Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint Anchorage Systems; Child Restraint Systems
Key claim: NHTSA proposes extending the FMVSS No. 225 phase-in to four years (and small-volume manufacturer lead time and convertible tether-exemption sunset) while denying tether routing over adjustable/removable head restraints and making technical corrections.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Transportation Department, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) This NPRM responds to petitions for reconsideration of the January 7, 2025 final rule amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 225. NHTSA proposes granting the requests to extend the 3-year phase-in period to a 4-year phase-in period to comply with updated requirements in FMVSS No. 225 and to extend the lead time for small-volume manufacturers to comply fully with the updated requirements by the end of the proposed phase-in period. The agency also proposes granting the request to extend the sunset of the tether anchorage exemption for convertibles by two years. NHTSA proposes denying the request to allow tether routing over adjustable or removable head restraints to meet the tether anchorage location requirements. NHTSA is also proposing to make several technical corrections, and clarify certain test procedures.
Why this matters
FMVSS No. 225 governs the anchorages that secure child restraints in vehicles, so phase-in timing directly affects when new tether/anchorage requirements appear in production vehicles and aftermarket child seats. Extending the phase-in and small-volume lead time gives manufacturers more time to comply without changing the underlying safety requirements, while denying tether routing over adjustable/removable head restraints preserves the existing constraint on how tethers must be secured.