Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements |
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Jeff Michael
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
June 30, 2014
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 125 (Monday, June 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36865-36867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15242]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2014-0072]
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 one collection of information for which
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 29, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number
NHTSA-2014-0072 using any of the following methods:
Electronic submissions: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the online 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: Ms. Liza Lemaster-Sandbank,
Contracting Officer's Representative, Occupant Protection Division
(NTI-112), Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection, National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., W44-
302, Washington, DC 20590. Ms. Lemaster-Sandbank's phone number is 202-
366-4292 and her email address is liza.lemaster@dot.gov.
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 public comment on
the following proposed collection of information:
Title: Implementing a Leadership Framework for Traffic Safety.
Type of Request: New information collection requirement.
OMB Clearance Number: None.
Form Number: NHTSA Forms 1265, 1266, 1267.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three (3) years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information--The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to conduct individual
and group interviews with law enforcement officers and leadership who
are participating in a leadership framework demonstration to increase
law enforcement focus on enforcing seat belt laws. Three law
enforcement agencies (a state agency, a municipal agency, and a rural
sheriff agency) will participate in the demonstration project, which
includes customized technical assistance addressing policies,
procedures, data, communication, and other organizational issues. To
assess how leadership on seat belt enforcement is communicated and
executed
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throughout the demonstration agencies, NHTSA proposes to conduct a set
of individual interviews with line officers and individual or group
interviews with leadership within each demonstration agency. While
individual interviews will work best with line officers, either group
or individual interviews can work effectively with the senior
leadership. Flexibility is built in to this approach in order to be
mindful of senior leadership's scheduling constraints. Eighteen
individuals will be interviewed at each site for a total of 54
individuals. Each individual will be interviewed twice: once during the
project implementation and once at the end of the demonstration
project. Interviewees will either be self-selected or selected by the
demonstration agencies. The purpose of these interviews is to document
how a law enforcement agency implements a new leadership approach for
seat belt enforcement so that the experiences of the demonstration
sites can serve as a resource to other agencies undertaking new seat
belt enforcement initiatives.
The interviews will be audio taped using electronic equipment and
augmented by handwritten notes taken during the discussions. No
videotaping will occur. Any personally identifiable information will be
separated from any summary information. Also, all identifying
information collected during initial scheduling will be separated from
collected information, kept on a secure server in password protected
files, and discarded when no longer needed. All information collected
during the interviews will be summarized using generic categories such
as law enforcement leadership or line officers.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information--The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 (23 U.S.C. 101) to
carry out a Congressional mandate to reduce the mounting number of
deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle
crashes on the Nation's highways. As part of this statutory mandate,
NHTSA is authorized to conduct research as a foundation for the
development of motor vehicle standards and traffic safety programs. In
2012, there were 21,667 occupants of passenger vehicles who died in
motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of the occupants for whom restraint
status was known, 52% were unrestrained at the time of the crash.
Research shows that wearing a seatbelt or using a child safety seat can
greatly reduce the chances of fatal or serious injury as a result of a
motor vehicle collision. In fact, when used, seat belts reduce the risk
of fatal injury to front-seat passenger occupants by 45% and to light
truck occupants by 60%. Moreover, the nationwide daytime seat belt use
rate was 87% in 2013, and ranged from 69% to 98% in the states and
territories. Clearly there is work to be done to increase seat belt use
and reduce unrestrained fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes. It is
critical that NHTSA continually explore strategies to increase the use
of seat belts among all occupants of motor vehicles.
High visibility enforcement (i.e., highly visible enforcement
accompanied by public information supporting the enforcement) has been
demonstrated to increase seat belt use. A successful high visibility
enforcement program requires a written comprehensive plan with clear,
well-defined goals, objectives, and performance measures; understanding
of costs; funding; support from key stakeholders within the community;
and aggressive law enforcement of laws. All of the above can only be
accomplished with strong executive leadership.
A NHTSA-convened work group of law enforcement representatives from
states with secondary seat belt laws, but exemplary work in support of
occupant protection enforcement, identified strong leadership as the
critical component in their successes. Strong leadership within any law
enforcement agency can result in various practices and methodologies
that spotlight a program's importance and help to make occupant
protection, as well as other traffic safety issues, an integral part of
the agencies' culture. Regardless of whether the occupant protection
program is organized as a specialized unit or broadly integrated within
the routine operations of the law enforcement agency, key management
and enforcement roles must be clearly defined and assigned to specific
individuals by the executive staff.
NHTSA is undertaking a study to implement a leadership model
framework within three law enforcement agencies selected by NHTSA,
evaluate the process and determine if the traffic safety outcome of
interest is realized, specifically the impact on increased seat belt
use and reduction in unrestrained fatalities. To accomplish this, NHTSA
will provide technical assistance to three law enforcement
demonstration communities for the implementation of leadership
frameworks in support of safety initiatives, specifically occupant
protection. Evaluation measures will involve the independent
identification, collection and evaluation of both qualitative and
quantitative data that specifically document changes in enforcement
activity and its effects on the surrounding communities' behaviors.
Overall findings will be provided to other law enforcement agencies to
use as a resource for improving occupant protection enforcement
programs and efforts.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
Under this proposed effort, a total of 108 interviews of law
enforcement personnel will be conducted over two time periods. Eighteen
interviews will be conducted in each of the three demonstration sites,
once during the demonstration implementation and once at the end of the
demonstration project. Ideally, the same respondents will be
interviewed at both time periods; however, in the event that an
individual leaves the law enforcement agency or is otherwise
unavailable for an interview, NHTSA may replace the individual with
another suitable interviewee.
NHTSA estimates that each interview will last 60-75 minutes.
Interviewees will represent law enforcement leadership as well as line
officers. Law enforcement leadership participants will include the top
management in the agency (colonel, chief, etc.). Line officers will be
recruited through a self-selection process or selected by the
demonstration agencies. Responses will be collected via audio-recording
and note taking during the interviews.
Throughout the project, the privacy of all participants will be
protected. Personally-identifiable information (names, telephone
numbers, email addresses, etc.) will be kept separate from the data
collected, and will be stored in restricted folders on secure password-
protected servers that are only accessible to study staff who have need
to access such information. In addition, all data collected from
participating officers will be reported in aggregate for each site, and
respondent names will not be used in any reports resulting from this
project. Rigorous de-identification procedures will be used during
summary and feedback stages to ensure no officers will be identified
through reconstructive means.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information--NHTSA estimates that the
duration of each interview will be seventy-five (75) minutes, or a
total of 135 hours for the 54 interview participants (18 interviewees x
3 sites x 2 administrations x 75 minutes). The participants will not
incur any reporting cost from the information collection. The
participants also will not incur any
[[Page 36867]]
record keeping burden or record keeping cost from the information
collection.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. Section 3506(c)(2)(A)
Dated: June 25, 2014.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2014-15242 Filed 6-27-14; 8:45 am]
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