[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 14 (Friday, January 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3934-3935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1205]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency 
Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR 
describes the nature of the information collection and the expected 
burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was 
published on August 16, 2010 (75 FR 50034-50036).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 22, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, within 30 days, to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention NHTSA Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Cicchino, PhD, Contracting 
Officer's Technical Representative, Office of Behavioral Safety 
Research (NTI-131), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE., W46-491, Washington, DC 20590. Dr. Cicchino's 
phone number is 202-366-2752 and her e-mail address is 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: The Effect of Entry-Level Motorcycle Rider Training on 
Motorcycle Crashes.
    Type of Request: New information collection request.
    Abstract: Motorcycle fatalities in the United States decreased in 
2009 for the first time after steadily increasing for 11 years. 
However, even with this decline, the number of motorcycle fatalities in 
2009 was nearly double that from a decade ago.
    Motorcycle rider training is a part of most States' motorcycle 
safety programs, and funds are set aside under Section 2010 of SAFETEA-
LU in part to help States increase their motorcycle training. A study 
conducted by Billheimer (1998) found that trained riders with less than 
500 miles of riding experience had a lower crash rate than untrained 
riders during the 6 months after training. Other studies conducted on 
the effectiveness of motorcycle rider training in the United States, 
however, have not found an effect of motorcycle rider training on 
crashes. Thus, the extent to which motorcycle rider training reduces 
crash involvement is unclear.
    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans on 
using information from surveys and archival records to examine the 
impact of entry-level motorcycle rider training on safe motorcycle 
riding, as one component of

[[Page 3935]]

a larger research project evaluating the effectiveness of rider 
training. Participation by respondents will be voluntary. Surveys will 
be used to collect information from motorcycle riders on topics such as 
demographics, miles and years of riding experience, purpose of riding, 
training history, self-reported crash history, alcohol use prior to 
riding, use of helmets and other protective gear while riding, and 
other behaviors pertaining to safe riding. Survey data will be 
supplemented by archival data on riders' police-reported crashes, 
injuries, and motor vehicle citations. Data collected from motorcycle 
riders that have received entry-level rider training will be compared 
to data from untrained motorcycle riders.
    Respondents will be asked to complete a survey three times during 
this study. The second survey will be completed 6 months after the 
first, and the third survey will be completed 18 months after the 
first. Surveys will be conducted electronically over the Internet when 
possible, with a pen-and-paper option available if preferred by the 
respondent.
    Affected Public: NHTSA plans to recruit 1,250 motorcycle riders 
(625 trained and 625 untrained) for this study. Respondents will be 
novice motorcycle riders that have and have not completed an entry-
level motorcycle rider training course. Participation will be solicited 
through motorcycle rider training courses, Departments of Motor 
Vehicles, motorcycle dealerships, motorcycle accessory shops, 
motorcycle trade shows, and at other locations where riders congregate. 
Trained and untrained riders will be matched on a number of 
characteristics, including demographics, riding experience, and self-
reported safe and unsafe riding behaviors (such as speeding). To form 
matched pairs of 625 trained and 625 untrained riders, a total of up to 
16,000 novice motorcycle riders will be screened (thus an additional 
14,750 riders).
    Estimated Total Burden: The total estimated burden is 1,541.5 
hours. The burden for study participants is estimated to be 312.5 hours 
(1,250 respondents participating in 3 surveys, averaging 5 minutes each 
to complete), and the estimated burden for the additional riders that 
will be screened for the study is 1,229 hours (14,750 respondents 
participating in 1 screening survey, averaging 5 minutes to complete). 
The respondents would not incur any recordkeeping burden or 
recordkeeping cost from the information collection.
    Comments are invited 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 information collection;
    (iii) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (iv) 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.
    A comment to OMB is most effective if OMB receives it within 30 
days of publication.

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

Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2011-1205 Filed 1-20-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P