21528 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 92 / Friday, May 10, 1996 / Notices

outside of the travel lanes. This roadway

is an important linkage between

Highway 126 in the west and I–105/I–

5 in east Eugene. The need for an eastwest limited access thoroughfare has

been documented in land use and

transportation plans since 1959 to serve

the existing and projected traffic

demand resulting from the growth

projected in the industrial development

of west Eugene. In addition, the

parkway would serve the growth in

residential development in the BethelDanebo Neighborhood to the north of

the proposed roadway. Since the

approval of the final EIS and the

selection of Alternative 1 (Modified) for

design and the signing of the ROD in

1990, additional coordination and

consultation have been done with

environmental agencies to avoid and

minimize project impacts to rare,

threatened and endangered species and

their habitats found in the project area.

As a result of this consultation, a design

modification has been proposed for the

western 5.2 kilometers (3.25 miles) of

the adopted project (slightly east of

Terry Street to Highway 126). The

approved design for the West Eugene

Parkway (WEP) that was south of and

parallel to the Southern Pacific railroad

line is proposed to be shifted north of

and parallel to the railroad. Initial

analysis (October 1994) of the northern

design option has found that there

would be less direct impacts on the

Willamette Valley wet prairie wetlands,

a rare habitat type, and the direct

impacts to the Western pond turtles, a

sensitive species, would be eliminated.

In addition, recent traffic analysis

from the City of Eugene has shown that

projected traffic for local streets,

Highway 99W and the eastern portion of

the WEP can best be served by a minor

design modification in the intersection

with Highway 99W and the approved

project. The northbound 99W

connection to the westbound new WEP

is now proposed to be made by an

elevated structure rather than at grade to

maintain an acceptable level-of-service.

These two minor design modifications

are being proposed to the approved

project to further reduce the impacts

found in the final EIS. The impacts of

the modifications will be examined in

greater detail in the proposed

supplemental EIS.

Newsletters describing the proposed

action and soliciting comments will be

sent to appropriate Federal, State and

local agencies, and to private

organizations and citizens who have

previously expressed or are known to

have an interest in this proposal. Two

public meetings will be held in Eugene

during May/June, 1996 to identify issues

that should be addressed and an

additional meeting will be held during

the summer to describe preliminary

findings of the technical studies. In

addition, a public hearing will be held

following the distribution of the draft

supplemental EIS for public and agency

review. Public notice will be given of

the times and places of all meetings and

hearings. No formal scoping meeting

will be held. To ensure that the full

range of issues related to this proposed

action are addressed and all significant

issues identified, comments and

suggestions are invited from all

interested parties. Comments or

questions concerning this proposed

action and the supplemental EIS should

be directed to the FHWA at the address

provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Number 20.205, Highway Research,

Planning and Construction. The regulations

implementing Executive Order 12372

regarding intergovernmental consultation on

Federal Programs and activities apply to this

program.)

Issued on: May 1, 1996.

Elton Chang,

Environmental Engineer, Federal Highway

Administration.

[FR Doc. 96–11657 Filed 5–9–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[NHTSA Docket No. 96–042–No1]

Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey

(II)

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments on data collection.

SUMMARY: NHTSA’s purpose in

conducting this survey is to assist the

Agency in fulfilling its Congressional

mandate to reduce the injuries,

fatalities, and economic loss resulting

from motor vehicle crashes. There is

overwhelming evidence that the regular

and proper use of safety devices such as

safety belts, child safety seats, and

helmets is effective in reducing injuries

and fatalities in vehicle crashes. It is,

therefore, important that effective

strategies be developed to promote the

use of such devices. To understand how

best to encourage use of these safety

devices, NHTSA needs up-to-date

information on the patterns of their use

and reasons for non-use by the public.

By collecting these data, NHTSA will be

able to determine where its efforts

should be targeted and where new

strategies may be needed.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before June 28, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Docket Section, Room

5111, Docket # 96–042–No1, 400

Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Alan Block, Contracting Officer’s

Technical Representative, Office of

Program Development and Evaluation

(NTS–31), National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh

Street, S.W., Room 6240, Washington,

D.C. 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) was

established to reduce the mounting

number of deaths, injuries and

economic losses resulting from motor

vehicle crashes on the Nation’s

highways. As part of this statutory

mandate, NHTSA is authorized to

conduct research as a foundation for the

development of motor vehicle standards

and traffic safety programs.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s,

more than 50,000 persons were killed

each year in motor vehicle crashes in

the United States. Diverse approaches

were taken to address the problem.

Vehicle safety designs and features were

improved; restraint devices were

improved; safety behaviors were

mandated in state legislation (including

safety belt use, child safety seat use, and

motorcycle helmet use); alcohol-related

legislation was enacted; this legislation

was enforced; public information and

education activities were widely

implemented; and roadways were

improved.

