
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 76 (Friday, April 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18826-18828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08075]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[NHTSA-2017-0001]


Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of 
information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 20, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
NHTSA-2017-0001 using any of the following methods:
    Electronic submissions: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the online 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: Mary T. Byrd, Contracting Officer's 
Representative, Office of Behavioral Safety Research (NPD-320), 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE., W46-466, Washington, DC 20590. Mary T. Byrd's phone number is 202-
366-5595, and her email address is Mary.Byrd@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before an agency submits a proposed

[[Page 18827]]

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 public comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:
    Title: Psychological Constructs Related to Seat Belt Use.
    Type of Request: New information collection requirement.
    OMB Clearance Number: None.
    Form Number: NHTSA Forms 1365 and 1366.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to conduct a nationally 
representative web-based survey using the Growth for Knowledge (GfK) 
KnowledgePanel, a probability-based web panel that has been in 
existence since 1999, to identify psychological constructs and 
psychosocial factors associated with the non-use and part-time use of 
seat belts. This research would give the traffic safety community 
greater insight regarding characteristics of seat belt nonusers to 
inform development of countermeasures tailored to more effectively 
encourage seat belt use among this group. The survey would measure 
self-reported seat belt use, psychosocial factors, and psychological 
constructs to understand how these factors are related.
    A maximum of 20,394 KnowledgePanel panelists would be contacted via 
email to obtain 6,000 completed surveys. Of the 20,394 panelists 
contacted, it is estimated that approximately 50% or 10,197 potential 
respondents would log into the web portal to complete the screener 
instrument. It is estimated that 95% of those who complete the one 
minute screener (about 9,687) would be eligible for participation in 
the survey. Eligible panelists include U.S. residents aged 16 years or 
older who have driven or ridden in a motor vehicle (defined as a ``car, 
van, truck, taxi or ride-sharing service'') within the past year. 
Eligible participants would be sampled to obtain a sufficient number 
who report not wearing seat belts all of the time. Of the 6,316 sampled 
eligible, it is estimated that 95% or 6,000 would complete the full 19 
minute survey. The total estimated burden for this data collection is 
2,070 hours.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information--NHTSA was established by the Highway Safety Act of l970 
(23 U.S.C. 101) to carry out a Congressional mandate to reduce the 
mounting number of deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from 
motor vehicle crashes on the Nation's highways. As part of this 
statutory mandate, NHTSA is authorized to conduct research as a 
foundation for the development of motor vehicle standards and traffic 
safety programs.
    Seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45% among drivers and front-
seat passenger car occupants and by 60% among drivers and front-seat 
light truck occupants across all crash types--yet, not everyone uses a 
seat belt on every trip. According to the latest National Occupant 
Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), seat belt use in the United States was 
90% in 2016. Although a high percentage of people were observed wearing 
seat belts through NOPUS, among passenger vehicle occupants killed in 
motor vehicle crashes in 2015, only 51% were wearing a seat belt. Thus, 
there is still room to save lives by getting more people to wear seat 
belts. In order to develop programs with potential to reach those who 
do not wear seat belts, we need to know as much as we can about this 
group. Currently, we know a lot about the demographic correlates of 
seat belt use (e.g., age, gender), but we do not know much about other 
individual-level contributors to nonuse. The purpose of this research 
is to identify psychological constructs and psychosocial factors 
associated with the non-use and part-time use of seat belts to inform 
the development of countermeasures.
    Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number, 
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--
Under this proposed data collection, the potential respondent universe 
would be U.S. residents aged 16 years or older who have driven or 
ridden in a motor vehicle within the past year. Survey participants 
would be recruited from the KnowledgePanel using email invitations to 
obtain 6,000 completed surveys. Each participant would complete a 
single survey; there would be no request for additional follow-up 
information or response.
    Throughout the project, the privacy of all participants would be 
protected. Access to the survey would be controlled using a password-
protected email account and web portal. Surveys would be self-
administered and only accessible for a designated period. These 
measures protect respondent responses from being compromised.
    Personally-identifiable information, such as the postal address of 
sample members, would be kept separate from the data collected and 
would be stored in restricted folders on secure password protected 
servers that are only accessible to study staff who need to access such 
information. In addition, all data collected from respondents would be 
reported in aggregate, and identifying information would not be used in 
any reports resulting from this data collection effort. Rigorous de-
identification procedures would be used during summary and feedback 
stages to prevent respondents from being identified through 
reconstructive means.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information--NHTSA estimates that the 
total respondent burden for this data collection would be 2,070 hours. 
NHTSA would contact 20,394 KnowledgePanel panelists via an invitation 
email to obtain 6,000 completed surveys. Of the 20,394 panelists 
contacted, it is estimated that approximately 50% or 10,197 potential 
respondents would log into the web portal to complete the screener 
instrument. The estimated burden for the screener is 170 hours (10,197 
* 1 minute = 10,197 minutes/60 = 170 hours). Based upon the screening 
questions as well as the sampling plan, it is estimated 510 respondents 
would not be eligible and that 3,371 eligible respondents would not be 
sampled (selected to complete the full survey). Based upon a 95% 
completion rate

[[Page 18828]]

among the 6,316 sampled respondents, it is anticipated that 6,000 
respondents would complete the full survey. The estimated burden for 
the full survey, which would average 19 minutes in length, is 1,900 
hours (6,000 * 19 minutes = 114,000 minutes/60 = 1,900 hours). The 
participants would not incur any reporting cost from the information 
collection. The participants would also not incur any record keeping 
burden or record keeping cost from the information collection. The 
overall estimated burden for this data collection is 170 hours for the 
screener and 1,900 hours for the full survey for a total of 2,070 
hours.

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

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 18, 2017.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2017-08075 Filed 4-20-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


