[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 213 (Thursday, November 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57385-57387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26658]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2009-0171]


2010-2015 Strategic Planning

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is 
currently seeking public comment on emerging or potential traffic 
safety problems. Public feedback will assist the agency in preparing to 
meet the challenges it faces in the next 5 years on improving motor 
vehicle and traffic safety in the United States. This foundational work 
will assist the agency in shaping its 2010-2015 strategic plan.
    This notice invites comments, suggestions and recommendations from 
all individuals and organizations that have an interest in motor 
vehicle and highway safety, consumer programs (e.g., fuel economy, 
vehicle theft, odometer fraud, tire performance) administered by the 
agency, and/or other NHTSA activities. Respondents can choose to answer 
any number of questions proposed in this notice. The agency values any 
comments received and would also like input on the strategic planning 
process in general. Please include any elements believed important for 
NHTSA to consider in shaping its vision and building its 2010-2015 
strategic plan.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than January 4, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Long Range Strategic 
Planning DOT DMS Docket Number [XXX] by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Telephone: 
1-800-647-5527.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. It is suggested that comment submissions be limited to 
ten (10) pages with unlimited attachments. Note that all comments 
received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act 
heading below.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70, pp. 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://regulations.gov and follow the online 
instructions, or visit the Docket Management Facility at the street 
address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dee Williams, Acting Director, Office 
of Strategic Planning, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
Room W40-311, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 
Telephone: 202-366-3503. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA was established as the successor to 
the National Highway Safety Bureau in 1970, to carry out safety 
programs under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 
1966 (Chapter 301 of Title 49, United States Code) and the Highway 
Safety Act of 1966 (Chapter 4 of Title 23, United States Code). The 
agency also administers consumer programs established by the Motor 
Vehicle Information and Cost Saving Act of 1972 (Part C of Subtitle VI 
(Chapters 321, 323, 325, 327, 329 and 331) of Title 49, United States 
Code).
    NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce 
traffic-related health care and other economic costs due to road 
traffic crashes through education, research, safety standards, and 
enforcement activity. Motor vehicle crashes are responsible for 95 
percent of all transportation-related fatalities and are the leading 
cause of death for people in the United States of every age from age 3 
through 34 (based on 2006 data).
    The economic costs associated with these crashes also seriously 
impact the Nation's fiscal health. The cost to our economy of all motor 
vehicle crashes was approximately $230 billion in 2000, or 2.3 percent 
of the U.S. gross domestic product. Alcohol-involved crashes cost over 
$50 billion, accounting for 22 percent of all crash costs. In 2003, 
failure to wear safety belts cost $18 billion. Twenty-six percent of 
overall crash costs are paid by those individuals directly involved in 
these crashes. The remaining 74 percent of overall crash costs is paid 
by the public through insurance premiums, taxes, and higher health care 
costs.
    In order to address these public health issues and economic costs 
of highway crashes, the agency seeks to improve public health by 
helping to make highway travel safer. The agency develops, promotes and 
implements educational, regulatory, enforcement and emergency medical 
service programs aimed at ending preventable tragedies and reducing the 
economic costs associated with motor vehicle use and highway travel. A 
multi-disciplinary approach that draws upon diverse fields such as 
epidemiology, engineering, biomechanics, emergency medicine, the social 
sciences, human factors, economics, education, law enforcement, and 
communication science to address one of the most complex and 
challenging public health problems facing our society.
    NHTSA is a leader in collecting and analyzing motor vehicle crash 
data, in conducting research, and in developing countermeasures 
designed to prevent and mitigate vehicle crashes, thereby reducing 
associated fatalities and traumatic injury. The agency improves traffic 
safety through its regulation and enforcement of motor vehicle and 
motor vehicle equipment; develops evidence-based education and 
enforcement programs and promotes their use by States, localities, and 
other safety partners; sponsors critical research; conducts innovative 
projects to improve traffic and motor vehicle safety;

