[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 208 (Friday, October 28, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62086-62087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21500]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2005-22242]
RIN 2127-AJ57


Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Cargo Carrying Capacity

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

ACTION: Extension of comment period for a notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This document extends the comment period on a notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on August 31, 2005 (70 FR 51707) 
that addresses motor home and travel trailer overloading by proposing 
to amend the Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) on tire 
selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars. We 
also proposed a related amendment to our safety standard for tire 
selection and rims for light vehicles. The comment due date was October 
31, 2005.
    In a submission dated October 14, 2005, a coalition of trade 
associations representing vehicle manufacturers and dealers asked NHTSA 
for an extension of this due date. This document grants that request 
and extends the comment due date for the NPRM to November 30, 2005.

DATES: The due date for comments on DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2005-22242 is 
extended to November 30, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments in writing to: Docket 
Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, 
20590. Alternatively, you may submit your comments electronically by 
logging onto the Docket Management System Web site at http://dms.dot.gov. Click on ``Help & Information'' or ``Help/Info'' to view 
instructions for filing your comments electronically. Regardless of how 
you submit your comments, you should mention the docket number of this 
document.
    You may call the Docket at 202-366-9324. You may visit the Docket 
from 10

[[Page 62087]]

a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For non-legal issues, you may call Mr. 
William D. Evans, Office of Crash Avoidance Standards at (202) 366-
2272. His FAX number is (202) 366-7002.
    For legal issues, you may call Ms. Dorothy Nakama, Office of the 
Chief Counsel at (202) 366-2992. Her FAX number is (202) 366-3820.
    You may send mail to both of these officials at National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 
20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 31, 2005 (70 FR 51707), NHTSA 
published a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend Federal Motor 
Vehicle Safety Standards Nos. 120 Tire selection and rims for motor 
vehicles other than passenger cars, and 110, Tire selection and rims. 
We proposed to require manufacturers of motor homes and travel trailers 
over 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) GVWR to provide information to 
consumers in a label that is intended to inform the consumer about the 
vehicle's cargo carrying capacity (CCC). This information would be 
helpful both at the time the consumer is making a purchase decision and 
also as the consumer uses his or her vehicle. We also proposed to 
require that the size of tires on the same motor homes and travel 
trailers be the same as the size of the tires listed on the tire 
information label required by FMVSS No. 120.
    We proposed to limit our CCC label to motor homes and travel 
trailers with a GVWR greater than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) as 
these are the vehicles that have large open interior areas that 
consumers fill with cargo. We noted that Recreational vehicles (RV) 
with GVWRs equal to or less than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) will 
be required to have less detailed CCC information as a result of an 
amendment to FMVSS No. 110, which took effect on September 1, 2005. It 
should be noted that on September 1, 2005, FMVSS No. 120 was changed to 
apply to vehicles with a GVWR greater than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 
pounds) and FMVSS No. 110 was changed to apply to vehicles with a GVWR 
equal to or less than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds).
    It is our belief that the proposed rule complements the efforts of 
the recreational vehicle industry to provide consumers with information 
in order to help reduce overloading in motor homes and travel trailers.
    In addition, we stated our belief that the proposed rule would 
provide regulatory relief for dealers from a labeling requirement in 
FMVSS No. 110. The standard's requirement may currently require dealers 
that add even small amounts of weight to re-label the vehicles. Under 
the proposed amendment, dealers that add weight in excess of 0.5 
percent of the vehicles' gross vehicle weight ratings would be required 
to disclose this extra weight on labels affixed to the vehicles. 
Dealers could add lesser amounts of weight without needing to change or 
add labels.
    The NPRM announced a comment due date of October 31, 2005.
    In a joint letter dated October 14, 2005, the National Truck and 
Equipment Dealers Association, the National Automobile Dealers 
Association, the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers, the 
National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Recreational Vehicle 
Dealers Association, the Tire Industries Association, the Service 
Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades, the Specialty Equipment 
Market Association, the National Trailer Dealers Association, the 
Automotive Service Association, and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry 
Association asked for an extension of time to comment on the NPRM. The 
stated rationale was that additional time was necessary ``to allow for 
appropriate, well-reasoned comments addressing an array of practical 
technical issues associated with the cargo carrying capacity 
proposal.''
    After considering the rationale explaining the need for extra time 
to consider the NPRM as well as that these groups are primarily small 
businesses and the parties most directly affected by the proposal, 
NHTSA has decided that it is in the public interest to grant the 
submitters' request. Therefore, NHTSA grants until November 30, 2005, 
submission of public comments on the NPRM of August 31, 2005.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117, and 30166; 
delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.

    Issued on: October 24, 2005.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 05-21500 Filed 10-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P