Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From SmartDrive Systems, Inc., 60942-60943 [2018-25825]

Download as PDF 60942 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 27, 2018 / Notices comment from all interested persons on the exemption petitions described in this notice. We will consider all comments received before the close of business on the closing date indicated in the dates section of the notice. Issued on: November 20, 2018. Larry W. Minor, Associate Administrator for Policy. [FR Doc. 2018–25843 Filed 11–26–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [Docket No. FMCSA–2018–0321] Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From SmartDrive Systems, Inc. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of application for exemption; request for comments. AGENCY: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requests public comment on an application for exemption from SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (SmartDrive) to allow an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) camera to be mounted lower in the windshield than is currently permitted. Mounting the camera in this location does not meet the driver’s field of view requirements for windshields. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) require devices meeting the definition of ‘‘vehicle safety technology’’ to be mounted not more than 4 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, or not more than 7 inches above the lower edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. Because the ADAS camera would be mounted outside of the driver’s normal sight lines to the road ahead, highway signs, signals or any mirrors, SmartDrive believes that they will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption. DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 27, 2018. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments bearing the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Docket ID FMCSA– 2018–0321 using any of the following methods: • Website: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:45 Nov 26, 2018 Jkt 247001 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– 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: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy. Public Participation: The https:// www.regulations.gov website is generally available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You may find electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the ‘‘help’’ section of the https://www.regulations.gov website as well as the DOT’s https:// docketsinfo.dot.gov website. If you would like notification that we received your comments, please include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgment page that appears after submitting comments online. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Luke W. Loy, Vehicle and Roadside Operations Division, Office of Carrier, Driver, and Vehicle Safety, MC–PSV, (202) 366–0676, Luke.Loy@dot.gov, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590– 0001. PO 00000 Frm 00122 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background FMCSA has authority to grant exemptions from some of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). Under 49 CFR part 381, 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(a)). 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 specify the effective period of the exemption (up to 5 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)). SmartDrive’s Application for Exemption SmartDrive has applied for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.60(e)(1) to allow an ADAS camera to be mounted lower in the windshield than is currently permitted. A copy of the application is included in the docket referenced at the beginning of this notice. Section 393.60(e)(1)(i) of the FMCSRs prohibits the obstruction of the driver’s field of view by devices mounted at the top of the windshield. Antennas and similar devices must not be mounted more than 152 mm (6 inches) below the upper edge of the windshield, and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. Section 393.60(e)(1)(i) does not apply to vehicle safety technologies, as defined in 390.5, including ‘‘a fleet-related incident management system, performance or behavior management system, speed management system, lane departure warning system, forward collision warning or mitigation system, active cruise control system, and transponder.’’ Section 393.60(e)(1)(ii) E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 27, 2018 / Notices requires devices with vehicle safety technologies to be mounted (1) not more than 100 mm (4 inches) below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers or (2) not more than 175 mm (7 inches) above the lower edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. In its application, SmartDrive states: SmartDrive is making this request so that it becomes possible to introduce Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to our current vehicle safety platform. These new ADAS capabilities include forward collision warnings, short following distance warnings, lane detection and departure warnings, and active monitoring with real-time driver feedback. This system operates like many other similar systems for which FMCSA has granted exemptions. ADAS requires that a camera be mounted to the upper center area of the windshield in an area where the windshield is swept by the windshield wipers to provide a clear view to the lane markings on the road and other objects in front of the vehicle. This exemption will accommodate the ADAS camera and housing which is an integral part of our next-generation comprehensive vehicle safety system. The camera housing is approximately 3.71 inches wide (94MM) by 5.2 inches tall (132MM) and will be mounted in the approximate center of the windshield with the bottom edge of the camera housing approximately 8 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers. The camera is mounted outside of the drivers and passenger’s normal sight lines to the road ahead, signs, signals, and mirrors. This location will allow for the optimal functionality of the advanced safety systems supported by the camera. SmartDrive has piloted the ADAS camera and functionality and found that all drivers and passengers agreed that there was no noticeable obstruction to the normal sight lines to the road ahead, highway signs, signals or any mirrors. amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 The exemption would apply to all CMV operators utilizing SmartDrive ADAS camera systems. SmartDrive’s believes that the installation of the ADAS systems camera within 8 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption. Request for Comments In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), FMCSA requests public comment from all interested persons on SmartDrive application for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.60(e)(1). All comments received before the close of business on the comment closing date indicated at the beginning of this notice VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:45 Nov 26, 2018 Jkt 247001 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: November 20, 2018. Larry W. Minor, Associate Administrator for Policy. [FR Doc. 2018–25825 Filed 11–26–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [Docket No. FMCSA–2018–0331] Hours of Service of Drivers: National Mobile Shower and Catering Association; Application for Exemption Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of application for exemption; request for comments. AGENCY: FMCSA announces that it has received an application for exemption from the National Mobile Shower and Catering Association (NMSCA) from various provisions of the Federal hoursof-service (HOS) rules for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The NMSCA requests an exemption to allow their member companies operating under a ‘‘Resource Order’’ to: (1) Extend the 14-hour duty period to no more than 16 hours; (2) not include ‘‘waiting time’’ while not performing duties in the calculation of the 16-hour duty period; (3) not comply with the minimum 30minute rest break provision; (4) extend the maximum 60 hours on duty in any 7-day period to 80 hours on duty in any 7-day period; (5) extend the 11 hours of driving time to 12 hours; and, (6) extend the ‘‘8 days in 30’’ exception in the electronic logging device (ELD) rule to ‘‘12 days in 30.’’ The requested exemption is made on behalf of those drivers employed by NMSCA member companies engaged in the transportation of equipment that provides food and water services to Federally-contracted forest firefighters and similar emergency workers who establish temporary base camps and have immediate need of food SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00123 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 60943 and water services near fire scenes. FMCSA requests public comment on the NMSCA application for exemption. DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 27, 2018. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Number FMCSA–2018–0331 by any of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. See the Public Participation and Request for Comments section below for further information. • Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001. • Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12– 140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. • Fax: 1–202–493–2251. Each submission must include the Agency name and the docket number for this notice. Note that DOT posts all comments received without change to www.regulations.gov, including any personal information included in a comment. Please see the Privacy Act heading below. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments, go to www.regulations.gov at any time or visit 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., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The on-line FDMS is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard Clemente, FMCSA Driver and Carrier Operations Division; Office of Carrier, Driver and Vehicle Safety Standards; Telephone: 202–366–2722. Email: MCPSD@dot.gov. If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, contact Docket Services, telephone (202) 366–9826. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Public Participation and Request for Comments FMCSA encourages you to participate by submitting comments and related materials. E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60942-60943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25825]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2018-0321]


