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

This final rule sets forth requirements and procedures for the voluntary vehicle trade-in and purchase/lease program under the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009. This program helps consumers pay for a new, more fuel efficient car or truck from a participating dealer when they trade in a less fuel efficient car or truck. The rule establishes a process by which dealers can register in order to participate in the program and establishes the criteria this agency will use to determine which disposal facilities are eligible to receive and either crush or shred the trade-in vehicles. It also sets forth the criteria that trade-in vehicles and new vehicles must meet in order for purchases and leases to qualify for assistance under this program and establishes the requirements that must be met by consumers, dealers, disposal facilities and others. Finally, the rule sets forth enforcement procedures and provisions for punishing fraud and other violations of the program requirements.

NHTSA intends to establish a system of records under the Privacy Act of 1974 as part of its Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save program (CARS program), which implements the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 (CARS Act). The system of records will contain personally identifiable information (PII) about individual car purchasers/lessees and may contain PII about a limited number of sole proprietor automobile salvage auctions and disposal facilities participating in the CARS Program, which is a temporary program covering eligible automobile purchases/leases occurring between July 1, 2009 and November 1, 2009. The system of records is more thoroughly detailed below and in the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) that NHTSA will include in the docket for the CARS final rule at https:// www.regulations.gov, being published in the Federal Register on or about July 24, 2009 and on the DOT Privacy Web site at https:// www.dot.gov/privacy.

This document grants in full the Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.'s (MBUSA) petition for exemption of the SLK Class Line Chassis (SLK- Class) vehicle line in accordance with 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).

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 May 14, 2009 [FR Doc. 2009- 0096, Vol. 74, No. 92, Pages 22800-22801].

This final rule delays the compliance date of the sliding door provisions of a February 6, 2007 final rule, from September 1, 2009 to September 1, 2010. The February 6, 2007, final rule amended the Federal motor vehicle safety standard on door locks and door retention components to add and update requirements and test procedures and to harmonize with the world's first global technical regulation for motor vehicles. NHTSA received four petitions for reconsideration of that final rule, including two that requested a delay in the effective date of the sliding door provisions of the rule, and others which raised concerns about some of the new test requirements and procedures. To accommodate manufacturers' design and production cycles while allowing the agency more time to analyze the petitions in regards to other issues, the agency is delaying the compliance date of the sliding door provisions of S4.2.2 until September 1, 2010.

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 19, 2009 [FR Doc. 2009-0037, Vol. 74, No. 32, Pages 7737-7738].

The purpose of this request for comments is to solicit and acquire public comment on the NHTSA's ``Vehicle Safety Rulemaking and Research Priority Plan 2009-2011.'' The plan is not an exhaustive list. Only programs and projects that are priorities or will take significant agency resources are listed. Furthermore, NHTSA's enforcement, data collection, and analysis programsvital elements in achieving NHTSA's goalshave their own set of priorities that are not listed here. Each of these programs supports NHTSA's rulemaking and research priorities by providing necessary safety data, economic analysis, expertise on test procedures, and technical issues gleaned from enforcement experience. The plan is an internal management tool as well as a means to communicate to the public NHTSA's highest priorities to meet the Nation's motor vehicle safety challenges. Among them are programs and projects involving rollover crashes, children (both inside as well as just near vehicles), motorcoaches and fuel economy that must meet Congressional mandates or Secretarial commitments. NHTSA is also currently in the process of developing a longer-term motor vehicle safety strategic plan that would encompass the period 2012 to 2020., and will be announced in a separate Federal Register notice.

This final rule announces NHTSA's determination that there are no new model year (MY) 2010 light duty truck lines subject to the parts-marking requirements of the Federal motor vehicle theft prevention standard because they have been determined by the agency to be high-theft or because they have a majority of interchangeable parts with those of a passenger motor vehicle line. This final rule also identifies those vehicle lines that have been granted an exemption from the parts-marking requirements because the vehicles are equipped with antitheft devices determined to meet certain statutory criteria.

This final rule responds to petitions for reconsideration of a December 14, 2006 final rule establishing a new small adult female side impact crash test dummy, called the ``SID-IIs'' test dummy. The petitions were submitted by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, First Technology Safety Systems, and Denton ATD. In response to the petitions, among other things today's final rule modifies the iliac performance criteria to allow a new material formulation and design to be used for the iliac wing of the dummy's pelvis, defines a time period in which accelerations are measured in the thorax with arm and pelvis acetabulum tests, slightly modifies some of the test procedures used in the qualification tests (e.g., by slightly lowering the impact speed of the impactor in two tests and by increasing the recovery time for the pelvis-iliac and pelvis-acetabulum tests), adjusts the performance corridors for the various impact tests of the dummy, and revises parts of the drawing package and the user's manual for the dummy.

