National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2011 – 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 reinstatements of previously approved collections. This document describes the collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

In accordance with the procedures in 49 CFR Part 555, Tesla Motors, Inc., has petitioned the agency for renewal of a temporary exemption from certain advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208. The basis for the application is that the petitioner avers that compliance would cause it substantial economic hardship and that it has tried in good faith to comply with the standard.\1\ This notice of receipt of an application for renewal of temporary exemptions is published in accordance with statutory and administrative provisions. NHTSA has made no judgment on the merits of the application.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2007 Dodge Durango multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPV) manufactured for the Mexican market (Mexican market 2007 Dodge Durango MPV), 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 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 2007 Dodge Durango MPV,) and they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards.

This document corrects or makes minor changes to some of the drawings incorporated by reference into NHTSA regulations by a final rule published on June 16, 2008, concerning a 50th percentile adult male side crash test dummy called the ``ES-2re'' test dummy. The corrections and adjustments to the drawings respond to requests from test dummy manufacturers First Technology Safety Systems (FTSS) and Denton ATD (Denton). This final rule also corrects dimensional errors in a figure which depicts the pendulum used in the neck qualification tests of several of the crash test dummies, including the Hybrid III and ES-2re test dummies.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS class passenger cars manufactured prior to September 1, 2006, 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 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 Mercedes-Benz CLS class passenger cars manufactured prior to September 1, 2006,) and they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards. DATE: The closing date for comments on the petition is June 24, 2011.

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 February 4, 2011 (76 FR 6514). The agency received no comments.

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 September 3, 2010, at 75 FR 54217.

This final rule amends the Federal motor vehicle safety standard that specifies performance requirements for motorcycle helmets to reduce traumatic brain injury and other types of head injury. Some of the amendments will help to increase the benefits of that standard by making it easier for State and local law enforcement officials to enforce State laws requiring the use of helmets meeting that standard. Some motorcyclists use noncompliant helmets known as novelty helmets. These helmets are not certified to the agency's helmet standard and have been shown in testing to fail all or almost all of the safety performance requirements in that standard. Some novelty helmet users attempt to make their helmets appear to law enforcement agencies and the courts to be compliant by misleadingly attaching labels that have the appearance of legitimate ``DOT'' certification labels. This final rule revises the existing requirements for the ``DOT'' certification label and other labels and adds new requirements to make it more difficult to label novelty helmets misleadingly. The other amendments will aid NHTSA in enforcing the standard by setting reasonable tolerances for certain test conditions, devices and procedures. Specifically, this final rule sets a quasi-static load application rate for the helmet retention system; revises the impact attenuation test by specifying test velocity and tolerance limits and removing the drop height test specification; provides tolerances for the helmet conditioning specifications and drop assembly weights; and revises requirements related to size labeling and location of the DOT symbol.

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 soliciting public comment on the ICR, with a 60-day comment period was published on February 25, 2011, at 76 FR 10635.

In this technical amendment, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) updates the address for submission, and the procedure to submit designation of target areas on high theft major parts of motor vehicles. E-mail is now included as a means to submit the target area designations. Under the Theft Prevention Standard, manufacturers of high theft passenger motor vehicle lines subject to parts marking, and manufacturers of replacement parts designed for high theft lines, must submit designation of target areas for identifying numbers to be marked on each major part and symbols to be marked on each major replacement part. This rulemaking makes no substantive changes to the Theft Prevention Standard.

This document denies, in part, the petitions for reconsideration of the December 4, 2007, final rule reorganizing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108 (49 CFR 571.108). The petitions are denied only as they relate to subpart S6.6.3 (License Plate Holder) of the final rule.

The Secretary of Transportation announces the renewal of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council to provide advice and recommendations regarding emergency medical services (EMS) matters to the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and through NHTSA to the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services. The NHTSA's Office of EMS serves as sponsor of the Advisory Council for the Secretary. The purpose of this notice is to inform interested parties of the renewal of NEMSAC.

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 February 4, 2011 (76 FR 6513).

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 February 4, 2011 (76 FR 6515).

This document proposes to amend appendices to NHTSA regulations on Insurer Reporting Requirements. The appendices list those passenger motor vehicle insurers that are required to file reports on their motor vehicle theft loss experiences. An insurer included in any of these appendices would be required to file three copies of its report for the 2008 calendar year before October 25, 2011. If the passenger motor vehicle insurers remain listed, they must submit reports by each subsequent October 25. We are proposing to add and remove several insurers from relevant appendices.

In accordance with the procedures in 49 CFR Part 555, Spyker Automobielen B.V. (Spyker) has applied for an extension of a previously granted temporary exemption from certain advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection, for its C line of vehicles. The basis of the application is that compliance would cause substantial economic hardship to a manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard. NHTSA is publishing this notice of receipt of the application in accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 30113(b)(2), and has made no judgment on the merits of the application.

This document announces the availability of the Final NHTSA Vehicle Safety and Fuel Economy Rulemaking and Research Priority Plan 2011-2013 (Priority Plan) in Docket No. NHTSA-2009-0108. This Priority Plan is an update to the Final Vehicle Safety Rulemaking and Research Priority Plan 2009-2011 (October 2009 Plan) that was announced in the November 9, 2009, edition of the Federal Register.

NHTSA is issuing a correction to its announcement of a teleconference meeting of the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) to be held as a stakeholder input call-in session to receive input regarding the current and future role of the Federal Government in EMS and options for establishing or designating a Federal lead office for EMS. This notice announces the date and time of the meeting and clarifies the time zone, which will be open to the public, as well as call-in information.

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 September 3, 2010 [FR Doc. 2010-22008].

This document grants in full the Ford Motor Company's (Ford) petition for an exemption of the C-MAX vehicle line in accordance with Sec. 543.9(c)(2) of 49 CFR part 543, Exemption from the Theft Prevention Standard. This petition is granted because the agency has determined that the antitheft device to be placed on the line as standard equipment is likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking requirements of the Theft Prevention Standard (49 CFR part 541). Ford requested confidential treatment for an attachment it submitted in support of its petition. The agency has addressed Ford's request for confidential treatment by letter dated March 1, 2011.

This document responds to a petition for reconsideration of a final rule that upgraded the agency's safety standard on roof crush resistance. The petition was submitted by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA). After carefully considering the petition, we are denying it.

NHTSA announces a meeting of NEMSAC to be held in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area. This notice announces the date, time and location of the meeting, which will be open to the public. The purpose of NEMSAC is to provide a nationally recognized council of emergency medical services representatives and consumers to provide advice and recommendations regarding Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to the U.S. DOT's NHTSA.

NHTSA announces a teleconference meeting of the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) to be held as a stakeholder input call-in session to receive input regarding the current and future role of the Federal government in EMS and options for establishing or designating a Federal lead office for EMS. This notice announces the date and time of the meeting, which will be open to the public, as well as call-in information.