Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From Robert Bosch LLC and Mekra Lang North America LLC

Topics:  Bosch, Mekra Lang

Larry W. Minor
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
30 January 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5534-5535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01763]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2019-0286]


Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application 
for an Exemption From Robert Bosch LLC and Mekra Lang North America LLC

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of application for exemption; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 
requests public comment on an application for exemption from Robert 
Bosch LLC and Mekra Lang North America LLC to allow motor carriers to 
operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) equipped with the company's CV 
[Commercial Vehicle] Digital Mirror System installed as an alternative 
to the two rear-vision mirrors required by the Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Regulations (FMCSR).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 2, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments bearing the Federal Docket 
Management System (FDMS) Docket ID FMCSA-2019-0286 using any of the 
following methods:
     Website: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on the Federal electronic docket 
site.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Ground Floor, Room W12-140, DOT Building, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
e.t., Monday-Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and 
docket number for this notice. For detailed instructions on submitting 
comments and additional information on the exemption process, see the 
``Public Participation'' heading below. Note that all comments received 
will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including 
any personal information provided. Please see the ``Privacy Act'' 
heading for further information.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or to Room W12-140, 
DOT Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits 
comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT 
posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information 
the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the 
system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.
    Public participation: The http://www.regulations.gov website is 
generally available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You may find 
electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the 
``help'' section of the http://www.regulations.gov website as well as 
the DOT's http://docketsinfo.dot.gov website. If you would like 
notification that we received your comments, please include a self-
addressed, stamped envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgment 
page that appears after submitting comments online.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Luke Loy, Vehicle and Roadside 
Operations Division, Office of Carrier, Driver, and Vehicle Safety, MC-
PSV, (202) 366-0676, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 5535]]

Background

I. Legal Basis

    FMCSA has authority under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315 to grant 
exemptions from certain parts of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Regulations (FMCSRs). FMCSA is required to publish notice of exemption 
requests in the Federal Register (49 U.S.C. 31315(b)(6)(A)). This 
notice seeks public comment on the request posted to the docket 
referenced above; the Agency takes no position on its merits. FMCSA 
will review the request and all comments submitted to the docket before 
deciding whether to grant or deny the exemption.

II. Robert Bosch LLC and Mekra Lang North America LLC Application for 
Exemption

    Section 393.80(a) of the FMCSRs requires that each bus, truck, and 
truck-tractor be equipped with two rear-vision mirrors, one at each 
side. The mirrors must be positioned to reflect to the driver a view of 
the highway to the rear and the area along both sides of the CMV. 
Section 393.80(a) cross-references the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration's standard for mirrors on motor vehicles (49 CFR 
571.111, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard [FMVSS] No. 111). 
Paragraph S7.1 of FMVSS No. 111 provides requirements for mirrors on 
multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight 
rating (GVWR) greater than 4,536 kg and less than 11,340 kg and each 
bus, other than a school bus, with a GVWR of more than 4,536 kg. 
Paragraph S8.1 provides requirements for mirrors on multipurpose 
passenger vehicles and trucks with a GVWR of 11,340 kg or more. Robert 
Bosch LLC and Mekra Lang North America LLC have applied for an 
exemption from 393.80(a) to allow motor carriers to operate CMVs 
equipped with the company's CV Digital Mirror System installed as an 
alternative to the two rear-vision mirrors required by the FMCSRs. A 
copy of the application is included in the docket referenced at the 
beginning of this notice.

III. Request for Comments

    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b)(6), FMCSA requests public 
comment from all interested persons on the application for an exemption 
from 49 CFR 393.80(a). All comments received before the close of 
business on the comment closing date indicated at the beginning of this 
notice will be considered and will be available for examination in the 
docket at the location listed under the Addresses section of this 
notice. Comments received after the comment closing date will be filed 
in the public docket and will be considered to the extent practicable. 
In addition to late comments.
    FMCSA will also continue to file, in the public docket, relevant 
information that becomes available after the comment closing date. 
Interested persons should continue to examine the public docket for new 
material.

    Issued on: January 27, 2020.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2020-01763 Filed 1-29-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P