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                      related to
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 Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0055]
 AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
 ACTION: Notice and request for comments on an extension without change of a currently approved collection of information.
 SUMMARY: NHTSA invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension without change of a currently approved 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 a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval on the reporting of information and documents about potential safety defects.*
 DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 19, 2024.
 ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0055 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. *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 can search for 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 the internet.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access to background documents, contact Jeff Quandt, Trends Analysis Division (NEF-108), Room W48-312, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone (202) 366-5207. Please identify the relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB Control Number.


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 
                    ( print page 77229)
                    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:*
                     Reporting of Information and Documents About Potential Defects. *OMB Control:*
                     2127-0616. *Type of Request:*
                     Extension without change of a currently approved information collection. *Type of Review Requested:*
                     Regular. *Requested Expiration Date of Approval:*
                     3 years from date of approval. *Summary of the Collection of Information:*
                     This notice requests comment on NHTSA's intention to seek approval from OMB to extend without change a currently approved collection of information, OMB No. 2127-0616, covering requirements in 49 CFR 579, 
                    *Reporting of Information and Communications about Potential Defects.*
                     Part 579 implements, and addresses with more specificity, requirements from the Transportation Recall Enhancement Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act (Pub. L. 106-414), which was enacted on November 1, 2000, and is codified at 49 U.S.C. 30166. The purpose of part 579 is to enhance motor vehicle safety by specifying information and documents that manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment must provide to NHTSA concerning possible safety-related defects and non-compliances in their products, including the reporting of safety recalls and other safety campaigns the manufacturers conduct outside the United States. Under part 579, there are three categories of reporting requirements: (1) Requirements at § 579.5 to submit notices, bulletins, customer satisfaction campaigns, consumer advisories, and other communications (found in subpart A of part 579); (2) requirements at § 579.11 to submit information related to safety recalls and other safety campaigns in the foreign countries (found in subpart B of part 579); and (3) requirements at §§ 579.21-28 to submit Early Warning Information (found in subpart C of part 579). The Early Warning Reporting (EWR) requirements (U.S.C. 30166(m); 49 CFR part 579, subpart C) specify that manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment must submit to NHTSA information periodically or upon NHTSA's request, that includes claims or notices for incidents involving death or injury; numbers of property damage claims, consumer complaints, warranty claims, and field reports; copies of field reports; and other information that may assist NHTSA in identifying potential safety-related defects. The intent of this information collection is to provide early warning of such potential safety-related defects to NHTSA. *Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the Information:*
                     The information required under 49 U.S.C. 30166 and 49 CFR part 579 is used by NHTSA to promptly identify potential safety-related defects in motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment in the United States. When a trend in incidents arising from a potentially safety-related defect is discovered, NHTSA relies on this information, along with other agency data, to determine whether to open a defect investigation. *Affected Public:*
                     Manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. *Estimated Number of Respondents:*
                     NHTSA receives part 579 submissions from approximately 297 manufacturers per year. We estimate that there will be a total of 297 respondents per year to this extension of the OMB No. 2127-0616, instead of the previously estimated 337 respondents per year. *Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:*
                     When this approved information collection was last renewed in April 2022, NHTSA estimated the annual burden associated with this collection to be 53,810 burden hours. NHTSA is updating these estimates to better align with the current volume of submissions. NHTSA now estimates the annual burden hours associated with this collection to be 54,088 hours based on analysis of EWR reporting data from the 2021 through 2023 reporting years. NHTSA estimated the burdens associated with this collection by calculating the burden associated with submitting information under each subpart of part 579. In addition to these burdens, NHTSA also estimates that manufacturers will incur computer maintenance burden hours, which are estimated on a per manufacturer basis. Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart A The first component of this collection request covers the requirements found in part 579 subpart A, § 579.5, Notices, bulletins, customer satisfaction campaigns, consumer advisories, and other communications. Section 579.5 requires manufacturers to furnish (1) a copy of all notices, bulletins, and other communications sent to more than one manufacturer, distributor, dealer, lessor, lessee, owner, or purchaser, in the United States, regarding any defect in its vehicles or items of equipment (including any failure of malfunction beyond normal deterioration in use, or any failure of performance, or any flaw or unintended deviation from design specifications), whether or not such defect is safety-related and (2) a copy of each communication relating to a customer satisfaction campaign, consumer advisory, recall, or other safety activity involving the repair or replacement of motor vehicles or equipment, that the manufacturer issued to, or made available to, more than one dealer, distributor, lessor, lessee, other manufacturer, owner, or purchaser, in the United States. Manufacturers are required to submit these documents monthly. Section 579.5 does not require manufacturers to create these documents. Instead, only copies of these documents must be submitted to NHTSA, and manufacturers must index these communications and email them to NHTSA within 5 working days after the end of the month in which they were issued. Therefore, the burden hours are only those associated with collecting the documents and submitting copies to NHTSA. NHTSA estimates that it receives approximately 17,615 notices a year. We estimate that it takes about 5 minutes to collect, index, and submit each notice to NHTSA. Therefore, we estimate that it takes 1,468 hours for manufacturers to submit notices as required under Section 579.5 (17,615 notices × 5 minutes = 88,075 minutes or 1,468 hours). To calculate the labor cost associated with submitting Section 579.5 notices, bulletins, customer satisfaction campaigns, consumer advisories and other communications that are sent to more than one dealer or owner, NHTSA looked at wage estimates for the type of personnel submitting the documents. While some manufacturers employ clerical staff to collect and submit the documents, others use technical computer support staff to complete the task. Because we do not know what percent of the work is completed by clerical or technical computer support staff, NHTSA estimates the total labor costs associated with these burden hours by looking at the average wage for the higher-paid technical computer 
                    ( print page 77230)
                    support staff. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the average hourly wage for Computer Support Specialists (BLS Occupation code 15-1230) in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $37.62.[1]
                    
                     The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that private industry workers' wages represented 70.4 percent of employer costs for employee compensation in December 2023 (ECEC adjustment).[2]
                    
                     Based on the BLS average hourly wage and ECEC adjustment factor, NHTSA estimates the hourly labor costs to be $53.44 for Computer Support Specialists ($37.62 ÷ 0.704 = $53.44). The incremental labor cost per submission is estimated to be $4.45 ($53.44 per hour × 5 minutes). NHTSA estimates the total labor cost associated with the 1,468 burden hours for § 579.5 submissions to be $78,387 ($4.45 × 17,615 submissions). Table 1 provides a summary of the burden estimates using the average annual submission count for monthly reports submitted pursuant to § 579.5 and the estimated burden hours and labor costs associated with those submissions. The average number of annual submissions under § 579.5 decreased by approximately 29 percent from the currently approved information collection, dropping from 24,884 to 17,615 manufacturer communication submissions. The incremental cost per submission rose from $3.73 to $4.45, a 19 percent increase. The annual burden hours dropped from 2,074 to 1,468, matching the 29 percent drop in submissions. The annual labor costs dropped from $92,817 to $78,387, a 16 percent decrease with the reduction in submissions partially offset by the increased labor cost per submission. Table 1—Burden Estimate for § 579.5 Submissions
Average annual § 579.5 submissions
Estimated burden 
                             per submission  
                             (minutes)
Average hourly 
                             labor cost
Labor cost per submission
Total burden hours
Total labor costs17,615
5
$53.44
$4.45
1,468
$78,386.75 or $78,387.
 Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart B (Foreign Reporting) The second component of this information collection request covers the requirements found in part 579 subpart B, “Reporting of Safety Recalls and Other Safety Campaigns in Foreign Countries.” Pursuant to § 579.11, whenever a manufacturer determines to conduct a safety recall or other safety campaign in a foreign country, or whenever a foreign government has determined that a safety recall or other safety campaign must be conducted, covering a motor vehicle, item of motor vehicle equipment, or tire that is identical or substantially similar to a vehicle, item of equipment, or tire sold or offered for sale in the United States, the manufacturer must report to NHTSA not later than 5 working days after the manufacturer makes such determination or receives written notification of the foreign government's determination. Section 579.11(e) also requires each manufacturer of motor vehicles to submit, not later than November 1 of each year, a document that identifies foreign products and their domestic counterparts. To provide the information required for foreign safety campaigns, manufacturers must (1) determine whether vehicles or equipment that are covered by a foreign safety recall or other safety campaign are identical or substantially similar to vehicles or equipment sold in the United States, (2) prepare and submit reports of these campaigns to the agency, and (3) where a determination or notice has been made in a language other than English, translate the determination or notice into English before transmitting it to the agency. NHTSA estimates that there is no burden associated with determining whether an individual safety recall covers a foreign motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment that is identical or substantially similar to those sold in the United States because manufacturers can simply consult the list that they are required to submit each year. Therefore, the only burden associated