Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint Anchorage Systems

This document responds to a number of issues raised by petitions for reconsideration of the agency's March 1999 final rule establishing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 225, Child Restraint Anchorage Systems, and of the agency's August 1999 final rule responding to the first round of petitions. Standard No. 225 has required vehicle manufacturers to provide the upper (tether) anchorage of a child restraint anchorage system in some of their vehicles since September 1, 1999. It also requires the installation of the lower anchorages of those systems in some vehicles beginning September 1, 2000. In response to concerns of several petitioners about leadtime for and the stringency of the anchorage strength and other requirements in the March 1999 final rule, our August 1999 rule permits vehicle manufacturers to meet alternative requirements during an initial several year period. During this period, manufacturers have the alternative of meeting either the requirements for tether anchorages set by the March 1999 final rule or those previously established by Transport Canada. Manufacturers also have the alternative of meeting the requirements for lower anchorages set by the March 1999 final rule, or those consistent with a draft standard being developed by a working group of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The temporary alternative for tether anchorages was to last until September 1, 2001, and that for lower anchorages until September 1, 2002. In response to petitions for reconsideration, today's rule extends the temporary alternatives until September 1, 2004. This document also addresses certain other issues that need to be resolved or clarified concerning the installation of child restraint anchorage systems in vehicles and how those systems are to be tested in the agency's compliance tests. Other issues raised by the petitions for reconsideration will be addressed in a subsequent document.