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To: BMWIN who wrote (2746)	6/13/1998 12:26:00 PM
From: BMWIN	Respond to of 5827

This may be off topic, but maybe not. From http:interactive.wsj.com NHTSA Creates a Separate Class To Promote 'Low-Speed' Vehicles By BRUCE INGERSOLL Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators are putting souped-up golf carts and other electric vehicles in a regulatory league of their own to promote a growing mode of low-cost, nonpolluting transportation. Under a new rule, all four-wheeled golf carts and neighborhood vehicles with top speeds of 20 to 25 miles per hour will be classified as "low-speed vehicles," said Philip Recht, deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The vehicles will be exempt from federal passenger-car standards, such as crash-test and airbag rules that they can't, as a practical matter, possibly meet. But manufacturers must equip them with seat belts, windshields and other safety features, Mr. Recht said. The 'Putt-Putt' Market The agency will issue the final rule within a few days, tearing down a "regulatory barrier" to the rapid development of a potentially huge market for "putt-putt" transportation. An estimated 400,000 of these low-power vehicles are roaming U.S. neighborhoods and shopping districts, mostly in the Sun Belt. They have become the vehicle of choice in many upscale retirement communities and island resorts. "As people get older, owning a car becomes an increasingly expensive proposition," says Mr. Recht. "These vehicles offer an important low-cost alternative with a number of environmental benefits. We want to facilitate the growth of this market." The Canadian industrial giant Bombardier Inc. envisions a multibillion-dollar U.S. market for its high-tech minicar, the NV, or neighborhood vehicle. But the NV couldn't clear U.S. Customs because it didn't conform to passenger-car standards. It was a 1996 Bombardier petition that prompted NHTSA officials to create the first new class of motor vehicles since firefighting vehicles were reclassified in 1971. The new rule will resolve a growing conflict between federal law and a spate of state and local regulations, while providing manufacturers with a national standard. Safety Concerns For police and traffic-safety officials, the sudden popularity of golf carts for running errands, sightseeing and even commuting is a growing worry. Federal officials know of 16 deaths since 1993, mostly due to collisions with larger vehicles. More than half the victims were thrown from their golf carts. Conventional golf carts, which have top speeds of less than 20 mph, will be exempt from the new rule, which also requires headlights, tail lights, stop lights, turn signals, rear-end reflectors, rear-view mirrors, parking brakes and vehicle identification numbers. Dealers and custom golf-cart manufacturers that soup up golf carts will be required to certify compliance with the standards