[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44725-44727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16902]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2004-17339]


Data Integrated Project Team (IPT) Report

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

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a planning document 
describing the agency's current and planned activities and 
recommendations to improve traffic safety data. The agency is seeking 
public review and comment on the document.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than September 10, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may obtain a copy of the plan by 
downloading a copy of the document from the Docket Management System, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, at the address provided below, or 
from NHTSA's Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. Alternatively, 
interested persons may obtain a copy of the document by contacting the 
agency officials listed in the section titled, ``For Further 
Information Contact,'' immediately below.
    Submit written comments to the Docket Management System, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, PL 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Comments should refer to the Docket Number 
(NHTSA-2004-17339) and be submitted in two copies. If you wish to 
receive confirmation of receipt of your written comments, include a 
self-addressed, stamped postcard.
    Comments may also be submitted to the docket electronically by 
logging onto the Docket Management System Web site at http://dms.dot.gov. Click on ``Help & Information'' to obtain

[[Page 44726]]

instructions for filing comments electronically. In every case, the 
comment should refer to the docket number (NHTSA-2004-17339).
    The Docket Management System is located on the Plaza level of the 
Nassif Building at the Department of Transportation at the above 
address. You can review public dockets there between the hours of 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You 
can also review comments on-line at the DOT Docket Management System 
Web site at  http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Carra, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, Room 6125, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20590, Telephone: 202-366-5375.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Despite significant gains since the 
enactment of Federal motor vehicle and highway safety legislation in 
the mid 1960's, the annual toll of traffic crashes remains tragically 
high. In 2003, 43,220 people were killed on the nation's highways and 
an additional 2.89 million people suffered serious injuries. Motor 
vehicle crashes are responsible for 95 percent of all transportation-
related deaths and 99 percent of all transportation-related injuries, 
and are the leading cause of death for Americans age 2 and every age 4 
through 33. Furthermore, traffic crashes are not only a grave public 
health problem for our nation, but also a significant economic burden. 
In 2000, traffic crashes cost our economy approximately $230 billion, 
or 2.3 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. The average cost for 
a critically injured survivor of a motor vehicle crash is estimated at 
$1.1 million over a lifetime.
    Therefore, in order to address these safety problems, good data are 
required. Traffic safety data is the primary source of knowledge about 
the traffic safety environment, human behavior and vehicle performance. 
NHTSA has made improving traffic safety data one of the agency's 
highest priorities.
    In the fall of 2003, NHTSA formed a multidisciplinary integrated 
project team (IPT) to address the role of data in achieving U.S. DOT's 
Safety Strategic Objective: ``Enhance public health and safety by 
working toward the elimination of transportation-related deaths and 
injuries.'' The team--composed of representatives from NHTSA 
headquarters and the regions, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 
Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration--was to recommend priorities to NHTSA's Administrator on 
the best methods for obtaining the information needed to promote 
traffic safety and to identify how data could be improved to address 
the increasing complexity of traffic safety and vehicle issues. The 
report focuses on data that are routinely collected, accessible, and 
widely used to meet traffic safety data needs. Improving these data 
will benefit the traffic safety community and the public at large.
    The effectiveness of informed decision making at the national, 
state and local levels, involving sound research, programs and 
policies, is directly dependent on data availability and quality. 
Accurate and comprehensive, standardized data provided in a timely 
manner, would allow the agency or decision-making entities at the state 
or local levels to:
     Determine the causes of crashes and their outcomes
     Evaluate strategies for preventing crashes and improving 
crash outcomes
     Support traffic safety data operations
     Measure progress in reducing crash frequencies and 
severities
     Update traffic safety policies
    This report presents an in-depth look at routinely collected and 
accessible traffic safety data and provides initiatives and 
recommendations for federal and state stakeholders to improve traffic 
safety data needed to reduce deaths, injuries, injury severity and 
costs. The recommendations were grouped into the following categories:
    1. Coordination and Leadership
    2. Data Quality and Availability
    3. Electronic Technologies and Methods
    4. Uniform and Integrated Data
    5. Facilitated Data Use (including training)
    NHTSA believes its own initiatives, the Report's recommendations 
for both a U.S. DOT Highway Safety Traffic Records Coordinating 
Committee and for the States, will lead to both short term and long 
term solutions to improve data and maximize its use to achieve key DOT 
safety objectives.
    NHTSA also assembled IPTs to address four other highway safety 
programs of special interest: safety belt use; impaired driving; 
vehicle rollover and vehicle compatibility. For each program of special 
interest, the agency is seeking public review and comment. Each of the 
four planning documents can be found on NHTSA's Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/IPTReports.html and also on DOT's docket management 
system (DMS) at http://dms.dot.gov/. The docket numbers for each of the 
respective reports are as follows:
     Safety Belt Use--NHTSA-2003-14620;
     Impaired Driving--NHTSA-2003-14621;
     Rollover Mitigation--NHTSA-2003-14622;
     Vehicle Compatibility--NHTSA-2003-14623; and
     Data--NHTSA-2004-17339
    Each document describes the safety problem and provides strategies 
the agency plans to pursue in addressing vehicle compatibility, 
increasing safety belt use, reducing impaired driving, and mitigating 
vehicle rollover, and improving traffic safety data. While the first 
four are closed, comments received about the Data document will be 
evaluated and incorporated, as appropriate, into planned agency 
activities.

How Do I Prepare and Submit Comments?

    Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that your 
comments are correctly filed in the Docket, please include the Docket 
number of this document (NHTSA-2004-17339) in your comments.
    Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management 
or submit them electronically. The mailing address is U.S. Department 
of Transportation Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590. If you submit your comments electronically, 
log onto the Docket Management System Web site at http://dms.dot.gov 
and click on ``Help & Information'' or ``Help/Info'' to obtain 
instructions.

How Can I Be Sure That My Comments Were Received?

    If you wish Docket Management to notify you upon its receipt of 
your comments, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard in the 
envelope containing your comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket 
Management will return the postcard by mail.

How Do I Submit Confidential Business Information?

    If you wish to submit any information under a claim of 
confidentiality, send three copies of your complete submission, 
including the information you claim to be confidential business 
information, to the Chief Counsel, NCC-01, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, Room 5219, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20590. Include a cover letter supplying the information specified in 
our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR Part 512).

[[Page 44727]]

    In addition, send two copies from which you have deleted the 
claimed confidential business information to Docket Management, Room 
PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

Will the Agency Consider Late Comments?

    In our response, NHTSA will consider all comments that Docket 
Management receives before the close of business on the comment closing 
date indicated above under DATES. To the extent possible, the agency 
will also consider comments that Docket Management receives after that 
date.
    Please note that even after the comment closing date, NHTSA will 
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes 
available. Further, some people may submit late comments. Accordingly, 
NHTSA recommends that you periodically check the Docket for new 
material.

How Can I Read the Comments Submitted by Other People?

    You may read the comments by visiting Docket Management in person 
at Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC from 10 a.m. to 
5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
    You may also see the comments on the Internet by taking the 
following steps:
     Go to the Docket Management System (DMS) Web page of the 
Department of Transportation (http://dms.dot.gov).
     On that page, click on ``search.''
     On the next page ((http://dms.dot.gov/search/) type in the 
five-digit Docket number shown at the beginning of this document 
(17339). Click on ``search.''
     On the next page, which contains Docket summary 
information for the Docket you selected, click on the desired comments. 
You may also download the comments.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30117, 30168; delegation of 
authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

Noble N. Bowie,
Associate Administrator for Planning, Evaluation & Budget.
[FR Doc. 04-16902 Filed 7-26-04; 8:45 am]
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