Technical Information Services (TIS)Technical Information Services (TIS)
In keeping with the Congressional mandate that the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration provide public access to government information,
the NHTSA Technical Reference Division (TRD) was established as the reference
facility for the Administration's public records. The name of this Office was later changed to
Technical Information Services (TIS) which better describes the information collection and the mission
of NHTSA. This guide briefly describes the collections located in TIS and their relation to the
program offices where the materials originate.
Please note that there may be a charge for access to some of the information discussed.
RELATED PUBLISHED MATERIALS IN THE HSL COLLECTION
SAFETY RELATED RECALL CAMPAIGNS
NONCOMPLIANCE INVESTIGATIONS (NCI)
NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NCAP)
FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS (FMVSS) INFORMATION
FILM COLLECTION AND AVAILABILITY
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We will provide telephone assistance via the Vehicle Safety Hotline (888-327-4236), in an effort to provide additional information regarding our services as well as to answer general questions. However, for all reference requests to be processed in a precise and efficient manner, we require that they be turned in at the Reference Desk, mailed to this Office using the U.S. Mail or by Electronic Mail, or by FAX.
We will always provide professional, timely and courteous service. Walk-in requestors will be given immediate access to view and/or make copies of documents. The workload of the individual analysts will dictate average response time. We strive to answer all requests in 10 to 14 days from receipt of the request.
We will provide a full-service reference reading room. We deliver documents to the customers for viewing purposes any of the files in our collection. We will instruct you on the use of the equipment.
We will provide access to personal computer which include a web browser, so that walk-in customers can conduct their defect and/or compliance searches. We will provide an optical disc workstation to retrieve selected years of technical service bulletins, compliance test reports and non-compliance investigations. We also provide access to a commercial service which allows customers to view technical service bulletins, shop manuals, parts and labor manuals and similar material, with the option to print out copies of bulletins relevant to their specific vehicle.
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The Highway Safety Literature collection (HSL) is comprised of NHTSA's official reports of NHTSA (research, staff and annual reports to Congress) and related published materials. The collection was established in 1967 by the National Highway Safety Bureau (NHSB), the predecessor to the present agency.
HSL documents were announced to the interested public in HIGHWAY SAFETY LITERATURE, the abstract journal. However, the journal was a by-product of the on-line database which is the HSL subfile of the automated Transportation Research Information Service (TRIS) file. The TRIS file v2.0 is on-line via an arrangement between the Transportation Research Board and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics/National Transportation Library. The current link to TRIS is http://ntl.bts.gov/ You may also contact the National Academy of Sciences, Transportation Research Board, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20418 (202-334-2934) for more information on TRIS or for computer searches. In addition, the TRIS Database has been incorporated into a larger set of databases covering both United States and International Transportation, and called TRANSPORT. TRANSPORT may be viewed at public libraries, including the TASC Library, located at DOT Headquarters. Details about the purchase of the TRANSPORTATION CD ROM platters may be obtained from: SilverPlatter Information at the telephone number: (800-343-0064).
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Research within NHTSA is conducted to increase the safety of motor vehicle travel through improvements in both vehicle design/performance and driver behavior. Research projects are conducted in research and testing facilities throughout the country. The results are published as contractors' technical reports by NHTSA. Most of these reports are then made available for sale to the public through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. These reports are available for viewing in TIS, but those wishing to purchase copies should make arrangements through the NTIS sales desk at number: (703-487-4650). Rush orders may be placed by calling the NTIS Rush Desk at the telephone number: (800-553-6847). Rush orders may be placed by calling the same telephone number and arranging to pay the additional fees for expedited processing of your order.
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These publications have been selected for their informative nature and their relationship to the mission of NHTSA. They are comprised of journal articles, published monographs, reports, conference papers, dissertations, and other materials which may provide either technical knowledge or consumer advice in the areas of motor vehicle and highway safety. These related publications in the collection may be viewed in TIS. However, most are copyrighted, so the provisions of the copyright law restrict their reproduction.
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Within NHTSA, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) conducts investigations of alleged safety related defect trends in motor vehicles, motor vehicle equipment and tires. ODI investigation files are available for public viewing in TIS.
Although a majority of the defect investigations are closed at the informal stage (Preliminary Evaluations (PE) and Engineering Analyses (EA)), some are upgraded to formal investigations, which are assigned a case number (i.e. C89-001). Formal investigations are generally those that cannot, for a variety of reasons, be resolved at the PE or EA level of defect investigation.
Defect Petitions (DP) and Audits (A) of recall campaigns are additional files released to TIS when they have been closed.
The complete collection of ODI's publication, MONTHLY DEFECT INVESTIGATION REPORT is available for review as well as copying in the TIS Reading Room.
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Safety recall campaigns result from identified component failures which present a risk to highway safety, and from non-compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Although a majority of safety recalls are performed by manufacturers without any influence from NHTSA, many result from NHTSA defect investigations and compliance testing.
Manufacturers of motor vehicles, motor vehicle equipment and tires are required by law to notify the agency when they are about to initiate a recall campaign. ODI provides this information to TIS so that the public may have access to it. Recall campaign annual summaries are also available for public viewing in the TIS Reading Room, however the capability to search the entire recall database (from 1967 to present) by make, model and model year through the NHTSA Web Page at a public workstation in TIS may be more efficient for many customers of TIS, who can then use the NHTSA Campaign Numbers to view or request from staff (for the most recent recall campaigns) in order to see copies of the actual recall documents.
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Consumer letters are available both for viewing and copying in TIS. These letters represent vehicle owner reports of their experiences with a particular problem or problems with a motor vehicle, its equipment, or tires. The most recent letters are currently accessible on public workstations, older complaints may be requested from TIS Staff as a reference request and can be picked up or mailed when they are available.
The public may also search the Consumer Complaints Database through the NHTSA Web Page on the Internet. ODI maintains a database of consumer complaints, allowing searches regarding safety related motor vehicle and motor vehicle equipment by Make, Model and Model Year.
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The Division has a microfiche collection of the technical service bulletins issued by manufacturers to their dealerships from 1968 to 1985. Bulletins from 1986 through 1993 can be accessed on optical disc and later bulletins can be requested through TIS Staff or may be viewed on the Alldata System, after calling up the appropriate vehicle make, model and model year. Many of these service bulletins contain the instructions which motor vehicle manufacturers provide for their dealer repair services.
The Technical Service Bulletin Database is available online via the NHTSA Web Page. Information for a particular vehicle may be retrieved by entering the appropriate Make, Model and Year. Some of the components can be searched as well.
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Since 1968, the Agency has conducted the testing, inspection and investigation necessary to assure compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards by foreign and domestic vehicle and equipment manufacturers. The Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) selects the vehicles which will be tested and supervises this activity. Completed compliance test reports may be viewed in TIS. A monthly compliance report news release provides information on the availability of the test reports, and any subsequent investigations which may be required. These releases may be requested from the Office of Public and Consumer Affairs (NOA-40), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Compliance Test Report information from 1990 to the present is available online through the Compliance Database, on the NHTSA Web Page. This database contains both equipment and vehicle results, and can be searched by either FMVSS or Make/Brand, Model and Year.
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Called Certification Information Requests (CIR) until November 1988, noncompliance investigations may be initiated by OVSC as a result of compliance testing or other findings (inspections, industry disclosures, news articles, consumer letters). The investigation files include compliance tests which have resulted in a failure, certification data, and correspondence between NHTSA and the manufacturer. The NCI (CIR) files are available in TIS only after they have been officially closed, and only the Public Viewing File can be accessed. The older NCI/CIR files are available in microfiche format in TIS and files dating from approximately 1989 and later are available on the Optical Disc in the TIS reading room.
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In addition to maintaining the files generated by the Offices of Defect Investigation and Vehicle Safety Compliance, TIS can access the automated data files of these documents. The following files can be searched by vehicle make, model, and model year for a specific component problem or problems:
* These files contain information received by NHTSA since 1981.
** This file lists tests performed to the requirements of the requested federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS).
A search of the above files will result in computer printouts referencing information available in the files. Search results are accompanied by a cover letter which indicates the total cost of the search and any included documents, how the payment shall be made, confirmation of the original request, total entries located in each file, and instructions for ordering copies of referenced materials.
The cost of an average search of the above files for a single year, make and model of vehicle is between $20 and $50. Ranges of model years, or several models will increase the cost. TIS cannot search a particular engine size and cannot search non-safety items, such as paint (handled by the Federal Trade Commission.) It should be noted that the warranties are handled by the Federal Trade Commission, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenues, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. FTC has a recorded telephone message about its various services at (202-326-2222)
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In 1979, NHTSA began the NCAP as an experiment to see how well new vehicles performed during a frontal crash. The program has continued since that time with NHTSA selecting 30 or so new vehicles every year to be crash tested at 35 mph. This is stricter testing than the 30 mph testing required of the federal motor vehicle safety standards. Usually, popular vehicles are selected, including vans and pickup trucks, in order to provide crash information to the greatest number of consumers. Crash tests are designed for vehicles within the same size and weight class.
Information on the relative levels of occupant protection and vehicle safety performance is obtained through the use of instrumented and safety belted dummies. TIS maintains a complete file of the NCAP crash testing summary results since 1979. The NCAP summary results are announced periodically in the NHTSA Press Releases issued by the Office of Public and Consumer Affairs. Requests for copies of the test reports should be directed to the TIS Docket Section. There are films available from the National Crash Analysis Center for each NCAP test (see "Film Collection and Availability" below).
Results for 1995 to the most recent NCAP testing are available via the NHTSA Web Site in the NCAP Database.
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The Docket Section of TIS is responsible for the maintenance and the accessibility of the public record of rulemaking activities for motor vehicle and highway safety standards. Docket files contain information and data relating to rulemaking actions, including notices of proposed rulemaking, comments received in response to notices, petitions for rulemaking or reconsideration, denials of petitions, final rules, and the technical materials used by the standards writers. When a FEDERAL REGISTER notice announces a proposed federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) or an amendment to an existing standard, a docket file is prepared and the public is invited to submit comments and opinions. These comments vary from technical to general views and opinions.
After consideration of all comments, a decision is made whether or not to issue a final regulation or rule. If so, it is published in the FEDERAL REGISTER.
All documents in the Docket collection are available for examination in the reading rooms of the Technical Information Services.
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The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are the Federal government's regulations that must be observed for any motor vehicle used for transportation on U.S. roads and highways. Since 1968, when the original standards became effective by law, NHTSA has had the responsibility of developing new standards and regulations or amending old standards as the need arises. These standards and regulations are also published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), CFR, Title 49, Part 571 through 594. Much of this information can also be accessed through the Code of Federal Regulations on the World Wide Web or you may wish to call the Office at the Government Printing Office responsible for the database at (202-512-1530) or toll-free at (888-293-6498)
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The film/videotape collection of agency research and testing, formerly maintained in the TIS Docket Section, has been consolidated with other NHTSA films and placed in the following facility, in cooperation with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
| NHTSA/FHWA National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC) George Washington University VIRGINIA CAMPUS 20101 Academic Way, NCAC Library Ashburn, VA 22011 |
CONTACT: Film Technician (703-726-8236) to purchase films/videos, arrange for a visit to the facility or to assure Fax receipt.
FAX: (703) 726-8358
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The collections described in this guide are located in the TIS Reading Room (E12-100). This room is open to the public during the hours of 9:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. (Eastern time). Users may visit the Reading Room to perform their own research. TIS staff members are on duty to assist users. Due to security, have the guard call our Reference Desk, (202) 366-2588 for and escort.
Customers unable to visit TIS in person but requiring extensive searches of the collections are requested to put the details of their requirements in writing, authorizing a fee search for which they agree to make payment. Customers should also provide a daytime telephone number where they may be contacted. This request can be made by mail to the address shown below, or by e-mail to: tis@nhtsa.dot.gov, however the material will be mailed as indicated below.
The address is:
Technical Information Services (NPO-411)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
East Building (E12-100)
Washington, DC 20590
The telephone number is: (888-327-4236), and is answered by Auto Safety Hotline Representatives in order to provide general assistance, however any specific reference requests must be made in order for TIS to be able to log in and assign to an analyst for response. The FAX number,(202-493-2833), may be used to submit requests to TIS, however TIS will respond by mail or courier service (at the requestor's expense).
Information on safety defect recalls and current defect investigations may be ordered through the Auto Safety Hotline at number (888-327-4236). The Auto Safety Hotline also has a variety of motor vehicle safety publications which they make available to customers.
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Authorization for TIS Staff to perform searches of the Defect and Docket Collections may be made through the Internet, utilizing a Search Authorization Form provided for this purpose. Your browser must support forms capability in order to take advantage of this feature. Acknowledgment of Internet requests will not always be provided through Internet mail due to the large volume of requests; however, any questions needed to clarify the request will be provided through Internet or by telephone to the customer, so any e-mail address and daytime telephone number are essential when filling out the Search Authorization Form.
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By authority listed in Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 7, there are fees assessed by TIS for this service. We charge a standard labor charge of $50.00 per hour for requests involving computer searches, locating and copying documents. In addition, we charge duplication fees, which are $0.10 per page for paper-based or imaged documents. Some files are only available on microfiche; which means you will receive paper-based copies of microfiche sheets.
Many simple questions can be answered free of charge by calling our toll-free NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Among their many services is the capability to provide information on recalls, the status of defect investigations, and referrals to many other Offices and Organizations.