Document ID: NHTSA-2009-0095-0001
Agency: nhtsa
Document Type: Rule
Title: Technical Report on the Effectiveness of Amber Rear Turn Signals for Reducing Rear Impacts
Posted Date: 2009-05-11T04:00Z

[Federal Register: May 11, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 89)]
[Notices]               
[Page 21850-21851]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11my09-597]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2009-0095]

 
Technical Report on the Effectiveness of Amber Rear Turn Signals 
for Reducing Rear Impacts

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Request for comments on technical report.

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SUMMARY: This purpose of this report is to determine the effect of rear 
turn signal color on the likelihood of being involved in a rear-end 
crash. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 allows rear turn 
signals to be either red or amber in color. The primary conclusion is 
that amber rear turn signals are 5.3% more effective than red rear turn 
signals at preventing involvement in crashes where a careful driver 
would typically use the turn signals. The result is shown to be 
statistically significant and consistent with other published analyses 
on the influence of rear turn signal color.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than September 6, 2009

ADDRESSES: 
    Report: The technical report is available on the Internet for 
viewing in PDF format at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811115.PDF. 
You may obtain a copy of the report free of charge by sending a self-
addressed mailing label to Kirk Allen (NVS-431), National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, 
DC 20590.
    Comments: You may submit comments [identified by Docket Number 
NHTSA-2009-0095] by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    You may call Docket Management at 202-366-9826.
    Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see 
the Procedural Matters section of this document. Note that all comments 
received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kirk Allen, Statistician, Evaluation 
Division, NVS-431, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53-457, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-9308. E-
mail: kirk.allen@dot.gov.
    For information about NHTSA's evaluations of the effectiveness of 
existing regulations and programs: Visit the NHTSA Web site at http://
www.nhtsa.dot.gov and click ``NCSA'' near the upper right corner on the 
home page; then click ``Regulatory Evaluation'' under ``Browse Topics'' 
on the ``NCSA'' page.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 
108 allows rear turn signals to be either red or amber in color. 
Previous work on this subject includes laboratory experiments and 
analyses of crash data that suggest amber rear turn signals are 
beneficial. The present study was designed around the concept of 
``switch pairs''--make-models of passenger vehicles were identified 
that had switched rear turn signal color, and crash involvement rates 
were computed before and after the switch. This method should control 
for extraneous factors related to vehicle and driver characteristics. 
Crash data from NHTSA's State Data System was used in the analysis. The 
principal finding of the report is that amber signals show a 5.3% 
effectiveness in reducing involvement in two-vehicle crashes where a 
lead vehicle is rear-struck in the act of turning left, turning right, 
merging into traffic, changing lanes, or entering/leaving a parking 
space. The advantage of amber rear turn signals is shown to be 
statistically significant.

Procedural Matters

How can I influence NHTSA's thinking on this subject?

    NHTSA welcomes public review of the technical report. NHTSA will 
submit to the Docket a response to the comments and, if appropriate, 
will supplement or revise the report.

How do I prepare and submit comments?

    Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that your 
comments are correctly filed in the Docket, please include the Docket 
number of this document (NHTSA-2009-0095) in your comments.
    Your primary comments must not be more than 15 pages long (49 CFR 
553.21). However, you may attach additional documents to your primary 
comments. There is no limit on the length of the attachments.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) or you may visit http://regulations.gov.
    Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management, 
fax them, or use the Federal eRulemaking Portal. The mailing address is 
U. S. Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, M-30, 
West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC 20590. The fax number is 1-202-493-2251. To use the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal, go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow 
the online instructions for submitting comments.
    We also request, but do not require you to send a copy to Kirk 
Allen, Statistician, Evaluation Division, NVS-431, National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53-312, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC 20590 (or e-mail them to kirk.allen@dot.gov). He 
can check if your comments have been received at the Docket and he can 
expedite their review by NHTSA.

How can I be sure that my comments were received?

    If you wish Docket Management to notify you upon its receipt of 
your comments, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard in the 
envelope containing your comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket 
Management will return the postcard by mail.

How do I submit confidential business information?

    If you wish to submit any information under a claim of 
confidentiality, send three copies of your complete

[[Page 21851]]

submission, including the information you claim to be confidential 
business information, to the Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 
20590. Include a cover letter supplying the information specified in 
our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR Part 512).
    In addition, send two copies from which you have deleted the 
claimed confidential business information to U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Management Facility, M-30, West Building, Ground 
Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, 
or submit them via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

Will the agency consider late comments?

    In our response, we will consider all comments that Docket 
Management receives before the close of business on the comment closing 
date indicated above under DATES. To the extent possible, we will also 
consider comments that Docket Management receives after that date.
    Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will 
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes 
available. Further, some people may submit late comments. Accordingly, 
we recommend that you periodically check the Docket for new material.

How can I read the comments submitted by other people?

    You may read the materials placed in the docket for this document 
(e.g., the comments submitted in response to this document by other 
interested persons) at any time by going to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. You may also 
read the materials at the Docket Management Facility by going to the 
street address given above under ADDRESSES. The Docket Management 
Facility is open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 30111, 30168; delegation of authority at 
49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

James F. Simons,
Director, Office of Regulatory Analysis and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. E9-10858 Filed 5-8-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-59-P