Avoid Car Safety Criminal Penalties? NHTSA Seeks Comment Silence
Published Date: 9/15/2026
Notice
Summary
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is asking for approval to continue collecting info related to its Criminal Penalty Safe Harbor Provision for another three years. This affects companies and individuals involved in vehicle safety compliance, with no new costs or changes in how they report. Public comments are open until October 15, 2026, but so far, no one has spoken up.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Safe Harbor Application Enables Protection
To seek NHTSA safe-harbor protection under 49 U.S.C. 30170 and implementing rule 49 CFR 578.7, a person must submit a signed, dated document identifying each prior improper report or failure to report and the specific predicate for each, and must provide complete and correct information or explain why such information or documents cannot be provided. The safe-harbor provision shields a person from criminal penalties if they lacked knowledge that the violation would cause death or serious bodily injury and they correct improper or missing reports within a reasonable time.
Reinstated Safe Harbor ICR Burden
NHTSA is requesting a three-year reinstatement of the information collection (OMB Control Number 2127-0609) for its Criminal Penalty Safe Harbor. NHTSA estimates one respondent per year will submit this information on an as-needed basis, with an average burden of two hours per submission, estimated labor cost of $199.82 and an estimated mailing cost of $12.90.
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