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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 91884-91887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27043]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0004]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Prevalence of 
Road Users: 2025

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

ACTION: Notice and request for public comment on proposed new 
collection of information.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
invites public comments about our intention to request approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new 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 for a 
National Roadside Survey (NRS) of alcohol and other drug prevalence 
among drivers and other road users (ORUs; e.g., pedestrians, 
bicyclists, electric scooter riders, and those with mobility aids. 
NHTSA will conduct two studies. Study 1 will focus on drivers but 
include

[[Page 91885]]

convenience sampling of ORUs passing by the driver data collection 
locations. Study 2 is a pilot test assessing the feasibility of an NRS 
specific to ORUs. Both will collect breath and oral fluid specimens, 
demographic information, and self-report questionnaire data on roads 
across the country. Participation will be voluntary and anonymous.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 21, 2025.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket No. NHTSA-2024-
0004 using any of the following methods:

     Electronic submissions: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 
366-9322 before coming.
    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. Please see the Privacy Act heading 
below.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search 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 internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access 
to background documents, contact Ms. Amy Berning, Contracting Officer's 
Representative, Office of Behavioral Safety Research (NPD-310), (202) 
366-5587, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (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 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, for example, 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: National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Prevalence of 
Road Users: 2025.
    OMB Control Number: New.
    Form Numbers: NHTSA Form 1762, NHTSA Form 1763, and NHTSA Form 
1764.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Type of Review Requested: Regular.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of 
approval.

Summary of the Collection of Information

    NHTSA is seeking approval to conduct two studies. Study 1 will 
focus on drivers but include convenience sampling of ORUs passing by 
the data collection locations. Study 2 is a Pilot Test assessing the 
feasibility of an NRS specific to ORUs. Both will collect breath and 
oral fluid specimens, demographic information, and self-report 
questionnaire data on roads across the country. Participation will be 
voluntary and anonymous.
    Study 1 will recruit drivers at the roadside to test for alcohol 
and other selected drugs known, or suspected, to impair cognitive and 
motor skills important for driving safety. The study will operate data 
collection research teams across the country to collect breath samples, 
oral fluid specimens, and questionnaire data to be analyzed to achieve 
NHTSA's research objectives. The study will allow NHTSA to estimate the 
population-level prevalence of alcohol- and other drug-positive driving 
on roadways in the U.S. for the selected days and times. Information 
will also be requested from other road users who pass by the Study 1 
data collection locations.
    Study 2 examines the viability of a stand-alone roadside nationwide 
survey focused solely on ORUs. This effort uses 20 new data collection 
locations, inclusive of 4 PSUs with 5 locations in each. This effort is 
to inform NHTSA on the feasibility of such a targeted roadside survey, 
and to determine the level of effort to execute a nationwide study of 
ORUs. The same procedures as Study 1 will be used.

Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information

    NHTSA was established to reduce 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 for the development of traffic safety programs. Subchapter V 
of Chapter 301 of Title 49 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) 
authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to conduct motor vehicle 
safety research. 49 U.S.C. 30182. Pursuant to Section 1.95 of Title 49 
of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the Secretary has delegated 
this authority to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
(NHTSA). Additionally, Title 23, United States Code, Chapter 4, Section 
403 gives the Secretary of Transportation (NHTSA by delegation) 
authorization to use funds appropriated to conduct research and 
development activities. 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. Current data is essential to 
develop appropriate approaches to improve traffic safety. This is 
especially true for information on impaired driving, both for alcohol, 
and for drug use and driving where data is much more limited.
    Drugs affect biology, perception, psychomotor ability, and 
behavior. With the exception of alcohol, however, relatively little is 
known about the

[[Page 91886]]

