[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 93728-93730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30756]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2016-0123]


Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements: Agency 
Information Collection Activity

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

ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of 
information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 February 21, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Refer to the docket notice number cited at the beginning of 
this notice and send your comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M- 30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M- 30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. 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 discussion below. We 
will consider all comments received before the close of business on the 
comment closing date indicated above. To the extent possible, we will 
also consider comments filed after the closing date.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or to 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays. Telephone: (202) 366-9826.
    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; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.
    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 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590. In addition, you 
should submit two copies, from which you have deleted the claimed 
confidential business information, to Docket Management at the address 
given above. When you send a comment containing information claimed to 
be confidential business information, you should include a cover letter 
setting forth the information specified in our confidential business 
information regulation (49 CFR part 512).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kindelberger, Office of 
Regulatory Analysis and Evaluation, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., NSA-310, Washington, DC 
20590. Mr. Kindelberger's phone number is 202-366-4696 and his 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 submissions of responses. In 
compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks public comment on the 
following proposed collection of information:
    Title: Tire Pressure Monitoring System--Outage Rates and Repair 
Costs Study (TPMS-ORRC)
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    OMB Clearance Number: 2127-0626
    Form Number: Previously approved survey forms NHTSA 1273/1274/1275/
1276. NHTSA 1273 and 1274 will be modified under this revised request.
    Required Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from the date of 
approval by OMB.

[[Page 93729]]

    Abstract. Improperly inflated tires pose a safety risk, increasing 
the chance of skidding, hydroplaning, longer stopping distances, and 
crashes due to flat tires and blowouts. Section 13 of the 
Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation 
(TREAD) Act, which Congress passed on November 1, 2000, directed NHTSA 
to conduct rulemaking actions to revise and update the Federal motor 
vehicle safety standards for tires, to improve labeling on tires, and 
to require a system in new motor vehicles that warns the operator when 
a tire is significantly underinflated.
    Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) were mandated in Federal 
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 138, so that drivers are 
warned when the pressure in one or more of the vehicle's tires has 
fallen to 25 percent or more below the placard pressure, or a minimum 
level of pressure specified in the standard, whichever pressure is 
higher, and may be informed about which of the four tires is 
underinflated. As of September 1, 2007, after a phase-in period 
beginning on October 5, 2005, TPMS was required on all new light 
vehicles (i.e., passenger cars, trucks, multipurpose passenger 
vehicles, and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds 
or less, except those vehicles with dual wheels on an axle).
    Executive Order 12866 requires Federal agencies to evaluate their 
existing regulations and programs and measure their effectiveness in 
achieving their objectives. Since the phase-in of TPMS, there has been 
only one evaluation of TPMS. The TPMS-SS (OMB #2127-0626) was conducted 
in 2011, as a special study through the infrastructure of the National 
Automotive Sampling System (NASS), to collect nationally representative 
data on how effective TPMS was in reducing underinflation in the on-
road fleet of passenger vehicles. Analysis of the survey results 
indicated that direct TPMS is 55.6-percent effective at preventing 
severe underinflation as defined in FMVSS No. 138. However, 
effectiveness was substantially lower in vehicles that were 6-7 years 
old at the time of the survey. One explanation as to why this is true 
was the possibility that the drivers of these older vehicles were not 
taking all the maintenance actions (e.g., adding TPMS sensors to new 
replacement tires, replacing non-functioning sensors on current tires, 
having the system properly re-set when needed) that were needed to 
insure the vehicles had functioning TPMS. Relevant data are needed to 
examine why the effectiveness of TPMSs in older vehicles is reduced and 
what can be done to increase it. This was the original goal of the 
TPMS-ORRC and is still a goal.
    Additionally, on December 4, 2015, President Obama signed the 
Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (Pub. L. 114-94) 
into law. An amendment (Section 24115) directs the Secretary of 
Transportation to update the standard on tire pressure monitoring 
systems, FMVSS No. 138, to ensure that they cannot be overridden, reset 
or recalibrated in a way that will prevent the system from identifying 
a tire that is significantly underinflated. The Act also states that 
the revised requirements shall not contain any provision that has the 
effect of prohibiting the availability of direct or indirect tire 
pressure monitoring systems. Data are needed to help inform the 
required rulemaking. For this purpose, the design of the TPMS-ORRC 
field survey has been changed from a convenience sample to a 
probability sample, allowing nationally representative estimates; this 
revision also adds a module for indirect TPMS.

Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, and 
Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)

    This information collection seeks revision of the following survey 
component:

Field Survey of Drivers and Vehicles.

    The previously approved Field Survey component of the TPMS-ORRC has 
not yet been conducted. In this revision, we add a module to check tire 
pressure for vehicles with indirect TPMS (about five percent of the 
relevant fleet), change to a probability sample, and reduce the overall 
sample to 6300 to keep the burden similar. A survey of a probability 
sample, conducted in twenty-four nationwide geographic primary sampling 
units that were previously selected and weighted for national 
representation in NHTSA's Crash Investigation Sampling System, will 
collect 6,300 inspections of eligible passenger vehicles, and interview 
drivers of these vehicles. Focus will be on assessing the operating 
status of the TPMS in these vehicles and interviewing drivers with and 
without operating TPMSs, regarding their knowledge about, and habits 
related to, the TPMS in their vehicle. Also, drivers of vehicles with 
indirect TPMS (expected to be about five percent of surveyed drivers) 
will be interviewed with a brief set of questions and recording of tire 
pressures. We also plan to offer a voluntary check for outstanding 
recalls to increase participation. The overall sample has been reduced 
from 7,000 to 6,300 to keep the burden essentially the same in light of 
the added module and also to adhere to the survey budget. The change 
from convenience sample to probability sample, using the 24 Primary 
Sampling Units of NHTSA's Crash Investigation Sampling System, will 
allow statistically nationally representative estimates, which were not 
possible under the convenience sample. Data collection is expected to 
take place beginning in June, 2017, and last five months, at fueling 
stations (individual stations will only be visited for a short time as 
the survey moves from site to site).
    The two following survey components of this survey have previously 
been approved and conducted:
    Suppliers Survey. In the previously approved information 
collection, major suppliers of TPMS sensors and systems were 
voluntarily surveyed in 2016 with a focus on TPMS repair and 
maintenance issues, as well as cost factors. Results will be reported 
with the results of the driver survey.
    Repair Facilities Survey. In the previously approved information 
collection, a sample of repair/maintenance facilities (e.g., automobile 
dealerships, tire chain stores, small service stations with attached 
repair shops) was surveyed with 100 completed respondents in 2016 in a 
Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI), with the option of 
responding by mail. Focus was on assessing the lifespan of TPMS, common 
sources of TPMS malfunction, typical costs to repair/replace 
malfunctioning systems, and the factors considered by customers when 
deciding whether to repair or replace TPMSs that are not working. 
Results will be reported with the results of the driver survey.
    Estimate of the Total Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden Resulting 
from the Collection of Information: The total revised reporting and 
recordkeeping burden resulting from this collection of information is 
estimated to be 1,352 hours, as outlined below.
    Field Survey of Drivers and Vehicles. NHTSA estimates that the time 
to collect vehicle and driver data will be about 10 minutes, on 
average, for each interview for the 6,300 survey respondents. Some 
additional time was spent on a previous pilot study under the current 
approval, and some time will be needed to conduct a new pilot study on 
the revised survey, and to describe the study to drivers who are 
approached but are either ineligible or prefer not to become 
participants in the study. Consequently, the total

[[Page 93730]]

respondent burden hours is estimated to be 1,300 hours. The respondents 
would not incur any reporting or record keeping costs from the 
information collection. For the driver survey, respondents will be 
asked questions regarding their TPMS, and all responses will be 
provided spontaneously. For the vehicle inspection, data will be 
obtained via observation.
    Suppliers Survey. NHTSA estimates the average time to collect data 
(previously approved and completed) on the cost of TPMS parts and 
systems from suppliers (respondents and non-respondents) as about 6 
hours total. The respondents did not incur any reporting or record 
keeping costs from the information collection. Information was only 
requested about records that the respondents already were keeping for 
their own purposes.
    Repair Facilities Survey. NHTSA estimates the average time to 
collect data (previously approved and completed) on the types and costs 
of repairing TPMS as about 20 minutes for each interview for each of 
100 completed respondents or 33 hours. Time spent on explaining the 
survey to telephone respondents who were either not eligible or 
preferred not to participate is estimated at 13 hours. Consequently, 
the total respondent burden hours is estimated to be 46 hours. The 
respondents did not incur any reporting or record keeping costs from 
the information collection. Information was only requested about 
records that the respondents already were keeping for their own 
purposes.

    Authority:  The Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. chap. 35, as 
amended; and 49 CFR 1.95

Steven K. Smith,
Acting Associate Administrator, National Center for Statistics and 
Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2016-30756 Filed 12-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-59-P