[Federal Register: June 16, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 116)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 34868-34869]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jn06-32]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
49 CFR Part 572
[Docket Number NHTSA-2006-23796]
Denial of Petition Regarding the Hybrid III 50th Percentile Adult
Male Test Dummy
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Denial of Petition for Rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: This document denies a petition submitted by Denton ATD, Inc.
(Denton) on October 8, 2004. The petition requested NHTSA to provide
additional specifications for the head assembly. NHTSA has fully
reviewed Denton's petition and has concluded that the recommended
changes are neither needed nor would serve to improve occupant
protection. This document discusses the issues raised by Denton in its
petition, provides analysis of the petition, and presents the
conclusion reached by the agency.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical issues: Mr. Sean Doyle,
NHTSA Office of Crashworthiness Standards. Telephone: (202) 366-1740.
Facsimile: (202) 493-2739.
For legal issues: Mr. Edward Glancy, NHTSA Office of the Chief
Counsel. Telephone: (202) 366-2992. Facsimile: (202) 366-3820.
Both officials can be reached by mail at the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC
20590.
Issues Raised in the Petition
Denton, a manufacturer of crash test dummies, petitioned NHTSA to
amend the specifications of CFR Section 49, Part 572, Subpart E Hybrid
III 50th Percentile Midsize Adult Male (HIII-50th) Crash Test Dummy and
``provide additional specifications for the head and cap skin 78051-228
and -229, the skull and skull cap 18051-77X and -220 and additional
drawing information for head assembly drawing 78051-61X.''
Specifically, Denton petitioned for (1) The inclusion of component
weight specifications for the individual flesh components of the head
assembly (head skin and cap skin), (2) providing head skin thickness
dimensions and tolerances, and (3) availability of patterns for the
head skin, cap skin and skull cap. Denton also requested that sheet 2
of drawing number 78051-61X be provided in the HIII-50th drawing
package.
Denton argued that the current HIII-50th drawing package is
incomplete and the ``lack of clear specifications is causing sales
restrictions for Denton ATD.'' Denton believes that the inclusion of
these additional specifications to the current drawing package would
``maintain the definition of reproducibility.'' Denton considers these
additional specifications helpful in preventing other dummy
manufacturers from producing head skins with different dimensions.
Denton states that ``for the car manufacturers, these differences could
possibly produce different crash test results and for the dummy
manufacturer, this limits possible sales competition due to the
interchangeability issue.''
Analysis of Petition
Denton recommended including component weight specifications for
the head skin and cap skin in the HIII-50th drawing package. The weight
of the head skin is already contained within the head assembly weight
specification in the head assembly drawing 78051-338. The agency
believes it is unnecessary to further specify the head assembly weight
by requiring inclusion of individual head skin and cap skin weights.
NHTSA believes that the currently specified weight tolerance and Center
of Gravity (CG) location for the head assembly provide sufficient
[[Page 34869]]
manufacturing flexibility to produce the HIII-50th head assembly to
specified requirements.
Denton also recommended providing head skin thickness dimensions
and tolerances. It stated that these were specified in drawing 78051-61
before it was replaced with 78051-61X. Denton claims that drawing
78051-61X consists of 3 sheets, however, sheet 2 is not currently
available in the drawing package, and that this sheet includes head
skin thickness dimensions. The agency concurs that drawing 78051-61X
consists of 3 sheets and that sheet 2 includes the head skin thickness
dimensions and tolerances that Denton is referring to in their
petition. However, Denton is incorrect in their claim that sheet 2 of
drawing 78051-61X is not currently available in NHTSA's drawing
package. The National Archive and Record Administration's Office of the
Federal Register \1\ archives agency drawing packages for public
reference, and drawing 78051-61X in its entirety (sheets 1, 2, and 3)
is located there. Denton did not specify the source of the drawing
package that they claim was missing sheet 2 of drawing 78051-61X,
although it appears it did not come from the agency's official drawing
package. Nevertheless, to ensure that Denton has the proper drawing,
the agency has included a copy of sheet 2 of drawing 78051-61x from the
agency's official drawing package in the docket with this response.
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\1\ Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, Suite 700;
Washington, DC, 20408.
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Denton's last recommendation was to provide complete patterns for
the head and cap skin (drawings 78051-228 and -229), and the skull and
skull cap (drawings 78051-77X and -220). The incorporation of the head
assembly into the agency regulation at 49 CFR Part 572 affirms that the
head assembly drawings and other requirements provide sufficient detail
to give reliable results under similar test conditions and reflect
adequately the protective performance of a vehicle or item of motor
vehicle equipment with respect to human occupants. Consequently, the
agency believes that providing additional information on patterns or
molds for these components, or providing additional instructions on how
to manufacture and prepare the parts would not serve to improve the
HIII-50th dummy's performance or improve occupant safety. Furthermore,
every head assembly should undergo certification tests before being
used in a test. These certification tests are established to indicate
that the head assembly conforms to impact performance specifications
prior to a test. The agency considers meeting the response
specifications in certification tests, in conjunction with compliance
to the drawing specifications, sufficient to ensure reliable responses
in test results. Accordingly, the agency views slight dimensional or
weight differences in head skins, which conform to the NHTSA's head
assembly drawing and performance specifications, acceptable for agency
testing. Moreover, the agency has been using heads and head skins from
different dummy manufacturers for many years and has had no problems
with dummy heads being unable to meet the performance specifications.
The agency reviewed Denton's petition and found no data
establishing how the additional requested specifications would result
in improvements in dummy response in tests leading to better assessment
of occupant safety. Furthermore, the agency has found no evidence that
a lack of alleged detail in the head and cap skin, and the skull and
skull cap specifications, results in dummies not meeting the agency's
performance specifications. The agency concludes that the recommended
changes are neither needed nor would serve to improve occupant
protection.
Conclusion
For the reasons discussed above, NHTSA is denying Denton's petition
for Rulemaking on 49 CFR Part 572 Subpart E, Hybrid III 50th Percentile
Midsize Adult Male Crash Test Dummy.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30162; delegations of authority at 49 CFR
1.50 and 49 CFR 501.8
Issued on: June 12, 2006.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. E6-9453 Filed 6-15-06; 8:45 am]
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