Inside This Issue...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a Forum on Human Factors Research Necessary to Support Advanced Vehicle Safety Technologies to be held in Falls Church, Virginia. The purpose of this forum is to identify human factors research to guide the development and deployment of Advanced Vehicle Safety Technologies (AVST) that can improve safety and minimize potential adverse effects. A diverse group of human factors and vehicle safety experts are expected to participate. The primary focus of the forum will include current and emerging AVST systems such as those that provide only safety alerts [e.g., forward collision warning systems (FCW), road departure warning (RDCW), lane departure warning (LDW), intersection collision warning], systems that provide crash warning(s) and automated control (e.g., FCW combined with automatic braking), and other driver assistance systems that can impact safety [e.g., adaptive cruise control (ACC), brake assist, backover safety systems, and automatic lane keeping]. This forum will not address driver workload or driver distraction issues associated with information and entertainment systems. The forum will be held on Jan. 25, 2007, from 8:30 am to 5 pm and continue on Jan. 26, 2007 from 8:30 am to noon. It will be held at the Mitretek Systems Corporate Headquarters at 3150 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042, (202) 551-1112. For more information, contact Michael Perel, Office of Human Vehicle Performance Research, NHTSA, at (202) 366-5675.

On Nov. 22, 2006, a European Parliament committee approved draft rules to replace 110 different permits currently in use in the 25-nation block with a single document. The new license will be valid for up to 15 years and permits for trucks and buses will be valid for five years. Member states will have the option to introduce regular medical exams for drivers. A European Union (EU) license for car drivers will be issued by 2012, and governments have 20 years to phase out current permits. EU member states approved the measure in March. The full 732-member assembly will vote on the directive in December in Strasbourg in a final step.

Each year AAMVA and the International Driver Examiner Certification (IDEC) Board provides each participating jurisdiction the opportunity to nominate an outstanding driver examiner from their state. The Examiner of the Year honor is awarded to examiners who consistently perform the duties and responsibilities of a certified examiner and diligently uphold the Examiner Professional Code of Ethics. The examiners are nominated based on the exemplary professionalism they bring to their jobs. Each examiner’s name as well as their nomination letter will be posted to the AAMVA Web site and they will also receive a certificate of recognition. To nominate an examiner in your jurisdiction or to see a list of previous winners, see AAMVA's Web site.

AAMVA has received inquiries from several states regarding an increasing number of requests for title and registration for an imported European car known as a Smart Car. These vehicles, manufacturered in Europe, are being sold to U.S. customers through a Registered Importer in the United States, but do not have a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO). AAMVA, along with several DMV administrators and the Registered Importer for these vehicles, has created a Recommended Procedure for titling and licensing Smart Cars that do not have a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO). The procedure and sample documents are available on AAMVA's Web site. If you will be following the procedure, please notify AAMVA's Keith Kiser. If you have questions regarding the documents or Smart Cars, contact Kiser or Sosi Bardakjian at G & K Automotive Conversions, Inc. at (714) 545-9503 ext. 22.

Production on the Winter 2007 issue of MOVE is underway...and we are looking for sources and experts for one of our feature articles. "The True Cost of Temp Tags: Stopping an Alarming Trend" will address how temporary tages can be used for criminal means and how to combat this behavior. If you have any leads, experience or expertise on this topic, please contact Lauren DeAngelis at ldeangelis@aamva.org or (703) 908-5891. As part of the magazine's new look, AAMVA is also looking for the best photo that depicts the issue's theme. The selected photo will be used on the cover and viewed by thousands of readers. The deadline for the Winter 2007 issue is Dec. 18, 2006 and the theme is "Combating Criminal Behavior." More information on submission details and requirements is available in the MOVE section of AAMVA's Web site. Congratulations to the Fall 2006 cover photo winner, A. Diane Albert of the Kansas DMV! Look for Diane's winning photo on the cover of the new issue in your mailbox soon.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) invites public comments about its intention to request the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) approval for a new information collection titled "Annual Reporting for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program." Section 1808 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users of 2005 (SAFETEA-LU) calls for the identification and analysis of a representative sample of CMAQ projects and the development and population of a database that describes the impacts of the program both on traffic congestion levels and air quality. To establish and maintain this database, the FHWA is requesting states to submit annual reports on their CMAQ investments that cover projected air quality benefits, financial information, a brief description of projects, and several other factors outlined in the Interim Program Guidance for the CMAQ program. States are requested to provide the end of year summary reports via the automated system provided through FHWA by the first day of February of each year, covering the prior federal fiscal year. Submit comments on this information collection identified by DOT DMS Docket Number FHWA-2006-26363 by Jan. 22, 2007. They may be submitted electronically at http://dms.dot.gov. For more information, contact FHWA's Michael Koontz at (202) 366-2076, or Robert Kafalenos at (202) 366-2079.

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) has released a new educational primer entitled “Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring: A Primer for Criminal Justice Professionals.” Transdermal alcohol monitoring devices are designed to continuously detect traces of alcohol in body perspiration. This useful tool allows agencies to monitor alcohol consumption among offenders with substance abuse issues. The document was reviewed by representatives from the prosecution, judicial, and probation communities, and provides criminal justice practitioners and treatment professionals with a comprehensive summary of the research on transdermal alcohol testing and transdermal alcohol monitoring devices. The primer contains an explanation of the only commercially available technology to date, Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM), and identifies how this technology can best be used in sentencing to enhance the supervision of offenders with alcohol issues. Complementary pieces for this primer are currently underway, including a set of implementation guidelines and a handbook addressing administrative concerns. Funding for the primer was made possible by a grant from Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. For more information, or to obtain an electronic or hard copy of the primer, please contact TIRF's Dean Morin at (613) 238-5235.

The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) has denied a petition for rulemaking from GG Quad North America requesting that NHTSA redefine the term “motorcycle” so that the vehicle it seeks to import and sell, a four-wheeled vehicle with a motorcycle-like body, would be classified as a motorcycle and thus be subject to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs) for motorcycles. Currently, the petitioner’s vehicle is classified as a passenger car. Since the initial FMVSSs were issued in 1967, the term “motorcycle” has been defined to exclude motor vehicles designed to travel on four wheels in contact with the ground. NHTSA is denying the petition because the petitioner has not shown that redefining “motorcycle” to include the petitioner’s vehicle would be consistent with the safety purposes of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Denial of the petition means that the petitioner’s vehicle will remain classified as a passenger car. Before it can be imported, offered for sale or sold in the United States, it must meet all FMVSSs applicable to that type of motor vehicle.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) invite the public to comment on their intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a new information collection. This collection is titled "Motorcycle Crash Causation Study and Pilot Motorcycle Crash Causes and Outcomes Study." Please submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number FHWA-2006-26125 by Jan. 23, 2007. They may be submitted electronically at http://dms.dot.gov.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) invites public comment on its intent to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to revise three information collections (ICs), entitled “Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program” (2126-0010), “Commercial Driver Licensing and Test Standards” (2126-0011), and “Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection” (2126-0025). These ICs are necessary to ensure that motor carriers comply with changes made by various provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Comments must be submitted on or before Jan. 19, 2007. They must include Docket No. FMCSA-2006-26304 and may be submitted electronically at http://dms.dot.gov.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced the availability of Commercial Driver’s License Program Improvement (CDLPI) grant funding as authorized by Section 4124 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The program is a discretionary grant program that provides funding for improving states’ implementation of the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program, including expenses for computer hardware and software, publications, testing, personnel, training, and quality control. Grants made under this program may not be used to rent, lease, or buy land or buildings. The agency in each state designated as the primary driver licensing agency responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the CDL program is eligible to apply for grant funding. To apply for funding, applicants must register with the grants.gov Web site and submit an application in accordance with instructions provided. FMCSA will initially consider funding for applications submitted by Dec. 15, 2006, by qualified applicants. Funds will not be available for allocation until fiscal year 2007 appropriations legislation is passed and signed into law.

The Privacy Office of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is making available ten Privacy Impact Assessments on various programs and systems in the department. These assessments were approved and published on the Privacy Office’s Web site between June 1, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2006. The Privacy Impact Assessments will be available on the DHS Web site until at least Jan. 23, 2007, after which they may be obtained by contacting the DHS Privacy Office.

This rule finalizes the first phase of a joint Department of Homeland Security and Department of State plan, known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), to implement new documentation requirements for certain U.S. citizens and nonimmigrant aliens entering the United States. As a result of this final rule, with limited exceptions discussed below, beginning Jan. 23, 2007, all U.S. citizens and nonimmigrant aliens from Canada, Bermuda, and Mexico departing from or entering the United States from within the Western Hemisphere at air ports of entry will be required to present a valid passport. This final rule differs from the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on Aug. 11, 2006, by finalizing new documentation requirements for only travelers arriving in the United States by air. The portion of the NPRM that proposed changes in documentation requirements for travelers arriving by sea will not be finalized under this rule. Requirements for U.S. citizens and nonimmigrant aliens from Canada, Bermuda, and Mexico departing from or entering the United States at land and sea ports-of-entry will be addressed in a separate, future rulemaking. This final rule is effective on Jan. 23, 2007.

The Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (UCRA) Board of Directors met via a conference call Nov. 20 and approved a UCR fee structure and fees for 2007 that will be recommended to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation. The recommendation includes the following six categories by fleet size with corresponding annual fees:  0-1 vehicles $75.00; 2-5 $145.00; 6-20 $425.00; 21-100 $1,470.00; 101-1,000 $7,000.00; and 1,001 or more $37,500.00. The total target revenue is $106,772,400.00. Thirty-seven states have filed a UCRA State Plan for 2007 and revenue entitlements are factored into the total target revenue figure above. Some states are also discussing participation or working on legislation to participate in the UCRA for 2008. The UCR System Subcommittee is working with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to establish the requirements for tracking UCRA compliance. The next meeting of the UCRA Board is scheduled for Dec. 4-5, 2006 at the Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport.