[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77958-77959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31676]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No NHTSA-2000-8171]


Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for public comment on 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 procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal Agencies must solicit 
public comment on proposed information collections, including 
extensions and reinstatements of previously approved collections. This 
document describes one collection of information for which NHTSA 
intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 12, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to U.S. Department of 
Transportation Dockets, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Plaza 401, Washington, 
DC 20590. Docket No. NHTSA-2000-8171.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marvin Levy, Ph.D., Contracting 
Officer's Technical Representative, Office of Research and Traffic 
Records (NTS-31), Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 366-5597.

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 for a 60-day comment period and to allow for consultation 
with affected agencies and members of the public 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 
methods and assumptions;

[[Page 77959]]

    (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 response to these requirements, NHTSA asks for public comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:
    National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behavior
    Type of Request: New information collection requirement.
    OMB Clearance Number: None.
    Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard forms.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: February 28, 2002.

Summary of the Collection of Information

    An agency goal is to reduce the number of alcohol related 
fatalities from 15,786, in 1999, to 11,000 by the year 2005. In support 
of this goal, NHTSA has conducted over the past decade a series of bi-
annual surveys of the driving-aged public (aged 16 or older) to 
identify patterns and trends in public attitudes and behaviors towards 
drinking and driving and public reaction to alcohol countermeasures 
aimed at reducing the occurrence of drinking and driving and alcohol 
related crashes. The proposed study, to be administered in the 3rd 
quarter of 2001, and the sixth in this series of biennial surveys, will 
collect data on topics included in the first five studies (and several 
additional topics), including: frequency of drinking and driving and of 
riding with an impaired driver, ways to prevent drinking and driving, 
enforcement of drinking and driving laws including the use of sobriety 
checkpoints, understanding of BAC levels and legal limits, and crash 
and injury experience.
    The survey will be administered by telephone to a national 
probability sample of the driving age public (aged 16 years or older as 
of their last birthday). Participation by respondents is voluntary. The 
interview is anticipated to average approximately 20-25 minutes; for 
non-drinkers and non-drivers the interview will average below 20 
minutes, while for drinker-drivers it will average slightly over 20 
minutes. Interviewers will use computer assisted telephone interviewing 
to reduce survey administration time and to minimize data collection 
errors. A Spanish-language questionnaire and bi-lingual interviewers 
will be used to reduce language barriers to participation. All 
respondents' results will remain anonymous and completely confidential. 
Participant names are not collected during the interview and the 
telephone number used to reach the respondent is separated from the 
data record prior to its entry into the analytical database.

Description of the Need for and Proposed Use of the Information

    More than 308,000 persons were reported injured and nearly 16,000 
persons died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in 1999 ( NHTSA-
National Center for Statistics and Analysis). NHTSA is committed to the 
development of effective programs to reduce the incidence of these 
crashes. In order to properly plan and evaluate programs directed at 
reducing alcohol-impaired driving, the agency needs to periodically 
update its knowledge and understanding of the public's attitudes and 
behaviors with respect to drinking and driving.
    The findings from this proposed collection will assist NHTSA in 
addressing the problem of alcohol-impaired driving and in formulating 
programs and recommendations to Congress. NHTSA will use the findings 
to help focus current programs and activities to achieve the greatest 
benefit, to develop new programs to decrease the likelihood of drinking 
and driving behaviors, and to provide informational support to states, 
localities, and law enforcement agencies that will aid them in their 
efforts to reduce drinking and driving crashes and injuries.

Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of 
Information)

    Under this proposed collection, a telephone interview averaging 
approximately 20 minutes in length would be administered to each of 
6,000 randomly selected members of the general public age 16 and older. 
The respondent sample would be selected from all 50 states plus the 
District of Columbia. Interviews would be conducted with persons at 
residential phone numbers selected using random digit dialing. No more 
than one respondent per household would be selected, and each sample 
member would complete just one interview. Businesses are ineligible for 
the sample and would be not be interviewed.

Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden 
Resulting From the Collection of Information

    NHTSA estimates that respondents in the sample would require an 
average of 20 minutes to complete the telephone interview. Thus, 
estimated reporting burden on the general public would be a total of 
2000 hours for the proposed survey. The respondents would not incur any 
reporting or record keeping cost from the information collection.

Rose A. McMurray,
Associate Administrator for Traffic Safety Programs, National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-31676 Filed 12-12-00; 8:45 am]
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