Agency Information Collection Activities; New Information Collection: Crash Causal Factors Program: Knowledge of Systems and Processes Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Byline: Thomas P. Keane Date: 27 December 2022 Subjects: American Government , Safety |
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 27, 2022)] [Notices] [Pages 79419-79421] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2022-28045] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [Docket No. FMCSA-2022-0235] Agency Information Collection Activities; New Information Collection: Crash Causal Factors Program: Knowledge of Systems and Processes AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice and request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 its review and approval and invites public comment. This ICR relates to the planned ``Study of Commercial Motor Vehicle Crash Causation,'' mandated by Congress in the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA). To plan and execute this study, FMCSA must collect information from the States and local jurisdictions to understand their interest or ability to participate in the study; existing crash data collection processes, systems, and resources; and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement funding mechanisms and sources. DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before February 27, 2023. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Docket Number FMCSA-2022-0235 using any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Fax: 1-202-493-2251. Mail: Dockets Operations; U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC, 20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and docket number. For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see the Public Participation heading below. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for accessing the docket, or go to the street address listed above. Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy. Public Participation: The Federal eRulemaking Portal is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You can obtain electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the ``FAQ'' section of the Federal eRulemaking Portal website. If you want us to notify you that we received your comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard, or print the acknowledgement page that appears after submitting comments online. Comments received after the comment closing date will be included in the docket and will be considered to the extent practicable. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Stowe, Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology/Research Division, DOT, FMCSA, West Building 6th Floor, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001; 617- 386-6807; kelly.stowe@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260), was signed into law, appropriating $30 million to FMCSA to ``carry out [a] study of the cause[s] of large truck crashes.'' On November 14, 2021, the President signed into law the IIJA (Pub. L. 117-58), which contains requirements for a larger study under section 23006, ``Study of Commercial Motor Vehicle Crash Causation.'' The requirements under section 23006 define the scope of the study to include all CMVs as defined in 49 U.S.C. 31132. Section 23006(b)(1) of the IIJA requires the Secretary to ``carry out a comprehensive study to determine the causes of, and contributing factors to, crashes that involve a commercial motor vehicle.'' Section 23006(b)(2) further requires the Secretary to: A. Identify data requirements, data collection procedures, reports, and any other measures that can be used to improve the ability of States and the Secretary to evaluate future crashes involving commercial motor vehicles; B. Monitor crash trends and identify causes and contributing factors; and C. Develop effective safety improvement policies and programs. To meet the requirements of section 23006, FMCSA is establishing a Crash Causal Factors Program. Through this program, FMCSA will execute a multi-phased study of crash causal factors, with Phase 1 focused on fatal crashes involving Class 7/8 large trucks. This Phase 1 effort is referred to as the Large Truck Crash Causal Factors Study. Future phases of the study will focus on different CMV populations (such as medium-duty trucks) or crash severities (e.g., serious injury crashes). Congress anticipated that FMCSA would need to consult with the States and a variety of other experts when planning and executing the study, as noted in section 23006(d), which reads: ``In designing and carrying out the study, the Secretary may consult with individuals or entities with expertise on-- 1. Crash causation and prevention; 2. Commercial motor vehicles, commercial drivers, and motor carriers, including passenger carriers; 3. Highways and noncommercial motor vehicles and drivers; 4. Federal and State highway and motor carrier safety programs; 5. Research methods and statistical analysis; and 6. Other relevant topics, as determined by the Secretary.'' This information collection (IC) will collect data from Federal, State, and [[Page 79420]] local highway and motor carrier safety programs. It will focus on identifying and documenting States' and local jurisdictions' interest in participating in the study; agreements that the States or jurisdictions will require to participate in the study; existing crash data collection processes, systems, tools, training, and quality control processes; and CMV enforcement funding mechanisms and sources. How the Agency Will Use Collected Information FMCSA will use collected information from four ICs: IC-1: Identifying Points of Contact IC-2: Sample Design; Partnerships and Coordination IC-3: Crash Data Collection IC-4: CMV Enforcement Resources and Funding Information collected under these four ICs will inform various elements of the study plan, including the sample design, data collection plans, participation agreements, resourcing plans, and development of the study database. Below are additional details on how FMCSA will use collected information to develop various study plan elements. IC-1: Identifying Points of Contact Before collecting information for ICs 2, 3, and 4, FMCSA will first need to identify the appropriate points of contact in each State/ jurisdiction for the remaining IC components. Once FMCSA obtains contact information from the States, the Agency will distribute a web- based survey for IC-2, IC-3, and IC-4 to the relevant point of contact in each State or jurisdiction. Below are additional details on how FMCSA will use collected information to develop various study plan elements. IC-2: Sample Design; Partnerships and Coordination The original Large Truck Crash Causation Study conducted from 2001 through 2003 leveraged the sample design from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS). NHTSA has since developed a new Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS), which replaces NASS CDS. Both NASS CDS and CISS are focused on crashes involving passenger vehicles (i.e., passenger cars, light trucks, vans, and utility vehicles). Neither sampling system was designed to collect data on a representative sample of crashes involving CMVs. NHTSA acknowledged this in its 2019 sample design and weighting documentation for CISS, stating in a discussion on special crash populations, ``The most efficient way to study a rare population is to design a special study that solely targets that particular rare population.'' As a result, FMCSA is planning to develop a new sample design specific to crashes involving CMVs. However, FMCSA cannot simply select a random sample of State and local jurisdictions to include in the sample design. The Agency will need to identify an appropriate mix of State and local jurisdictions to allow for a nationally representative sample design. Participating States and local jurisdictions will be asked to collect and share the required study data and troubleshoot study- related issues as they arise. The information collected under IC-2 will inform the sample design for this study. It will also provide important information about State- or local jurisdiction-required participation and data sharing agreements. IC-3: Crash Data Collection FMCSA is planning to leverage existing State and local jurisdiction resources (where possible) to collect required study data. This will be a complex effort that will require substantial information sharing and coordination between participating States/jurisdictions and FMCSA. Under IC-3, FMCSA will seek to learn more about the data elements that State and local jurisdictions are already collecting; State and local jurisdiction CMV crash reporting criteria and notification systems; State and local jurisdiction crash data collection systems and processes (e.g., what systems exist, who owns the system(s), the data flow from roadside to the system, whether the system can interface with other systems, etc.); existing crash data collection trainings offered by the State/jurisdiction; existing State/jurisdiction crash data collection tools; and crash data quality reviews that States and local jurisdictions currently conduct. The Agency will use this information to inform the study crash data collection plan and requirements for the study database. IC-4: CMV Enforcement Resources and Funding FMCSA must collect information from States and local jurisdictions to understand whether existing commercial vehicle enforcement resources can meet the study needs, and if not, to determine how much additional funding or resources jurisdictions will require to collect the necessary data. IC-4 will identify available CMV enforcement resources within States/jurisdictions, funding sources for existing commercial vehicle enforcement resources and activities (e.g., State-funded versus FMCSA grant-funded), and whether there is a mechanism for the local jurisdiction to receive study funding through FMCSA's grant programs (i.e., as a sub-grantee). Information collected under IC-4 will also inform FMCSA resourcing plans outside of the States/jurisdictions (e.g., whether the Agency will need to hire third-party interviewers to interview involved drivers, motor carriers, and witnesses). Method of Collection FMCSA will collect the required information for IC-1 via email. For ICs 2, 3, and 4, FMCSA will leverage a web-based survey application combined with a document sharing platform (e.g., SharePoint, Huddle) or email (if needed) to collect information. FMCSA believes that all respondents will have State or local government-provided information technology equipment (e.g., laptops, mobile devices, etc.) and internet access; as such, the Agency believes electronic submissions will be most cost-effective and efficient for respondents (as opposed to mail- based submissions or some other means). FMCSA estimates that 100 percent of submissions will be electronic. Results of Data Collection FMCSA does not plan to publish results from this data collection. Results from this data collection, which will be descriptive and/or qualitative in nature, will inform the study sample design, participation agreements, data collection plans, resource plans, and study database requirements. No complex analytical techniques will be used. Final results from the overall study, once completed, will be published in a final study report. Findings from the overall study will ultimately inform the identification and development of countermeasures to prevent crashes involving CMVs. As part of the Crash Causal Factors Program, this information collection supports the DOT Strategic Goal of Safety. Title: Crash Causal Factors Program: Knowledge of Systems and Processes. OMB Control Number: 2126-00XX. Type of Request: New ICR. Respondents: State and local Government employees (first-line supervisors of police and detectives; police and sheriff's patrol officers; general and operations managers; chief executives; computer and information [[Page 79421]] systems managers; and computer and mathematical operations workers). Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,160 respondents. Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours per response for IC-1, 2.5 hours per response for IC-2, 3.83 hours per response for IC-3, 1.67 hours per response for IC-4. Expiration Date: N/A. This is a new ICR. Frequency of Response: Once for IC-1 and IC-2; no more than once annually for IC-3 and IC-4. Estimated Total Annual Burden: 9,127.5 hours total, or 3,042.5 hours annually (215.5 annual hours for State computer and information systems managers + 495 annual hours for local computer and information systems managers + 293.5 annual hours for State police and sheriff's patrol officers + 210 annual hours for local police and sheriff's patrol officers + 112 annual hours for State first-line supervisors of police and detectives + 705 annual hours for local first-line supervisors of police and detectives + 42.5 annual hours for State general and operations managers + 125 annual hours for local general and operations managers + 42.5 annual hours for State chief executives + 125 annual hours for local chief executives + 181.5 annual hours for State computer and mathematical operations workers + 495 annual hours for local computer and mathematical operations workers = 3,042.5 annual hours). Definitions: N/A. 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 performance of FMCSA's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for 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. The Agency will summarize or include your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this ICR. Issued under the authority of 49 CFR 1.87. Thomas P. Keane, Associate Administrator, Office of Research and Registration. [FR Doc. 2022-28045 Filed 12-23-22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P