WASHINGTON, DC — The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) is applauding Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) for his efforts and support of the rewrite of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108. FMVSS 108 sets minimum safety performance standards applicable to all motor vehicles and automotive lighting equipment in the U.S.
“Rep. Knollenberg’s efforts, which highlighted the need for the reorganization and editing of this vital standard, have been instrumental in providing clarity and coherence to its meaning and wide-ranging applications,” said Ann Wilson, vice president of government affairs for MEMA. “We believe greater clarity of the standard will help achieve greater compliance and increased safety on our nation’s roads.”
One of the first standards issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) more than 30 years ago, FMVSS 108 had been amended with great frequency and in a piecemeal fashion, according to MEMA. As a result, FMVSS 108 became very difficult to understand and interpret. Numerous interpretations also made enforcement of the standard increasingly more difficult, MEMA said.
“Both lighting manufacturers and NHTSA itself will greatly benefit from a more organized FMVSS 108, given that over the years NHTSA has issued more interpretations of this standard than any other. We commend NHTSA for this step forward,” Wilson added.
In June 2004, Knollenberg, on behalf of MEMA and the vehicle lighting industry, strongly urged NHTSA to pursue a rewrite of the standard. Since that time, Knollenberg has persisted and continually inquired with NHTSA on the status of the rewrite and strongly voiced the importance of this action.
“It is because of Rep. Knollenberg’s continued efforts over the past few years that the vehicle lighting community now has a standard that is comprehensible and written in ‘plain language,’” Wilson said. “We value Rep. Knollenberg’s ardent support and devotion to this standard, which is fundamental to vehicle safety.”
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