70 FR 88 pgs. 24462-24463 - Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements
Type: NOTICEVolume: 70Number: 88Pages: 24462 - 24463
Docket number: [Docket Number NHTSA-2004-19187]
FR document: [FR Doc. 05-9170 Filed 5-6-05; 8:45 am]
Agency: Transportation Department
Sub Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket Number NHTSA-2004-19187]
Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements
AGENCY:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation.
ACTION:
Request for public comment on proposed collection of information.
SUMMARY:
This notice solicits public comments on continuation of the requirements for the collection of information on safety standards. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections.
This document describes a collection of information on seven Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSSs) and one regulation, for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval. The information collection pertains to requirements that specify certain safety precautions regarding items of motor vehicle equipment must appear in the vehicle owner's manual.
DATES:
Comments must be received on or before July 8, 2005.
ADDRESSES:
Comments must refer to the docket notice number cited at the beginning of this notice and be submitted to Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,Washington, DC 20590. It is requested, but not required, that 2 copies of the comment be provided. The Docket Section is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Complete copies of each request for collection of information may be obtained at no charge from Mrs. Lori Summers, NHTSA 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 5307, NVS-112, Washington, DC 20590. Mrs. Summers' telephone number is (202) 366-4917. Please identify the relevant collection of information by referring to this Docket Number (Docket Number NHTSA-04-19187).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before a proposed collection of information is submitted to OMB for approval, Federal agencies must first publish a document in the Federal Register providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of information. The OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must be included in such a document. Under OMB's regulation (at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:
(i) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;
(ii) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(iv) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. , permitting electronic submission of responses.
In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks for public comments on the following proposed collections of information:
Title: Consolidated Vehicle Owner's Manual Requirements for Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment.
OMB Control Number: 2127-0541.
Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard form.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from the approval date.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Individuals, households, business, other for-profit, not-for-profit, farms, Federal Government and state, local or tribal government.
Summary of the Collection of Information: 49 U.S.C. 30111 authorizes the issuance of Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) and regulations. The agency, in prescribing a FMVSS or regulation, considers available relevant motor vehicle safety data, and consults with other agencies, as it deems appropriate. Further, the statute mandates that in issuing any FMVSS or regulation, the agency considers whether the standard or regulation is "reasonable, practicable and appropriate for the particular type of motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment for which it is prescribed," and whether such a standard will contribute to carrying out the purpose of the Act. The Secretary is authorized to invoke such rules and regulations as deemed necessary to carry out these requirements. Using this authority, the agency issued the following FMVSS and regulations, specifying that certain safety precautions regarding items of motor vehicle equipment appear in the vehicle owner's manual to aid the agency in achieving many of its safety goals:
FMVSS No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment,"
FMVSS No. 110, "Tire selection and rims,"
FMVSS No. 202, "Head restraints,"
FMVSS No. 205, "Glazing materials,"
FMVSS No. 208, "Occupant crash protection,"
FMVSS No. 210, "Seat belt assembly anchorages,"
FMVSS No. 213, "Child restraint systems,"
Part 575 Section 103, "Camper loading,"
Part 575 Section 105, "Utility vehicles."
This notice requests comments on the information collections of these FMVSSs and regulations.
Description of the need for the information and proposed use of the information: In order to ensure that manufacturers are complying with the FMVSS and regulations, NHTSA requires a number of information collections in FMVSS Nos. 108, 110, 202, 205, 208, 210, and 213, and Part 575 Sections 103 and 105.
FMVSS No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." This standard requires that certain lamps and reflective devices with certain performance levels be installed on motor vehicles to assure that the roadway is properly illuminated, that vehicles can be readily seen, and the signals can be transmitted to other drivers sharing the road, during day, night and inclement weather. Since the specific manner in which headlamp aim is to be performed is not regulated (only the performance of the device is), aiming devices manufactured or installed by different vehicle and headlamp manufacturers may work in significantly different ways. As a consequence, to assure that headlamps can be correctly aimed, instructions for proper use must be part of the vehicle as a label, or optionally, in the vehicle owner's manual.
