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Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Request for Comment; Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network Data Collection Publication: Federal Register Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Byline: Cem Hatipoglu Date: 30 August 2024 Subjects: American Government  , Safety
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70687-70690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19437]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2023-0065]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; 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 an
information collection.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR)
summarized below will be submitted to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR describes the nature of
the information collection and its expected burden. This document
describes an information collection request for which NHTSA intends to
seek a new OMB approval for NHTSA's Crash Injury Research and
Engineering Network (CIREN) investigation-based crash data study. A
Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting
comments on the following information collection was published. Two
comments were received, and burden estimates were adjusted based on the
input.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 30, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection, including suggestions for reducing burden,
should be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget at
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. To find this particular information
collection, select ``Currently under Review--Open for Public Comment''
or use the search function.
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, (202) 366-5932.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), a
Federal agency must receive approval from the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) before it collects certain information from the public and
a person is not required to respond to a collection of information by a
Federal agency unless the collection displays a valid OMB control
number. In compliance with these requirements, this notice announces
that the following information collection request will be submitted
OMB.
Title: Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) Data
Collection.
OMB Control Number: New.
Form Number: NHTSA Form 1770, NHTSA Form 1771, NHTSA Form 1772,
NHTSA Form 1773, NHTSA Form 1774, NHTSA Form 1775, NHTSA Form 1776,
NHTSA Form 1777, NHTSA Form 1778, NHTSA Form 1779, NHTSA Form 1780,
NHTSA Form 1781, NHTSA Form 1782, NHTSA Form 1783, NHTSA Form 1784,
NHTSA Form 1785, NHTSA Form 1786, NHTSA Form 1787, NHTSA Form 1788,
NHTSA Form 1789, NHTSA Form 1790, NHTSA Form 1791, NHTSA Form 1792,
NHTSA Form 1793, NHTSA Form 1794, NHTSA Form 1795, NHTSA Form 1796.
Type of Request: Request for approval of a new information
collection.
Type of Review Requested: Regular.
Length of Approval Requested: Three years from date of approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information:
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
[[Page 70688]]
satisfy different purposes and collect data in different manners, they
all utilize similar core data elements, procedures, information
technology, and protocols for data collection.
NHTSA is seeking a new, independent approval of an 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 contracted level-one
trauma centers for treatment of injuries sustained in a crash. CIREN
requires case subjects admitted to the contracted trauma centers to
consent to participate in the study, which 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 contracted CIREN site review trauma
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.
Eligible patients who do not provide consent to participate in the
study are dropped from consideration and no data are collected.
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. Study personnel 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. Study personnel may
capture photographs of integumentary injuries (e.g., lacerations,
hematomas, abrasions) if the case subject agrees to have such photos
taken. 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.
60-Day Notice: A Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting public comments on the following information
collection was published on December 8, 2023 (88 FR 85725). Two
individuals submitted comments in response to the notice, which are
summarized below.\1\
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\1\ The comments are available at https://www.regulations.gov/comment/NHTSA-2023-0065-0002 and https://www.regulations.gov/comment/NHTSA-2023-0065-0003.
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The commenters, individuals who both had experience as former
project coordinators for CIREN centers, described patient interaction
times, for both obtaining consent and conducting the interview, shorter
than the estimates included in the 60-day notice. In the 60-day notice,
NHTSA estimated that it would approximately 30 minutes for the consent
form and one hour for each interview. One of the commenters stated that
time for obtaining consent took between five and ten minutes. The other
commenter stated that the consent process involved five to ten minutes
for describing the program, leaving the consent form with the patient,
and returning to discuss the program further and answer any questions,
adding an additional ten to fifteen minutes. Since the second commenter
estimated that the total estimated time for consent could take up to 25
minutes, not including any time the patient read the consent form on
their own, NHTSA has decided not to change its burden estimates for the
consent form.
Both commenters also commented about the total to conduct
interviews with patients. The first commented that the interviews
normally take approximately ten to twenty minutes, with photographs
taking about three minutes. The first commenter also stated that the
longest interview took 30 minutes. The second commenter stated that
interviews took approximately five to ten minutes, with photographs
taking five to twenty minutes. The highest of the estimates provided by
the commenters suggest that, at most, interviews take up to 35 minutes.
This is less than the one-hour estimate NHTSA provided in its 60-day
notice. After considering these comments, NHTSA has opted to retain its
more conservative one-hour estimate for patient interviews to account
for variability on interview lengths and to ensure that its estimate is
not too low.
The second commenter noted that obtaining police reports could
require several weeks of waiting and could involve CIREN contractor
personnel checking in police report databases repeatedly by CIREN
contractor personnel. NHTSA appreciates this comment and notes that the
burden on CIREN contractor personnel is not counted in total burden
hours as it is not a burden on a respondent.
