USA - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint Anchorage Systems; Child Restraint Systems

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to petitions for reconsideration of the January 7, 2025 final rule amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 225 on child restraint anchorage systems.

​NHTSA proposes extending the compliance phase-in period from three years to four years, providing additional lead time for manufacturers, including small-volume manufacturers, to meet the updated FMVSS No. 225 requirements. The agency also proposes extending by two years the sunset date for the tether anchorage exemption applicable to convertibles and allowing early compliance with the revised requirements.

In addition, NHTSA proposes several technical corrections and clarifications to the test procedures, while denying a request to permit tether routing over adjustable or removable head restraints for purposes of meeting the tether anchorage location requirements.