[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 143 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48599-48601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18760]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. NHTSA-2002-212391]


NHTSA Vehicle Safety Rulemaking Priorities: 2002-2005

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 NHTSA's proposed vehicle safety rulemaking 
priorities through 2005. The plan includes those rulemaking actions of 
highest priority for the period 2002 to 2005, based primarily on the 
greatest potential protection of lives and prevention of injury, that 
fall within the immediate four-year time frame. In addition, NHTSA has 
considered the realistic likelihood for successful action, especially 
considering the reality of numerous worthwhile options competing for 
budgetary resources. The priorities were defined through extensive 
discussions within the agency, taking into account the views heard in 
recent years at public meetings and comments submitted to the agency 
via rulemaking notices and requests for comment. The results produced 
by previous NHTSA rulemaking priority planning exercises also provided 
input to this process. While the plan includes other active areas, in 
addition to the rulemaking priorities, it discusses only a portion of 
all rulemaking actions the agency plans to undertake in the coming 
four-plus years. The absence of a particular regulatory activity from 
the plan does not necessarily imply that the agency will not pursue it. 
Although the execution of a priority plan is affected by factors beyond 
its control (e.g.,

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petitions, budgets, legislation), this plan provides a blueprint for 
regulatory action on those vehicle safety goals the agency considers 
its highest priorities. 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 September 23, 2002.

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 Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings. 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, DC 20590-0001. Comments should refer to the Docket Number 
(NHTSA-2002-212391) 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 Web site 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: Lawrence L. Hershman, Office of Safety 
Performance Standards, NPS-33, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, Room 5104, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20590. Telephone: 202-366-4929. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Motor vehicle crashes killed 41,821 
individuals and injured 3,189,000 others in 6.4 million crashes in 
2000. In addition to the terrible personal toll, these crashes make a 
huge economic impact on our society with an estimated annual cost of 
$230.6 billion, or an average of $820 for every person living in the 
United States. One of the most important ways in which NHTSA carries 
out its safety mandate is to issue and enforce Federal Motor Vehicle 
Safety Standards (FMVSS). Through these rules, NHTSA strives to reduce 
the number of crashes and to minimize the consequences of those crashes 
that do occur. NHTSA's rulemaking activities, via the Safety 
Performance Standards Program with support from the offices of Research 
and Development, Safety Assurance, Plans and Policy, and Chief Counsel, 
identify safety problem areas, develop countermeasures, and collect and 
analyze information to develop new FMVSS and amendments to existing 
FMVSS.
    In the first years of the new century, NHTSA will strive to 
influence the automotive industry to incorporate the rapidly 
accelerating pace of advances in vehicle and safety technology into new 
vehicles while ensuring that the use of the new technologies enhances 
vehicle safety. The plan outlines the highlights of NHTSA's vehicle 
safety rulemaking plans through 2005. Agency priorities emanate from 
many sources, including: The size of the safety problem and likelihood 
of solutions, Executive initiatives, Congressional interest and 
mandates, petitions to the agency for rulemaking and other expressions 
of public interest, interest in harmonizing safety standards with those 
of other nations, and changes needed as a result of new vehicle 
technologies. The starting point for rulemaking priorities is the quest 
for the greatest potential protection of lives and prevention of 
injury.
    The plan is organized along several broad categories: Crash 
Prevention includes crash avoidance data, driver distraction, vehicle 
visibility, crash warnings, and vehicle control and handling. Occupant 
Protection includes advanced crash dummies and protection in frontal, 
side, rollover, and rear crashes. Other sections cover Incompatibility 
Between Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, Heavy Truck Safety, and 
Special Population Protection, including safety for children, people 
with disabilities, and older people.
    The plan includes several potential rulemaking projects that 
require additional research to determine whether rulemaking action is 
needed, but are priorities based on their potential for significantly 
sizeable death and injury prevention benefits. The plan also contains 
an appendix that discusses some other regulatory activities, 
particularly regulatory-related research activities, that may extend 
beyond the four-year horizon of the plan and that the agency considers 
important, although not rising to the same level of immediate high 
priority as the activities included in the main body of the plan. 
Another appendix discusses upcoming milestones in consumer information 
activities that the agency plans to pursue in the next few years, 
including the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
    This document announces the availability of the document for public 
review and comment. The plan will be posted on NHTSA's website on July 
23, 2002. Received comments will be evaluated and incorporated, as 
appropriate, into planned agency activities. The agency intends to 
periodically update the plan. Comments that cannot be accommodated in 
the current plan will be reviewed and considered in the context of 
future updates.

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-2002212391) 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 Web site 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

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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:
    1. Go to the Docket Management System (DMS) Web page of the 
Department of Transportation (http://dms.dot.gov).
    2. On that page, click on ``search.''
    3. On the next page (http://dms.dot.gov/search/) type in the four-
digit Docket number shown at the beginning of this document (NHTSA-
2002-212391). Click on ``search.''
    4. 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.

    Issued on: July 19, 2002.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 02-18760 Filed 7-24-02; 8:45 am]
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