FMVSS No. 110, "Tire selection and rims." This standard specifies requirements for tire selection to prevent tire overloading. The vehicle's normal load and maximum load on the tire shall not be greater than applicable specified limits. The standard requires a permanently affixed vehicle placard specifying vehicle capacity weight, designated seating capacity, manufacturer recommended cold tire inflation pressure, and manufacturer's recommended tire size. The standard further specifies rim construction requirements, load limits of nonpneumatic spare tires, and labeling requirements for non-pneumatic spare tires, including a required placard. Owner's manual information is required for "Use of Spare Tire." FMVSS No. 110 will require additional owner's manual information on the revised vehicle placard and tire information label, on revised tire labeling, and on tire safety and load limits and terminology.
FMVSS No. 202, "Head restraints." This standard specifies requirements for head restraints. The standard, which seeks to reduce whiplash injuries in rear collisions, currently requires head restraints for front outboard designated seating positions in passenger cars and in light multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and buses. In a final rule published on December 14, 2004 (69 FR 74880), the standard requires that vehicle manufacturers include information in owner's manuals for vehicles manufactured on or after September 1, 2008. The owner's manual must clearly identify which seats are equipped with head restraints. If the head restraints are removable, the owner's manual must provide instructions on how to remove the head restraint by a deliberate action distinct from any act necessary for adjustment, and how to reinstall head restraints. The owner's manual must warn that all head restraints must be reinstalled to properly protect vehicle occupants. Finally, the owner's manual must describe, in an easily understandable format, the adjustment of the head restraints and/or seat back to achieve appropriate head restraint position relative to the occupant's head.
FMVSS No. 205, "Glazing materials." This standard specifies requirement for all glazing material used in windshields, windows, and interior partitions of motor vehicles. Its purpose is to reduce the likelihood of lacerations and to minimize the possibility of occupants penetrating the windshield in a crash. More detailed information regarding the care and maintenance of such glazing items, as the glass-plastic windshield, is required to be placed in the vehicle owner's manual.
FMVSS No. 208, "Occupant crash protection." This standard specifies requirements for both active and passive occupant crash protection systems for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and small buses. Certain safety features, such as air bags, or the care and maintenance of air bag systems, are required to be explained to the owner by means of the owner's manual. For example, the owner's manual must describe the vehicle's air bag system and provide precautionary information about the proper positioning of the occupants, including children. The owner's manual must also warn that no objects, such as shotguns carried in police cars, should be placed over or near the air bag covers.
FMVSS No. 210, "Seat belt assembly anchorages." This standard specifies requirements for seat belt assembly anchorages to ensure effective occupant restraint and to reduce the likelihood of failure in a crash. The standard requires that manufacturers place the following information in the vehicle owner's manual:
a. An explanation that child restraints are designed to be secured by means of the vehicle's seat belts, and,
b. A statement alerting vehicle owners that children are always safer in the rear seat.
FMVSS No. 213, "Child restraint systems." This standard specifies requirements for child restraint systems and requires that manufacturers provide consumers with detailed information relating to child safety in air bag-equipped vehicles. The vehicle owner's manual must include information about the operation and do's and don'ts of built-in child seats.
Part 575 Section 103, "Camper loading." This standard requires that manufacturers of slide-in campers designed to fit into the cargo bed of pickup trucks affix a label to each camper that contains information relating to certification, identification and proper loading, and to provide more detailed loading information in the owner's manual of the truck.
Part 575 Section 105, "Utility vehicles." This regulation requires manufacturers of utility vehicles to alert drivers that the particular handling and maneuvering characteristics of utility vehicles require special driving practices when these vehicles are operated on paved roads. For example, the vehicle owner's manual is required to contain a discussion of vehicle design features that cause this type of vehicle to be more likely to roll over, and to include a discussion of driving practices that can reduce the risk of roll over. A statement is provided in the regulation that manufacturers shall include, in its entirety or equivalent form, in the vehicle owner's manual.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information): NHTSA anticipates that no more than 21 vehicle manufacturers will be affected by the reporting requirements.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden Resulting from the Collection of Information: NHTSA estimates that all manufacturers will need a total of 2,615 hours to comply with these requirements, at a total annual cost of $6,279,172.
Authority:
44 U.S.C. 3506(c); delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.
Issued on: May 4, 2005.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 05-9170 Filed 5-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P