38876 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 138 / Monday, July 20, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–98–4073]

Notice of Receipt of Petition for

Decision That Nonconforming 1995–

1996 Ford Bronco Multi-Purpose

Passenger Vehicles Are Eligible for

Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for

decision that nonconforming 1995–1996

Ford Bronco multi-purpose passenger

vehicles (MPVs) are eligible for

importation.

SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt

by the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) of a petition

for a decision that 1995–1996 Ford

Broncos manufactured for sale in

Venezuela that were not originally

manufactured to comply with all

applicable Federal motor vehicle safety

standards 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, and (2) they

are capable of being readily altered to

conform to the standards.

DATES: The closing date for comments

on the petition is August 19, 1998.

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 am to

5 pm].

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.

Wallace Environmental Testing

Laboratories, Inc. of Houston, Texas

(‘‘Wallace’’) (Registered Importer 90–

005) has petitioned NHTSA to decide

whether 1995–1996 Ford Broncos

manufactured for sale in Venezuela are

eligible for importation into the United

States. The vehicles which Wallace

believes are substantially similar are

1995–1996 Ford Broncos that were

manufactured for sale in the United

States and certified by their

manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, as

conforming to all applicable Federal

motor vehicle safety standards.

The petitioner claims that it carefully

compared the non-U.S. certified 1995–

1996 Ford Broncos to their U.S. certified

counterparts, and found the vehicles to

be substantially similar with respect to

compliance with most Federal motor

vehicle safety standards.

Wallace submitted information with

its petition intended to demonstrate that

the non-U.S. certified 1995–1996 Ford

Broncos, as originally manufactured,

conform to many Federal motor vehicle

safety standards in the same manner as

their U.S. certified counterparts, or are

capable of being readily altered to

conform to those standards.

Specifically, the petitioner claims that

the non-U.S. certified 1995–1996 Ford

Broncos are identical to their U.S.

certified counterparts with respect to

compliance with Standards Nos. 101

Controls and Displays, 102

Transmission Shift Lever Sequence.

* * *, 103 Defrosting and Defogging

Systems, 104 Windshield Wiping and

Washing Systems, 105 Hydraulic Brake

Systems, 106 Brake Hoses, 108 Lamps,

Reflective Devices and Associated

Equipment, 111 Rearview Mirror, 113

Hood Latch Systems, 114 Theft

Protection, 116 Brake Fluid, 119 New

Pneumatic Tires for Vehicles other than

Passenger Cars, 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, 214 Side Impact Protection,

216 Roof Crush Resistance, 219

Windshield Zone Intrusion, 301 Fuel

System Integrity, and 302 Flammability

of Interior Materials.

Additionally, the petitioner states that

the non-U.S. certified 1995–1996 Ford

Broncos comply with the Bumper

Standard found in 49 CFR Part 581.

Petitioner also contends that the

vehicles are capable of being readily

altered to meet the following standards,

in the manner indicated:

Standard No. 120 Tire Selection and

Rims for Motor Vehicles other than

Passenger Cars: installation of a tire

information placard.

Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash

Protection: installation of a U.S. model

air bag at the driver’s seating position.

The petitioner states that the vehicles

are equipped with Type II seat belts at

both front and both rear outboard

designated seating positions, and with a

Type I seat belt at the rear center

designated seating position.

The petitioner also states that a

vehicle identification number plate

must be affixed to the vehicles 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. [Docket hours are from 10 am to

5 pm]. 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: July 15, 1998.

Marilynne Jacobs,

Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

[FR Doc. 98–19250 Filed 7–17–98; 8:45 am]

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