[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 99-101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30728]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket Number NHTSA-2011-0126]


Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

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 reinstatement 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 March 3, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by the docket number in 
the heading of this document, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on 
the electronic docket site by clicking on ``Help'' or ``FAQ.''
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
    Regardless of how you submit comments, you should mention the 
docket number of this document.
    You may call the Docket Management Facility at 202-366-9826.
    Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments and 
additional information on the rulemaking process, see the Public 
Participation heading of the Supplementary Information section of this 
document. Note that all comments received will be posted without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.
    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 (65 FR 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://www.regulations.gov, or the street 
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the 
dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kil-Jae Hong, NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., W52-232, NPO-520, Washington, DC 20590. Ms. Hong's 
telephone number is (202) 493-0524 and 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 first 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 regulation (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;

[[Page 100]]

    (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 for public 
comments on the following proposed collection of information for which 
the agency is seeking approval from OMB:
    Title: 49 CFR 575--Consumer Information Regulations (sections 103 
and 105) Quantitative Research.
    OMB Control Number: Not Assigned.
    Form Number: None.
    Affected Public: Passenger vehicle consumers.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from approval 
date.
    Abstract: The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), 
enacted in December 2007, included a requirement that the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) develop a consumer 
information and education campaign to improve consumer understanding of 
automobile performance with regard to fuel economy, greenhouse gas 
(GHG) emissions and other pollutant emissions; of automobile use of 
alternative fuels; and of thermal management technologies used on 
automobiles to save fuel. In order to effectively achieve the 
objectives of the consumer education program and fulfill its statutory 
obligations, NHTSA proposed a multi-phased research project to gather 
the data and apply analyses and results from the project to develop the 
consumer information program and education campaign. NHTSA has 
conducted qualitative and quantitative rounds of research with 
consumers to assess current levels of knowledge surrounding these 
issues, explore current available fuel economy-related content for 
clarity and understanding, evaluate potential consumer-facing messages 
and their potential to encourage consumers to seek more fuel economy-
related information from NHTSA, and explore communications channels in 
which these messages should be present. The research allowed NHTSA to 
refine the fuel economy-related content and consumer-facing messaging 
that will be used throughout the consumer education campaign by 
identifying what relevant issues consumers care more about, within the 
context of the statutory requirements that NHTSA must inform consumers 
regarding, and what information they still need to make more informed 
purchases and driver behavior decisions. These communications materials 
were then tested in a qualitative round of focus groups to gauge which 
materials resonated with consumers when it came to messaging on issues 
including fuel economy versus fuel efficiency, alternative fuels, and 
greenhouse gases and other emissions.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 666.67 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 2,000.
    NHTSA proposed to conduct two research phases to support creation 
of communications materials for a consumer education program. For the 
first phase, NHTSA conducted one type of qualitative research 
consisting of two (2) focus groups in each of three (3) cities. The 
results of that research phase were used to inform the quantitative 
phase of research which this notice addresses. This quantitative 
research will consist of an online survey that will require 
approximately 20 minutes for each respondent to complete, and will 
require 2,000 participants. NHTSA plans to administer this study one 
(1) time.
    The estimated annual burden hours for the second phase of research 
is 667.67 hours (.333 hours x 2,000 participants). Based on the Bureau 
of Labor and Statistics' median hourly wage (all occupations) in the 
May 2010 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, NHTSA 
estimates that it will take an average of $16.87 per hour for 
professional and clerical staff to gather data, develop and distribute 
material. Therefore, the agency estimates that the cost associated with 
the burden hours is $11,246.67 ($16.87 per hour x 666.67 burden hours).
    Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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.
    Public Participation: Your comments must be written and in English. 
To ensure that your comments are correctly filed in the docket, please 
include the Docket Number NHTSA-2011-0126 in your comments. Your 
comments must not be more than 15 pages long.\1\ NHTSA established this 
limit to encourage you to write your primary comments in a concise 
fashion. However, you may attach necessary additional documents to your 
comments. There is no limit on the length of the attachments. If you 
are submitting comments electronically as a PDF (Adobe) file, we ask 
that the documents submitted be scanned using the Optical Character 
Recognition (OCR) process, thus allowing the agency to search and copy 
certain portions of your submissions.\2\ Please note that pursuant to 
the Data Quality Act, in order for the substantive data to be relied 
upon and used by NHTSA, it must meet the information quality standards 
set forth in the OMB and Department of Transportation (DOT) Data 
Quality Act guidelines. Accordingly, we encourage you to consult the 
guidelines in preparing your comments. OMB's guidelines may be accessed 
at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg_reproducible (last accessed 
June 2, 2010), and DOT's guidelines may be accessed at http://regs.dot.gov (last accessed June 22, 2010).
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    \1\ 49 CFR 553.21.`
    \2\ Optical character recognition (OCR) is the process of 
converting an image of text, such as a scanned paper document or 
electronic fax file, into computer-editable text.
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How do I submit confidential business information?

    If you wish to submit any information under a claim of 
confidentiality, you should submit three copies of your complete 
submission, including the information you claim to be confidential 
business information, to the Chief Counsel, NHTSA, at the address given 
above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. When you send a comment 
containing confidential business information, you should include a 
cover letter setting forth the information specified in our 
confidential business information regulation.\3\
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    \3\ 49 CFR part 512.
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Will NHTSA consider late comments?

    NHTSA will consider all comments received before the close of 
business on the comment closing date indicated above under DATES. To 
the extent practicable, we will also consider comments received after 
that date. If interested persons believe that any new information the 
agency places in the

[[Page 101]]

docket affects their comments, they may submit comments after the 
closing date concerning how the agency should consider that 
information. If a comment is received too late for us to practicably 
consider it in developing a final rule, we will consider that comment 
as an informal suggestion for future rulemaking action.

How can I read the comments submitted by other people?

    You may read the materials placed in the docket for this document 
(e.g., the comments submitted in response to this document by other 
interested persons) at any time by going to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets.
    You may also read the materials at the NHTSA Docket Management 
Facility by going to the street addresses given above under ADDRESSES.

John Donaldson,
Acting Senior Associate Administrator, Policy and Operations.
[FR Doc. 2014-30728 Filed 12-31-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P