[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21739-21741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07521]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2022-0108]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Request for 
Comment; Older Driver Rearview Video Systems

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a reinstatement of 
previously approved information collection.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) 
summarized below will be submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR describes the nature of 
the information collection and its expected burden. NHTSA invites 
public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for a reinstatement with modification of 
a previously approved information collection request exploring older 
drivers' use of rearview video systems (backing cameras). A Federal 
Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the 
following information collection was published. NHTSA received comments 
from one organization, which we address below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 11, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection, including suggestions for reducing burden, 
should be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget at 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. To find this particular information 
collection, select ``Currently under Review--Open for Public Comment'' 
or use the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access 
to background documents, contact Kathy Sifrit, Ph.D., Office of 
Behavioral Safety Research (NPD-320), (202) 366-9982, National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, W46-472, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Please 
identify the relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB 
Control Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), a 
Federal agency must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) before it collects certain information from the public and 
a person is not required to respond to a collection of information by a 
Federal agency unless the collection displays a valid OMB control 
number. In compliance with these requirements, this notice announces 
that the following information collection request will be submitted 
OMB.

[[Page 21740]]

    Title: Older Driver Rearview Video Systems.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0731.
    Form Number: Forms 1398 and 1399.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement with modification of a previously 
approved information collection (OMB Control No. 2127-0731).
    Type of Review Requested: Regular.
    Length of Approval Requested: Three years (except for certain 
research projects).
    Summary of the Collection of Information: The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation 
is seeking approval to reinstate an information collection to recruit 
120 older licensed drivers, 60 between ages 60 and 69 and 60 age 70 and 
older, for a one-time voluntary research study to assess whether 
training on the use of Rear Video Systems (RVS) improves the ability of 
older drivers to back safely. NHTSA expects 180 volunteers will 
complete screening over the telephone or in-person to determine their 
eligibility for the study. Recruiting participants for the reinstated 
collection has an estimated burden of 15 hours (five minutes per 
respondent). NHTSA expects that among the 180 who are screened, 120 
will be eligible and willing to participate in the study. These 120 
participants will complete informed consent forms (15 minutes per 
participant or 30 burden hours), participate in either RVS training or 
an equal-time placebo group (30 minutes per participant or 60 burden 
hours), and complete a series of backing tasks on a closed test-track 
(60 minutes per participant or 120 burden hours). The overall expected 
burden for screening (15 hours) and the experiment (210 hours) is 225 
hours.
    NHTSA previously obtained clearance from OMB to conduct the 
information collections for this one-time study. However, NHTSA was 
unable to complete the study as a result of the public health emergency 
in 2020 and 2021. The requested reinstatement is 125 fewer burden hours 
than the previous information collection request because the 
reinstatement is for 120 rather than 200 participants. The 
reinstatement requests fewer burden hours because NHTSA previously 
completed the first part of this collection by observing older drivers 
while backing for the development of training. NHTSA is now requesting 
a reinstatement to allow it to complete the second part, assessing the 
effects of the training. NHTSA will use the information to produce a 
technical report containing summary statistics and tables. No 
identifying information or individual responses will be reported. The 
technical report will be made available to a variety of audiences 
interested in improving highway safety through the agency website and 
the National Transportation Library. This project involves approval by 
an institutional review board, which the contractor will obtain before 
contacting potential participants. This collection will inform the 
development of behavioral safety countermeasures to improve older 
driver safety, particularly older driver training.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information: Older adults comprise an increasing proportion of the 
driving population.\1\ The independent mobility that driving confers 
improves older adults' access to the goods and services they need and 
enhances their ability to take part in community and family activities 
that support quality of life. New vehicle technologies, like RVS, may 
help compensate for some age-related deficits and keep older adults 
driving safely.
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    \1\ National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2022, July). 
2020 older population fact sheet. (Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. 
DOT HS 813 341). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 
Available at https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812372.
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    The theory underpinning the assumption that older drivers have an 
elevated safety risk associated with backing crashes is based upon 
known age-related deficits. Many older drivers have musculoskeletal 
difficulties that limit their ability to turn and scan behind the 
vehicle. For example, Chen et al. (2015) found that older drivers had 
less neck and trunk rotation and were less successful in detecting 
targets requiring body rotation in a driving simulator.\2\ Aging also 
diminishes the visual search, visual information processing, and 
divided attention capabilities needed to be alert to possible conflicts 
from cross traffic when backing from a driveway or parking space. 
Deficits in visual scanning among older drivers have been reported in 
numerous studies. For example, Pollatsek et al. (2012) found that older 
drivers were less likely to focus their visual attention on areas with 
potential hazards than younger experienced drivers at intersections in 
a simulator and on-the-road.\3\
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    \2\ Chen, K. B., Xu, X., Lin J. H., & Radwin, R. G. (2015). 
``Evaluation of older driver head functional range of motion using 
portable immersive virtual reality.'' Experimental gerontology, 70, 
150-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2015.08.010.
    \3\ Pollatsek, A., Romoser, M. R., & Fisher, D. L. (2012). 
``Identifying and remediating failures of selective attention in 
older drivers.'' Current directions in psychological science, 21(1), 
3-7. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411429459.
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    An analysis of NHTSA's Non-Traffic Surveillance from 2012 through 
2014 indicated that older drivers were involved in an estimated 19,000 
backing crashes a year that resulted in death or injury. This 
represented 22% of all non-traffic backing crashes. Older drivers 
represented 17% of all licensed drivers but accounted for 22% of all 
non-traffic backing crashes during this period, indicating an over-
representation in non-traffic backing crashes per licensed driver. 
Studies have found that the most frequent error among older drivers 
involved in crashes is failure to yield the right-of-way. For example, 
Cicchino and McCartt (2015) found that ``the most frequent error made 
by crash-involved drivers ages 70 and older was inadequate 
surveillance, which included looking but not seeing and failing to 
look.'' \4\ The fact that older drivers are at elevated risk of crashes 
due to inadequate surveillance compared to younger drivers may explain 
their over-representation in backing crashes per licensed driver.
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    \4\ Cicchino, J. B. and McCartt, A. T. (2015). ``Critical older 
driver errors in a sample of serious U.S. crashes.'' Accident 
analysis and prevention, 80, 211-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.04.015.
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    RVS is expected to offer more potential benefits to older drivers 
than younger drivers because older drivers have more room for 
improvement due to the age-related decline in the ability to rotate 
one's body. It may also compensate for the fact that older drivers are 
more likely to have inadequate surveillance or scanning than younger 
drivers. A recently published article addressed this question. Cichino 
(2017) found that RVS reduced backing crash involvement among drivers 
70 and older by 36% compared to 16% for drivers younger than 70, but 
the difference was not statistically significant. The study also found 
that backing sensors reduced backing crash involvement for drivers 70 
and older by 38% compared to no effectiveness for drivers younger than 
70, which was a statistically significant difference.\5\
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    \5\ Cichino, J. B. (2017). ``Effects of rearview cameras and 
rear parking sensors on police-reported backing crashes.'' Traffic 
injury prevention, 18(8), 859-865. https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2017.1317758.
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60-Day Notice

