NHTSA proposes change to roof crush standard

March 16, 2016

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) designed to facilitate the mobility of physically disabled drivers and passengers. The NPRM responds to a petition from Autoregs Consulting, Inc. on behalf of The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association.

The petition comes in response to NHTSA’s 2009 change to double the roof crush strength for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and buses with gross vehicle weight ratings of 6,000 pounds and extending its application to GVW ratings of 10,000 pounds or less.

Autoregs requested flexibility to allow modifiers to replace a vehicle's original roof after first sale with a raised or altered roof to accommodate the needs of persons with disability. Instead of complying with those requirements of FMVSS No. 216, the company asked that modifiers have the same option as alterers and multistage manufacturers of installing a roof system that complies with the requirements of FMVSS No. 220, School bus rollover protection.

Comments regarding the proposal should be submitted to the Docket no later than May 10, 2016.