A Wisconsin proposed regulation to prohibit the registration of certain imported collector vehicles has been put on hold. Members of the Senate Transportation Committee voted by ballot to send the proposed rule, Trans 123, back to the Department of Transportation for revisions due to the vocal opposition of Wisconsin enthusiast groups, including members of the SAN. Under an agreement reached with department officials, the rule will not be resubmitted but will be considered by lawmakers in the 2011 legislative session. The measure threatened to prohibit the registration of imported vehicles manufactured after 1967 that did not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). U.S. law specifically exempts imported vehicles that are 25 years old and older from these standards. The Wisconsin proposal would have been inconsistent with federal law and prohibited the registration of vehicles coming in from other states that have already been proven safe on U.S. roadways. SAN also objected to the proposal on the grounds that it provided no way for vehicle owners to prove a vehicle’s safety other than conforming exclusively to the FMVSS and failed to take into account the fact that these vehicles are usually brought into this country by collectors and are overwhelmingly well-maintained and infrequently driven. For more information, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org