The second commenter also noted that the process to obtain vehicle
location information and inspection approval involves contact with the
case subject's vehicle insurance provider.
[[Page 70689]]
This was not considered in the original 60-day notice. For most CIREN
cases, the case subject's vehicle has sustained sufficient damage to be
deemed a total loss by the insurer and it becomes necessary to obtain
approval from the insurer to conduct the vehicle inspection. This
process requires contacting the claims adjuster to obtain permission as
well as confirm the disposition of the vehicle (i.e., salvage
facility). The commenter stated that the amount of time spent getting
insurance approval could be between 30 minutes to four hours
collectively. While this estimate was provided from the perspective of
the time the CIREN contractor personnel spent obtaining such
information and approval, NHTSA does believe it to be a good indication
of the time spent by the insurance provider as well. Accordingly, and
based on this estimate, NHTSA estimates that insurance providers spend
approximately two hours providing information and approval to inspect
the case subject's vehicle. This burden estimate is included in the
discussion of burden hours below. In response to this comment regarding
insurer involvement, NHTSA is also updating the burden associated with
tow facilities providing information. In the 60-day notice, NHTSA
estimated that it would take the tow facility was five minutes of time
to direct the investigator to the subject vehicle. Since part of the
insurance approval process involves the insurance adjuster contacting
the salvage facility in possession of the case subject's vehicle, NHTSA
has increased the burden for the tow facilities by ten minutes to
account for the interaction regarding inspection approval from the
insurance provider.
Affected Public: The information collections affect 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; insurance companies responsible for
case subject vehicles; and tow or salvage facilities possessing case
subject vehicles.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,394.
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,
insurance companies, and a tow facility for report documentation and to
coordinate the vehicle inspection. The combination of patients (362)
and associated contacts (4 x 258) yields 1,394 total respondents each
year, on average.
The 60-day notice indicated 1,136 respondents, which was increased
to 1,394 in this notice due to the inclusion of insurance company
involvement for each consented case subject (258). This increase was in
response to a submitted comment noting the necessity to communicate
with the insurance claim representative to receive permission to
inspect the involved case vehicle.
Frequency: On occasion.
Number of Responses: One.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,059.
The CIREN program consists of six (6) 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 and fourth information collections 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 reports
is 13 hours (258 requests x 0.05 hours) and EMS reports is 26 hours
(258 requests x 0.1 hours).
The fifth information collection for CIREN is gaining permission
from the case vehicle's insurance company to inspect the vehicle. Most
cases involve contacting the insurance claims representative to
determine the location of the vehicle and obtain the necessary approval
to perform the inspection. The insurance claims representative must
then notify the salvage facility operator that the CIREN investigator
has been approved to perform the inspection. NHTSA estimates this
process takes an average of two (2) hours per case vehicle for which
approval is sought. Therefore, the total estimated annual burden for
insurance companies is 516 hours (258 requests x 2.0 hours). This step
has been added based on comments received from the 60-day notice.
The sixth 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. The communication between the
insurance claim representative and salvage facility operator is
estimated to take approximately ten (10) minutes (0.17 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 64.5 hours
(258 requests x 0.25 hours). This step was modified based on comments
received from the 60-day notice.
Accordingly, NHTSA estimates that the total burden associated with
the CIREN program is 1,059 hours (52 + 387 + 39 + 516 + 64.5). This
represents an increase of 560 hours from what was in published in the
60-day notice, with the difference being associated with the inclusion
of insurance company involvement. Table 1 includes a summary of the
annual estimated burden hours.
[[Page 70690]]
Table 1--Annual Burden Estimates
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Number of
Information collection Number of responses (per Burden per response Burden per respondent Total burden
respondents respondent)
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Potential case subject consent....... 362 362 (1) 30 minutes............... 30 minutes.............. 181 hours.
Case subject interview............... 258 258 (1) 1.0 hours................ 1.0 hours............... 258 hours.
Police report requests............... 258 258 (1) 3 minutes................ 3 minutes............... 13 hours.
EMS report requests.................. 258 258 (1) 6 minutes................ 6 minutes............... 26 hours.
Insurance company.................... 258 258 (1) 2.0 hours................ 2.0 hours............... 516 hours.
Access to towing/salvage facility.... 258 258 (1) 15 minutes............... 15 minutes.............. 64.5 hours.
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Total............................ .............. .............. ......................... ........................ 1,059 hours.
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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.
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 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) 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 appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses.
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. 2024-19437 Filed 8-29-24; 8:45 am]
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