Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 68 / Monday, April 8, 1996 / Proposed
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15446 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 68 / Monday, April 8, 1996 / Proposed Rules meanings unless otherwise defined in Nodak Mutual Insurance Company (North beginning of this notice and be paragraph (b) of this section. Dakota) 1 submitted to: Docket Section, Room Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Group * * * * * 5109, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., (Arkansas, Mississippi) Washington, DC 20590. It is requested 4. Paragraph (a) of § 544.5 would be Tennessee Farmers Companies (Tennessee) that 10 copies of the comments be revised to read as follows: 7. Appendix C to Part 544 would be revised to read as follows: provided. The Docket Section is open 544.5 General requirements for reports. on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appendix CÐMotor Vehicle Rental and * * * * * FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Leasing Companies (Including technical issues: Mr. Richard Van (a) Each insurer to which this part Licensees and Franchisees) Subject to Iderstine, Office of Vehicle Safety applies shall submit a report annually the Reporting Requirements of Part 544 Standards, NPS±21, telephone (202) not later than October 25, beginning on Alamo Rent-A-Car, Inc. 366±5280, FAX (202) 366±4329. October 25, 1986. This report shall Avis, Inc. For legal issues: Ms. Dorothy Nakama, contain the information required by Office of Chief Counsel, NCC±20, § 544.6 of this part for the calendar year Budget Rent-A-Car Corporation 1 telephone (202) 366±2992, FAX (202) three years previous to the year in Citicorp Bankers Leasing Corporation Dollar Rent-A-Car Systems, Inc. 366±3820. Both may be reached at the which the report is filed (e.g., the report Donlen Corporation 1 National Highway Traffic Safety due by October 25, 1996 shall contain Hertz Rent-A-Car Division (subsidiary of Administration, 400 Seventh Street, the required information for the 1993 Hertz Corporation) SW., Washington, DC 20590. Comments Lease Plan International 1 calendar year). should not be sent or faxed to these * * * * * National Car Rental System, Inc. Penske Truck Leasing Company persons, but should be sent to the 5. Appendix A to Part 544 would be Ryder System, Inc. (Both rental and leasing Docket Section. operations) revised to read as follows: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: U-Haul International, Inc. (Subsidiary of Appendix AÐInsurers of Motor Vehicle AMERCO) President's Regulatory Reinvention Insurance Policies Subject to the USL Capital Fleet Services 1 Initiative Reporting Requirements in Each State Issued on: April 1, 1996. in Which They Do Business Pursuant to the March 4, 1995 Barry Felrice, directive ``Regulatory Reinvention Aetna Life & Casualty Group Associate Administrator for Safety Initiative'' from the President to the Allmerica Property & Casualty Companies1 Performance Standards. heads of departments and agencies, Allstate Insurance Group [FR Doc. 96±8357 Filed 4±5±96; 8:45 am] NHTSA undertook a review of its American Family Group BILLING CODE 4910±59±P regulations and directives. During the American International Group California State Auto Association course of this review, NHTSA identified regulations that it could propose to CNA Insurance Companies 49 CFR Part 571 Farmers Insurance Group eliminate as unnecessary or to amend to Geico Corporation Group [Docket No. 96±30; Notice 1] improve their comprehensibility, application, or appropriateness. Among ITT Hartford Insurance Group RIN 2127±AF88 Liberty Mutual Group these regulations is Federal Motor Metropolitan Group1 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Vehicle Safety Standard No. 104, Nationwide Group Standards; Windshield Wiping and Windshield wiping and washing systems Progressive Group Washing Systems (49 CFR § 571.104). Based on its review Prudential of America Group of the standard, NHTSA is proposing Safeco Insurance Companies AGENCY: National Highway Traffic three alternative approaches to State Farm Group Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. amending Standard No. 104. Travelers Insurance Group ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. USAA Group Background of Standard No. 104 SUMMARY: In this document, NHTSA Standard No. 104 was issued in 1967 6. Appendix B to Part 544 would be proposes changes to the Federal Motor revised to read as follows: (32 FR 2408) as one of the initial Federal Vehicle Safety Standard on windshield Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Appendix BÐIssuers of Motor Vehicle wiping and washing systems. The (FMVSSs). At present, the standard Insurance Policies Subject to the proposals range from applying applies to passenger cars, multipurpose Reporting Requirements Only in performance requirements to the passenger vehicles (MPVs), trucks, and Designated States systems in light trucks and buses. Standard No. 104 specifies that multipurpose passenger vehicles to Alfa Insurance Group (Alabama) each vehicle shall have a power-driven Amica Mutual Insurance Company (Rhode rescinding the Standard. This proposed windshield wiping system that meets Island) action is part of NHTSA's