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Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for Comment; Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network Data Collection Publication: Federal Register Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Byline: Cem Hatipoglu Date: 8 December 2023 Subjects: American Government  , Safety
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 235 (Friday, December 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85725-85728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27006]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2023-0065]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for
Comment; Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network Data Collection
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a request for approval of a
new information collection.
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[[Page 85726]]
SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
invites public comments about our intention to request approval from
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information
collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information
from the public, it must receive approval from 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 reinstatement of
previously approved collections. This document describes NHTSA's Crash
Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) investigation-based
crash data study for which it is seeking OMB approval.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 6, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2023-0065 through any of the following methods:
Electronic submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov . Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management, U.S. Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except on Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help
you, please call (202) 366-9322 before coming.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
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. 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 comment (or signing the comment, 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 https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the street
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the
dockets via internet.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access
to background documents, contact Rodney Rudd, Office of Vehicle Safety
Research, Human Injury Research Division (NSR-220), West Building, W46-
324, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), before an agency submits a proposed
collection of information to OMB for approval, it must first 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 regulation (at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must
ask for public comment on the following: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) how to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) 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 for public comments on the following proposed collection of
information for which the agency is seeking approval from OMB.
Title: Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) Data
Collection.
OMB Control Number: New.
Form Number(s): TBD.
Type of Request: Request for approval of a new information
collection.
Type of Review Requested: Regular.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is
seeking approval from OMB of this information collection request (ICR)
for a new, independent information collection for an investigation-
based crash data acquisition system which was previously included under
OMB Control Number 2127-0706. NHTSA proposes to collect information
from the public as part of a study to improve NHTSA's understanding of
injury causation in motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA is authorized, under
49 U.S.C. 30182 and 23 U.S.C. 403 to collect data on motor vehicle
traffic crashes to aid in the identification of issues and the
development, implementation, and evaluation of motor vehicle and
highway safety countermeasures. For decades, NHTSA has been
investigating crashes and collecting crash data through its
investigation-based data collection systems. The Crash Injury Research
and Engineering Network (CIREN) is a multidisciplinary, injury-focused
crash data collection program using trauma centers under contract to
NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Research. NHTSA also investigates
crashes through the Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS), Special
Crash Investigation (SCI), and specific issue-based Special Study data
collection studies. Although each of these systems satisfy different
purposes and collect data in different manners, they all utilize
similar core data elements, procedures, information technology, and
protocols for data collection.\1\
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\1\ Additional details about the CISS, SCI, and Special Study
data collections are available in the supporting statements for the
ICR with OMB Control Number 2127-0706.
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NHTSA is seeking approval for a new, independent information
collection request for the CIREN program separate from NHTSA's other
investigation-based crash data collection systems. The method of case
subject identification and selection is unique for CIREN. CIREN
collects a purposive sample of injured traffic crash victims from a
small number of sites to extensively examine and document injury
causation in motor vehicle crashes. The CIREN program enrolls case
subjects (crash victims) who have been admitted to eight contracted
level-one trauma centers for treatment of injuries sustained in crashes
and consent to participate in the study. The collection facilitates
detailed review and analysis of medical and engineering data by
multidisciplinary teams to evaluate injury causation. The focus of the
CIREN program has historically been on seriously-injured occupants of
recent model-year motor vehicles, though the program intends to expand
to include pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and micromobility (non-motorist)
users who have been injured in crashes.
Study personnel at each of the eight contracted CIREN sites review
trauma
[[Page 85727]]
registry data to identify potential case subjects based on the study's
inclusion criteria. Study teams obtain informed consent from eligible
patients according to institutional policies and consent documents. No
data is collected from eligible patients who do not provide consent to
participate in the study. Participation in CIREN does not affect the
case subject's medical treatment. Observations from the CIREN program
inform NHTSA research priorities and the data support improvements in
motor vehicle safety. CIREN provides non-private data to the public
through an online case viewer, database files, and reports.
After an eligible patient provides consent, study personnel
retrieve the case subject's medical information and commence the crash
investigation. Study personnel retrieve the medical information
directly from the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) system
including case subject anthropometry, past medical history,
radiological imaging and reports, operative procedure reports, and
injury diagnoses. They also request emergency medical services (EMS)
response reports from first responders. Study personnel also conduct an
interview with the case subject (or a surrogate in cases where the case
subject is unable to communicate) to develop an understanding about the
crash circumstances. A trained crash investigator locates, visits,
measures, and photographs the crash scene and the case subject's
vehicle (or the striking vehicle for non-motorist case subjects). They
also obtain the police crash report. These data are used to
characterize the performance of vehicle safety systems and
biomechanical responses of injured individuals in motor vehicle
crashes.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information: NHTSA investigates real-world crashes and collects
detailed crash and medical data in the CIREN program to identify human
and vehicle factors related to injury causation in support of NHTSA
research. Biomechanical engineers and medical doctors collaboratively
review case evidence to establish injury causation scenarios. These
detailed factors and scenarios inform research priorities. They may
also guide the development and evaluation of effective safety
countermeasures such as testing tools and criteria. The data collected
also act as a sentinel, providing NHTSA with advanced notice of
emerging crash injury problems, and are used to generate research
hypotheses. These efforts give motor vehicle researchers an opportunity
to specify areas in which improvements may be possible, design
countermeasure programs, and evaluate the effects of existing and
proposed safety measures. The resulting deidentified database provides
NHTSA and the public with access to crash data which contains extensive
medical detail, including medical imaging, which is a unique resource
among available crash data systems. There is no other source for the
biomechanics-focused data which is critical to support crash injury
mitigation and prevention research.
