[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 213 (Monday, November 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65444-65446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26096]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2008-0164]


Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of 
information.

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SUMMARY: This notice solicits public comments on continuation of the 
requirements for the collection of information on safety standards. 
Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the 
public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit 
public comment on proposed collections of information, including 
extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections.
    This document describes a collection of information on eight 
Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSSs) and one regulation, for 
which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval. The information collection 
pertains to requirements that specify certain safety precautions 
regarding items of motor vehicle equipment must appear in the vehicle 
owner's manual.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 2, 2009.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the docket number identified in 
the heading of this document 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, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern 
Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    You may call the Docket Management Facility at 202-366-9826.
    Regardless of how you submit your comments, you should mention the 
docket number of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Complete copies of each request for 
collection of information may be obtained at no charge from Ms. Lori 
Summers, NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W43-314, NVS-112, 
Washington, DC 20590.
    Ms. Lori Summers telephone number is (202) 366-1740. Please 
identify the relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB 
Control Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB 
for approval, it must first publish a document in the Federal Register 
providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of 
the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of 
information. The OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must 
be included in such a document. Under OMB's regulation (at 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:
    (i) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    (iv) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks for public 
comments on the following proposed collections of information:
    (1) Title: Consolidated Vehicle Owner's Manual Requirements for 
Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0541.

[[Page 65445]]

    Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard form.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from the 
approval date.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals, households, business, other for-
profit, not-for-profit, farms, Federal Government and state, local or 
tribal government.
    Abstract: 49 U.S.C. 30111 authorizes the issuance of Federal motor 
vehicle safety standards (FMVSSs) and regulations. The agency, in 
prescribing a FMVSS or regulation, considers available relevant motor 
vehicle safety data, and consults with other agencies, as it deems 
appropriate. Further, the statute mandates that in issuing any FMVSS or 
regulation, the agency considers whether the standard or regulation is 
``reasonable, practicable and appropriate for the particular type of 
motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment for which it is 
prescribed,'' and whether such a standard will contribute to carrying 
out the purpose of the Act. The Secretary is authorized to invoke such 
rules and regulations as deemed necessary to carry out these 
requirements. Using this authority, the agency issued the following 
FMVSS and regulations, specifying that certain safety precautions 
regarding items of motor vehicle equipment appear in the vehicle 
owner's manual to aid the agency in achieving many of its safety goals: 
FMVSS No. 108, ``Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment,'' 
FMVSS No. 110, ``Tire selection and rims,'' FMVSS No. 138, ``Tire 
pressure monitoring systems,'' FMVSS No. 202, ``Head restraints,'' 
FMVSS No. 205, ``Glazing materials,'' FMVSS No. 208, ``Occupant crash 
protection,'' FMVSS No. 210, ``Seat belt assembly anchorages,'' FMVSS 
No. 213, ``Child restraint systems,'' Part 575 Section 103, ``Camper 
loading,'' and Part 575 Section 105, ``Utility vehicles.'' This notice 
requests comments on the information collections of these FMVSSs and 
regulations.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use of the 
information: In order to ensure that manufacturers are complying with 
the FMVSS and regulations, NHTSA requires a number of information 
collections in FMVSS Nos. 108, 110, 138, 202, 205, 208, 210, and 213, 
and Part 575 Sections 103 and 105. FMVSS No. 108, ``Lamps, reflective 
devices, and associated equipment.'' This standard requires that 
certain lamps and reflective devices with certain performance levels be 
installed on motor vehicles to assure that the roadway is properly 
illuminated, that vehicles can be readily seen, and the signals can be 
transmitted to other drivers sharing the road, during day, night and 
inclement weather. Since the specific manner in which headlamp aim is 
to be performed is not regulated (only the performance of the device 
is), aiming devices manufactured or installed by different vehicle and 
headlamp manufacturers may work in significantly different ways. As a 
consequence, to assure that headlamps can be correctly aimed, 
instructions for proper use must be part of the vehicle as a label, or 
optionally, in the vehicle owner's manual.
    FMVSS No. 110, ``Tire selection and rims.'' This standard specifies 
requirements for tire selection to prevent tire overloading. The 
vehicle's normal load and maximum load on the tire shall not be greater 
than applicable specified limits. The standard requires a permanently 
affixed vehicle placard specifying vehicle capacity weight, designated 
seating capacity, manufacturer-recommended cold tire inflation 
pressure, and manufacturer's recommended tire size. The standard 
further specifies rim construction requirements, load limits of non-
pneumatic spare tires, and labeling requirements for non-pneumatic 
spare tires, including a required placard. Owner's manual information 
is required for ``Use of Spare Tire.'' FMVSS No. 110 will require 
additional owner's manual information on the revised vehicle placard 
and tire information label, on revised tire labeling, and on tire 
safety and load limits and terminology.
    FMVSS No. 138, ``Tire pressure monitoring systems,'' specifies 
requirements for a tire pressure monitoring system to warn the driver 
of an under-inflated tire condition. Its purpose is to reduce the 
likelihood of a vehicle crash resulting from tire failure due to 
operation in an under-inflated condition. The standard requires the 
Owner's Manual to include specific information on the low pressure 
warning telltale and the malfunction indicator telltale. In a final 
rule published April 8, 2005, most vehicles with a gross vehicle weight 
rating of 4,536 kg or less (e.g., excluding motorcycles) were required 
to be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system by September 1, 
2008 and include related safety information in the Owner's Manual.
    FMVSS No. 202, ``Head restraints.'' This standard specifies 
requirements for head restraints. The standard, which seeks to reduce 
whiplash injuries in rear collisions, currently requires head 
restraints for front outboard designated seating positions in passenger 
cars and in light multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and buses. In 
a final rule published on May 4, 2007 (69 FR 74880), FMVSS No. 202 will 
require that vehicle manufacturers include information about 
appropriate adjustment of front outboard seat head restraints in 
Owner's Manuals for 80 percent of vehicles manufactured on or after 
September 1, 2009 and of front outboard seats of all vehicles 
manufactured on or after September 1, 2010. The final rule will require 
that vehicle manufacturers include information about appropriate 
adjustment of optionally provided rear outboard seat head restraints in 
Owner's Manuals for 80 percent of vehicles manufactured with rear head 
restraints after September 1, 2010 and all vehicles with optionally 
provided rear outboard head restraints manufactured on or after 
September 1, 2011.
    FMVSS No. 205, ``Glazing materials.'' This standard specifies 
requirements for all glazing materials used in windshields, windows, 
and interior partitions of motor vehicles. Its purpose is to reduce the 
likelihood of lacerations and to minimize the possibility of occupants 
penetrating the windshield in a crash. More detailed information 
regarding the care and maintenance of such glazing items, as the glass-
plastic windshield, is required to be placed in the vehicle owner's 
manual.
    FMVSS No. 208, ``Occupant crash protection.'' This standard 
specifies requirements for both active and passive occupant crash 
protection systems for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, 
trucks and small buses. Certain safety features, such as air bags, or 
the care and maintenance of air bag systems, are required to be 
explained to the owner by means of the owner's manual. For example, the 
owner's manual must describe the vehicle's air bag system and provide 
precautionary information about the proper positioning of the 
occupants, including children. The owner's manual must also warn that 
no objects, such as shotguns carried in police cars, should be placed 
over or near the air bag covers.
    FMVSS No. 210, ``Seat belt assembly anchorages.'' This standard 
specifies requirements for seat belt assembly anchorages to ensure 
effective occupant restraint and to reduce the likelihood of failure in 
a crash. The standard requires that manufacturers place the following 
information in the vehicle owner's manual: a. An explanation that child 
restraints are designed to be secured by means of the vehicle's seat 
belts, and, b.

