[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 21, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35558-35560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9582]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Parts 571, 575, and 582

[Docket No. NHTSA-2005-21564; Notice 2]


Vehicle Safety Hotline; Child Restraint Systems; Technical 
Amendment

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

ACTION: Technical amendment.

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SUMMARY: On June 21, 2005, NHTSA published a final rule that made 
technical amendments to several regulations that reference NHTSA's 
Vehicle Safety Hotline telephone number. The rule updated the Hotline 
telephone number and added our Web address to the information that 
NHTSA requires manufacturers and dealers to provide consumers. The 
effective date for those amendments to Part 571, Federal motor vehicle 
safety standards, Part 575, Consumer information; and Part 582, 
Insurance cost information regulation, is June 21, 2006. This document 
withdraws the June 21, 2005 amendments to part 571, in response to a 
request from General Motors and other motor vehicle manufacturers to 
have the effective date coincide with the traditional September 1 
vehicle model year changeover date, this document changes the effective 
date of the amendments to September 1, 2006.

DATES: This rule withdraws the amendments published at 70 FR 35556, 
June 21, 2005 to part 571. This rule delays the effective date of 
amendments to 49 CFR parts 575 and 582 published on June 21, 2005 from 
June 21, 2006 until September 1, 2006. The amendments to Sec.  571.213 
in this document are effective September 1, 2006. Voluntary compliance 
is permitted before that time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deirdre Fujita, NHTSA Office of Chief 
Counsel, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590 (telephone 202-
366-2992; fax 202-366-3820).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In several regulations, NHTSA specifies that 
vehicle manufacturers, child restraint manufacturers or automobile 
dealers must provide the telephone number for our Vehicle Safety 
Hotline so that consumers concerned about safety recalls or potential 
defects could contact this agency. Because that telephone number has 
been updated to a toll-free number that can be used nationwide and to 
include a TTY number, on June 21, 2005, NHTSA amended the relevant 
sections of the CFR to use the new telephone number and to add our Web 
address so that consumers can access safety recall and defect 
information online (70 FR 35556; Docket 21564). We also updated text in 
the Part 582 (``Insurance Cost Information Regulation'') information 
form to reflect that our current New Car Assessment Program has 
information on side crash protection and relative rollover resistance. 
The effective date of the amended requirements pertaining to Parts 571, 
575 and 582 was June 21, 2006.\1\
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    \1\ The final rule also made similar changes to Part 577, 
``Defect and Noncompliance Notification,'' section 577.5(g)(1)(vii). 
That section requires manufacturers to provide the agency's address 
and telephone number in notifications to the public of recall 
campaigns. Because that change could be made effective immediately 
without imposing any substantive burdens, the effective date for 
that change was July 21, 2005. Today's document does not affect the 
effective date for that Part 577 amendment.
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Vehicle Model Year Changeover

    We received a request from General Motors (GM) asking that we 
change the effective date for certain aspects of the final rule, from 
June 21, 2006 to September 1, 2006 to coincide with traditional vehicle 
model year changeover (NHTSA-21564-2). Part 575 requires vehicle 
manufacturers to provide to first purchasers, among other things, 
information in the owner's manual on how they may contact NHTSA with 
concerns about potential safety-related defects (49 CFR 
575.6(a)(2)).\2\ GM explained that the vast majority of the owner's 
manuals would be printed with the information by June 21, 2006, but 
that there are certain low-volume vehicles that have owner's manuals 
that are printed in a single

[[Page 35559]]

edition for which the entire quantity has already been printed. In 
addition, the petitioner stated, even for vehicles whose owners' 
manuals are typically printed in two editions during a model year, 
there might not be a second edition if original volume productions are 
not met. GM was concerned about the burden associated with producing 
and installing owner's manual supplements in 2006 model year vehicles 
produced after June 21, 2006 that have owner's manuals printed before 
that date. GM believed that our changing the effective date to 
September 1, 2006, while continuing to allow early compliance with the 
final rule, would eliminate the burden without adversely affecting the 
public's ability to contact the agency. The Alliance of Automobile 
Manufacturers (Alliance) filed a letter supporting GM's petition 
(NHTSA-21564-3). The Alliance urged NHTSA to allow manufacturers the 72 
additional days to meet the amended requirements of Part 575.
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    \2\ If there is no owner's manual, the information is to be 
provided on a one-page document.
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    We have examined the issues raised in the petition and have decided 
to delay the effective date of the technical amendments to parts 575 
and 582 until September 1, 2006. We agree with the petitioner that a 
September 1, 2006 effective date will not adversely affect the public's 
ability to contact the agency. The vast majority of vehicles will have 
had their owner's manuals updated with the telephone numbers by this 
June 21, and this delay will only affect a number of smaller vehicle 
lines. Further, the former Auto Safety Hotline number (1-800-424-9393) 
can still be used to contact the agency. Child restraint manufacturers 
and automobile dealers will also be provided until September 1, 2006 to 
reference the updated telephone number and agency web address in the 
materials they produce. For those that use the September 1 traditional 
vehicle model year changeover date to revise their materials, this 
amendment provides flexibility in meeting the requirements.
    The amendment was not intended to impose or relax any substantive 
requirements or burdens on anyone. Not using a September 1, 2006, 
effective date to coincide with the traditional vehicle model year 
changeover was an oversight of the June 21, 2005 final rule which 
today's technical amendment corrects.

