[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 18 (Wednesday, January 28, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 4097-4098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1645]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 57l

[Docket No. NHTSA-1999-3705]
RIN 2127-AG16


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Door Locks and Door 
Retention Components

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Termination of rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: On August 25, 1995, the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration (NHTSA) received a petition for rulemaking from 
Independent Mobility Systems (IMS) requesting that the requirements of 
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 206, ``Door Locks and 
Door Retention Components,'' be modified to exclude retention 
components on doors modified for use with wheelchair ramp systems. 
NHTSA granted the IMS petition on May 31, 1996. This notice discusses 
our decision to terminate rulemaking on this petition.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The following persons may be contacted 
at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590:
    For Technical Issues: Mr. Maurice Hicks, Office of Crashworthiness 
Standards, NVS-113, telephone (202) 366-6345, facsimile (202) 366-4329, 
electronic mail: [email protected].
    For Legal Issues: Ms. Rebecca MacPherson, Office of the Chief 
Counsel (202) 366-2992, facsimile (202) 366-2260, electronic mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: You may read the materials placed in the 
docket for this notice (e.g., the August 25, 1995, IMS petition and 
subsequent rulemaking notices) by going to the Docket Management, Room 
PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.
    You may also read the materials on the Internet. To do so, take the 
following steps:
    (1) Go to the Web page of the Department of Transportation DMS 
(http://dms.dot.gov/).
    (2) On that page, click on ``search'' near the top of the page or 
scroll down to the words ``Search the DMS Web'' and click on them.
    (3) On the next page (http://dms.dot.gov/search/), scroll down to 
``Docket Number'' and type in the four-digit docket number shown in the 
title at the beginning of this notice. After typing the docket number, 
click on ``search.''
    (4) On the next page (``Docket Summary Information''), which 
contains docket summary information for the materials in the docket you 
selected, scroll down to ``search results'' and click on the desired 
materials. You may download the materials.

Background

    NHTSA received a petition for rulemaking from Independent Mobility 
System (IMS), Inc., (4100 W. Piedras Street, Farmington, New Mexico 
87401) on August 25, 1995, requesting an exemption from the 
requirements of FMVSS No. 206 for retention components on any door 
modified for use with a wheelchair ramp system. IMS claimed that 
exempting wheelchair ramps was necessary to aid in transporting 
disabled persons. It justified its request on the basis that wheelchair 
ramps share the same purpose and configuration as wheelchair lifts, 
which are exempted from the standard. The petitioner stated that, as 
with lifts, wheelchair ramp platforms are vertically stored within the 
vehicle's doorway, with the purpose of creating a barrier to prevent 
occupant ejections.
    IMS requested an inclusion of the term ``wheelchair ramp'' along 
with ``wheelchair lifts'' in paragraph S4 of FMVSS 206. IMS asked that 
paragraph S4 be revised as follows:

    S4. (c) Components on any side door leading directly into a 
compartment that contains one or more seating accommodations shall 
conform to this standard. However, components on folding doors, 
roll-up doors, doors that are designed to be easily attached to or 
removed from motor vehicles manufactured for operation without 
doors, and any side doors which are equipped with wheelchair lifts 
or wheelchair ramps and that are linked to an alarm system 
consisting of either a flashing visible signal located in the 
driver's compartment or an alarm audible to the driver that is 
activated when the door is open, need not conform to this standard.

On May 31, 1996, NHTSA issued a Federal Register notice granting the 
IMS petition (61 FR 27325).

[[Page 4098]]

Reason for Termination

    Subsequent to granting the IMS petition, the agency further 
investigated the installation and operational characteristics of 
various wheelchair lift and ramp designs. From this, it was found that: 
(1) wheelchair ramps do not adequately barricade the vehicle doorway to 
prevent occupant ejection without functional door latches, and (2) 
since 1998, wheelchair ramp designs have progressed such that it is no 
longer necessary to disable door retention components when installing 
wheelchair ramp and lift systems. Therefore, NHTSA is terminating the 
rulemaking that arose out of the August 1995, IMS petition.

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

    Issued on: January 22, 2004.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 04-1645 Filed 1-27-04; 8:45 am]
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