Affected Public: People involved in select motor vehicle crashes
admitted to contracted trauma centers for treatment; law enforcement
jurisdictions that provide access to and a copy of crash reports from
the investigated crashes; EMS providers responding to investigated
crashes, and tow or salvage facilities that provide access for
inspections of involved vehicles.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,136.
Study personnel screen trauma records for potentially eligible case
subjects, and then approach potential case subjects to gain consent. It
is estimated that 362 potential case subjects are approached for
consent each year. Of those, an average of 258 provide consent and
participate in the interview process. For each of the 258 consented
case subjects, study personnel contact the police, EMS agencies, and a
tow facility for report documentation and to coordinate the vehicle
inspection. The combination of patients (362) and associated contacts
(3 x 258) yields 1,136 total respondents each year, on average.
Frequency: On occasion.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 499 hours.
The CIREN program consists of four (4) information collections. The
first information collection covers the consent process for individuals
involved in crashes who are deemed potentially eligible for the study
at contracted trauma centers. Based on historical data, approximately
362 potential case subjects are approached for study consent each year.
The consent process generally requires thirty (30) minutes of the
respondent's time during their acute hospital admission, which includes
explanation of the study risks and benefits and review of consent
language. This burden would apply for every patient approached for
consent, regardless of their decision to participate in the study. The
estimated total annual burden hours for seeking study consent from
eligible case subjects is 181 hours (362 respondents x 0.5 hours).
The second information collection is from individuals who agree to
participate in the study. After providing consent, CIREN contractor
personnel conduct an interview that requires approximately one hour of
the respondent's time during their acute hospital admission. The CIREN
program has historically conducted interviews of approximately 258 case
subjects per year. Therefore, the estimated total annual burden for
case subject interviews is 258 hours (258 respondents x 1.0 hour).
The third information collection for CIREN is obtaining first
responder reports to complete the cases. The reports are obtained from
police and EMS agencies, and reports are only requested for crash
subjects who have consented to participate in the study. NHTSA
estimates each query to police agencies takes three (3) minutes (0.05
hours) and each query to EMS agencies takes six (6) minutes (0.1
hours). Therefore, the total estimated annual burden for crash and EMS
reports is 39 hours (258 requests x (0.05 hours + 0.1 hours)).
The fourth information collection for CIREN is associated with
towing and salvage facility requests for access to case vehicles.
Typically, a towing or salvage facility operator will provide the crash
investigator permission to enter the facility to inspect the case-
involved vehicle as well as provide guidance regarding the location of
the vehicle. This process is estimated to take approximately five (5)
minutes (0.08 hours) of staff time. CIREN averages 258 visits to towing
and salvage facilities each year since most CIREN cases involve
inspection of one case vehicle. The total annual burden for towing and
salvage facilities is 21 hours (258 requests x 0.083 hours).
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Number of
Information collection Number of responses (per Burden per response Burden per respondent Total burden
respondents respondent) (hours)
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Potential case subject consent......... 362 362 (1) 30 minutes................... 30 minutes................... 181
Case subject interview................. 258 258 (1) 1.0 hours.................... 1.0 hours.................... 258
Police report requests................. 258 258 (1) 3 minutes.................... 3 minutes.................... 13
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EMS report requests.................... 258 258 (1) 6 minutes.................... 6 minutes.................... 26
Access to towing/salvage facility...... 258 258 (1) 5 minutes.................... 5 minutes.................... 21
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Total.............................. .............. ................. ............................. ............................. 499
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Accordingly, NHTSA estimates that the total burden associated with
the CIREN program is 499 hours (181 + 258 + 39 + 21).
Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $0.
There are no capital, start-up, or annual operation and maintenance
costs involved in this collection of information. The respondents would
not incur any reporting costs from the information collection beyond
the opportunity or labor costs associated with the burden hours. The
respondents also would not incur any recordkeeping burden or
recordkeeping costs from the information collection. Therefore, NHTSA
estimates that there will be no annual burden cost to respondents.
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspects of
this information collection, including (a) whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate
of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on respondents, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter
35, as amended; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order 1351.29A.
Cem Hatipoglu,
Associate Administrator, Office of Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 2023-27006 Filed 12-7-23; 8:45 am]
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