with determining whether a foreign safety recall or other safety campaign is required to be reported to NHTSA is the burden associated with creating the annual list. NHTSA continues to estimate that it takes approximately 9 hours per manufacturer to develop and submit the list. The 9 hours are comprised of 8 attorney hours and 1 hour for IT work. NHTSA receives these lists from 99 manufacturers, on average, resulting in 891 burden hours (99 vehicle manufacturers × 8 hours for attorney support = 792 hours) + (99 vehicle manufacturers × 1 hour for IT support = 99 hours). NHTSA estimates that preparing and submitting each foreign defect report (foreign recall campaign) requires 1 hour of clerical staff and that translation of determinations into English requires 2 hours of technical staff (note: This assumes that all foreign campaign reports require translation, which is unlikely). Between 2021 and 2023 NHTSA received a yearly average of 262 foreign campaign reports. NHTSA estimates that in each of the next three years, NHTSA will receive, on average, 262 foreign recall reports. NHTSA estimates that each report will take 3 hours (1 hour to prepare by a clerical employee and 2 hours for translation). Therefore, NHTSA estimates that the burden hours associated with submitting these reports will be 786 hours (3 hours per report × 262 reports). Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total annual burden hours for reporting foreign campaigns and substantially similar vehicles is 1,677 hours (891 hours for submitting annual lists + 786 hours for submitting foreign recall and safety campaign reports). This is an increase of 87 burden hours from our previous estimate (1,677 hours for the current estimate—1,590 hours for the previous estimate). Table 2 provides a summary of the estimated burden hours for Part 579 Subpart B submissions.
                    ( print page 77231) Table 2—Burden Hour Estimates for Foreign Reporting
Submission type
Annual
                             number of 
                             submissions
Burden hours per report
Total burden hoursForeign Campaign Report
262
1 hour clerical + 2 hours translation = 3 hours
786Annual List
99
8 hours attorney + 1 hour IT = 9 hours
891Total


1,677
 To calculate the labor cost associated with Part 579 foreign reporting submissions, NHTSA looked at wage estimates for the type of personnel submitting the documents. As stated above, NHTSA estimates that submitting annual lists under § 579.11(e) will involve 8 hours of attorney time and 1 hour of IT work. The average hourly wage for Lawyers (BLS Occupation code 23-1000) in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $112.21.[3]
                    
                     After applying the 70.4 percent ECEC adjustment, NHTSA estimates the hourly labor costs for manufacturers to be $159.39 for Lawyers. The ECEC adjusted hourly cost for Computer Support Specialists (BLS Occupation code 15-1230) in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $53.44 as reviewed in the discussion of Table 1 data in the Subpart A reporting burden analysis. NHTSA estimates the incremental labor cost associated with submitting each annual list to be $1,328.56 or $1,329 ($159.39 per hour × 8 attorney hours + $53.44 per hour × 1 IT hour), resulting in an estimated annual labor cost of $131,527 for submitting all 99 annual lists each year. NHTSA estimates that submitting each foreign recall or safety campaign report involves 1 hour of clerical work and 2 hours of translation work. The average hourly wage for Office Clerks (BLS Occupation code 43-9061) in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $26.65 [4]
                    
                     and the average hourly wage for Interpreters and Translators (BLS Occupation code 27-3091) is $30.33.[5]
                    
