WORLD TRADE G/TBT/Notif.98.217
21April 1998
ORGANIZATION
(98-1602)
Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
NOTIFICATION
Thefollowing notification isbeing circulated inaccordance withArticle 10.6.
1. Member toAgreement notifying: UNITED STATES
Ifapplicable, name oflocalgovernment involved (Articles 3.2and7.2):
2. Agency responsible: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (9)
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments regarding thenotification shall be
indicated ifdifferent from above:
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X],2.10.1 [],5.6.2 [],5.7.1 [],other:
4. Products covered (HSorCCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICSnumbers maybeprovided inaddition, where applicable): Multipurpose Passenger
Vehicles (HSChapter 8702)
5. Title, number ofpages andlanguage(s) ofthenotified document: Consumer Information
Regulations; Utility Vehicle Label (7pages, English)
6. Description ofcontent: This notice proposes tomodify theexisting warning label
required inmultipurpose passenger vehicles (other thanthose which arepassenger car
derivatives) withawheelbase of110inches orlessadvising drivers thatthehandling and
maneuvering characteristics ofthese vehicles require special driving practices. The
proposed replacement label uses bright colors, graphics, andshort bulleted text
messages, rather thanthecurrent text-only format. TheAdministration believes these
amendments make theinformation more understandable toconsumers andincrease the
chance thatthelabels canaffect driver behavior toreduce rollovers. Thenotice also
requests comment onchanges tothelocation requirements forthelabel andthe
corresponding owner ’smanual requirement.
7. Objective andrationale, including thenature ofurgent problems where applicable: Safety
8. Relevant documents: 63FR17974, 13April 1998; 49CFR Part575. Willappear in
theFederal Register when adopted.
9. Proposed dateofadoption: Ifadopted, theproposed amendments would become effective
180daysfollowing publication ofthefinalrule.
Proposed dateofentry intoforce:
10. Final dateforcomments: 12June1998
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [x]oraddress, e-mail, andtelefax number
ofother body: