Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From Help, Inc., 46406-46407 [2013-18397]

Download as PDF 46406 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 147 / Wednesday, July 31, 2013 / Notices of the information collection; and (d) ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB’s clearance of this information collection. Issued in Washington, DC, on July 24, 2013. Albert R. Spence, FAA Assistant Information Collection Clearance Officer, IT Enterprises Business Services Division, AES–200. [FR Doc. 2013–18292 Filed 7–30–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–13–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [Docket No. FMCSA–2013–0313] Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From Help, Inc. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of application for exemption; request for comments. AGENCY: FMCSA requests public comment on an application for exemption from Help, Inc. to allow its transponder systems to be mounted on commercial motor vehicles lower in the windshield than is currently permitted by the Agency’s regulations in order to utilize a mounting location that maximizes the device’s ability to send and receive roadside data. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) currently require antennas, transponders, and similar devices to be located not more than 6 inches below the upper edge of the windshield, outside the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. Help, Inc. believes that mounting the transponder lower in the windshield will maximize a driver’s external view of the roadway. DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 30, 2013. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number FMCSA–2013–0313 by any of the following methods: • Web site: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the Federal electronic docket site. • Fax: 1–202–493–2251. • Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:14 Jul 30, 2013 Jkt 229001 Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590– 0001. • Hand Delivery: Ground Floor, Room W12–140, DOT Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and docket number for this notice. For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional information on the exemption process, see the ‘‘Public Participation’’ heading below. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https:// www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Please see the ‘‘Privacy Act’’ heading for further information. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https:// www.regulations.gov or to Room W12– 140, DOT Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. 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 19476) or you may visit https:// www.regulations.gov. Public participation: The https:// www.regulations.gov Web site is generally available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You can get electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the ‘‘help’’ section of the https://www.regulations.gov Web site and also at the DOT’s https:// docketsinfo.dot.gov Web site. If you want us to notify you that we received your comments, please include a self addressed, stamped envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgement page that appears after submitting comments online. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brian J. Routhier, Vehicle and Roadside Operations Division, Office of Bus and Truck Standards and Operations, MC– PSV, (202) 366–1225; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590–0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Section 4007 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA– PO 00000 Frm 00095 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 21) [Pub. L. 105–178, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 401] amended 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e) to provide authority to grant exemptions from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). On August 20, 2004, FMCSA published a final rule (69 FR 51589) implementing section 4007. Under this rule, FMCSA must publish a notice of each exemption request in the Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(a)). The Agency must provide the public with an opportunity to inspect the information relevant to the application, including any safety analyses that have been conducted. The Agency must also provide an opportunity for public comment on the request. The Agency reviews the safety analyses and the public comments and determines whether granting the exemption would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level that would be achieved by the current regulation (49 CFR 381.305). The decision of the Agency must be published in the Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(b)). If the Agency denies the request, it must state the reason for doing so. If the decision is to grant the exemption, the notice must specify the person or class of persons receiving the exemption and the regulatory provision or provisions from which an exemption is granted. The notice must also specify the effective period of the exemption (up to 2 years) and explain the terms and conditions of the exemption. The exemption may be renewed (49 CFR 381.315(c) and 49 CFR 381.300(b)). Help, Inc. Application for Exemption Help, Inc. applied for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.60(e)(1) to allow the installation of transponders on its customer’s commercial motor vehicles in a location that is lower than currently allowed under the regulation. Section 393.60(e)(1) of the FMCSRs prohibits the obstruction of the driver’s field of view by devices mounted on the windshield. Antennas, transponders and similar devices must not be mounted more than 152 mm (6 inches) below the upper edge of the windshield. These devices must be located outside the area swept by the windshield wipers and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road, highway signs and signals. In its application, Help Inc. states: Help, Inc. is making this request because we are coordinating device development and installation of PrePass transponder in up to 430,000 commercial motor vehicles. The 5.9 and toll transponder equipment installed is located at the bottom of the windshield, but within the swept area of windshield because the safety equipment must have a clear forward facing view of the road, and low E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM 31JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 147 / Wednesday, July 31, 2013 / Notices enough to accurately be read by roadside infrastructure . . . The restrictions on the location of devices mounted in the windshield area significantly degrade the ability to capture the proper viewing area in commercial motor vehicles. A 5.9 and toll transponder which lacks an effective view of the roadside infrastructure through the front windshield will negatively impact the ability to send and receive roadside data. Help Inc.’s preferred mounting location for the transponders is 2 inches right of the center of the windshield, and 2–3 inches above the dashboard. Help Inc. states that using this mounting location that is lower in the windshield than currently permitted by the FMCSRs ‘‘will offer the best opportunity to optimize the data transmission and evaluate the benefits of such a system’’ while maximizing ‘‘the external view of the roadway.’’ Request for Comments In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), FMCSA requests public comment from all interested persons on Help Inc.’s application for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.76(c)(1). All comments received before the close of business on the comment closing date indicated at the beginning of this notice will be considered and will be available for examination in the docket at the location listed under the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Comments received after the comment closing date will be filed in the public docket and will be considered to the extent practicable. In addition to late comments, FMCSA will also continue to file, in the public docket, relevant information that becomes available after the comment closing date. Interested persons should continue to examine the public docket for new material. Issued on: July, 23, 2013. Larry W. Minor, Associate Administrator for Policy. [FR Doc. 2013–18397 Filed 7–30–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES [Docket No. FMCSA–2013–0027] Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of final disposition. AGENCY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:14 Jul 30, 2013 Jkt 229001 Electronic Access You may see all the comments online through the Federal Document Management System (FDMS) at https:// www.regulations.gov. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments, go to https:// www.regulations.gov at any time or Room W12–140 on the ground level of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The FDMS is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. If you want acknowledgement that we received your comments, please include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgement page that appears after submitting comments on-line. Privacy Act: Anyone may search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or of the person signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT’s Privacy Act Statement for the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2008 (73 FR 3316). Background FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 32 individuals from the vision requirement in the Federal SUMMARY: Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). They are unable to meet the vision requirement in one eye for various reasons. The exemptions will enable these individuals to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the prescribed vision requirement in one eye. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these CMV drivers. DATES: The exemptions are effective July 31, 2013. The exemptions expire on July 31, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine M. Papp, Chief, Medical Programs Division, (202)–366–4001, fmcsamedical@dot.gov, FMCSA, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W64– 224, Washington, DC 20590–0001. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 26, 2013, FMCSA published a notice of receipt of exemption applications from certain individuals, PO 00000 Frm 00096 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 46407 and requested comments from the public (78 FR 24798). That notice listed 32 applicants’ case histories. The 32 individuals applied for exemptions from the vision requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), for drivers who operate CMVs in interstate commerce. Under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, FMCSA may grant an exemption for a 2year period if it finds ‘‘such exemption would likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level that would be achieved absent such exemption.’’ The statute also allows the Agency to renew exemptions at the end of the 2-year period. Accordingly, FMCSA has evaluated the 32 applications on their merits and made a determination to grant exemptions to each of them. Vision and Driving Experience of the Applicants The vision requirement in the FMCSRs provides: A person is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle if that person has distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye without corrective lenses or visual acuity separately corrected to 20/40 (Snellen) or better with corrective lenses, distant binocular acuity of a least 20/40 (Snellen) in both eyes with or without corrective lenses, field of vision of at least 70° in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and the ability to recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing requirement red, green, and amber (49 CFR 391.41(b)(10)). FMCSA recognizes that some drivers do not meet the vision requirement but have adapted their driving to accommodate their vision limitation and demonstrated their ability to drive safely. The 32 exemption applicants listed in this notice are in this category. They are unable to meet the vision requirement in one eye for various reasons, including amblyopia, retinal detachment, central vein occlusion, traumatic glaucoma, complete loss of vision, macular hole, prosthetic eye, retinal scar, central scotoma, a cataract, a ruptured globe, deprivation amblyopia, vascular blockage in the optic nerve, epiretinal membrane, idiopathic amblyopia, esotropia, Coat’s disease, and refractive amblyopia. In most cases, their eye conditions were not recently developed. Twenty of the applicants were either born with their vision impairments or have had them since childhood. The twelve individuals that sustained their vision conditions as adults have had it for a period of 4 to 34 years. Although each applicant has one eye which does not meet the vision E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM 31JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 147 (Wednesday, July 31, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46406-46407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18397]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2013-0313]


Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application 
for an Exemption From Help, Inc.

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of application for exemption; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: FMCSA requests public comment on an application for exemption 
from Help, Inc. to allow its transponder systems to be mounted on 
commercial motor vehicles lower in the windshield than is currently 
permitted by the Agency's regulations in order to utilize a mounting 
location that maximizes the device's ability to send and receive 
roadside data. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) 
currently require antennas, transponders, and similar devices to be 
located not more than 6 inches below the upper edge of the windshield, 
outside the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the 
driver's sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. Help, 
Inc. believes that mounting the transponder lower in the windshield 
will maximize a driver's external view of the roadway.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 30, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number 
FMCSA-2013-0313 by any of the following methods:
     Web site: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on the Federal electronic docket 
site.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Ground Floor, Room W12-140, DOT Building, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and 
docket number for this notice. For detailed instructions on submitting 
comments and additional information on the exemption process, see the 
``Public Participation'' heading below. Note that all comments received 
will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including 
any personal information provided. Please see the ``Privacy Act'' 
heading for further information.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov or to Room W12-140, 
DOT Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    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 19476) or you may visit https://www.regulations.gov.
    Public participation: The https://www.regulations.gov Web site is 
generally available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You can get 
electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the 
``help'' section of the https://www.regulations.gov Web site and also at 
the DOT's https://docketsinfo.dot.gov Web site. If you want us to notify 
you that we received your comments, please include a self addressed, 
stamped envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgement page that 
appears after submitting comments online.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brian J. Routhier, Vehicle and 
Roadside Operations Division, Office of Bus and Truck Standards and 
Operations, MC-PSV, (202) 366-1225; Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4007 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century 
(TEA- 21) [Pub. L. 105-178, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 401] amended 49 
U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e) to provide authority to grant exemptions from 
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). On August 20, 
2004, FMCSA published a final rule (69 FR 51589) implementing section 
4007. Under this rule, FMCSA must publish a notice of each exemption 
request in the Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(a)). The Agency must 
provide the public with an opportunity to inspect the information 
relevant to the application, including any safety analyses that have 
been conducted. The Agency must also provide an opportunity for public 
comment on the request.
    The Agency reviews the safety analyses and the public comments and 
determines whether granting the exemption would likely achieve a level 
of safety equivalent to or greater than the level that would be 
achieved by the current regulation (49 CFR 381.305).
    The decision of the Agency must be published in the Federal 
Register (49 CFR 381.315(b)). If the Agency denies the request, it must 
state the reason for doing so. If the decision is to grant the 
exemption, the notice must specify the person or class of persons 
receiving the exemption and the regulatory provision or provisions from 
which an exemption is granted. The notice must also specify the 
effective period of the exemption (up to 2 years) and explain the terms 
and conditions of the exemption. The exemption may be renewed (49 CFR 
381.315(c) and 49 CFR 381.300(b)).

Help, Inc. Application for Exemption

    Help, Inc. applied for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.60(e)(1) to 
allow the installation of transponders on its customer's commercial 
motor vehicles in a location that is lower than currently allowed under 
the regulation. Section 393.60(e)(1) of the FMCSRs prohibits the 
obstruction of the driver's field of view by devices mounted on the 
windshield. Antennas, transponders and similar devices must not be 
mounted more than 152 mm (6 inches) below the upper edge of the 
windshield. These devices must be located outside the area swept by the 
windshield wipers and outside the driver's sight lines to the road, 
highway signs and signals.
    In its application, Help Inc. states:

    Help, Inc. is making this request because we are coordinating 
device development and installation of PrePass transponder in up to 
430,000 commercial motor vehicles. The 5.9 and toll transponder 
equipment installed is located at the bottom of the windshield, but 
within the swept area of windshield because the safety equipment 
must have a clear forward facing view of the road, and low

[[Page 46407]]

enough to accurately be read by roadside infrastructure . . . The 
restrictions on the location of devices mounted in the windshield 
area significantly degrade the ability to capture the proper viewing 
area in commercial motor vehicles. A 5.9 and toll transponder which 
lacks an effective view of the roadside infrastructure through the 
front windshield will negatively impact the ability to send and 
receive roadside data.

    Help Inc.'s preferred mounting location for the transponders is 2 
inches right of the center of the windshield, and 2-3 inches above the 
dashboard. Help Inc. states that using this mounting location that is 
lower in the windshield than currently permitted by the FMCSRs ``will 
offer the best opportunity to optimize the data transmission and 
evaluate the benefits of such a system'' while maximizing ``the 
external view of the roadway.''

Request for Comments

    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), FMCSA requests 
public comment from all interested persons on Help Inc.'s application 
for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.76(c)(1). All comments received before 
the close of business on the comment closing date indicated at the 
beginning of this notice will be considered and will be available for 
examination in the docket at the location listed under the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice. Comments received after the comment closing 
date will be filed in the public docket and will be considered to the 
extent practicable. In addition to late comments, FMCSA will also 
continue to file, in the public docket, relevant information that 
becomes available after the comment closing date. Interested persons 
should continue to examine the public docket for new material.

    Issued on: July, 23, 2013.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2013-18397 Filed 7-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P

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