efforts to S4.1.1's requirement that each system Arbella Mutual Insurance (Massachusetts) implement the President's Regulatory shall have at least two speeds, each of Auto Club of Michigan (Michigan) Reinvention Initiative. which wipes at a different number of Commerce Group, Inc. (Massachusetts) DATES: Comments must be received on cycles per minute. Commercial Union Insurance Companies or before May 23, 1996. Standard No. 104 specifies additional (Maine) ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the wiping requirements for passenger cars, Concord Group Insurance Companies docket and notice numbers cited at the but not for the other vehicle types (Vermont) Erie Insurance Group (Pennsylvania) subject to the standard. The passenger 1 Kentucky Farm Bureau Group (Kentucky) Indicates a newly listed company which must car windshield areas to be wiped are file a report beginning with the report due October specified in paragraphs S4.1.2 and 25, 1996 1 Indicates a newly listed company which must 1 Indicates a newly listed company which must S4.1.2.1 of the standard. S4.1.2 specifies file a report beginning with the report due October file a report beginning with the report due October three areas for passenger car 25, 1996 25, 1996 windshields, designated as areas ``A'', Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 68 / Monday, April 8, 1996 / Proposed Rules 15447 ``B'', and ``C.'' A specified percentage of 1. Proposal OneÐRescind Standard No. State regulations, even ones differing the glazing in each area is required to be 104 from those of another State, on this wiped, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of NHTSA's first alternative proposal is subject would conflict with Federal law SAE Recommended Practice J903a, May to rescind Standard No. 104. To adopt or have a deleterious effect on motor 1966, which the standard incorporates this proposal, NHTSA would conclude vehicle safety. by reference. The location of those areas that even if Standard No. 104 should be Finally, the agency notes that is determined using the angles specified rescinded, manufacturers would rescinding Standard No. 104 would also in Tables I, II, III, and IV of Standard No. continue to provide means to wipe and remove what may be unnecessarily 104, as applicable. Those tables apply to wash motor vehicle windshields. It is restrictive specifications for windshield passenger cars of varying overall widths, widely recognized that a motor vehicle wiping and washing systems. For namely, from less than 60 inches to must have some means for keeping the example, at present, S4.1 specifies that more than 68 inches. The angles set windshield wiped and washed so that a windshield wiping system must have forth in the tables vary according to the the driver can view the road ahead. at least two frequencies, one of which is at least 45 cycles per minute, and the overall width of the vehicle. Finally, More important, the fact that light other cycle must differ by at least 15 paragraph S4.1.2 provides that all of the trucks and MPVs apparently provide cycles per minute. Manufacturers might glazing counted toward meeting the wiping and washing performance comparable to that in passenger cars, develop means to clean windshields percentage of each area required to be that do not operate in cycles, or other wiped must lie within the area bounded despite the absence of performance requirements for light trucks and MPVs, means that do not involve the by a perimeter line on the glazing traditional two wiper blades rotating in surface one inch from the edge of the indicates that passenger cars would continue to provide that level of synchronization. daylight opening. performance in the absence of 2. Proposal TwoÐUpgrading the MPV Standard No. 104 also specifies performance requirements. and Light Truck Requirements to Make requirements for windshield washing In addition, market forces (in the form Them Equivalent to the Passenger Car systems on passenger cars, MPVs, of customer demand) would be highly Requirement trucks, and buses. Each of those vehicles likely to ensure that vehicle is required in S4.2.1 or S4.2.2 to have manufacturers continue to provide In the last decade, sales of light trucks a windshield washing system that meets windshield wiping and washing and multipurpose passenger vehicles the requirements of SAE Recommended systems in motor vehicles. Customer (MPVs) have increased substantially. In Practice J942 (SAE J942), ``Passenger Car magazines and consumers themselves addition, these vehicles have been Windshield Washing Systems,'' would be likely to react negatively to increasingly used to transport November 1965, with a few vehicles that do not have adequate passengers. As a result, the number of modifications. windshield wiping and washing deaths and injuries associated with systems. The agency notes that more those vehicles have substantially NHTSA's Review of Standard No. 104 than 93 percent of all cars and light increased. and Proposals for Change trucks have intermittent (i.e., variable In response, NHTSA has amended speed) wipers even though only two certain FMVSSs to ensure that In reviewing Standard No. 104 under wiper speeds are required by Standard passengers are afforded the same level the President's Regulatory Reinvention No.