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Joint petition for NHTSA to reconsider its final rule on temporary exemptions from safety standards

This is a petition for reconsideration of the Final Rule promulgated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, or Agency) amending the Agency’s regulation on temporary exemptions from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and bumper standards. This petition is filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), Center for Auto Safety, Consumer Reports, Consumer Federation of America and Ms. Joan Claybrook (Petitioners) pursuant to 49 C.F.R. 553.35. All of the Petitioners work to protect consumers and reduce deaths and injuries on our Nation’s highways, which includes reviewing and commenting on petitions for exemption filed with NHTSA.

Petitioners delineate below the numerous reasons why the Final Rule is not only against the public interest, but also either contravenes NHTSA’s notice-and-comment obligations under the Administrative Procedure Act, or is in violation of the Agency’s Direct Final Rulemaking procedures. In sum, the Final Rule hinders the public’s ability to thoroughly review issues of great importance to safety, and imperils road users by allowing incomplete applications to move forward for exemptions from critical federal safety standards.

For the full petition, click here.

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