[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 35 (Monday, February 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9042-9043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4527]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements Under Emergency 
Review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Request for public comments on a proposed collection of 
information.

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SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from 
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Under new procedures established by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies 
must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, 
including extensions and reinstatements of previously approved 
collections.
    This document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA 
intends to seek expedited OMB approval.

DATES: OMB approval has been requested by March 31, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket and notice numbers cited 
at the beginning of this notice and be submitted to Docket Section, 
Room 5110, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. Please 
identify the proposed collection of information for which a comment is 
provided by referencing its OMB Clearance Number. It is requested, but 
not required, that 1 original plus 2 copies of the comments be 
provided. The Docket Section is open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 
p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Complete copies of each request for 
collection of information may be obtained at no charge from Mr. Edward 
Kosek. NHTSA Information Collection Clearance Officer. NHTSA, 400 
Seventh Street, SW, Room 5110, Washington, DC 20590. Mr. Kosek's 
telephone number is (202) 366-2589.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB 
for approval, it must publish a document in the Federal Register 
providing a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult with members of 
the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of 
information. The OMB has promulgated regulations describing what must 
be included in such a document. Under OMB's regulations (at 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:
    (i) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (iv) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks public comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:

Drivers' Experiences and Expectations of Light Vehicle Brake System 
Performance: ABS vs. Conventional

    Type of Request--New collection.
    OMB Clearance Number--2127-####.
    Form Number--This collection of information uses no standard forms.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval--Two years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information--Data collection will be 
accomplished through the use of Computer Assisted Telephone 
Interviewing (CATI). The CATI system allows a computer to perform a 
number of functions prone to error when done manually by interviewers, 
including:
    A. Providing correct question sequence;
    B. Automatically executing skip patterns based on responses to 
prior questions (which decreases overall interview time and 
consequentially the burden on respondents);
    C. Recalling answers to prior questions and displaying the

[[Page 9043]]

information in the test of later questions;
    D. Providing random rotation of specified questions or response 
categories (to avoid bias);
    E. Ensuring that questions cannot be skipped; and
    F. Rejecting invalid responses or data entries.
    The CATI system lists questions and corresponding response 
categories automatically on the screen, eliminating the need for 
interviewers to track slip patterns and flip pages. Moreover, the 
interviewers enter responses directly from their keyboards, and the 
information is automatically recorded in the computer's memory.
    The CATI system includes safeguards to reduce interviewer error in 
direct key-entry of survey responses. It has a double check method to 
eliminate the problem of key entry error as a result of accidentally 
hitting the wrong key. Unlike some systems, when the interviewer enters 
the code for the respondent reply, the code is not immediately accepted 
and the interview moved to the next screen. Rather, the screen remains 
on the question and response categories for the item, and the code and 
category entered by the interviewer are displayed at the bottom of the 
screen. The interviewer must confirm the initial entry before it is 
accepted by the computer as final. If, despite these safeguards, the 
wrong answer is entered or a respondent changes his/her reply, the 
interviewer can correct the entry before moving on to the next 
question.
    CATI allows the computer to perform a number of critical assurance 
routines that are monitored by survey supervisors, including tracking 
average interview length, refusal rate, and termination rate by 
interviewer; and performing consistency checks for inappropriate 
combination of answers.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use of the 
information: Antilock brake systems (ABS) have been increasingly 
prevalent on passenger car and light trucks in recent years. Brake 
experts anticipated that the introduction of ABS on these vehicles 
would reduce the number and severity of crashes. A number of 
statistical analyses of crash databases have been performed over the 
past three years, and suggest that the introduction of ABS does not 
appear to have reduced the number of automobile crashes where they were 
expected to be effective. Included in these analyses is a significant 
increase of single-vehicle, run-off-road crashes for vehicles equipped 
with ABS as compared to cars without ABS. It is unknown to what extent, 
if any, this increase is due to incorrect driver usage of ABS, 
incorrect driver responses to their ABS, or unrealistic driver 
expectations of an ABS braking ability.
    NHTSA will analyze the survey data to determine differences in 
drivers' experiences and expectations of brake performance between ABS-
equipped and non-ABS-equipped light vehicles. From these findings, 
inferences about the ability of ABS to mitigate crashes will be made 
and the need for an educational campaign for specific demographic 
groups will be assessed.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information): 
The respondents are the population of the United States age 16 and 
older living in households with telephones. The agency estimates the 
number of respondents to total 4000. The survey will be conducted once 
only.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information: The agency estimates 
there will be no annual reporting burden, as the study will be 
conducted only once. Respondents answer the survey strictly on a 
voluntary basis. No payment or gift will be provided to any respondent. 
The agency estimates the time per respondent to be 20 minutes, and a 
total time burden of 1375 hours. The agency estimates the total cost 
per survey respondent to be $50.00.

    Authority: Title 15 U.S.C. 1395 Section 106(b): The National 
Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, Title 15 United States 
Code 1395, Section 106(b), (Exhibit V), gives the Secretary 
authorization to conduct research, testing, development, and 
training as authorized to be carried out by subsections of this 
title.

    Dated: February 17, 1998.
Raymond P. Owings,
Associated Administrator for Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 98-4527 Filed 2-20-98; 8:45 am]
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