Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements |
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Jeff Michael
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
7 December 2016
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88320-88322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29320]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2016-0121]
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 February 6, 2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number
NHTSA-2016-0121 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: Brian Chodrow, Office of Safety
Programs (NPD-210), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., W44-230, Washington, DC 20590. Mr.
Chodrow's phone number is 202-366-9765 and his email address is
Brian.Chodrow@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: Education on Proper Use of Safety Belts on School Buses.
Type of Request: New information collection requirement.
OMB Clearance Number: None.
Form Number: None.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information: The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to conduct discussions
and informal interviews to identify school districts who have
implemented seat belts on school buses, and to gather information to
understand the states' and local agencies' decisions to implement seat
belts on school buses and the funding mechanisms that are used to pay
for seat belt installation. These discussions will be held via
telephone, email, and/or in-person throughout the course of the
project. The findings will be used to develop a model policy and a best
practices guide to assist jurisdictions that are considering the use of
seat belts on school buses.
NHTSA also proposes to conduct a web-based survey to gather
information about bus driver distraction as related to student behavior
and seat belt use to see if the use of seat belts has influenced
disruptive behavior. NHTSA expects to distribute the survey to at least
one bus driver in each of the school districts that participate in the
aforementioned interviews, but hopes to collect surveys from more than
one driver in each of those school districts. The survey will not take
more than 10-15 minutes to complete. Follow-up telephone discussions
may also be conducted depending on the interest of respondents in
providing additional information.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information--On average, from 2004-2013, each year eight (8) school-age
pedestrians killed were struck by school transportation vehicles
(school buses and non-school-bus vehicles used as school buses), and 4
by other vehicles involved in school-bus-related crashes. During this
same time period, on average each year six school age children are
killed in collisions while riding in a school bus. By focusing on
safety both in and around the school bus, we could envision a future
where there are zero school transportation fatalities.
There has generally been resistance against installing seat belts
on school buses based on a variety of reasons including the existing
safety features of school buses compared to other vehicles (i.e. taller
and heavier vehicles, padded and high seat backs, etc.), need for
drivers or aides to enforce wearing seat belts, cost, and other
factors. However, it is commonly known that the use of seat belts has
improved safety for other types of vehicles. Thus, on November 8, 2015,
NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind stated, ``NHTSA has not always
spoken with a clear voice on the issue of seat belts on school buses.
So let me clear up any ambiguity now: The position of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration is that seat belts save lives.
That is true whether in a passenger car or in a big yellow bus. And
saving lives is what we are about. So NHTSA's policy is that every
child on every school bus should have a three-point seat belt. NHTSA
will seek to use all the tools at our disposal to help achieve that
goal, and today I want
[[Page 88321]]
to launch a nationwide effort to get us there.''
The current project seeks to understand the decisions that states
and local agencies use when deciding to implement seat belts on school
buses and the funding mechanisms that are used to pay for seat belt
installation. From there, model policy and a best practices guide will
be developed to assist jurisdictions that are considering the use of
seat belts on school buses. Finally, the project will also obtain data
related to the role of distraction and whether seat belts aid in
managing behavior on school buses. The project will culminate with a
final report to explain the results and outcomes from the project's
activities.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
The first step of this process is to identify school districts who have
implemented, or are planning to implement, seat belts on their school
buses. NHTSA will reach out to current partners and connections
including contacts in the National Association of State Directors of
Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), the National Association of
Pupil Transportation (NAPT), the National School Transportation
Association (NSTA), American School Bus Council (ASBC), school bus
manufacturers and dealers, as well as any existing contacts in
transportation departments, in order to help identify school districts.
NHTSA anticipates contacting approximately 100 individuals across the
country to ask general questions related to seat belt use in their
jurisdictions. NHTSA will hold general discussions with these partners
and contacts via telephone, email, and/or in person. As the goal of
these conversations is to identify school districts that have
implemented, or are considering implementing, seat belts on school
buses, it is expected that these conversations will take no longer than
5 minutes. To the extent possible, NHTSA will also identify, in
coordination with their partners, an appropriate contact(s) in each
school district.
