[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9074-9075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3442]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2007-27371]


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Protection in 
Interior Impact; Review: 1999-2003 Head Impact Upgrade; 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 201, 
Occupant Protection in Interior Impact. The report's title is: HIC Test 
Results before and after the 1999-2003 Head Impact Upgrade of FMVSS 
201.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than June 28, 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 
(27371) 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-2007-27371-1) and a

[[Page 9075]]

copy of the report in PDF format (item NHTSA-2007-27371-2).
    Comments: You may submit comments [identified by DOT DMS Docket 
Number NHTSA-2007-27371] 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: Safety Standard 201 (49 CFR 571.201) was 
upgraded in 1995, with a 1998-2002 phase-in, to reduce occupants' risk 
of head injury from contact during crashes with a vehicle's upper 
interior, including its pillars, roof headers and side rails, and the 
upper roof (60 FR 43031). Initially, energy-absorbing materials alone 
were used to meet the standard; later, some vehicles were also equipped 
with head-protection air bags. NHTSA does not yet have enough crash 
data to evaluate the injury-reducing effectiveness of the energy-
absorbing materials. However, the agency has conducted 154 matched 
pairs of impact tests with free-motion headforms in pre- and post-
standard vehicles of 15 selected make-models. The Head Injury 
Criterion, HIC(d) averaged 909.9 in the 154 pre-standard tests and 
667.5 in the post-standard vehicles. This is a statistically 
significant average improvement of 242.4 units of HIC.

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-2007-27371) 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 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 (27371). 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. E7-3442 Filed 2-27-07; 8:45 am]
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