[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 171 (Thursday, September 3, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 46979-46981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23794]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 572

[Docket No. NHTSA-98-3972, Notice 2]
RIN 2127-AG76


Anthropomorphic Test Dummy; Occupant Crash Protection

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; Correction and clarification.

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SUMMARY: This document corrects and clarifies a notice of proposed 
rulemaking published in the Federal Register (63 FR 35170) on June 29, 
1998, concerning a new, more advanced 6-year old child dummy. The 
document makes technical corrections in the proposed specifications for 
the neck assembly calibration tests, corrects and clarifies that 
digital patterns and molds are not part of the proposed specifications 
for the dummy, and announces that the draft SAE user's manual for this 
dummy has been placed in the docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For nonlegal issues: Stan Backaitis, 
Office of

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Crashworthiness Standards (telephone: 202-366-4912). For legal issues: 
Edward Glancy, Office of the Chief Counsel (202-366-2992). Both can be 
reached at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 
Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C., 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 29, 1998, NHTSA published in the 
Federal Register (63 FR 35170) a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) 
to amend 49 CFR Part 572 by adding design and performance 
specifications for a new, more advanced 6-year old child dummy. This 
dummy is part of the family of Hybrid III test dummies, and is called 
the Hybrid III 6-year-old child dummy (hereafter referred to as the H-
III6C dummy). Since publishing that document, the agency has become 
aware of a need to make certain corrections and clarifications.
    First, at a Society of Automotive Engineers Hybrid III Dummy Family 
Task Group meeting held on August 13, 1998 in Detroit, Michigan, 
certain statements in the NPRM that warranted clarification or 
correction were identified. One of these concerned the way moments (Nm) 
were specified in the proposed neck assembly calibration tests 
(proposed Sec. 572.123(b)(1) and (b)(2)). The proposed language for 
both the flexion and extension tests stated that, during certain 
rotation intervals, ``the moment measured by the neck transducer'' 
about the occipital condyles must be within a specified range. The 
reference to ``moment'' should have referred to ``peak moment.'' Thus, 
once the moment reaches the lower limit of the specified range, it 
would be permitted to drop below that limit, while still within the 
rotation corridor, without failing the calibration specification.
    The agency was also advised of an incomplete specification in the 
proposed range of rotation for the extension test (Sec. 572.123(b)(1)). 
The upper value for that range was inadvertently omitted. It should 
have been 106 degrees.
    Second, in reviewing a separate request from a dummy manufacturer 
for digital patterns and molds for the proposed dummy, the agency 
recognized an error in the June 29, 1998 NPRM. The NPRM incorrectly 
indicated that the specifications for the proposed H-III6C would 
include the digital patterns and molds. The agency has not in the past 
made patterns and molds part of the Part 572 specifications for the 
various dummies but instead, where available, has provided them to the 
public solely as a manufacturing aid, and referenced that availability 
in Part 572. In order to meet the specifications of Part 572, a dummy 
must be consistent with the drawings and meet calibration tests, but 
need not be made using any specific patterns and molds. The agency 
wishes to correct and clarify that digital patterns and molds are not 
part of the proposed specifications for the dummy. NHTSA also notes 
that it does not possess such digital patterns and molds.
    That same dummy manufacturer also requested a copy of the user's 
manual for the H-III6C dummy. In the June 29 NPRM, the agency stated 
that the user's manual would not be available until the time of the 
final rule. However, NHTSA has now placed in the docket 1 
the draft SAE user's manual for the dummy. The agency will consider the 
draft SAE user's manual in developing the final rule. NHTSA may, 
however, prepare its own user's manual in connection with the final 
rule. Commenters are invited to address which items included in the 
draft SAE user's manual may be appropriate and necessary for 
incorporating into Part 572, and whether any additional items are 
needed.
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    \1\ Since this item is non-scannable, it cannot be placed in the 
DOT Dockets Management System (DMS). Instead, a statement indicating 
where it may be viewed, i.e., in NHTSA's docket, has been placed in 
the DMS.
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    Accordingly, for the reasons discussed above, in FR Doc. 98-17138 
published on June 29, 1998 (63 FR 35170) make the following 
corrections.

PART 572--ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICES

    1. The authority citation for part 572 of title 49 would continue 
to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117, and 30166; 
delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.

Subpart N--Hybrid III 6-year-Old Child

    2. Section 572.120 as proposed to be added at 63 FR 35172 is 
revised to read as follows:


Sec. 572.120  Incorporation by reference.

