28560 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 1996 / Proposed Rules

considering the possibility of proposing a

stability standard applicable to all light duty

vehicles because multistage manufacturers,

especially van converters, which are often

small business entities, could be affected by

such a standard. NHTSA is not suggesting

that that Act would prevent the issuance of

such a standard or that the concerns about

impacts on small manufacturers were

insurmountable regardless of what approach

is taken by the agency in setting the standard.

In fact, a standard limited to compact SUVs

would essentially eliminate those impacts

because few, if any, of those vehicles are

produced by multistage or other small

manufacturers.

F. NHTSA’s Alleged Lack of a

Comprehensive Rollover Program

The petitioners characterized NHTSA’s

identification of seven separate measures as

part of a comprehensive agency plan to

address rollovers as simply ‘‘a chronicle of

ongoing or prospective crash reduction

programs that are not aimed uniquely at

mitigating rollover losses.’’ The petition went

on to complain that some of the measures

‘‘may never come to fruition,’’ and that others

have not been specifically tailored by the

agency to address the rollover problem. The

petitioners concluded by stating their belief

that NHTSA’s comprehensive program for

rollover is really an attempt to try to

persuade the public that the agency is taking

action on rollover safety, notwithstanding the

termination of the vehicle stability

rulemaking.

The agency believes that the question of

whether the activities comprising its

comprehensive rollover program uniquely

address rollover safety is irrelevant if those

activities effectively address that issue. If

NHTSA can take actions, such as issuing a

standard, that significantly reduces the

deaths and injuries that occur in rollover

crashes, it should make no difference

whether that reduction is achieved by means

that also reduce deaths and injuries in other

types of crashes. The agency agrees that there

is a possibility that some of the regulatory

initiatives announced by the agency as part

of its rollover program involve proposals that

may never become final rules. However, this

possibility exists with any regulatory

initiative. The agency cannot foretell the

nature of the public comments that it will

receive or prejudge the outcome of its

analyses of comments and other information

obtained during the rulemaking process.

NHTSA included those initiatives in its

rollover program because preliminary

evaluations of those initiatives indicate that

they are promising avenues for addressing

rollovers. The agency will pursue these

initiatives expeditiously and conscientiously.

For example, since the 1994 notice was

published, NHTSA has published a final rule

to extend the current requirements for side

door latches to rear door latches. (60 FR

50124) This rule is an attempt to reduce the

number of ejections from the rear door of

vehicles, thus reducing injuries and fatalities.

Based on data for years 1988–1992, NHTSA

estimates that 147 occupants were fatally

ejected from the rear door of vehicles. Forty

two percent of those fatalities occurred in

rollover accidents.

One of the specific initiatives singled out

for criticism by petitioners was the upgrade

of Standard 201 to reduce head impact

injuries. The petitioners objected to its

inclusion in NHTSA’s comprehensive

rollover plan because the proposed

compliance impact speeds ‘‘are often less

than those [speeds] responsible for the very

high rate of severe head trauma that is

suffered by occupants in rollover crashes.’’

The final rule upgrading Standard No. 201

was published on August 16, 1995. (60 FR

43031) Even if the petitioners were correct,

the essential fact remains that the final rule

will make substantial reductions in rollover

fatalities and injuries. The agency estimated

that 244–334 fatalities and 189–273 serious

injuries would be averted in rollovers as a

result of that rule.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115,

30117 and 30166; delegation of authority at

49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

[FR Doc. 96–14145 Filed 5–31–96; 4:38 pm]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 91–68; Notice 06]

RIN 2127–AC54

Consumer Information Regulations;

Vehicle Rollover Stability Label

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking;

reopening of comment period.

SUMMARY: This notice reopens the

comment period for a notice of

proposed rulemaking published June 28,

1994, regarding a rollover stability label

for light vehicles. The comment period

for this proposed rulemaking action

closed on October 21, 1994. Since that

time, the National Academy of Sciences

(NAS) has published a study of

consumer needs for automotive safety

information. NHTSA would like public

comments on the NAS study and how

that study should be reflected in

NHTSA’s rulemaking decisions on

requirements for rollover stability

labeling. Accordingly, the agency is

reopening the comment period for an

additional 60 days.

