[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 51 (Tuesday, March 17, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12896-12898]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05137]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA-2026-0430]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Information Collection
Renewal: Crash Causal Factors Program: Knowledge of Systems and
Processes
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department
of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA
requests approval to renew an information collection request (ICR)
titled, Crash Causal Factors Program: Knowledge of Systems and
Processes.'' This ICR relates to the ``Study of Commercial Motor
Vehicle Crash Causation,'' mandated by Congress in the Infrastructure
and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA). To meet Congressional requirements,
FMCSA established the Crash Causal Factors Program (CCFP) to conduct
in-depth research to better understand the key factors that contribute
to crashes involving large trucks and buses. Phase 1 of the CCFP, the
Heavy-Duty Truck Study, focuses on fatal crashes involving heavy-duty
(Class 7/8) trucks. This ICR renewal covers Phase 2, the Medium-Duty
Truck Study, which will focus on crashes involving medium-duty (Class 3
through 6) trucks. To plan and execute the Medium-Duty Truck Study,
FMCSA must collect information from the States and local jurisdictions
to understand their interest or ability to participate in the study;
existing crash data collection processes, systems, and resources; and
commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement funding mechanisms and
sources. The IC is scheduled to expire on August 31, 2026.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before May 18,
2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket Number FMCSA-
2026-0430 using any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Dockets Operations; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, W58-213, Washington, DC
20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Dockets Operations, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, W58-213,
Washington, DC, 20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help
you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting
Dockets Operations.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods.
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for instructions on submitting
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Stowe, Office of Research, Crash
Data Analytics Division, DOT, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590-0001; 617-386-6807; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Instructions
All submissions must include the Agency name and docket number. For
detailed instructions on submitting comments, see the Public
Participation heading below. Note that all comments received will be
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading
below.
Public Participation and Request for Comments
If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this
notice (FMCSA-2026-0430), indicate the specific section of this
document to which your comment applies, and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material
online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of
these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a mailing
address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of your
document so FMCSA can contact you if there are questions regarding your
submission.
To submit your comment online, go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2026-0430/document, click on this notice, click
``Comment,'' and type your comment into the text box on the following
screen.
If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them
in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for
copying and electronic filing.
FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during the
comment period.
Privacy Act
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the
public to better inform its regulatory process. DOT posts these
comments, including any personal information the commenter provides, to
www.regulations.gov as described in the system of records notice DOT/
ALL 14 (Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)), which can be reviewed
at https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/privacy/privacy-act-system-records-notices. The comments are posted without edits and are
searchable by the name of the submitter.
Background
On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
(Pub. L. 116-260), was signed into law, appropriating $30 million to
FMCSA to ``carry out [a] study of the cause[s] of large truck
crashes.'' On November 14, 2021, the President signed into law the IIJA
(Pub. L. 117-58), which contains requirements for a larger study under
section 23006, ``Study of Commercial Motor Vehicle Crash Causation.''
The requirements under section 23006 define the scope of the study to
include all CMVs as defined in 49 U.S.C. 31132.
Section 23006(b)(1) of IIJA requires the Secretary to ``carry out a
comprehensive study to determine the causes of, and contributing
factors to, crashes that involve a commercial motor vehicle.'' Section
23006(b)(2) further requires the Secretary to:
A. Identify data requirements, data collection procedures, reports,
and any other measures that can be used to improve the ability of
States and the Secretary to evaluate future crashes involving CMVs;
B. Monitor crash trends and identify causes and contributing
factors; and
C. Develop effective safety improvement policies and programs.
To meet the requirements of Section 23006, FMCSA established the
CCFP.
[[Page 12897]]
Through the CCFP, FMCSA is conducting in-depth research to better
understand the key factors that contribute to crashes involving large
trucks and buses. Phase 1 of the CCFP, the Heavy-Duty Truck Study, is
focusing on fatal crashes involving heavy-duty (Class 7/8) trucks.\1\
Study data will be collected over a 2-year period. This information
collection (IC) renewal covers Phase 2, the Medium-Duty Truck Study,
which will focus on crashes involving medium-duty (Class 3 through 6)
trucks.\2\ Future phases of the study will focus on different CMV
populations (such as passenger carriers) or crash severities (i.e.,
serious injury crashes).
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\1\ Heavy-duty trucks, or Class 7/8 trucks, have a gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more. Examples of heavy-
duty trucks include truck-tractor semi-trailers, furniture trucks,
garbage trucks, and cement trucks.
\2\ Medium-duty trucks, or Class 3 through 6 trucks, have a GVWR
of 10,001-26,000 pounds. Examples of medium-duty trucks include
bucket trucks, box trucks, city delivery vans, and full-size pickup
trucks.
