Cullen Sisskind
Commercial Vehicle Section; Location 062
California Highway Patrol
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA� 94298-0001
Dear Mr. Sisskind:
This letter responds to an email from Clint Hightower of the California Highway Patrol to Louis Molino requesting a written interpretation concerning the definition of the term �occupant,� as used in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110.� Specifically, you would like to know whether the driver is considered an �occupant� for the purpose of the vehicle placard required by S4.3.� To respond to your question, we would consider the driver to be an �occupant� of a vehicle for the purpose of stating the vehicle�s seating capacity on the placard required by FMVSS No. 110.
FMVSS No. 110 requires that a placard bearing information about vehicle capacity weight, designated seating capacity, and information regarding the tires and loading be permanently affixed to each new motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less .[1]� For the purpose of determining designated seating capacity, S4.3(b) of FMVSS No. 110 requires that the capacity of a vehicle be expressed �in terms of the total number of occupants.�� The term �designated seating capacity� is defined in 49 CFR 571.3 for the purposes of the FMVSSs as �the number of designated seating positions provided.�� Section 571.3 also defines the term �driver� as �the occupant of a motor vehicle seated immediately behind the steering control system.��
Thus, by definition, the driver is considered an �occupant� of a motor vehicle.� Because the driver�s seating position is considered a �designated seating position,� it follows directly from the definition of the �designated seating capacity� that the driver�s seating position is included in the calculation of a vehicle�s seating capacity.
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I hope this information is helpful.� If you have any further questions about this issue, please feel free to contact David Jasinski of my office at (202) 366-2992.
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Sincerely yours,
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� O. Kevin Vincent
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Chief Counsel
OCC:DJasinski:62992:cyt:9/25/13
Reprinted with edits from NVS-100 and 200 on
1/17/14
NCC-112 subj, dj, cyt���� NCC13-003266
DRAFT� 1/24/2014
3:01 PM
NVS-100, NVS-200, Interps. Std 110, Redbook
S:\INTERP\110\571-110-
placard - CHP - 13-003266.docxDated: 2/4/14
Ref: Standard No. 110