Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Antilock Brake Systems
Final rule.
The FHWA is amending the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to require that air-braked truck tractors manufactured on or after March 1, 1997, and air-braked single-unit trucks, buses, trailers, and converter dollies manufactured on or after March 1, 1998, be equipped with antilock brake systems (ABSs) that meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 121. The FHWA is also requiring hydraulic-braked trucks and buses manufactured on or after March 1, 1999, to be equipped with ABSs that meet the requirements of FMVSS No. 105. In addition, the agency is requiring motor carriers to maintain the ABSs on these vehicles. This rulemaking is intended to ensure that the in-service brake standards of the FMCSRs are consistent with the FMVSSs. The rulemaking would also improve the safety of operation of commercial motor vehicles by reducing the incidence of accidents caused by jackknifing and other losses of directional stability and control during braking. With regard to commercial motor vehicles manufactured prior to the dates previously mentioned, the FHWA is not requiring motor carriers to retrofit such vehicles with ABSs.