[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26837-26838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11312]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0038]


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 procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), 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 an Information Collection Request (ICR) for 
which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 12, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation Dockets, 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE., Washington, DC, 
20590. Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0038.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Randolph Atkins, PhD, Contracting 
Officer's Technical Representative, Office of Behavioral Safety 
Research (NTI-131), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE., W46-500, Washington, DC, 20590. Dr. Atkins' 
phone number is 202-366-5597 and his e-mail address is 
[email protected].

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 comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:
    Title: Investigate the Use and Feasibility of Speed Warning 
Devices.
    Type of Request: New information collection request--debriefing 
session follow-up with participants from an earlier on-road 
instrumented vehicle study.
    OMB Clearance Number: N/A.
    Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard forms.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: September 17, 2011.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: In this pilot study, the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be 
conducting on-road instrumented vehicle data collection in the 
Rockville, MD area with a total of 80 participants who have a history 
of speeding violations to examine the impact of in-vehicle speed 
warning devices on their driving speed patterns and speeding

[[Page 26838]]

behavior. Participants will be asked to install a speed warning device 
for eight weeks. The device will provide data on travel speeds of 
participants' vehicle coupled with GPS information that is linked to a 
database with speed limits for various sections of roads in the study 
area. This data will be automatically transmitted from the vehicle to 
the research office for data analyses. After completing their on-road 
phase of the data collection, participating drivers will be asked to 
participate in a short debriefing interview while the in-vehicle 
warning device is removed from their vehicle. The debriefing sessions 
will focus on the drivers' subjective experience regarding the speed 
warning device--how it affected their driving behavior, any problems 
experienced with the device, how they interacted with the device, and 
their opinion of the device, as well as feedback on their experience as 
a participant in the research study. This subjective data will be 
coupled with the data from their actual driving behavior to help NHTSA 
develop a better understanding of speeding and speeders and the 
potential acceptance and effectiveness of using speed warning devices 
as a countermeasure to alter the speeding behavior of habitual 
speeders. The debriefing sessions are expected to provide data relevant 
to implementation issues and concerns associated with the device, as 
well as the key advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of 
this device as a countermeasure.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information--The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
was established by the Highway Safety Act of l970 (23 U.S. C. 101) to 
carry out a Congressional mandate to reduce the mounting number of 
deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle 
crashes on the Nation's highways. Speeding is one of the primary 
factors leading to vehicle crashes. In 2008, 31% of all fatal crashes 
were speeding-related. The estimated economic cost to society for 
speeding-related crashes is $40.4 billion per year. Driving at higher 
speeds reduces the ability of drivers to avoid obstacles or react to 
sudden changes in the roadway environment and increases the severity of 
crashes. The pervasiveness of speeding behavior is reflected in a 
recent national survey that showed that approximately 75% of all 
drivers reported speeding in the past month. Of particular concern are 
the habitual speeders and aggressive drivers for whom other 
countermeasures, such as enforcement, licenses suspensions, and fines, 
are not effective deterrents. The data collected in this study will 
provide NHTSA with important information on a countermeasure with the 
potential to address an especially challenging segment of the driving 
population that poses an inordinately high safety risk to themselves 
and other drivers who share the roads with them. In support of its 
mission, NHTSA will use the findings from these debriefing sessions to 
improve current programs, interventions and countermeasures for 
speeding on our Nation's highways in order to achieve the greatest 
benefit in decreasing crashes and resulting injuries and fatalities, 
and provide informational support to States, localities, and law 
enforcement agencies that will aid them in their efforts to reduce 
traffic crashes.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
Each of the 80 participants in the on-road instrumented vehicle portion 
of the study will be asked to participate in an individual debriefing 
session while the speed warning device is being removed from their 
vehicle. These debriefing sessions are expected to begin in October 
2010 and continue until the last participant completes his or her on-
road portion of the study in March 2011. Session participation would be 
voluntary. Participants will be compensated with a $150 honorarium for 
data collection, including having the device installed on their 
vehicle.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information--Each of the individual 
debriefing sessions will last approximately 30 minutes, which is the 
approximate time it will take to remove the speed warning device from 
their vehicle. Participants will be recruited through the MVA or 
insurance companies based on their driving history, i.e. participants 
will have a prior history of multiple speeding violations. Participants 
will be stratified into 40 male and 40 female participants. Half of 
each gender group recruited will be under 30 years of age and the other 
half will be 30 years of age and older. The total estimated annual 
burden is approximately 40 hours for the debriefing sessions. The 
respondents would not incur any reporting cost from the information 
collection and they would not incur any record keeping burden or record 
keeping cost from the information collection.

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

Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-11312 Filed 5-11-10; 8:45 am]
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