[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 45 (Friday, March 7, 1997)] [Proposed Rules] [Pages 10516-10517] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-5724] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 49 CFR Part 572 [Docket No. 96-65; Notice 3] RIN 2127-AG58 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. ACTION: Denial of request for extension of comment due date. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Z. Taylor Vinson, Office of Chief Counsel, NHTSA, Room 5219, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20590 (telephone 202-418-8142). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document denies a petition for extension of time to comment on proposed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 100 Low-speed vehicles. On January 8, 1997, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would apply a new Federal motor vehicle safety standard to motor vehicles whose maximum speed does not exceed 25 mph (Docket No. 96-65; Notice 2, 62 FR 1077). February 24, 1997, was established as the due date for comments on the proposal. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety petitioned the agency to extend the comment period for an additional 30 days. The reason for the request is the temporary closure of the docket room, Room 5109 of the Nassif Building, from February 10 to March 10, 1997. Advocates argued that dockets will be unavailable for public inspection during this period and that comments filed in response to the proposal will likewise be unavailable for inspection for two weeks before the closing date of February 24, 1997. Although Room 5109 is closed for the period indicated, comments filed in response to Notice 2 and other pending notices are available for inspection in Room 6130 of the Nassif Building during ordinary business hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. as before. Thus, the temporary closure of Room 5109 will not affect the ability of the public to inspect comments being submitted to dockets during the period February 10 to March 10, 1997. Visitors to the Nassif Building have been advised of the temporary change of the NHTSA docket room from Room 5109 to Room 6130 by signs posted on or before February 10 in the Department's Central Docket Room and in each of the four street-level entrances to the Nassif Building. Advocates also avers that the proposal to allow a new class of Low Speed Vehicles to operate on the public roads without full conformity to current Federal motor vehicle safety standards has serious implications and itself warrants an extension of the comment period for an additional 30 days. NHTSA denies the petition by Advocates for additional time in which to comment on Notice 2. The public has had full access to comments filed in response to Notice 2 of Docket No. 96-65 during the comment period (in fact, only two comments had been filed by February 19, 1997). Before issuing the notice of proposed rulemaking, NHTSA [[Page 10517]] conducted two public meetings and received comments from interested persons, including Advocates, on safety and other issues involving the regulation of low speed vehicles. These issues were thoroughly discussed in the preamble to the proposed rule. NHTSA deems it unlikely that providing an additional 30 days in which to comment would result in it receiving comments that differ materially from those submitted on or before the stated due date for comments, especially since no other person has requested an extension of time. This denial does not affect NHTSA's long-standing policy of accepting comments filed after the due date, and considering them to the extent practicable before issuance of further rulemaking notices. Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30166; delegation of authority at 49 1.50 and 501.8. Issued on: March 4, 1997. L. Robert Shelton, Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards. [FR Doc. 97-5724 Filed 3-6-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-59-P