scope:

SUMMARY:

This document proposes to extend by 18 months a requirement that trailers with antilock brake systems be equipped with an external antilock malfunction indicator lamp. It also considers making the requirement permanent. The indicator lamp requirement, which is included in the Federal motor vehicle safety standard that governs vehicles equipped with air brakes, was originally scheduled to sunset on March 1, 2009, but has been extended to September 1, 2009 in an interim final rule published in today's Federal Register. Under our proposal, the sunset date would be extended until March 1, 2011. This rulemaking is in response to a petition from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), which has asked that this requirement be made permanent. Extending the sunset date for an additional 18 months would enable the agency to fully analyze CVSA's request that the requirement be made permanent, and avoid a potential confusing time gap in the vehicles subject to the requirement.