a clarification. In response to this comment, the agency has revised 
S7.9.6.2(b) so that it, as adopted, allows both vertical and horizontal 
arrangements.
    Stanley's further comments were in the nature of a request for 
interpretation as to the allowability under the proposal of four 
different types of dual-headlamp installations on motorcycles. In some 
of these systems, the upper beam headlamp could be located above the 
lower beam. The final rule clarifies NHTSA's intent in such a way that 
Stanley will be able to answer its questions. Standard No. 108 for many 
years has required that lower beam headlamps on all other types of 
motor vehicles be located above upper beam headlamps when they are 
mounted vertically (S7.4(b)) because the higher mounting height give 
longer seeing distance to the lower beam, providing a safety advantage 
to drivers. With respect to motorcycles, Standard No. 108 requires only 
that, if two headlamps are used, they shall be disposed symmetrically 
about the vertical centerline. On review, NHTSA believes that the same 
principle should apply to motorcycle headlamps as well, and is adopting 
language similar to S7.4(b) prohibiting the upper beam to be higher 
than the lower beam. This action ensures that the existing requirement 
will be retained, and clarifies Table IV which, as proposed, was silent 
as to relative locations of the upper and lower beam, specifying only 
that, if two headlamps were providing a single beam, they be 
symmetrically disposed about the vertical centerline.
    Although traditionally motorcycle headlighting requirements have 
been contained in Tables III and IV, paragraph S7.9 Motorcycles has 
been added to Standard No. 108, as proposed, to contain and set apart 
all motorcycle lighting performance requirements for ease of reference. 
This purpose will be enhanced by specifying headlighting location 
requirements as well. Accordingly, NHTSA proposed that a new paragraph 
S7.9.6 be added which will contain the previous location requirements 
specified in Table IV as modified by the proposed changes to 
accommodate Kawasaki's request, and as discussed above. A two-headlamp 
system in which each headlamp provides an upper and lower beam will be 
mounted symmetrically disposed about the vertical centerline or on the 
vertical centerline. The new paragraph will permit a two-headlamp 
system in which one headlamp provides an upper beam and the other a 
lower beam and which will have to be ``located on the vertical 
centerline with the upper beam no higher than the lower beam, or 
horizontally disposed about the vertical centerline and mounted at the 
same height.'' Similarly, the light sources in a single headlamp 
providing different beams will have to be horizontally disposed and 
mounted at the same height, or vertically disposed, with the lower beam 
light source above the upper beam light source. Table IV is amended to 
delete the material which would be covered by S7.9.6.2 relating to 
mounting of headlamps, and a reference to S7.9 substituted.

Effective Date

    Since the final rule will not impose any additional burden and is 
intended to afford an alternative to existing requirements, it is 
hereby found that an effective date earlier than 180 days after 
issuance of the final rule is in the public interest. The final rule is 
effective 45 days after its publication in the Federal Register.

Rulemaking Analyses

Executive Order 12866 and DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures

    This rulemaking action has not been reviewed under Executive Order 
12866. It has been determined that the rulemaking action is not 
significant under Department of Transportation regulatory policies and 
procedures. The effect of the rulemaking action is to allow a 
motorcycle manufacturer a wider choice of headlighting systems with 
which to equip its vehicles. The rule does not impose any additional 
burden upon any person. Impacts of the rule are so minimal as not to 
warrant preparation of a full regulatory evaluation.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The agency has also considered the effects of this rulemaking 
action in relation to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. Sec. 601 
et seq.). I certify that this rulemaking action would not have a 
significant economic effect upon a substantial number of small 
entities.
    The following is NHTSA's statement providing the factual basis for 
the certification (5 U.S.C. Sec. 605(b)). The final rule affects 
manufacturers of motor vehicles. According to the size standards of the 
Small Business Association (at 13 CFR Part 121.601), the size standard 
for manufacturers of ``Motor Vehicles and Passenger Car Bodies'' (SIC 
Code 3711) is 1,000 employees or fewer. This final rule will have no 
significant economic impact of a small business in this industry 
because it imposes no new requirements and affords flexibility to a 
manufacturer of motor vehicles in installing headlamp systems on its 
products.
    Further, small organizations and governmental jurisdictions will 
not be significantly affected since the price of new motorcycles will 
not be impacted. As noted above, the rule affords an option to existing 
requirements, so that there are no mandatory cost impacts to this rule. 
Accordingly, no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis has been prepared.

