Notice2022-18102
Ford Motor Company-Receipt of Petition for Temporary Exemption From Various Requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for an Automated Driving System-Equipped Vehicle; Request for Comments; Extension of Comment Period
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Published
August 22, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract
NHTSA received six requests to extend the comment period for a notice NHTSA published on July 21, 2022, seeking comment on NHTSA's receipt of a petition for temporary exemption from Ford Motor Company (Ford). Ford's petition seeks a temporary exemption from various requirements of the Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) for a vehicle equipped with an automated driving system (ADS). In accordance with statutory and administrative provisions, NHTSA published a notice announcing receipt of Ford's petition and seeking public comment. The comment period for the notice was scheduled to end on August 22, 2022. NHTSA is extending the comment period for the July 21, 2022 notice by 30 days.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 161 (Monday, August 22, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 161 (Monday, August 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51476-51477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18102]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2022-0066]
Ford Motor Company--Receipt of Petition for Temporary Exemption
From Various Requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
for an Automated Driving System-Equipped Vehicle; Request for Comments;
Extension of Comment Period
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: NHTSA received six requests to extend the comment period for a
notice NHTSA published on July 21, 2022, seeking comment on NHTSA's
receipt of a petition for temporary exemption from Ford Motor Company
(Ford). Ford's petition seeks a temporary exemption from various
requirements of the Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) for
a vehicle equipped with an automated driving system (ADS). In
accordance with statutory and administrative provisions, NHTSA
published a notice announcing receipt of Ford's petition and seeking
public comment. The comment period for the notice was scheduled to end
on August 22, 2022. NHTSA is extending the comment period for the July
21, 2022 notice by 30 days.
DATES: The comment period for the notice published on July 21, 2022 at
87 FR 43602 is extended to September 21, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the docket number identified in
the heading of this document by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
<bullet> Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
<bullet> Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building, Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be
sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9332 before
coming.
<bullet> Fax: 202-493-2251.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
docket number. Note that all comments received will be posted without
change to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal
information provided. Please see the Privacy Act discussion below.
NHTSA will consider all comments received before the close of business
on the comment closing date indicated above. To the extent possible,
NHTSA will also consider comments filed after the closing date.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> at any time or to
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal Holidays. Telephone: 202-366-9826.
Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT
posts these comments, without edit, to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, as
described in the system of records notice, DOT/ALL-14 FDMS, accessible
through <a href="http://www.dot.gov/privacy">www.dot.gov/privacy</a>. In order to facilitate comment tracking
and response, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the
name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely
optional. Whether or not commenters identify themselves, all timely
comments will be fully considered. If you wish to provide comments
containing proprietary or confidential information, please contact the
agency for alternate submission instructions.
Confidential Business Information: If you wish to submit any
information under a claim of confidentiality, you must submit your
request directly to NHTSA's Office of the Chief Counsel. Requests for
confidentiality are governed by part 512. NHTSA is currently treating
electronic submission as an acceptable method for submitting
confidential business information to the agency under part 512. If you
would like to submit a request for confidential treatment, you may
email your submission to Dan Rabinovitz in the Office of the Chief
Counsel at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#98dcf9f6f1fdf4b6caf9faf1f6f7eef1ece2d8fcf7ecb6fff7ee"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="377356595e525b196556555e5958415e434d7753584319505841">[email protected]</span></a> or you may contact Dan for a
secure file transfer link. At this time, you should not send a
duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to DOT
headquarters. If
[[Page 51477]]
you claim that any of the information or documents provided to the
agency constitute confidential business information within the meaning
of 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), or are protected from disclosure pursuant to 18
U.S.C. 1905, you must submit supporting information together with the
materials that are the subject of the confidentiality request, in
accordance with part 512, to the Office of the Chief Counsel. Your
request must include a cover letter setting forth the information
specified in our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR
512.8) and a certificate, pursuant to Sec. 512.4(b) and part 512,
appendix A. In addition, you should submit a copy, from which you have
deleted the claimed confidential business information, to the Docket at
the address given above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Callie Roach, Office of the Chief
Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-2992; Fax:
202-366-3820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 21, 2022, in accordance with
statutory and administrative provisions, NHTSA published a notice
announcing receipt of a petition from Ford seeking exemption from
portions of seven FMVSS (87 FR 43602). Ford's petition sought exemption
from portions of FMVSS No. 101, Controls and Displays; No. 102,
Transmission Shift Position Sequence, Starter Interlock, and
Transmission Braking Effect; No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and
Associated Equipment; No. 111, Rear Visibility; No. 126, Electronic
Stability Control Systems; No. 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems; and
No. 138, Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems. The notice sought public
comment regarding the merits of Ford's exemption and on potential terms
and conditions that should be applied to the temporary exemption if
granted. The comment period for the notice is scheduled to end on
August 22, 2022.
Comment Period Extension Requests
NHTSA received six requests to extend the comment period on the
notice by 60 days. NHTSA received a joint request from the Advocates
for Highway and Auto Safety and the Center for Auto Safety and
individual requests from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation
Agency (SFMTA), the City of Oakland Department of Transportation
(OakDOT), the National Association of City Transportation Officials
(NACTO), the League of American Bicyclists, and America Walks.
The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Center for Auto
Safety submitted a joint letter on August 4, 2022, requesting a 60-day
extension of the comment period. The requestors state that the novel
petition at issue raises numerous complex technical and policy issues
involving vehicle safety that necessitate significant analysis. The
requesters further state that extending the comment period will permit
them to provide NHTSA with comprehensive input on the many substantial
questions raised. The requestors state that extending the public
comment period is in the public interest and will provide the public
with sufficient time to provide specific and thorough feedback to the
agency in a timely manner.\1\
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\1\ The requestors note that they are also seeking an extension
of the comment period for a notice regarding a part 555 petition
submitted by General Motors (GM) that was published on the same day
as the Ford notice and that also has a comment period that ends on
August 22, 2022. NHTSA will address this request separately.
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SFMTA submitted a letter on August 8, 2022, requesting a 60-day
extension of the comment period. SFMTA's request like the joint
requesters', states that the petition raises numerous complex technical
and policy issues involving vehicle safety that necessitate significant
analysis. SFMTA also states that extending the comment period will
permit them to provide comprehensive input on the many substantial
questions raised. Further, SFMTA notes that, as the City of San
Francisco is the location with the most intensive testing of automated
vehicles to date, they have valuable insights to offer and stand to be
significantly affected by the outcome of the petition.\2\
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\2\ SFMTA also notes that they are also seeking an extension of
the comment period for a notice regarding a part 555 petition
submitted by General Motors (GM) that was published on the same day
as the Ford notice and that also has a comment period that ends on
August 22, 2022. NHTSA will address this request separately.
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OakDOT submitted an email on August 10, 2022 requesting a 60-day
extension of the comment period.\3\ OakDOT stated that they do not
believe the comment period provides sufficient time for an adequate
response. OakDOT further stated that, as a local jurisdiction that is
charged with ensuring safety of their transportation system, they
request additional time to allow cities like theirs to fully assess
potential safety impacts and provide valuable comments.
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\3\ OakDOT's email also requested a 60-day extension of the
comment period for a notice regarding a part 555 petition submitted
by General Motors (GM) that was published on the same day as the
Ford notice and that also has a comment period that ends on August
22, 2022. NHTSA will address this request separately.
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Similar requests were also received from NACTO, the League of
American Bicyclists, and America Walks on August 10, 2022, August 11,
2022, and August 15, 2022, respectively.
Agency Decision
After consideration of the requests, NHTSA has decided to grant an
extension of the comment period. The agency has determined that an
extension is consistent with the public interest. NHTSA agrees that
allowing additional time for the public to provide comments would be in
the public interest. Therefore, NHTSA is granting the aforementioned
requests to extend the comment period; however, NHTSA is extending it
only for 30 days. A 30-day extension appropriately balances NHTSA's
interest in providing the public with sufficient time to comment on the
notice, with its interest to issue a final decision on the petition in
an expeditious manner.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30113 and 30166; delegation of authority at 49
CFR 1.95.
Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
1.95.
Steven S. Cliff,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2022-18102 Filed 8-18-22; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
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