[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 240 (Thursday, December 14, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64237-64239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-30425]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket 95-41 GR]


Public Meeting: Glazing Research

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice: (1) Announces a public meeting to discuss NHTSA's 
research findings to date on advanced glazing materials that may 
prevent ejection of vehicle occupants through motor vehicle windows 
during crashes; (2) invites oral presentations at the meeting from 
industry experts, equipment manufacturers, and vehicle manufacturers; 
and (3) invites written comments and data from the public on the same 
subject. To focus the responses in preparation for this technology 
transfer and information exchange, the agency also provides a list of 
questions for commenters.

DATES: Public meeting: The Advanced Glazing Research Meeting will be 
held on Thursday, February 1, 1996, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 
Eastern Standard Time. The agenda is discussed below.
    Written comments: Written comments are due before March 1, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Public meeting: The public meeting will be held at the 
following location: Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street SW., Washington, 
DC 20024, Telephone: (202) 479-4000, Fax: (202) 488-4627.
    Written comments: All written comments should be mailed to the 
Docket Section, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room 
5109, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. Please refer to the 
docket number when submitting written comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret Gill, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Standards, NPS-12, NHTSA, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 
20590 (telephone 202-366-2264, fax 202-366-4329). By electronic mail: 
MG[email protected] 

[[Page 64238]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 
required NHTSA to initiate rulemaking to address the problems of 
rollover crashes. To fulfill this requirement, the agency published an 
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on January 2, 1992, (57 
FR 242) to solicit information concerning rollover crashes. A 
Rulemaking Plan entitled ``Planning Document for Rollover Prevention 
and Injury Mitigation'' (Docket 91-68 No. 1) was published for public 
review on September 29, 1992 (57 FR 198). The planning document 
outlined crash avoidance and crashworthiness rulemaking approaches to 
reduce rollover-related injuries and fatalities.
    As part of the analysis of rollover accidents, the agency 
determined that a significant number of injuries and deaths was 
associated with ejection of vehicle occupants out of windows. 
Accordingly, the agency broadened the goal of an ongoing side-impact 
research program to include research on preventing ejection through 
glazing during rollover accidents. The agency also created a cross-
agency research team to expedite the research and analysis of the 
problem of occupants being ejected through glazing. This Advanced 
Glazing Research Team has developed analytical and research tools to 
evaluate the problem of ejection, and to assess potential mitigating 
glazing designs, and has so far:
    1. Developed and built an impactor that can project 18 kilograms 
(40 pounds) at 24 kilometers per hour (15 mph). This represents a 
maximum force that NHTSA believes is likely to be exerted by the head/
shoulder on the side windows in a typical rollover or side impact 
crash. This impactor is being used in NHTSA's research for testing 
advanced glazing materials.
    2. Developed full-vehicle computer models and finite element 
material models (FEA) to assess the potential for occupant injury 
against the glazing encountered in rollover crashes.
    3. Monitored technological developments in advanced glazing.
    4. Manufactured and tested prototype encapsulated windows, mounted 
in modified doors.
    5. Conducted a cost, weight, and lead-time analysis of the use of 
alternative glazing materials.
    6. Conducted a benefits analysis to determine the number of lives 
potentially saved by the use of alternative glazing materials.
    These activities are detailed in two reports: (1) ``Alternative 
Glazing Cost Study, September 1995 Final Report'' and (2) ``Ejection 
Mitigation Using Advanced Glazing, A Status Report, November 1995.'' 
Copies of these reports have been placed in docket 95-41-GR. NHTSA 
encourages commenters to review these reports prior to the public 
meeting, because they form the basis for many of the questions upon 
which the agency is requesting comment.
    The agency believes that the alternative glazing concepts that it 
has examined for the front, side windows of light vehicles are capable 
of preventing approximately 1,300 fatalities per year. Vehicle 
modifications for these front and side window systems may cost between 
$48 and $79 per vehicle. Prototype systems have been produced and 
appear feasible and practical.

II. Questions for the Public

    To aid the agency in acquiring the information it needs from its 
partners who will be submitting written comments, and to focus the 
discussion at the public meeting, NHTSA is including a list of 
questions and requests for data within this notice. For easy reference, 
the questions are numbered consecutively. NHTSA encourages commenters 
to provide specific responses for each question for which they may have 
information or views. In addition, to facilitate tabulation of the 
written comments in sequence, please identify the number of each 
question to which you are responding.
    NHTSA requests that commenters provide as specific a rationale as 
possible, including analysis of safety consequences, for any positions 
that are taken. NHTSA encourages commenters to provide scientific 
analysis and data relating to materials, designs, testing, 
manufacturing and field experience.
    The following list of questions does not purport to be an all-
inclusive collection of items relevant to this research. NHTSA 
encourages commenters to provide any other data they believe are 
relevant.
    1. Are the glazing materials selected for computer modeling 
sufficient to characterize the responses that may be observed from 
ejection resistant glazing materials? Can you suggest additional 
materials for use in NHTSA's computer models? If so, can you supply any 
impact-speed-sensitive material data?
    2. Are NHTSA's current retention test equipment and procedures 
sufficient to characterize a glazing's ability to keep an occupant in a 
vehicle? Can you suggest additional test techniques that should be 
investigated? Do you know of any additional research on occupant-
glazing impacts?
    3. Are the cost data presented in the report accurate? If not, can 
you supply NHTSA with some better cost data?
    4. Please provide any comments and supporting material of your 
comments on the cost, weight, and lead time analysis conducted by 
NHTSA.
    5. Are the injury criteria discussed in this report sufficient? Can 
you recommend others? Do you have any injury test data?
    6. Do you have any information that addresses the repeatability of 
glazing impact tests?
    7. Does the encapsulation design look practical for production 
vehicles? Do you know of any movable side window encapsulation systems 
currently in production? Can you recommend any improvements to the 
encapsulation system NHTSA used?
    8. To what extent of vehicle damage would encapsulated advanced 
glazing be effective in preventing occupant ejection?
    9. Do the current hard coat techniques provide adequate scratch 
resistance for rigid plastic and glass-plastic glazing to be 
practicable for side windows and acceptable to consumers? Do you know 
of any new technologies that should be investigated?
    10. Is durability or environmental exposure a problem with any 
advanced glazing materials?
    11. The recently implemented British Standard AU 209 Part 4: 1995, 
permits laminated security glazing, which will deter unauthorized entry 
into a motor vehicle. Would an investigation of these security glazings 
benefit NHTSA's ejection mitigation research program?
    12. Are there any quantifiable security or design benefits to these 
security glazings?
    13. Are there any performance benefits, other than preventing 
ejections, known to be associated with ejection-mitigating glazings?
    14. Are there any known disadvantages to ejection-mitigating 
glazings?
    15. Are there any vehicles currently in use that employ advanced 
glazing materials?
    16. Are there any other data, research or analyses available on 
glazing impacts? Is there any work being done on laceration 
measurement?
    17. Are there any data to support or refute the data or conclusions 
of the agency's status report?

III. Public Meeting Procedural Matters

    As part of the President's initiative to reform the regulatory 
process, the agency has taken steps to increase 

[[Page 64239]]
technology transfer and exchange with the public and the automotive 
industry, in various aspects of highway and motor vehicle safety. As 
part of this goal to promote national and international cooperation, 
the agency will conduct a public meeting on the ongoing research 
program concerning mitigation of motor vehicle occupant ejections out 
of windows. At this public meeting, the agency will present test and 
analytical data that the agency has gathered to date. The agency's 
presentation will include:

--Background and Basis for the Research
--Research, including impactor development, prototype ejection-
mitigating design development, and component test results.
--Computer modeling of glazing impacts
--Alternative glazing systems cost, weight, lead time
--Benefits analysis

    The agency also solicits relevant presentations, research findings, 
and views from its partners at this meeting. NHTSA especially solicits 
participation in the form of presentations by technical experts, both 
in the form of critiques of the agency's research and of independent 
research. Within the available time, NHTSA will try to accommodate all 
persons wishing to make oral presentations.
    Those wishing to make oral presentations at the meeting should 
contact the Public Meeting Coordinator, Margaret Gill, at the mailing 
address, telephone number, fax number, or electronic mail address 
listed above, by January 17, 1996. If the presentation will include 
slides, motion pictures, or other visual aids, please so indicate and 
NHTSA will make the proper equipment available. Presenters should bring 
at least one copy of their presentation to the meeting so that NHTSA 
can readily include the material in the public record. NHTSA will 
provide ``auxiliary aids'' (e.g., sign-language interpreter, 
telecommunications devices for deaf persons (TDDs), readers, taped 
texts, brailled materials or large print materials and/or a magnifying 
device) to speakers or other participants as necessary. Any person 
desiring assistance of auxiliary aids should contact Margaret Gill, 
(202) 366-2264, by close-of-business, January 17, 1996.
    The agency estimates that NHTSA's presentations will take 
approximately three and one-half hours, consuming the morning session 
of the meeting. The afternoon session will be used for other 
presenters, and for questions that weren't answered during the morning 
session. There will be a question period after each presentation. Those 
speaking at the public meeting should limit the length of their 
presentations to 20 minutes.
    A tentative agenda will be available January 22, 1996. You can 
obtain the tentative agenda upon request from the agency, or over the 
Internet on NHTSA's Internet home page at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nps/
glazmeet.html. A final schedule of participants making oral 
presentations will be available at the designated meeting room on the 
day of the meeting.
    The agency intends to conduct the after-presentation portions of 
the public meeting in an informal manner, in order to promote maximum 
participation by all who attend. Interested persons may ask questions 
or provide comments immediately after each party has completed its 
presentation. If time permits, persons who have not requested time to 
speak but would like to make a statement or presentation will be 
afforded an opportunity to do so. There will be further opportunities 
for questions and information exchange at the end of the meeting.
    After the meeting, NHTSA will place a copy of any written 
statements in the docket for this notice. A verbatim transcript of the 
meeting will be prepared and also placed in the NHTSA docket as soon as 
possible after the meeting.

IV. Submission of Written Comments

    Participation in the meeting is not a prerequisite for the 
submission of written comments. NHTSA invites written comments from all 
interested parties. It is requested but not required that 10 copies be 
submitted. Written comments must not exceed 15 pages in length. (See 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 512.
    All relevant comments received will be reviewed by the agency and 
will be available for examination in the docket at the above address. 
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.

    Issued on December 8, 1995.
Barry Felrice,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 95-30425 Filed 12-13-95; 8:45 am]
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