National Highway Traffic Safety Administration November 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 402 of title 23 of the United States Code requires the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate uniform guidelines for State highway safety programs. This notice revises five of the existing guidelines and adds a new one to reflect program methodologies and approaches that have proven to be successful and are based on sound science and program administration. The revised guidelines are Guideline No. 1 Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection, Guideline No. 2 Motor Vehicle Registration, Guideline No. 6 Codes and Laws, Guideline No. 16 Management of Highway Incidents (formerly Debris Hazard Control and Cleanup), and Guideline No. 18 Motor Vehicle Crash Investigation and Incident Reporting (formerly Accident Investigation and Reporting). The new guideline is No. 13 Older Driver Safety.

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.

Foreign Tire Sales, Inc. (FTS), as importer for ProMeter brand medium truck radial replacement tires manufactured by Shandlong Linglong Rubber Company Limited, has determined that certain replacement tires manufactured during the period between the 15th week of 2008 and 22nd week of 2009 do not fully comply with paragraph S6.5(d) of 49 CFR 571.119, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 119, New Pneumatic Tires for Motor Vehicles With a GVWR of More than 4,536 Kilograms (10,000 pounds) and Motorcycles. FTS has filed an appropriate report dated June 11, 2009, pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

Combi USA, Inc., (Combi),\1\ has determined that certain model child restraint systems manufactured between 2007 and 2012 do not fully comply with paragraph 5.4.1.2(a) of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213, Child Restraint Systems. (49 CFR 571.213). Combi has filed an appropriate report dated June 9, 2013, pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

Ford Motor Company \1\ (Ford), has determined that certain model year 2012 Ford Focus model passenger cars manufactured between May 12, 2011 and May 18, 2011, do not fully comply with the requirements of S5.2.1 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, Controls and Displays and the requirements of S5.5.5 of FMVSS No. 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems. Ford has filed an appropriate report pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports, dated July 7, 2011.

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 completes the agency's response to petitions for reconsideration of an October 2008 final rule that amended the definition of the term, ``designated seating position,'' as used in the Federal motor vehicle safety standards, to facilitate the determination of which areas within the interior of a vehicle meet that definition. The final rule made the new definition applicable to vehicles manufactured on and after September 1, 2010. Previously, the agency granted petitions requesting one year of additional lead time until the new definition became applicable, removal the portion of the regulatory text stating that State tort law requirements are preempted, and technical corrections. This final rule addresses the remaining issues raised in the petitions for reconsideration and makes clarifying changes to the manner in which designated seating positions are measured. We are also including technical corrections addressing side- facing seats and longer seating surfaces.

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 collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on April 3, 2013 [78 FR 20172]. No comments were received. This document describes the collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval. The collection of information described is the ``Make Inoperative Exemptions49 CFR Part 595.'' (OMB Control Number: 2127-0635)

The Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (UTQGS) contain detailed testing procedures for generating consumer information about the treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance of passenger car tires. To ensure the uniformity of treadwear grades, the grading procedures specify a 400-mile test course located near San Angelo, Texas. Two or four-vehicle convoys equipped with candidate tires travel along this course to evaluate the tire treadwear performance. Because flooding is currently affecting several water crossings along a portion of the test course, NHTSA is issuing this interim final rule to add an alternate treadwear test course route to avoid the inaccessible portions of the course. This change will not compromise the reliability of the treadwear grades, and will not impose or relax any substantive requirements or burdens on manufacturers. Although the addition of the alternative course route is effective immediately, in order to benefit from comments which interested parties and the public may have, the agency is requesting that comments be submitted to the docket for this rule. Following the close of the comment period, the agency will publish a document responding to the comments and, if appropriate, the agency will amend the provisions of this rule.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2011-2012 BMW S1000RR Motorcycles 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.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2012 Ahlm SBT 16-25 trailers 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 have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all such standards.

General Motors, LLC (GM) has determined that certain model year 2013 Cadillac XTS passenger cars do not fully comply with paragraph S9.1.1 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. GM has filed an appropriate report dated May 16, 2013, pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.