[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 77 (Thursday, April 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23550-23551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09257]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2016-0038]
Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of
information.
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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 the collection of information for which
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 20, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number
NHTSA-2016-0038 using any of the following methods:
Electronic submissions: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays. Fax: 1-(202) 493-2251.
Instructions: Each submission must include the Agency name and the
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Berning, Contracting Officer's
Representative-Task Order, DOT/NHTSA (NTI-131), 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE., W46-497, Washington, DC 20590. Ms. Berning's phone number is (202)
366-5587 and her 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 submission of responses. In
compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks for public comment on
the following proposed collection of information:
Crash Risk Associated With Drug and Alcohol Use by Drivers in Fatal and
Serious Injury Crashes
Type of Request--New information collection requirement.
OMB Clearance Number--None.
Form Numbers--NHTSA-1350, NHTSA-1351, NHTSA-1352, NHTSA-1353,
NHTSA-1354.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval--5 years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information--The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeks to examine the relative
crash risk associated with licit and illicit drug use by studying
seriously or fatally injured drivers in crashes and matched non-crash-
involved drivers. Participants will include seriously injured drivers
who are treated in a trauma center or emergency department immediately
after a crash. Participants will also include fatally injured drivers
who die before or during treatment within the study catchment area.
This study will employ a case-control design that matches two drivers
not involved in a crash to every crash-involved driver. Control drivers
will be selected at or near the location of the crash where a driver
was seriously injured or killed. With the greatest accuracy possible,
researchers will match control drivers based on crash day of the week,
crash time of day, crash direction of travel, and as many other
relevant factors as possible.
Data collection will include blood samples from both crash-involved
and control drivers. Collection of samples from seriously injured
drivers will be subject to State and Trauma Center policies regarding
collection of fluid samples for research purposes. Samples from fatally
injured drivers will be collected in accord with State, Trauma Center,
and/or coroner/medical examiner policies. Researchers may temporarily
and securely retain identifying information for seriously or fatally
injured drivers to access needed medical or crash records to facilitate
control driver matching on factors such as crash time, day, and
location. Identifying information will be discarded once the needed
data has
[[Page 23551]]
been obtained and will not be linked to study results in any manner.
Control driver participation in the study will be voluntary. No
identifying information will be collected from control drivers. Control
drivers will also be asked to provide a breath sample to measure breath
alcohol concentration.
Self-report surveys will be administered to injured participants,
when possible, to collect details about the crash, self-reported drug
use, general driving behaviors, relevant lifestyle factors (e.g.,
fatigue at the time of the crash) and other information deemed
important to the study. In the event a seriously injured driver is
unconscious after treatment, researchers will return at a later date to
collect the information if the driver is capable of consenting and
responding. If not, willing next of kin will be substituted if
possible. All participating control drivers will be asked to respond to
the survey items, and their responses will be anonymous.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information--NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and
reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. The agency
develops, promotes and implements educational, engineering and
enforcement programs with the goal of ending preventable tragedies and
reducing economic costs associated with vehicle use and highway travel.
In 2010 and 2011, NHTSA conducted the first large-scale carefully
controlled study in the U.S. designed to estimate the relative crash
risk associated with drug use by drivers. Using a case-control design,
researchers collected information from crash-involved and non-crash
involved drivers in Virginia Beach, Virginia. That effort focused on
acquiring data at crash sites and resulted in very few seriously or
fatally injured drivers entering the sample. As such, it was not
possible to assess how drug use was related to driver injuries in the
most serious of crashes. Other studies have examined the prevalence of
drugs in seriously and fatally injured drivers, but none has used a
case-control design such as the one proposed in the current study that
will allow for an estimation of risk associated with drug use by
drivers seriously injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash. Using the
case-control approach in this manner will complete the relative risk
assessment for the full range of injury severities using comparable
methodologies.
The large sample of seriously and fatally injured drivers gathered
by this project using a case-control methodology will lead to a better
understanding of the relative crash risk of drug involved driving. The
results of this project will assist NHTSA in determining how different
drug classes are related to driver safety which will help the Agency
provide guidance to the States and Federal Government as each considers
policies related to drugged driving.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
The participant groups being sought include 2,500 crash-involved
drivers and at least 5,000 control drivers. Sampling will occur at one
or more trauma centers and within the roadway catchment area served by
the trauma center(s). Each participant will only respond to the data
collection request a single time during the study period.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information--Responding to the entire
information request will take approximately 20 minutes per participant.
The project anticipates collecting data from 3,750 participants per
year. As such, the annual estimated burden hours total is 1,250. There
are no record keeping costs to the respondents. Thus, there is no
preparation of data required or expected of respondents. Participants
do not incur: (a) Capital and start-up costs, or (b) operation,
maintenance, and purchase costs as a result of participating in the
study.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. Section 3506(c)(2)(A).
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 18, 2016.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2016-09257 Filed 4-20-16; 8:45 am]
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