                     Therefore, NHTSA estimates the ECEC adjusted hourly labor costs to be $37.86 for Office Clerks and $43.08 for Interpreters and Translators. NHTSA estimates the total labor cost associated with submitting one foreign recall or safety campaign report to be $124.02 or $124 ($37.86 per hour × 1 Clerical hour + $43.08 per hour × 2 Translator hours) and $32,493.24 or $32,493 for all 262 foreign recall or safety campaign reports NHTSA estimates will be submitted annually. Table 3 provides a summary of the labor costs associated with the foreign reporting requirements in part 579, subpart B. NHTSA estimates that the total labor costs associated with the annual list requirement and the requirement to report foreign recalls and safety campaigns is $164,020.68 or $164,021 ($131,527.44 + $32,493.24). Table 3—Annual Labor Cost Estimates for Foreign Reporting
Submission type and labor category
Hours per
                             submission
Hourly labor cost
Labor cost per submission
Number of submissions
Total labor costAnnual List-Lawyer
8
$159.39
$1,275.12
99
$126,236.88Annual List-Computer Specialist
1
53.44
53.44
99
5,290.56Totals for Annual List
9

1,328.56

131,527.44Foreign Campaign Report-Clerical
1
37.86
37.86
262
9,919.32Foreign Campaign Report-Translator
2
43.08
86.16
262
22,573.92Totals for Foreign Campaign Report
3

124.02

32,493.24Total Labor Costs for Part 579 Subpart B Requirements




164,020.68
                             or 164,021
 Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart C, Reporting of Early Warning Information The third component of this information collection covers the requirements found in part 579 subpart C, “Reporting of Early Warning Information.” Besides production information, there are five major categories requiring reporting of incidents or claims in Subpart C, with the specific requirements and applicability of those categories varying by vehicle and equipment type and, in some circumstances, manufacturer volume. Sections 579.21-27 require manufacturers to submit the following: (1) Production information; (2) reports on incidents involving death or injury in the United States that are identified in claims or notices alleging that the death or injury was caused by a possible defect; (3) reports on incidents identified in a claim against a manufacturer that involve one or more deaths in a foreign country and involve 
                    ( print page 77232)
                    a vehicle or item of equipment that is identical or substantially similar to a vehicle or item of equipment that is offered for sale in the United States; (4) separate reports on the number of property damage claims, consumer complaints, warranty claims, and field reports that involve a specified system or event; (5) copies of field reports; and, for manufacturers of tires, (6) a list of common green tires (applicable to only tire manufacturers). Section 579.28(l) allows NHTSA to request additional information to help identify a defect related to motor vehicle safety. The regulation specifies the time frame for reporting for each category. Foreign recalls of substantially similar vehicles and manufacturer communications are required to be submitted monthly, substantially similar vehicle listings are required annually, and all other report types are required to be submitted every quarter. Quarterly Reporting Manufacturers are required to report specific information to NHTSA every quarter. Manufacturers are required to submit production information,[6]
                    
                     non-dealer field reports, aggregate submissions, and death and injury submissions every quarter. Estimates of the burden hours and reporting costs are based on: The number of manufacturers reporting;
                The frequency of required reports;
                The number of hours required per report; and
                The cost of personnel to report. The number of hours for reporting ranges from 1 hour for trailer, child restraint, low volume vehicle, and equipment manufacturers to 8 hours for light vehicle manufacturers (Table 4). Quarterly reporting burden hours are calculated by multiplying hours used to report for a given category by the number of manufacturers for the category and by the four times per year quarterly reporting. Using these methods and the average number of manufacturers who report annually, we estimate the annual burden hours for quarterly reporting of production information at 4,176 hours as detailed below in Table 4. NHTSA assumes that the hourly wage rate for each quarterly report is split evenly between technical and clerical personnel and a weighted hourly rate is developed from this assumption. Therefore, using the BLS total hourly compensation rates discussed above of $53.44 for a Computer Support Specialist and $37.86 for an Office Clerk, the weighted hourly rate is $45.65 (Technical Mean Hourly Wage of $53.44 × 0.5 + Clerical Mean Hourly Wage of $37.86 × 0.5). The estimated reporting costs are calculated as follows: (M × Tp
                         × $45.65) = Quarterly cost of reporting × 4 = Annual cost of reporting * * M = Manufacturers reporting data in the category; Tp
                         = Reporting time for the category; $45.65 = Reporting labor cost compensation rate; 4 = Quarterly reports per year For example, the estimated reporting cost for light vehicles is $59,892.80 (41 manufacturers × 8 hours × $45.65 compensation rate × 4 quarters), and the total annual labor costs associated with quarterly reporting are estimated to be $190,634. Table 4 includes the estimated burden hours and reporting costs for production information, non-dealer field reports, aggregate submissions, and death and injury submissions, as well as the quarterly and annual labor costs associated with reporting. Table 4—Estimated Manufacturer Annual Burden Hours and Labor Costs for Quarterly Reporting
Vehicle/equipment category
Average
                             number of 
                             manufacturers
Quarterly hours to 
                             report per 
                             manufacturer
Blended hourly comp. rate
Quarterly labor costs per
                             manufacturer
Annual burden hours for
                             reporting
Annual labor costsLight Vehicles
41
8
$45.65
$365.20
1,312
$59,892.80Medium-Heavy Vehicles
41
5
45.65
228.25
820
37,433.00Buses
30
5
45.65
228.25
600
27,390.00Emergency Vehicles
9
5
45.65
228.25
180
8,217.00Motorcycles
16
2
45.65
91.30
128
5,843.20Trailers
91
1
45.65
45.65
364
16,616.60Child Restraints
35
1
45.65
45.65
140
6,391.00Tires
31
5
45.65
228.25
620
28,303.00Low Volume & Equipment 7
3
1
45.65
45.65
12
1,095.60Totals
297



