Action
Notice of application for exemption; request for comments.
Summary
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requests public comment on an application for exemption from TowMate, LLC (TowMate) to allow motor carriers to operate rechargeable wireless temporary stop, turn, and tail lighting systems during temporary emergency towing operations in lieu of hard-wired temporary stop, tail, and turn signal lighting systems. Rechargeable wireless temporary emergency stop, turn, and tail lighting systems do not meet the power supply requirements for lamps in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) which require all required lamps, with the exception of battery-powered lamps used on projecting loads, to be powered by the electrical system of the motor vehicle. Based on improvements in light-emitting diode (LED) technology, coupled with advancements in battery technologies, TowMate believes that rechargeable wireless tow lighting systems will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption. TowMate is requesting the temporary exemption in advance of petitioning FMCSA to conduct a rulemaking to amend 49 CFR 393.23.