Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently-Approved Information Collection Request: Accident Recordkeeping Requirements

G. Kelly Leone
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
May 6, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 25983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10313]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2014-0109]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a 
Currently-Approved Information Collection Request: Accident 
Recordkeeping Requirements

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA 
announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) 
described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
approval and invites public comment. FMCSA requests approval to revise 
the ICR entitled ``Accident Recordkeeping Requirements.'' This ICR 
relates to Agency requirements that motor carriers maintain a record of 
certain accidents involving commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Motor 
carriers are not required to report this data to FMCSA, but must 
produce it upon inquiry by authorized Federal, State or local 
officials.

DATES: Please send your comments by June 5, 2014. OMB must receive your 
comments by this date in order to act on the ICR.

ADDRESSES: All comments should reference Federal Docket Management 
System (FDMS) Docket Number FMCSA-2014-0109. Interested persons are 
invited to submit written comments on the proposed information 
collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office 
of Management and Budget. Comments should be addressed to the attention 
of the Desk Officer, Department of Transportation/Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration, and sent via electronic mail to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov, or faxed to (202) 395-6974, or mailed to the 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 
20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Mr. Thomas Yager, Chief, Driver and 
Carrier Operations Division, Department of Transportation, Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, West Building 6th Floor, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-4325; email 
tom.yager@dot.gov. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Accident Recordkeeping Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 2126-0009.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently-approved information 
collection request.
    Respondents: Motor Carriers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 520,000 motor carriers.
    Estimated Time per Response: 18 minutes.
    Expiration Date: May 31, 2014.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 26,700 hours [89,000 motor carriers 
recording an accident x 18 minutes per response/60 minutes in an hour = 
26,700].
    Background: Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Sec.  
390.15(b), requires motor carriers to make certain specified records 
and information pertaining to CMV accidents available to an authorized 
representative or special agent of the FMCSA upon request or as part of 
an inquiry. Interstate motor carriers are required to maintain an 
``accident register'' consisting of information concerning all 
``accidents'' involving their CMVs (49 CFR 390.15(b) (see ``Definition: 
Accident'' below). Motor carriers must report accidents that occur in 
interstate and intrastate commerce. The following information must be 
recorded for each accident: Date, location, driver name, number of 
injuries, number of fatalities, and whether certain dangerous hazardous 
materials were released. In addition, motor carriers must maintain 
copies of all accident reports required by insurers or governmental 
entities. Motor carriers must maintain this information for three years 
after the date of the accident. Section 390.15 does not require motor 
carriers to submit any information or records to FMCSA or any other 
party.
    This ICR supports the DOT strategic goal of safety. By requiring 
motor carriers to gather and record information concerning CMV 
accidents, FMCSA is strengthening its ability to assess the safety 
performance of motor carriers. This information is a valuable resource 
in Agency initiatives to prevent, and reduce the severity of, CMV 
crashes.
    Public Comments: Two comments were received in response to this 
notice. The first respondent expressed concern about the lack of 
notification by the reporting officer at the crash scene to the driver 
and motor carrier. In a recent accident, he was not made aware the 
accident was a DOT Recordable Accident until it was reported by the 
officer on the police report. The respondent did not address the ICR 
burden of the Accident Register. The second respondent suggested that 
the Agency could better utilize the information contained in the 
Accident Register by improving Police Accident Reports (PARs). However, 
PARs are designed and used exclusively by State and local enforcement 
agencies; the FMCSA lacks authority to amend or otherwise improve PARs.
    Definition: ``Accident'' is an occurrence involving a CMV operating 
on a public road which results in: (1) A fatality, (2) bodily injury to 
a person who, as a result of the injury, receives medical treatment 
away from the scene of the accident, or (3) one or more motor vehicles 
being towed from the scene (49 CFR 390.5).
    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 FMCSA to perform its functions; (2) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for the 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.

    Issued under the authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.87 on: April 
16, 2014.
G. Kelly Leone,
Associate Administrator, Office of Research and Information Technology 
and Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-10313 Filed 5-5-14; 8:45 am]
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