4,176
190,634.40
                             or 190,634
 Early Warning Reporting Field Data Submissions Table
                    
                     5 provides an average annual submission count for each category submitted per the requirements of 49 CFR part 579, subpart C: reports on incidents identified in claims or notices involving death or injury in the United States; reports on incidents involving one or more deaths in a foreign country identified in claims involving a vehicle or item of equipment that is identical or substantially similar to a vehicle or item of equipment that is offered for sale in the United States; separate reports on the number of property damage claims, consumer complaints, warranty claims, and field reports that involve a specified system or event; copies of field reports; and, for manufacturers of tires; a list of common green tires; and additional follow-up information per 579.28(l) related to injury and fatality claims. Each reporting category has specific requirements and types of reports that need to be submitted and we state “N/A” where there is no requirement for that reporting category. 
 
 Table 5—Annual Average of EWR Submissions by Manufacturers
[2021-2023]
Category of claims
Light vehicles § 579.21
Bus,
                             emergency, 
                             heavy, & 
                             medium 
                             vehicles 
                             § 579.22
Motorcycles § 579.23
Trailers § 579.24
Child
                             restraints 
                             § 579.25
Tires § 579.26
Low volume vehicles & equipment § 579.27
TotalsIncidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S
6,338
223
109
44
133
35
11
6,893Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country
38
0
2
1
0
0
0
41Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System or Event
7,985
831
23
55
NA
298
NA
9,192Mfr. Field Reports
83,360
18,650
1,456
81
2,859
NA
NA
106,406Common Green Tire Reporting
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
99
NA
99Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l)
1,425
91
67
14
64
44
13
1,718Totals
99,146
19.795
1,657
195
3,056
476
24
124,349
 The submission totals summarized in Table 5 represent a 10 percent increase from the currently approved information collection with two reporting categories responsible for all of the increase. Submission totals increased for manufacturer field reports and follow-up sequence inquiries conducted per § 579.28(l) but saw a net decrease of 34 percent for the other four categories combined. Average annual injury and fatality claims in the United States dropped from 11,887 to 6,893 claims per year, a 42 percent decrease; foreign death claims dropped from 330 to 41 per year, an 88 percent decrease; claims involving specific systems or events dropped from 12,212 to 9,192, a 25 percent decrease; and common green tire reports dropped from 112 to 99 per year, a 12 percent decrease. Manufacturer field reports, which accounted for the majority of submissions in both the current and prior approved information collection requests, rose from 88,409 to 106,406 per year, a 20 percent increase.[8]
                    
