Technical Report Evaluating Seat Belt Pretensioners and Load Limiters, 79074-79075 [2013-31024]

Download as PDF 79074 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 249 / Friday, December 27, 2013 / Notices For additional information or access to background documents, contact James Bean, Office of Data Acquisitions (NVS– 410), Room W53–489, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Mr. Bean’s telephone number is (202) 366– 2837. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In compliance with these requirements, this notice announces that the following information collection request has been forwarded to OMB. A Federal Register Notice soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on September 6, 2013 (Volume 78, Number 173; Pages 54954– 55). The agency received no comments in response to the Federal Register Notice. Title: National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Law Enforcement Information. OMB Control Number: Not assigned. Type of Request: New Information Collection. Abstract: This collection of information is part of NHTSA’s efforts to upgrade its crash data systems. NHTSA’s National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) collects crash data on a nationally representative sample of police-reported traffic crashes and related injuries. NASS data are used by government, industry, and academia in the U.S. and around the world to make informed highway safety decisions. Recognizing the importance as well as the limitations of the current NASS system, NHTSA is undertaking a modernization effort to upgrade its data systems by improving the information technology (IT) infrastructure, updating the data collected, and reexamining the NASS sample sites and sample size. The current data system samples crashes through a clustered sample of law enforcement agencies that were selected decades ago. Using updated population and other auxiliary information, NHTSA has identified a new set of probabilistically selected geographic locations around the country that are expected to provide a more accurate traffic safety picture, more precise estimates, and greater insight into new and emerging data needs. This collection of information will assist NHTSA with the next step in updating the NASS sample design, which is to select a fresh sample of law enforcement agencies within these primary sampling units (PSUs). This tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: VerDate Mar<15>2010 23:48 Dec 26, 2013 Jkt 232001 requires compiling basic crash count data from every law enforcement agency that responds to motor vehicle crashes in the PSUs. This data would be used to construct a measure of size in order to make informed and efficient choices in the probabilistic selection of the second stage sample units, the law enforcement agencies. Affected Public: Law Enforcement Agencies. Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,450 Law Enforcement Agencies. Estimated Number of Responses: We estimate that 90 percent of the Law Enforcement Agencies will respond so approximately 1,305 responses. Annual Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The annual burden is estimated to be 2,900 hours. Frequency of Collection: This is a onetime collection. Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is 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. Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.95. Issued in Washington, DC, on December 23, 2013. Terry T. Shelton, Associate Administrator, National Center for Statistics and Analysis. [FR Doc. 2013–30987 Filed 12–26–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–59–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA–2013–0130] Technical Report Evaluating Seat Belt Pretensioners and Load Limiters National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Request for comments on technical report. AGENCY: This notice announces NHTSA’s publication of a technical report evaluating the effectiveness of pretensioners and load limiters for seat belts in the front seats of passenger cars SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00265 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 and LTVs. The report’s title is: Effectiveness of Pretensioners and Load Limiters for Enhancing Fatality Reduction by Seat Belts. DATES: Comments must be received no later than April 22, 2014. ADDRESSES: Report: The technical report is available on the Internet for viewing in PDF format at https://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811835.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–2013–0130] by any of the following methods: • Internet: To submit comments electronically, go to the U.S. Government regulations Web site at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • Fax: Written comments may be faxed to 202–493–2251. • Mail: Send comments to Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590. • Hand Delivery: If you plan to submit written comments by hand or courier, please do so at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays • You may call Docket Management at 1–800–647–5527. Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional information see the Comments heading of the Supplementary Information section of this document. 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 in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 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. Email: chuck.kahane@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pretensioners and load limiters are E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM 27DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 249 / Friday, December 27, 2013 / Notices technologies designed to make seat belts more effective. Pretensioners retract the seat belt to remove excess slack almost instantly upon sensing the vehicle has crashed. Load limiters allow the belt to ‘‘give’’ or yield when forces on the belt rise above a predetermined level. NHTSA has long encouraged—but never required—installation of these technologies in the front seats of vehicles. By model year 2008, all new cars and LTVs sold in the United States were equipped with pretensioners and load limiters at the driver’s and rightfront passenger’s seats. Double-pair comparison analyses of FARS data for 1986 to 2011 compare the fatalityreducing effectiveness of seat belts with and without pretensioners and load limiters at those seats. In passenger cars, CUVs, and minivans, a belted driver or right-front passenger has an estimated 12.8 percent lower fatality risk if the belt is equipped with a pretensioner and a load limiter than if it is not equipped with either (95% confidence bounds: 2.6% to 23.0%). By contrast, the analyses of the currently available data do not yet show a significant effect for pretensioners and load limiters in truckbased LTVs (pickup trucks, SUVs with body-and-frame construction, and fullsized vans); it may be advisable to rerun the analyses in about 4 or 5 years when more data will be available. Comments: tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 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– 2013–0130) 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. Please submit one copy of your comments, including the attachments, to Docket Management at the address given above under ADDRESSES. 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. VerDate Mar<15>2010 23:48 Dec 26, 2013 Jkt 232001 Accordingly, we encourage you to consult the guidelines in preparing your comments. OMB’s guidelines may be accessed at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ omb/fedreg_reproducible. DOT’s guidelines may be accessed at https:// www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/ rita.dot.gov.bts/files/subject_areas/ statistical_policy_and_research/data_ quality_guidelines/. 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 https:// www.regulations.gov. 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. You may also periodically access https://www.regulations.gov and enter the number for this docket (NHTSA– 2013–0130) to see if your comments are on line. 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, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. In addition, you should submit a copy, from which you have deleted the claimed confidential business information, to Docket Management at the address given above under ADDRESSES. 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. (49 CFR Part 512.) 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 PO 00000 Frm 00266 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 79075 possible, we will also consider comments that Docket Management receives after that date. How can I read the comments submitted by other people? You may read the comments received by Docket Management at the address given above under ADDRESSES. The hours of the Docket are indicated above in the same location. You may also see the comments on the Internet. To read the comments on the Internet, take the following steps: (1) Go to the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at https:// www.regulations.gov. (2) FDMS provides two basic methods of searching to retrieve dockets and docket materials that are available in the system: (a) ‘‘Quick Search’’ to search using a full-text search engine, or (b) ‘‘Advanced Search,’’ which displays various indexed fields such as the docket name, docket identification number, phase of the action, initiating office, date of issuance, document title, document identification number, type of document, Federal Register reference, CFR citation, etc. Each data field in the advanced search may be searched independently or in combination with other fields, as desired. Each search yields a simultaneous display of all available information found in FDMS that is relevant to the requested subject or topic. (3) You may download the comments. However, since the comments are imaged documents, instead of word processing documents, the ‘‘pdf’’ versions of the documents are word searchable. 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. Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30181–83 delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8. Issued in Washington, DC, on December 23, 2013. James F. Simons, Director, Office of Regulatory Analysis and Evaluation. [FR Doc. 2013–31024 Filed 12–26–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–59–P E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM 27DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 249 (Friday, December 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79074-79075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-31024]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2013-0130]


