Rule2025-03348
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint Systems, Child Restraint Anchorage Systems, Incorporation by Reference; Correction
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 3, 2025
Effective
March 20, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract
This document corrects a January 7, 2025 final rule that amended Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 225; "Child restraint anchorage systems," and FMVSS No. 213b; "Child restraint systems," to improve ease-of-use of the lower and tether anchorages, improve correct use of child restraint systems in vehicles, and maintain or improve the correct use and effectiveness of child restraint systems (CRSs) in motor vehicles. The final rule fulfilled a mandate of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP- 21) requiring that NHTSA improve the ease-of-use for lower anchorages and tethers in all rear seat positions.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 40 (Monday, March 3, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 40 (Monday, March 3, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11031-11032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-03348]
[[Page 11031]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
49 CFR Parts 571 and 585
[Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0089]
RIN 2127-AL20
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint Systems,
Child Restraint Anchorage Systems, Incorporation by Reference;
Correction
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final rule; correction.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This document corrects a January 7, 2025 final rule that
amended Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 225; ``Child
restraint anchorage systems,'' and FMVSS No. 213b; ``Child restraint
systems,'' to improve ease-of-use of the lower and tether anchorages,
improve correct use of child restraint systems in vehicles, and
maintain or improve the correct use and effectiveness of child
restraint systems (CRSs) in motor vehicles. The final rule fulfilled a
mandate of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-
21) requiring that NHTSA improve the ease-of-use for lower anchorages
and tethers in all rear seat positions.
DATES: Effective March 20, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Correspondence related to this rule should refer to the
docket number set forth above (NHTSA-2024-0089) and be submitted to the
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical issues: Ms. Cristina
Echemendia, Office of Crashworthiness Standards, Telephone (202) 366-
6345), Facsimile: (202) 493-2990. For legal issues: Ms. Natasha Reed,
Office of the Chief Counsel, Telephone: (202) 366-2992, Facsimile:
(202) 366-3820. The mailing address for these officials is: National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of January 7, 2025,
(90 FR 1288), NHTSA published a final rule that amended FMVSS No. 225
and 213b. The preamble indicated that the final rule's amendments to
FMVSS No. 213b would include a 3-year lead time following the
publication of the final rule, as proposed by the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NPRM), with no phase-in period, but the compliance date for
FMVSS No. 213b was inadvertently omitted from the compliance date
section of the preamble and the applicable regulatory text of Sec.
571.213b in the final rule. NHTSA is therefore correcting the
preamble's ``Compliance Date'' section and the regulatory text of Sec.
571.213b to include the required compliance dates for this final rule's
amendments to Sec. 571.213b. Specifically, this document corrects
Sec. 571.213b S5.5.2(j), S5.6.1.13, S5.6.1.14, S5.9(a), S5.9(b), and
S5.9(c) to ensure that, as stated in the preamble, current requirements
are effective for three years following the publication of the final
rule and includes language to ensure that optional early compliance is
permissible, but not required.
In FR Doc. 2024-31142, appearing on page 1288 in the Federal
Register of Tuesday, January 7, 2025, the following corrections are
made:
Preamble
1. On page 1288, in the first column, in the DATES section, the
paragraph ``Compliance Date: This final rule adopts a 3-year phase-in
period to comply with the updated requirements in FMVSS No. 225. The
phase-in begins on September 1, 2028, and requires that 20 percent of a
manufacturer's applicable vehicles produced from September 1, 2028, to
August 31, 2029, comply with the updated FMVSS No. 225, followed by 50
percent from September 1, 2029, to August 31, 2030, and 100 percent on
and after September 1, 2030. Early compliance is permitted.'' is
corrected to read: ``Compliance Date: This final rule adopts a 3-year
phase-in period to comply with the updated requirements in FMVSS No.
225. The phase-in begins on September 1, 2028, and requires that 20
percent of a manufacturer's applicable vehicles produced from September
1, 2028, to August 31, 2029, comply with the updated FMVSS No. 225,
followed by 50 percent from September 1, 2029, to August 31, 2030, and
100 percent on and after September 1, 2030. The compliance date for
this final rule's amendments to FMVSS No. 213b is January 8, 2028.
Early compliance is permitted.''
Regulatory Text
Sec. 571.213b [Corrected]
2. On page 1341, in the first column, in Sec. 571.213b, in
paragraph S5.5.2(j), the sentence ``In the case of each child restraint
system equipped with a tether strap the statement: Secure the tether
strap provided with this child restraint.'' is corrected to read ``In
the case of each child restraint system equipped with a tether strap
system the statement: Secure the tether strap provided with this child
restraint. For child restraints manufactured before January 8, 2028,
the statement may state: Secure the top anchorage strap provided with
this child restraint.''
