99-2938. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Protection In Interior Impact

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 29 (Friday, February 12, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7139-7140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2938]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. NHTSA-98-5033]
RIN No. 2127-AG07


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Protection In 
Interior Impact

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; technical amendment.

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SUMMARY: In April 1997, we issued a final rule amending its 
requirements for protecting vehicle occupants from impacts with upper 
vehicle interiors in crashes. One of the amendments in that final rule 
changed previously established procedures for relocating specific 
target points that are used to test compliance with the upper interior 
impact requirements. The procedure for relocating targets was modified 
by providing that targets could be relocated within a 25 millimeter 
(mm) radius sphere centered on the original target point. Prior to the 
modification, relocation was permitted within a 25 mm radius circle. 
However, the agency erroneously retained a provision specifying that 
the radius was to be measured along the surface of the vehicle 
interior. This technical conforming amendment eliminates that 
provision.

DATES: Effective Date: The amendment made by this final rule is 
effective March 15, 1999.
    Petitions: Petitions for reconsideration must be received by March 
29, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Petitions for reconsideration should refer to the docket 
number of this rule and be submitted to: Administrator, National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The following persons at the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20590:
    For non-legal issues: Dr. William Fan, Office of Crashworthiness 
Standards,

[[Page 7140]]

NPS-11, telephone [phone], facsimile [phone], electronic 
mail [e-mail]''
    For legal issues: Otto Matheke, Office of the Chief Counsel, NCC-
20, telephone [phone], facsimile [phone], electronic mail 
[e-mail]''.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    On April 8, 1997, we published a final rule (62 FR 16718) amending 
the upper interior impact protection requirements in Standard No. 201 
``Occupant Protection in Interior Impact'' in response to several 
petitions for reconsideration. Under Standard 201, target points are 
located in the upper interior of a vehicle and then struck with a test 
device known as the Free Motion Headform (FMH).
    One of the amendments modified the procedure for relocating target 
points within a vehicle. Some target points need to be relocated 
because they are not, as initially located under the Standard, suitable 
for testing. For example, some points may be located on attachments to 
the vehicle interior, while others may be situated in areas where it is 
impossible for the specified impact area of the FMH, known as the 
forehead impact zone, to contact the target point. S10(b) of the 
Standard specifies a procedure for relocating such target points to 
facilitate contact between the forehead impact zone and a target point. 
Prior to the April 1997 final rule, the relocation procedure provided 
that any target point meeting the criteria justifying relocation could 
be relocated within a 25 mm radius circle measured along the contour of 
the vehicle interior from the center of the original target point. 
Since relocating target points may require movement in several 
dimensions, the April 1997 final rule changed the relocation procedure 
so that target points could be relocated within a 25 mm radius sphere. 
However, the amendment retained the language indicating that the 25 mm 
radius would be determined by measuring that distance along the vehicle 
interior.
    The Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) 
wrote NHTSA on November 7, 1997 requesting clarification on a number of 
issues relating to compliance with the upper interior impact 
requirements of Standard 201. Among these issues was a reported 
conflict between the use of a sphere to determine the boundaries of the 
space within which target points could be relocated and the retention 
of the language specifying that the radius of this sphere was to be 
measured along contour of the vehicle interior. AIAM suggested that 
this language was inappropriate and should be deleted.
    We agree with AIAM. AIAM is correct in stating that measuring along 
a vehicle interior is inconsistent with our decision to substitute a 
sphere for a circle. The agency is issuing this technical amendment to 
delete the language providing for measuring the 25 mm along the contour 
of the vehicle interior.
    This technical conforming amendment was not reviewed under E.O. 
12866. This amendment does not have any costs or other impacts. NHTSA 
has considered costs and other factors associated with this amendment, 
and determined that the amendment does not change any of the 
conclusions in the April 1997 final rule regarding the impacts of that 
final rule, including the impacts on small businesses, manufacturers 
and other entities.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 571

    Motor vehicle safety.
    In consideration of the foregoing, NHTSA amends 49 CFR part 571.201 
as follows:

PART 571--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 571 continues to read as 
follows:
    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117 and 30166; 
delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.
    2. Section 571.201 is amended by revising S10(b) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 571.201  Standard No. 201, occupant protection in interior impact.

* * * * *
    S10--Target locations.
* * * * *
    (b) Except as specified in S10(c), in instances in which there is 
no combination of horizontal and vertical angles specified in S8.13.4 
at which the forehead impact zone of the free motion headform can 
contact one of the targets located using the procedures in S10.1 
through S10.13, the center of that target is moved to any location that 
is within a sphere with a radius of 25 mm, centered on the center of 
the original target, and that can be contacted by the forehead impact 
zone at one or more combination of angles.
* * * * *
    Issued: January 26, 1999.
L. Robert Shelton,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 99-2938 Filed 2-11-99; 8:45 am]
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