Public Hearings on Planned Upgrades to the New Car Assessment Program

Raymond R. Posten
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
December 23, 2015

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79992-79993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32184]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2015-0119]


Public Hearings on Planned Upgrades to the New Car Assessment 
Program

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: NHTSA is announcing two public hearings to invite public 
comment on the planned upgrade to the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) 
recently announced in a Request for Comments (RFC) Notice.

DATES: NHTSA will hold a public hearing at the Patrick McNamara Federal 
Building in Detroit, Michigan on January 14, 2016, that will begin at 
9:00 a.m. The second hearing will be held at U.S. DOT Headquarters in 
Washington, DC on January 29, 2016, and will begin at 9:00 a.m. We will 
make every effort to accommodate all who wish to speak. Priority will 
be given to those who register in advance. Each hearing will continue 
until 1:00 p.m. or until everyone has had an opportunity to speak. 
Note, however, that the Patrick McNamara Federal Building closes at 
5:30 p.m. If you would like to present oral testimony related to the 
RFC notice at one of the public hearings, please contact the person 
identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least 10 days 
before the hearing.

ADDRESSES: The January 14, 2016 public hearing will be held at the 
Patrick McNamara Federal Building, Room 1180, 477 Michigan Avenue, 
Detroit, MI 48226-2523. The January 29, 2016 public hearing will be 
held at the U.S. DOT Headquarters Building, Oklahoma City Room, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you would like to present oral 
testimony at either of these public hearings, please contact Milton 
Cooper by the date specified under DATES at telephone number: (202) 
366-3223; or email address: milton.cooper@dot.gov (preferred method of 
contact). Please provide the following information: Name, affiliation, 
telephone number, email address, and any reasonable accommodations you 
may need.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the public hearings is to 
provide the public with an opportunity to present oral comments 
regarding the planned upgrade to NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. 
NCAP provides comparative information on the safety of new vehicles to 
assist consumers with vehicle purchasing decisions and to encourage 
motor vehicle manufacturers to make vehicle safety improvements. To 
keep pace with advancements in occupant protection and the introduction 
of advanced technologies, NHTSA has periodically updated the program. 
On December 16, 2015, NHTSA published in the Federal Register a notice 
that describes and seeks comments on NHTSA's plan to advance the 
capabilities and safety outcomes of NCAP.\1\
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    \1\ 80 FR 78522; December 16, 2015.
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    The RFC notice announces the beginning of a process NHTSA believes 
will provide the agency with significantly enhanced tools and 
techniques for better evaluating the safety of vehicles, generating 
star ratings, and stimulating the development of even safer vehicles 
for American consumers. The agency believes the revised rating system 
will result in even lower numbers of deaths and injuries resulting from 
motor vehicle crashes. These tools and techniques include:

[[Page 79993]]

     A new frontal oblique test to address a crash type that 
continues to result in deaths and serious injuries despite the use of 
seat belts, air bags, and the crashworthy structures of late-model 
vehicles;
     Use of the THOR 50th percentile male anthropomorphic test 
device (ATD) (i.e., crash test dummy) in the frontal oblique and full 
frontal tests because of its advanced instrumentation and more human-
like (i.e., biofidelic) response to the forces experienced in these 
crashes;
     Use of the WorldSID 50th percentile male ATD in both side 
pole and side moveable deformable barrier tests because of its advanced 
instrumentation and enhanced biofidelic properties;
     Pedestrian crashworthiness testing to measure the extent 
to which vehicles are designed to minimize injuries and fatalities when 
they strike pedestrians;
     An update of the rollover static stability factor risk 
curve using crash data from only newer electronic stability control 
equipped vehicles;
     The addition of a crash avoidance rating based on whether 
a vehicle offers any of the multiple technologies that will be added to 
NCAP and whether the technologies meet NHTSA performance measures;
    [cir] These technologies would include forward collision warning, 
lane departure warning, blind spot detection, lower beam headlighting 
technologies, semi-automatic headlamp beam switching, amber rear turn 
signal lamps, rear automatic braking and pedestrian automatic emergency 
braking. (A decision concerning the addition of crash imminent braking 
and dynamic brake support to the technologies recommended by NCAP is 
the subject of a separate proceeding recently published.\2\)
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    \2\ See www.regulations.gov, Docket No. NHTSA-2015-0006-0024.
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     A new approach to determining a vehicle's overall 5-star 
rating that will, for the first time, incorporate advanced crash 
avoidance technology features, along with ratings for crashworthiness 
and pedestrian protection.
    You can learn more about the planned upgrade by reviewing the RFC 
notice and the supplementary documents located at http://www.safercar.gov/5Stars or in the docket.
    Should it be necessary for the agency to cancel either public 
hearing due to inclement weather or any other emergencies, a decision 
to cancel will be made as soon as possible and emailed to those 
individuals who have registered to provide oral comments. If you do not 
have access to email, you may call the contacts listed in this 
announcement and leave your telephone number and/or email address. You 
will be contacted only if the public hearing is postponed or canceled.
    Public Hearing Procedures. Because the hearings will be located in 
Federal facilities, security screening will be required. Attendees will 
need to show photo identification and be screened for security 
purposes. Please plan your arrival so as to allow sufficient time to 
complete the screening. Please note that the Patrick McNamara Federal 
Building does not open until 8:00 a.m.
    NHTSA will conduct the hearings informally. Thus, technical rules 
of evidence will not apply. Panel members may ask clarifying questions 
during the oral presentations, but will not respond to the 
presentations at that time. You may make arrangements to obtain copies 
of the transcripts directly with the court reporter. Written statements 
and supporting information submitted during the comment period on the 
RFC notice will be considered with the same weight as oral comments and 
supporting information presented at the public hearings. The RFC notice 
provides that written comments should be submitted no later than 
February 16, 2016.

Raymond R. Posten,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2015-32184 Filed 12-22-15; 8:45 am]
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