Research and Development Programs; Meeting

Topics:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

George L. Parker
Federal Register
May 4, 1994

[Federal Register: May 4, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

 
Research and Development Programs; Meeting

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting at which NHTSA will 
describe and discuss specific research and development projects and 
requests suggestions for agenda topics.

DATES AND TIMES: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
will hold a public meeting devoted primarily to presentations of 
specific research and development projects on June 14, 1994, beginning 
at 1:30 p.m. and ending at approximately 5 p.m. The deadline for 
interested parties to suggest agenda topics is 4:15 p.m. on May 18, 
1994. Questions may be submitted in advance regarding the Agency's 
research and development projects. They must be submitted in writing by 
June 7, 1994, to the address given below. If sufficient time is 
available, questions received after the June 7 date will be answered at 
the meeting in the discussion period. The individual, group or company 
asking a question does not have to be present for the question to be 
answered. A consolidated list of the questions submitted by June 7 will 
be available at the meeting and will be mailed to requesters after the 
meeting.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Ramada Inn, near Detroit 
Metro, 8270 Wickham Rd., Romulus, MI 48174. Suggestions for specific 
R&D topics as described below and questions for the June 14, 1994, 
meeting relating to the Agency's research and development programs 
should be submitted to George L. Parker, Associate Administrator for 
Research and Development, NRD-01, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, Room 6206, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590. The fax number is 202-366-5930.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA intends to provide detailed 
presentations about its research and development programs in a series 
of quarterly public meetings. The series started in April 1993. The 
purpose is to make available more complete and timely information 
regarding the Agency's research and development programs. This sixth 
meeting will be held on June 14, 1994.
    NHTSA requests suggestions from interested parties on the specific 
agenda topics. NHTSA will base its decisions about the agenda, in part, 
on the suggestions it receives by close of business at 4:15 p.m. on May 
18, 1994. Before the meeting, it will publish a notice with an agenda 
listing the research and development topics to be discussed. NHTSA asks 
that the suggestions be taken from the list below and that they be 
limited to five, in priority order, so that the presentations at the 
June 14 R&D meeting can be most useful to the audience. Please note 
that almost all of these topics have been discussed at the previous 
five meetings to some extent and that presentations at the sixth 
meeting will be reports on current status, results, and plans.
    Specific Crashworthiness R&D topics are:

Improved frontal crash protection,
Highway traffic injury studies,
Head and neck injury research,
Lower extremity injury research,
Thorax injury research,
Human injury simulation and analysis,
Crash test dummy component development,
Vehicle aggressivity and fleet compatibility,
Upgrade side crash protection,
Upgrade seat and occupant restraint systems,
Child safety research, and
Electric and alternate fuel vehicle safety.

    Specific Crash Avoidance R&D topics are:

Truck crashworthiness/occupant protection
Truck tire traction
Portable data acquisition system for crash avoidance research
Systems to enhance EMS response (automatic collision notification)
Vehicle motion environment,
Crash causal analysis,
Guidelines for crash avoidance warning devices,
Longer combination vehicle safety,
Drowsy driver monitoring,
Driver workload assessment, and
Performance guidelines for IVHS systems (approach).

    Specific topics from the National Center for Statistics and 
Analysis are:

National safety belt use survey,
New data elements for FARS and NASS,
Special crash investigations program regarding air bag performance,
Pedestrian special NASS data collection project, and
Critical Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES)--Linkage of databases 
on police accident reporting and medical outcomes.

    Questions regarding research projects that have been submitted in 
writing not later than close of business on June 7, 1994, will be 
answered as time permits. A transcript of the meeting, copies of 
materials handed out at the meeting, and copies of the suggestions 
offered by commenters will be available for public inspection in the 
NHTSA Technical Reference Section, Room 5108, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590. Copies of the transcript will then be available 
at 10 cents a page, upon request to NHTSA Technical Reference Section. 
The Technical Reference Section is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 
4 p.m.
    NHTSA will provide technical aids to participant as necessary, 
during the NHTSA Industry Research and Development Meeting. Thus any 
person desiring assistance of ``auxiliary aids'' (e.g., sign language 
interpreter, telecommunication devices for deaf persons (TTDs), 
readers, taped texts, braille materials, or large print materials and/
or a magnifying device), please contact Barbara Coleman on 202/366-1537 
by COB June 7, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Richard L. Strombotne, Special 
Assistant for Technology Transfer Policy and Programs, Office of 
Research and Development, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. 
Telephone: 202-366-4730. Fax number: 202-366-5930.

    Issued: April 26, 1994.
George L. Parker,
Associate Administrator for Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 94-10633 Filed 5-3-94; 8:45 am]
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