[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 174 (Monday, September 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57270-57271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22799]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA 2002-13272]


Defect and Noncompliance Reports, Part 573; Agency Information 
Collection Activity Under OMB Review

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

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). This document describes a renewal of a collection of 
information for 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Reports, 
currently assigned the OMB control number 2127-0004, for which NHTSA 
intends to seek OMB approval.
    Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), before an agency 
submits a proposed collection of information to OMB for approval, it 
must 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. 
OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must be included in 
such a document.
    Pursuant to OMB's regulations (at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)), public comments 
are invited 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;
    (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.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 8, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket and notice numbers cited 
at the beginning of this notice and must be submitted to Docket 
Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. 
The Docket is open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. George Person, Office of Defects 
Investigation, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 5326, Washington, 
DC 20590. Mr. Person's telephone number is (202) 366-5210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Reports.
    Type of Request: Renewal.
    OMB Clearance Number: 2127-0004.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from effective 
date of final rule.
    Summary of Collection of Information: NHTSA's statute at 49 U.S.C. 
30112 and 30116 through 30121 requires manufacturers of motor vehicles 
and motor vehicle equipment to recall and remedy their products that do 
not comply with applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards or 
that contain a defect related to motor vehicle safety. The manufacturer 
must notify NHTSA, owners, purchasers, and dealers of such defects and 
noncompliances. Additionally, the manufacturer must furnish NHTSA with 
a true copy of all notices, bulletins, and other communications to the 
manufacturer's dealers, owners and purchasers regarding any defect or 
noncompliance in the manufacturer's vehicle or item of equipment.
    To implement this authority, in 1978 NHTSA promulgated 49 CFR part 
573, Defect and Noncompliance Reports, (with amendments through 2002). 
This regulation sets out the following requirements, among others:
    (1) Manufacturers are to provide specific information in reports 
that must be filed with NHTSA within five working days of a decision 
that a safety-related defect or noncompliance exists;
    (2) Manufacturers are to submit quarterly reports to NHTSA on the 
progress of recall campaigns for six consecutive calendar quarters 
beginning with the quarter in which the campaign was initiated;
    (3) Manufacturers are to furnish copies to NHTSA of notices, 
bulletins, and other communications to dealers, owners, or purchasers 
regarding any defect or noncompliance; and
    (4) Manufacturers are to retain records of owners or purchasers of 
their products that have been involved in a recall campaign.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information: NHTSA needs this information to ensure that manufacturers 
are remedying safety-related defects and noncompliances in their 
products. Additionally, NHTSA makes this information available to the 
public. If the manufacturers did not provide the information, it would 
be a violation of law which could subject the manufacturer to a civil 
penalty and possible injunctive sanctions, and NHTSA's efforts to 
monitor the effectiveness of recall campaigns, as part of its overall 
mission of improving public safety on the Nation's highways, would be 
substantially impaired.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number 
and Proposed Frequency of Responses to the Collection of Information): 
All manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment are 
required to comply with these requirements whenever they conduct a 
recall. There have been approximately 500 such reports provided to 
NHTSA annually in recent years. Although fewer than 250 manufacturers 
submit such reports in any given year, there are approximately

[[Page 57271]]

26,000 manufacturers of vehicles and equipment that could possibly be 
affected by this requirement. Additionally, all manufacturers must 
maintain records of the names and addresses of the owners of the 
products affected by their recalls.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden of 
the Collection of Information in the NPRM: We estimate that providing a 
notification letter to NHTSA would require 4 hours, each of the 6 
quarterly reports would require 4 hours (for a total of 24 hours), 
providing copies of the other documents would require 1 hour, and 
maintenance of the list of owners would require 8 hours. The reporting 
and recordkeeping burden for each recall is therefore estimated to be 
4+24+1+8 or 37 hours. The total annual burden is therefore estimated to 
be 37 x 500 or 17,500 hours.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Costs of the Collection of Information 
in the NPRM: The total annual cost of this information collection is 
estimated to be $525,000 assuming an average burdened wage rate of $30 
per hour.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c); delegation of authority at 49 CFR 
1.50.

Kenneth N. Weinstein,
Associate Administrator for Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 02-22799 Filed 9-6-02; 8:45 am]
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