The next step, after school districts have been identified, is to
reach out to these school districts who have agreed to provide NHTSA
with more information and to gather information to understand the
states' and local agencies' decisions to implement seat belts on school
buses and the funding mechanisms that are used to pay for seat belt
installation. Informational interviews will be conducted with State
directors of pupil transportation and local school district
professionals to identify policy components that influence seat belt
acquisition and use. Prior to reaching out to any of the school
districts, NHTSA will contact the NHTSA Regional Administrators to
inform them of the school districts that NHTSA (through their
contractor) intends to contact within their region. The process will
then commence with introduction emails that NHTSA will send to the
identified contact in each school district. The email will provide a
brief overview of the project and discussion/interview goals, and will
contain two attachments: (1) An introduction letter from NHTSA
describing the goals of the project and interview process, and
explaining how the information that they provide will be incorporated
into the project and report, and (2) a list of discussion topics and
questions. Although specific interview questions will be developed to
keep the discussion on track as needed, it is expected that the actual
interviews will occur as more of a fluid, conversational dialogue
rather than a structured interview. NHTSA will follow up with each
contact via telephone within 1-2 weeks of sending the email. During
this call, NHTSA (through their contractor) will either work with the
contact to schedule a time to conduct the interview, or will conduct
the interview on the spot if preferred by the contact. In some cases,
the necessary information may be retrieved through a one-time telephone
or in-person discussion, while in other cases discussions may continue
via telephone and email as an on-going discussion throughout the course
of the project as school districts think of more information to provide
or if they provide additional contacts to follow up with in their
district. NHTSA is seeking to gather as much information as the school
districts are willing to provide, and frequency of response and
discussion will be driven by how involved the school district would
like to be in the conversation. It is anticipated that the more
detailed discussions will be held with approximately 25 individuals for
a collective total of 100 hours, or an average of 4 hours per
individual over an extended period.
Finally, NHTSA will conduct a survey to gather information about
bus driver distraction as related to student behavior and seat belt use
to see if the use of seat belts has influenced disruptive behavior. The
potential respondents would include bus drivers from school districts
who have implemented seat belts. The survey will be web-based and
should take no longer than 10-15 minutes to complete. NHTSA expects to
distribute the survey to at least one bus driver in each of the school
districts that participate in the aforementioned interviews, but hopes
to collect surveys from more than one driver in each of those school
districts. NHTSA will share the link to the survey with their existing
contact(s) within that school district, and will request that they
distribute the survey to the appropriate bus drivers within their
school district. Follow-up discussions may also be conducted via
telephone or email depending on the interest of respondents in
providing additional information that may not have been captured by the
survey.
Throughout the project, the privacy of all participants will be
protected. The Model Policy and Best Practices Guide, or any other
reports developed as a result of this data collection effort, will not
identify any individuals by name. School districts may be identified,
but only if permission is given to NHTSA by the school district.
Additionally, any school district identified in the Model Policy and
Best Practices will be given the opportunity to review and edit any
text referring directly to their school district.
The online bus driver survey results will be password protected and
access will only be given to team members who have been authorized by
the Project Manager (principal investigators and research assistants).
The survey data will be exported to an Excel[supreg] file and stored in
a SharePoint site folder that is also only visible to those who have
been authorized by the Project Manager. The research team will check
the data file as soon as it is exported to the secure SharePoint folder
to ensure that no personally identifiable information (e.g. bus driver
name or email address) is included. Though survey respondents will be
asked to indicate their school district, they will not be required to
provide their name or contact information unless they wish to provide
additional information to the project team. Any personally identifiable
information that is provided will be kept separate from the data
collected.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information--NHTSA estimates that the
total respondent burden for this data collection would be 133.3 hours.
The initial discussions would take approximately 5 minutes with 100
people for a total of 8.3 hours. The detailed discussions with school
districts who have agreed to participate with the project will take
place with a commitment of an average of 4 hours with 25 people for a
total of 100 hours.
[[Page 88322]]
The bus driver survey would take 15 minutes with approximately 100
people for a total of 25 hours.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. Section 3506(c)(2)(A).
Dated: December 2, 2016.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2016-29320 Filed 12-6-16; 8:45 am]
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