[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 125 (Monday, June 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36865-36867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15242]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2014-0072]


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, 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 August 29, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
NHTSA-2014-0072 using any of the following methods:
    Electronic submissions: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the online instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
    Hand Delivery: 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.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Instructions: Each submission must include the Agency name and the 
Docket number for this Notice. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov including any 
personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Liza Lemaster-Sandbank, 
Contracting Officer's Representative, Occupant Protection Division 
(NTI-112), Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection, National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., W44-
302, Washington, DC 20590. Ms. Lemaster-Sandbank's phone number is 202-
366-4292 and her email 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: Implementing a Leadership Framework for Traffic Safety.
    Type of Request: New information collection requirement.
    OMB Clearance Number: None.
    Form Number: NHTSA Forms 1265, 1266, 1267.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three (3) years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information--The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to conduct individual 
and group interviews with law enforcement officers and leadership who 
are participating in a leadership framework demonstration to increase 
law enforcement focus on enforcing seat belt laws. Three law 
enforcement agencies (a state agency, a municipal agency, and a rural 
sheriff agency) will participate in the demonstration project, which 
includes customized technical assistance addressing policies, 
procedures, data, communication, and other organizational issues. To 
assess how leadership on seat belt enforcement is communicated and 
executed

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throughout the demonstration agencies, NHTSA proposes to conduct a set 
of individual interviews with line officers and individual or group 
interviews with leadership within each demonstration agency. While 
individual interviews will work best with line officers, either group 
or individual interviews can work effectively with the senior 
leadership. Flexibility is built in to this approach in order to be 
mindful of senior leadership's scheduling constraints. Eighteen 
individuals will be interviewed at each site for a total of 54 
individuals. Each individual will be interviewed twice: once during the 
project implementation and once at the end of the demonstration 
project. Interviewees will either be self-selected or selected by the 
demonstration agencies. The purpose of these interviews is to document 
how a law enforcement agency implements a new leadership approach for 
seat belt enforcement so that the experiences of the demonstration 
sites can serve as a resource to other agencies undertaking new seat 
belt enforcement initiatives.
    The interviews will be audio taped using electronic equipment and 
augmented by handwritten notes taken during the discussions. No 
videotaping will occur. Any personally identifiable information will be 
separated from any summary information. Also, all identifying 
information collected during initial scheduling will be separated from 
collected information, kept on a secure server in password protected 
files, and discarded when no longer needed. All information collected 
during the interviews will be summarized using generic categories such 
as law enforcement leadership or line officers.
    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 1970 (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. 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. In 
2012, there were 21,667 occupants of passenger vehicles who died in 
motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of the occupants for whom restraint 
status was known, 52% were unrestrained at the time of the crash. 
Research shows that wearing a seatbelt or using a child safety seat can 
greatly reduce the chances of fatal or serious injury as a result of a 
motor vehicle collision. In fact, when used, seat belts reduce the risk 
of fatal injury to front-seat passenger occupants by 45% and to light 
truck occupants by 60%. Moreover, the nationwide daytime seat belt use 
rate was 87% in 2013, and ranged from 69% to 98% in the states and 
territories. Clearly there is work to be done to increase seat belt use 
and reduce unrestrained fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes. It is 
critical that NHTSA continually explore strategies to increase the use 
of seat belts among all occupants of motor vehicles.
    High visibility enforcement (i.e., highly visible enforcement 
accompanied by public information supporting the enforcement) has been 
demonstrated to increase seat belt use. A successful high visibility 
enforcement program requires a written comprehensive plan with clear, 
well-defined goals, objectives, and performance measures; understanding 
of costs; funding; support from key stakeholders within the community; 
and aggressive law enforcement of laws. All of the above can only be 
accomplished with strong executive leadership.
    A NHTSA-convened work group of law enforcement representatives from 
states with secondary seat belt laws, but exemplary work in support of 
occupant protection enforcement, identified strong leadership as the 
critical component in their successes. Strong leadership within any law 
enforcement agency can result in various practices and methodologies 
that spotlight a program's importance and help to make occupant 
protection, as well as other traffic safety issues, an integral part of 
the agencies' culture. Regardless of whether the occupant protection 
program is organized as a specialized unit or broadly integrated within 
the routine operations of the law enforcement agency, key management 
and enforcement roles must be clearly defined and assigned to specific 
individuals by the executive staff.
    NHTSA is undertaking a study to implement a leadership model 
framework within three law enforcement agencies selected by NHTSA, 
evaluate the process and determine if the traffic safety outcome of 
interest is realized, specifically the impact on increased seat belt 
use and reduction in unrestrained fatalities. To accomplish this, NHTSA 
will provide technical assistance to three law enforcement 
demonstration communities for the implementation of leadership 
frameworks in support of safety initiatives, specifically occupant 
protection. Evaluation measures will involve the independent 
identification, collection and evaluation of both qualitative and 
quantitative data that specifically document changes in enforcement 
activity and its effects on the surrounding communities' behaviors. 
Overall findings will be provided to other law enforcement agencies to 
use as a resource for improving occupant protection enforcement 
programs and efforts.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
Under this proposed effort, a total of 108 interviews of law 
enforcement personnel will be conducted over two time periods. Eighteen 
interviews will be conducted in each of the three demonstration sites, 
once during the demonstration implementation and once at the end of the 
demonstration project. Ideally, the same respondents will be 
interviewed at both time periods; however, in the event that an 
individual leaves the law enforcement agency or is otherwise 
unavailable for an interview, NHTSA may replace the individual with 
another suitable interviewee.
    NHTSA estimates that each interview will last 60-75 minutes. 
Interviewees will represent law enforcement leadership as well as line 
officers. Law enforcement leadership participants will include the top 
management in the agency (colonel, chief, etc.). Line officers will be 
recruited through a self-selection process or selected by the 
demonstration agencies. Responses will be collected via audio-recording 
and note taking during the interviews.
    Throughout the project, the privacy of all participants will be 
protected. Personally-identifiable information (names, telephone 
numbers, email addresses, etc.) will be kept separate from the data 
collected, and will be stored in restricted folders on secure password-
protected servers that are only accessible to study staff who have need 
to access such information. In addition, all data collected from 
participating officers will be reported in aggregate for each site, and 
respondent names will not be used in any reports resulting from this 
project. Rigorous de-identification procedures will be used during 
summary and feedback stages to ensure no officers will be identified 
through reconstructive means.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information--NHTSA estimates that the 
duration of each interview will be seventy-five (75) minutes, or a 
total of 135 hours for the 54 interview participants (18 interviewees x 
3 sites x 2 administrations x 75 minutes). The participants will not 
incur any reporting cost from the information collection. The 
participants also will not incur any

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record keeping burden or record keeping cost from the information 
collection.

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

    Dated: June 25, 2014.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2014-15242 Filed 6-27-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P