[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17043-17044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9069]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-98-3642]
RIN 2127-AB76


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Lamps, Reflective 
Devices, and Associated Equipment; Review: Center High Mounted Stop 
Lamps; Evaluation Report

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Request for comments on technical report.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the publication by NHTSA of a Technical 
Report concerning Safety Standard 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and 
Associated Equipment. The report's title is The Long-Term Effectiveness 
of Center High Mounted Stop Lamps in Passenger Cars and Light Trucks. 
It evaluates the rear-impact crash rates of current passenger cars and 
light trucks equipped with Center High Mounted Stop Lamps, and compares 
them to the rear-impact crash rates of similar vehicles without the 
lamps.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than August 5, 1998.

ADDRESSES:

    Report: Interested people may obtain copies of the reports free of 
charge by sending a self-addressed mailing label to Publications 
Ordering and Distribution Services (NAD-51), National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.
    Comments: All comments should refer to the docket number of this 
notice and be submitted to: U.S. Department of Transportation Dockets, 
Room PL-401, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington DC 
20590. [Docket hours, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation 
Division, Plans and Policy, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590 
(202-366-2560).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Safety Standard 108 (49 CFR 571.108) was 
amended to require Center High Mounted Stop Lamps (CHMSL) on all new 
passenger cars manufactured on or after September 1, 1985 for sale in 
the United States (48 FR 48235) and on all new light trucks (pickup 
trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles) manufactured on or after 
September 1, 1983 for sale in the United States (56 FR 16015). The 
purpose of CHMSL is to safeguard a car or light truck from being struck 
in the rear by another vehicle. When brakes are applied, the CHMSL 
warns drivers of following vehicles that they must slow down.
    Pursuant to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and 
Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735), NHTSA reviews existing regulations 
to determine if they are achieving policy goals. The agency has been 
evaluating the effectiveness, benefits and costs of the lamps since 
they became a requirement for new passenger cars. Two interim reports 
(52 FR 9609; 54 FR 32153) showed that the lamps were effective in 1986 
and 1987, but recommended additional analyses to ascertain the long-
term effect of CHMSL.
    This report tracks the effectiveness of CHMSL, year by year, from 
1986 through 1995. The statistical analyses are based on police-
reported crash files from eight States. It was found that:
     The lamps were most effective in the early years. In 1987, 
CHMSL reduced rear impact crashes by 8.5 percent (confidence bounds 6.1 
to 10.9 percent).
     Effectiveness declined in 1988 and 1989, but then leveled 
off. During 1989-95, CHMSL reduced rear impact crashes by 4.3 percent 
(confidence bounds 2.9 to 5.8 percent). This is the long-term 
effectiveness of the lamps.
     The effectiveness of CHMSL in light trucks is about the 
same as in passenger cars.
     At the long-term effectiveness level of 4.3 percent, when 
all cars and light trucks on the road have CHMSL, the lamps will 
prevent 92,000-137,000 police-reported crashes, 58,000-70,000 nonfatal 
injuries, and $655,000,000 (in 1994 dollars) in property damage per 
year.
     The annual consumer cost of CHMSL in cars and light trucks 
sold in the United States is close to $206,000,000 (in 1994 dollars).
     Even though the effectiveness of CHMSL has declined from 
its initial levels, the lamps are and will continue

[[Page 17044]]

to be highly cost-effective safety devices.
    NHTSA welcomes public review of the technical report and invites 
the reviewers to submit comments about the data and the statistical 
methods used in the report. The agency is interested in learning of any 
additional data or information that could be used to expand or improve 
the analyses.
    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 7 
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 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. 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 people continue to examine the docket for 
new material.
    People 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.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30168; delegation of authority at 49 
CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

    Issued on: April 2, 1998.
William H. Walsh,
Associate Administrator for Plans and Policy.
[FR Doc. 98-9069 Filed 4-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P