Technical Report Evaluating Seat Belt Pretensioners and Load 
Limiters

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

ACTION: Request for comments on technical report.

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

SUMMARY: This notice announces NHTSA's publication of a technical 
report evaluating the effectiveness of pretensioners and load limiters 
for seat belts in the front seats of passenger cars and LTVs. The 
report's title is: Effectiveness of Pretensioners and Load Limiters for 
Enhancing Fatality Reduction by Seat Belts.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than April 22, 2014.

ADDRESSES:
    Report: The technical report is available on the Internet for 
viewing in PDF format at https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811835.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-2013-0130] by any of the following methods:
     Internet: To submit comments electronically, go to the 
U.S. Government regulations Web site at https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: Written comments may be faxed to 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Send comments to Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: If you plan to submit written comments by 
hand or courier, please do so at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 
5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays
     You may call Docket Management at 1-800-647-5527.
    Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments and 
additional information see the Comments heading of the Supplementary 
Information section of this document. 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 
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

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. 
Email: chuck.kahane@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pretensioners and load limiters are

[[Page 79075]]

technologies designed to make seat belts more effective. Pretensioners 
retract the seat belt to remove excess slack almost instantly upon 
sensing the vehicle has crashed. Load limiters allow the belt to 
``give'' or yield when forces on the belt rise above a predetermined 
level. NHTSA has long encouraged--but never required--installation of 
these technologies in the front seats of vehicles. By model year 2008, 
all new cars and LTVs sold in the United States were equipped with 
pretensioners and load limiters at the driver's and right-front 
passenger's seats. Double-pair comparison analyses of FARS data for 
1986 to 2011 compare the fatality-reducing effectiveness of seat belts 
with and without pretensioners and load limiters at those seats. In 
passenger cars, CUVs, and minivans, a belted driver or right-front 
passenger has an estimated 12.8 percent lower fatality risk if the belt 
is equipped with a pretensioner and a load limiter than if it is not 
equipped with either (95% confidence bounds: 2.6% to 23.0%). By 
contrast, the analyses of the currently available data do not yet show 
a significant effect for pretensioners and load limiters in truck-based 
LTVs (pickup trucks, SUVs with body-and-frame construction, and full-
sized vans); it may be advisable to rerun the analyses in about 4 or 5 
years when more data will be available.
    Comments:

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-2013-0130) 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.
    Please submit one copy of your comments, including the attachments, 
to Docket Management at the address given above under ADDRESSES.
    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 https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg_reproducible. DOT's guidelines 
may be accessed at https://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/subject_areas/statistical_policy_and_research/data_quality_guidelines/.
    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 https://www.regulations.gov.

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. You may also periodically 
access https://www.regulations.gov and enter the number for this docket 
(NHTSA-2013-0130) to see if your comments are on line.

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, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. In 
addition, you should submit a copy, from which you have deleted the 
claimed confidential business information, to Docket Management at the 
address given above under ADDRESSES. 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. (49 CFR Part 512.)

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.

How can I read the comments submitted by other people?

    You may read the comments received by Docket Management at the 
address given above under ADDRESSES. The hours of the Docket are 
indicated above in the same location.
    You may also see the comments on the Internet. To read the comments 
on the Internet, take the following steps:
    (1) Go to the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at https://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) FDMS provides two basic methods of searching to retrieve 
dockets and docket materials that are available in the system: (a) 
``Quick Search'' to search using a full-text search engine, or (b) 
``Advanced Search,'' which displays various indexed fields such as the 
docket name, docket identification number, phase of the action, 
initiating office, date of issuance, document title, document 
identification number, type of document, Federal Register reference, 
CFR citation, etc. Each data field in the advanced search may be 
searched independently or in combination with other fields, as desired. 
Each search yields a simultaneous display of all available information 
found in FDMS that is relevant to the requested subject or topic.
    (3) You may download the comments. However, since the comments are 
imaged documents, instead of word processing documents, the ``pdf'' 
versions of the documents are word searchable.
    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.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30181-83 delegation of authority at 
49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 23, 2013.
James F. Simons,
Director, Office of Regulatory Analysis and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 2013-31024 Filed 12-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
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