                     Death and injury follow-up sequence inquiries conducted per § 579.28(l) saw a much larger change, rising from 190 to 1,718 average incident inquiries per year, an increase of 804 percent. The net effect of these changes was an increase from 113,140 to 124,349 submissions per year on average. The agency estimates that an average of 5 minutes is required for a manufacturer to process each report, except for foreign death claims and follow-up responses. We estimate foreign death claims and follow-up responses per § 579.28(l) require an average of 15 minutes to process. Multiplying the total average number of minutes by the number of submissions NHTSA receives in each reporting category yields the burden hour estimates found below in Table 6. Our previous estimates of EWR associated submission burden hours totaled 9,515 hours, and we now update that total to 10,655 burden hours, a 12 percent increase, associated with the above noted claim categories. Table 6—Annual Manufacturer Burden Hour Estimates for EWR Submissions
Category of claims
Annual
                             average of 
                             EWR 
                             submissions
Average time
                             to process 
                             each report
Estimated
                             annual 
                             burden hoursIncidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S
6,893
5
574Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country
41
15
10Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System or Event
9,192
5
766Mfr. Field Reports
106,406
5
8,867Common Green Tire Reporting
99
5
8Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l)
1,718
15
430Totals
124,349

10,655
 We have also calculated hourly labor costs for each claim type with an incremental reporting burden based on time to process and labor costs for employee positions required for processing each submission. Table 7 shows the employee positions required for processing submissions for each claim type, the time required for each position to process each submission, and the weighted hourly rates for each claim type. The employee positions analyzed in Table 7 include three that have been introduced in prior sections of this information collection request: Lawyers (BLS Occupation code 23-1000), Computer Support Specialists (BLS Occupation code 15-1230), and Office Clerks (BLS Occupation code 43-9061).[9]
                    
                     Cost analysis for Computer Support Specialists was provided in the discussion of Table 1 data for Subpart A labor costs analysis and analyses for Lawyers and Office Clerks were provided in the discussion of Table 3 data for Subpart B labor cost burden analysis. Labor cost analysis for 
                    ( print page 77234)
                    Engineers (BLS Occupation code 17-2000) is introduced in Table 7. The average hourly wage for Engineers in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $52.56.[10]
                    
                     After applying the 70.4 percent ECEC adjustment, NHTSA estimates the hourly labor costs for manufacturers to be $74.66 for Engineers. Table 7 shows the weighted hourly rates for each submission claim type. Table 7—Estimated Manufacturer Time Allocation by Claim Type and Weighted Hourly Rate
Claim type
Estimated time (in minutes) to review a claim
Weighted
                             hourly rateLawyer
                             (rate: $159.39)
Engineer
                             (rate: $74.66)
Technical
                             (rate: $53.44)
Clerical
                             (rate: $37.86)
Total timeIncidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S
3
0
0
2
5
$110.78Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country
3
10
0
2
15
86.70Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System or Event
0
0
3
2
5
47.21Mfr. Field Reports
0
0
3
2
5
47.21Common Green Tire Reporting
0
0
0
5
5
37.86Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l)
3
10
0
2
15
86.70
 These rates are calculated by summing the weighted employer costs for each employee position required to review each submission claim type using the formula:  The annual labor costs for submissions of claims data are shown in Table 8. Labor Cost per Submission is the product of the Average Time to Process Each Report and the Weight Hourly Rate calculated in Table 7. Annual labor cost is the product of the labor cost per submission and the average annual submissions. Table 8—Estimated EWR Annual Labor Costs by Category
Category of claims
Annual
                             average of 
                             EWR 
                             submissions
Average time
                             to process 
                             each report
Weighted
                             hourly rate
Estimated
                             labor cost 
                             per 
                             submission
Estimated
                             annual labor 
                             costIncidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S
6,893
5
$110.78
$9.23
$63,633.88Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country
41
15
86.70
21.68
888.68Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System or Event
9,192
5
47.21
3.93
36,162.86Mfr. Field Reports
106,406
5
47.21
3.93
418,618.94Common Green Tire Reporting
99
5
37.86
3.16
312.35Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l)
1,718
15
86.70
21.68
37,237.65Totals
124,349