[[Page 57386]]

provides leadership in understanding and assessing the safety impact of 
advanced technologies; and, works to develop harmonized international 
safety standards. All aspects of engineering, education, enforcement 
and evaluation are incorporated into programs to address the challenges 
of crash and injury prevention involving people, vehicles, and the 
roadway environment.
    Over the last 43 years, the agency has had a solid record of 
achievement in reducing traffic crash fatalities and resulting 
injuries. Since 1966, the crash fatality rate has dropped from 5.5 
deaths per 100 million vehicle miles of travel (VMT) to a historic low 
of 1.27 in 2008. While the recent reductions in total fatalities may be 
due in part to a decrease in vehicle miles traveled, additional factors 
that may be attributed to the decline include more crashworthy vehicles 
in the fleet, improvements in roadway infrastructure, increases in 
safety belt use, and decreases in impaired driving. While the reduction 
in the fatality rate shows progress, much work still needs to be done 
to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries that take place 
every year on our Nation's highways. Moreover, as new technology 
continues to develop and evolve, it will be essential to address 
emerging risks in addition to seeking ways to harness the potential of 
technology to an even greater extent to help reduce crashes.
    In an attempt to anticipate and meet the challenges on the horizon, 
NHTSA is embarking upon a long-range strategic planning initiative. The 
initiative will have two phases. Phase I begins with this solicitation 
of comments from individuals and public and private organizations 
interested in the nation's motor vehicle and highway safety programs, 
consumer programs (e.g., fuel economy, vehicle theft and odometer 
fraud, tire performance) administered by the agency, and other NHTSA 
activities. The information gathered during Phase I will serve as the 
foundation for Phase II: the development of NHTSA's Strategic Plan 
2010-2015. The information and data generated from Phase I will assist 
the agency at shaping its future vision, program plans, and safety 
goals.
    NHTSA requests comments, suggestions and recommendations that will 
assist the agency in assessing and understanding the potential effects 
and implications that changes in demographic, economic, environmental, 
institutional, and technological factors will have on motor vehicle and 
highway traffic safety.
    The following are some of the key issues that the agency would like 
public comments to address. In addition to general comments, the agency 
seeks documents, studies, or references relevant to the issues. The 
agency is particularly interested in learning about emerging or 
potential safety problems, gaps in current strategies and approaches, 
and in receiving recommendations for addressing traffic safety problems 
effectively. While the strategic plan under development will cover 
2010-2015, the agency is interested in the public's views on issues and 
trends beyond 2015. The public may respond to all or some of the 
questions below. NHTSA will consider all comments received but may not 
necessarily include all comments into the strategic plan due to 
inconsistency with NHTSA's mission, budget constraints, and data driven 
priority areas. Stakeholder meetings and listening sessions will be 
held at a later date to obtain feedback on the questions below.

A. Factors and Issues

    (A1) What are critical, highway safety issues facing the nation 
today?
    (A2) What will future key demographic and social influences be on 
highway safety (e.g. novice and older drivers, gender, obesity, 
cultural diversity, immigration, geographic distribution, alcohol and 
drug consumption, shifts in economic development, etc.)?
    (A3) In general, how might driving behaviors change in the United 
States in the future? How might demographic and social influences 
change driving behaviors and impact highway safety?
    (A4) What changes in the auto fleet, including size and mix, will 
impact highway safety?
    (A5) What changes in commercial vehicle use will impact highway 
safety?
    (A6) What international trends and technologies will influence 
future developments in American automotive industry?
    (A7) What changes in energy and environmental issues will impact 
public policy and highway safety? How will these changes impact vehicle 
use?
    (A8) What change in the highway or energy distribution 
infrastructures will either affect or be needed for improved highway 
safety?
    (A9) What changes in auto and medical insurance might affect 
highway safety?
    (A10) What changes in the national, State, and local economies will 
impact public policy and highway safety? Will these changes require 
modification in Federal funding programs or delivery systems for 
highway safety?
    (A11) How might changes in vehicle theft and odometer fraud impact 
NHTSA's future program efforts in these areas?
    (A12) What are new and emerging areas of automotive safety research 
(e.g., injury prevention, passive safety, active safety, advanced crash 
notification, etc.) that would enable NHTSA and the auto industry to 
improve motor vehicle safety?
    (A13) What are new and emerging areas of behavioral safety research 
that would enable NHTSA to improve highway safety countermeasures?
    (A14) What additional analytical data need to be collected with 
respect to motor vehicle and highway safety? How might data and 
information be combined for more effective and valuable results? How 
might these data be collected, linked, analyzed and made available in a 
more efficient and cost-effective manner?
    (A15) What are critical data elements that NHTSA does not collect 
that should be collected to identify areas to target to reduce traffic 
fatalities and injuries?
    (A16) How can crash avoidance data be gathered?
    (A17) What role will public education and consumer information play 
in the future of highway safety? What other cost effective tools should 
NHTSA use to promote motor vehicle and highway safety programs?
    (A18) What changes in the area of Federal, State, and local 
legislation are appropriate and how might that legislation affect 
traffic safety in the future? What changes are likely?
    (A19) How might homeland security affect traffic safety in the 
future?
    (A20) What changes are imminent in State politics, and the 
relationship between the States and agency? What changes would help the 
agency achieve its safety goals?
    (A21) How will ``Smart Growth'' or livable community concepts 
impact traffic safety? What is NHTSA's role within these growing inter-
disciplinary fields?

