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September 6, 2000 10:38 AM, EDT

The government is eyeballing the dimensions of the hardware that protrudes from tractors and trailers — mirrors, lights and aerodynamic devices — in the context of vehicle length, width and height regulations.

In preparing new regulations, the Federal Highway Administration is discussing with industry how far these devices may safely extend from the body of a commercial motor vehicle. The discussion may also set the groundwork for the use of future technology on a truck’s exterior.

Although it is no longer involved in operational issues of trucking safety — those duties were transferred to the new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — FHWA still regulates the dimensions and components of equipment now on the road. The National Highway Traffic Administration sets safety standards for new trucking and automotive equipment.

For more than 10 years, FHWA has been studying the envelope of space around the basic tractor-trailer and how much room to allow for the things that stick out from the body of the vehicle.

For the full story, see the Sept. 4 print edition of Transport Topics. .