Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Crash Protection

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 74-14; Notice 115]

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Crash Protection

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),

Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Extension of comment period for a request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This document extends the comment period on a request for

comments concerning a petition from U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne to

amend the agency's automatic occupant protection standard. The standard

includes provisions specifying the use of unbelted as well as belted

dummies in testing air bag-equipped vehicles. The petition asks that

the agency impose a moratorium on testing with unbelted dummies. In its

request for comments, the agency sought public comments on the benefits

and disbenefits of eliminating the unbelted test. In response to a

petition from the Association of International Automobile

Manufacturers, Inc., the agency is extending the comment period from

March 31, 1997 to June 2, 1997.

DATES: Comments on Docket 74-14, Notice 113 must be received by June 2,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to Docket 74-14, Notice 113 and be

submitted to: Docket Section, Room 5109, National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

(Docket Room hours are: 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about air bags and

related rulemakings: Visit the NHTSA web site at http://

www.nhtsa.dot.gov and select AIR BAGS: Information about air bags.

For non-legal issues: Clarke Harper, Chief, Light Duty Vehicle

Division, NPS-11, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-2264.

Fax: (202) 366-4329.

For legal issues: J. Edward Glancy, Office of Chief Counsel, NCC-

20, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street,

SW, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-2992. Fax: (202) 366-

3820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 27, 1997, NHTSA published in the

Federal Register (62 FR 8917) a request for comments concerning a

petition from U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne. The petitioner requested

the agency to amend Standard No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection, to

impose a moratorium on testing with unbelted dummies. The petition was

submitted in response to the deaths of young children and of drivers,

primarily short-statured women, as a result of air bag deployments in

low speed crashes. The petitioner believes that the necessity of

meeting the unbelted test requirement is adversely affecting current

air bag designs and causing these deaths. The petitioner also believes

that the requirement is preventing vehicle manufacturers from

optimizing air bag designs for belted occupants.

The agency noted in the request for comments that it has concluded

that section 2508 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency

Act of 1991 precludes it from eliminating the unbelted test

requirement. However, since the agency is interested in all potential

solutions to the air bag deaths and since the agency can recommend

legislative changes to Congress, the agency sought public comment on

the benefits and disbenefits of eliminating the unbelted test. The

agency provided a 30-day comment period.

On March 19, 1997, the Association of International Automobile

Manufacturers, Inc. (AIAM) petitioned for an extension in the comment

period. AIAM noted that it has stated a preference for eliminating the

unbelted dummy test, but stated that it cannot generate a thorough and

quantitative response in the time allotted. AIAM stated that it

believes the questions raised in the request for comments should be

addressed thoroughly because they are fundamental to the long-term

direction of occupant protection and related regulatory requirements.

[[Page 15454]]

On March 27, 1997, the American Automobile Manufacturers

Association submitted a letter stating that it believes that sufficient

time should be provided to all interested parties to respond to the

request for comments. That organization stated that it therefore

supports the request for additional time requested by AIAM.

After considering the arguments raised by AIAM, NHTSA has decided

that it is in the public interest to grant that petitioner's request.

The agency notes that it has selected the date of June 2, 1997 as the

comment closing date since the requested date, May 31, falls on a

Saturday.

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

delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50.

Issued on March 28, 1997.

L. Robert Shelton,

Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 97-8374 Filed 3-28-97; 12:39 pm]

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