National Highway Traffic Safety Administration December 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of a currently approved information collection. Before a Federal agency may collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from 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 a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval to allow NHTSA to continue to conduct research on the development of a driver alcohol detection system. NHTSA is seeking an extension of the information collection, titled ``Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Field Operational Test'' (OMB Control Number 2127-0734), which is currently approved through March 31, 2022. The extension is necessary to complete data collection that was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. The burden hour and cost calculations have been adjusted to reflect only the remaining data collection, adjustments for recruitment based on current experience, and adjustments in participation based on current experience.

NHTSA is issuing this final rule to establish Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 227, ``Bus rollover structural integrity,'' to enhance the rollover structural integrity of over-the- road buses (motorcoaches), and other buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 11,793 kilograms (kg) (26,000 pounds (lb)). This final rule, issued pursuant to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), requires the buses to provide a ``survival space'' in a rollover test to protect occupants from possible collapse of the bus structure around them. In addition, to reduce the likelihood of ejection, this final rule prohibits emergency exits from opening in the rollover test. This final rule ensures that bus roofs and side wall panels will resist deformation and intrusion into the occupant space in rollover crashes, and reduces the risk of emergency exits becoming ejection portals in a crash.

This notice announces that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will hold a workshop to present three new compliance reporting templates for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Program. The workshop will provide a demonstration of the use of the templates which automobile manufacturers will use to provide NHTSA required compliance data. Vehicle manufacturers and other interested parties who wish to attend the workshops are asked to pre-register (the workshop will be held virtually) and are invited to submit reporting questions and credit related technical issues to be considered for discussion during the workshops. Attendance requires electronic registration and confirmation in advance and is free.