5660 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 

complies with all other applicable 

Federal motor vehicle safety standards. 

In consideration of the foregoing, it is 

hereby found that compliance with the 

requirements of Paragraph S.7 of 49 CFR 

571.208, Lamps, reflective devices, and 

associated equipment; and 49 CFR part 

581 Bumper Standard would cause 

substantial economic hardship to a 

manufacturer that has tried in good faith 

to comply with the standard. It is 

further found that the granting of an 

exemption would be in the public 

interest and consistent with the 

objectives of traffic safety. 

In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 

30113(b)(3)(B)(i), Lotus is granted 

NHTSA Temporary Exemption No. EX 

03–4, from Paragraph S.7 of 49 CFR 

571.208, Lamps, reflective devices, and 

associated equipment; and 49 CFR part 

581 Bumper Standard. The exemption 

shall remain in effect until January 1, 

2007.

(49 U.S.C. 30113; delegation of authority at 

49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

George Feygin in the Office of Chief 

Counsel, NCC–112, (Phone: 202–366–

2992; Fax 202–366–3820; e-Mail: 

George.Feygin@nhtsa.dot.gov).

Issued on: February 2, 2004. 

Jeffrey W. Runge, 

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 04–2517 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2004–16996] 

Results of the Survey on the Use of 

Passenger Air Bag On-Off Switches; 

Technical Report

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Request for comments on 

technical report. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces 

NHTSA’s publication of a technical 

report describing the use of passenger 

air bag on-off switches in pickup trucks. 

The report’s title is Results of the 

Survey on the Use of Passenger Air Bag 

On-Off Switches.

DATES: Comments must be received no 

later than June 4, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Report: The report is 

available on the Internet for viewing on 

line in HTML format at http://

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/regrev/

Evaluate/AirBagOnOffSurvey/

index.html and in PDF format at

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/

regrev/Evaluate/AirBagOnOffSurvey/

images/809 689.pdf. You may also 

obtain a copy of the report free of charge 

by sending a self-addressed mailing 

label to Christina Morgan (NPO–321), 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration, 400 Seventh Street, 

SW., Washington, DC 20590. 

Comments: You may submit 

comments [identified by DOT DMS 

Docket Number NHTSA–2004–16996] 

by any of the following methods: 

• Web site: http://dms.dot.gov.

Follow the instructions for submitting 

comments on the DOT electronic docket 

site. 

• Fax: 1–202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility; 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, 

Room PL–401, Washington, DC 20590–

001. 

• Hand Delivery: Room PL–401 on 

the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 

DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal 

Holidays. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

You may call Docket Management at 

202–366–9324 and visit the Docket from 

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christina Morgan, Evaluation Division, 

NPO–321, Office of Planning, 

Evaluation and Budget, National 

Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 

Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 

202–366–2562. Fax: 202–366–2559. Email: tmorgan@nhtsa.dot.gov.

For information about NHTSA’s 

evaluations of the effectiveness of 

existing regulations and programs: Visit 

the NHTSA Web site at http://

www.nhtsa.dot.gov and click 

‘‘Regulations & Standards’’ underneath 

‘‘Car Safety’’ on the home page; then 

click ‘‘Regulatory Evaluation’’ on the 

‘‘Regulations & Standards’’ page.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

technical report includes the results of 

a survey conducted by NHTSA to 

investigate how pickup truck drivers are 

using the passenger air bag on-off 

switches. On-off switches have been 

standard equipment in most pickup 

trucks since 1998. They enable a driver 

to turn off the air bag and prevent harm 

to a child passenger, but turn it on to 

protect an adult passenger. How often 

were the switches turned off for child 

passengers and how often were they 

turned on for adult passengers? The 

survey was conducted from July to 

November 2000 in four States—

California, Georgia, Michigan, and 

Texas.

On the whole, the switches have been 

a necessary and a fairly successful 

interim measure that made it possible to 

offer life-saving air bags to adult 

passengers in pickup trucks without 

back seats, while allowing the 

opportunity to protect infants and 

children from the hazards of air bags 

when they must ride in the front seats 

of those vehicles. Nevertheless, the 

survey shows many of the air bags are 

being left on for children and turned off 

for adults. Drivers with children in rearfacing child safety seats achieved the 

highest rate of correct use of the air bag 

switch—86 percent. Forty-eight percent 

of the air bags were left on when only 

child passengers 1–12 years old were in 

the front seat, potentially exposing these 

children to a deployment. There is also 

a problem when drivers ride with only 

adult passengers (age 13 and older). 

While 83 percent of the switches were 

on, as they should be, 17 percent were 

switched off. 

How Can I Influence NHTSA’s 

Thinking on This Subject? 

NHTSA welcomes public review of 

the technical report and invites 

reviewers to submit comments about the 

data and the statistical methods used in 

the analyses. NHTSA will submit to the 

Docket a response to the comments and, 

if appropriate, additional analyses that 

supplement or revise the technical 

report. 

How Do I Prepare and Submit 

Comments? 

Your comments must be written and 

in English. To ensure that your 

comments are correctly filed in the 

Docket, please include the Docket 

number of this document (NHTSA–

2004–16996) in your comments. 

