[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 45 (Friday, March 7, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10516-10517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5724]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
49 CFR Part 572

[Docket No. 96-65; Notice 3]
RIN 2127-AG58


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Denial of request for extension of comment due date.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Z. Taylor Vinson, Office of Chief 
Counsel, NHTSA, Room 5219, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20590 
(telephone 202-418-8142).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document denies a petition for 
extension of time to comment on proposed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard No. 100 Low-speed vehicles.
    On January 8, 1997, the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would 
apply a new Federal motor vehicle safety standard to motor vehicles 
whose maximum speed does not exceed 25 mph (Docket No. 96-65; Notice 2, 
62 FR 1077). February 24, 1997, was established as the due date for 
comments on the proposal.
    Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety petitioned the agency to 
extend the comment period for an additional 30 days. The reason for the 
request is the temporary closure of the docket room, Room 5109 of the 
Nassif Building, from February 10 to March 10, 1997. Advocates argued 
that dockets will be unavailable for public inspection during this 
period and that comments filed in response to the proposal will 
likewise be unavailable for inspection for two weeks before the closing 
date of February 24, 1997.
    Although Room 5109 is closed for the period indicated, comments 
filed in response to Notice 2 and other pending notices are available 
for inspection in Room 6130 of the Nassif Building during ordinary 
business hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. as before. Thus, the temporary 
closure of Room 5109 will not affect the ability of the public to 
inspect comments being submitted to dockets during the period February 
10 to March 10, 1997. Visitors to the Nassif Building have been advised 
of the temporary change of the NHTSA docket room from Room 5109 to Room 
6130 by signs posted on or before February 10 in the Department's 
Central Docket Room and in each of the four street-level entrances to 
the Nassif Building.
    Advocates also avers that the proposal to allow a new class of Low 
Speed Vehicles to operate on the public roads without full conformity 
to current Federal motor vehicle safety standards has serious 
implications and itself warrants an extension of the comment period for 
an additional 30 days.
    NHTSA denies the petition by Advocates for additional time in which 
to comment on Notice 2. The public has had full access to comments 
filed in response to Notice 2 of Docket No. 96-65 during the comment 
period (in fact, only two comments had been filed by February 19, 
1997). Before issuing the notice of proposed rulemaking, NHTSA

[[Page 10517]]

conducted two public meetings and received comments from interested 
persons, including Advocates, on safety and other issues involving the 
regulation of low speed vehicles. These issues were thoroughly 
discussed in the preamble to the proposed rule. NHTSA deems it unlikely 
that providing an additional 30 days in which to comment would result 
in it receiving comments that differ materially from those submitted on 
or before the stated due date for comments, especially since no other 
person has requested an extension of time.
    This denial does not affect NHTSA's long-standing policy of 
accepting comments filed after the due date, and considering them to 
the extent practicable before issuance of further rulemaking notices.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30166; delegation of 
authority at 49 1.50 and 501.8.

    Issued on: March 4, 1997.
L. Robert Shelton,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 97-5724 Filed 3-6-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P