[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31914-31915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12499]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2008-0106]


NHTSA's Activities Under the United Nations Economic Commission 
for Europe 1998 Global Agreement; Electronic Stability Control

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NHTSA is issuing this notice to publish the schedule of 
upcoming meetings of WP.29 and its working parties of experts for the 
remainder of calendar year and to inform the public that a vote to 
establish a Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on Electronic Stability 
Control is planned for the June 2008 session of the World Forum for 
Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29). In anticipation of this, 
NHTSA is requesting comment to inform its decision for the vote.

DATES: Written comments may be submitted to this agency by June 20, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by DOT Docket No. NHTSA-
2008-0106] by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Telephone: 1-800-647-
5527.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number for this proposed collection of information. Note that 
all comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. 
Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, 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://DocketInfo.dot.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the street 
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the 
dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ezana Wondimneh, Division Chief, 
International Policy and Harmonization (NVS-133), National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, 
DC 20590; phone (202) 366-0846, fax (202) 493-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. List of Meetings of WP.29 and Its Working Parties of Experts
II. Electronic Stability Control

I. List of Meetings of WP.29 and Its Working Parties of Experts

    The following lists meetings of WP.29 and its subsidiary working 
parties of experts for vehicle safety for the remainder of calendar 
year 2008. In addition to the below meetings, working parties of 
experts may schedule, if necessary, informal sessions outside their 
regular schedule in order to address technical matters specific to GTRs 
under consideration. The formation and timing of these groups are 
recommended by the sponsor and chair of the group and are approved by 
WP.29 and AC.3. The schedule and place of meetings are made available 
to interested parties in proposals and periodic reports which are 
posted on the Web site of WP.29. Note that this schedule supersedes the 
one published in the last Federal Register notice (71 FR 59582).

2008 Schedule of Meetings of WP.29 and Its Working Parties of Experts

June
    23--Administrative Committee for the Coordination of Work (WP.29/
AC.2) (97th session).
    24-27--World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) 
(145th session) and Administrative Committee of the 1958 Agreement 
(AC.1) (39th session) and Executive Committee of the 1998 Global 
Agreement (AC.3) (23rd session).
September
    16-19--Working Party on Brakes and Running Gear (GRRF) (64th 
session).
    29-Oct 1--Working Party on Lighting and Light Signaling (GRE) (60th 
session).
October
    21-24--Working Party on General Safety Provisions (GRSG) (95th 
session).
November
    10--Administrative Committee for the Coordination of Work (WP.2/
AC.2) (98th session).
    11-14--World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) 
(146th session); Administrative Committee of the 1958 Agreement (AC.1) 
(40th session); Executive Committee of the 1998 Global Agreement (AC.3) 
(24th session).
December
    10-12--Working Party on Passive Safety (GRSP) (44th session).

II. Electronic Stability Control

    In early 2007, the United States proposed the development of a 
Global Technical Regulation (GTR) under the 1998 Agreement for 
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems. The proposal noted that 
studies from around the world indicate that ESC systems are very 
effective in reducing single-vehicle crashes involving light vehicles 
(such as passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, pickup trucks 
and mini buses weighing 4,536 kg or less). As an example, a study of 
ESC systems in the U.S. indicated that ESC systems could potentially 
reduce single-vehicle crashes of passenger cars by 34 per cent and 
single vehicle crashes of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) by 59 percent.

[[Page 31915]]

The proposal was accepted by the Executive Committee (AC.3) of the 1998 
Global Agreement and was assigned to the Group of Experts for Brakes 
and Running Gear (GRRF) for technical development under the sponsorship 
of the U.S. and the European Commission.
    The GRRF, through its regular sessions and several informal working 
group meetings chaired by the U.S and the European Commission, worked 
over the past year to prepare the draft regulation and has forwarded it 
to the AC.3 for establishment through consensus voting by the 
Contracting Parties to the 1998 Global Agreement. The draft GTR can be 
found in the docket for this notice (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2008/69). Noting 
that the performance, equipment, and other requirements of the GTR are 
based on the U.S. final rule (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 
126), NHTSA is requesting comment on the draft document to inform its 
decision for the vote, which is scheduled for the June 2008 session of 
WP.29. It is expected that if the regulation is established and 
subsequently adopted by the Contracting Parties, the potential benefits 
that have been calculated for the U.S. market may very well be 
duplicated in many other countries and jurisdictions worldwide.
    Publication of this information is in accordance with the NHTSA 
Statement of Policy regarding Agency Policy Goals and Public 
Participation in the Implementation of the 1998 Global Agreement on 
Global Technical Regulations.

    Issued on: May 30, 2008.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. E8-12499 Filed 6-3-08; 8:45 am]
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