Your primary comments must not be 

more than 15 pages long (49 CFR 

553.21). However, you may attach 

additional documents to your primary 

comments. There is no limit on the 

length of the attachments. 

Please send two paper copies of your 

comments to Docket Management, 

submit them electronically, fax them, or 

use the Federal eRulemaking Portal. The 

mailing address is U.S. Department of 

Transportation Docket Management, 

Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20590. If you submit 

your comments electronically, log onto 

the Dockets Management System Web 

site at http://dms.dot.gov and click on 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 5661

‘‘Help & Information’’ or ‘‘Help/Info’’ to 

obtain instructions. The fax number is 

1–202–493–2251. To use the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal, go to http://

www.regulations.gov and follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

We also request, but do not require 

you to send a copy to Christina Morgan, 

Evaluation Division, NPO–321, National 

Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 

Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20590 (alternatively, 

Fax to 202–366–2559 or e-mail to 

tmorgan@nhtsa.dot.gov). She can check 

if your comments have been received at 

the Docket and she can expedite their 

review by NHTSA. 

How Can I Be Sure That My Comments 

Were Received? 

If you wish Docket Management to 

notify you upon its receipt of your 

comments, enclose a self-addressed, 

stamped postcard in the envelope 

containing your comments. Upon 

receiving your comments, Docket 

Management will return the postcard by 

mail. 

How Do I Submit Confidential Business 

Information? 

If you wish to submit any information 

under a claim of confidentiality, send 

three copies of your complete 

submission, including the information 

you claim to be confidential business 

information, to the Chief Counsel, NCC–

01, National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration, Room 5219, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20590. Include a cover letter supplying 

the information specified in our 

confidential business information 

regulation (49 CFR part 512). 

In addition, send two copies from 

which you have deleted the claimed 

confidential business information to 

Docket Management, Room PL–401, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20590, or submit them electronically. 

Will the Agency Consider Late 

Comments? 

In our response, we will consider all 

comments that Docket Management 

receives before the close of business on 

the comment closing date indicated 

above under DATES. To the extent 

possible, we will also consider 

comments that Docket Management 

receives after that date. 

Please note that even after the 

comment closing date, we will continue 

to file relevant information in the 

Docket as it becomes available. Further, 

some people may submit late comments. 

Accordingly, we recommend that you 

periodically check the Docket for new 

material. 

How Can I Read the Comments 

Submitted by Other People? 

You may read the comments by 

visiting Docket Management in person 

at Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, 

SW., Washington, DC from 10 a.m. to 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday. 

You may also see the comments on 

the Internet by taking the following 

steps: 

A. Go to the Docket Management 

System (DMS) Web page of the 

Department of Transportation (http://

dms.dot.gov). 

B. On that page, click on ‘‘search.’’

C. On the next page (http://

dms.dot.gov/search) type in the fivedigit Docket number shown at the 

beginning of this Notice (16996). Click 

on ‘‘search.’’

D. On the next page, which contains 

Docket summary information for the 

Docket you selected, click on the 

desired comments. You may also 

download the comments.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30168; 

delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 

501.8.

James Simons, 

Director of the Office of Regulatory Analysis 

and Evaluation.

[FR Doc. 04–2326 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs 

Administration 

[Docket 98–4957; Notice] 

Extension of Existing Information 

Collection: Comment Request

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs 

Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for public 

comments and OMB approval. 

SUMMARY: This notice requests public 

participation in the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

approval process regarding an extension 

of an existing RSPA collection of 

information. RSPA published its intent 

to request OMB approval of information 

collection 2137–0596, National Pipeline 

Mapping Program under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR Part 

1320 on November 12, 2003 (68 FR 

64188–9). No comments were received. 

The public has an additional 

opportunity to provide comments.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received on or before March 8, 2004, to 

be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to send comments directly to: 

Office of Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget, 726 Jackson 

Place, NW., Washington, DC 20503, 

ATTN: Desk Officer for Department of 

Transportation. Please identify the 

docket and notice numbers shown in 

the heading of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Marvin Fell, (202) 366–6205, to ask 

questions about this notice; or write by 

e-mail to marvin.fell@rspa.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: National Pipeline Mapping 

System Program. 

Type of Request: Extension of existing 

information collection. 

Abstract: The Department of 

Transportation (DOT) along with other 

Federal and state agencies has been 

working side by side with natural gas 

and hazardous liquid operators to 

develop a national pipeline mapping 

system (NPMS). This system depicts 

and provides data on the entire United 

States natural gas transmission and 

hazardous liquid pipeline system 

operating in the United States. The 

Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 

2002, promulgated on December 17, 

2002, requires that all transmission 

pipeline operators provide maps of their 

pipelines. Additionally, it requires 

updates when ownership or operation of 

these lines change. 

Estimate of Burden: 1 hour per mile. 

Respondents: Gas transmission and 

hazardous liquid operators. 

Estimated Number of Respondents:

900. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 157,112 hours. 

This document can be reviewed 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday 

through Friday excluding Federal 

holidays at the Dockets Facility, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Room 

PL–401, 400 Seventh St., SW., 

Washington, DC 20590. 

Comments Are Invited On: (a) The 

need for the proposed collection of 

information for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques.