[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 97 (Tuesday, May 20, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27511-27518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13183]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
49 CFR Part 572
[Docket No. 74-14; Notice 118]
RIN 2127-AG75
Anthropomorphic Test Dummy; Occupant Crash Protection
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Interim final rule; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This document adopts modifications to the Hybrid III test
dummy, which is specified by the agency for use in compliance testing
under Standard No. 208, Occupant crash protection. The agency has
decided to require a six axis neck transducer, thereby allowing the
test dummy to measure neck flexion, extension moments and tension,
compression and shear forces. The agency has determined that immediate
action is in the public interest since the agency needs to ensure
compliance with the recent amendment to Standard No. 208 allowing air
bag depowering. NHTSA is also requesting comments on whether the agency
should make permanent its amendment to the Hybrid III dummy.
DATES: Effective Date: The amendments made by this interim final rule
are effective May 20, 1997.
Incorporation by Reference Date: The incorporation by reference of
the material listed in this document is approved by the Director of the
Federal Register as of May 20, 1997.
Comments. Comments must be received on or before July 7, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket and notice numbers above
and be submitted to: Docket Section, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Docket
hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For non-legal issues: Mr. Stanley Backaitis, Office of Vehicle
Safety Standards, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400
Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-4912.
Fax: (202) 366-4329.
For legal issues: Mr. Marvin L. Shaw, NCC-20, Rulemaking Division,
Office of Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On March 19, 1997, NHTSA published a final rule that temporarily
amends the agency's occupant crash protection standard to ensure that
vehicle manufacturers can quickly depower all air bags so that they
inflate less aggressively. (62 FR 12960) The agency took this action to
provide an immediate, interim solution to the problem of the fatalities
and injuries that current air bag designs are causing in relatively low
speed crashes to small, but growing numbers of children, and
occasionally to adult occupants.
As part of the final rule, NHTSA decided to adopt neck injury
criteria. The agency stated that such criteria are necessary to ensure
that a vehicle is equipped with air bags that have protective value.
Absent these criteria, some vehicles could comply with the 125 ms pulse
sled test without air bags. The agency further stated that neck
compression loads, bending moments, and tension and shear forces can be
significant sources of potential injuries in crashes. NHTSA concluded
that the inclusion of neck injury criteria should aid in measuring air
bag effectiveness and may ultimately improve crash protection.
In the final rule, NHTSA stated that the proposal (62 FR 807;
January 6,
[[Page 27512]]
1997) which preceded the final rule had not made it clear how the neck
injury measurements would be performed. The final rule clarified this
matter by stating that the neck injury measurement is performed by the
six-axis load cell mounted between the head and upper end of the neck,
as specified in 49 CFR 572.33.
II. Today's Interim Final Rule
After additional review, NHTSA has determined that to ensure
adequate evaluation of the neck injury criteria adopted in the
depowering final rule, it is necessary to amend Subpart E of Part 572,
Anthropomorphic Test Devices, to specify that the Hybrid III Test Dummy
is to be equipped with a six axis neck transducer. The current
specifications in Subpart E for the Hybrid III dummy do not include a
six axis neck transducer, although a three axis neck transducer is
allowed as an option. However, the three axis transducer does not
provide information about the effects of off-axis loading that may
occur in air bag impacts and crash tests involving the dummy's
rotational kinematics. Accordingly, the agency has decided to amend
section 572.31 General Description, 572.32 Head, and 572.33 Neck,
572.34 Thorax, and 572.36 Test conditions and instrumentation, to
specify that the Part 572 E (Hybrid III) dummy is to be equipped with a
six axis neck transducer.
NHTSA notes that use of the six axis transducer, which has been
commercially available for almost ten years, is a well-established
practice. The agency has extensively used this transducer during its
New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests and for nearly all of its
research and development tests. Further, the agency believes that all
vehicle manufacturers have used the six axis transducer in research and
development and air bag testing. Moreover, vehicle certification
testing has frequently been performed with dummies that were equipped
with the six axis neck transducer even though measurement of neck loads
were not part of the requirement.
