[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 78 (Monday, April 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20519-20520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9995]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket Number NHTSA-01-9402]


Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for extension of a currently approved 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 June 22, 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, SW., 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. P. L. 
Moore, NHTSA 400 Seventh Street, SW., room #5320-C, NPS-32,Washington, 
DC 20590. Mr. Moore's telephone number is (202) 366-5222. 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; and
    (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:
    Title: 49 CFR 575-104.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0519.
    Affected Public: All passenger car tire manufacturers and brand 
name owners offering passenger car tires for sale in the United States.
    Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard form.
    Abstract: Part 575 requires tire manufacturers and tire brand 
owners to submit reports to NHTSA regarding the UTQGS grades of all 
passenger car tire lines they offer for sale in the United States. This 
information is used by consumers of passenger car tires to compare tire 
quality in making their purchase decisions. The information is provided 
in several different ways to insure that the consumer can readily see 
and understand the tire grades: (1) The grades are molded into the 
sidewall of the tire so that they can be reviewed on both the new tires 
and the old tires that are to be replaced; (2) a paper label is affixed 
to the tread face of the new tires that provides the grades of that 
particular tireline along with an explanation of the grading system; 
(3) tire manufacturers provide dealers with brochures for public 
distribution listing the grades of all of the tirelines they offer for 
sale; and (4) NHTSA compiles the grading information of all 
manufacturers' tirelines into a booklet that is available to the public 
both in printed form and on the website.
    Estimated Annual Burden to the Manufacturer: NHTSA estimates that a 
total of 72,450 man-hours are required to write the brochures, engrave 
the new passenger car tire molds, and affix the paper labels to the 
tires. Based on an average hourly rate of $18.00 per hour for rubber 
workers in the United States, the total cost to the manufacturers is 
$1,304,100.00 to perform those items listed above. The largest portion 
of the cost burden imposed by the UTQGS program arises from the testing 
necessary to determine the grades that should be assigned to the tires. 
An average of 125 convoys, consisting of four vehicles each, are run 
each year for treadwear testing. NHTSA estimates it cost $0.46 per 
vehicle mile including salaries, overhead, and reports. This brings the 
annual treadwear testing cost to $1,656,000.00. For traction testing, 
it is estimated that 1,500 tires are tested annually with an estimated 
cost of $33,000 for use of the government test facility. Using a factor 
of 3.5 times the $33,000 to cover salary and overhead of

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test contractors, the estimated cost of traction testing is $115,500. 
The temperature grade test for tires is an extension of the high speed 
performance test of 49 CFR 571.109 that is required for safety 
certification. The additional cost for UTQGS temperature grading is 
minimal. Thus, the total estimated cost for testing is $1,771,500. The 
cost of printing the tread labels and brochures is estimated at 
$900,000. This yields a total annual financial burden of $3,975,600 
(approximately $4 million) on the tire manufacturers.
    Estimated Annual Burden to the Government: The annual estimated 
cost of reviewing, storing and displaying the information submissions 
is 250 man-hours at $10.00 per hour, for a cost of $2,500 per year. 
Printing and distributing the Consumer Guide to Uniform Tire Quality 
Grading costs about $5,000 per year. The total cost to the Government 
runs about $7,500 per year.
    Number of Respondents: 130. The actual number of respondents is 
much less than the 130 individual tire brands. In light of company 
acquisitions, company mergers, and the actual manufacturers reporting 
for the various individual brand names that they produce tires for, the 
actual number of respondents is about 83 individual responses.

    Issued on April 17, 2001.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 01-9995 Filed 4-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P