3. On page 1341, in the second column, in Sec. 571.213b, in
paragraph S5.6.1.13, the sentence ``In the case of child restraint
systems marked as specified in S5.9(a) and (b) of this standard,
explain that the markings identify the lower anchor connectors and the
tether anchor connector, respectively, and that the consumer should
look for corresponding marks on the vehicle child restraint anchorage
system to attach the appropriate connectors of the child restraint
system.'' is corrected to read ``For child restraints manufactured on
or after January 8, 2028, in the case of child restraint systems marked
as specified in S5.9(a) and (b) of this standard, explain that the
markings identify the lower anchor connectors and the tether anchor
connector, respectively, and that the consumer should look for
corresponding marks on the vehicle child restraint anchorage system to
attach the appropriate connectors of the child restraint system.''
4. On page 1341, in the second column, in Sec. 571.213b, in
paragraph S5.6.1.14, the sentence ``Use the following terms when
referring to the different components of the child restraint anchorage
system or for components of the child restraint system that are used to
connect the child restraint system to the vehicle: ``lower anchor''
means the lower anchorage of the child restraint anchorage system in
the vehicle, ``tether anchor'' means the top tether anchorage of the
child restraint anchorage system in the vehicle, ``lower anchor
attachment'' means the child restraint system or the detachable base's
(in the case of a rear-facing child restraint with a detachable base)
lower anchorage connector and the lower anchorage strap (for flexible
lower anchorage attachments), ``rigid lower anchor attachment'' means
the child restraint system or the detachable base's (in the case of a
rear-facing child restraint with a detachable base) lower anchorage
connector that is rigidly attached to the CRS and does not have a lower
anchorage strap, and ``tether'' means the child restraints system's
tether hook and tether strap.'' is corrected to read ``For child
restraints manufactured on or after January 8, 2028, use the following
terms when referring to the different
[[Page 11032]]
components of the child restraint anchorage system or for components of
the child restraint system that are used to connect the child restraint
system to the vehicle: ``lower anchor'' means the lower anchorage of
the child restraint anchorage system in the vehicle, ``tether anchor''
means the top tether anchorage of the child restraint anchorage system
in the vehicle, ``lower anchor attachment'' means the child restraint
system or the detachable base's (in the case of a rear-facing child
restraint with a detachable base) lower anchorage connector and the
lower anchorage strap (for flexible lower anchorage attachments),
``rigid lower anchor attachment'' means the child restraint system or
the detachable base's (in the case of a rear-facing child restraint
with a detachable base) lower anchorage connector that is rigidly
attached to the CRS and does not have a lower anchorage strap, and
``tether'' means the child restraints system's tether hook and tether
strap.''
5. On page 1341, in the third column, in Sec. 571.213b, in
paragraph S5.9(a), the last sentence ``All components provided to
attach the add-on child restraint or the detachable base (in the case
of a rear-facing child restraint with a detachable base) to the lower
anchorages of the child restraint anchorage system shall be permanently
marked with the pictogram in figure 15 to this section.'' is corrected
to read ``For child restraints manufactured on or after January 8,
2028, all components provided to attach the add-on child restraint or
the detachable base (in the case of a rear-facing child restraint with
a detachable base) to the lower anchorages of the child restraint
anchorage system shall be permanently marked with the pictogram in
figure 15 to this section.''
6. On page 1341, in the third column, in Sec. 571.213b, in
paragraph S5.9(b), the second sentence ``The tether hook or the tether
strap shall be permanently marked with either pictogram shown in figure
16 to this section.'' is corrected to read ``For child restraints
manufactured on or after January 8, 2028, the tether hook or the tether
strap shall be permanently marked with either pictogram shown in figure
16 to this section.''
7. On page 1341, in the third column, in Sec. 571.213, in
paragraph S5.9(c), the last sentence ``The length of the tether
hardware assembly, which consists of a tether hook and a mechanism
designed to tighten and loosen the tether strap, shall not exceed 165
mm.'' is corrected to read ``For child restraints manufactured on or
after January 8, 2025, the length of the tether hardware assembly,
which consists of a tether hook and a mechanism designed to tighten and
loosen the tether strap, shall not exceed 165 mm.''
Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
1.95 and 501.8.
Peter Simshauser,
Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2025-03348 Filed 2-28-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 3, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.