[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 228 (Monday, November 27, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 70687-70688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30095]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. NHTSA-7938]


Child Restraint Systems Safety Plan

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the availability of a planning 
document that describes the agency's ongoing and planned initiatives to 
improve the safety of motor vehicle occupants from birth through age 
10. To realize our goal to have every child be protected by an 
appropriate, and properly used child restraint system on every trip, 
NHTSA has developed a child restraint system plan that employs three 
key strategies: Encourage correct use of child restraints for all 
children; ensure that child restraint systems provide optimal 
protection; and provide consumers with useful information on 
restraining their children. For each of the defined strategies, the 
plan provides background information, describes recent agency actions, 
and presents ongoing and planned programs to achieve our goals. NHTSA 
seeks public review and comment on the planning document. Comments 
received will be evaluated and incorporated, as appropriate, into the 
planned agency activities.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than December 22, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may obtain a copy of the planning 
document by downloading a copy of the document from the Docket 
Management System, U.S. Department of Transportation, at the address 
provided below, or from NHTSA's website at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps. Alternatively, interested persons may obtain a 
copy of the document by contacting the agency officials listed in the 
section titled, For Further Information Contact, immediately below.
    Submit written comments to the Docket Management System, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, PL 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, 
Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. Comments should refer to the Docket Number 
(NHTSA-7938) and be submitted in two copies. If you wish to receive 
confirmation of receipt of your written comments, include a self-
addressed, stamped postcard.
    Comments may also be submitted to the docket electronically by 
logging onto the Docket Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov. Click on ``Help & Information'' to obtain instructions for 
filing the comment electronically. In every case, the comment should 
refer to the docket number.
    The Docket Management System is located on the Plaza level of the 
Nassif Building at the Department of Transportation at the above 
address. You can review public dockets there between the hours of 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You 
can also review comments on-line at the DOT Docket Management System 
web site at ``http://dms.dot.gov/.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Cathy Gotschall, Office of Plans 
and Policy, NPP-12, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 
202-366-1653. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In February 2000, NHTSA held a public 
meeting to discuss child restraint system issues. Soon after that 
meeting, Senator Fitzgerald (R-Illinois) introduced ``The Child 
Passenger Safety Act of 2000'' (S. 2070). A similar bill (H.R. 4145) 
was introduced in the House by Congressman Shimkus (R-Illinois) . On 
May 16, 2000, Deputy Administrator Millman testified before the House 
Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and 
Consumer Protection. At that hearing, she discussed the agency's child 
passenger safety programs and stated that the agency would release a 
child restraint system plan for public comment.
    NHTSA put together nine teams of agency experts to review all of 
the recommendations from the public meeting and from the House and 
Senate Bills and other sources. On November 1, 2000, the Transportation 
Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act was 
enacted. Section 14 of the TREAD Act requires NHTSA to conduct 
rulemaking on side impact testing for child restraints and to consider 
several other related rulemaking actions. This draft plan includes the 
requirements of the TREAD Act, as well as those recommendations from 
the public that were considered to yield the biggest safety gains for 
child motor vehicle occupants.
    The draft plan focuses on three strategies. The first strategy in 
the plan examines ways to increase restraint use among all children and 
to ensure that the appropriate restraint systems are used correctly. 
NHTSA estimates that if all children aged 0-4 years old were restrained 
in safety seats, 173 lives could have been saved in 1998. Additional 
studies have shown that as many as 68 additional deaths to children 
aged 0-6 years old could be prevented each year by eliminating misuse 
of safety seats. The agency conducts national campaigns to educate the 
public about the importance of buckling children into child restraint 
systems.
    The second strategy is to improve existing standards for the 
performance and testing of child restraint systems. Since NHTSA first 
began regulating child safety seats in 1971, the agency has instituted 
numerous improvements to the original Federal safety standard, 
including the incorporation of dynamic performance testing, labeling 
improvements, and the recent introduction of a simplified, standardized 
system for anchoring safety seats in cars. This system, called the 
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system, may save as many 
as 50 lives and avert up to 3,000 serious injuries annually. In 
addition to research and the rulemaking initiatives described in this 
plan, NHTSA has urged child seat manufacturers to increase the margin 
by which they comply with the existing standards.
    The safest child restraint systems available can prevent death and 
injury only if they are purchased and used correctly. The final 
strategy calls for improved mechanisms for getting safety information 
to consumers. The agency works closely with states, health communities, 
law enforcement agencies, and safety advocates to disseminate 
information to parents and caregivers on the correct installation and 
proper use of child restraint systems. NHTSA is committed to improving 
the information it provides to consumers both on the performance and 
proper use of child restraint systems as well as on defect 
investigations and safety recalls.
    This document announces the availability of the document for public 
review and comment. The plan will be posted on NHTSA's website on 
November 20, 2000. Received comments will be evaluated and 
incorporated, as appropriate, into the planned agency activities.

[[Page 70688]]

How Do I Prepare and Submit Comments?

    Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that your 
comments are correctly filed in the Docket, please include the Docket 
number of this document (NHTSA-7938) in your comments.
    Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management 
or submit them electronically. The mailing address is U. S. Department 
of Transportation Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW, Washington, DC 20590. If you submit your comments electronically, 
log onto the Docket Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov and 
click on ``Help & Information'' or ``Help/Info'' to obtain 
instructions.

How Can I Be Sure That My Comments Were Received?

    If you wish Docket Management to notify you upon its receipt of 
your comments, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard in the 
envelope containing your comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket 
Management will return the postcard by mail.

How Do I Submit Confidential Business Information?

    If you wish to submit any information under a claim of 
confidentiality, send three copies of your complete submission, 
including the information you claim to be confidential business 
information, to the Chief Counsel, NCC-01, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, Room 5219, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20590. Include a cover letter supplying the information specified in 
our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR part 512).
    In addition, send two copies from which you have deleted the 
claimed confidential business information to Docket Management, Room 
PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

Will the Agency Consider Late Comments?

    In our response, we will consider all comments that Docket 
Management receives before the close of business on the comment closing 
date indicated above under DATES. To the extent possible, we will also 
consider comments that Docket Management receives after that date.
    Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will 
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes 
available. Further, some people may submit late comments. Accordingly, 
we recommend that you periodically check the Docket for new material.

How Can I Read the Comments Submitted by Other People?

    You may read the comments by visiting Docket Management in person 
at Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC from 10 a.m. to 
5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
    You may also see the comments on the Internet by taking the 
following steps:
    a. Go to the Docket Management System (DMS) Web page of the 
Department of Transportation (http://dms.dot.gov).
    b. On that page, click on ``search.''
    c. On the next page (http://dms.dot.gov/search/) type in the four-
digit Docket number shown at the beginning of this document (7938). 
Click on ``search.''
    d. On the next page, which contains Docket summary information for 
the Docket you selected, click on the desired comments. You may also 
download the comments.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30117, 30168; delegation of 
authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

Sue Bailey,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-30095 Filed 11-24-00; 8:45 am]
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