NHTSA notes that the six axis neck transducer with appropriate head
modification is identical in mass, center of gravity location, and
rigidity with the currently specified head that is equipped either with
the neck transducer structural replacement or the optionally available
three axis neck transducer.
Nevertheless, certain modifications to the Hybrid III dummy are
necessary to accommodate the six axis neck transducer, which is
designated as part C-1709 revision D. The six axis neck transducer is
mounted between the Hybrid III dummy's head and the neck. As designed,
the specified dummy's head is not capable of adopting the six axis neck
transducer without modification of the skull structure. To accommodate
mounting the six axis neck transducer, a 2.58 inch diameter hole must
be machined through the transverse bulkhead of the skull (78051-77).
First Technologies Safety Systems (FTSS) has designated the modified
skull as part number 78051-77X (all currently used parts that are being
modified to accommodate the six axis load cell will have the letter X
assigned after the part number). To use the modified head without the
six axis neck load cell, for tests such as the head drop, a neck
transducer structural replacement (78051-383X) is needed. In either
case, to attain the same accelerometer location as is presently
specified, the current accelerometer mount (78051-222) must be reduced
in height by 0.28 inch because the top surface of the six axis neck
transducer or its structural replacement are higher by 0.28 in. than
its current mounting base. Accordingly, the accelerometer mount is
being revised from 78051-222 to 78051-222X to reflect these
differences.
The addition of the six axis neck transducer involves changes not
only to the head assembly drawing, but also requires revisions of the
complete dummy assembly and a number of other drawings in which the
dummy assembly is referenced, and includes the adoption of an updated
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Recommended Practice J211 MAR95
revision covering Instrumentation for Impact Test which reflect the
channel frequency response class specifications of the six axis load
cell.
To accommodate the six axis neck transducer, Part 572 E head
assembly drawing 78051-61 is modified to 78051-61X and incorporates the
modified skull (78051-77X), the six axis neck transducer (C-1709,
revision D), the modified accelerometer mount (78051-222X), and for use
in head drop tests only a six axis neck transducer structural
replacement (78051-383X). It is also modified to delete the currently
specified head (78051-77), the three axis neck transducer (83-5001-008)
and its structural replacement (78051-383), and the accelerometer mount
(78051-222X)as well as obsolete references to drawings related to test
procedures and calibrations. This will include revisions of S572.31,
572.32, 572.33, 572.34, and 572.36 and of the assembly drawings of the
head from 78051-61 to 78051-61X and the complete dummy from 78051-218
revision S to 78051-218 revision T.
These changes will result in the adoption of the updated SAE J211
Recommended Practice, Instrumentation for Impact Tests of March 95 in
place of June 80 and the incorporation by reference of SAE J1733
Information Report of 1994-12 dealing with Sign Convention for Vehicle
Crash Testing. The Recommended Practice J211 of March 1995 and the
Information Report SAE J1733 update the crash instrumentation and data
acquisition and processing procedures in line with those used currently
by the industry. By incorporating SAE J211 MAR95, the channel classes
of the neck forces and moments are being changed from Channel Frequency
Class (CFC) 60 to CFC 1000 for neck forces and CFC 600 for neck moment
respectively. The agency has examined the effects of the CFC change on
the moment calculation and finds that it may in some instances raise
the calculated value less than one percent. NHTSA believes that such
changes in magnitudes are insignificant and they will not affect most
manufacturers and testers, since they already have been using the
Hybrid III dummy with the six axis neck transducer and processing the
data at the higher CFC levels for air bag development, evaluation and
certification activities.
Cost and Lead Time Issues
The list price of a six axis neck transducer is around $10,250.
However, it appears that the required use of the six axis neck
transducer will not impose significant financial hardships on any of
the dummy users, since most manufacturers have been conducting at least
some vehicle and occupant restraints systems development work and air
bag certification tests using dummies equipped with such neck
transducers. NHTSA understands that well over 500 six axis neck
transducers have been procured by the users. Inasmuch as their use-life
expectancy is nearly infinite, neither refurbishment nor replacement
issues need to be considered.
NHTSA finds that the issuance of this interim final rule without
prior opportunity for comment is necessary to permit the vehicle
manufacturers to begin work immediately to depower their air bags using
the recently adopted alternative sled test. One element of passing that
test is complying with the neck injury criteria that were also recently
adopted. The agency needs to adopt the six axis transducer specified in
this notice to determine compliance with those criteria. The final rule
[[Page 27513]]
adopting the sled test and neck criteria emphasized that there was an
immediate need to allow vehicle manufacturers to depower air bags, and
thus begin saving lives, as soon as possible. Any delay would be
inconsistent with the public's interest in allowing safer vehicles. The
agency also finds for good cause that it is in the public interest to
establish an immediate effective date for the amendments made by
today's notice. In the absence of an immediate effective date, the
agency would not be able to immediately evaluate compliance with the
neck injury criteria. The agency notes that the sled test is an
alternative way to comply with Standard No. 208 and therefore does not
impose any new mandatory requirement.
Regulatory Analyses and Notices
A. Executive Order 12866 and DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures
NHTSA has considered the impact of this rulemaking action under
E.O. 12866 and the Department of Transportation's regulatory policies
and procedures. This rulemaking document was not reviewed under E.O.
12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review.'' This action has been
determined to be ``non-significant'' under the Department of
Transportation's regulatory policies and procedures. The amendments do
not require any vehicle design changes. Instead, they only require
minor modifications in the test dummies used to evaluate a vehicle's
compliance with Standard No. 208. The agency believes that most, if not
all, vehicle manufacturers currently use the six axis neck load
transducer. Since there is little, if any, need to procure additional
neck load transducers, the incremental cost of $10,250 per dummy, in
the event additional units will be needed to meet the requirement, will
still represent a negligibly small cost increment, because the
transducers have nearly infinite service life. The agency concludes
that the impacts of the amendments are so minimal that a full
regulatory evaluation is not required.
B. Regulatory Flexibility Act
NHTSA has also considered the impacts of this notice under the
Regulatory Flexibility Act. I hereby certify that this rule does not
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. Under 5 U.S.C. Sec. 605(b), NHTSA believes that modifications
to dummy designs affect motor vehicle manufacturers and manufacturers
of air bags, few of which are small entities. The agency notes that the
Small Business Administration's regulations at 13 CFR Part 121 define a
small business, in part, as a business entity ``which operates
primarily within the United States.'' (13 CFR Sec. 121.105(a)). The
agency estimates that there are at most five small manufacturers of
passenger cars in the U.S., producing a combined total of at most 500
cars each year. The agency does not believe small businesses
manufacture even 0.1 percent of total U.S. passenger car and light
truck production each year.
NHTSA notes that today's final rule will not impose any new
requirements or costs on vehicle manufacturers, but instead will permit
evaluation by manufacturers using the optional sled test to evaluate
depowered air bags. Therefore, no vehicle manufacturer, regardless of
its size, will be required to take any action as a result of the rule.
Accordingly, the agency believes that the rule will have no significant
impact on small vehicle manufacturers. Further, since no price
increases are associated with the rule, small organizations and small
governmental units will not be affected in their capacity as purchasers
of new vehicles.
C. Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-
511), there are no requirements for information collection associated
with this rule.
D. National Environmental Policy Act
NHTSA has also analyzed this rule under the National Environmental
Policy Act and determined that it will not have a significant impact on
the human environment.
E. Executive Order 12612 (Federalism)
NHTSA has analyzed this rule in accordance with the principles and
criteria contained in E.O. 12612, and has determined that this rule
will not have significant federalism implications to warrant the
preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
F. Civil Justice Reform
This rule has no retroactive effect. Under 49 U.S.C. 30103,
whenever a Federal motor vehicle safety standard is in effect, a State
may not adopt or maintain a safety standard applicable to the same
aspect of performance which is not identical to the Federal standard,
except to the extent that the state requirement imposes a higher level
of performance and applies only to vehicles procured for the State's
use. 49 U.S.C. 30161 sets forth a procedure for judicial review of
final rules establishing, amending or revoking Federal motor vehicle
safety standards. That section does not require submission of a
petition for reconsideration or other administrative proceedings before
parties may file suit in court.
Submission of Comments
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on the notice. It
is requested but not required that 10 copies be submitted.
All comments must not exceed 15 pages in length. (49 CFR 553.21).
Necessary attachments may be appended to these submissions without
regard to the 15-page limit. This limitation is intended to encourage
commenters to detail their primary arguments in a concise fashion.
If a commenter wishes to submit certain information under a claim
of confidentiality, three copies of the complete submission, including
purportedly confidential business information, should be submitted to
the Chief Counsel, NHTSA, at the street address given above, and seven
copies from which the purportedly confidential information has been
deleted should be submitted to the Docket Section. A request for
confidentiality should be accompanied by a cover letter setting forth
the information specified in the agency's confidential business
information regulation. 49 CFR Part 512.
All comments received before the close of business on the comment
closing date indicated above for the notice will be considered, and
will be available for examination in the docket at the above address
both before and after that date. To the extent possible, comments filed
after the closing date will also be considered. Comments received too
late for consideration in regard to the final rule will be considered
as suggestions for further rulemaking action. Comments on the notice
will be available for inspection in the docket. The NHTSA will continue
to file relevant information as it becomes available in the docket
after the closing date, and it is recommended that interested persons
continue to examine the docket for new material.
Those persons desiring to be notified upon receipt of their
comments in the rules docket should enclose a self-addressed, stamped
postcard in the envelope with their comments. Upon receiving the
comments, the docket supervisor will return the postcard by mail.
List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 572
Incorporation by reference, Motor vehicle safety.
[[Page 27514]]
In consideration of the foregoing, 49 CFR Part 572 is amended as
follows:
PART 572--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for Part 572 of Title 49 continues to
read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117, and 30166;
delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.
Subpart E--Hybrid III Test Dummy
2. Section 572.30 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read as
follows:
Sec. 572.30 Incorporated materials.
* * * * *
(b) The materials incorporated by reference are available for
examination in the general reference section of docket 74-14, Docket
Section, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room 5109, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Copies of Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) publications may be obtained from the
Society of Automotive Engineers, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale,
Pennsylvania 15096. Copies of all other publications may be obtained
from Reprographic Technologies, 9000 Virginia Manor Road, Beltsville,
MD 20705, Telephone (301) 210-5600, Facsimile (301) 419-5069, Attn. Mr.
Jay Wall. Drawings and specifications are also on file in the reference
library of the Office of the Federal Register, 800 N. Capitol Street,
NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.
3. Section 572.31 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(1) through
(a)(5) and the introductory text of (b) to read as follows:
Sec. 572.31 General description.
(a) * * *
(1) The Anthropomorphic Test Dummy Parts List, April 22, 1986 with
revisions through April 9, 1997.
(2) A listing of Hybrid III Dummy Transducers-reference document
AGARD-AR-330, ``Anthropomorphic Dummies for Crash and Escape System
Testing'', Chapter 6, Table 6-2, North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
July, 1996.
(3) A General Motors Drawing No. 78051-218, revision T, titled
``Hybrid III Anthropomorphic Test Dummy,'' dated May 20, 1978, the
following component assemblies, and subordinate drawings:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drawing No. Revision
------------------------------------------------------------------------
78051-61X head assembly--complete, (March (C)
28, 1997).
78051-90 neck assembly--complete, dated (A)
May 20, 1978.
78051-89 upper torso assembly--complete, (K)
dated May 20, 1978.
78051-70 lower torso assembly--complete, (E)
dated August 20, 1996, except for drawing
No. 78051-55, ``Instrumentation Assembly--
Pelvic Accelerometer,'' dated August 2,
1979.
86-5001-001 leg assembly--complete (LH), (A)
dated March 26, 1996.
86-5001-002 leg assembly--complete (RH), (A)
dated March 26, 1996.
78051-123 arm assembly--complete (LH), (D)
dated May 20, 1978.
78051-124 arm assembly--complete (RH), (D)
dated May 20, 1978.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(4) Disassembly, Inspection, Assembly and Limbs Adjustment
Procedures for the Hybrid III dummy, dated April 1997.
(5) Sign Convention for signal outputs--reference document SAE
J1733 Information Report, titled ``Sign Convention for Vehicle Crash
Testing'', dated 1994-12.
* * * * *
(b) Any specifications and requirements set forth in this part
supersede those contained in General Motors Drawing No. 78051-218.
* * * * *
4. Section 572.32 is amended by revising paragraphs (a) and (b) to
read as follows:
Sec. 572.32 Head.
(a) The head consists of the assembly shown in drawing 78051-61X,
revision C, and conforms to each of the drawings subtended therein.
(b) When the head (Drawing number 78051-61X, titled ``head
assembly--complete,'' dated March 28, 1997 (Revision C) with six axis
neck transducer structural replacement (Drawing number 78051-383X,
Revision P, titled ``Neck Transducer Structural Replacement,'' dated
November 1, 1995) is dropped from a height of 14.8 inches in accordance
with paragraph (c) of this section, the peak resultant accelerations at
the location of the accelerometers mounted in the head in accordance
with Sec. 572.36(c) shall not be less than 225g, and not more than
275g. The acceleration/time curve for the test shall be unimodal to the
extent that oscillations occurring after the main acceleration pulse
are less than ten percent (zero to peak) of the main pulse. The lateral
acceleration vector shall not exceed 15g (zero to peak).
* * * * *
5. Section 572.33 is amended by revising paragraphs (a) and (b) and
Figures 20 and 21 (which should be placed after paragraph (b)(2)(ii))
to read as follows:
Sec. 572.33 Neck.
(a) The neck consists of the assembly shown in drawing 78051-90,
revision A and conforms to each of the drawings subtended therein.
(b) When the head and neck assembly (consisting of the parts 78051-
61X, revision C; -90, revision A; -84; -94; -98; -104, revision F; -
303, revision E; -305; -306; -307, revision X) which has a six axis
neck transducer (Drawing number C-1709, Revision D, titled ``Neck
transducer,'' dated February 1, 1993.) installed in conformance with
Sec. 572.36(d), is tested in accordance with paragraph (c) of this
section, it shall have the following characteristics:
(1) Flexion. (i) Plane D, referenced in Figure 20, shall rotate
between 64 degrees and 78 degrees, which shall occur between 57
milliseconds (ms) and 64 ms from time zero. In first rebound, the
rotation of Plane D shall cross 0 degrees between 113 ms and 128 ms.
(ii) The moment measured by the six axis neck transducer (drawing
C-1709, revision D) about the occipital condyles, referenced in Figure
20, shall be calculated by the following formula: Moment (lbs-ft) =
My-0.058 x Fx, where My is the moment measured in lbs-ft by the ``Y''
axis moment sensor of the six axis neck transducer and Fx is the force
measured in lbs by the ``X'' axis force sensor (Channel Class 600) of
the six axis neck transducer. The moment shall have a maximum value
between 65 lbs-ft and 80 lbs-ft occurring between 47m s and 58 ms, and
the positive moment shall decay for the first time to 0 lb-ft between
97 ms and 107 ms.
