
[Federal Register: August 16, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 157)]
[Notices]               
[Page 50034-50036]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16au10-132]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0109]

 
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 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), 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 an Information Collection Request (ICR) for 
which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 15, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation Dockets, 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 
You may also submit comments electronically at http://
www.regulations.gov. All comments should refer to the Docket No. NHTSA-
2010-0109.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Cicchino, Ph.D, Contracting 
Officer's Technical Representative, Office of Behavioral Safety 
Research (NTI-131), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE., W46-491, Washington, DC 20590. Dr. Cicchino's 
phone number is 202-366-2752 and her e-mail address is 
jessica.cicchino@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

[[Page 50035]]

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: The Effect of Entry-Level Motorcycle Rider Training on 
Motorcycle Crashes.
    Type of Request: New information collection request.
    OMB Clearance Number: None.
    Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard forms.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans on combining information 
from surveys, motorcycle riding skills tests, and archival records to 
examine the effect of entry-level motorcycle rider training on safe 
motorcycle riding. Participation by respondents will be voluntary. 
Surveys will be used to collect information from motorcycle riders on 
topics such as demographics, attitudes towards safety, miles and years 
of riding experience, purpose of riding, training history, alcohol use 
while riding, use of helmets and protective gear while riding, and 
riding experience under different conditions (for instance, in 
inclement weather or while fatigued).
    This information will be used to initially match riders that have 
received entry-level training with untrained riders at the start of the 
study to ensure that these groups are comparable in terms of 
demographics, safety attitudes, riding experience, and purpose of 
riding. Survey information will additionally supplement data from 
skills tests of riders' on-motorcycle performance and archival data on 
riders' crashes, injury severity, and motor vehicle citations. Data 
collected from motorcycle riders that have received entry-level rider 
training will be compared to data from untrained motorcycle riders.
    Surveys will be conducted electronically over the internet when 
possible, with a pen-and-paper option available if preferred by the 
respondent.
    Need and Use of Information: NHTSA's mission is to save lives, 
prevent injuries, and reduce healthcare and other economic costs 
associated with motor vehicle crashes. A total of 5,290 motorcycle 
riders lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2008. This represents a 
150% increase in the number of motorcycle fatalities since 1997. In 
contrast, the number of fatalities from car crashes has decreased 
during this time.
    Motorcycle rider training is a part of most States' motorcycle 
safety programs, and funds are set aside under Section 2010 of SAFETEA-
LU in part to help States increase their motorcycle training. A study 
conducted by Billheimer (1998) found that trained riders with less than 
500 miles of riding experience had a lower crash rate than untrained 
riders during the six months after training. Other studies conducted on 
the effectiveness of motorcycle rider training in the United States, 
however, have not found an effect of motorcycle rider training on 
crashes. Thus, the extent to which motorcycle rider training reduces 
crash involvement is unclear.
    In 2000, NHTSA and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation published the 
National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS), which includes 
recommendations to improve motorcycle safety efforts in the United 
States. One of the recommendations in the NAMS is to ``conduct uniform 
follow-up research into the effectiveness and impact of rider education 
and training.'' NHTSA convened an expert panel in 2008 to discuss the 
best way to perform a comprehensive study of the effectiveness of 
motorcycle rider training (Brock, Robinson, Robinson & Percer, 2010). 
The panel concluded that such a study should examine the effect of 
rider training on the characteristics of a safe rider, which would 
encompass riders' on-motorcycle skills in addition to the outcomes of 
their riding (crashes and injuries) and their preparation for riding 
(such as avoiding impairments). The proposed study will carry out the 
recommendations of the expert panel.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information): 
Respondents will be motorcycle riders that have and have not completed 
an entry-level motorcycle rider training course, with an emphasis on 
novice riders with less than 500 miles of riding experience. 
Participation will be solicited through motorcycle rider training 
courses, Departments of Motor Vehicles, motorcycle dealerships, 
motorcycle accessory shops, and at motorcycle trade shows.
    Under this collection, up to 16,000 motorcycle riders (8,000 
trained and 8,000 untrained) will participate in an initial screening 
survey. Of this initial sample, approximately 625 trained riders will 
be matched with 625 untrained riders on the basis of similarities in 
their demographics, safety attitudes, riding experience, and riding 
purpose for a total of 1,250 riders. These 1,250 motorcycle riders will 
participate in two additional follow-up surveys: One six months after 
the initial matching survey, and one 18 months after the initial 
matching survey. Consequently, of the initial 16,000 respondents, the 
1,250 matched riders will be surveyed three times over 18 months, and 
the 14,750 unmatched riders will be surveyed once. The purpose of this 
matched pairs survey is to obtain information on how trained and 
untrained motorcycle riders prepare for riding and on their prior 
riding experience, which will supplement data from archival records on 
crashes, injury severity, and motor vehicle citations.
    An additional group of motorcycle riders will respond to surveys in 
conjunction with participating in a motorcycle riding skills test. Two 
hundred seventy motorcycle riders, 135 trained and 135 untrained, will 
complete a survey and an on-motorcycle skills test shortly after 
receiving training (for trained riders) or shortly after beginning the 
study (for untrained riders). The same number of riders will complete a 
follow-up survey and on-motorcycle skills test six months later.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information: The initial screening 
survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and all other 
surveys will take approximately 12 minutes to complete. The estimated 
burden for respondents that participate in the initial screening survey 
only is 3,687.5 hours (14,750 respondents at 15 minutes each). The 
additional estimated burden for the 1,250 riders that are matched from 
the screening survey is 812.5 hours (1,250 respondents, surveys at 
three time points, 15 minutes for the first survey, 12 minutes each for 
subsequent surveys). Finally, the estimated burden for the information 
collected from the skills test participants is 108 hours (270 
respondents, surveys at two time points, 12 minutes each).

[[Page 50036]]

    The total burden resulting from the collection of information is 
4,608 hours. For the respondents that participate in the initial 
screening survey only, the annual estimated burden is 3,687.5 hours. 
For the 1,250 respondents matched from the screening survey, the 
estimated annual burden is 542 hours (812.5 hours total over a period 
of 18 months). For the riders that will participate in the on-
motorcycle skills test, the estimated annual burden from information 
collection is 108 hours. Therefore, the total estimated annual burden 
is 4,337.5 hours. The respondents would not incur any recordkeeping 
burden or recordkeeping cost from the information collection.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. Section 3506(c)(2)(A).

Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-20162 Filed 8-13-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P

