49 U.S.C. § 30128 — Vehicle rollover prevention and crash mitigation

(a) In general. The Secretary must start rulemaking proceedings to create rules or standards that reduce rollover crashes and lessen the deaths and injuries they cause, for motor vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less (gross vehicle weight rating).

(b) Rollover prevention. One of these rulemakings must set performance criteria to reduce rollovers, matching up with stability-enhancing technology. The Secretary had to issue a proposed rule by October 1, 2006, and a final rule by April 1, 2009.

(c) Occupant ejection prevention. (1) In general: A separate rulemaking must set performance standards to reduce complete and partial ejections of occupants from outer seats, considering various ejection-mitigation systems, with a final rule due by October 1, 2009. (2) Door locks and door retention: The Secretary had to finish the already-started rulemaking to upgrade Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 206, on door locks and door retention, within 30 months of this section becoming law.

(d) Protection of occupants. Another of the rulemakings must upgrade Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 216, covering roof strength for both the driver and passenger sides. The Secretary may consider industry and independent dynamic tests that realistically copy the forces a vehicle experiences in a rollover. A proposed rule was due by December 31, 2005, and a final rule by July 1, 2008.

(e) Deadlines. If the Secretary decides a final-rule deadline in this section cannot be met, the Secretary must (1) notify the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, explaining why the deadline cannot be met, and (2) set a new deadline.