[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3643-3644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1216]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket Number NHTSA-2001-8620]


Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of 
information.

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SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from 
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit 
public comment on proposed collections of information, including 
extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections.
    This document describes one collection of information for which 
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 19, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket notice numbers cited at 
the beginning of this notice and be submitted to Docket Management, 
Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590. Please 
identify the proposed collection of information for which a comment is 
provided, by referencing its OMB clearance Number. It is requested, but 
not required, that 2 copies of the comment be provided. The Docket 
Section is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Complete copies of each request for 
collection of information may be obtained at no charge from Mr. Ed 
Kosek, NHTSA 400 Seventh Street, SW, Room 6123,Washington, DC 20590. 
Mr. Kosek's telephone number is (202) 366-2589. Please identify the 
relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB Control 
Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB 
for approval, it must first publish a document in the Federal Register 
providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of 
the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of 
information. The OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must 
be included in such a document. Under OMB's regulation (at 5 CFR 
1320.8(d), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:
    (i) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    (iv) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks for public 
comments on the following proposed collections of information:

Compliance Labeling of Warning Devices in 49 CFR Section 571.125

    Type of Request: Reinstatement of Clearance.
    OMB Clearance Number: 2127-0506.
    Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard forms.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30112 
and 30117 (Appendix 1) of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety 
Act of 1966, authorizes the issuance of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standards (FMVSS). The Secretary is authorized to issue, amend, and 
revoke such rules and regulations as she/he deems necessary.
    Using this authority, the agency issued FMVSS No. 125, ``Warning 
Devices'' (Appendix 2), which applies to devices, without self 
contained energy sources, that are designed to be carried mandatorily 
in buses and trucks that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) 
greater than 10,000 pounds and voluntarily in other vehicles. These 
devices are used to warn approaching traffic of the presence of a 
stopped vehicle, except for devices designed to be permanently affixed 
to the vehicle.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use of the 
information: Each manufacturer of warning triangles must label each 
device to comply with Standard No. 125. This standard establishes 
requirements for devices, without self-contained energy sources. 
Without proper deployment and use, the effectiveness of the devices may 
be greatly diminished, and may lead to serious injuries due to rear end 
collisions between moving traffic and disabled vehicles.
    The warning device shall be permanently and legibly marked and also 
provide instructions for its erection and display. Each device shall be 
labeled with; (a) the name of the manufacturer, (b) the month and year 
of manufacture, (c) the DOT symbol, or the statement that the warning 
device complies with all applicable FMVSS. The instructions for each 
device shall include a recommendation that the driver activate the 
vehicular hazard warning signal lamps before leaving the vehicle to 
erect the warning device. Also, the instructions shall include an 
illustration indicating recommended positioning.
    Without these devices and instructions there could be more deaths 
and injuries caused by stopped or disabled motor vehicles.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information): 
There are three manufacturers labeling approximately 2.85 million 
warning devices (triangles) per year for the last few years. Based on 
the estimated number of warning triangles produced per year, the 
frequency of response is estimated to be 2.85 million.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information: For the 2.85 million 
warning triangles produced per year, the tooling to label them would be 
replaced after about 20 years of service being used to make about 200K 
devices per year. The machining each mold that would be replaced is 
about 8 hours at a cost of $37.50 per hour, or a cost of $300. Assuming 
that this past years production level of 2.85 million devices were 
built each year for the last twenty years (an over-estimate that 
ignores the long steady growth of the market), the total number of 
devices manufactured would be 57 million. The tooling needs to be 
replaced every 4 million uses; the total number of tools used in the 
last 20 years is 14.25. The machining for the

[[Page 3644]]

labeling in each tool would be 14.25 times 8 hours divided by 57 
million, or 0.000002 hour per device. Thus the current annual cost for 
the 2.85 million devices manufactured is 5.7 hours  x  $37.50 = 
$213.75.

    Authority: 440 U.S.C. 3506(c); delegation of authority at 49 CFR 
1.50.

    Issued on: January 9, 2001.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 01-1216 Filed 1-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P