National Highway Traffic Safety Administration March 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice revises Model Specifications for Screening Devices to Measure Alcohol in Bodily Fluids (Model Specifications) published in the Federal Register on August 2, 1994 (59 FR 39382). These devices test for the presence of alcohol using breath or bodily fluids such as saliva. The Model Specifications support State laws that target youthful offenders (i.e., ``zero tolerance'' laws) and the Department of Transportation's regulations on Alcohol Misuse Prevention, and encourage industry efforts to develop new technologies (e.g., non- breath devices) that measure alcohol content from bodily fluids. This notice removed testing of Interpretive Screening Devices (ISDs) and use of the Breath Alcohol Sample Simulator (BASS) device from the Model Specifications. The ISDs did not provide an unambiguous test result, as test results for ISDs are subjective and require interpretation by a test administrator or technician. Because the agency has determined the BASS device is not necessary for inclusion in the Model Specifications, this notice removes all references to the BASS device. Additionally, in order to ensure product integrity, this notice provides guidelines for retesting devices when manufacturers contemplate changes, revisions, or upgrades to alcohol screening devices on the Conforming Products List (CPL). These revisions to the Model Specifications will not affect devices currently listed on the CPL.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe multipurpose passenger vehicles 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 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.

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 a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on January 22, 2008 (73 FR. 3799).

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on January 22, 2008, Volume 73, Number 14, Page Numbers 3800 and 3801. This document describes two collections of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

This document announces decisions by NHTSA that certain motor vehicles not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States because they are substantially similar to vehicles originally manufactured for importation into and/or sale in the United States and certified by their manufacturers as complying with the safety standards, and they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards or because they have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all applicable FMVSS.

This notice announces publication by NHTSA of the 2008 text and data for the annual insurance cost information booklet that all car dealers must make available to prospective purchasers, pursuant to 49 CFR 582.4. This information is intended to assist prospective purchasers in comparing differences in passenger vehicle collision loss experience that could affect auto insurance costs.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted regarding the Petitions for Exemption from the Theft Prevention Standard below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on October 2, 2007 (72 FR 56130). The agency received no comments.

This document publishes the final data on thefts of model year (MY) 2005 passenger motor vehicles that occurred in calendar year (CY) 2005. The final 2005 theft data indicate an increase in the vehicle theft rate experienced in CY/MY 2005. The final theft rate for MY 2005 passenger vehicles stolen in calendar year 2005 (1.85 thefts per thousand vehicles) increased by 1.1 percent from the theft rate for CY/ MY 2004 (1.83 thefts per thousand vehicles) when compared to the theft rate experienced in CY/MY 2004. As explained in this notice, NHTSA is not concerned at this time about this minor increase. Publication of these data fulfills NHTSA's statutory obligation to periodically obtain accurate and timely theft data and publish the information for review and comment.

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 (PRA), 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 or which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2006 and 2007 Subaru Forester 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 sale in the United States and that were certified by their manufacturer as complying with the safety standards (the U.S.-certified version of the 2006 and 2007 Subaru Forester passenger car), and (2) they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards.

During the NHTSA-led Human Factors Forum on Advanced Vehicle Safety Technologies in early 2007, participants from the automobile industry, government, and academia gathered to discuss the research necessary to ensure that future design and operation of these technologies are developed with an understanding of the driver's ability to use them. Underlying this objective is a requirement to have techniques and metrics to quantify how well drivers can use and benefit from the technologies. Without common, reliable, and safety-related metrics, it is difficult to develop, evaluate, and compare different systems as well as to determine the impact of non-standardized warning interfaces. To address this issue, NHTSA is initiating a program to develop a set of standard metrics and test procedures to assess the Driver- Vehicle Interface (DVI) of Advanced Crash Warning Systems (ACWS). ACWS are technologies to assist drivers who may be unaware of impending collisions by alerting them of potential threats. Examples include forward collision warnings, lane departure warnings, and road departure warnings. The DVI is the means by which ACWS communicate with drivers to help them avoid a threat. In order for ACWS to achieve their intended safety benefits, drivers need to be able to quickly understand the ACWS threat information and respond appropriately without confusion. The warning timing, reliability, warning modes, device controls, and displays are examples of the DVI characteristics that can affect the ability of drivers to achieve the intended safety benefits without possible adverse consequences. Crash Warning Interface Metrics (CWIM) are derived from tests of drivers' performance using ACWS, indicating the compatibility of the DVI with drivers' capabilities and needs. This notice invites comments, suggestions, and recommendations from all individuals and organizations that have an interest in the development and use of Crash Warning Interface Metrics. NHTSA requests comments to assist the agency in identifying, evaluating, and selecting CWIM and associated test methods for assessing the role of the DVI in influencing driver performance with ACWS.