[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56872-56873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22552]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA 2002-13014; Notice 1]


Dorel Juvenile Group; Receipt of Application for Determination of 
Inconsequential Non-Compliance

    Dorel Juvenile Group [Cosco] (DJG), of Columbus, Indiana, failed to 
comply with S5.1.1(a) of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 
No. 213, ``Child Restraint Systems,'' and has filed an appropriate 
report pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, ``Defect and Noncompliance 
Reports.'' DJG has also applied to be exempted from the notification 
and remedy requirements of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301--``Motor Vehicle 
Safety'' on the basis that the noncompliance is inconsequential to 
motor vehicle safety.
    This notice of receipt of the application is published under 49 
U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not represent any agency decision or 
other exercise of judgement concerning the merits of the application.
    The following summarizes the DJG petition based upon information 
provided with the petition in accordance with the requirements of 49 
CFR Part 556, ``Exemption for Inconsequential Defect or 
Noncompliance.''

Summary of the Petition

    On September 7, 2001, as a result of its fiscal year 2001 testing, 
NHTSA notified DJG of a potential noncompliance regarding DJG's child 
restraint system (CRS). The noncompliance is the separation of the 
tether strap and steel belt slot adjustment channel from the Cosco 
Alpha Omega CRS seat shell produced from November 1, 2000 through 
January 10, 2001 (6 Models and 86,476 units). S5.1.1(a) of FMVSS No. 
213 states that each child restraint system shall ``Exhibit no complete 
separation of any load bearing structural element * * *.''
    DJG does not think that tether separation during the sled test is 
the same as a complete separation of a load bearing structural element. 
DJG believes that the regulatory history of S5.1.1 shows that the 
purpose of the requirement is to reduce the likelihood of injury during 
collapse or disintegration of the system; therefore, the cutting of the 
tether strap does not present a risk of collapse or disintegration. DJG 
states that the agency's compliance test data show tether separation of 
the Alpha Omega CRS under dynamic loading provides significantly 
improved results compared to other Alpha Omega CRS without tether 
separation under dynamic loading. Therefore, DJG filed this petition on 
the basis that the noncompliance is inconsequential to motor vehicle 
safety.

Availability of the Petition and Other Documents

    The petition and other relevant information are available for 
public inspection in NHTSA Docket No. NHTSA-2002-13014. You may call 
the Docket at (202) 366-9324 or you may visit the Docket Management in 
Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590 (10 a.m. to 
5 p.m., Monday through Friday). You may also view the petition and 
other relevant information on the Internet. To do this, do the 
following:
    (1) Go to Docket Management System (DMS) Web page for the 
Department of Transportation (http://dms.dot.gov/search).
    (2) On the next page (http://dms.dot.gov/search/

[[Page 56873]]

SearchFormSimple.cfm), type the docket number ``13014.'' After typing 
the docket number, click on ``search.''
    (3) On the next page, which contains docket summary information for 
the docket you selected, click on the desired comments. You may 
download the comments and other materials.

Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and 
arguments on the petition of DJG 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 application and supporting 
materials, and all comments received after the closing date will also 
be filed and will be considered to the extent practicable. 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: October 7, 2002.

(49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 
49 CFR 501.8)


    Issued on: August 29, 2002.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 02-22552 Filed 9-4-02; 8:45 am]
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