DATES: Comments must be received by

August 5, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to

Docket No. 91–68; Notice 5 and be

submitted to: Docket Section, Room

5109, National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590. (Docket

hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday

through Friday.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

labeling issues: Stephen R. Kratzke,

Office of Safety Performance Standards,

NPS–31, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590. Mr.

Kratzke can be reached by telephone at

(202) 366–5203 or by fax at (202) 366–

4329.

For general rollover issues: Gayle

Dalrymple, Office of Safety Performance

Standards, NPS–20, NHTSA, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590. Ms. Dalrymple can be reached by

telephone at (202) 366–5559 or by fax at

(202) 366–4329.

For legal issues: Stephen P. Wood,

Assistant Chief Counsel for Rulemaking,

NCC–20, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590. Mr. Wood

can be reached by telephone at (202)

366–2992 or by fax at (202) 366–3820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA

currently requires that sport utility

vehicles with a wheelbase of 110 inches

or less have a prominent label advising

drivers that these vehicles are less stable

than passenger cars and more likely to

roll over during abrupt maneuvers. 49

CFR 575.105. On June 28, 1994 (59 FR

33254), NHTSA published a notice

proposing to supplement the existing

requirement for a rollover label with

another label. This proposed additional

rollover stability label would be

required on all passenger cars, trucks,

and multipurpose passenger vehicles

with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of

10,000 pounds or less. The comment

period for this proposal was scheduled

to close on August 29, 1994. However,

NHTSA extended the comment period

so that it closed October 21, 1994; 59 FR

44121, August 26, 1994. NHTSA

received 70 comments to its docket for

the proposed additional labeling

requirements.

During this comment period, Congress

enacted the Department of

Transportation and Related Agencies

Appropriations Act, 1995 (P.L. 103–331;

September 30, 1994). In that Act,

Congress gave NHTSA funds ‘‘for a

study to be conducted by the National

Academy of Sciences (NAS) of motor

vehicle safety consumer information

needs and the most cost effective

methods of communicating this

information.’’ The Act directed NAS to

complete its study by March 31, 1996.

The Act also included the following

language: ‘‘In order to ensure that the

results of the study are considered in

the rulemaking process, the conferees

agree that NHTSA shall not issue a final

regulation concerning motor vehicle

safety labeling requirements until after

the NAS study is completed.’’ As a

result of this language, NHTSA deferred
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 1996 / Proposed Rules 28561

action on its proposed expanded vehicle

rollover stability labeling until the NAS

study was done.

The NAS study was completed and

released to the public on March 26,

1996. It is titled ‘‘Shopping for Safety—

Providing Consumer Automotive Safety

Information,’’ TRB Special Report 248.

Copies of this study are available in

NHTSA Docket No. 91–68; Notice 4.

NHTSA’s Docket Section can be reached

by telephone at (202)366–4949.

NHTSA is reviewing its proposal for

rollover stability labeling in light of this

NAS report. To aid the agency in this

effort, NHTSA would like public

comments on the NAS study and how

that study should be reflected in

NHTSA’s rulemaking decisions on

requirements for rollover stability

labeling. The agency would also like upto-date comments on the issues raised in

its 1994 proposal. In light of the NAS

study, NHTSA is also considering

improvements to the existing sport

utility vehicle label to enhance the

effectiveness of that label. NHTSA

welcomes any views and suggestions

commenters may have on this issue.

NHTSA is also interested in comments

on whether the agency should extend its

existing label to cover vehicle groups in

addition to sport utility vehicles. It

would also be helpful to learn if

important additional information has

become available since the original

comment period closed. To obtain

comments on these subjects, NHTSA is

reopening the comment period for this

rulemaking action for an additional 60

days.

In this reopened comment period, it is

not necessary for commenters to

resubmit views and information that

have been expressed in previous

comments. NHTSA will consider all of

the comments it has already received.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30117; delegations of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 49 CFR 501.8.

Issued on May 31, 1996.

Barry Felrice,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 96–14144 Filed 5–31–96; 4:38 pm]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P