WASHINGTON (Sept. 29, 2010)—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking additional comments on its proposed market research process to gather data toward promulgating the consumer information program of its tire fuel-efficiency rule.
NHTSA originally issued a call for comments Sept. 3, outlining its plans and asking interested parties to submit their opinions by Nov. 2. A Sept. 27 Federal Register request updated the call, asking for certain pieces of information the first document didn't request.
Specifically, the new document asks for comments on where the three planned cities for its information focus groups should be located.
“NHTSA is particularly interested in comments regarding whether or not the western location should be in California,” the agency said. Because California has its own draft tire fuel-efficiency law in place, NHTSA said, the agency is concerned that a California focus group's information might not be generally applicable nationally.
Among other questions, NHTSA also is interested in comments on whether the rolling resistance coefficient or rolling resistance force should be the basis of the tire fuel-efficiency rating.
Nov. 2 remains the deadline for comments.