[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 157 (Monday, August 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49632-49633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20601]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA 2000-7744; Notice 1]


General Motors Corporation, Receipt of Application for Decision 
of Inconsequential Noncompliance

    General Motors Corporation (GM) has determined that certain 
headlamps on 1999 Buick Century and Buick Regal models may not meet the 
photometric requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 
(FMVSS) No. 108, ``Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated 
Equipment.'' GM's testing indicates that some photometric locations 
above the horizon, which are intended to provide light for reading 
overhead signs, are below the minimum candela requirements specified in 
FMVSS No. 108.
    Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 30120(h), GM has petitioned for 
a determination that this condition is inconsequential to motor vehicle 
safety and has filed an appropriate report pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, 
``Defect and Noncompliance Reports.''
    This notice of receipt of this application is published under 49 
U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not represent any agency decision or 
other exercise of judgment concerning the merits of the application.
    To evaluate the condition, 10 pairs of lamps were randomly 
collected from production and photometrically tested. Additionally, GM 
tested the same 10 pairs of lamps using accurate rated bulbs. The test 
results indicate that 5 test points (production bulbs) and 3 test 
points (accurate rated bulbs), respectively, failed to meet the minimum 
candela requirements.
    The tests results indicate that the amount of light below the 
minimum required was generally less than 10 percent, with the maximum 
variation being 24.4 percent at one point with a production bulb. 
Transport Canada conducted tests on the same headlamps and all the test 
points in question met the requirements, indicating the non-complying 
results were related to manufacturing variations and were present in 
only a portion of the lamps.
    The petitioner believes that this noncompliance in inconsequential 
to motor vehicle safety for the following reasons:

    The test points at issue are all above the horizon and are 
intended to measure illumination of overhead signs. They do not 
represent areas of the beam that illuminate the road surface, and 
the headlamps still fulfill applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard 108 requirements regarding road illumination.
    For years the rule of thumb has been that a 25 percent 
difference in light intensity is not significant to most people for 
certain lighting conditions.
    GM has not received any complaints from owners of the subject 
vehicles about their ability to see overhead signs.
    GM is not aware of any accidents, injuries, owner complaints or 
field reports related to this condition for these vehicles.

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
arguments on the application described above. Comments should refer to 
the docket number and be submitted to: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC, 20590. It is requested that two copies be 
submitted.
    All comments received before the close of business on the closing 
date indicated below will be considered. The

[[Page 49633]]

application and supporting materials, and all comments received after 
the closing date, will also be filed and will be considered to the 
extent possible. When the application is granted or denied, the notice 
will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority 
indicated below. Comment closing date: September 13, 2000.

(49 U.S.C. 301118, 301120; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 
and 501.8)

    Issued on: August 8, 2000.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-20601 Filed 8-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P