Department of Transportation April 12, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA invites public comment on its plan to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to collect information on new forms entitled ``Carrier Contact Information Sheets.'' The information will be collected from United States and Canada-based motor carriers through the use forms, and used by FMCSA Safety Auditors and Safety Investigators to prepare in advance for Compliance Reviews (CRs) and New Entrant Program Safety Audits (NEPSAs); Pre-authority Safety Audits (PASAs) and CRs of certain Mexico-domiciled motor carriers; and NEPSAs and CRs of Non-North American motor carriers. FMCSA conducts CRs to determine motor carrier compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and other regulations overseen by FMCSA. In accordance with section 350 of the 2002 DOT Appropriations Act and the Agency's regulations, all Mexico-domiciled long-haul carriers must successfully complete a PASA before receiving authority to operate in the United States and must receive a CR within their first 18 months of operations in the United States. All other motor carriers receive CRs to determine their safety fitness. FMCSA conducts NEPSAs in accordance with section 210 of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999, which requires safety reviews of all new entrants during their first 18 months of operations. The information collected from motor carriers will be used to assist safety investigators to become familiar with the motor carrier's operation prior to visiting the carrier's place of business. The information collected will include, but is not limited to, company information and contact persons, business type, insurance, type of cargo transported, vehicle and driver information and controlled substance testing information. Additional information will be collected from carriers who transport hazardous materials, household goods, and passengers or are domiciled in Mexico. This notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This document responds to two petitions for reconsideration of our September 2004 final rule amending the Federal motor vehicle safety standard for power-operated windows, partitions, and roof panel systems. The amendments required that switches for these windows and other items in new motor vehicles be resistant to accidental actuation that causes those items to begin to close. The purpose of the amendments was to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities to people, especially children, that occur when they unintentionally close the power-operated items on themselves by accidentally leaning against or kneeling or standing on the switch or when other occupants accidentally actuate the switch in that manner. The petitions for reconsideration requested that the agency adopt additional amendments. The petitions are granted in part and denied in part. In responding to the petitions' request to require ``pull-up-to- close'' power window switches, we are simultaneously implementing a congressional mandate to require such switches. In addition, through this document, we are amending the standard to make a number of technical amendments.