54152 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 200 / Friday, October 17, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. 97–057–NO1]

Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping

Requirements

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Request for public comment on

proposed collections of information.

SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can

collect certain information from the

public, it must receive approval from

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB). Under new 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.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before December 16, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the

docket and notice numbers cited at the

beginning of this notice and be

submitted to Docket Section, Room

5109, NHTSA, 400 Seventh St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20590. Please identify

the proposed collection of information

for which a comment is provided by

referencing its OMB Clearance Number.

It is requested, but not required, that 1

original plus 2 copies of the comments

be provided. The Docket Section is open

on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Complete copies of each request for

collection of information may be

obtained at no charge from Mr. Edward

Kosek, NHTSA Information Collection

Clearance Officer, NHTSA, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Room 5111, Washington,

DC 20590. Mr. Kosek’s telephone

number is (202) 366–2589. Please

identify the relevant collection of

information by referring to its OMB

Clearance Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

before an agency submits a proposed

collection of information to OMB for

approval, it must publish a document in

the Federal Register providing a 60-day

comment period and otherwise consult

with members of the public and affected

agencies concerning each proposed

collection of information. The OMB has

promulgated regulations describing

what must be included in such a

document. Under OMB’s regulations (at

5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask

for public comment on the following:

(i) whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

(ii) 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;

(iii) how to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to

be collected; and

(iv) how 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 or other forms of

information technology, e.g., permitting

electronic submission of responses.

In compliance with these

requirements, NHTSA asks public

comment on the following proposed

collection of information:

49 CFR Part 571.218, Motorcycle

Helmets

Type of Request—Extension of a

currently approved clearance.

OMB Clearance Number—2127–0518.

Form Number—This collection of

information uses no standard forms.

Requested Expiration Date of

Approval—Three years from date of

clearance.

Summary of the Collection of

Information—NHTSA has issued

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

No. 218, Motorcycle Helmets, which

establishes minimum performance

requirements for helmets designed for

use by motorcyclists and other motor

vehicle users. Standard No. 218 requires

that each helmet shall be labeled

permanently and legibly (S5.6), in a

manner such that the label(s) can be

read easily without removing padding

or any other permanent part.

Description of the Need for the

Information and Proposed Use of the

Information—NHTSA requires labeling

information to ensure that helmet

owners have important safety

information. The information currently

provided on the helmet from the labels

includes the manufacturer’s name or

identification, model, size, month and

year of manufacture, shell and liner

construction of the helmet. The owners

will also receive important information

on caring for the helmet from the labels.

Finally, the DOT symbol signifies the

manufacturer’s certification that the

helmet meets all the requirements in the

standard. Labeling is necessary for

NHTSA to identify the helmet,

particularly, if the helmet failed the

compliance tests.

Description of the Likely Respondents

(Including Estimated Number, and

Proposed Frequency of Response to the

Collection of Information)—NHTSA

estimates that 24 manufacturers of

motorcycle helmets offer their products

for sale in the United States. The

frequency of response to the collection

of information depends on the number

of helmets that each manufacturer sells.

Estimate of the Total Annual

Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden

Resulting from the Collection of

Information—Currently, 24

manufacturers produce, on the average,

a total of approximately 1,200,000

motorcycle helmets a year. NHTSA

estimates that the total annual

information collection burden on all

manufacturers is 4,000 hours. NHTSA

estimates that annualized costs on all

manufacturers is $480,000.

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c); delegation of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50.

Dated: October 1, 1997.

L. Robert Shelton,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 97–27596 Filed 10–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. 97–041; Notice 01]

Denial of Petition To Adopt a Federal

Motor Vehicle Safety Standard To

Require That New Vehicles Be

Equipped With Technology (Computer

Chips) Embedded in Ignition Keys To

Deter Theft

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA),

Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Denial of petition for

rulemaking.

SUMMARY: This document denies the

Consumers for Auto Reliability and

Safety’s (CARS) petition to adopt a

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

( FMVSS) to require that new motor

vehicles be equipped with specific

technology, such as computer chips in

the ignition keys, to deter theft. CARS

believes that the standard it proposed

would ensure a safer and more effective

means of deterring theft than the

steering lock systems presently required

by 49 CFR Section 571.114, Theft

Protection.