63412 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 1997 / Notices

Administrator and the State of Nevada

now reads at Section III: STATE

CONTROL, Paragraph 2. b. Spacing of

Signs, as follows: ‘‘Outside of

incorporated villages and cities, no

structure may be located adjacent to or

within 500 feet of an interchange,

intersection at grade, or safety rest area.

Said 500 feet to be measured along the

Interstate or freeway from the beginning

or ending of pavement widening at the

exit from or entrance to the maintraveled way.’’

The amended agreement would read

as follows: ‘‘Outside of urbanized area

boundaries, as defined by 23 U.S.C.

101(a), no structure may be located

adjacent to or within 500 feet of an

interchange, intersection at grade, or

safety rest area. Said 500 feet to be

measured along the Interstate or freeway

from the beginning or ending of

pavement widening at the exit from or

entrance to the main-traveled way.’’

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: November 19, 1997.

Kenneth R. Wykle,

Federal Highway Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–31244 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–97–3137; Notice 1]

Notice of Receipt of Petition for

Decision That Nonconforming 1974

Alfa Romeo GTV Passenger Cars Are

Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for

decision that nonconforming 1974 Alfa

Romeo GTV passenger cars are eligible

for importation.

SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt

by the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) of a petition

for a decision that a 1974 Alfa Romeo

GTV that was not originally

manufactured to comply with all

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards is eligible for importation into

the United States because (1) it is

substantially similar to a vehicle that

was originally manufactured for

importation into and sale in the United

States and that was certified by its

manufacturer as complying with the

safety standards, and (2) it is capable of

being readily altered to conform to the

standards.

DATES: The closing date for comments

on the petition is December 29, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to

the docket number and notice number,

and be submitted to: Docket

Management, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC

20590. [Docket hours are from 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m.]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

George Entwistle, Office of Vehicle

Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202–366–

5306).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), a

motor vehicle that was not originally

manufactured to conform to all

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards shall be refused admission

into the United States unless NHTSA

has decided that the motor vehicle is

substantially similar to a motor vehicle

originally manufactured for importation

into and sale in the United States,

certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, and of

the same model year as the model of the

motor vehicle to be compared, and is

capable of being readily altered to

conform to all applicable Federal motor

vehicle safety standards.

Petitions for eligibility decisions may

be submitted by either manufacturers or

importers who have registered with

NHTSA pursuant to 49 CFR Part 592. As

specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA

publishes notice in the Federal Register

of each petition that it receives, and

affords interested persons an

opportunity to comment on the petition.

At the close of the comment period,

NHTSA decides, on the basis of the

petition and any comments that it has

received, whether the vehicle is eligible

for importation. The agency then

publishes this decision in the Federal

Register.

Champagne Imports, Inc. of Lansdale,

Pennsylvania (‘‘Champagne’’)

(Registered Importer 90–009) has

petitioned NHTSA to decide whether

1974 Alfa Romeo GTV passenger cars

are eligible for importation into the

United States. The vehicle which

Champagne believes is substantially

similar is the 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV that

was manufactured for importation into,

and sale in, the United States and

certified by its manufacturer as

conforming to all applicable Federal

motor vehicle safety standards.

The petitioner claims that it carefully

compared the non-U.S. certified 1974

Alfa Romeo GTV to its U.S. certified

counterpart, and found the two vehicles

to be substantially similar with respect

to compliance with most Federal motor

vehicle safety standards.

Champagne submitted information

with its petition intended to

demonstrate that the non-U.S. certified

1974 Alfa Romeo GTV, as originally

manufactured, conforms to many

Federal motor vehicle safety standards

in the same manner as its U.S. certified

counterpart, or is capable of being

readily altered to conform to those

standards.

Specifically, the petitioner claims that

the non-U.S. certified 1974 Alfa Romeo

GTV is identical to its U.S. certified

counterpart with respect to compliance

with Standards Nos. 102 Transmission

Shift Lever Sequence * * *., 103

Defrosting and Defogging Systems, 104

Windshield Wiping and Washing

Systems, 105 Hydraulic Brake Systems,

106 Brake Hoses, 109 New Pneumatic

Tires, 113 Hood Latch Systems, 116

Brake Fluid, 124 Accelerator Control

Systems, 201 Occupant Protection in

Interior Impact, 202 Head Restraints,

203 Impact Protection for the Driver

From the Steering Control System, 204

Steering Control Rearward

Displacement, 205 Glazing Materials,

206 Door Locks and Door Retention

Components, 207 Seating Systems, 209

Seat Belt Assemblies, 210 Seat Belt

Assembly Anchorages, 212 Windshield

Retention, 216 Roof Crush Resistance,

219 Windshield Zone Intrusion, and 302

Flammability of Interior Materials.

Petitioner also contends that the

vehicle is capable of being readily

altered to meet the following standards,

in the manner indicated:

Standard No. 101 Controls and

Displays: (a) substitution of a lens

marked ‘‘Brake’’ for a lens with a

noncomplying symbol on the brake

failure indicator lamp; (b) installation of

a seat belt warning lamp that displays

the appropriate symbol; (c) recalibration

of the speedometer/odometer from

kilometers to miles per hour.

Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective

Devices and Associated Equipment: (a)

installation of U.S.-model headlamp

assemblies; (b) installation of U.S.-

model front and rear sidemarker/

reflector assemblies; (c) installation of

U.S.-model taillamp assemblies.

Standard No. 110 Tire Selection and

Rims: installation of a tire information

placard.

Standard No. 111 Rearview Mirror:

replacement of the passenger side

rearview mirror with a U.S.-model

component.

