[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 202 (Monday, October 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54499-54502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27716]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. 97-056; Notice 1]
Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collections of
information.
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SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). Under new procedures established by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies
must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information,
including extensions and reinstatements of previously approved
collections.
This document describes four collections of information for which
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval. DATES: Comments must be received on
or before December 19, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket and notice numbers cited
at the beginning of this notice and be submitted to Docket Section,
Room 5109, NHTSA, 400 Seventh St. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. Please
identify the proposed collection of information for which a comment is
provided, by referencing its OMB Clearance Number. It is requested, but
not required, that 1 original plus 2 copies of the comments be
provided. The Docket Section is open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4
p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Complete copies of each request for
collection of information may be obtained at no charge from Mr. Ed
Kosek, NHTSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, NHTSA, 400
Seventh Street, S.W., Room 6123, Washington, D.C. 20590. Mr. Kosek's
telephone number is (202) 366-2589. Please identify the relevant
collection of information by referring to its OMB Clearance Number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB
for approval, it must publish a document in the Federal Register
providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of
the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of
information. The OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must
be included in such a document. Under OMB's regulations (at 5 CFR
1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:
(i) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have practical utility;
(ii) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(iv) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks public comment on
the following four proposed collections of information.
Labeling of Retroreflective Materials for Heavy Trailer Conspicuity, 49
CFR 571.108
Type of Request--Reinstatement of clearance.
OMB Clearance Number--2127-0569.
Form Number--This collection of information uses no standard forms.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval--Three years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information--The permanent marking of
the letters ``DOT-C2'', ``DOT-C3'' or ``DOT-C4'' at least 3mm high at
regular intervals on retroreflective sheeting material is the
information collection.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information--Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, ``Lamps,
Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment,'' specifies requirements
for vehicle lighting for the purposes of reducing traffic accidents and
their tragic results by providing adequate roadway illumination,
improved vehicle conspicuity, appropriate information transmission
through signal lamps, in both day, night, and other conditions of
reduced visibility. For certification and identification purposes, the
Standard 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 manufacturers of new tractors and 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 trailer 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 tractors and trailers will be complicated.
Labeling is also important to small trailer manufacturers because it
may help them to certify compliance. Because wider stripes of material
of lower brightness also can provide the minimum safety performance,
the marking system serves the additional role of identifying the
minimum stripe width required for the retroreflective brightness of the
particular material. Since the differences between the brightness
grades of suitable retroreflective conspicuity material is not obvious
from inspection, the marking system is necessary for tractor and
trailer manufacturers and repair shops to assure compliance and for
FHWA to inspect tractors and trailers in use.
Permanent labeling is used to identify retroreflective material
having the
[[Page 54500]]
minimum properties required for effective conspicuity of trailers at
night. The information enables the FHWA to make compliance inspections,
and it aids tractor and trailer owners and repair shops in choosing the
correct repair materials for damaged tractors and trailers. It also
aids small trailer manufacturers in certifying compliance of their
products. The FHWA will not be able to determine whether trailers are
properly equipped during roadside inspections without labeling. The use
of cheaper and more common reflective materials, which are ineffective
for the application, would be expected in repairs without the labeling
requirement.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
The respondents are likely to be manufacturers of the conspicuity
material. The agency is aware of at least three. Based on the estimated
number of feet of conspicuity material for a year's installation on new
tractors and trailers, the number of imprints of the information is
estimated to be 10 million.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information--The cost to manufacturers
of extending the label requirement is the maintenance and amortization
of printing rollers and the additional dye or ink consumed. The labels
are to be placed at intervals of about 18 inches on rolls of
retroreflective conspicuity tape. The labels are printed during the
normal course of steady flow manufacturing operations without a direct
time penalty.
Two methods of printing the label are in use. One method uses the
same roller that applies the dye to the red segments of the material
pattern. The roller is resurfaced annually using a computerized etching
technique. The ``DOT-C2'' label was incorporated in the software to
drive the roller resurfacing in 1993, and there is no additional cost
to continue the printing of the label. In fact, costs would be incurred
to discontinue the label.
The second method uses a separate roller to apply the label. The
manufacturer using this technique reports that these rollers have been
in service for 5 years without detectable wear and predicts a service
life of at least fifteen years. Four rollers costing about $2,500 each
are used. A straight line depreciation of the rollers over 15 years
equals $667 per year. With an annual allowance for $333 for additional
dye, the annual total industry cost of maintaining the ``DOT-C2'' label
is about $1,000.
Labeling of Warning Devices, 49 CFR 571.125
Type of Request--Reinstatement of clearance.
OMB Clearance Number--2127-0506.
