

[Federal Register: November 6, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 214)]
[Notices]               
[Page 62723-62727]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06no07-127]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

 
Reports, Forms and Record Keeping Requirements; Agency 
Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department 
of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR 
describes the nature of the information collections and their expected 
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was 
published on April 9, 2007 (72 FR 17598). No comments were received.
    This document describes two collections of information for which 
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval. The first ICR described is 
``Consolidated Child Restraint Registration, Labeling and Defect 
Notification.'' The second ICR is ``Consolidated Labeling Requirements 
for Vehicles (Except the VIN).''

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 6, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Maurice Hicks at the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Rulemaking (NVS-113), 
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590. Mr. Hicks' telephone 
number is (202) 366-6345.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

    (1) Title: ``Consolidated Child Restraint System Registration, 
Labeling and Defect Notifications.''
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0576.
    Type of Request: Revised Collection.
    Abstract: This action consolidates two existing collections of 
information. In the previous collections of information: (1) A 
collection was established to require manufacturers to provide owner 
registration cards and to label each child

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restraint system (CRS) with a message informing users of the importance 
of registering the device with the manufacturer, and (2) another 
collection was issued to allow NHTSA to implement a registration 
program to send CRS owners a substitute registration form if owners had 
lost the registration card (OMB control numbers 2127-0511, ``49 CFR 
571.213, Child Restraint Systems,'' and 2127-0576, ``Child Safety Seat 
Registration''). Furthermore, in the second collection, it was also 
required that if either NHTSA or a manufacturer determines that a CRS 
contains a defect that relates to motor vehicle safety or fails to 
comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, 
pursuant to Chapter 301 of title 49 of the United States, the 
manufacturer must notify owners and purchasers of the defect or 
noncompliance and must provide a remedy without charge. The proposed 
revised collection will consolidate these provisions but will retain 
the control number of the second collection.
    Child restraint manufacturers are required to provide an owner's 
registration card for purchasers of child safety seats in accordance 
with title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR), part 571--
section 213, ``Child restraint systems.'' The registration card is 
perforated into two-parts (see Figures 1 and 2). The top part contains 
a message and suitable instructions to be retained by the purchaser. 
The bottom part is to be returned to the manufacturer by the purchaser. 
The bottom part includes prepaid return postage, the pre-printed name/
address of the manufacturer, the pre-printed model and date of 
manufacture, and spaces for the purchaser to fill in his/her name and 
address. Optionally, child restraint manufacturers are permitted to add 
to the registration form: (a) Specified statements informing CRS owners 
that they may register online; (b) the Internet address for registering 
with the company; (c) revisions to statements reflecting use of the 
Internet to register; and (d) a space for the consumer's e-mail 
address. For those CRS owners with access to the Internet, online 
registration may be a preferred method of registering a CRS.
    In addition to the registration card supplied by the manufacturer, 
NHTSA has implemented a CRS registration system to assist those 
individuals who have either lost the registration card that came with 
the CRS or purchased a previously owned CRS. Upon the owner's request, 
NHTSA provides a substitute registration form that can be obtained 
either by mail or from the Internet \1\ (see Figure 3). When the 
completed registration is returned to the agency, it is then submitted 
to the CRS manufacturers. In the absence of a substitute registration 
system, many owners of child passenger safety seats, especially any 
second-hand owners, might not be notified of safety defects and 
noncompliances, and would not have the defects and noncompliances 
remedied.
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    \1\ http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/DOT/NHTSA/Vehicle%20Safety/Articles/Associated%20Files/csregfrm.pdf
.

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    Child seat owner registration information is retained in the event 
that owners need to be contacted for defect recalls or replacement 
campaigns. Chapter 301 of title 49 of the United States Code specifies 
that if either NHTSA or a manufacturer determines that motor vehicles 
or items of motor vehicle equipment contain a defect that relates to 
motor vehicle safety or fail to comply with an applicable Federal motor 
vehicle safety standard, the manufacturer must notify owners and 
purchasers of the defect or noncompliance and must provide a remedy 
without charge. In title 49 of the CFR, part 577, defect and 
noncompliance notification for equipment items, including child 
restraint systems, must be sent by first class mail to the most recent 
purchaser known to the manufacturer.
    Child restraint manufacturers are also required to provide a 
printed instructions brochure with step-by-step information on how the 
restraint is to be used. Without proper use, the effectiveness of these 
systems is greatly diminished. Each child restraint system must also 
have a permanent label. A permanently attached label gives 
``quicklook'' information on whether the restraint meets the safety 
requirements, recommended installation and use, and warnings against 
misuse.
    Affected Public: Business, individuals and households.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 265,500 hours.
    (2) Title: Consolidated Labeling Requirements for Motor Vehicles 
(Except the VIN).
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0512.
    Type of Request: Revised Collection.
    Abstract: Because of the similarities in the collections of 
information, NHTSA seeks to combine the provisions of the existing 
collection for glazing materials into a collection for labeling 
information for five other Federal motor vehicle safety standards (OMB 
control numbers 2127-0038, ``49 CFR 571.205, Glazing Materials,'' and 
2127-0512, ``Consolidated Labeling Requirements for Motor Vehicles'' 
(except the VIN)). NHTSA seeks to consolidate the two collections 
because the provisions for glazing materials in both collections are 
interrelated. The two collections address a process that vehicle 
manufacturers follow in first gaining a unique identification number 
from NHTSA and then labeling each piece of vehicle glazing with that 
number to verify compliance with Federal standards.
    In order to ensure that motor vehicle safety is maintained and that 
manufacturers are complying with the FMVSS and regulations, NHTSA 
requires a number of specific labeling requirements. FMVSS No. 105, 
``Hydraulic and electric brake systems'' and FMVSS No. 135, ``Light 
vehicle brake systems,'' require that each vehicle shall have a brake 
fluid warning statement in letters at least one-eighth of a inch high 
on the master cylinder reservoirs and located so as to be visible by 
direct view. FMVSS No. 205, ``Glazing materials,'' requires that 
manufacturers mark their automotive glazing with certain label 
information. In addition, for certain specialty glazing items, 
manufacturers are required to affix a removable label to each item. 
FMVSS No. 209, ``Seat belt assemblies,'' requires safety belts to be 
labeled with the year of manufacture, the model, and the name or 
trademark of the manufacturer. Additionally, replacement safety belts 
that are for use only in specifically stated motor vehicles must have 
labels or accompanying instruction sheets to specify the applicable 
vehicle models and seating positions. All other replacement belts are 
required to be accompanied by an installation instruction sheet. Part 
567, ``Certification,'' requires each manufacturer or distributor of 
motor vehicles to furnish to the dealer, or distributor of the vehicle, 
a certification that the vehicle meets all applicable FMVSS. This 
certification is required to be in the form of a label permanently 
affixed to the vehicle.
    This notice seeks to approve the registration and labeling 
requirements of these FMVSS and regulations. Also, this notice seeks to 
correct errors that were made in the previous notice on the estimated 
total annual burden hours and costs. In the previous notice, NHTSA 
estimated that all manufacturers will need a total of 73,071 annual 
burden hours to comply with the requirements of the combined 
collections, at a total annual cost of $1,096,065. These estimates 
ignore the hours needed for glazing manufacturers to obtain an approved 
identification number and

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develop stencils for marking each piece of vehicle glazing. 
Additionally, the total annual cost was derived at an hourly rate of 
$15 instead of $20, which is more appropriate given the required duties 
specified for the collections. To correct the error, an additional 
1,066 burden hours are added which increases the estimated total annual 
burden to 74,137 hours and the total annual cost to $1,482,740 
(calculated at a rate of $20 per hour).
    Affected Public: Business.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 74,137 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, within 30 days, to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention NHTSA Desk Officer.
    Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Departments estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology. A Comment to OMB is most effective if OMB 
receives it within 30 days of publication.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on: October 31, 2007.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
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[FR Doc. E7-21758 Filed 11-5-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
