Consumer Information Regulations; Vehicle Rollover Stability Label

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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.

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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

[[Page 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 up-to-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