prevalence of drugged driving currently on U.S. roadways because of the 
complexities associated with collecting, analyzing, and reporting 
information on other drug use. Given the number of States legalizing 
medicinal and/or recreational use of cannabis, and other issues such as 
the apparent increase in opioid use in the U.S., more information is 
needed on the level of alcohol-involved and other drug-involved driving 
on the nation's roadways to better inform NHTSA's countermeasure 
development efforts.
    NHTSA and other traffic safety stakeholders have sought to learn 
about these issues through varied methodological approaches. For Study 
1, researchers will collaborate with State and local officials to 
collect data at the roadside at 300 roadway locations (60 primary 
sampling units [PSUs], also known as ``sites,'' with 5 roadway 
locations each) across the country. Roadside surveys such as this 
provide objective measures of alcohol and other drugs in drivers' 
systems at the time they are actually driving, based on tests results 
from breath samples and oral fluid samples collected using established 
sample collection methods. All samples will then be tested, and results 
confirmed by a leading forensic by a leading forensic toxicology 
laboratory. This approach will allow for the estimation of alcohol and 
other drug prevalence among the non-crash-involved general driving 
population in the U.S. for the selected days and times studied.
    Study 1 also explores whether it is possible to collect information 
from ORUs encountered at the driver data collection locations including 
individuals in transit on foot, on a bicycle, electric scooter, or with 
a mobility aid.
    Study 2 is a separate test to determine the viability of a stand-
alone roadside survey focused solely on ORUs (i.e., excluding drivers) 
to estimate the population level prevalence of alcohol and other drug 
use among other road user types for specified days and times. Study 2 
will select 20 new data collection locations to recruit a convenience 
sample of ORUs.
    The results of this project will assist NHTSA as the agency 
develops its programmatic activities aimed at reducing crashes and 
fatalities that may be associated with the use of alcohol and/or other 
drugs. It is expected the results of this study will be compared to 
future studies to monitor alcohol and other drug prevalence trends over 
time on the nation's roadways.
    Frequency of Collection: Both Study 1 and Study 2 are one-time data 
collections. Because 5 data collection locations are located in each 
PSU, there is a remote chance an individual could participate more than 
once in either effort. Because data collection is anonymous, it will 
not be possible to know if an individual participates more than once. 
However, this is not likely and not expected, as potential participants 
will not know data collection locations or times ahead of time, and the 
time at any location will be limited.
    Affected Public: Study 1 will recruit volunteers who are drivers of 
passenger motor vehicles on active roadways at the 300 selected 
sampling locations. ORUs passing by the Study 1 data collection 
locations will also be recruited to participate. The site and location 
sampling are based on recruitment of drivers. For ORUs, participants 
will be recruited to the extent they are available at the locations.
    Study 2 will focus specifically on ORUs (i.e., excluding drivers) 
at 20 new sampling locations across 4 PSUs to assess the feasibility of 
conducting a stand-alone nationwide roadside survey on these vulnerable 
road user populations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Study 1 expects to contact 
approximately 11,750 drivers with 9,000 agreeing to participate. Based 
on the last NRS results, it is expected 8,000 drivers will fully 
participate and 1,000 will partially participate (i.e., stops providing 
information before full data collection is complete). Study 1 also 
expects to contact 750 ORUs at the Study 1 data collection locations 
with 500 fully participating and 60 partially participating.
    Study 2 of only ORUs expects to contact approximately 750 
individuals with 500 fully participating and 60 partially 
participating.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The total annual burden hours 
for the two studies is estimated to be 531 hours. The total amount of 
burden across both studies combined is estimated to be 1,593 hours. 
This includes approximately 1,500 hours for the 9,000 participants 
(8,000 Study 1 drivers, 500 Study 1 ORUs, 500 Study 2 ORUs) who will 
fully participate. The expected completion time for each individual is 
10 minutes. The remaining 93 hours is for the 1,120 people who will 
partially participate (1,000 Study 1 drivers, 60 Study 1 ORUs, 60 Study 
2 ORUs). It is expected these individuals will spend 5 minutes on 
average for partial participation.
    The total amount of burden cost to respondents to participate 
across both studies is estimated to be $72,640 (see Table 1). The total 
annual burden cost to respondents is $24,213.

                  Table 1--Summary of Total Burden Hours and Estimated Costs by Respondent Type
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                                                                   Hourly wage +
                                     Number of      Minutes per     30% fringe         Total         Estimated
       Type of  respondent          respondents     respondent       ($35.07 +       estimated         cost
                                                                     $10.52)*      burden  hours
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Study 1 (NRS):
    Driver fully participates...           8,000              10          $45.59        1,333.33      $60,786.51
    Driver partially                       1,000               5           45.59           83.33        3,799.01
     participates...............
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............       64,585.52
    ORU fully participates......             500              10           45.59           83.33        3,799.01
    ORU partially participates..              60               5           45.59               5          227.95
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Subtotal................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............        4,026.96
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Total...............  ..............  ..............  ..............        1,504.99       68,612.48
                                                                                         (1,505)        (68,612)
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Study 2 (ORU Pilot):
    ORU fully participates......             500              10           45.59           83.33        3,799.01

[[Page 91887]]

 
    ORU partially participates..              60               5           45.59               5          227.95
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Total...............  ..............  ..............  ..............           88.33        4,026.96
                                                                                            (88)         (4,027)
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Both Studies Combined:
    Fully participates..........           9,000              10           45.59        1,500.00       68,385.00
    Partially participates......           1,120               5           45.59           93.33        4,254.91
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Grand Total.........          10,120  ..............  ..............        1,593.33       72,639.91
                                                                                         (1,593)        (72,640)
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* See July 2024 total private average hourly wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t19.htm; Fully loaded wage is inclusive of a 30% addition to the base hourly
  wage to account for fringe benefits.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: Participation in this study is 
voluntary and there are no costs to respondents beyond the time spent 
hearing about the study and participating in data collection if they 
decide to participate. Participants will incur no burden related to 
annual reporting or record keeping due to the collection of this new 
information.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspects of 
this information collection, including (i) 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; (ii) the accuracy of the Department's estimate 
of the burden of the proposed information collection; (iii) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (iv) 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 1351.29.

Nanda Narayanan Srinivasan,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2024-27043 Filed 11-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
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