556,854.35
                             or 556,854
 The total annual manufacturer burden hours for subpart C reporting of EWR data (Sections 579.21-28) is calculated by summing the burden hour estimates for quarterly reporting in Table 4 (4,176 hours) and submission reporting in Table 6 (10,655 hours). This produces an EWR annual burden hour estimate of 14,831 hours. The total annual labor cost for subpart C reporting is calculated by summing the labor cost estimates in Table 4 ($190,634.40) and Table 8 ($556,854.35), producing a total annual labor cost estimate for Subpart C reporting of $747,488.75 or $747,489. Computer Maintenance Burden In addition to the burden associated with submitting documents under each subpart of Part 579, NHTSA also estimates that manufacturers will incur computer maintenance burden hours associated with the information collection requirements. The estimated manufacturer burden hours associated with aggregate data submissions for consumer complaints, warranty claims, and dealer field reports are included in reporting and computer maintenance hours. The burden hours for computer maintenance are calculated by multiplying the hours of computer use (for a given category) by the number of manufacturers reporting in a category. NHTSA estimates that light vehicle manufacturers will spend approximately 347 hours per year on computer maintenance and that other vehicle manufacturers will spend about 22 percent as much time as light vehicle manufacturers on computer 
                    ( print page 77235)
                    maintenance. Therefore, NHTSA estimates that medium-heavy truck, trailer, motorcycle manufacturers, emergency vehicle, and bus manufacturers will each spend approximately 86.5 hours on computer maintenance each year. NHTSA estimates that tire manufacturers and child restraint manufacturers will also spend 86.5 hours on computer maintenance per year. Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total burden for computer maintenance to be 36,112 hours per year (based on there being an estimated 41 light vehicle manufacturers, 41 medium-heavy vehicle manufacturers, 91 trailer manufacturers, 16 motorcycle manufacturers, 9 emergency vehicle manufacturers, 30 bus manufacturers, 31 tire manufacturers, and 35 child restraint manufactures). To calculate the labor cost associated with computer maintenance hours, NHTSA looked at wage estimates for the type of personnel submitting the documents. The ECEC adjusted average hourly wage for Computer Support Specialists (BLS Occupation code 15-1230) in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $53.44 as reviewed in the discussion of Table 1 data in the Subpart A reporting burden analysis. For the estimated total of 36,112 annual computer maintenance burden hours, NHTSA estimates the associated labor costs will be approximately $1,929,799. Table 9 shows the annual estimated burden hours for computer maintenance by vehicle/equipment category and the estimated labor costs associated with those burden hours. Table 9—Estimated Manufacturer Annual Burden Hours for Computer Maintenance for Reporting
Vehicle/equipment category
Average
                             number of 
                             manufacturers
Hours for
                             computer 
                             maintenance 
                             per 
                             manufacturer
Average
                             hourly labor cost
Annual labor cost per
                             manufacturer
Total annual burden hours
Total annual
                             labor costsLight vehicles
41
347
$53.44
$18,543.68
14,227
$760,290.88Medium-Heavy Vehicles
41
86.5
53.44
4,622.56
3,547
189,524.96Buses
30
86.5
53.44
4,622.56
2,595
138,676.80Emergency Vehicles
9
86.5
53.44
4,622.56
779
41,603.04Motorcycles
16
86.5
53.44
4,622.56
1,384
73,960.96Trailers
91
86.5
53.44
4,622.56
7,872
420,652.96Child Restraints
35
86.5
53.44
4,622.56
3,028
161,789.60Tires
31
86.5
53.44
4,622.56
2,682
143,299.36Totals




