Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From Grote Industries, LLC
Published Date: 2/9/2026
Notice
Summary
Grote Industries wants permission to use flashing or strobing rear and side lights on big trucks instead of the usual steady lights. This change could help prevent rear-end crashes by making trucks more noticeable. Truck drivers, companies, and safety fans should weigh in by March 11, 2026, to help decide if this cool new lighting tech gets the green light.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Five-year exemption to allow flashing lamps
Grote has applied for a five-year exemption from 49 CFR 393.25(e) so motor carriers could operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) equipped with auxiliary rear or side lamps that flash or strobe when controlled by Grote’s Rear‑End Collision Warning (RCW) system. FMCSA is requesting public comment on the application and will decide whether to grant the exemption.
Specified activation rules and lamp patterns
Under Grote’s request, the RCW system would use rear-facing radar and activate auxiliary lamps when time-to-collision (TTC) is typically between 2.1 and 4.0 seconds; red lamps would flash 4–16 times within four seconds or amber lamps would strobe as SAE J595 Class 3 or Class 2 for up to four seconds, then burn steady red while the collision risk persists. The lamps must be installed symmetrically about the vehicle centerline on the rear or sides and would deactivate once the TTC exceeds the safety threshold.
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