Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Platform Lifts for Motor Vehicles, Platform Lift Installations in Motor Vehicles

This document delays the compliance dates of Federal motor vehicle safety standards for platform lifts and vehicles equipped with platform lifts. In December 2002, NHTSA published a final rule that established Federal motor vehicle safety standards for platform lifts and vehicles equipped with platform lifts. In October 2004, the agency published an amendment to these standards in response to petitions for reconsideration of the December 2002 final rule. Since that time, the agency has received several telephone calls on the inability of vehicle manufacturers to comply with the vehicle standards by the compliance date. We are also aware of some confusion within the industry as to the applicability of the standards. Additionally, in response to the October 2004 final rule, we received several petitions for reconsideration. As established in the December 2002 final rule, the standards are to become effective December 27, 2004. This notice delays the compliance date for the platform lift standard for a period of three months and the vehicle standard for a period of six months. The delay in compliance dates will prevent a gap between the cessation of production of vehicles with pre- standard lifts and the beginning of production of vehicles with post- standard (compliant) lifts. The delay will also allow the agency to address issues of applicability in advance of the compliance dates.