This document grants in full the Nissan North America, Inc.'s (Nissan) petition for an exemption of the Murano vehicle line in accordance with 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). Nissan requested confidential treatment for the information and attachments it submitted in support of its petition. The agency

On July 1, 2008, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) petitioned the agency to amend the existing bumper standard, to require compliance by light trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which NHTSA often refers to collectively as LTVs. The agency had already begun re-evaluating the bumper standard in anticipation of the vote on a Global Technical Regulation on pedestrian safety. NHTSA requests comments and information to assist the agency in determining whether to grant or deny the IIHS petition.

This joint Final Rule implements the E-911 grant program authorized under the Ensuring Needed Help Arrives Near Callers Employing 911 (ENHANCE 911) Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-494, codified at 47 U.S.C. 942). The Act authorizes grants for the implementation and operation of Phase II enhanced 911 services and for migration to an IP- enabled emergency network. To qualify for a grant, an applicant must submit a State 911 plan and project budget, designate an E-911 coordinator, and certify, among other things, that the State and other taxing jurisdictions within the State have not diverted E-911 charges for any other purpose within 180 days preceding the application date. This Final Rule establishes the requirements an applicant must meet and the procedures it must follow to receive an E-911 grant.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2006 Porsche Cayenne multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs) 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: (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 2006 Porsche Cayenne MPV manufactured prior to September 1, 2006), and (2) they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards.

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 March 24, 2009 [Volume 74, No. 55, Page 12455].

This notice announces that NHTSA will hold two compliance test program workshops to discuss and demonstrate the Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) Laboratory Test Procedures (TPs) for the agency's Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) No. 216a, Roof crush resistance, and 49 CFR part 537, Automotive Fuel Economy Reports, vehicle foot print determination. Vehicle manufacturers and other interested persons who wish to participate in either of the workshops are asked to pre-register (the number of attendees may need to be limited due to space constraints) and are invited to submit test procedure related technical issues to be considered for discussion during the workshops. Attendance requires registration and is free.

The 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 meeting of the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) to be held in Washington, DC area. This notice announces the date, time and location of the meeting, which will be open to the public.

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.

As part of a comprehensive plan for reducing the risk of rollover crashes and the risk of death and serious injury in those crashes, this final rule upgrades the agency's safety standard on roof crush resistance in several ways.

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 November 18, 2008 (73 FR 68495).

This document denies a petition for rulemaking submitted by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (the Alliance) requesting that the agency amend the provisions of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, ``Occupant crash protection,'' that apply to the selection of child restraint systems for testing advanced air bag systems. Among other things, the Alliance requested that the agency commit to amending the list of child restraints in Appendix A of FMVSS No. 208 every three years and allow manufacturers the option of certifying vehicles to any edition of Appendix A for five model years after the edition first becomes effective. We are denying these requests because they are not conducive to maintaining the appendix, do not ensure child restraints are representative of the current fleet for testing with advanced air bag systems, and are unnecessarily restrictive.

This notice announces the publication by NHTSA of an analysis of the costs to repair and maintain the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) and Underride Guard (URG) on heavy tractors and trailers. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 121 and 105 mandate antilock braking systems (ABS) on all air-braked vehicles and hydraulic-braked trucks and buses with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or greater. FMVSS Nos. 223 and 224 require underride guards (URG) meeting a strength test on trailers with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or greater.

This document grants in full the petition of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) for an exemption in accordance with Sec. 543.9(c)(2) of 49 CFR Part 543, Exemption from the Theft Prevention Standard, for the Porsche Panamera vehicle line beginning with model year (MY) 2010. 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.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NHTSA plans to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the agency's Corporate Average Fuel Economy program for passenger automobiles (referred to herein as ``passenger cars'') and nonpassenger automobiles (referred to herein as ``light trucks''). The EIS will consider the potential environmental impacts of new fuel economy standards for model year 2012-2016 passenger cars and light trucks that NHTSA will be proposing pursuant to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

The future of this country's economy, security, and environment are linked to one key challenge: energy. To reduce fuel consumption, NHTSA has been issuing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards since the late 1970's under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). However, the principal effects of these standards are broader than their statutory purpose. Reducing fuel consumption conserves petroleum, a non-renewable energy source, saves consumers money, and promotes energy independence and security by reducing dependence on foreign oil. It also directly reduces the motor vehicle tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the principal greenhouse gas emitted by motor vehicles.