Make Inoperative Prohibition: Exemption
Posted on December 20, 2015 Written By: iadminlaw
02/27/2001
The NHTSA is making provisions to modify motor vehicles to accommodate persons with disabilities. The exemption involves statues that prohibit removing safety features or altering safety features. The types of features that are covered are limited to several specific types.
The exemption was issued for the protection of Americans with disabilities. These individuals are often hampered from driving or riding in vehicles because of their disabilities. They are only able to ride in or drive the vehicles if the vehicles have been altered to suit their disability. Safety features may have to be added, removed or changed.
There is a statue which prevents making such changes in vehicles. This is what the exemption was designed to address.
The intervention requires that the person(s) wishing the changes submit a letter requesting permission to make the changes in most cases.
One regulation has been issued. Retrofit air bag on-off switches may be installed in certain circumstances.
At present, requests are handled on a case by case basis. This approach does not meet the growing need of disabled Americans wanting to drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
In 1997 there were about 383,000 vehicles with safety feature alterations on them.
It is estimated that 2,295 vehicles require modification for persons with disabilities per year.
Persons with disabilities who want to ride or drive vehicles are estimated to grow year by year with the passing of the ADA and as persons with disabilities increase in the workforce, travel, and participate in activities.
Additional, only a small percentage of vehicles that have been modified by safety features go through the lengthy process of writing a letter to request permission for a change in the safety features of their vehicle to be made. The lengthy delay may cause an inconvenience for the disabled person, in that they may have to forego transportation.
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Source: Federal Register