[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 140 (Thursday, July 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39554-39555]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18671]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-99-5930]
RIN 2127-AE95


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Crash 
Protection; Review: Passenger Car Back Seat Occupant Protection; 
Evaluation Report

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

ACTION: Request for comments on technical report.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces the publication by NHTSA of a Technical 
Report concerning Safety Standard 208, Occupant Crash Protection, 
specifically the back seat lap/shoulder belt requirement. The report's 
title is the Effectiveness of Lap/Shoulder Belts in the Back Outboard 
Seating Positions. The primary objective of this report is to evaluate 
the effectiveness of lap/shoulder belts for back seat outboard 
occupants and whether they are more effective than lap belts for these 
occupants. Other objectives are to determine whether lap belts are 
effective, whether lap belts are harmful to back seat belt users in 
specific crash modes, and whether lap/shoulder belts correct the 
problems found with lap belts.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than November 19, 1999.

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: Back seat outboard lap/shoulder belts were 
first required in passenger cars after December 11, 1989 and in 
convertible passenger cars, light trucks, vans, and sport utility 
vehicle after September 1, 1991. Before this, passenger vehicles were 
required to have at least lap belts at all forward-facing rear outboard 
seating positions, lap/shoulder belts were optional.
    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. Most of the analyses 
in this report are based on Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 
data from 1988 through the first six months of 1997. The primary 
analysis compares the fatality risk for back seat outboard belted 
occupants (lap or lap/shoulder belted) to the corresponding risk for 
unbelted occupants, as well as the fatality risk for lap/shoulder 
belted occupants to the risk for lap belted occupants. Fatality risk is 
the ratio of fatalities in the back seat to fatalities in the front 
seat (a control group). This procedure of comparing a subject group to 
a control group is called ``double pair comparison.''
    The principal conclusions are: back seat lap belts are 32 percent 
effective in reducing fatalities and lap/shoulder belts are 44 percent 
effective in reducing fatalities when compared to unrestrained back 
seat occupants in passenger cars. In passenger vans and sport utility 
vehicles, lap belts are 63 percent effective and lap/shoulder belts are 
73 percent effective. The change from lap to lap/shoulder belts has 
significantly enhanced occupant protection, especially in frontal 
crashes. In all crashes, lap/shoulder belts are 15 percent more 
effective than lap belts alone. In frontal crashes, lap/shoulder belts 
are 25 percent more effective than lap belts alone. Back seat lap belts 
reduce the risk of head injuries while increasing the risk of abdominal 
injuries in potentially fatal frontal crashes. Lap/shoulder belts 
reduce the risk of both head and abdominal injuries in potentially 
fatal frontal crashes relative to lap belts only: head injuries by 47 
percent and abdominal injuries by 52 percent.

[[Page 39555]]

    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 2 
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.
William H. Walsh,
Associate Administrator for Plans and Policy.
[FR Doc. 99-18671 Filed 7-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P