Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; General Amendments

Summary: The FHWA is proposing to amend part 393 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation. The amendments are intended to remove obsolete and redundant regulations; respond to several petitions for rulemaking; provide improved definitions of vehicle types, systems, and components; resolve inconsistencies between part 393 and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (49 CFR 571); and codify certain FHWA regulatory guidance concerning the requirements of part 393. Generally, the amendments do not involve the establishment of new or more stringent requirements but a clarification of existing requirements. This action is consistent with the President's Regulatory Reinvention Initiative and furthers the FHWA's ongoing Zero-Base Regulatory Review in that it proposes to make many sections more concise, easier to understand and more performance oriented.