[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35253-35254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14889]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket Number NHTSA-2003-15324]


Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of 
information.

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

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 August 11, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket notice numbers cited at 
the beginning of this notice and be submitted to Docket Management, 
Room PL-401, 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 2 copies of the comment be provided. The Docket 
Section is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marvin M. Levy, Ph.D., NHTSA 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Room 6240, NTI-131, Washington, DC 20590. Dr. 
Levy's telephone number is (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 first publish a document in the Federal Register 
providing for a 60-day comment period and otherwise consult 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 
methods 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 response to these requirements, NHTSA asks for public comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:
    Title: National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and 
Behavior
    OMB Clearance Number: None.
    Affected Public: Under this proposed collection, a telephone 
interview 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.
    Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard forms.
    Abstract: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 
(NHTSA) has a central role in the national effort to reduce motor-
vehicle related traffic injuries and deaths. After years of steady 
decline, the number of alcohol-related fatalities in the U.S. reversed 
direction and rose to 17,448 in 2001. The agency's goal is to reduce 
the rate of alcohol-related crashes from 0.63 to 0.53 crashes per 100 
million vehicle miles traveled by the end of 2003.
    In order to plan and evaluate programs intended to reduce alcohol-
impaired driving, NHTSA needs to periodically update its knowledge and 
understanding of the public's attitudes and behaviors with respect to 
drinking

[[Page 35254]]

and driving. NHTSA began measuring the driving age public's attitudes 
and behaviors regarding drinking and driving in 1991. The proposed 
study, to be administered in the 3rd quarter of 2003, and the seventh 
in this series of biennial surveys, will collect data on topics 
included in the first six studies. These topics include the frequency 
of drinking and driving; ways to prevent driving after drinking; 
respondents' perceptions of enforcement of drinking and driving laws, 
including the use of sobriety checkpoints; 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). The interview is anticipated to average 
approximately 20 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 a computer 
assisted telephone interviewing technique (CATI) for reducing 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. Participation by respondents 
will be voluntary and 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.
    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 future programs and activities to achieve improved 
efficiencies and outcomes. This may involve modifying existing or 
developing new programs that can decrease the likelihood of drinking 
and driving behaviors, and to provide informational support to states, 
localities, and law enforcement agencies in their efforts to reduce 
impaired driving related traffic crashes and injuries. The requested 
expiration date of approval is December 31, 2005.
    Estimate of the Total Annual 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 per year for the proposed study. The respondents would 
not incur any reporting or record keeping cost from the information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: It is anticipated that the number of 
respondents will be 6,000 persons age 16 or older living in the United 
States.
    Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

Marilena Amoni,
Associate Administrator for Program Development and Delivery, National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-14889 Filed 6-11-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-U