[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26670-26673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12638]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information
Collection Activity Under OMB Review
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information
Collection Requests (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICRs
describe the nature of the information collections and their expected
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period
soliciting comments on the following information collection was
published on February 19, 1998 [62 FR 8517].
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 12, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Robinson, NHTSA Information
Collection Clearance Officer at (202) 366-9456.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
(1) Title: Assigning DOT code Numbers to Glazing Material
Manufacturers.
OMB Control Number: 2127-0038.
Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Abstract: Title 49, Chapter 30115 of the U.S. Code specifies that
the Secretary of Transportation shall require every manufacturer or
distributor of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment to furnish
the distributor or dealer at the time of delivery certification that
each item of motor
[[Page 26671]]
vehicle equipment conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS). Using this authority, the agency issued FMVSS
No. 571.205, Glazing Materials. This standard specifies requirements
for glazing materials for use in passengers cars, multipurpose
passenger vehicle, trucks, buses, motorcycle, slide-in campers, and
pickup covers designed to carry persons while in motion. Also, this
standard specifies certification and marking of each piece of glazing
materials. Certification for the items listed comes in the form of a
label, tag or marking on the outside of the motor vehicle equipment and
is permanently affixed and visible for the life of the motor vehicle
equipment. The purpose of this standard is to aid in reducing injuries
resulting from impact to glazing surfaces, and to ensure a necessary
degree of transparency for driver visibility. Both glass and plastics
are considered to be glazing materials which provide safety and
minimize the possibility of occupants being thrown through the vehicle
window in the event of an accident.
Estimated Annual Burden: 10.5 hours.
(2) Title: 49 CFR Part 566 Manufacturers' Identification.
OMB Control Number: 2127-0043.
Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Abstract: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's
statute at 49 U.S.C. 30118 Notification of defects and noncompliance
requires manufacturers to determine if the motor vehicle or item or
replacement equipment contains a defect related to motor vehicle safety
or fails to comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard. Following such a determination, the manufacturer is required
to notify the Secretary of Transportation, owners, purchasers and
dealers of motor vehicles or replacement equipment, of the defect or
noncompliance and to remedy the defect or noncompliance without charge
to the owner. With this determination, NHTSA issued 49 CFR Part 566,
Manufacturer Identification. Part 566 requires every manufacturer of
motor vehicles and/or replacement equipment to file with the agency on
a one time basis, the required information specified in Part 566.
Estimated Annual Burden: 25 hours.
(3) Title: Names and Addresses of First Purchasers of Motor
Vehicles.
OMB Control Number: 2127-0044.
Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Abstract: 49 U.S.C. 30117 Providing information to, and maintaining
records on, purchasers at subparagraph (b) Maintaining purchaser
records and procedures states in part: A manufacturer of a motor
vehicle or tire (except a retreaded tire) shall maintain a record of
the name and address of the first purchasers of each vehicle or tire it
produces and, to the extent prescribed by regulations of the Secretary,
shall maintain a record of the name and address of the name and address
of the first purchaser of replacement equipment (except a tire) that
the manufacturer produces. This agency has no regulation specifying how
the information is to be collected or maintained. When NHTSA's
authorizing statute was enacted in 1966, Congress determined that an
efficient recall of defective or noncomplying motor vehicles required
the vehicle manufacturers to retain an accurate record of vehicle
purchasers. By virtue of quick and easy access to this information, the
manufacturer is able to quickly notify vehicle owners in the event of a
recall. Experience with this statutory provision has shown that
manufacturers have retained this information in a manner sufficient to
enable them to expeditiously notify vehicle purchasers in case of a
recall. Based on this experience, NHTSA has determined that no
regulation is needed. Without this type of information readily
available, manufacturers would either need to spend more time or money
to notify purchasers of a recall.
Estimated Annual Burden: 950,000 hours.
(4) Title: 49 CFR Part 556, Petitions for Inconsequentiality.
OMB Control Number: 2127-0045.
Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Abstract: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's
statute at 49 U.S.C. 30113 General exemptions at subsection (b)
Authority to exempt and procedures, authorizes the Secretary of
Transportation upon application of a manufacturer, to exempt the
applicant from the notice and remedy requirements of 49 U.S.C. Charter
301, if the Secretary determines that the defect or noncompliance is
inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. The notice and
remedy requirements of Chapter 301 are set forth in 49 U.S.C. 30120
Remedies for defects and noncompliance. Those section require a
manufacturer of motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment to notify
distributors, dealers and purchasers if any of the manufacturer's
products are determined either to contain a safety-related defect or to
fail to comply with an applicable Federal motor vehicle safety
standard. The manufacturer is under a concomitant obligation to remedy
such defects or noncompliance. NHTSA exercised this statutory authority
to excuse inconsequential defects or noncompliance when it promulgated
49 CFR Part 556, Petitions for Inconsequentiality--this regulation
establishes the procedures for manufacturers to submit such petitions
to the agency will use in evaluating those petitions. Part 556 allows
the agency to ensure that petitions filed under 15 U.S.C. 30113(b) are
both properly substantiated and efficiently processed.
Estimated Annual Burden: 30 hours.
(5) Title: 49 CAR Section 571, 125-Warning Devices.
OMB Control Number: 2127-0506.
Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Abstract: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30112 and 30117 (Appendix 1) of the
National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, authorizes the
issuance of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). The
Secretary is authorized to issue, amend, and revoke such rules and
regulations as she/he deems necessary. Using this authority, the agency
issued FMVSS No. 125, Warning Devices which applies to devices, without
self contained energy sources, that are designed to be carried
mandatorily in buses and trucks that have a gross vehicle weight rating
(GVWR) greater than 10,000 pounds and voluntarily in other vehicles.
These devices designed to be permanently affixed to the vehicle.
Estimated Annual Burden: 5.7 hours.
(6) Title: 49 CFR 571.218, Motorcycle Helmets (Labeling).
OMB Control Number: 2127-0518.
Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Federal, Local, State or Tribal Government,
Business or other for-profit.
Abstract: The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety statute at
49 U.S.C. Subchapter II Standards and Compliance, Sections 30111 and
30117 authorizes the issuance of Federal motor vehicle safety standards
(FMVSS). The Secretary is authorized to issue, amend, and revoke such
rules and regulations as he/she deems necessary. The Secretary is also
authorized to require
[[Page 26672]]
manufacturers to provide information to first purchasers of motor
vehicles or motor vehicle equipment when the vehicle or equipment is
purchased, in a printed matter placed in the vehicle or attached to or
accompanying the equipment. Using this authority, the agency issued the
initial FMVSS No. 218, Motorcycle Helmets, in 1974. Motorcycle helmets
are the devices used for protecting motorcyclists and other motor
vehicle users in motor vehicle accidents. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 218 requires that each helmet shall be labeled permanently
and legibly (S5.6), in a manner such that the label(s) can be read
easily without removing padding or any other permanent part.
Estimated Annual Burden: 4,000 hours.
(7) Title: Replaceable Light Source Dimensional Information
Collection, 49 CFR 54.
OMB Control Number: 2127-0563.
Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Abstract: Title 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117 and 30166, with
delegation of authority at 49 CFR, 49 CFR 1.50, authorize the issuance
of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and the collection of
data which supports their implementation. The agency, in prescribing an
FMVSS, is to consider available relevant motor vehicle safety data, and
to consult with other agencies as it deems appropriate. Further, the
Title 49 U.S.C. mandates, that in issuing any FMVSS, the agency
consider whether the standard 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
standards will contribute to carrying out the purpose of Title 49
U.S.C.
The Secretary is authorized to revoke such rules and regulations as
deemed necessary to carry out this subchapter. Using this authority,
the agency issued the initial FMVSS No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices,
and Associated Equipment, specifying requirements for vehicle lighting
for the purposes of reducing traffic accidents and their tragic result
by providing adequate roadway illumination, improved a vehicle
conspicuity, appropriate information transmission through signal lamps,
in both day, night, and other conditions of reduced visibility. The
standard has been amended numerous times in order to permit new
headlighting designs. In recent years, the standard had become
burdensome to bother regulators and regulated parties in the standard
has not been able to fully accommodate the styling needs of motor
vehicle designers, while at the same time assuring the safety on the
highways. This resulted in numerous burdensome petitions for rulemaking
to be submitted by the vehicle and lighting manufacturers to change the
design restrictive language.
