Consumer Information; New Car Assessment Program, 28594 [2014-11327]

Download as PDF 28594 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 95 / Friday, May 16, 2014 / Notices Issued in Washington, DC, on May 12, 2014. Robert C. Lauby, Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer. [FR Doc. 2014–11349 Filed 5–15–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–06–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA 2006–26555] Consumer Information; New Car Assessment Program National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Correction to final agency decision notice. AGENCY: This document contains a correction to the final agency decision notice published in the Federal Register on Friday, July 11, 2008 (73 FR 40016). This document clarifies that the agency has used and will continue to use traditional rounding in the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), not the round-to-even approach reflected in ASTM E29 ‘‘Standard Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with Specifications’’ (ASTM E29). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For non-legal issues, you may contact Ms. Jennifer N. Dang, Office of Crashworthiness Standards (Telephone: 202–366–1740) (Fax: 202–493–2739). For legal issues, you may call Mr. William Shakely, Office of the Chief Counsel (Telephone: 202–366–2992) (Fax: 202–366–3820). You may send mail to both of these officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Washington, DC 20590–0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EMCDONALD on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: Background On July 11, 2008, NHTSA published a final agency decision notice (73 FR 40016) announcing enhancements to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which provides consumers with comparative information on the safety of new vehicles to assist them with vehicle purchasing decisions and to encourage motor vehicle manufacturers to make safety improvements. In the area of crashworthiness safety (how well the vehicle protects occupants in the event of a crash), NCAP uses the 5-Star Safety VerDate Mar<15>2010 20:00 May 15, 2014 Jkt 232001 Rating system to communicate the relative performance of vehicles to consumers. In the 2008 final agency decision notice, the agency discussed how the star ratings are determined based on the relative risk of injury to occupants, quantified as Relative Risk Scores (RRS). The notice discussed the determination of the RRS and the use of ASTM E29 ‘‘Standard Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with Specifications’’ (ASTM E29) to round values. In actuality, since current NCAP requirements were instituted beginning with the 2011 model year, NHTSA has been using the traditional rounding method, in which the following rounding logic is used: • When the digit after the last digit to be retained is less than 5, keep the last digit unchanged (for example, in rounding to the hundredths place: 0.453 = 0.45). • When the digit after the last digit to be retained is greater than or equal to 5, increase the last retained digit by 1 (for example, in rounding to the hundredths place: 0.455 = 0.46 and 0.465 = 0.47). The ASTM E29 method and the traditional rounding method only differ in instances when the digit after the last place to be retained is equal to 5 and there are no digits beyond 5 (for example, when rounding a number such as 0.455 to the hundredths place). The following rounding logic is used in ASTM E29 and is known as the roundto-even method: • When the digit after the last digit to be retained is equal to 5, increase the last retained digit by 1 if it is odd, or leave the last retained digit unchanged if it is even (for example, in rounding to the hundredths place: 0.455 = 0.46 and 0.465 = 0.46). Need for Correction While the agency referred in the final agency decision notice to the ASTM E29 method, the traditional rounding method has been and is the method used in NCAP. The traditional rounding method is also used in the publiclyavailable ratings calculator that the agency releases each year, which includes injury measures collected from NCAP’s vehicle tests.1 Following publication of the final agency decision notice, the agency was asked about its method of rounding injury values obtained from its vehicle tests. This notice reiterates the agency’s 1 The ratings calculator is placed in the public docket each year and can be accessed online by visiting www.regulations.gov. The most recent ratings calculator for model year 2014 vehicles is in docket NHTSA–2013–0053 at www.regulations.gov. PO 00000 Frm 00122 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 longstanding rounding method, which is the traditional rounding method (not the ASTM E29 method), used in all NCAP-related calculations to generate vehicle safety ratings. Claude H. Harris, Acting Associate Administrator for Rulemaking. [FR Doc. 2014–11327 Filed 5–15–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35822] Oakland Global Rail Enterprise, LLC— Operation Exemption—Rail Line of Union Pacific Railroad Company and BNSF Railway Company Oakland Global Rail Enterprise, LLC (OGRE), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to operate over approximately 1.8 miles of track consisting of: (1) Approximately 3,800 feet of track owned by Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) that runs between 2001 Engineers Road and the end of the UP interchange track; and (2) approximately 5,622 feet of track owned by BNSF Railway Company that runs between a point at or near the Bay Bridge Freeway and the Gary Steel facilities on 20th Street in Oakland, Alameda County, Cal. According to OGRE, the transaction does not involve any provision or agreement that would limit future interchange of traffic with any thirdparty carrier. OGRE states that it will hold itself out to provide all common carrier rail freight service over the tracks. OGRE intends to consummate the proposed transaction on or before January 1, 2015, which is after the effective date of this exemption (30 days after the exemption was filed). OGRE certifies that their projected annual revenues as a result of this transaction will not result in its becoming a Class III rail carrier and will not exceed $5 million. If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the exemption. Petitions to stay must be filed no later than May 23, 2014 (at least 7 days before the exemption becomes effective). An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD E:\FR\FM\16MYN1.SGM 16MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 28594]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11327]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA 2006-26555]


