National Automotive Sampling System |
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Terry Shelton
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
June 18, 2013
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 18, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36633-36635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14363]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA--2012-0084]
National Automotive Sampling System
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of the Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of public listening session.
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SUMMARY: NHTSA has reached the next phase of the design for the
modernization of National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) or Data
Modernization (DataMod). NHTSA announces that it will hold a public
listening session to solicit information and comments on: (a) Adding,
deleting or changing the current NASS data elements for DataMod, and;
(b) recommendations for changing or improving the NASS data collection
methodology. NHTSA will give a brief status of the project and then
open the floor to the public. The listening session will also be
accessible through the Internet.
DATES: The listening session will be held on July 18, 2013, from 1:00-
5:00 p.m., EDT. If all participants have had an opportunity to comment,
the session may conclude earlier.
ADDRESSES: The listening session will be held at the U. S. Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590,
in the Oklahoma City Conference Room. In addition to attending the
session in person, the Agency offers several ways to provide comments
as enumerated below.
Internet Access Via the Web: NHTSA will post specific
information on how to participate via the Internet on the NHTSA Web
site at www.nhtsa.gov one week before the listening session.
You may submit comments bearing the Federal Docket Management
System Docket ID NHTSA-2012-0084 using any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Mail: Send comments to: Docket Management Facility, U.S.
Department
[[Page 36634]]
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590.
Fax: Written comments may be faxed to (202) 493-2251
Hand Delivery: If you plan to submit written comments by
hand or courier, please do so at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and
5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
Whichever way you submit your comments, please remember to mention
the agency and the docket number of this document within your
correspondence. Please 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 comments (or signing the comments, 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 http://DocketInfo.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning the
listening session or access via the Internet, please contact Delia
Lopez, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA (telephone:
202-366-5365 or email: delia.lopez@dot.gov). Registration is available
at www.nhtsa.gov.
If you need sign language assistance to participate in this
listening session, contact Ms. Lopez by July 3, 2013, to allow us to
arrange for such services. NHTSA cannot guarantee that interpreter
services requested on short notice will be provided.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The listening session will allow interested
persons to present comments and propose future data elements to be
collected by NASS excluding comments already submitted. All comments
and discussions will be transcribed and placed in docket NHTSA-2012-
0084 for NHTSA's consideration.
I. Background
NHTSA is undertaking a modernization effort to upgrade the National
Automotive Sampling System (NASS) by improving the information
technology (IT) infrastructure, updating and prioritizing the data
collected, reselecting the sample sites and sample sizes, re-examining
the electronic formats in which the crash data files are made available
to the public, and improving data collection methods and quality
control procedures, among other activities. This project is called the
Data Modernization (DataMod) Project.
NASS collects crash data on a nationally representative sample of
police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes and related injuries.
NASS data are used by Federal, State, and local government agencies, as
well as by industry and academia in the U.S. and around the world. The
data enable stakeholders to make informed regulatory, program, and
policy decisions regarding vehicle design and traffic safety. The NASS
system currently has two components: the General Estimates System (GES)
and the Crashworthiness Data System (CDS). While the GES captures
information on all types of traffic crashes, the CDS focuses on more
severe crashes involving passenger vehicles to better document the
consequences to vehicles and occupants in crashes--i.e.,
crashworthiness.
NASS was originally designed in the 1970's, and has not received
significant revision since that time with regard to the type of data
collected and the sites for data collection. Over the last three
decades NHTSA understands that the scope of traffic safety studies has
expanded and the data needs of the transportation community have
increased and significantly changed. In addition, the distribution of
the U.S. population has shifted over the past 23 years, and there is a
growing need for the collection of information that addresses issues of
crash avoidance. Recognizing the importance of this data, NHTSA is
pursuing the DataMod Project to enhance the quality of the data
collected and the overall effectiveness of the NASS.
This modernization effort includes the following major objectives:
Propose data elements for the crash investigation portion
of NASS that are responsive to the current and future needs of both
internal and external data users;
Develop a detailed, executable sample design and data
collection protocol blueprint that meets data needs in an effective and
efficient manner while still maintaining national representativeness;
Modernize the information technology (IT) infrastructure;
Re-examine the electronic formats in which the crash data
files are made available to the public; and
Examine using new data collection methods and quality
control procedures to improve data quality and timeliness.
II. Comments From Stakeholders
On June 21, 2012, NHTSA published a Federal Register notice (77 FR
37471-72) soliciting comments from NASS users on the current data
elements, proposed new data elements, suggestions on the research
design and data collection protocol for the modernized study, and any
other ideas NHTSA should consider to improve crash data.
Twenty-five organizations and individuals submitted comments in
response to the Federal Register Notice. Most of the comments came from
research organizations and automobile manufacturers and their
associations. The 25 organizations and individuals provided 313
specific comments. As expected, most of the specific comments were
related to NASS CDS (292 or 93%). The remaining comments were related
to GES, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), or multiple
NHTSA crash data bases.
Specific comments fell into common general topic areas. The most
common topic areas were scene, followed by sample design, data
elements, and vehicle reconstruction. Once the comments were grouped
into topic areas, it was clear that many of the comments overlapped or
were the same. At least two or more associations and individuals
requested the same information in the new system. For example, although
we received 41 specific comments on scene information, many of the
comments were similar. In fact, if you group by unique comments there
are only 18 unique comments related to scene. Seven commenters wanted
latitude and longitude data added to both GES and CDS in the new
system.
Anyone who responded previously to the previous Federal Register
Notice requesting comments does not need to resubmit their comments. To
see the comments that were submitted, please go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for docket number, NHTSA-2012-0084.
III. Meeting Participation and Information NHTSA Seeks From the Public
The listening session is open to the public. NHTSA will open the
meeting by providing a brief presentation on the current status. The
status update will include an overall description of the Data Mod
Project and project timing, provide information on the new sample
design and describe the information
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technology implementation. NHTSA has reached the next phase of the
design for the modernization of NASS. In this phase we need to finalize
the new data elements. Current NASS data elements, coding instructions,
and descriptive materials can be reviewed on NHTSA's Web site at:
http://nhtsa.gov/NASS.
Speakers' remarks will be limited to 10 minutes each. Pre-
registration is required for in-person and webinar participation.
Register at www.nhtsa.gov by July 11, 2013. For questions contact Delia
Lopez at delia.lopez@dot.gov or 202-366-5365. In-person participants
need to bring photo identification and should plan to arrive 45 minutes
before the session starts to allow time to clear building security. The
public may submit material to the NHTSA staff at the session for
inclusion in the public docket, NHTSA-2012-0084.
IV. Alternative Access Via the Internet During the Listening Session on
July 18, 2013
NHTSA will also provide access via the Internet for participants.
The telephone access number and other information on how to participate
via the Internet will be posted on the NHTSA Web site at www.nhsta.gov
one week before the listening session. Internet participants must
register at www.nhtsa.gov by July 11, 2013.
Terry Shelton,
Associate Administrator, National Center For Statistics and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2013-14363 Filed 6-17-13; 8:45 am]
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