    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting 
public comments on the following information collection was published 
on 01/12/2023 (88 FR 2168-70). One organization, the National 
Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) submitted comments. 
NAMIC noted

[[Page 21741]]

support for the project, specifically that the proposed information 
collection is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
NHTSA and indicated that there is every reason the believe that the 
results of the study will have great practical utility. NAMIC went on 
to recommend that NHTSA ``continue to seek input from the insurance 
industry,'' as they may be able to provide input on metric, performance 
indicators, and measures of success. They added that NAMIC would be 
interested in working with NHTSA on these areas of study and analysis. 
While NHTSA has not worked with NAMIC on this project, under Part 1 of 
the project, the contractors conducted a literature review of research 
in older driver safety that focused on performance in backing 
maneuvers. That review included research from the Insurance Institute 
for Highway Safety. This review, combined with analyses of older 
adults' backing performance collected in Part 1 of the project informed 
both the training and data collection protocols.
    Affected Public: The potential respondent universe is comprised of 
all residents of the New River Valley and Roanoke Valley regions in 
Virginia who are age 60 and older. From this universe, the new data 
collection screening questionnaire will be administered to an estimated 
180 potential participants to qualify a total sample of 120 volunteer 
drivers, 60 between ages 60 and 69 and 60 who are 70 and older.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The study anticipates screening 
180 potential participants to obtain 120 older drivers who meet study 
inclusion criteria. NHTSA expects to collect information either over 
the telephone or in-person from up to 180 potential participants to 
determine their eligibility for the study. Based upon previous research 
experience in the study area, an estimated 120 potential participants 
(65% of those who respond to screener questions) will be eligible and 
interested. The 120 participants are expected to consent and complete 
the study.
    Frequency: This study is a one-time information collection, and 
there will be no recurrence.
    Number of Responses: 180.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 225 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $6,558.
    The contractor will use a screening questionnaire (Form 1398) to 
identify 120 drivers (60 between ages 60 and 69 and 60 age 70 and 
older) who are properly qualified and choose to participate in the 
study. Participants will answer the screening questionnaire items 
either over the phone or in person to determine if they qualify for the 
study. Respondents are expected to take an estimated average of 5 
minutes to complete the initial screening resulting in 15 burden hours 
for screening up to 180 potential participants. It is estimated that 
65% of those who begin the screening process will be eligible and 
interested in participating. As such, we anticipate screening up to 180 
individuals to recruit an estimated 120 potential participants for the 
consenting process. The consenting process includes an overview of the 
study and an explanation of the form (Form 1399). Respondents are 
expected to take an average of 15 minutes for the consenting process 
including reviewing and completing the form resulting in 30 burden 
hours. The 120 participants will complete study activities with an 
estimated burden of 90 minutes per participant for a total estimated 
burden of 180 hours.
    Table 1 describes the calculation of the estimated burden hours for 
a total of 225 annual hours. To calculate the opportunity cost to 
participants in this study, NHTSA used the average (mean) hourly 
earnings from employers in all industry sectors in the State of 
Virginia, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists at $28.92.\6\ 
NHTSA estimated the opportunity cost for each form (and associated 
study activities) and arrived at a total opportunity cost of $6,558.
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    \6\ May 2021. See https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_va.htm#00-0000.

                                            Table 1--Burden Estimates
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                                                      Burden
                                                   (minutes) per        New          New total       New total
                                                    respondent      respondents    burden hours     labor costs
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Form 1398:
    Telephone Screening.........................               5             180              15            $434
Form 1399
    Informed Consent............................              15             120              30            $868
    Backing Performance Evaluation..............              60             120             120          $3,470
    Training Protocol/Placebo...................              30             120              60          $1,735
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        Total Form 1399.........................  ..............  ..............             210          $6,073
        Total estimated burden hours............  ..............  ..............             225          $6,558
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    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspects of 
this information collection, including (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, 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.
    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 
35, as amended; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order 1351.29A.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Nanda Narayanan Srinivasan,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2023-07521 Filed 4-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P