[[Page 65446]]

A statement alerting vehicle owners that children are always safer in 
the rear seat.
    FMVSS No. 213, ``Child restraint systems.'' This standard specifies 
requirements for child restraint systems and requires that 
manufacturers provide consumers with detailed information relating to 
child safety in air bag equipped vehicles. The vehicle owner's manual 
must include information about the operation and do's and don'ts of 
built-in child seats.
    Part 575 Section 103, ``Camper loading.'' This standard requires 
that manufacturers of slide-in campers designed to fit into the cargo 
bed of pickup trucks affix a label to each camper that contains 
information relating to certification, identification and proper 
loading, and to provide more detailed loading information in the 
owner's manual of the truck.
    Part 575 Section 105, ``Utility vehicles.'' This regulation 
requires manufacturers of utility vehicles to alert drivers that the 
particular handling and maneuvering characteristics of utility vehicles 
require special driving practices when these vehicles are operated on 
paved roads. For example, the vehicle owner's manual is required to 
assure that headlamps can be correctly aimed, instructions for proper 
use must be part of the vehicle as a label, or optionally, in the 
vehicle owner's manual.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 3,051 hours.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 22.
    Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments and 
additional information on the rulemaking process, see the Public 
Participation heading of the Supplementary Information section of this 
document. Note that all comments received will be posted without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.
    Comments are invited on:
    Whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of 
the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information 
collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

Public Participation

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 in your comments. Your comments must not be 
more than 15 pages long.\1\ We established this limit to encourage you 
to write your primary comments in a concise fashion. However, you may 
attach necessary additional documents to your comments. There is no 
limit on the length of the attachments.
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    \1\ See 49 CFR 553.21.
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    If you are submitting comments electronically as a PDF (Adobe) 
file, we ask that the documents submitted be scanned using the Optical 
Character Recognition (OCR) process, thus allowing the agency to search 
and copy certain portions of your submissions.\2\
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    \2\ Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is the process of 
converting an image of text, such as a scanned paper document or 
electronic fax file, into computer-editable text.
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    Please note that pursuant to the Data Quality Act, in order for 
substantive data to be relied upon and used by the agency, it must meet 
the information quality standards set forth in the OMB and DOT Data 
Quality Act guidelines. Accordingly, we encourage you to consult the 
guidelines in preparing your comments. OMB's guidelines may be accessed 
at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/reproducible.html. DOT's 
guidelines may be accessed at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit/DataQualityGuidelines.pdf.

How Can I Be Sure That My Comments Were Received?

    If you submit your comments by mail and 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, you should submit three copies of your complete 
submission, including the information you claim to be confidential 
business information, to the Chief Counsel, NHTSA, at the address given 
above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. When you send a comment 
containing information claimed to be confidential business information, 
you should include a cover letter setting forth the information 
specified in our confidential business information regulation.\3\
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    \3\ See 49 CFR 512.
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    In addition, you should submit a copy, from which you have deleted 
the claimed confidential business information, to the Docket by one of 
the methods set forth above.

Will the Agency Consider Late Comments?

    We will consider all comments received before the close of business 
on the comment closing date indicated above under DATES. To the extent 
possible, we will also consider comments received after that date.

How Can I Read the Comments Submitted by Other People?

    You may read the materials placed in the docket for this document 
(e.g., the comments submitted in response to this document by other 
interested persons) at any time by going to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. You may also 
read the materials at the Docket Management Facility by going to the 
street address given above under ADDRESSES. The Docket Management 
Facility is open between 9 am and 5 pm Eastern Time, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c); delegation of authority at 49 CFR 
1.50.

    Issued on: October 28, 2008.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
 [FR Doc. E8-26096 Filed 10-31-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P