WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/USA/1
12 January 2001
(01-0152)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (1)
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Vehicle head restraints
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards:  Head Restraints (32 pages, in English)
6. Description of content:   The Administration proposes to upgrade the standard for head
restraints for passenger cars and for light multipurpose vehicles, truck and buses.  The
proposal would establish higher minimum height requirements for head restraints, and add a
requirement limiting backset, i.e., the distance between a person’s head and his or her head
restraint.  The proposal would also extend the requirement for head restraints to rear
outboard designated seating positions; establish new strength requirements for head
restraints; and place limits on the size of gaps and openings in head restraints.  In addition ,
it would modify the dynamic compliance test and amend test procedures.           
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
To improve the protection that head restraints provide in rear-end collisions.
8. Relevant documents:   66 FR 968, 4 January 2001; 49 CFR Part 571.  Will appear in the
Federal Register when adopted.          
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined
10. Final date for comments:   5 March 2001
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html