Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Rear Impact Guards; Rear Impact Protection; Technical Report, on the Effectiveness of Underride Guards for Heavy Trailers, 68663-68664 [2010-28111]

Download as PDF jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 215 / Monday, November 8, 2010 / Notices Shrewsbury MetroLink station. A location study will run concurrently with the preparation of the EIS and will provide definitive alternatives for evaluation in the EIS. The project is intended to provide additional access and improved connectivity between south St. Louis County and central St. Louis County, and to Interstates 44, 64, 55, and 170. The needs for the proposed action include: (1) Roadway connectivity, (2) congestion, (3) roadway capacity, and (4) safety. The project study area is generally bounded by Manchester Road to the north, Hanley Road and Laclede Station Road to I–44 to the west, Murdoch Avenue and Watson Road to the south, and Big Bend Boulevard and River Des Peres on the east. The corridor is centered on the intersection of Laclede Station Road and Hanley Road. The corridor extends southeastward, generally parallel to Deer Creek, to River Des Peres Boulevard in the vicinity of Lansdowne Avenue in the City of St. Louis and in close proximity to the Shrewsbury MetroLink station. The study area is approximately two miles in length and one-half mile in width. Alternatives under consideration include (1) Taking no action; (2) implementing transportation system management options; and (3) build alternatives. The evaluation of build alternatives will include a full interchange between the proposed build alternatives and Interstate 44, as applicable. As part of the project scoping process, interagency coordination meeting(s) will be held with all appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies having jurisdiction or having specific expertise with respect to any environmental impacts associated with the proposed improvements. Agencies with jurisdiction by law will be asked to become cooperating agencies. Other agencies with interest in the project will be invited to become participating agencies. In addition, an open house public scoping meeting (the initial public meeting) will be held to solicit input from the public and to identify issues to be addressed in the EIS. The public scoping meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 9, 2010 from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Affton WhiteRodgers Community Center, located at 9801 Mackenzie Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63123. Coordination will continue throughout the study as an ongoing process, including public information meetings and further meetings with community officials to solicit public and agency input. A location public hearing will be held to present the findings of the draft EIS VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:02 Nov 05, 2010 Jkt 223001 (DEIS). Public notice will be given announcing the time and place of all public meetings and the public hearing. The DEIS will be available for public and agency review and comment prior to the public hearing. To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed action is addressed and all significant issues are identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be directed to the FHWA or MoDOT at the addresses provided above. Concerns in the study are primarily related to potential impacts to residences, cultural resources, and neighborhoods in the study area. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this program.) Issued on: November 2, 2010. Peggy J. Casey, Program Development Team Leader, Jefferson City. [FR Doc. 2010–28159 Filed 11–5–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–22–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA–2010–0150] Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Rear Impact Guards; Rear Impact Protection; Technical Report, on the Effectiveness of Underride Guards for Heavy Trailers National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Request for comments on technical report. AGENCY: This notice announces NHTSA’s publication of a Technical Report, its existing Safety Standard 223, Rear Impact Guards and Safety Standard 224, Rear Impact Protection. The report’s title is: The Effectiveness of Underride Guards for Heavy Trailers. DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 8, 2011. ADDRESSES: Report: The technical report is available on the Internet for viewing in PDF format at https://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811375.pdf. You may obtain a copy of the report free of charge by sending a self-addressed SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00068 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 68663 mailing label to Charles J. Kahane (NVS–431), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53–312, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Comments: You may submit comments [identified by Docket Number NHTSA–2010–0150] by any of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • Fax: 1–202–493–2251. • 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: 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. You may call Docket Management at 202–366–9826. Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see the Procedural Matters section of this document. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation Division, NVS–431, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53–312, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202–366–2560. E-mail: chuck.kahane@dot.gov. For information about NHTSA’s evaluations of the effectiveness of existing regulations and programs: You may see a list of published evaluation reports at https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/ cats/listpublications. aspx?Id=226&ShowBy=Category and if you click on any report you will be able to view it in PDF format. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Safety Standards 223 (49 CFR 571.223) and 224 (49 CFR 571.224) require underride guards meeting a strength test on trailers with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or greater manufactured on or after January 24, 1998. Safety Standard 224 defines the size requirements for the guards, while Safety Standard 223 describes strength testing and energy absorption requirements for DOT-compliant guards. This report is a statistical analysis of crash data aimed at determining the effectiveness of standard-compliant underride guards at preventing fatalities and serious injuries in crashes where a passenger vehicle impacts the rear of a E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1 68664 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 215 / Monday, November 8, 2010 / Notices tractor-trailer. The primary findings are the following: • Data from Florida and North Carolina showed decreases in fatalities and serious injuries to passenger vehicle occupants when rear-ending a tractortrailer subsequent to the implementation of Safety Standards 223 and 224. However, the observed decreases are not statistically significant at the 0.05 level, possibly due to the small sample sizes of the data. • Using supplemental data collection from North Carolina, it is shown that passenger vehicle passenger compartment intrusion is more apt to occur when the corner of the trailer is impacted, rather than the center of the trailer. This result is statistically significant at the 0.01 level. • It is not possible to establish a nationwide downward trend in fatalities when a passenger vehicle rear-ends a tractor-trailer—neither in terms of total number of fatalities, percentage of fatalities in rear impacts relative to other passenger vehicle fatalities involved in tractor-trailer accidents, nor number of fatal crashes per 1,000 total crashes. The Fatality Accident Reporting System does not list the model year of the trailer. In April 2009, NHTSA issued An InService Analysis of Maintenance and Repair Expenses for the Anti-Lock Brake System and Underride Guard for Tractors and Trailers (74 FR 18803). Procedural Matters How can I influence NHTSA’s thinking on this subject? NHTSA welcomes public review of the technical report. NHTSA will submit to the Docket a response to the comments and, if appropriate, will supplement or revise the report. jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES 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– 2010–0150) 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. 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 18:02 Nov 05, 2010 Jkt 223001 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? How do I prepare and submit comments? VerDate Mar<15>2010 review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) or you may visit https:// www.regulations.gov. Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management, fax them, or use the Federal eRulemaking Portal. The mailing address is U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, M–30, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. The fax number is 1–202–493–2251. To use the Federal eRulemaking Portal, go to https:// www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments. We also request, but do not require you to send a copy to Charles J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation Division, NVS–431, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53–312, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590 (or e-mail them to chuck.kahane@dot.gov). He can check if your comments have been received at the Docket and he can expedite their review by NHTSA. 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, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 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 U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, M–30, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12– 140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, or submit them via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 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 https:// 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 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. 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. 2010–28111 Filed 11–5–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–59–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA–2010–0145] Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint Systems; Booster Seat Effectiveness Estimates Based on CDS and State Data National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Request for comments on technical report. AGENCY: This notice announces NHTSA’s publication of a Technical Report on its existing Safety Standard 213, Child Restraint Systems. The report’s title is: Booster Seat SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 215 (Monday, November 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68663-68664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28111]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0150]


