[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19800-19801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9858]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-02-11585]


Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping 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 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 one collection of information for which 
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 24, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to U.S. Department of 
Transportation Dockets, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Plaza 401, Washington, 
DC 20590. Docket No. NHTSA-02-11585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alan Block, Contracting Officer's 
Technical Representative, Office of Research and Traffic Records (NTS-
31), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW, Room 6240, Washington, DC 20590.

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

[[Page 19801]]

comment on the following proposed collection of information:

Misuse of Child Restraints

    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--December 31, 2003.
    Summary of the Collection of Information--NHTSA proposes to collect 
information on misuse of child restraint systems (CRS) among the 
general public. The information collection would be conducted at public 
places frequently visited by drivers transporting infants and young 
children (age 8 and younger). Information would be collected from sites 
in six States selected to be representative of the nation as a whole. A 
total sample of 4,000 target vehicles (drivers with young children) 
would be used for the study. Participation by drivers would be 
voluntary. Initial contact would involve a project staff member asking 
drivers transporting one or more children in the selected public 
setting to participate in the information collection, which would take 
place immediately within that public setting if the driver agrees to 
participate. The information collection would consist of checking child 
restraint use in the vehicle, and interviewing the drivers. The 
interview would be comprised of questions to drivers relating to child 
passenger characteristics, driver socio-demographic characteristics, 
and knowledge of proper CRS use.
    The proposed information collection would be anonymous and 
confidential. Drivers would not be asked their name nor asked for any 
other information that could be used to identify them or their 
passengers. No information would be recorded that could be used to 
identify study participants.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information--The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
was established to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and economic 
losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. As part of this statutory 
mandate, NHTSA is authorized to conduct research as a foundation for 
the development of motor vehicle standards and traffic safety programs.
    Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats has found them 
to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for 
toddlers in passenger cars. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, 
the corresponding reductions are 58 percent and 59 percent, 
respectively.
    In the late 1970s and early 1980s, studies showed CRS use for 
infants and toddlers well below 50 percent. By the mid 1980s, all 
States had child restraint laws that required children below a certain 
age to travel in approved CRSs. The combination of State laws and 
public information and education programs was effective to some extent: 
by the mid 1990s restraint use by infants exceeded 80 percent and 
restraint use by toddlers had reached 60 percent. Yet while more 
infants and toddlers were being put into CRSs, studies conducted in the 
past decade have shown alarmingly high rates of misuse of these 
restraints (80 to over 95 percent). Studies have also found that many 
toddlers were being put prematurely into adult seat belts rather than 
staying in convertible seats or graduating to booster seats. Children 
are at greater risk of injury when improperly restrained in CRSs or 
prematurely placed into adult seat belts. In one study, crash-involved 
children ages 2 to 5 who were in adult seat belts were 3.5 times more 
likely to suffer significant injury and 4 times more likely to suffer 
head injury when compared to crash-involved children in the same age 
group who used child safety seats or booster seats.
    The last major (multi-State) data collection effort to measure CRS 
misuse in a randomly selected general population at unadvertised site 
locations was conducted over six years ago. The environment for child 
passenger safety has changed significantly since then as a result of 
technological advances, new seating products, regulatory activity, 
educational activity, and other factors. It is important for NHTSA to 
identify the current status of CRS use and misuse among the public. The 
information will help NHTSA to identify areas where efforts need to be 
targeted and where new public information and education campaign 
strategies may be needed.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
Under this proposed effort, information would be collected from 4000 
randomly selected drivers transporting young children. Information 
collection would be conducted in public settings in six different 
States. Each driver would go through the information collection a 
single time.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information--For each vehicle in the 
study, information collection would consist of checking the restraint 
use of children in the vehicle, and interviewing the driver. NHTSA 
estimates that the information collection would average 8.5 minutes per 
vehicle. This equates to an estimated 567 burden hours (4,000 driver 
participants multiplied by 8.5 minutes multiplied by 1 information 
collection). During part of that time, the driver would be a passive 
participant in the information collection as the study team checks the 
restraint use of the child(ren). The driver interview during the 
information collection would average 5 minutes in length (the interview 
would collect demographic information as well as information concerning 
drivers' knowledge, acquisition, and use of child safety seats). Thus 
the number of estimated reporting burden hours a year on the general 
public (4,000 driver participants multiplied by 5 minutes by 1 
interview) would be 333 for the proposed study. The respondents would 
not incur any reporting cost from the information collection. The 
respondents also would not incur any record keeping burden or record 
keeping cost from the information collection.

    Issued on: April 8, 2002.
Rose A. McMurray,
Associate Administrator, Traffic Safety Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-9858 Filed 4-22-02; 8:45 am]
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