
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 77 (Thursday, April 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23550-23551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09257]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2016-0038]


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 the collection of information for which 
NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 20, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
NHTSA-2016-0038 using any of the following methods:
    Electronic submissions: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the on-line 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: Amy Berning, Contracting Officer's 
Representative-Task Order, DOT/NHTSA (NTI-131), 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE., W46-497, Washington, DC 20590. Ms. Berning's phone number is (202) 
366-5587 and her email address is amy.berning@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 for public comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:

Crash Risk Associated With Drug and Alcohol Use by Drivers in Fatal and 
Serious Injury Crashes

    Type of Request--New information collection requirement.
    OMB Clearance Number--None.
    Form Numbers--NHTSA-1350, NHTSA-1351, NHTSA-1352, NHTSA-1353, 
NHTSA-1354.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval--5 years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information--The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeks to examine the relative 
crash risk associated with licit and illicit drug use by studying 
seriously or fatally injured drivers in crashes and matched non-crash-
involved drivers. Participants will include seriously injured drivers 
who are treated in a trauma center or emergency department immediately 
after a crash. Participants will also include fatally injured drivers 
who die before or during treatment within the study catchment area. 
This study will employ a case-control design that matches two drivers 
not involved in a crash to every crash-involved driver. Control drivers 
will be selected at or near the location of the crash where a driver 
was seriously injured or killed. With the greatest accuracy possible, 
researchers will match control drivers based on crash day of the week, 
crash time of day, crash direction of travel, and as many other 
relevant factors as possible.
    Data collection will include blood samples from both crash-involved 
and control drivers. Collection of samples from seriously injured 
drivers will be subject to State and Trauma Center policies regarding 
collection of fluid samples for research purposes. Samples from fatally 
injured drivers will be collected in accord with State, Trauma Center, 
and/or coroner/medical examiner policies. Researchers may temporarily 
and securely retain identifying information for seriously or fatally 
injured drivers to access needed medical or crash records to facilitate 
control driver matching on factors such as crash time, day, and 
location. Identifying information will be discarded once the needed 
data has

[[Page 23551]]

been obtained and will not be linked to study results in any manner. 
Control driver participation in the study will be voluntary. No 
identifying information will be collected from control drivers. Control 
drivers will also be asked to provide a breath sample to measure breath 
alcohol concentration.
    Self-report surveys will be administered to injured participants, 
when possible, to collect details about the crash, self-reported drug 
use, general driving behaviors, relevant lifestyle factors (e.g., 
fatigue at the time of the crash) and other information deemed 
important to the study. In the event a seriously injured driver is 
unconscious after treatment, researchers will return at a later date to 
collect the information if the driver is capable of consenting and 
responding. If not, willing next of kin will be substituted if 
possible. All participating control drivers will be asked to respond to 
the survey items, and their responses will be anonymous.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information--NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and 
reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. The agency 
develops, promotes and implements educational, engineering and 
enforcement programs with the goal of ending preventable tragedies and 
reducing economic costs associated with vehicle use and highway travel. 
In 2010 and 2011, NHTSA conducted the first large-scale carefully 
controlled study in the U.S. designed to estimate the relative crash 
risk associated with drug use by drivers. Using a case-control design, 
researchers collected information from crash-involved and non-crash 
involved drivers in Virginia Beach, Virginia. That effort focused on 
acquiring data at crash sites and resulted in very few seriously or 
fatally injured drivers entering the sample. As such, it was not 
possible to assess how drug use was related to driver injuries in the 
most serious of crashes. Other studies have examined the prevalence of 
drugs in seriously and fatally injured drivers, but none has used a 
case-control design such as the one proposed in the current study that 
will allow for an estimation of risk associated with drug use by 
drivers seriously injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash. Using the 
case-control approach in this manner will complete the relative risk 
assessment for the full range of injury severities using comparable 
methodologies.
    The large sample of seriously and fatally injured drivers gathered 
by this project using a case-control methodology will lead to a better 
understanding of the relative crash risk of drug involved driving. The 
results of this project will assist NHTSA in determining how different 
drug classes are related to driver safety which will help the Agency 
provide guidance to the States and Federal Government as each considers 
policies related to drugged driving.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
The participant groups being sought include 2,500 crash-involved 
drivers and at least 5,000 control drivers. Sampling will occur at one 
or more trauma centers and within the roadway catchment area served by 
the trauma center(s). Each participant will only respond to the data 
collection request a single time during the study period.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information--Responding to the entire 
information request will take approximately 20 minutes per participant. 
The project anticipates collecting data from 3,750 participants per 
year. As such, the annual estimated burden hours total is 1,250. There 
are no record keeping costs to the respondents. Thus, there is no 
preparation of data required or expected of respondents. Participants 
do not incur: (a) Capital and start-up costs, or (b) operation, 
maintenance, and purchase costs as a result of participating in the 
study.

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

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 18, 2016.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2016-09257 Filed 4-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


