[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 131 (Monday, July 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39851-39852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13509]



[[Page 39851]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2005-21318]


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 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 September 9, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to U.S. Department of 
Transportation Dockets, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 401, Washington, DC 
20590. Docket No. NHTSA-2005-21318.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alan Block, Contracting Officer's 
Technical Representative, Office of Research and Technology (NTI-131), 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Room 5119, 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 
submissions of responses.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks public comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:

2006 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey

    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, 2007.
    Summary of the Collection of Information--NHTSA proposes to conduct 
a year 2006 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey by telephone among a 
national probability sample of 12,000 adults (age 16 and older). 
Participation by respondents would be voluntary. NHTSA's information 
needs require seat belt and child safety seats sections too large to 
merge into a single survey instrument without producing an inordinate 
burden on respondents. Rather than reduce these sections, the proposed 
survey instrument would be divided into two questionnaires. Each 
questionnaire would be administered to one-half the total number of 
subjects to be interviewed. Questionnaire 1 would focus on 
seat belts and include smaller sections on air bags, on general driving 
(including speed), and on drinking and driving because of the extensive 
impact of alcohol on the highway safety problem. Questionnaire 
2 would focus on child restraint use, accompanied by smaller 
sections on air bags, Emergency Medical Services, and use of wireless 
phones. Both questionnaires would contain sections on crash injury 
experience. some basic seat belt questions contained in Questionnaire 
1 would be duplicated on Questionnaire 2.
    In conducting the proposed survey, the interviewers would use 
computer-assisted telephone interviewing to reduce interview length and 
minimize recording errors. A Spanish-language translation and bilingual 
interviewers would be used to minimize language barriers to 
participation. The proposed survey would be anonymous and confidential.
    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 mounting number of deaths, injuries and 
economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes on the Nation's 
highways. 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.
    During the late 1960s and early 1970s, more than 50,000 persons 
were killed each year in motor vehicle crashes in the United States. 
Diverse approaches were taken to address the problem. Vehicle safety 
designs and features were improved; restraint devices were improved; 
safety behaviors were mandated in state legislation (including seat 
belt use, child safety seat use, and motorcycle helmet use); alcohol-
related legislation was enacted; this legislation was enforced; public 
information and education activities were widely implemented; and 
roadways were improved.
    As a result of these interventions and improvements, crash 
fatalities dropped significantly. By 1992, total fatalities had fallen 
to 39,250, representing a 23% decline from 1966. In addition, the 
resident population and the number of vehicle miles traveled increased 
greatly over those years. When fatality rates are computed per 100,000 
population, the rate for 1992 (15.39) was about 40 percent lower than 
the 1966 rate (25.89). In sum, heightened highway safety activity 
conducted over the past three decades corresponds with major strides in 
reducing traffic fatalities.
    Remaining barriers to safety will be more resistant to programmatic 
influences now that the easy gains have already been accomplished. 
Moreover, crash fatalities have risen since 1992, totaling 42,643 in 
2003. Thus significant effort will be needed just to preserve the gains 
that already have been made. Up-to-date information is essential to 
plot the direction of future activity that will achieve reductions in 
crash injuries and fatalities in the coming years.
    In order to collect the critical information needed by NHTSA to 
develop and implement effective countermeasures that meet the Agency's 
mandate to improve highway traffic safety, NHTSA conducted its first 
Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey in 1994. The survey included 
questions related to seat belts, child safety seats, air bags, 
bicyclist safety, motorcyclist safety, and Emergency Medical Services.

[[Page 39852]]

It also contained small segments on alcohol use and on speeding. The 
survey has been repeated four times since then, with the survey 
instrument updated prior to each survey administration to incorporate 
emergent issues and items of increased interest. The most recent survey 
was fielded during the first quarter of calendar year 2003.
    The proposed survey is the sixth Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety 
Survey. The survey would collect data on topics included in the 
preceding surveys and would monitor changes over time in the use of 
occupant protection devices and in attitudes related to vehicle 
occupant safety. It is important that NHTSA monitor these changes so 
that the Agency can determine the effects of its efforts to promote the 
use of safety devices and to identify areas where its efforts should be 
targeted and where new strategies may be needed. As in earlier years, 
NHTSA proposes to make a small number of revisions to the survey 
instrument to address new information needs. If approved, the proposed 
survey would assist NHTSA in addressing the problem of motor vehicle 
occupant safety and in formulating programs and recommendations to 
Congress. The results of the proposed survey would be used to: (a) 
Identify areas to target current programs and activities to achieve the 
greatest benefit; (b) develop new programs and initiatives aimed at 
increasing the use of occupant safety devices by the general public; 
and (c) provide informational support to States and localities in their 
traffic safety efforts. The findings would also be used directly by 
State and local highway safety and law enforcement agencies in the 
development and implementation of effective countermeasures to prevent 
injuries and fatalities to vehicle occupants.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
Under this proposed effort, the Contractor would conduct cognitive 
testing, a survey pretest, and final survey administration. The 
cognitive testing would only be performed for Questionnaire 2 
as this instrument has changed significantly since previous cognitive 
testing whereas Questionnaire 1 has not significantly changed. 
A total of nine in-person one-on-one cognitive interviews averaging 40 
minutes in length would be conducted with parents of children under the 
age of 9 who use a child restraint with their child at least on 
occasion. These interviews would identify any problems with the most 
recently developed questions that need to be addressed. A total of 30 
telephone pretest interviews (15 per questionnaire) averaging 20 
minutes in length would be administered to test the computer 
programming of the questionnaires, and to determine if any last 
adjustments to the questionnaires are needed. Following any revisions 
carried out as a result of the pretest, the Contractor would conduct 
telephone interviews averaging approximately 20 minutes in length with 
12,000 randomly selected members of the general public age 16 and older 
in telephone households. 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 through 
random digit dialing. Businesses are ineligible for the sample and 
would not be interviewed. No more than one respondent would be selected 
per household. Each member of the sample would complete one interview.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden 
Resulting From the Collection of Information--NHTSA estimates that the 
cognitive interviews would require an average of 40 minutes apiece or a 
total of 6 hours for the 9 respondents. The pretest interviews would 
require an average of 20 minutes apiece or a total of 10 hours for the 
30 respondents. Each respondent in the final survey sample would 
require an average of 20 minutes to complete the telephone interview or 
a total of 4,000 hours for the 12,000 respondents. Thus, the number of 
estimated reporting burden hours a year on the general public would be 
4016 for the proposed survey (6 for the cognitive interviewing, 10 for 
the pretest, and 4000 for the final survey administration). This 
represents an increase of 6 hours over the burden associated with the 
2003 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey. The respondents would not 
incur any reporting cost from the information collection. The 
respondents also would not incur any recordkeeping burden or 
recordkeeping cost from the information collection.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).

Marilena Amoni,
Associated Administrator, Program Development and Delivery.
[FR Doc. 05-13509 Filed 7-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-M