Standard No. 114 Theft Protection:

installation of a warning buzzer

microswitch in the steering lock

assembly and a warning buzzer.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 1997 / Notices 63413

Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash

Protection: (a) installation of a U.S.-

model seat belt in the driver’s position,

or a belt webbing actuated microswitch

inside the driver’s seat belt retractor; (b)

installation of an ignition switch

actuated seat belt warning lamp and

buzzer. The petitioner states that the

vehicle is equipped with combination

lap and shoulder restraints that adjust

by means of an automatic retractor and

release by means of a single push button

at both front designated seating

positions, and with combination lap and

shoulder restraints that release by

means of a single push button at both

rear designated seating positions.

Standard No. 214 Side Impact

Protection: installation of reinforcing

beams.

Standard No. 301 Fuel System

Integrity: installation of a rollover valve

in the fuel tank vent line between the

fuel tank and the evaporative emissions

collection canister.

Additionally, the petitioner states that

the bumpers on the non-U.S. certified

1974 Alfa Romeo GTV must be

reinforced or replaced with U.S.-model

components to comply with the Bumper

Standard found in 49 CFR Part 581.

The petitioner also states that a

vehicle identification number plate

must be affixed to the vehicle to meet

the requirements of 49 CFR Part 565.

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments on the petition

described above. Comments should refer

to the docket number and be submitted

to: Docket Management, Room PL–401,

400 Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC

20590. It is requested but not required

that 10 copies be submitted.

All comments received before the

close of business on the closing date

indicated above will be considered, and

will be available for examination in the

docket at the above address both before

and after that date. To the extent

possible, comments filed after the

closing date will also be considered.

Notice of final action on the petition

will be published in the Federal

Register pursuant to the authority

indicated below.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and

(b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; delegations of authority

at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

Issued on November 21, 1997.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 97–31172 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–97–3150]

General Motors Corporation; Denial of

Application for Decision of

Inconsequential Noncompliance

General Motors Corporation (GM)

determined that certain of its 1996 J/L/

N model cars fail to comply with the

requirements of 49 CFR 571.101,

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

(FMVSS) No. 101, ‘‘Controls and

Displays,’’ and filed an appropriate

report pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573

‘‘Defect and Noncompliance

Information Reports.’’ GM also applied

to be exempted from the notification

and remedy requirements of 49 U.S.C.

Chapter 301—‘‘Motor Vehicle Safety’’

on the basis that the noncompliance is

inconsequential to motor vehicle safety.

Notice of receipt of the application

was published on March 7, 1997, and an

opportunity afforded for comment (62

FR 10618). This document denies the

application.

The report submitted by GM states

that the company has built cars in

which some interior lights may come on

while the car is moving, for a period

that may last as long as half an hour.

The only way the driver can turn them

off is to remove the fuse because the

light switch will not extinguish them.

This is a noncompliance with S5.3.5 of

FMVSS No. 101, which requires that

sources of illumination forward of a

transverse vertical plane 4.35 inches

rearward of the manikin ‘‘H’’ point, with

the driver’s seat in its rearmost driving

position, that are not used for controls

and displays, are not a telltale, and are

capable of being illuminated while a

vehicle is in motion, have either (1)

light intensity which is manually or

automatically adjustable to provide at

least two levels of brightness, (2) a

single intensity that is barely discernible

to a driver who has adapted to dark

ambient roadway conditions, or (3) a

means of being turned off.

GM’s description of the noncompliance follows

‘‘Vehicles involved: Certain of these 1996

makes and models (with estimated number of

cars): Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire

(J cars) coupes and convertibles from start of

production to January 16, 1996 (115,351

cars); Pontiac Grand Am, Oldsmobile

Achieva, and Buick Skylark (N cars) from

start of production to October 31, 1995

(74,902 cars); and Chevrolet Corsica and

Chevrolet Beretta (L cars) from start of

production to November 13, 1995 (61,738

cars).

Noncompliance: ‘‘These vehicles are

equipped with interior lights that illuminate

when a door is opened or when the driver

activates a switch. Power to the lights is

turned on and off by a control module, rather

than by direct action of the door or light

switches. One of the parts in the control

module is a field effect transistor (FET).

Because of manufacturing variances in the

FETs, the condition of the FET in some

modules, in combination with the

programming of the module, can cause a

situation where the module will not turn on

the lights when the door is opened. Five

minutes later, there is a fifty percent chance

that the lights will turn on. If that does not

happen, there is an increasing chance at ten,

fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, and thirty

minutes that the lights will turn on. If the

lights are turned on at one of those five

minute increments, they will then remain on

for up to thirty minutes, unless the fuse is

removed to cut power to the module. Moving

the light switch or ignition to ‘‘off’’ will not

cause the module to turn off the lights.

In August 1995, GM found a 1996 N car in

which the interior lights failed to turn on

when a door was opened. In September, GM

determined the cause of the problem and its

supplier of FETs began inspecting 10% of

them. In October, GM started its own

screening of all incoming FETs. In January

1996, GM learned of and began investigating

the potential for the lights to come on and

stay on.

Even in the affected cars, this condition is

intermittent. The incidence is higher during

cold weather and in vehicles with interior

light configurations that place a higher load

on the circuit.

This table identifies the lights in these

vehicles that are forward of a transverse

vertical plane 4.35 inches rearward of the

mannequin ‘‘H’’ point with the driver’s seat

in its rearmost driving position:

Chassis Body type and options Dome lamp

Map lights in

rearview mirror

Footwell

lamps

J ............. Coupe ....................................................................................................................... X ........................ ........................

Coupe and GT w/sunroof ........................................................................................ ........................ X ........................

N ............ Convertible ............................................................................................................... ........................ X ........................

Base

trim

.................................................................................................................................. ........................ X