On January 14, 2008, NHTSA published a final rule in the Federal Register at 73 FR 2168 which responds to several petitions for reconsideration of the August 2006 rule which established NHTSA’s first set of uniform requirements for the accuracy, collection, storage, survivability, and retrievability of onboard motor vehicle crash event data in passenger cars and other light vehicles voluntarily equipped with event data recorders (EDRs).
Summary of Changes
Compliance Date - In order to avoid vehicle manufacturers incurring significant additional costs, unintended by the final rule, to redevelop EDR system architectures outside the normal product cycle, NHTSA has amended Sec. 563.3 to include a later compliance date. Specifically, the compliance date will generally be September 1, 2012, but September 1, 2013 for vehicles that are manufactured in two or more stages or that are altered after having been previously certified to the FMVSS.
Data filtering - To avoid EDR data being filtered beyond usefulness, NHTSA has removed the SAE J211-1 filter class specification from Table III of Sec. 563.8 and from incorporation by reference in Sec. 563.4.
Definitions - To clarify the final rule more fully, NHTSA has added definitions in Sec. 563.5 for “maximum delta-V, resultant” and “time, maximum delta-V, resultant,” and amending the definitions for “end of event time,” “engine RPM,” “event,” and “time zero.”
Frontal air bag warning lamp and ignition cycle reporting - To clarify the definition and permissible uses of the frontal air bag warning lamp, and to clarify that the ignition cycle at time of download need only be reported during the download process, footnotes are being added to Table I in Sec. 563.7.
Data format - To avoid requiring EDRs to function at levels well beyond those necessary for the purposes of the final rule, Sec. 563.8 and Table III are being amended to clarify that the format specified is for reported, not recorded, data elements.
Overwriting vs. erasing data – NHTSA is amending Sec. 563.9 to allow the EDR to “overwrite” rather than erase previous event data contained in the EDR memory buffers and also clarifying how the EDR should prioritize multiple events and events involving deployable restraint systems other than air bags.
Deadline for filing petitions for reconsideration: February 28, 2008.
Docket reference: NHTSA-2008-0004
NHTSA Contact persons for this rulemaking: Technical and policy issues: David Sutula, Office of Crashworthiness Standards, (202) 366-1740. Legal issues: Rebecca Schade, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-2992.