[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37299-37301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12102]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2022-0077]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Alcohol-Impaired Driving Segmentation Study

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a request for approval of a 
new information collection.

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SUMMARY: NHTSA invites public comments about our intention to request 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new 
information collection. Before a federal agency can collect certain 
information from the public, it must receive approval from 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 a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek 
OMB approval on a segmentation study related to alcohol-impaired 
driving and riding (motorcycles). This study's objective is to better 
understand alcohol-consumption behaviors and how they relate to 
potential alcohol-impaired driving/riding. The results of this study 
will help NHTSA inform its consumer messages to reduce fatalities and 
injuries on US roadways.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 7, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2022-0077 through any of the following methods:
     Electronic submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://

[[Page 37300]]

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management, U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except on federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help 
you, please call (202) 366-9322 before coming.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
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. Please see the Privacy Act heading 
below.
    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 https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov or the street 
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the 
dockets via internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access 
to background documents, contact Kil-Jae Hong, Marketing Specialist, 
Office of Communications and Consumer Information (NCO-0200), (202) 
493-0524, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE, W52-232, Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), 
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: (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) how to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) 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: Alcohol-Impaired Driving Segmentation Study.
    OMB Control Number: New.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Type of Request: Comments on a new information collection.
    Type of Review Requested: Regular.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three (3) years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information:
    NHTSA is seeking approval to conduct a nationwide alcohol-impaired 
driving segmentation study to learn about alcohol-consumption behaviors 
and how they relate to potential impaired driving. The one-time 
voluntary study will be used to obtain information to better understand 
attitudes and behaviors related to alcohol-impaired driving that will 
be used to enhance and refine communication strategy and tactics (i.e., 
more effectively target and message at-risk drivers and motorcycle 
riders). The study will survey drivers and motorcycle riders ages 21- 
to 54-years-old because this age range represents the greatest number 
of alcohol-related driving/riding fatalities according to NHTSA's 
Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).\1\
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    \1\ 2020 Alcohol Impaired Driving (Traffic Safety Facts. Report 
No. DOT HS 813 294).
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    The research study will include two components, both being one-time 
collections. The first component will involve a series of online webcam 
interviews that will collect qualitative information that will serve as 
a cognitive test to improve the quantitative survey that will be 
administered in the second component. The quantitative survey will be 
administered online and by phone. After collecting the data, 
segmentation analysis will be done to classify drivers and motorcycle 
riders according to segments based on common demographics, drinking 
behaviors, attitudes about drinking and driving/motorcycle riding, and 
lifestyle characteristics.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information: This alcohol-impaired driving segmentation study will help 
NHTSA better understand its impaired driving campaign audience to 
communicate messages most effectively about being safe and decreasing 
impaired driving.
    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under 
the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), was established to 
reduce the number of deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting 
from motor vehicle crashes on the nation's highways. In keeping with 
this mission and to fulfill a congressional mandate to improve highway 
traffic safety, NHTSA's Office of Communications and Consumer 
Information (OCCI) is dedicated to eliminating risky behaviors on our 
nation's roads through public awareness campaigns. One of the most 
significant NHTSA's OCCI seeks to address through these efforts is 
drunk driving.
    Drunk driving is a significant cause of highway fatalities, 
injuries and economic losses. Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities 
totaled 11,654 in 2020, accounting for 30% of all motor-vehicle-crash 
fatalities.\2\ On average, in 2020, there was an alcohol-impaired 
driving fatality every 45 minutes.\3\ Among motorcycle riders, in 
particular, 27% of riders in fatal crashes were legally drunk--a rate 
exceeding that of passenger car drivers (23%) and the highest among all 
vehicle types measured.\4\ Aside from the fatalities, alcohol-impaired 
driving crashes carried an economic cost of an estimated $44 billion in 
2010 (the most recent year for which cost data is available).\5\
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    \2\ 2020 Alcohol Impaired Driving (Traffic Safety Facts. Report 
No. DOT HS 813 294).
    \3\ Ibid.
    \4\ Ibid.
    \5\ National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2015, July). 
Overview: 2013 data. (Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS 812 
169). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration.
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    In order for NHTSA's public awareness campaigns on drunk driving to 
be effective they must effectively ``compete'' for audience attention 
in the public domain among hundreds of other major marketers, including 
those in the alcoholic beverage industry that strategically target 
messages to

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particular groups of the public marketplace. In the consumer marketing 
context and environment, NHTSA must work to convince members of the 
driving/riding public not to operate vehicles when impaired by alcohol. 
Accordingly, NHTSA finds that it is necessary to conduct research, as 
authorized by the National Traffic Motor Vehicle Safety Act, to conduct 
research that will allow NHTSA to better tailor its communication 
strategies.
    Specifically, NHTSA believes a segmentation analysis such as the 
one described above would be especially useful to NHTSA. More closely 
understanding and segmenting drunk drivers and motorcycle riders will 
enable more effective communications programs. Insights about drunk 
drivers'/motorcycle riders' lifestyle characteristics, alcohol-
consumption behaviors and attitudes towards drunk driving will provide 
useful, pragmatic information for NHTSA's continuing efforts to address 
the drunk driving/motorcycle riding issue responsible for so many 
deaths.
    The segmentation profiles will be used by NHTSA's Office of 
Communications and Consumer Information (OCCI) to better target and 
reach intended audiences with communications messages and techniques 
that are relevant and meaningful to people within the target market.
    Affected Public: Vehicle Drivers and Motorcycle Riders ages 21-54 
(English and Spanish-speaking).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,400.
    Frequency: One time.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,574.67.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $119,250.99.
    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 Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate 
of the burden of the proposed information collection; (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 automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    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 on June 1, 2023.
Juliette Marie Vallese,
Associate Administrator, Office of Communications and Consumer 
Information.
[FR Doc. 2023-12102 Filed 6-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P