§33106 Exemption for passenger motor vehicles equipped with anti-theft devices

Summary

Manufacturers can ask the Secretary of Transportation to let a whole line of passenger cars skip a federal anti-theft standard if the cars come with built-in anti-theft equipment that the maker believes works as well as the standard. An "anti-theft device" here means an extra theft-prevention feature beyond the devices required by federal rule 571.114, that the maker thinks will reduce theft, and that does not use lights or signals reserved by state law for police, emergency vehicles, or schoolbuses. "Standard equipment" means something the manufacturer puts in the car before it is sold, not an optional add-on. A petition must be filed at least 8 months before production of the first model year it covers and must describe the device, explain why it should work, and give any other information the Secretary asks for. The Secretary must decide within 120 days and can approve all or part of a petition; the decision must be based on substantial evidence. If no decision is made in 120 days, the petition is treated as approved for the next model year. Limits on how many vehicle lines can get exemptions depend on model years: up to 2 lines for 1987, up to 2 additional lines each year for 1988–1996, up to 1 additional line each year for 1997–2000, and a number set by the Attorney General after 2000. The Secretary can later cancel an exemption if the device proves less effective, but the cancellation applies only to a model year after the year of cancellation and no sooner than 6 months after the manufacturer gets written notice.