Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Controls, Telltales and Indicators

In a final rule of August 17, 2005 (70 FR 48295), we updated our standard regulating motor vehicle controls, telltales and indicators. The standard specifies requirements for the location, identification, and illumination of these items. The rule extended the standard's telltale and indicator requirements to vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kg (10,000 pounds) and greater, updated the standard's requirements for multi-function controls and multi-task displays to make the requirements appropriate for advanced systems, and reorganized the standard to make it easier to read. The final rule announced an effective date of February 13, 2006, and a compliance date of February 13, 2006 for requirements applicable to vehicles under 4,536 kg (10,000 pounds) GVWR. In response to a petition for extension of the effective date from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Alliance), this final rule announces a delay in the effective date to September 1, 2006. The additional time allows us to consider issues raised by the Alliance and other petitioners in petitions to reconsider certain items and identifications described in the August 17, 2005 final rule.