[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 214 (Friday, November 5, 2004)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64500-64501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24774]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 574

[Docket No. NHTSA-2004-19557]
RIN 2127-AH10


Tire Safety Information; Correction

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Final rule; correcting amendment.

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SUMMARY: On July 8, 1999, the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration (NHTSA) published in the Federal Register (64 FR 36807), 
a final rule amending the tire identification and recordkeeping 
regulation, which requires that each tire be labeled with a tire 
identification number (TIN). In amending the TIN requirements, we 
inadvertently removed a provision for tires of less than 13 inches bead 
diameter or those of less than 6 inches

[[Page 64501]]

cross section width. This document corrects this inadvertent removal.

DATES: Effective December 6, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. George Feygin, Office of Chief 
Counsel (Telephone: 202-366-2992) (Fax: 202-366-3820), 400 7th, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA's tire identification and 
recordkeeping regulation requires that new tire manufacturers and tire 
retreaders mark their tires with the TIN on at least one sidewall. The 
TIN consists of (a) the manufacturer's or retreader's identification 
code, (b) the tire size symbol, (c) optional tire type code, and (d) 
the date of the manufacture (date code). On July 8, 1999, NHTSA amended 
this regulation to require that the date code portion of the TIN 
consist of four digits, instead of the previously required three 
digits.\1\
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    \1\ See 64 FR 36807.
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    The change to the TIN requirements necessitated that the figure in 
the regulatory text depicting the TIN be revised. The old figure 
contained a footnote that allowed a smaller TIN size for tires of less 
than 6 inches cross section width and tires of less than 13 inches bead 
diameter.\2\ However, when the agency published the July 8, 1999, final 
rule, we inadvertently removed this footnote from the new figure.\3\ 
The inadvertent nature of this removal is apparent from the preamble to 
the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking preceding the July 8, 1999, final 
rule, and from the preamble to the final rule itself. In both 
documents, NHTSA reiterated that Sec.  574.5 permits tires of less than 
13 inches bead diameter or those of less than 6 inches cross section 
width to have the smaller TIN size.\4\ This error was brought to our 
attention by Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association and 
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.\5\
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    \2\ See 49 CFR 574.5 (1998).
    \3\ See 64 FR 36807 at 36813.
    \4\ See 63 FR 55832 at 55834 (October 19, 1998); see also 64 CFR 
36807 at 36810.
    \5\ See Docket Numbers NHTSA-2004-17917-8 and NHTSA-2004-17917-
9, at http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm.
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    We note that in a recent document, NHTSA indicated that the TIN 
size requirements, adopted for other tires subsequent to the July 8, 
1999, final rule, apply to tires of less than 13 inches bead diameter 
or those of less than 6 inches cross section width.\6\ That discussion, 
which was prepared before we recognized the error made in the July 8, 
1999, final rule, is inaccurate. The new TIN size requirements were not 
intended to apply to tires of less than 13 inches bead diameter or 
those of less than 6 inches cross section width.
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    \6\ See 69 FR 31306 at 31309 (June 3, 2004).
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    This notice corrects the CFR by adding the inadvertently removed 
footnote to 49 CFR 574.5. Instead of correcting the figure, the agency 
is adding the contents of the missing footnote to the regulatory text 
after Section (d).
    This correction will not impose or relax any substantive 
requirements or burdens on manufacturers. Therefore, NHTSA finds for 
good cause that any notice and opportunity for comment on these 
correcting amendments are not necessary.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 574

    Labeling, Motor vehicle safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Tires.

0
49 CFR part 574 is corrected by making the following correcting 
amendment:

PART 574--[CORRECTED]

0
1. The authority citation continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117, 30166; delegation 
of authority at CFR 1.50.

0
2. Add new paragraph (e) to Sec.  574.5 to read as follows:


Sec.  574.5  Tire identification requirements.

* * * * *
    (e) Tire identification number height. Notwithstanding Figures 1 
and 2, each character in the tire identification number on tires with 
less than 6 inches in cross section width or tires with less than 13 
inches bead diameter may be any size of 5/32 inches (4 mm) or greater.

    Issued: November 2, 2004.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 04-24774 Filed 11-4-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P