Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 96-21; Notice 01]

RIN 2127-AF68

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Seat Belt Assembly

Anchorages

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This rule deletes two owner's manual requirements in Standard

No. 210, ``Seat Belt Anchorages.'' Standard No. 210 requires that

manufacturers include a diagram in their owner's manuals showing the

location of any shoulder belt anchorages required by the standard, if

the vehicle is not equipped with shoulder belts at those locations.

Standard No. 210 also requires the inclusion of owner's manual

information concerning the use and the installation of child safety

seats in vehicles equipped with an automatic belt at the right front

outboard seating position, if the belt cannot be used to secure a child

seat. NHTSA believes it is appropriate to delete these requirements

because they are or soon will be obsolete.

DATES: Effective Dates: The removal of paragragh S6(c) of Sec. 571.210

is effective June 3, 1996. The removal of S7 of Sec. 571.210 is

effective September 1, 1998.

Petition Date: Any petitions for reconsideration must be received

by NHTSA no later than June 17, 1996.

ADDRESS: Any petitions for reconsideration should refer to the docket

and notice number of this notice and be submitted to: Administrator,

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street SW.,

Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The following persons at the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street SW.,

Washington, DC 20590:

For non-legal issues: Clarke B. Harper, Office of Crashworthiness

Standards, NPS-11, telephone (202) 366-4916, facsimile (202) 366-4329,

electronic mail ``[email protected]''.

For legal issues: Mary Versailles, Office of the Chief Counsel,

NCC-20, telephone (202) 366-2992, facsimile (202) 366-3820, electronic

mail ``[email protected]''.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the March 4, 1995 directive,

``Regulatory Reinvention Initiative,'' from the President to the heads

of departments and agencies, NHTSA undertook a review of all its

regulations and directives. During the course of this review, the

agency identified several requirements and regulations that are

potential candidates for amendment or rescission, including two owner's

manual information requirements in Standard No. 210, ``Seat Belt

Assembly Anchorages.''

NHTSA believes that these requirements should be deleted because

they are or soon will be obsolete. The first requirement is in

paragraph S6(c), which requires that vehicle manufacturers include a

diagram in their vehicle owner's manuals showing the location of any

shoulder belt anchorages required by the standard, if their vehicles

are not equipped with shoulder belts at those locations. This

requirement was intended to ensure that consumers were aware of the

existence of beltless anchorages in rear seating locations. The other

requirement is in paragraph S7, which requires the inclusion of owner's

manual information concerning the use and the installation of child

safety seats in vehicles equipped with an automatic belt at the right

front outboard seating position, if the belt cannot be used to secure a

child seat.

Paragraph S6(c) is currently not applicable to any vehicle. Since

September 1, 1991, all rear seating positions which are required by

Standard No. 210 to have a shoulder belt anchorage are also required by

Standard No. 208, ``Occupant Crash Protection,'' to have shoulder belts

installed. As there are no longer any required, but unused, rear

outboard shoulder belt anchorages, the agency is deleting this

requirement.

With regard to the requirements of S7 of Standard No. 210 requiring

information concerning installation of child restraints in a seating

position with an automatic belt, several recent amendments to Standard

No. 208 will make this owner's manual requirement obsolete after

September 1, 1998. First, a final rule published on September 2, 1993,

requires an air bag and manual belt at the right front outboard seating

position in passenger cars and light trucks by September 1, 1998 (58 FR

46551). After that date, automatic belts will not be installed in those

seating positions. Second, a final rule published on October 13, 1993,

requires manual belts installed at any seating position other than the

driver's position in vehicles manufactured after September 1, 1995, to

be capable of tightly securing a child safety seat without the

necessity of the user's attaching any device to the safety belt system

(58 FR 52922). This ``lockability'' requirement will also be described

in the owners manual. The combination of the manual belt requirement

and the lockability requirement will make Section 7 of 210 obsolete

after September 1, 1998.

NHTSA is not soliciting public comment on these amendments. NHTSA

finds for good cause that notice and opportunity to comment are

unnecessary because the amendments are technical in nature. They delete

requirements addressing circumstances that have been or will be

eliminated by other requirements in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards.

Rulemaking Analyses and Notices

Executive Order 12866 and DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures

NHTSA has considered the impact of this rulemaking action under

E.O. 12866 and the Department of Transportation's regulatory policies

and procedures. This rulemaking document was not reviewed under E.O.

12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review.'' This action has been

determined to be not ``significant'' under the Department of

Transportation's regulatory policies and procedures. Because this rule

deletes obsolete provisions, no cost or saving will result.

Regulatory Flexibility Act: NHTSA has also considered the impacts

of this rule under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. I hereby certify

that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities. As explained above, NHTSA does

not anticipate any economic impact from this rulemaking action.

Paperwork Reduction Act: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-511), there are no requirements for information

collection associated with this rule.

National Environmental Policy Act: NHTSA has also analyzed this

rule under the National Environmental Policy Act and determined that it

will not have a significant impact on the human environment.

Executive Order 12612 (Federalism): NHTSA has analyzed this rule in

accordance with the principles and criteria contained in E.O. 12612,

and

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has determined that this rule will not have significant federalism

implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Civil Justice Reform: This rule does not have any retroactive

effect. Under 49 U.S.C. 30103, whenever a Federal motor vehicle safety

standard is in effect, a State may not adopt or maintain a safety

standard applicable to the same aspect of performance which is not

identical to the Federal standard, except to the extent that the state

requirement imposes a higher level of performance and applies only to

vehicles procured for the State's use. 49 U.S.C. 30161 sets forth a

procedure for judicial review of final rules establishing, amending or

revoking Federal motor vehicle safety standards. That section does not

require submission of a petition for reconsideration or other

administrative proceedings before parties may file suit in court.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 571

Imports, Motor vehicle safety, Motor vehicles.

In consideration of the foregoing, 49 CFR Part 571 is amended as

follows:

PART 571--FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS

1. The authority citation for Part 571 of Title 49 continues to

read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322, 30111, 30115, 30117, and 30166;

delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.

2. Sec. 571.210 is amended by removing paragraph S6(c) and S7.

Issued on April 25, 1996.

Ricardo Martinez,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 96-10789 Filed 5-1-96; 8:45 am]

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