[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71933-71934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34528]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 
Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Young Drivers Intervention Study

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment 
on proposed data collection projects, the National Institute of Child 
Health and Development (NICHD), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

PROPOSED COLLECTION:
    Title: Young Drivers Intervention Study.
    Type of Information Collection Request: New.
    Need and Use of Information Collection: The purposes of this study 
are (1) to determine the impact of parental actions to monitor and 
control their adolescents' driving behavior on adolescent driving 
behavior and motor vehicle crashes, and (2) to test the efficacy of 
educational persuasive communications in promoting parental restriction 
of their adolescent's risky driving behavior. The specific questions 
addressed in this study include: (1) Are parents' perceptions about 
dangers associated with adolescent driving associated with parental 
involvement in their adolescent's driving experiences? (2) Is a parent-
teen driving agreement an effective way of increasing parental 
involvement and reducing adolescent risky driving? (3) Does increased 
parental involvement reduce risky driving behaviors and decrease 
traffic tickets and crashes among adolescents?
    A sample of adolescents applying for their learner's permit and one 
of their parents will be recruited through department of motor vehicles 
offices and driver's education courses in two states. In each state, 
1600 parent-adolescent dyads will be recruited and interviewed four 
times over the course of the 2-year prospective observational study. 
During the initial interview, consent, demographic information, and 
contact information will be obtained. Within two weeks, parents and 
their adolescents will be interviewed over the telephone. Parents will 
be asked about their expectations and parenting practices regarding 
their adolescents' driving behaviors. Adolescents will be asked about 
their driving practices, their parents' rules and restrictions 
regarding driving, and other psychosocial variables. These same 
variables will be assessed again during telephone interviews with both 
parents and adolescents at six, twelve, and eighteen months intervals. 
The driving records for each adolescent will be obtained from the state 
motor vehicle administration and examined at the end of the 24-month 
period.
    Parent-teen dyads will be randomly assigned to the basic 
information comparison condition or the special-intervention treatment 
condition. Parents in the comparison condition will receive standard 
information about the move toward graduated licensing in their state 
and the high risk related to adolescent driving. Parents in the special 
intervention will receive personalized educational material in the 
mail, including a parent-teen driving agreement and an educational 
videotape. During the 24 month period of the study, dyads will be 
contacted three more times: (1) when adolescents apply for their 
provisional/full license, (2) 6 months after provisional/full 
licensure, and (3) 12 months after provisional/full licensure. At each 
time, parents and adolescents will be interviewed over the telephone 
regarding parenting practices related to involvement in and restriction 
of adolescents' driving experience, and adolescents' driving behaviors.
    Frequency of Response: data will be collected 4 times over a two-
year period; two times each year for two years.

[[Page 71934]]



                               Affected Public: Parents and Their Teenage Children
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Estimated                       Estimated
                                                     Estimated       number of    Average burden   total annual
               Type of respondents                   number of     responses per     hours per     burden hours
                                                    respondents     respondent       response        requested
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents.........................................           3,200               2             0.5           3,200
Adolescents.....................................           3,200               2             0.5           3,200
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at $64000 (based on 
$10 per hour). There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no 
Operating or Maintenance Costs to report.

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS: Written comments and/or suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the 
following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) 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; (3) Ways 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy 
of the data collection plans and instruments, contact Dr. Bruce Simons-
Morton, Chief, Prevention Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology, 
Statistics, and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health 
and Human Development, Building 6100, 7B05, 9000 Rockville Pike, 
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7510, or call non-toll free number (301) 496-
5674 or E-mail your request, including your address to .

COMMENTS DUE DATE: Comments regarding this information collection are 
best assured of having their full effect if received within 60 days of 
the date of this publication.

    Dated: December 17, 1998.
Ben Fulton,
Executive Officer, NICHD.
[FR Doc. 98-34528 Filed 12-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M