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Congress anticipated that FMCSA would need to consult with the
States and a variety of other experts when planning and executing the
study, as noted in section 23006(d), which reads: ``In designing and
carrying out the study, the Secretary may consult with individuals or
entities with expertise on--
1. Crash causation and prevention;
2. Commercial motor vehicles, commercial drivers, and motor
carriers, including passenger carriers;
3. Highways and noncommercial motor vehicles and drivers;
4. Federal and State highway and motor carrier safety programs;
5. Research methods and statistical analysis; and
6. Other relevant topics, as determined by the Secretary.''
This IC will collect data from Federal, State, and local highway
and motor carrier safety programs. It will focus on identifying and
documenting States' and local jurisdictions' interest in participating
in the study; agreements that the States or jurisdictions will require
to participate in the study; existing crash data collection processes,
systems, tools, training, and quality control processes; and CMV
enforcement funding mechanisms and sources.
How the Agency Will Use Collected Information
FMCSA will use collected information from four ICs:
IC-1: Identifying Points of Contact
IC-2: Sample Design; Partnerships and Coordination
IC-3: Crash Data Collection
IC-4: CMV Enforcement Resources and Funding
Information collected under these four ICs will inform various
elements of the study plan, including the sample design, data
collection plans, participation agreements, resourcing plans, and
development of the study database. Below are additional details on how
FMCSA will use collected information to develop various study plan
elements.
IC-1: Identifying Points of Contact
Before collecting information for ICs 2, 3, and 4, FMCSA will first
need to identify the appropriate points of contact in each State/
jurisdiction for the remaining IC components. Once FMCSA obtains
contact information from the States, the Agency will distribute a web-
based survey for IC-2, IC-3, and IC-4 to the relevant point of contact
in each State or jurisdiction. Below are additional details on how
FMCSA will use collected information to develop various study plan
elements.
IC-2: Sample Design; Partnerships and Coordination
The original Large Truck Crash Causation Study conducted from 2001
through 2003 leveraged the sample design from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National Automotive Sampling
System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS). NHTSA has since
replaced the system with the Crash Investigation Sampling System
(CISS).\3\ Both NASS CDS and CISS are focused on crashes involving
passenger vehicles (i.e., passenger cars, light trucks, vans, and
utility vehicles). IIJA mandated NHTSA to upgrade CISS to include
additional program sites, an expanded scope to include all crash types,
and add on-scene investigation protocols. In 2024, NHTSA deployed the
first phase of the CISS modernization by increasing its data collection
sites from 32 to 40, expanding the scope of data collection, and
investigating crashes involving non-motorists and motorcyclists.\4\
Future phases may include crashes involving vehicles greater than
10,000 pounds and an on-scene (rapid response) data collection effort.
While NHTSA is working to expand CISS data collection efforts, CISS was
not designed to collect data on a representative sample of crashes
involving CMVs, which is considered a rare population. In a discussion
on special crash populations in the 2019 sample design and weighting
documentation for CISS,\5\ NHTSA stated that ``[t]he most efficient way
to study a rare population is to design a special study that solely
targets that particular rare population.'' Due to current limitations
of the CISS methodology, FMCSA developed a new sample design for the
Heavy-Duty Truck Study and plans to update that design for the Medium-
Duty Truck Study. FMCSA will coordinate with NHTSA where feasible to
account for potential overlap with planned CISS modernization efforts.
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\3\ NHTSA, Crash Investigation Sampling System: Motor Vehicle
Crash Data Collection, accessed February 6, 2026, at https://www.nhtsa.gov/crash-data-systems/crash-investigation-sampling-system.
\4\ NHTSA, Overview of the 2024 Crash Investigation Sampling
System, accessed February 4, 2026, at https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813769.
\5\ Zhang, F., Noh, E. Y., Subramanian, R., & Chen, C.L. (2019,
September). Crash Investigation Sampling System: Sample Design and
Weighting (Report No. DOT HS 812 804). Washington, DC: National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Accessed February 6, 2026, at
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812804.
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To allow for a nationally representative sample design, the Agency
will need to identify an appropriate mix of State and local
jurisdictions. Participating States and local jurisdictions will be
asked to collect and share the required study data and troubleshoot
study-related issues as they arise. The information collected under IC-
2 will inform the sample design for this study. It will also provide
important information about State- or local jurisdiction-required
participation and data sharing agreements.
IC-3: Crash Data Collection
FMCSA is planning to leverage existing State and local jurisdiction
resources (where possible) to collect required study data. This will be
a complex effort that will require substantial information sharing and
coordination between participating States/jurisdictions and FMCSA.
Under IC-3, FMCSA will seek to learn more about the data elements
that State and local jurisdictions are already collecting; State and
local jurisdiction medium-duty truck crash reporting criteria and
notification systems; State and local jurisdiction crash data
collection systems and processes (e.g., what systems exist, who owns
the system(s), the data flow from roadside to the system, whether the
system can interface with other systems, etc.); existing crash data
collection trainings offered by the State/jurisdiction; existing State/
jurisdiction crash data collection tools; and crash data quality
reviews that States and local jurisdictions currently conduct. While
[[Page 12898]]
FMCSA will build on insights gained from the Heavy-Duty Truck Study,
the Agency seeks updated information because some States and local
jurisdictions may have changed their data collection processes or they
may differ for medium-duty trucks. The Agency will use this information
to inform the study crash data collection plan and requirements for the
study database.
IC-4: CMV Enforcement Resources and Funding
FMCSA must collect information from States and local jurisdictions
to understand whether existing CMV enforcement resources can meet the
study needs, and if not, to determine how much additional funding or
resources jurisdictions will require to collect the necessary data. IC-
4 will identify available CMV enforcement resources within States/
jurisdictions, funding sources for existing CMV enforcement resources
and activities (e.g., State-funded versus FMCSA grant-funded), and
whether there is a mechanism for the local jurisdiction to receive
study funding through FMCSA's grant programs (i.e., as a sub-grantee).
Information collected under IC-4 will also inform FMCSA resourcing
plans outside of the States/jurisdictions (e.g., whether the Agency
will need to hire third-party interviewers to interview involved
drivers, motor carriers, and witnesses).
Method of Collection
FMCSA will collect the required information for IC-1 via email. For
ICs 2, 3, and 4, FMCSA will leverage a web-based survey application
combined with a document sharing platform (e.g., Google, Huddle) or
email (if needed) to collect information. FMCSA believes that all
respondents will have State or local government-provided information
technology equipment (e.g., laptops, mobile devices, etc.) and internet
access; as such, the Agency believes electronic submissions will be
most cost-effective and efficient for respondents (as opposed to mail-
based submissions or some other means). FMCSA estimates that 100
percent of submissions will be electronic.
Results of Data Collection
FMCSA does not plan to publish results from this data collection.
Results from this data collection, which will be descriptive and/or
qualitative in nature, will inform the study sample design,
participation agreements, data collection plans, resource plans, and
study database requirements. No complex analytical techniques will be
used. Final results from the overall study, once completed, will be
published in a final study report. Study findings will ultimately
provide new information resources that motor carriers, States, safety
advocacy groups, FMCSA, and others can use to develop effective,
targeted strategies to reduce crashes. As part of the CCFP, this IC
supports DOT's and FMCSA's heightened effort to address the rising
number of fatal crashes and reduce roadway fatalities.
Title: Crash Causal Factors Program: Knowledge of Systems and
Processes.
OMB Control Number: 2126-0079.
Type of Request: IC Renewal Request.
Respondents: State and local Government employees (first-line
supervisors of police and detectives; police and sheriff's patrol
officers; general and operations managers; chief executives; computer
and information systems managers; and computer and mathematical
operations workers).
Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,160 respondents.
Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours per response for IC-1, 2.5
hours per response for IC-2, 3.83 hours per response for IC-3, 1.67
hours per response for IC-4.
Expiration Date: August 31, 2026.
Frequency of Response: Once for IC-1 and IC-2; no more than once
annually for IC-3 and IC-4.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 9,127.5 hours total, or 3,042.5
hours annually (215.5 annual hours for State computer and information
systems managers + 495 annual hours for local computer and information
systems managers + 112 annual hours for State police and sheriff's
patrol officers + 210 annual hours for local police and sheriff's
patrol officers + 293.5 annual hours for State first-line supervisors
of police and detectives + 705 annual hours for local first-line
supervisors of police and detectives + 42.5 annual hours for State
general and operations managers + 125 annual hours for local general
and operations managers + 42.5 annual hours for State chief executives
+ 125 annual hours for local chief executives + 181.5 annual hours for
State computer and mathematical operations workers + 495 annual hours
for local computer and mathematical operations workers = 3,042.5 annual
hours).
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including: (1) whether the proposed
collection is necessary for the performance of FMCSA's functions; (2)
the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for FMCSA to enhance the
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4)
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of
the collected information. The Agency will summarize or include your
comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this IC renewal request.
Issued under the authority of 49 CFR 1.87.
David M. Sutula,
Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Research and Registration.
[FR Doc. 2026-05137 Filed 3-16-26; 8:45 am]
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