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Rear Impact Guards; Rear 
Impact Protection; Technical Report, on the Effectiveness of Underride 
Guards for Heavy Trailers

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

ACTION: Request for comments on technical report.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces NHTSA's publication of a Technical 
Report, its existing Safety Standard 223, Rear Impact Guards and Safety 
Standard 224, Rear Impact Protection. The report's title is: The 
Effectiveness of Underride Guards for Heavy Trailers.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 8, 2011.

ADDRESSES:
    Report: The technical report is available on the Internet for 
viewing in PDF format at https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811375.pdf. 
You may obtain a copy of the report free of charge by sending a self-
addressed mailing label to Charles J. Kahane (NVS-431), National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53-312, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
    Comments: You may submit comments [identified by Docket Number 
NHTSA-2010-0150] by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     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: 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.
    You may call Docket Management at 202-366-9826.
    Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see 
the Procedural Matters section of this document. Note that all comments 
received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation 
Division, NVS-431, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53-312, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-2560. E-
mail: chuck.kahane@dot.gov.
    For information about NHTSA's evaluations of the effectiveness of 
existing regulations and programs: You may see a list of published 
evaluation reports at https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/cats/listpublications.aspx?Id=226&ShowBy=Category and if you click on any 
report you will be able to view it in PDF format.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Safety Standards 223 (49 CFR 571.223) and 
224 (49 CFR 571.224) require underride guards meeting a strength test 
on trailers with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or greater manufactured on or 
after January 24, 1998. Safety Standard 224 defines the size 
requirements for the guards, while Safety Standard 223 describes 
strength testing and energy absorption requirements for DOT-compliant 
guards. This report is a statistical analysis of crash data aimed at 
determining the effectiveness of standard-compliant underride guards at 
preventing fatalities and serious injuries in crashes where a passenger 
vehicle impacts the rear of a

[[Page 68664]]

tractor-trailer. The primary findings are the following:
     Data from Florida and North Carolina showed decreases in 
fatalities and serious injuries to passenger vehicle occupants when 
rear-ending a tractor-trailer subsequent to the implementation of 
Safety Standards 223 and 224. However, the observed decreases are not 
statistically significant at the 0.05 level, possibly due to the small 
sample sizes of the data.
     Using supplemental data collection from North Carolina, it 
is shown that passenger vehicle passenger compartment intrusion is more 
apt to occur when the corner of the trailer is impacted, rather than 
the center of the trailer. This result is statistically significant at 
the 0.01 level.
     It is not possible to establish a nationwide downward 
trend in fatalities when a passenger vehicle rear-ends a tractor-
trailer--neither in terms of total number of fatalities, percentage of 
fatalities in rear impacts relative to other passenger vehicle 
fatalities involved in tractor-trailer accidents, nor number of fatal 
crashes per 1,000 total crashes. The Fatality Accident Reporting System 
does not list the model year of the trailer.
    In April 2009, NHTSA issued An In-Service Analysis of Maintenance 
and Repair Expenses for the Anti-Lock Brake System and Underride Guard 
for Tractors and Trailers (74 FR 18803).

Procedural Matters

How can I influence NHTSA's thinking on this subject?

    NHTSA welcomes public review of the technical report. NHTSA will 
submit to the Docket a response to the comments and, if appropriate, 
will supplement or revise the 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-2010-0150) 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.
    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) or you may visit https://www.regulations.gov.
    Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management, 
fax them, or use the Federal eRulemaking Portal. The mailing address is 
U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, M-30, 
West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC 20590. The fax number is 1-202-493-2251. To use the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal, go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow 
the online instructions for submitting comments.
    We also request, but do not require you to send a copy to Charles 
J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation Division, NVS-431, National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53-312, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC 20590 (or e-mail them to chuck.kahane@dot.gov). 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, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 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 U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Management Facility, M-30, West Building, Ground 
Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, 
or submit them via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

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 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 https://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 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

    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. 2010-28111 Filed 11-5-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
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