Interpretation ID: nht71-2.46

DATE: 05/10/71

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; Lawrence R. Schneider; NHTSA

TO: Westinghouse Air Brake Company

TITLE: FMVSR INTERPRETATION

TEXT: This is in reply to your letter of April 30 inquiring whether construction equipment is considered a "motor vehicle" under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, and hence whether 49 CFR Part 574 Tire Identification and Recordkeeping would apply to Westinghouse as a manufacturer of motor vehicles.

As a general rule, construction equipment is considered "manufactured primarily for use on the public streets, roads, and highways" and hence a "motor vehicle" as that term is defined by section 102(3) of the Act. Thus the Tire Identification regulations would apply to Westinghouse, even though many items of construction equipment do not fall into any defined category of motor vehicles to which the Federal motor vehicle safety standards themselves apply.