    (a) The following materials are hereby incorporated in subpart N by 
reference:
    (1) A drawings and specifications package entitled ``Drawings and 
Specifications for the Hybrid III 6-Year-Old Dummy (May 1998)'';
    (2) A user's manual entitled ``User's Manual for the Hybrid III 6-
Year-Old Dummy [a date will be inserted in the final rule]'';
    (3) SAE Recommended Practice J211, Rev. Mar95 ``Instrumentation for 
Impact Tests'';
    (4) SAE J1733 of 1994-12, ``Sign Convention for Vehicle Crash 
Testing.''
    (5) The Director of the Federal Register approved those materials 
incorporated by reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR 
part 51. Copies of the materials may be inspected at NHTSA's Docket 
Section, 400 Seventh Street S.W., room 5109, Washington, DC, or at the 
Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 
700, Washington, DC.
    (b) The incorporated materials are available as follows:
    (1) The drawings and specifications package referred to in 
paragraph (a)(1) of this section and the user's manual referred to in 
paragraph (a)(2) of this section are available from Reprographic 
Technologies, 9000 Virginia Manor Road, Beltsville, MD 20705 (301) 419-
5070.
    (2) The SAE materials referred to in paragraphs (a)(3) and (a)(4) 
of this section are available from the Society of Automotive Engineers, 
Inc., 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096.
    3. Section 572.121 as proposed to be added at 63 FR 65173 is 
revised to read as follows:


Sec. 572.121  General description.

    (a)(1) The Hybrid III 6-year-old dummy consists of the components 
and assemblies that are described by ``Drawings and Specifications for 
the Hybrid III 6-Year-Old Dummy (May 1998).'' The complete assembly of 
the dummy is shown in drawing 127-0000. The component assemblies, and 
their drawing numbers, are listed in the following Table A:

                                 Table A                                
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                     Component assembly                      Drawing No.
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Head Assembly..............................................     127-1000
Neck Assembly..............................................     127-1015
Upper Torso Assembly.......................................     127-2000
Lower Torso Assembly.......................................     127-3000
Leg Assembly...............................................     127-4000
Arm Assembly...............................................     127-5000
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    (2) These drawings, and all other drawings referred to in this 
subpart by the term ``drawing'' followed by a number, are contained in 
``Drawings and Specifications for the Hybrid III 6-Year-Old Dummy (May 
1998).''
    (b) Disassembly, inspection, and assembly procedures are set forth 
in ``User's Manual for the Hybrid III 6-Year-Old Dummy [a date will be 
inserted in the final rule]''.
    (c) Adjacent segments are joined in a manner such that except for 
contacts existing under static conditions, there is no contact between 
metallic elements

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throughout the range of motion or under simulated crash impact 
conditions.
    (d) The structural properties of the dummy are such that the dummy 
conforms to this part in every respect both before and after its use in 
any test similar to those specified in Standard No. 208, Occupant Crash 
Protection and Standard No. 213, Child Restraint Systems. 
    4. Section 572.123(b)(1) and (2) as proposed to be added at 63 FR 
35173 are revised to read as follows:


Sec. 572.123  Neck assembly and test procedure.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (1) Flexion. Plane D referenced in Figure N2, shall rotate in the 
direction of preimpact flight with respect to the pendulum's 
longitudinal centerline not less than 74 degrees and not more than 92 
degrees. During this rotation interval, the peak moment measured by the 
neck transducer (drawing SA-572 S11) about the occipital condyles shall 
not be less than 27Nm (19.9 ft-lb) and not more than 33 Nm (24.3 ft-
lb). The moment shall be calculated by the following formula: Moment 
(Nm) = My--(0.01778m)  x  (Fx). The positive moment shall decay for the 
first time to 5 Nm between 103 ms and 123 ms.
    (2) Extension. Plane D referenced in Figure N3, shall rotate in the 
direction of preimpact flight with respect to the pendulum's 
longitudinal centerline not less than 94 degrees and not more than 106 
degrees. During this rotation interval, the peak moment measured by the 
neck transducer (drawing S-572 S11) about the occipital condyles shall 
not be more than -19 Nm (-14 ft-lb) and not less than -24 Nm (-17.7 ft-
lb). The moment shall be calculated by the following formula: Moment 
(Nm) = My--(0.01778m)  x  (Fx). The negative moment shall decay for the 
first time to -5 Nm between 127 ms and 147ms.
* * * * *

    Issued on: August 31, 1998.
L. Robert Shelton,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 98-23794 Filed 9-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P