B. Technology

    (B1) How will advanced vehicle technologies (i.e., crash avoidance) 
impact the future of motor vehicles and highway safety?
    (B2) What future technologies should be researched and encouraged 
to enhance highway safety?
    (B3) What technological changes are necessary in other modes of 
passenger and freight transportation to positively impact motor vehicle 
and highway safety?
    (B4) What changes in medical technology and emergency medical

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services will impact motor vehicle and highway safety and health 
outcomes?
    (B5) How can the development and implementation of crash 
notification technologies (i.e., automatic advanced crash notification) 
and crash victim triage protocols impact health outcomes related to 
motor vehicle crashes?
    (B6) What changes do you envision in automation, information 
management, and workplace alternatives (e.g., telecommuting)? How will 
these activities impact highway safety and commuting and travel 
behaviors?
    (B7) What changes in law enforcement practices and technologies 
might impact highway safety?
    (B8) How will technology affect driving behavior? What issues 
related to vehicle/driver interaction could affect safety? What issues 
should NHTSA research?

C. Institutional Relationships

    (C1) How do you and/or your organization (include organization's 
name) interact with NHTSA? Please explain the dynamics of this 
relationship.
    (C2) How could NHTSA strengthen its relationship with your 
organization and with other organizations and institutions engaged in 
traffic safety programs?

D. NHTSA's Role and Mission

    (D1) In your view, should there be major changes in NHTSA's role/
mission in the future?
    (D2) What are NHTSA's strengths and weaknesses?
    (D3) How can NHTSA have a greater impact in the reduction of injury 
and loss of life on the nation's highways?
    (D4) What is NHTSA doing well and not well? How can NHTSA improve 
the way it does business or provides customer service? Please identify 
possible improvements or ideas for doing better.
    (D5) What should NHTSA's role in international highway safety be? 
How should NHTSA be involved in international global road safety 
efforts? What opportunities exist for NHTSA to learn from highway 
safety initiatives in other countries?
    (D6) What mechanisms should NHTSA consider using for communication 
with the public?

Request for Comments

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 (2010-2015 Strategic Planning, XXXX) in your 
comments.
    Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management 
or submit them electronically. The mailing address is Docket Management 
Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. If 
you submit your comments electronically, log onto the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.

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, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 
20590. Include a cover letter supplying the information specified in 
our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR Part 512).
    In addition, send two copies from which you have deleted the 
claimed confidential business information to Docket Management 
Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.

Will the Agency Consider Late Comments?

    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, we will also consider 
comments that Docket Management receives after that date.
    Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will 
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes 
available. Some people may submit late comments. Accordingly, we 
recommend 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 Facility; 
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC from 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. You may also see 
the comments on the Internet by taking the following steps:
    (1) Go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) On that page, in the field marked ``search,'' type in the 
docket number provided at the top of this document.
    (3) The next page will contain results for that docket number; it 
may help you to sort by ``Date Posted: Oldest to Recent.''
    (4) On the results page, click on the desired comments. You may 
download the comments. However, since the comments are imaged documents 
instead of word processing documents, the downloaded comments may not 
be word searchable.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.

Gregory Walter,
Senior Associate Administrator for Policy and Operations.
[FR Doc. E9-26658 Filed 11-4-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P