National Highway Traffic Safety Administration March 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes one collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

This notice announces NHTSA's publication of a Technical Report reviewing and evaluating its existing Safety Standard 214, Side Impact Protection. The report's title is: An Evaluation of Side Impact ProtectionFMVSS 214 TTI(d) Improvements and Side Air Bags.

Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatements of previously approved collections. This document describes one collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

This document responds to a petition for rulemaking regarding Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) No. 119, Pneumatic Tires for Vehicles Other Than Passenger Cars. Pacific Coast Retreaders (PCR), a distributor of new truck tires that are manufactured in China, petitioned the agency on February 1, 2006, to amend FMVSS No. 119, paragraph S5.1, Tire and rim matching information (b). Specifically, PCR petitioned the agency to accept tire load rating data for two bias ply truck tire sizes, 10-20 and 11-22.5, from the Chinese tire standardization organization Guo Biao 9744-1997 (GB 9744). NHTSA has determined that this petition is moot with regard to the 10-20 size tires because the maximum load rating labeled on these tires, in the single and dual wheel configurations, meets the requirements of FMVSS No. 119. With regard to the 11-22.5 size tires, the agency denies the request by the petitioner that FMVSS No. 119, paragraph S5.1(b) be amended to include the GB 9744 maximum load rating for this single tire size. The agency does not consider amending the standard to include the specifications of a tire standardization organization for one tire size.

This notice announces the Sixteenth Public Meeting of members of the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network. CIREN is a collaborative effort to conduct research on crashes and injuries at eight Level 1 Trauma Centers across the United States linked by a computer network. Researchers can review data and share expertise, which may lead to a better understanding of crash injury mechanisms and the design of safer vehicles. Eight presentations on current research based on CIREN cases will be presented. The agenda will be posted to the CIREN Web site https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-50/ ciren/CIREN.html three weeks prior to the meeting.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2004 Volkswagen Passat sedan and wagon model passenger cars that were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States because (1) they are substantially similar to vehicles that were originally manufactured for importation into and sale in the United States and that were certified by their manufacturer as complying with the safety standards, and (2) they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards.