Research and Development Programs Meeting

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Research and Development Programs Meeting

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting at which NHTSA will

describe and discuss specific research and development projects and

requests suggestions for agenda topics.

DATES AND TIMES: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

will hold a public meeting devoted primarily to presentations of

specific research and development projects on March 28, 1995, beginning

at 1:30 p.m. and ending at approximately 5:00 p.m. The deadline for

interested parties to suggest agenda topics is 4:15 p.m. on February

28, 1995. Questions may be submitted in advance regarding the Agency's

research and development projects. They must be submitted in writing by

March 21, 1995 to the address given below. If sufficient time is

available, questions received after the March 21 date will be answered

at the meeting in the discussion period. The individual, group or

company asking a question does not have to be present for the question

to be answered. A consolidated list of the questions submitted by March

21 will be available at the meeting and will be mailed to requesters

after the meeting.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Ramada Inn, near Detroit

Metro Airport, 8270 Wickham Rd., Romulus, MI 48174. Suggestions for

specific R&D topics as described below and questions for the March 28,

1995, meeting relating to the Agency's research and development

programs should be submitted to George L. Parker, Associate

Administrator for Research and Development, NRD-01, National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration, Room 6206, 400 Seventh St. SW,

Washington, DC 20590. The fax number is 202-366-5930.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA intends to provide detailed

presentation about its research and development programs in a series of

quarterly public meetings. The series started in April, 1993. The

purpose is to make available more complete and timely information

regarding the Agency's research and development programs. This ninth

meeting in the series will be held on March 28, 1995.

NHTSA requests suggestions from interested parties on the specific

agenda topics. NHTSA will base its decisions about the agenda, in part,

on the suggestions it receives by close of business at 4:15 p.m. on

February 28, 1995. Before the meeting, it will publish a notice with an

agenda listing the research and development topics to be discussed.

NHTSA asks that the suggestions be taken from the list below and that

they be limited to six, in priority order, so that the presentation at

the March 28 R&D meeting can be most useful to the audience. Please

note that almost all of these topics have been discussed at the

previous eight meetings to some extent and that presentations at the

ninth meeting will be reports on current status, results, and plans.

Specific Crashworthiness R&D topics are: Improved frontal crash

protection, Advanced glazing research, Highway traffic injury studies,

Head and neck injury research, Lower extremity injury research, Thorax

injury research, Human injury simulation and analysis, Crash test dummy

component development, Vehicle agressivity and fleet compatibility,

Upgrade side crash protection, Upgrade seat and occupant restraint

systems, Child safety research, and Electric and alternate fuel vehicle

safety.

Specific Crash Avoidance R&D topics are: Tuck crashworthiness/

occupant protection, Truck tire traction, Portable data acquisition

system for crash avoidance research, Systems to enhance EMS response

(automatic collision notification), Vehicle motion environment, Crash

causal analysis, Guidelines for crash avoidance warning devices, Longer

combination vehicle safety, Drowsy driver monitoring, Driver workload

assessment, and Performance guidelines for IVHS systems (approach).

Specific topics from the National Center for Statistics and

Analysis are: National safety belt use survey, New data elements for

FARS and NASS, Special crash investigations program regarding air bag

performance, Pedestrian special NASS data collection project, and

Critical Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES)--Linkage of databases

on police accident reporting and medical outcomes.

Questions regarding research projects that have been submitted in

writing not later than close of business on march 21, 1995, will be

answered as time permits. A transcript of the meeting, copies of

materials handed out at the meeting, and copies of the suggestions

offered by commenters will be available for public inspection in the

NHTSA Technical Reference Section, Room 5108, 400 Seventh Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20590. Copies of the transcript will then be available

at 10 cents a page, upon request to NHTSA Technical Reference Section.

The Technical Reference Section is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to

4:00 p.m.

NHTSA will provide technical aids to participants as necessary,

during the NHTSA Industry Research and Development Meeting. Thus any

person desiring assistance of ``auxiliary aids'' (e.g. sign-language

interpreter, telecommunication devices for deaf persons (TTDs), readers

taped texts, braille materials, or large print materials and/or a

magnifying device), please contact Barbara Coleman on 202/366-1537 by

COB March 21, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Richard L. Stronbotne, Special

Assistant for Technology Transfer Policy and Programs, Office of

Research and Development, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

Telephone: 202-366-4730. Fax number: 202-366-5930

Issued: February 9, 1995.

George L. Parker,

Associate Administrator for Research and Development.

[FR Doc. 95-4028 Filed 2-16-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-59-M