RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/TBT/Notif.95.318
7November 1995
ORGANIZATION
(95-3436)
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 (24)
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): Motor vehicle head
restraints (8703)
5. Title andnumber ofpages ofthenotified document: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards; Head Restraints (2pages)
6. Description ofcontent: TheAdministration proposes todelete oneoftwoalternative
performance requirements forhead restraints. That alternative involves atesting
procedure thatismore cumbersome thantheoneintheother alternative andhasrarely,
ifever, beenusedbymanufacturers. Accordingly, removing thisalternative would not
adversely affect themanufacturers. Further, removal would simplify thelanguage ofthe
standard. This document alsoproposes toamend several sections ofFederal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No.202,Head Restraints, toreduce theadministrative burdens
ofthisstandard. This proposal would clarify thetestprocedures byreplacing the
"rearmost portion oftheheadform" withareference totheportion oftheheadform in
contact withtheheadrestraint. Thisproposal would alsospecify thatheadrestraints on
bench-type seatsareloaded simultaneously during compliance testing.
7. Objective andrationale: Toreduce confusion andallow manufacturers tocertify
compliance withlower testscosts.
8. Relevant documents: 60FR54467, 24October 1995; 49CFR Part571. Willappear
intheFederal Register when adopted.
9. Proposed dateofadoption andentry intoforce: Tobedetermined
10. Final dateforcomments: 26December 1995
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X]oraddress andtelefax number ofother
body: