[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 34 (Friday, February 18, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-3710]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 18, 1994]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

 

Research and Development Programs Meeting

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting at which NHTSA will 
describe and discuss specific research and development projects and 
requests suggestions for agenda topics.

DATES AND TIMES: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
will hold a public meeting devoted primarily to presentations of 
specific research and development projects on March 23, 1994, beginning 
at 1:30 p.m. and ending at approximately 5 p.m. The deadline for 
interested parties to suggest agenda topics is 4:15 p.m. on March 1, 
1994. Questions may be submitted in advance regarding the Agency's 
research and development projects. They must be submitted in writing by 
March 16, 1994 to the address given below. If sufficient time is 
available, questions received after the March 16 date will be answered 
at the meeting in the discussion period. The individual, group or 
company asking a question does not have to be present for the question 
to be answered. A consolidated list of the questions submitted by March 
16 will be available at the meeting and will be mailed to requesters 
after the meeting.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Ramada Inn, near Detroit 
Metro, 8270 Wickham Rd., Romulus, MI 48174. Suggestions for specific 
R&D topics as described below and questions for the March 23, 1994, 
meeting relating to the Agency's research and development programs 
should be submitted to George L. Parker, Associate Administrator for 
Research and Development, NRD-01, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, room 6206, 400 Seventh St. SW., Washington, DC 20590. 
The fax number is 202-366-5930.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA intends to provide detailed 
presentations about its research and development programs in a series 
of quarterly public meetings. The series started in April, 1993. The 
purpose is to make available more complete and timely information 
regarding the Agency's research and development programs. This fifth 
meeting will be held on March 23, 1994.
    NHTSA requests suggestions from interested parties on the specific 
agenda topics. NHTSA will base its decisions about the agenda, in part, 
on the suggestions it receives by close of business at 4:15 p.m. on 
March 1, 1994. Before the meeting, it will publish a notice with an 
agenda listing the research and development topics to be discussed. 
NHTSA asks that the suggestions be taken from the list below and that 
they be limited to five, in priority order, so that the presentations 
at the March 23 R&D meeting can be most useful to the audience. Please 
note that almost all of these topics have been discussed at the 
previous four meetings to some extent and that presentations at the 
fifth meeting will be reports on current status, results, and plans.
    Specific Crashworthiness R&D topics are:

Improved frontal crash protection
Highway traffic injury studies
Head and neck injury research
Thorax injury research
Human injury simulation and analysis
Crash test dummy component development
Vehicle agressivity and fleet compatibility
Upgrade side crash protection
Upgrade seat and occupant restraint systems
Child safety research
Electric and alternate fuel vehicle safety

    Specific Crash Avoidance R&D topics are:

Truck crashworthiness/occupant protection
Truck tire traction
Portable data acquisition system for crash avoidance research
Systems to enhance EMS response (automatic collision notification)
Vehicle motion environment
Crash causal analysis
Longer combination vehicle safety
Drowsy driver monitoring
Driver workload assessment
Performance guidelines for IVHS systems (approach)

    Specific topics from the National Center for Statistics and 
Analysis are:

New data elements for FARS and NASS
Special crash investigations program regarding air bag performance
Pedestrian special NASS data collection project
Critical Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES)--Linkage of 
databases on police accident reporting and medical outcomes.

    This meeting is following on the next day by the regular quarterly 
NHTSA Technical Industry Meeting, which is being announced in a 
separate notice.
    Questions regarding research projects that have been submitted in 
writing not later than close of business on March 16, 1994, will be 
answered as time permits. A transcript of the meeting, copies of 
materials handed out at the meeting, and copies of the suggestions 
offered by commenters will be available for public inspection in the 
NHTSA Technical Reference Section, room 5108, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. Copies of the transcript will then be available 
at 10 cents a page, upon request to NHTSA Technical Reference Section. 
The Technical Reference Section is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 
4 p.m.
    NHTSA will provide technical aids to participants as necessary, 
during the NHTSA Industry Research and Development Meeting. Thus any 
person desiring assistance of ``auxiliary aids'' (e.g. sign-language 
interpreter, telecommunication devices for deaf persons (TTDs), 
readers, taped texts, braille materials, or large print materials and/
or a magnifying device), please contact Barbara Coleman on 202/366-1537 
by COB March 16, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Richard L. Strombotne, Special 
Assistant for Technology Transfer Policy and Programs, Office of 
Research and Development, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590. Telephone: 202-366-4730. Fax number: 202-366-5930.

    Issued: February 10, 1994.
George L. Parker,
Associate Administrator for Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 94-3710 Filed 2-17-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-M