FMCSA looks to expand area where safety tech can be mounted on truck, bus windshields

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking to increase the area safety technology can be mounted inside commercial motor vehicles and expand the definition of “vehicle safety technology.”

According to a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the July 6 Federal Register, the proposals are in response to a rulemaking petition from Daimler Trucks North America.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations mandate that vehicle safety devices be mounted no more than 4 inches “below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers.” The devices also must remain outside the driver’s line of sight to the road and highway signs/signals.

FMCSA is proposing to increase that parameter to 8.5 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers. The FMCSR’s rule that the devices may not be mounted more than 7 inches “above the lower edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers” would remain unchanged.

The proposed expanded definition of “vehicle safety technology” adds braking warning/assist systems, automatic emergency braking, driver camera systems and attention assist warning, as well as global positioning systems and other devices. Those include systems and devices that use lidar, radar and sensors.

The deadline to comment on the NPRM is Aug. 5.