04-6586. Insurance Cost Information Regulation

AGENCY:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice of availability.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces publication by NHTSA of the 2004 text and data for the annual insurance cost information booklet that all car dealers must make available to prospective purchasers, pursuant to 49 CFR 582.4. This information is intended to assist prospective purchasers in comparing differences in passenger vehicle collision loss experience that could affect auto insurance costs.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons may obtain a copy of this booklet by contacting the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. [Docket hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Rosalind Proctor, Chief, Consumer Standards Division, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590 (202-366-0846).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to section 201(e) of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, 15 U.S.C. 1941(e), on March 5, 1993, 58 FR 12545, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) amended 49 CFR part 582, Insurance Cost Information Regulation, to require all dealers of automobiles to distribute to prospective customers information that compares differences in insurance costs of different makes and models of passenger cars based on differences in damage susceptibility. On March 17, 1994, NHTSA denied a petition submitted by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) for NHTSA to reconsider part 582 insofar as it requires all automobile dealers to prepare the requisite number of copies for distribution of the insurance cost information to prospective purchasers. 59 FR 13630.

On March 24, 1995, NHTSA published a final rule to amend part 582 in a number of respects. 60 FR 15509. These changes included wording clarifications and a change in the availability date of the booklet.

Pursuant to 49 CFR 582.4, all automobile dealers are required to make available to prospective purchasers booklets that include this comparative information as well as certain mandatory explanatory text that is set out in section 582.5. Early each year, NHTSA publishes the annual Federal Register document updating the Highway Loss Data Institute's (HLDI) December Insurance Collision Report. Booklets reflecting the updated data must be available for distribution to prospective purchasers without charge within 30 days from the date of the Federal Register.

NHTSA is mailing a copy of the 2004 booklet to each dealer on the mailing list that the Department of Energy uses to distribute the “Gas Mileage Guide.” Dealers will have the responsibility of reproducing a sufficient number of copies of the booklet to assure that they are available for retention by prospective purchasers by April 23, 2004. Dealers who do not receive a copy of the booklet within 15 days of the date of this notice should contact Ms. Rosalind Proctor of NHTSA's Office of International Policy, Fuel Economy and Consumer Programs [phone] to receive a copy of the booklet and to be added to the mailing list. Dealers may also obtain a copy of the booklet through the NHTSA web page at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/​cars/​problems/​studies/​InsCost.

(49 U.S.C. 32302; delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50(f).)

Issued on: March 16, 2004.

Stephen R. Kratzke,

Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.