Executive Order 12612 (Federalism)

    This action has been analyzed in accordance with the principles and 
criteria contained in Executive Order 12612 on ``Federalism.'' It has 
been determined that the rulemaking action does not have sufficient 
federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism 
Assessment.

National Environmental Policy Act

    NHTSA has analyzed this rulemaking action for purposes of the 
National Environmental Policy Act. The

[[Page 42584]]

rulemaking action will not have a significant effect upon the 
environment as it does not affect the present method of manufacturing 
motorcycle headlamps.

Civil Justice Reform

    This rule will not have any retroactive effect. Under 49 U.S.C. 
30103, whenever a Federal motor vehicle safety standard is in effect, a 
state may not adopt or maintain a safety standard applicable to the 
same aspect of performance which is not identical to the Federal 
standard. Under 49 U.S.C. 30163, a procedure is set forth for judicial 
review of final rules establishing, amending, or revoking Federal motor 
vehicle safety standards. That section does not require submission of a 
petition for reconsideration or other administrative proceedings before 
parties may file suit in court.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 571

    Imports, Motor vehicle safety, Motor vehicles.

    In consideration of the foregoing, 49 CFR Part 571 is amended as 
follows:

PART 571--FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS

    1. The authority section continues to read as follows:

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


Sec. 571.108  [Amended]

    2. Section 571.108 is amended by adding new paragraph S7.9.6 and by 
revising the subheading of Table IV, and the entry for Headlamps in 
Table IV to read as set forth below:
    S7.9.6  A headlamp system shall be installed on a motorcycle in 
accordance with the requirements of this paragraph.
    S7.9.6.1  The headlamp system shall be located on the front of the 
motorcycle.
    S7.9.6.2  (a) If the system consists of a single headlamp, it shall 
be mounted on the vertical centerline of the motorcycle. If the 
headlamp contains more than one light source, each light source shall 
be mounted on the vertical centerline with the upper beam no higher 
than the lower beam, or horizontally disposed about the vertical 
centerline and mounted at the same height. If the light sources are 
horizontally disposed about the vertical centerline, the distance 
between the closest edges of the effective projected luminous lens area 
in front of the light sources shall not be greater than 200 mm (8 in.).
    (b) If the system consists of two headlamps, each of which provides 
both an upper and lower beam, the headlamps shall be mounted either at 
the same height and symmetrically disposed about the vertical 
centerline or mounted on the vertical centerline. If the headlamps are 
horizontally disposed about the vertical centerline, the distance 
between the closest edges of their effective projected luminous lens 
areas shall not be greater than 200 mm (8 in.).
    (c) If the system consists of two headlamps, one of which provides 
an upper beam and one of which provides the lower beam, the headlamps 
shall be located on the vertical centerline with the upper beam no 
higher than the lower beam, or horizontally disposed about the vertical 
centerline and mounted at the same height. If the headlamps are 
horizontally disposed about the vertical centerline, the distance 
between the closest edges of their effective projected luminous lens 
areas shall not be greater than 200 mm (8 in.).
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                                    Table IV--Location of Required Equipment                                    
  [All Passenger Cars and Motorcycles, and Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles, Trucks, Trailers, and Buses of Less 
                                    than 80 (2032) Inches (MM) Overall Width]                                   
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                                                             Location on--                                      
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                          Passenger cars,                                                                       
         Item               multipurpose                                                                        
                        passenger vehicles,          Motorcycles         Height above road surface measured from
                       trucks, trailers, and                            center of item on vehicle at curb weight
                               buses                                                                            
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Headlamps............  On the front, each     See S7.9................  Not less than 22 inches (55.9 cm) nor   
                        headlamp providing                               more than 54 inches (137.2 cm).        
                        the lower beam, at                                                                      
                        the same height, 1                                                                      
                        on each side of the                                                                     
                        vertical centerline,                                                                    
                        each headlamp                                                                           
                        providing the upper                                                                     
                        beam, at the same                                                                       
                        height, 1 on each                                                                       
                        side of the vertical                                                                    
                        center-line, as far                                                                     
                        apart as                                                                                
                        practicable. See                                                                        
                        also S7.                                                                                
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* * * * *
    Issued on: August 4, 1998.
Ricardo Martinez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-21285 Filed 8-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P