Child Restraint Labeling

    This document also makes a technical amendment to the regulatory 
text of the June 21, 2005 final rule pertaining to Federal Motor 
Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213, ``Child restraint systems.'' 
The regulatory text of the June 21, 2005 is amended to reflect labeling 
and other changes to FMVSS No. 213 adopted by a September 9, 2005 final 
rule that permitted information regarding online product registration 
to be included in child restraint product information, including child 
restraint labels and owner registration forms (70 FR 53569; Docket 
22324). This technical amendment makes consistent the regulatory texts 
of the June 21, 2005 and September 2, 2005 final rules amending FMVSS 
No. 213.\3\
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    \3\ The September 2, 2005 final rule noted that the June 21, 
2005 final rule had changed the Hotline number required to be 
included on the labels of child restraints and in printed 
instructions (70 FR at 53573).
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List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 571

    Motor vehicle safety, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Tires.

PART 571--FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS

0
In consideration of the foregoing, NHTSA is withdrawing the amendments 
to part 571 published at 70 FR 35556, June 21, 2005. The effective date 
of the amendments published at 70 FR 35556, June 21, 2005 to parts 575 
and 582 is delayed until September 1, 2006. In further consideration of 
the foregoing NHTSA is amending 49 CFR part 571 as follows:
0
1. The authority citation for Part 571 continues to read as follows:

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

0
2. Section 571.213 is amended to revise paragraph (m) of S5.5.2, S5.5.5 
(k), S5.6.1.7, and S5.6.2.2 to read as follows:


Sec.  571.213  Standard No. 213; Child restraint systems.

* * * * *
    S5.5.2 * * *
    (m) One of the following statements, inserting an address and a 
U.S. telephone number. If a manufacturer opts to provide a Web site on 
the registration card as permitted in Figure 9a of this section, the 
manufacturer must include the statement in part (ii):
    (i) ``Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You 
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, 
address, e-mail address if available (preceding four words are 
optional) and the restraint's model number and manufacturing date to 
(insert address) or call (insert a U.S. telephone number). For recall 
information, call the U.S. Government's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-
888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.''
    (ii) ``Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You 
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, 
address, e-mail address if available [preceding four words are 
optional], and the restraint's model number and manufacturing date to 
(insert address) or call (insert a U.S. telephone number) or register 
online at (insert Web site for electronic registration form). For 
recall information, call the U.S. Government's Vehicle Safety Hotline 
at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.''
* * * * *
    S5.5.5 * * *
    (k) One of the following statements, inserting an address and a 
U.S. telephone number. If a manufacturer opts to provide a Web site on 
the registration card as permitted in Figure 9a of this section, the 
manufacturer must include the statement in part (ii):
    (i) ``Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You 
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, 
address, e-mail address if available (preceding four words are 
optional), and the restraint's model number and manufacturing date to 
(insert address) or call (insert a U.S. telephone number). For recall 
information, call the U.S. Government's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-
888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.''
    (ii) ``Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You 
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, 
address, e-mail address if available (preceding four words are 
optional), and the restraint's model number and manufacturing date to 
(insert address) or call (insert telephone number) or register online 
at (insert Web site for electronic registration form). For recall 
information, call the U.S. Government's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-
888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.''
* * * * *
    S5.6.1.7 One of the following statements, inserting an address and 
a U.S. telephone number. If a manufacturer opts to provide a Web site 
on the registration card as permitted in Figure 9a of this section, the 
manufacturer must include the statement in part (ii):
    (i) ``Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You 
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, 
address, e-mail address if available (preceding four words are 
optional), and the restraint's model

[[Page 35560]]

number and manufacturing date to (insert address) or call (insert a 
U.S. telephone number). For recall information, call the U.S. 
Government's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-
9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.''
    (ii) ``Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You 
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, 
address, e-mail address if available (preceding four words are 
optional), and the restraint's model number and manufacturing date to 
(insert address) or call (insert telephone number) or register online 
at (insert Web site for electronic registration form). For recall 
information, call the U.S. Government's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-
888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.''
* * * * *
    S5.6.2.2 The instructions for each built-in child restraint system 
other than a factory-installed restraint, shall include one of the 
following statements, inserting an address and a U.S. telephone number. 
If a manufacturer opts to provide a Web site on the registration card 
as permitted in Figure 9a of this section, the manufacturer must 
include the statement in part (ii):
    (i) ``Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You 
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, 
address, e-mail address if available (preceding four words are 
optional), and the restraint's model number and manufacturing date to 
(insert address) or call (insert a U.S. telephone number). For recall 
information, call the U.S. Government's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-
888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.''
    (ii) ``Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You 
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, 
address, e-mail address if available (preceding four words are 
optional), and the restraint's model number and manufacturing date to 
(insert address) or call (insert U.S. telephone number) or register 
online at (insert Web site for electronic registration form). For 
recall information, call the U.S. Government's Vehicle Safety Hotline 
at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.''
* * * * *

    Issued: June 13, 2006.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. E6-9582 Filed 6-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P