The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reopened the public comment period for a proposed rule that would toughen standards for rear impact guards and reflective material on the rear and sides of straight trucks.
In an announcement to be published in the Oct. 6 Federal Register, the agency said it is reopening the comment period, originally closed Sept. 21, for another 30 days. The advance notice of proposed rulemaking was first published in July.
“Separately, NHTSA plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking proposing to upgrade the requirements for all guards,” the straight truck ANPRM said.
NHTSA said the ANPRM was being issued in response to a petition from the Truck Safety Coalition granted by the agency last year seeking improvements in the rear guard standard for single-unit and heavy tractor-trailer trucks.
The agency said it is requesting comments that would help it assess and make judgments on the benefits, costs and other impacts of strategies that increase the protection to occupants of vehicles crashing into the rear of single-unit trucks or that increase the likelihood of avoiding a crash into single-unit trucks.
