NHTSA seeks public comment on TREAD Act

WASHINGTON (July 26)—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking public comment on its plan for vehicle safety rule-making priorities, including the Transportation, Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation Act requirements covering tires, rollover protection and child safety. Other important near-term safety concerns include improved head restraints and fuel system integrity, advanced air bags and dummies, upgraded roof crush resistance, occupant ejection prevention in rollover crashes, offset frontal and enhanced side crash protection, and reduced glare from headlamps. Longer term testing, analysis, and potential rulemaking actions will address incompatibility in crashes between passenger cars and light trucks, dynamic stability control, roadway departure collision avoidance systems, and the reduction of driver distractions. More than 6 million motor vehicle crashes killed 41,821 individuals and injured 3.19 million others in 2000, NHTSA said. Comments may be submitted in writing to the Department of Transportation's Docket Management Section, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street S.W., Washington, DC 20590; refer to docket number NHTSA-2002-12391. Alternatively, comments may be submitted electronically to the docket management system Web site at http://dms.dot.gov.