[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70833-70834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20611]


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NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. NHTSA-2006-26486]
RIN 2127-AH13


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Crash 
Protection; Review: Redesigned Air Bags; Evaluation Report

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

ACTION: Request for comments on technical report.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces NHTSA's publication of a Technical 
Report reviewing and evaluating its existing Safety Standard 208, 
Occupant Crash Protection. The report's title is: An Evaluation of the 
1998-1999 Redesign of Frontal Air Bags.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than April 5, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Report: The report is available for viewing on line in PDF 
format at the Docket Management System (DMS) Web page of the Department 
of Transportation, http://dms.dot.gov. Click on ``Simple Search''; type 
in the five-digit Docket number shown at the beginning of this Notice 
(26486) and click on ``Search''; that brings up a list of every item in 
the docket, starting with a copy of this Federal Register notice (item 
NHTSA-2006-26486-1) and a copy of the report in PDF format (item NHTSA-
2006-26486-2).
    Comments: You may submit comments [identified by DOT DMS Docket 
Number NHTSA-2006-26486] by any of the following methods:
     Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-001.
     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.
    You may call Docket Management at 202-366-9324 and visit the Docket 
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Kahane, Chief, Evaluation 
Division, NPO-131, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room 5208, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-2560. Fax: 202-
366-2559. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The first generation of frontal air bags 
saved the lives of thousands of drivers and adult or teenage right-
front passengers. But they harmed occupants positioned close to the air 
bag at the time of deployment, especially infants and children. In 
1998-1999, air bags were redesigned by depowering--by removing some of 
the gas-generating propellant or stored gas from their inflators--and/
or by reducing the volume or rearward extent of air bags, positioning 
them further from occupants, tethering and hybrid inflators. NHTSA 
facilitated the redesign by a 1997 amendment to Safety Standard 208 (49 
CFR 571.208) that permits ``sled certification'': a sled test in lieu 
of a barrier impact to certify that air bags would protect an 
unrestrained occupant (62 FR 12960). Statistical analyses of crash data 
through 2004 from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and 
the Special Crash Investigations (SCI) compare fatality risk with sled-
certified and first-generation air bags.
    The overall fatality risk in frontal crashes of 0-12 year-old child 
passengers in the front seat is a statistically significant 45 percent 
lower with sled-certified air bags than with first-generation air bags; 
fatalities caused by air bags in low-speed crashes were reduced by 83 
percent.
    The overall fatality risk of drivers and of right-front passengers 
age 13 and older in frontal crashes is not significantly different with 
sled-certified air bags than with first-generation air bags; sled-
certified air bags preserved the life-saving benefits of first-
generation air bags.

How Can I Influence NHTSA's Thinking on This Subject?

    NHTSA welcomes public review of the technical report and invites 
reviewers to submit comments about the data and the statistical methods 
used in the analyses. NHTSA will submit to the Docket a response to the 
comments and, if appropriate, additional analyses that supplement or 
revise the technical report.

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 (NHTSA-2006-26486) in your comments.
    Your primary comments must not be more than 15 pages long (49 CFR 
553.21). However, you may attach additional documents to your primary 
comments. There is no limit on the length of the attachments.
    Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management, 
submit them electronically, or fax them. 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 Dockets Management System Web site at 
http://dms.dot.gov and click on ``Help'' to obtain instructions. The 
fax number is 1-202-493-2251.
    We also request, but do not require you to send a copy to Charles 
Kahane, Evaluation Division, NPO-131, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590 (alternatively, fax to 202-366-2559 or e-mail to 
[email protected]). He can check if your comments have been 
received at the Docket and he can expedite their review by NHTSA.

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

[[Page 70834]]

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, or submit them 
electronically.

Will the Agency Consider Late Comments?

    In our response, we 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:
    A. Go to the Docket Management System (DMS) Web page of the 
Department of Transportation (http://dms.dot.gov).
    B. On that page, click on ``Simple Search.''
    C. On the next page (http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm/) type in the five-digit Docket number shown at 
the beginning of this Notice (26486). Click on ``Search.''
    D. 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.

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

James F. Simons,
Director, Office of Regulatory Analysis and Evaluation.
 [FR Doc. E6-20611 Filed 12-5-06; 8:45 am]
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