[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 235 (Friday, December 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85725-85728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27006]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2023-0065]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network Data Collection

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: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (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 NHTSA's Crash 
Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) investigation-based 
crash data study for which it is seeking OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 6, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2023-0065 through any of the following methods:
     Electronic submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://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 http://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 Rodney Rudd, Office of Vehicle Safety 
Research, Human Injury Research Division (NSR-220), West Building, W46-
324, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 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: Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) Data 
Collection.
    OMB Control Number: New.
    Form Number(s): TBD.
    Type of Request: Request for approval of a new information 
collection.
    Type of Review Requested: Regular.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information:
    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is 
seeking approval from OMB of this information collection request (ICR) 
for a new, independent information collection for an investigation-
based crash data acquisition system which was previously included under 
OMB Control Number 2127-0706. NHTSA proposes to collect information 
from the public as part of a study to improve NHTSA's understanding of 
injury causation in motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA is authorized, under 
49 U.S.C. 30182 and 23 U.S.C. 403 to collect data on motor vehicle 
traffic crashes to aid in the identification of issues and the 
development, implementation, and evaluation of motor vehicle and 
highway safety countermeasures. For decades, NHTSA has been 
investigating crashes and collecting crash data through its 
investigation-based data collection systems. The Crash Injury Research 
and Engineering Network (CIREN) is a multidisciplinary, injury-focused 
crash data collection program using trauma centers under contract to 
NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Research. NHTSA also investigates 
crashes through the Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS), Special 
Crash Investigation (SCI), and specific issue-based Special Study data 
collection studies. Although each of these systems satisfy different 
purposes and collect data in different manners, they all utilize 
similar core data elements, procedures, information technology, and 
protocols for data collection.\1\
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    \1\ Additional details about the CISS, SCI, and Special Study 
data collections are available in the supporting statements for the 
ICR with OMB Control Number 2127-0706.
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    NHTSA is seeking approval for a new, independent information 
collection request for the CIREN program separate from NHTSA's other 
investigation-based crash data collection systems. The method of case 
subject identification and selection is unique for CIREN. CIREN 
collects a purposive sample of injured traffic crash victims from a 
small number of sites to extensively examine and document injury 
causation in motor vehicle crashes. The CIREN program enrolls case 
subjects (crash victims) who have been admitted to eight contracted 
level-one trauma centers for treatment of injuries sustained in crashes 
and consent to participate in the study. The collection facilitates 
detailed review and analysis of medical and engineering data by 
multidisciplinary teams to evaluate injury causation. The focus of the 
CIREN program has historically been on seriously-injured occupants of 
recent model-year motor vehicles, though the program intends to expand 
to include pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and micromobility (non-motorist) 
users who have been injured in crashes.
    Study personnel at each of the eight contracted CIREN sites review 
trauma