The reason for this burden was that as originally adopted the
standard was more equipment design oriented, rather than performance
oriented. Recent amendments have helped to rectify this situation. The
requirement for replaceable light source dimensional information has
resulted in a further extension of that effort to make the standard
more performance oriented, and reduce the burden of petitioning for
amendments to the standard. The standard now allows headlamp light
sources (bulbs) that are specified in the standard as well as those
listed in Part 564, to assure proper photometric performance upon
replacement of the light sources upon failure of the original. The
original manufacturer may be the same as that of the aftermarket
replacement, consequently, headlamp bulbs regardless of where they are
listed, are required to be standardized by inclusion of their
interchangeability dimensions and other fit and photometric aspects,
thus requiring all identical type bulbs to be manufactured to those
pertinent interchangeability specifications. Implementation of Part 564
reduces the burden to manufacturers and user of new light sources by
eliminating the 18 month petitioning process and substituting a 1 month
agency review. Upon completion of the review, the new bulb's
interchangeability information is listed in Part 564 and the new bulbs
may be used 1 month later on new vehicles.
Estimated Annual Burden: 20 hours.
(8) Title: Compliance Labeling of Retroreflective Materials for
Heavy Trailer Conspicuity.
OMB Control Number: 2127-0569.
Type Request: Extension of a currently approved collection
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Abstract: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30112, and 30117 of the National Traffic
and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 authorizes the issuance of Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and the collection of data which
supports their implementation. The agency, in prescribing a FMVSS, is
to consider available relevant motor vehicle safety data, and to
consult with other agencies as it deems appropriate. Further, the Act
mandates, that in issuing any FMVSS, the agency consider whether the
standard 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 standards will contribute to carrying
out the purpose of the Act. The Secretary is authorized to promulgate
such rules and regulations as deemed necessary to carry out this
subchapter. Using this authority, the agency issued the initial FMVSS
No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment,
specifying requirements for vehicle lighting for the purpose of
improved vehicle conspicuity, appropriate information transmission
through signal lamps, in both day, night, and other conditions of
reduced visibility. The standard has been amended numerous times, and
the subject amendment, which became effective on December 1, 1993,
increases the conspicuity of large trailers would be reduced by about
15 percent if retroreflective material having certain essential
properties is used to mark the trailers. The amendment requires the
permanent marking of the letters DOT-C2, DOT-C3 or DOT-C4 at least 3mm
high at regular intervals on retroreflective sheeting material having
adequate performance to provide effective trailer conspicuity. The high
reflective brightness of the material and its ability to reflect light
which strikes it at an angle are special properties required by the
safety standard.
The high brightness is required because the material must be
effective even when it is dirty. One of the principal goals of the
standard is to prevent crashes in which the side of the trailer is
blocking the road and it is not sufficiently visible at night to fast
traffic. Frequently, the side of the trailer is not perpendicular to
approaching traffic and the conspicuity material must reflect light
which strikes it at an angle in order to be effective. There exist many
types of retroreflective material similar in appearance to the required
materials but lacking in its requisite properties. The manufacturers of
new trailers are required to certify that their products are equipped
with retroreflective material complying with the requirements of the
standard. The Federal Highway Administration Office of Motor Carrier
Safety enforces this and other standards through roadside inspections
of trucks. There is no practical field test for the performance
requirements, and labeling is the only objective way of distinguishing
truck conspicuity grade material from lower
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performance material. Without labeling, FHWA will not be able to
enforce the performance requirements, and labeling is the only
objective way of distinguishing truck conspicuity grade material from
lower performance material. Without labeling, FHWA will not be able to
enforce the performance requirements of the standard, and the
compliance testing of new trailers will be complicated. Labeling is
also important to small trailer manufacturers because it may help them
to certify compliance. As a result of the comments to the NPRM, the
agency decided to allow wider stripes of material of lower brightness
than originally proposed as alternate means of providing the minimum
safety performance.
Therefore, the marking system serves the additional role of
identifying the minimum stripe width required for the retroreflective
brightness of the particular material.
Estimated Annual Burden: 1 hour.
ADDRESSES: Send comments, within 30 days, to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. Comments
are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB
receives it within 30 days of publication.
Issued in Washington, DC, on May 7, 1998.
Phillip A. Leach,
Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 98-12638 Filed 5-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P
