[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 196 (Thursday, October 11, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57990-57991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20030]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2007-29244]


Notice of Technical Workshop and Demonstration--Wednesday, 
November 7, 2007

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

ACTION: Notice of technical workshop and demonstration.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that NHTSA will hold a compliance test 
program workshop to discuss and demonstrate the Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance (OVSC) Laboratory Test Procedure (TP) for the 
agency's safety standard for electronic stability control (ESC) 
systems. Vehicle manufacturers, tier-one ESC suppliers, ESC component 
manufacturers, and other interested persons with technical knowledge of 
ESC systems who wish to participate in the workshop are asked to pre-
register and are invited to submit related technical issues for 
discussion at the meeting. Attendance requires registration and is 
free.
    Dates and Times: The workshop and demonstration of the test 
procedure will be held on November 7, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (If 
a back-up day is required, due to inclement weather, the workshop will 
take place on November 8, 2007.)

ADDRESSES: The workshop and demonstration will be held at 
Transportation Research Center, Inc. (TRC) in East Liberty, Ohio. 
Directions to the meeting location and a final agenda will be sent to 
registered participants.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For registration, contact Ms. Maritza 
Marshall, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, NVS-220, National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Room W43-481, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 366-6017, facsimile 
(202) 366-7002, or electronic mail [email protected]. For 
technical issues, contact Mr. John Finneran, at the same address, 
telephone (202) 366-0645, facsimile (202) 366-7097, or electronic mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FMVSS No. 126: On April 6, 2007, NHTSA 
published a final rule establishing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard (FMVSS) No. 126, Electronic Stability Control Systems (72 FR 
17236). This final rule requires new passenger cars, multi-purpose 
passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses with a gross vehicle weight 
rating of 4,536 kg (10,000 pounds) or less, according to the phase-in 
schedule specified, to be equipped with an ESC system that meets the 
requirements of the standard. Specifically, a vehicle must be equipped 
with an ESC system that is capable of applying brake torques 
individually to all four wheels and has a control algorithm that 
utilizes this capability, is operational during all phases of driving 
including acceleration, coasting, and deceleration (including braking), 
except when the driver has disabled ESC, the vehicle speed is below 15 
km/h (9.3 mph), or the vehicle is being driven in reverse, and remains 
capable of activation even if the antilock brake system or traction 
control system is activated. Vehicles to which this standard applies 
must satisfy specific lateral stability and responsiveness performance 
requirements. Yaw rate thresholds are used to assess a vehicle's 
lateral stability. The yaw rate measured

[[Page 57991]]

one second after completion of a 0.7 Hz ``sine with dwell steering 
input'' maneuver must not exceed 35 percent of the first peak value of 
yaw rate recorded after the steering wheel angle changes sign (between 
first and second peaks) during the same test run, and the yaw rate 
measured 1.75 seconds after completion of the same maneuver must not 
exceed 20 percent of the first peak value of yaw rate recorded after 
the steering wheel angle changes sign (between first and second peaks). 
The lateral displacement is used to assess a vehicle's responsiveness. 
The lateral displacement of the vehicle center of gravity with respect 
to its initial straight path must be at least 1.83 m (6 feet) for 
vehicles with a GVWR of 3,500 kg (7,716 lb) or less, and 1.52 m (5 
feet) for vehicles with a GVWR greater than 3,500 kg (7,716 lb) when 
computed 1.07 seconds after the Beginning of Steer (BOS) at specified 
commanded steering wheel angles. The ESC system must also be capable of 
detecting and warning of system malfunctions. As reflected in the final 
rule, FMVSS No. 126 is a performance standard. Petitions for 
reconsideration of the final rule have been received and may be viewed 
on DOT Web site http://dms.dot.gov, or from the Federal Docket 
Management System (FMDS) at http://www.regulations.gov (reference 
docket number NHTSA-2007-27662). TP-126 is a test procedure applicable 
only to contractors employed by NHTSA to perform compliance tests on 
its behalf. The test procedure reflects FMVSS No. 126 but is not the 
standard itself or an interpretation of the standard. (See the purpose 
and application section of TP-126 for a more complete discussion of the 
nature of NHTSA's test procedures.)
    Workshop: To enable interested parties and NHTSA personnel to 
discuss the questions concerning TP-126, NHTSA believes that it would 
be desirable to hold a technical workshop and demonstration on the test 
procedure. The scope of this workshop is strictly limited to issues 
surrounding implementation of OVSC Laboratory Test Procedure TP-126, 
including subsequent amendments, if any, to the procedure resulting 
from the agency's response to petitions for reconsideration of the 
final rule. TP-126 is posted on the NHTSA Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov (under ``Test Procedures'' on the Vehicles and 
Equipment page).
    Agenda: The workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. on November 7, 2007 
and conclude by 5 p.m. (If a back-up day is required, due to inclement 
weather, the workshop will take place on November 8, 2007.) The agenda 
includes technical discussions about the execution of the compliance 
test, lunch (to be paid for by each participant), and a physical ESC 
test demonstration. The following is a preliminary agenda for the 
workshop.

I. Introduction
II. Background Information on the TRC Test Facility
III. FMVSS No. 126 Final Rule Highlights
IV. OVSC Test Procedure TP-126 Content
    A. Overview of Suggested Test Equipment and Instrumentation
    B. Test Preparation Requirements
    C. Test Execution
    D. Data Post Processing
V. Vehicle Manufacturer Test Specification Form
VI. Issues with Test Procedure TP-126
VII. Simulated and/or Physical Demonstration of ESC-Equipped Vehicle
VIII. Data Post Processing
IX. Questions & Answers

    Submission of Agenda Items: Written suggestions regarding technical 
issues to be included in the agenda should be submitted to the address 
below and must be received by the agency on or before October 17, 2007. 
You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number NHTSA 2007-
29244 by any of the following methods:
    a. By mail addressed to: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
    b. By hand delivery to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Section is open on 
weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Federal Holidays.
    c. Electronically: Until September 29, 2007, by logging onto the 
DOT Docket Management System Web site at http://dms.dot.gov; after 
September 28, 2007, by logging onto the Federal Docket Management 
System (FMDS) Web site at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments. For additional details concerning 
the docket system changes, please review the notice published in the 
Federal Register on September 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 184; pages 
54315-54317). Comments may also be faxed to 1-202-493-2251.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all submissions 
entered into any of our dockets in FDMS by the name of the individual 
submitting the document (or signing the document, if submitted on 
behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review 
DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published 
on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov, which will be available by October 1, 2007.
    To Register for This Workshop: Each person wishing to participate 
in the workshop must register with NHTSA by October 17, 2007. You can 
register by contacting Ms. Maritza Marshall on or before October 17, 
2007; her contact information is listed above. To register, you must 
provide NHTSA with your name, title, organizational affiliation and 
contact information (mailing address, phone numbers (voice and fax), 
and e-mail address). Due to space limitations, NHTSA may have to limit 
the number of participants per organization. Food options on site are 
limited. Participants may purchase lunch in cash upon check-in.
    You will be contacted only if this meeting is postponed or 
cancelled.

    Issued: October 3, 2007.
Claude H. Harris,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
 [FR Doc. E7-20030 Filed 10-10-07; 8:45 am]
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