Consumer Information; New Car Assessment Program

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

ACTION: Correction to final agency decision notice.

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

SUMMARY: This document contains a correction to the final agency 
decision notice published in the Federal Register on Friday, July 11, 
2008 (73 FR 40016). This document clarifies that the agency has used 
and will continue to use traditional rounding in the New Car Assessment 
Program (NCAP), not the round-to-even approach reflected in ASTM E29 
``Standard Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to 
Determine Conformance with Specifications'' (ASTM E29).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For non-legal issues, you may contact 
Ms. Jennifer N. Dang, Office of Crashworthiness Standards (Telephone: 
202-366-1740) (Fax: 202-493-2739). For legal issues, you may call Mr. 
William Shakely, Office of the Chief Counsel (Telephone: 202-366-2992) 
(Fax: 202-366-3820). You may send mail to both of these officials at 
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., West Building, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On July 11, 2008, NHTSA published a final agency decision notice 
(73 FR 40016) announcing enhancements to the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which 
provides consumers with comparative information on the safety of new 
vehicles to assist them with vehicle purchasing decisions and to 
encourage motor vehicle manufacturers to make safety improvements. In 
the area of crashworthiness safety (how well the vehicle protects 
occupants in the event of a crash), NCAP uses the 5-Star Safety Rating 
system to communicate the relative performance of vehicles to 
consumers. In the 2008 final agency decision notice, the agency 
discussed how the star ratings are determined based on the relative 
risk of injury to occupants, quantified as Relative Risk Scores (RRS). 
The notice discussed the determination of the RRS and the use of ASTM 
E29 ``Standard Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to 
Determine Conformance with Specifications'' (ASTM E29) to round values. 
In actuality, since current NCAP requirements were instituted beginning 
with the 2011 model year, NHTSA has been using the traditional rounding 
method, in which the following rounding logic is used:
     When the digit after the last digit to be retained is less 
than 5, keep the last digit unchanged (for example, in rounding to the 
hundredths place: 0.453 = 0.45).
     When the digit after the last digit to be retained is 
greater than or equal to 5, increase the last retained digit by 1 (for 
example, in rounding to the hundredths place: 0.455 = 0.46 and 0.465 = 
0.47).
    The ASTM E29 method and the traditional rounding method only differ 
in instances when the digit after the last place to be retained is 
equal to 5 and there are no digits beyond 5 (for example, when rounding 
a number such as 0.455 to the hundredths place). The following rounding 
logic is used in ASTM E29 and is known as the round-to-even method:
     When the digit after the last digit to be retained is 
equal to 5, increase the last retained digit by 1 if it is odd, or 
leave the last retained digit unchanged if it is even (for example, in 
rounding to the hundredths place: 0.455 = 0.46 and 0.465 = 0.46).

Need for Correction

    While the agency referred in the final agency decision notice to 
the ASTM E29 method, the traditional rounding method has been and is 
the method used in NCAP. The traditional rounding method is also used 
in the publicly-available ratings calculator that the agency releases 
each year, which includes injury measures collected from NCAP's vehicle 
tests.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The ratings calculator is placed in the public docket each 
year and can be accessed online by visiting www.regulations.gov. The 
most recent ratings calculator for model year 2014 vehicles is in 
docket NHTSA-2013-0053 at www.regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Following publication of the final agency decision notice, the 
agency was asked about its method of rounding injury values obtained 
from its vehicle tests. This notice reiterates the agency's 
longstanding rounding method, which is the traditional rounding method 
(not the ASTM E29 method), used in all NCAP-related calculations to 
generate vehicle safety ratings.

Claude H. Harris,
Acting Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2014-11327 Filed 5-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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