[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 36534-36535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15239]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Vehicle Compatibility, Docket No. NHTSA-2003-14623; Rollover 
Mitigation, Docket No. NHTSA-2003-14622]


Vehicle Compatibility and Rollover Mitigation Integrated Project 
Team (IPT) Plans

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of documents.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of NHTSA's first two of 
four high priority safety reports describing the agency's current and 
planned activities to address vehicle compatibility and rollover 
mitigation. The reports are available from the Docket Management 
System, U.S. Department of Transportation, at http://dms.dot.gov or on 
NHTSA's Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/iptreports.html. 
While the documents are final, the agency is offering the public the 
opportunity to comment on the agency's planned activities. The comments 
will be considered for future agency efforts.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than August 4, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Vehicle Compatibility 
DOT DMS Docket Number [NHTSA-2003-14623] and/or Rollover Mitigation DOT 
DMS Docket Number [NHTSA-2003-14622] by any of the following methods:
    [sbull] Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
    [sbull] Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    [sbull] Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-001.
    [sbull] Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the Nassif 
Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. Note that all comments received will be posted without 
change to http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal information 
provided.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL-
401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    Vehicle Compatibility--Roger A. Saul, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, Room 5307, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20590, Telephone: 202-366-1740, or Dee Y. Williams, National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-0498.
    Rollover Mitigation--Jim Simons, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590, Telephone: 202-366-2555, or Dee Y. Williams, National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-0498.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Vehicle Compatibility

    Since the 1970s, vehicle compatibility has been a concern to NHTSA. 
Recent sales and registrations of LTVs have steadily increased as a 
percentage of the passenger vehicle fleet, with LTVs representing 50 
percent of new vehicle sales in 2001 and 37 percent of vehicle 
registrations. Consequently, this has led to an increased number of 
fatalities to car occupants who are struck by LTVs. This increase in 
passenger car fatalities has occurred even while the overall fatalities 
for the U.S. fleet has stabilized or decreased over the past several 
years. Therefore, NHTSA has made vehicle compatibility one of the 
agency's highest priorities. Initiatives the agency plans to pursue in 
improving vehicle compatibility include:

1.Vehicle Strategies
    a. Partner Protection
    b. Self Protection
    c. Lighting/Glare

[[Page 36535]]

    d. Reform CAFE
2. Roadway Strategies
    a. Improve Structural Engagement with Roadside Hardware
    b. Increase Awareness
3. Behavioral Strategies
    a. Consumer Information Program

Vehicle Rollover

    Vehicle rollover is also a great concern to NHTSA. Many factors 
contribute to the occurrence of rollover crashes. Rollover crashes 
closely correlate with unsafe and reckless driving behaviors, poor road 
design and vehicle type. Certain categories of vehicles, such as sport 
utility vehicles and small pickup trucks, are more prone to rollover 
than other classes of light motor vehicles. In recognition of the 
increasing rollover problem, NHTSA has also made finding solutions one 
of the agency's highest priorities. Initiatives the agency plans to 
pursue in reducing deaths and injuries attributable to rollover crashes 
include:

1.Vehicle Strategies
a. Handling and Stability
    b. Reform CAFE
    c. Ejection Mitigation
    d. Roof Crush
2. Roadway and Roadside Improvements
3. Consumer Information Program
4. Rollover Causation Study

    NHTSA believes the initiatives described in these two IPT reports 
will lead to both near-term and longer-term solutions to improve 
vehicle compatibility in the fleet and reduce crashes attributable to 
rollover.
    NHTSA has also assembled IPTs to address two other highway safety 
programs of high interest: safety belt use and impaired driving. For 
each of these programs, the agency will issue final IPT reports and 
provide the public with the same opportunity to comment on the planned 
agency activities. Similar to the reports on vehicle compatibility and 
rollover mitigation, the documents will be final and comments received 
will be evaluated and incorporated, as appropriate into future agency 
efforts. Each of these documents can be found at future dates on 
NHTSA's Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/iptreports.html and 
also on DOT's docket management system (DMS) at http://dms.dot.gov/. 
The docket numbers for each of the respective reports will be as 
follows:

[shabox1] Safety Belt Use NHTSA-2003-14620; and
[shabox1] Impaired Driving NHTSA-2003-14621.

    Each document will describe the safety problem and provide 
strategies the agency plans to pursue in increasing safety belt use and 
reducing impaired driving.

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 (Vehicle Compatibility, NHTSA-2003-14623; 
Rollover Mitigation, NHTSA-2003-14622) 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 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, NHTSA 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:
    [sbull] Go to the Docket Management System (DMS) Web page of the 
Department of Transportation (http://dms.dot.gov).
    [sbull] On that page, click on ``search.''
    [sbull] On the next page ((http://dms.dot.gov/search/) type in the 
five-digit Docket number shown at the beginning of this document 
(Vehicle Compatibility -14623; Rollover Mitigation--14622). Click on 
``search.''
    [sbull] 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.

    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30117, 30168; delegation of 
authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

    Issued on: June 12, 2003.
Rose A. McMurray,
Associate Administrator for Planning, Evaluation & Budget.
[FR Doc. 03-15239 Filed 6-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P