Form Number--This collection of information uses no standard forms.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval--Three years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information--Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 125, ``Warning Devices'' applies to triangular
highway warning devices, without self contained energy sources, that
are designed for large motor vehicles in interstate commerce and be
placed on the roadway forward and rearward of vehicles to warn
approaching traffic of the presence of a stopped vehicle. The Standard
requires that each manufacturer of warning triangles must label each
device. Without proper deployment and use, the effectiveness of the
devices may be greatly diminished, and may lead to serious injuries due
to rear end collisions between moving traffic and disabled vehicles.
The warning device shall be permanently and legibly marked and also
provide instructions for its erection and display. Each device shall be
labeled with: (a) The name of the manufacturer, (b) the month and year
of manufacture, (c) the DOT symbol, or the statement that the warning
device complies with all applicable FMVSS. The instructions for each
device shall include a recommendation that the driver activate the
vehicular hazard warning signal lamps before leaving the vehicle to
erect the warning device. Also, the instructions shall include an
illustration indicating recommended positioning.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed use of the
Information--The purpose of the certification symbol is to assure
consumers that the devices are of the level of performance required by
federal law. Additionally, each motor vehicle in interstate commerce is
required to be equipped with such warning devices that comply 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 complying warning devices from look-alike products that
do not comply. Without labeling, FHWA will not be able to enforce their
requirement.
The purpose of the requirement for instructions is to provide
information so that the motoring public can erect and position the
warning device so that the warning device is positioned to alert the
oncoming traffic of a disabled vehicle and prevent rear end collisions.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
There are three manufacturers labeling approximately 2.85 million
warning devices (triangles) per year.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information--There are three
manufacturers labeling approximately 2.85 million warning devices
(triangles) per year for the last few years. The tooling would be
replaced after about 20 years of service being used to make about 200K
devices per year. The machining each mold that would be replaced is
about 8 hours at a cost of $37.50 per hour, or a cost of $300. Assuming
that this past years production level of 2.85M devices per year were
built each year for the last twenty years (an over-estimate that
ignores the long steady growth of the market), the total number of
devices manufactured would be 57M. The tooling needs to be replaced
every 4M uses; the total number of tools used in the last 20 years is
14.25. The machining for the labeling in each tool would be 14.25 times
8 hours divided by 57M, or 0.000002 hour per device. Thus the current
annual cost for the 2.85 M devices manufactured is 5.7 hours x $37.50
= $213.75 .
Collection of Replaceable Headlamp Light Source Information: 49 CFR
Part 564
Type of Request--Renewal of clearance.
OMB Clearance Number--2127-0563.
Form Number--This collection of information uses no standard forms.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval--Three years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information--The information to be
collected is in response to 49 CFR Part 564; Replaceable Light Source
Dimensional Information. Persons desiring to use newly designed
replaceable headlamp light sources are required to submit
interchangeability and performance specifications to the agency. After
a short agency review to assure completeness, the information is placed
in a public docket for use by any
[[Page 54501]]
person who would desire to manufacture headlamp light sources for
highway motor vehicles. In Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
108, ``Lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment,'' Part 564
submissions are referenced as being the source of information regarding
the performance and interchangeability information for legal headlamp
light sources, whether original equipment or replacement equipment.
Thus, the submitted information about headlamp light sources becomes
the basis for certification of compliance with safety standards.
Description of the need for the information and proposed use of the
information--The information is to be placed in a public docket for the
use by vehicle, headlamp and headlamp light source manufacturers for
determining the interchangeability aspects of headlamp light sources
for manufacturing purposes and for the design and manufacture of
headlamps. In order for replacement light sources to be designated as
acceptable replacements, the replacement light sources also are
required to comply with the dimensional and performance information in
the docket for its type. The Federal program for reducing highway
fatalities, injuries and accidents would likely be adversely affected
if the information was not collected, because the bulbs would, in fact,
not be standardized for performance and interchangeability. If the
interchangeability information were not available to manufacturers who
normally provide original equipment and aftermarket parts, replacements
could become significantly more costly to replace upon burnout, and
ready availability would also likely diminish because the replacements
would be available from only the vehicle's manufacturer or its dealer.
As a potential adverse safety consequence, more and more vehicles would
likely be on the highways at night with headlamps having one or more
failed bulbs because of the higher expense and lower availability, and
therefore reduce the roadway illumination and increase the risk of
accident. In the event that the information collection were not
reapproved, it is likely that the agency would have to reinstate
headlamp light source information as part of the federal lighting
standard and thus any new light source designs could be used only after
a lengthy and costly rulemaking instead of this simple review and
reference procedure.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information--
For the burdened parties, only those which develop a new or modified
headlamp light source or other additional interchange information will
have to submit information. Based on the last three years of Part 564
data collection, thirteen submissions have been received from seven
manufacturers; three for new light sources, four for modification of
existing information, and six for additional information to existing
light sources.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information--The average estimated
cost of the information submissions is estimated to be 4.2 hours per
submission at $100 per hour for a cost of $420 each, thus at a rate of
13/3 submissions per year, the average annual cost is $1820 and the
average annual hour burden is 18.2 hours.