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registry data to identify potential case subjects based on the study's 
inclusion criteria. Study teams obtain informed consent from eligible 
patients according to institutional policies and consent documents. No 
data is collected from eligible patients who do not provide consent to 
participate in the study. Participation in CIREN does not affect the 
case subject's medical treatment. Observations from the CIREN program 
inform NHTSA research priorities and the data support improvements in 
motor vehicle safety. CIREN provides non-private data to the public 
through an online case viewer, database files, and reports.
    After an eligible patient provides consent, study personnel 
retrieve the case subject's medical information and commence the crash 
investigation. Study personnel retrieve the medical information 
directly from the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) system 
including case subject anthropometry, past medical history, 
radiological imaging and reports, operative procedure reports, and 
injury diagnoses. They also request emergency medical services (EMS) 
response reports from first responders. Study personnel also conduct an 
interview with the case subject (or a surrogate in cases where the case 
subject is unable to communicate) to develop an understanding about the 
crash circumstances. A trained crash investigator locates, visits, 
measures, and photographs the crash scene and the case subject's 
vehicle (or the striking vehicle for non-motorist case subjects). They 
also obtain the police crash report. These data are used to 
characterize the performance of vehicle safety systems and 
biomechanical responses of injured individuals in motor vehicle 
crashes.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information: NHTSA investigates real-world crashes and collects 
detailed crash and medical data in the CIREN program to identify human 
and vehicle factors related to injury causation in support of NHTSA 
research. Biomechanical engineers and medical doctors collaboratively 
review case evidence to establish injury causation scenarios. These 
detailed factors and scenarios inform research priorities. They may 
also guide the development and evaluation of effective safety 
countermeasures such as testing tools and criteria. The data collected 
also act as a sentinel, providing NHTSA with advanced notice of 
emerging crash injury problems, and are used to generate research 
hypotheses. These efforts give motor vehicle researchers an opportunity 
to specify areas in which improvements may be possible, design 
countermeasure programs, and evaluate the effects of existing and 
proposed safety measures. The resulting deidentified database provides 
NHTSA and the public with access to crash data which contains extensive 
medical detail, including medical imaging, which is a unique resource 
among available crash data systems. There is no other source for the 
biomechanics-focused data which is critical to support crash injury 
mitigation and prevention research.
    Affected Public: People involved in select motor vehicle crashes 
admitted to contracted trauma centers for treatment; law enforcement 
jurisdictions that provide access to and a copy of crash reports from 
the investigated crashes; EMS providers responding to investigated 
crashes, and tow or salvage facilities that provide access for 
inspections of involved vehicles.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,136.
    Study personnel screen trauma records for potentially eligible case 
subjects, and then approach potential case subjects to gain consent. It 
is estimated that 362 potential case subjects are approached for 
consent each year. Of those, an average of 258 provide consent and 
participate in the interview process. For each of the 258 consented 
case subjects, study personnel contact the police, EMS agencies, and a 
tow facility for report documentation and to coordinate the vehicle 
inspection. The combination of patients (362) and associated contacts 
(3 x 258) yields 1,136 total respondents each year, on average.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 499 hours.
    The CIREN program consists of four (4) information collections. The 
first information collection covers the consent process for individuals 
involved in crashes who are deemed potentially eligible for the study 
at contracted trauma centers. Based on historical data, approximately 
362 potential case subjects are approached for study consent each year. 
The consent process generally requires thirty (30) minutes of the 
respondent's time during their acute hospital admission, which includes 
explanation of the study risks and benefits and review of consent 
language. This burden would apply for every patient approached for 
consent, regardless of their decision to participate in the study. The 
estimated total annual burden hours for seeking study consent from 
eligible case subjects is 181 hours (362 respondents x 0.5 hours).
    The second information collection is from individuals who agree to 
participate in the study. After providing consent, CIREN contractor 
personnel conduct an interview that requires approximately one hour of 
the respondent's time during their acute hospital admission. The CIREN 
program has historically conducted interviews of approximately 258 case 
subjects per year. Therefore, the estimated total annual burden for 
case subject interviews is 258 hours (258 respondents x 1.0 hour).
    The third information collection for CIREN is obtaining first 
responder reports to complete the cases. The reports are obtained from 
police and EMS agencies, and reports are only requested for crash 
subjects who have consented to participate in the study. NHTSA 
estimates each query to police agencies takes three (3) minutes (0.05 
hours) and each query to EMS agencies takes six (6) minutes (0.1 
hours). Therefore, the total estimated annual burden for crash and EMS 
reports is 39 hours (258 requests x (0.05 hours + 0.1 hours)).
    The fourth information collection for CIREN is associated with 
towing and salvage facility requests for access to case vehicles. 
Typically, a towing or salvage facility operator will provide the crash 
investigator permission to enter the facility to inspect the case-
involved vehicle as well as provide guidance regarding the location of 
the vehicle. This process is estimated to take approximately five (5) 
minutes (0.08 hours) of staff time. CIREN averages 258 visits to towing 
and salvage facilities each year since most CIREN cases involve 
inspection of one case vehicle. The total annual burden for towing and 
salvage facilities is 21 hours (258 requests x 0.083 hours).

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                                                             Number of
         Information collection             Number of      responses (per        Burden per response           Burden per respondent       Total burden
                                           respondents      respondent)                                                                       (hours)
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Potential case subject consent.........             362            362 (1)  30 minutes...................  30 minutes...................             181
Case subject interview.................             258            258 (1)  1.0 hours....................  1.0 hours....................             258
Police report requests.................             258            258 (1)  3 minutes....................  3 minutes....................              13

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EMS report requests....................             258            258 (1)  6 minutes....................  6 minutes....................              26
Access to towing/salvage facility......             258            258 (1)  5 minutes....................  5 minutes....................              21
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    Total..............................  ..............  .................  .............................  .............................             499
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    Accordingly, NHTSA estimates that the total burden associated with 
the CIREN program is 499 hours (181 + 258 + 39 + 21).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $0.
    There are no capital, start-up, or annual operation and maintenance 
costs involved in this collection of information. The respondents would 
not incur any reporting costs from the information collection beyond 
the opportunity or labor costs associated with the burden hours. The 
respondents also would not incur any recordkeeping burden or 
recordkeeping costs from the information collection. Therefore, NHTSA 
estimates that there will be no annual burden cost to respondents.
    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.

Cem Hatipoglu,
Associate Administrator, Office of Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 2023-27006 Filed 12-7-23; 8:45 am]
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