36,112
$1,929,798.56
                             or $1,929,799
 Based on the foregoing, we estimate the burden hours for industry to comply with the current part 579 reporting requirements (EWR requirements, foreign campaign requirements and part 579.5 requirements) to be 54,088 hours per year. The total annual burden hours, labor costs, and changes from for this information collection consisting of manufacturer communications under section 579.5 (subpart A), foreign reporting (subpart B), EWR submissions and reporting (subpart C), and computer maintenance are outlined in Table 10 below. Table 10—Total Manufacturer Burden Hours and Labor Costs
Reporting type
Currently approved part 579
                             information collection request
Pending part 579 information collection request
Changes in burden hours and labor costsAnnual burden hours
Annual labor costs
Annual burden hours
Annual labor costs
Annual burden hours
Annual labor costsSubpart A: Manufacturer Communications § 579.5 (Table 1)
2,074
$92,817
1,468
$78,387
* (606)
* ($14,430)Subpart B: Foreign Reporting (Tables 2 & 3)
1,590
139,464
1,677
164,021
87
24,557Subpart C: EWR Submissions and Quarterly Reporting (Tables 4 & 6/8)
14,731
621,260
14,831
747,489
100
126,229Computer Maintenance (Table 9)
35,415
1,585,861
36,112
1,929,799
697
343,938Total
53,810
2,439,402
54,088
2,919,696
278
480,294* Reduction from currently approved ICR.
 The burden estimates show overall increases in annual burden hours of 278 hours and annual labor costs of $480,294 from the Part 579 information collection request approved in April 2022. These represent increases of 0.5 percent in burden hours and 19.7 percent in labor costs. The changes in annual burden hours are due to changes in the number of submissions in Tables 1, 2, and 6 and changes in the number of manufacturers reporting in each category in Tables 4 and 9. The changes in annual labor costs are attributed to changes in burden hours as well as changes in labor costs for the manufacturer employee positions required for reporting Part 579 information. The wage estimates have been adjusted to reflect the latest available rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. *Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost:*
                     NHTSA estimates the collection requires no additional costs to the respondents beyond the labor costs associated with the burden hours to 
                    ( print page 77236)
                    collect and submit the reports to NHTSA and the labor hours and associated labor costs for computer maintenance. *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. Eileen Sullivan, Associate Administrator, Enforcement.


# Footnotes

1.
    
                         May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage Estimates—Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer Support Analyst (Code 15-1230), $37.62, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​oes/​2023/​may/​naics4_​336100.htm#15-0000,*
                         divided by 70.4 percent for total employer costs for employee compensation, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​news.release/​archives/​ecec_​03132024.pdf.*
                         Last Accessed August 12, 2024. Back to Citation
 2.
    
                         March 2024 News Release—Employer Costs for Employee Compensation—December 2023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last Accessed August 12, 2024. Back to Citation
 3.
    
                         May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage Estimates,—Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lawyers (Code 23-1011), $112.21, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​oes/​2023/​may/​naics4_​336100.htm#23-0000,*
                         divided by 70.4 percent for total employer costs for employee compensation, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​news.release/​archives/​ecec_​03132024.pdf.*
                         Last Accessed August 12, 2024. Back to Citation
 4.
    
                         May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage Estimates—Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office Clerks (Code 43-9061), $26.65, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​oes/​2023/​may/​naics4_​336100.htm#43-0000,*
                         divided by 70.4 percent for total employer costs for employee compensation, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​news.release/​archives/​ecec_​03132024.pdf.*
                         Last Accessed August 12, 2024. Back to Citation
 5.
    
                         May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates United States, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Interpreters and Translators (Code 27-3091), $30.33, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​oes/​2023/​may/​oes273091.htm,*
                         divided by 70.4 percent for total employer costs for employee compensation, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​news.release/​archives/​ecec_​03132024.pdf.*
                         Last Accessed August 12, 2024. Back to Citation
 6.
    
                         Low volume and equipment manufacturers are not required to submit production information. Back to Citation
 7.
    
                         Reporting requirements for low volume vehicle and equipment manufacturers are limited to reporting fatal incidents in the United States and foreign countries and responding to inquiries about those incidents, see § 579.27 and § 579.28(l). Table 4 manufacturer counts are calculated by dividing the number of total manufacturer reporting quarters (1 manufacturer reporting in 1 quarter = 1 manufacturer reporting quarter) by 4 quarters to show the number of equivalent full manufacturer reporting years (4 manufacturer reporting quarters). Back to Citation
 8.
    
                         Manufacturer field reports rose from 78 percent of EWR submissions in the currently approved information collection to 86 percent of submissions in the current information collection request. Back to Citation
 9.
    
                         Table 7 references Computer Support Specialists as “Technical” and Office Clerks as “Clerical”. Back to Citation
 10.
    
                         May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage Estimates—Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Engineers (Code 17-2000), $52.56, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​oes/​2023/​may/​naics4_​336100.htm#17-0000,*
                         divided by 70.4 percent for total employer costs for employee compensation, 
                        *https://www.bls.gov/​news.release/​archives/​ecec_​03132024.pdf.*
                         Last Accessed August 12, 2024. Back to Citation


[FR Doc. 2024-21509 Filed 9-19-24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-59-P