Labeling of Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid Containers, 49 CFR 571.116
Type of Request--Reinstatement of clearance.
OMB Clearance Number--2127-0521.
Form Number--This collection of information uses no standard forms.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval--Three years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information--Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 116, ``Motor Vehicle Brake Fluids,'' specifies
performance and design requirements for motor vehicle brake fluids and
hydraulic system mineral oils. Section 5.2.2 specifies labeling
requirements for manufacturers and packagers of brake fluids as well as
packagers of hydraulic system mineral oils. The information on the
label of a container of motor vehicle brake fluid or hydraulic system
mineral oil is necessary to insure the following: the contents of the
container are clearly stated; these fluids are used for their intended
purpose only; and, the containers are properly disposed of when empty.
Improper use or storage of these fluids could have dire crash safety
consequences for the operators of vehicles or equipment in which they
are used.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information--This labeling information is used by motor vehicle owners,
operators, and vehicle service facilities to aid in the proper
selection of brake fluids and hydraulic system mineral oils for use in
motor vehicles and hydraulic equipment, to assure the continued safety
of motor vehicle braking and hydraulic systems, respectively. The
information required on the label of brake fluid and hydraulic mineral
oil containers identifies performance capabilities of the fluid. The
safety warnings required on brake fluid and hydraulic system mineral
oil containers are provided to prevent improper use, storage, etc.
which might result in motor vehicle brake failure and the failure of
equipment utilizing hydraulic system mineral oil.
Properties of these fluids and their use necessitate the package
labeling information specified in this standard. Brake fluid and
hydraulic system mineral oil must be free of contaminants in order to
perform as intended; therefore, the labeling instructions warn against
storing in unsealed containers or mixing these fluids with other
products. Also, avoiding the absorption of moisture is extremely
important since moisture in a brake system degrades braking performance
and safety by lowering brake fluid's boiling point, increasing the
fluid's viscosity at low atmospheric temperatures and increasing the
risk of brake system component corrosion. Lower boiling points increase
the risk of brake system failure and increase the possibility of vapor
lock. The safety warnings also alert users of brake fluids sold in
containers with capacities less than five gallons that the containers
should not be refilled or reused for other purposes.
If the labeling requirements were not mandatory, improving safety
on the nation's highways would be more difficult to accomplish. Proper
vehicle brake performance is crucial to the safety of motor vehicle
occupants, and the information on fluid containers is necessary to aid
in reducing brake system failures resulting from the use of improper or
contaminated fluid. The labeling on fluid containers also helps to
ensure that only fluid that complies with federal requirements is sold,
and this also facilitates agency enforcement efforts by identifying the
fluid packager or manufacturer.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
There are an estimated 200 respondents, mainly those manufacturers
involved with the production of motor vehicle brake and hydraulic
fluids. A label is required on each container of fluid sold.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information--The cost of manufacturing
and affixing the labels will vary greatly for various manufacturers.
The majority of the labels will be manufactured and affixed in an
automated fashion by
[[Page 54502]]
major manufacturers involving low material or labor costs. However, for
small manufacturers, the costs in terms of labor, and to a lesser
extent, material will be somewhat greater. Labels are a standard part
of fluid containers, even in the absence of a federal requirement for
adding information to the containers. Thus, the added information
required by the Standard would be added to the label already existing
on the container. Thus the only cost is for adding the required
information to an existing label. Typically such labels are silk-
screened onto a label material. Thus, the added information to a label
would be some small part of the total cost of the silk-screen process
used for the production of the label.
The cost estimate for the total annualized costs to the respondent
for the incremental aspect of adding this information to the printing
cost of an existing label may be derived as follows:
(1) Estimate of the number of respondents--200
(2) Estimate of the number of different types of labels per
respondent--24
(3) Technical burden-hours required to design the layout of a label
that includes the incrementally added information--8
(4) Number of hours of label design for all respondents--38,400
(5) Average annual label design hours assuming a 5 year label redesign
cycle--7,680
(6) Annual label design cost assuming $37.50 hourly wage--$288,000
(7) Annual cost of incrementally added ink for label production (@ $400
per respondent)--$80,000
(8) Total annual cost of added information on label (#6+#7)--$368,000
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c); delegation of authority at 49 CFR
1.50.
Dated: October 14, 1997.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Acting Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 97-27716 Filed 10-17-97; 8:45 am]
.................... BILLING CODE 4910-59-P