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 Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. (Hino) to allow an Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) system and a Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system camera to be mounted lower in the windshield than is currently permitted. Mounting the camera in this location does not meet the prohibition on obstructions to the driver's field of view requirements for windshields in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) which requires devices meeting the definition of "vehicle safety technology" to be mounted not more than 4 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, or not more than 7 inches above the lower edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver's sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. Because the camera will be mounted outside of the driver's normal sight lines to all mirrors, Hino believes that they will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption.