[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10423-10424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6025]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[NHTSA Docket No. 96-005-N01]


Crash Risk of Alcohol-Involved Driving Study; Proposed 
Information Collection

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments on data collection.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and 
the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) play key 
roles in national efforts to reduce alcohol involved crash injuries and 
fatalities. NHTSA and NIAAA have jointly funded a study to determine 
the relative risk of crash involvement associated with elevated blood 
alcohol concentrations (BACs) when compared with a zero blood alcohol 
concentration. One important part of the data collection for this 
effort is a questionnaire to measure crash and alcohol covariates in 
the population being studied. Current data of this kind do not exist 
and cannot be

[[Page 10424]]
collected by any other method. NHTSA and NIAAA invite the general 
public and other Federal Agencies to comment on this part of the study 
as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 
(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 13, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to NHTSA, Docket Section, Room 
5111, Docket # 96-005-N01, 400 7th Street SW, Washington DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Tremont, Ph.D., Co-Contracting 
Officer's Technical Representative, Office of Program Development and 
Evaluation (NTS-30), Washington, DC 20590, or Susan Martin, Ph.D., Co-
Contracting Officer's Technical Representative, Division of Clinical 
and Prevention Research, NIAAA, Suite 505, 6000 Executive Blvd., 
Rockville, MD 20892.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    More than 300,000 persons were reported as injured and more than 
16,500 persons died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in 1994 
(Traffic Safety Facts: 1994, Alcohol, NHTSA--National Center for 
Statistics and Analysis). NHTSA and NIAAA are committed to the 
development of effective programs to reduce this morbidity and 
mortality due to driving under the influence (DUI). To aid in filling 
this commitment, a better understanding of driver characteristics and 
alcohol levels in alcohol-involved crashes is required. The objective 
of this study is to compare the BACs of crash-involved drivers and 
similarly at risk non-crash involved drivers to determine the relative 
risk of a crash at various BACs compared to zero BAC (while controlling 
for other determinants of crashes).

II. Method of Collection

    Data will be collected voluntarily and anonymously from crash 
involved drivers and control (non-crash involved) drivers. Two sites 
(cities or jurisdictions) will be used. Crash involved drivers will be 
interviewed and a voluntary alcohol breath test will be performed by 
trained research personnel at the scene. One week following each 
sampled crash, interviews and voluntary alcohol breath tests will be 
conducted on similarly-exposed (same location, same time of day) non-
crash drivers. All drivers, crash and control, will be interviewed 
using the same questionnaire. By comparing the breath alcohol levels of 
crash and control drivers, while accounting for critical covariates 
such as age, gender, patterns of alcohol use, and sleep loss, the 
relative risk of a crash at differing BACs for different groups will be 
determined.

III. Use of Findings

    The findings of this study will assist NHTSA and NIAAA in 
addressing the problem of alcohol impaired drivers and in formulating 
programs and recommendations to the Congress. The findings will be used 
to support decision making by State and local highway safety agencies, 
law enforcement agencies, and citizen activist groups regarding the 
effective allocation of resources to address the alcohol crash problem. 
The data being sought are fundamental to the development and targeting 
of effective countermeasures to prevent DUI among the driving groups 
found to be at greatest risk.

IV. Data

    OMB Number: None.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of review: Regular submission.
    Affected public: A total of approximately 10,000 drivers (1000 
crash and 4000 non-crash (control) at each site).
    Estimated number of respondents: 10,000.
    Estimated time per survey response: 8 min, 30 sec.
    Estimated total burden hours: 1,417.
    Estimated total cost of project including survey component: $137 
per survey respondent.

V. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) The need for the proposed collection 
and the uses of the data to meet the objectives of the study, (b) the 
types of questions that should be asked of respondents, (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected, 
(d) the accuracy of the burden estimate, (e) ways to minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on the respondents.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection. Copies of all comments will be placed in Docket 96-005, 
Notice 1, in the NHTSA Docket Section in Room 5109, Nassif Building, 
400 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20590 and will become a matter of 
public record.
James H. Hedlund,
Associate Administrator for Traffic Safety Programs.
[FR Doc. 96-6025 Filed 3-12-96; 8:45 am]
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