Program Plan for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Existing Regulations, 1994-98

Donald C. Bischoff
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
10 June 1994

[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 111 (Friday, June 10, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14091]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 10, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. 94-47; Notice 1]

 

Program Plan for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Existing 
Regulations, 1994-98

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

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the publication by NHTSA of its 
Evaluation Program Plan for 1994-98. The report describes the agency's 
ongoing and planned evaluations of its existing Federal Vehicle Safety 
Standards [49 CFR part 571] and its other safety and consumer programs. 
It also summarizes the results of completed evaluations. The agency's 
evaluation program responds to Executive Order 12866, which provides 
for Government-wide review of existing significant Federal regulations. 
This notice solicits public review and comment on the evaluation plan. 
Comments received will be used to improve the plan.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than August 9, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Report: Interested persons may obtain a copy of the report 
free of charge by sending a self-addressed mailing label to Ms Glorious 
Harris (NAD-51, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 
Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590.
    Comments: All comments should refer to the docket and notice number 
of this notice and be submitted to: Docket section, room 5109, Nassif 
Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington DC 20590. [Docket hours, 
9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday.] It is requested but not 
required that 10 copies of comments be submitted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Frank Ephraim, Chief, Evaluation Division, Office of Strategic 
Planning and Evaluation, Plans and Policy, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20590 (202-336-1574).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA has rigorously evaluated its major 
programs as a matter of policy since 1970. The evaluation of the 
effectiveness of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 
began in 1975. Executive Order 12866, issued in October 1993, is the 
formal government-wide requirement for Federal agencies to evaluate 
their existing regulations and programs. Since the mid-1970's NHTSA was 
a leader among Federal agencies in evaluating the effectiveness of its 
regulations. There are large data bases of motor vehicle accidents 
which can be analyzed to find out what vehicle and traffic safety 
programs works best.
    This five-year plan presents and discusses the programs, 
regulations, and related areas NHTSA proposes to evaluate, and it 
summarizes the findings of past evaluations. Depending on scope, 
evaluations typically take a year or more, counting initial planning, 
contracting for support, Office of Management and Budget clearance for 
surveys, internal review, approval, report publication for comment, and 
the last phase of preparing options for subsequent agency action.
    Most of NHTSA's crashworthiness and several crash avoidance 
standards have been evaluated at least once since 1975. A number of 
consumer-oriented regulations, e.g., bumpers, theft protection, and 
fuel economy, have also been evaluated. The plan for the next five 
years includes evaluations of new and existing safety and consumer 
information and protection regulations, plus assessments of specific 
enforcement and highway safety programs.
    NHTSA welcomes public review of the plan and invites the reviewers 
to comment about the selection, priority, and schedule of the 
regulations to be evaluated. The agency is interested in learning of 
any additional data that may be useful in the evaluations. The plan 
will be periodically updated in response to public and agency needs, 
with a complete revision scheduled very four years.
    Those persons desiring to be notified upon receipt of their 
comments in the rules docket should enclose, in the envelope with their 
comments, a self-addressed stamped postcard. Upon receiving the 
comments, the docket supervisor will return the postcard by mail.

(15 U.S.C. 1392, 1401, 1407; delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 
and 501.8)

    Issued on: June 3, 1994.
Donald C. Bischoff,
Associate Administrator for Plans and Policy
[FR Doc. 94-14091 Filed 6-9-94; 8:45 am]
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