(2) Extension. (i) Plane D, referenced in Figure 21, shall rotate
between 81 degrees and 106 degrees, which shall occur between 72 ms and
82 ms from time zero. In first rebound, rotation of Plane D shall cross
0 degrees between 147 ms and 174 ms.
(ii) The moment measured by the six axis neck transducer (drawing
C-1709, revision D) about the occipital condyles,
[[Page 27515]]
referenced in Figure 21, shall be calculated by the following formula:
Moment (lbs-ft) = My-0.058 x Fx, where My is the moment measured in
lbs-ft by the ``Y'' axis moment sensor of the six axis neck transducer
and Fx is the force measured in lbs by the ``X'' axis force sensor
(Channel Class 600) of the six axis neck transducer. The moment shall
have a maximum value between--39 lbs-ft and -59 lbs-ft, occurring
between 65 ms and 79 ms, and the negative moment shall decay for the
first time to 0 lb-ft between 120 ms and 148 ms.
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* * * * *
6. Section 572.34 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read a
follows:
Sec. 572.34 Thorax.
* * * * *
(b) When impacted by a test probe conforming to 572.36(a) at 22 fps
0.40 fps in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section,
the thorax of a complete dummy assembly (78051-218, revision T) with
left and right shoes (78051-294 and -295) removed, shall resist with a
force of 1242.5 pounds +/- 82.5 pounds measured by the test probe and
shall have a sternum displacement measured relative to spine of 2.68
inches 0.18 inches. The internal hysteresis on each impact
shall be more than 69% but less than 85%. The force measured is the
product of pendulum mass and deceleration.
* * * * *
7. Section 572.36 is amended by revising paragraphs (c), (d), (e),
(f), (h), and (i) to read a follows:
Sec. 572.36 Test conditions and instrumentation.
* * * * *
(c) Head accelerometers shall have dimensions and response
characteristics specified in drawing 78051-136, revision A, or its
equivalent, and the location of their seismic mass as mounted in the
skull are shown in drawing C-1709, revision D.
(d) The six axis neck transducer shall have the dimensions,
response characteristics, and sensitive axis locations specified in
drawing C-1709, revision D and be mounted for testing as shown in
Figures 20 and 21 of Sec. 572.33, and in the assembly drawing 78051-
218, revision T.
(e) The chest accelerometers shall have the dimensions, response
characteristics, and sensitive mass locations specified in drawing
78051-136, revision A or its equivalent and be mounted as shown with
adaptor assembly 78051-116, revision D for assembly into 78051-218,
revision T.
(f) The chest deflection transducer shall have the dimensions and
response characteristics specified in drawing 78051-342, revision A or
its equivalent and be mounted in the chest deflection transducer
assembly 78051-317, revision A for assembly into 78051-218, revision T.
* * * * *
(h) The femur load cell shall have the dimensions, response
characteristics, and sensitive axis locations specified in drawing
78051-265 or its equivalent and be mounted in assemblies 78051-46 and -
47 for assembly into 78051-218, revision T.
(i) The outputs of acceleration and force-sensing devices installed
in the dummy and in the test apparatus specified by this part are
recorded in individual data channels that conform to requirements of
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Recommended Practice J211 Mar95,
Instrumentation for Impact Tests, Parts 1 and 2. SAE J211 Mar95 sets
forth the following channel classes:
(1) Head acceleration--Class 1000
(2) Neck forces--Class 1000
(3) Neck moments--Class 600
(4) Neck pendulum acceleration--Class 60
(5) Thorax and thorax pendulum acceleration--Class 180
(6) Thorax deflection--Class 180
(7) Knee pendulum acceleration--Class 600
(8) Femur force--Class 1000
* * * * *
Issued on May 12, 1997.
Ricardo Martinez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-13183 Filed 5-19-97; 8:45 am]
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