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

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

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

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 
requests public comment on an application for exemption from SmartDrive 
Systems, Inc. (SmartDrive) to allow an Advanced Driver Assistance 
Systems (ADAS) camera to be mounted lower in the windshield than is 
currently permitted. Mounting the camera in this location does not meet 
the driver's field of view requirements for windshields. The Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) require devices meeting the 
definition of ``vehicle safety technology'' to be mounted not more than 
4 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield 
wipers, or not more than 7 inches above the lower edge of the area 
swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver's sight lines to 
the road and highway signs and signals. Because the ADAS camera would 
be mounted outside of the driver's normal sight lines to the road 
ahead, highway signs, signals or any mirrors, SmartDrive believes that 
they will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater 
than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 27, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments bearing the Federal Docket 
Management System (FDMS) Docket ID FMCSA-2018-0321 using any of the 
following methods:
     Website: 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-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: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits 
comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT 
posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information 
the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the 
system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.
    Public Participation: The https://www.regulations.gov website is 
generally available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You may find 
electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the 
``help'' section of the https://www.regulations.gov website as well as 
the DOT's https://docketsinfo.dot.gov website. If you would like 
notification that we received your comments, please include a self-
addressed, stamped envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgment 
page that appears after submitting comments online.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Luke W. Loy, Vehicle and Roadside 
Operations Division, Office of Carrier, Driver, and Vehicle Safety, MC-
PSV, (202) 366-0676, [email protected], Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    FMCSA has authority to grant exemptions from some of the Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). Under 49 CFR part 381, 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(a)).
    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 specify the effective 
period of the exemption (up to 5 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)).

SmartDrive's Application for Exemption

    SmartDrive has applied for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.60(e)(1) to 
allow an ADAS camera to be mounted lower in the windshield than is 
currently permitted. A copy of the application is included in the 
docket referenced at the beginning of this notice.
    Section 393.60(e)(1)(i) of the FMCSRs prohibits the obstruction of 
the driver's field of view by devices mounted at the top of the 
windshield. Antennas and similar devices must not be mounted more than 
152 mm (6 inches) below the upper edge of the windshield, and outside 
the driver's sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. 
Section 393.60(e)(1)(i) does not apply to vehicle safety technologies, 
as defined in 390.5, including ``a fleet-related incident management 
system, performance or behavior management system, speed management 
system, lane departure warning system, forward collision warning or 
mitigation system, active cruise control system, and transponder.'' 
Section 393.60(e)(1)(ii)

[[Page 60943]]

requires devices with vehicle safety technologies to be mounted (1) not 
more than 100 mm (4 inches) below the upper edge of the area swept by 
the windshield wipers or (2) not more than 175 mm (7 inches) above the 
lower edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the 
driver's sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals.
    In its application, SmartDrive states:

    SmartDrive is making this request so that it becomes possible to 
introduce Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to our current 
vehicle safety platform. These new ADAS capabilities include forward 
collision warnings, short following distance warnings, lane 
detection and departure warnings, and active monitoring with real-
time driver feedback.
    This system operates like many other similar systems for which 
FMCSA has granted exemptions. ADAS requires that a camera be mounted 
to the upper center area of the windshield in an area where the 
windshield is swept by the windshield wipers to provide a clear view 
to the lane markings on the road and other objects in front of the 
vehicle.
    This exemption will accommodate the ADAS camera and housing 
which is an integral part of our next-generation comprehensive 
vehicle safety system. The camera housing is approximately 3.71 
inches wide (94MM) by 5.2 inches tall (132MM) and will be mounted in 
the approximate center of the windshield with the bottom edge of the 
camera housing approximately 8 inches below the upper edge of the 
area swept by the windshield wipers. The camera is mounted outside 
of the drivers and passenger's normal sight lines to the road ahead, 
signs, signals, and mirrors. This location will allow for the 
optimal functionality of the advanced safety systems supported by 
the camera.
    SmartDrive has piloted the ADAS camera and functionality and 
found that all drivers and passengers agreed that there was no 
noticeable obstruction to the normal sight lines to the road ahead, 
highway signs, signals or any mirrors.

    The exemption would apply to all CMV operators utilizing SmartDrive 
ADAS camera systems. SmartDrive's believes that the installation of the 
ADAS systems camera within 8 inches below the upper edge of the area 
swept by the windshield wipers will maintain a level of safety that is 
equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without 
the exemption.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), FMCSA requests 
public comment from all interested persons on SmartDrive application 
for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.60(e)(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: November 20, 2018.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-25825 Filed 11-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.