As a result of these interventions and

improvements, crash fatalities dropped

significantly. By 1994, total fatalities

had fallen to 40,676, representing a 20%

decline from 1966. In addition, the

resident population and the number of

vehicle miles traveled increased greatly

over the past 25 years. When fatality

rates are computed per 100,000

population, the rate for 1994 (15.62) was

more than 40 percent lower than the

1966 rate (26.02). In sum, heightened

highway safety activity conducted over

the past two decades corresponds with

major strides in reducing traffic

fatalities.

Remaining barriers to safety will be

more resistant to programmatic

influences now that the easy gains have

already been accomplished. Up-to-date

information is essential to plot the

direction of future activity that will
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 92 / Friday, May 10, 1996 / Notices 21529

achieve the more difficult gains in the

coming years.

In order to collect the critical

information needed by NHTSA to

develop and implement effective

countermeasures that meet the Agency’s

mandate to improve highway traffic

safety, NHTSA conducted its first Motor

Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey in

1994. The survey included questions

related to safety belts, child safety seats,

airbags, bicyclist safety, pedestrian

safety, motorcyclist safety, and

Emergency Medical Services. It also

contained small segments on alcohol

use and on speeding.

The proposed survey is the second

Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey.

The survey will collect data on topics

included in the first (1994) survey and

will monitor changes over time in the

use of occupant protection measures

and in attitudes related to vehicle

occupant safety. It is important that

NHTSA monitor these changes so that

the Agency can determine the effects of

its efforts to promote the use of safety

devices and to identify areas where its

efforts should be targeted and where

new strategies may be needed. NHTSA

is also exploring some additional topics

related to issues identified since the

previous survey, particularly regarding

airbags and children, that have

important public safety implications.

II. Method of Data Collection

The survey will be conducted by

telephone among a national probability

sample of 8,000 adults (age 16 and

older). Participation by respondents is

voluntary. NHTSA’s information needs

require safety belt and child safety seat

sections too large to merge into a single

survey instrument without producing an

inordinate burden on respondents.

Rather than reduce these sections, the

survey instrument will be divided into

two series of modules. Each module will

be administered to one-half the total

number of subjects to be interviewed.

Module Series #1 of the questionnaire

will focus on safety belts and include

smaller sections on airbags, motorcyclist

safety, general driving (including

speed), and crash experience. Module

Series #2 will focus on child safety

seats, accompanied by smaller sections

on bicyclist safety and Emergency

Medical Services. Both series will

contain sections on drinking and

driving because of the extensive impact

of alcohol on the highway safety

problem. Some basic safety belt

questions contained in Module Series #1

will be duplicated on Module Series #2.

(Some topics may be changed from one

series to the other in the final

questionnaires.)

The interviewers will use computerassisted telephone interviewing to

reduce interview length and minimize

recording errors. A Spanish-language

translation and bilingual interviewers

will be used to minimize language

barriers to participation. The survey will

be anonymous and confidential.

III. Use of Findings

The findings of this study will assist

NHTSA in addressing the problem of

motor vehicle occupant safety and in

formulating programs and

recommendations to Congress. NHTSA

will use the findings to: (a) Identify

areas to target current programs and

activities to achieve the greatest benefit;

(b) develop new programs and

initiatives aimed at increasing the use of

occupant safety devices by the general

public; and (c) provide informational

support to States and localities in their

traffic safety efforts. The findings will

also be used directly by State and local

highway safety and law enforcement

agencies in the development and

implementation of effective

countermeasures to prevent injuries and

fatalities to vehicle occupants.

IV. Data

OMB Number: None

Form Number: None

Type of Review: Regular Submission

Affected Public: The population of the

United States age 16 and older living

in households with telephones.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

8000

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 20

minutes

Estimated Total Burden: 2667 hours

Estimated Total Cost: $46.97 per survey

respondent

V. Requests for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the agency, including

whether the information shall have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden

(including the hours and cost) of the

proposed collection of information; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for approval by

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) of this information collection.

Copies of all comments will be placed

in Docket 96–042, Notice 1, in the

NHTSA Docket Section in Room 5109,

Nassif Building, 400 7th Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20590, and will

become a matter of public record.

James H. Hedlund,

Associate Administrator for Traffic Safety

Programs.

[FR Doc. 96–11748 Filed 5–9–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

[Docket No. 96–14; Notice 2]

Decision That Nonconforming 1992

Through 1996 Mercedes-Benz

Gelaendewagen Type 463 Long Wheel

Base V–8 Multi-Purpose Passenger

Vehicles Are Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of decision by NHTSA

that nonconforming 1992 through 1996

Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen Type

463 Long Wheel Base V–8 multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs) are

eligible for importation.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

decision by NHTSA that 1992 through

1996 Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen

Type 463 Long Wheel Base V–8 MPVs

not originally manufactured to comply

with all applicable Federal motor

vehicle safety standards are eligible for

importation into the United States

because they have safety features that

comply with, or are capable of being

altered to comply with, all such

standards.

DATES: The decision is effective May 10,

1996.

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)

(formerly section 108(c)(3)(A)(i)(I) of the

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle

Safety Act (the Act)), 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 (formerly section 114 of the Act),

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