[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45370-45372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17270]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket Number NHTSA-04-18654]


Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping 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

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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 September 27, 2004.

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 by any of 
the following methods.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Agency Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on the Docket Management System.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
     Mail: Dockets, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Plaza Level Room 401 (PL 
401), of Nassif Building, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590. Telephone: 1-800-647-5527.
    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 P.L. Moore, 
NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room  5320, NVS 
131,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;
    (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 part 575, 104; Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standard.
    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: The collection of this 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 grade: (1) The grades are molded into the 
sidewall of the tire so that they can be reviewed on both the new tire 
and the old tire that is being replaced; (2) a paper label is affixed 
to the tread face of the new tire that provides the grade 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 Web site.
    Estimated Annual Burden: NHTSA estimates that a total of 72,500 
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 cost to the manufacturers is $1,305,000.00 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, driven 7,200 miles each, consisting of four 
vehicles and four drivers, 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 the 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 to cover 
salary and overhead of 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 Part 571.109 
that is required for safety certification. The additional cost for 
UTQGS temperature testing is minimal. Thus the total estimated cost for 
UTQGS 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 approximately $4 million on the tire manufacturers.
    Estimated Annual Burden to the Government: The annual estimated 
cost of reviewing, storing and displaying the information 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 cost 
about $5,000 per year. The total cost to the Government runs about 
$7,500 per year.
    Number of Respondents: There are approximately 130 individual tire 
brands sold in the United States. The actual number of respondents is 
much less than 130 due to company acquisitions, mergers, and in most 
cases, the manufacturer will report for the various individual brand 
names that they produce tires for. The actual number of respondents is 
about 80 individual responses.
    Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of

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automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

    Issued on: July 26, 2004.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 04-17270 Filed 7-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P