[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19573-19576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06986]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2022-0031]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and Non-Traffic 
Surveillance (NTS)

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a request for extension with 
modification of a currently approved information collection.

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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 an extension 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 two collection of information for which NHTSA 
intends to seek OMB approval that collect data on motor vehicle crashes 
involving fatalities.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 3, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2022-0031 through any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Electronic submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    <bullet> 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. To be sure someone is there to help 
you, please call (202) 366-9322 before coming.
    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 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 Barbara Rhea, State Data Reporting 
Systems Division (NSA-120), (202) 366-2714, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, Room W53-304, U.S. Department of Transportation, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Please identify the 
relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB Control 
Number (2127-0006).

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 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: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and Non-Traffic 
Surveillance (NTS)
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0006.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Type of Review Requested: Regular.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: NHTSA is authorized by 49 
U.S.C. 30182 and 23 U.S.C. 403 to collect data on motor vehicle traffic 
crashes to aid in the identification of issues and the development, 
implementation, and evaluation of motor vehicle and highway safety 
countermeasures to reduce fatalities and the property damage associated 
with motor vehicle crashes. Using this authority, NHTSA established the 
Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the Non-Traffic Surveillance 
(NTS), which collect data on fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Among 
other things, the information aids in the establishment and enforcement 
of motor vehicle regulations and highway safety programs.
    The FARS is in its forty-sixth year of operation and is a census of 
all defined crashes involving fatalities. The FARS collects data from 
all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NHTSA 
established cooperative agreements with the 50 States, the District of 
Columbia and Puerto Rico to report a standard set of data on each fatal 
crash within their jurisdictions.

[[Page 19574]]

State employees extract and transcribe information from existing State 
files including police crash reports as well as driver license, vehicle 
registration, highway department, and vital statistics files. This 
collected information comprises a national database, Fatality Analysis 
Reporting System (FARS), that is NHTSA's and many States' principal 
means of tracking trends involving motor vehicle traffic fatalities and 
quantifying problems or potential problems in highway safety.
    The Non-Traffic Surveillance (NTS) is a data collection effort for 
collecting information about counts and details regarding fatalities 
and injuries that occur in non-traffic crashes and non-crash incidents. 
Non-traffic crashes are crashes that occur off a public trafficway 
(e.g. private roads, parking lots, or driveways), and non-crash 
incidents are incidents involving motor vehicles but without a crash 
scenario such as, carbon monoxide poisoning and hypo/hyperthermia. NTS 
non-traffic crash data are obtained through NHTSA's data collection 
efforts for the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS),\1\ the Crash 
Investigation Sampling System (CISS),\2\ and FARS. NTS also includes 
data outside of NHTSA's own data collections. NTS' non-crash injury 
data is based upon emergency department records from a special study 
conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National 
Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) All Injury Program. NTS 
non-crash fatality data is derived from death certificate information 
from the Centers for Disease Control's National Vital Statistics 
System.
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    \1\ NHTSA's information collection for CRSS is covered by the 
ICR with OMB Control No. 2127-0714.
    \2\ NHTSA's information collection for CISS is covered by the 
ICR with OMB Control No. 2127-0706.
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    Data is collected differently under each of NHTSA's three data 
collection efforts that feed into NTS. The CRSS and CISS data 
collection efforts obtain NTS applicable reports received from the 
sample sites during their normal data collection efforts for CRISS and 
CISS. The FARS data collection effort uncovers NTS applicable reports 
received from the State during their normal data collection activities 
for FARS. Therefore, the burden for NTS is included in each study's 
calculation. This notice only seeks comment on the part of the NTS data 
that comes from the FARS data collection effort.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information: NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and 
reduce economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. In order 
to accomplish this mission, NHTSA needs high-quality data on motor 
vehicle crashes. The FARS supports this mission by providing the agency 
with vital information about all crashes involving fatalities that 
occur on our nation's roadways. The FARS does this by collection 
national fatality information directly from existing State files and 
documents and aggregate them for research and analysis.
    FARS data is used extensively by all the NHTSA program and research 
offices, other DOT modes, States, and local jurisdictions. The highway 
research community uses the FARS data for trend analysis, problem 
identification, and program evaluation. Congress uses the FARS data for 
making decisions concerning safety programs. The FARS data are also 
available upon request to anyone interested in highway safety.
    Affected Public: States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 52.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    NHTSA has established cooperative agreements with the 50 States, 
the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to report a standard set of 
data on each fatal crash in their jurisdictions. State respondents 
report based on the occurrence of crashes involving fatalities. When a 
fatal crash occurs, State employees extract and transcribe information 
from existing files and input the information into FARS, with the 
frequency of reporting determined by the frequency of fatal crashes 
occurring in the respondent's jurisdiction.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 107,209.
    For both FARS and NTS, there are 52 respondents (50 States, the 
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico) reporting on approximately 
34,790 fatal crash cases per year. Of these cases, 34,205 are reported 
to FARS and approximately 585 are identified and reported as non-
traffic fatal crashes (NTS).
    The State employee (or employees depending on the number of fatal 
crashes per year occurring in the jurisdiction) acquires and codes the 
required information, as fatal crashes occur, in the FARS records-based 
system. For FARS, although there is only one information collection, 
NHTSA calculates the total burden using four burden categories: (1) 
FARS Manual Protocol Case Entry, (2) overhead burden for FARS in States 
without EDT, (3) FARS coding in States with EDT, and (4) FARS EDT 
mapping maintenance.

FARS Manual Protocol Case Entry

    NHTSA estimates that there are currently 33 States providing crash 
reports (including case materials) via manual protocol. For these 
respondents, NHTSA estimates that it takes analysts approximately 4.25 
hours to collect fatal crash information and code a FARS case entry in 
the FARS data entry system. This estimate is based on information, over 
a five-year period, of the average number of analysts, full- and part-
time, back-up analysts, FARS supervisors, and coding assistance 
respondents needed to complete an annual FARS file. NHTSA estimates 
that, on average, 16,205 cases are collected and coded annually using 
this access method. Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total annual burden 
associated with FARS Manual Protocol case entry to be approximately 
68,871 hours annually (16,205 cases x 4.25 hours = 68,871 hours).

FARS Manual Protocol In-Kind Process Support

    In addition to the time for each crash entry, some respondents 
using the FARS Manual Protocol are also expected to incur overhead 
burden time. NHTSA estimates that 8 States provide overhead support and 
that the total annual burden for this support is 2,000 hours, or an 
average of 250 hours per respondent. This burden includes hours spent 
by supervisors and State managers responding to and supporting FARS 
operations that are not accounted for in the coding hours every year, 
including supporting data acquisition and other associated tasks.

FARS EDT Mapping Maintenance

    NHTSA estimates that there are approximately 19 States already 
participating in Electronic Data Transfer (EDT). For these respondents, 
PAR data is automatically transferred from the State's centralized 
crash database to NHTSA's CDAN system. The crash data is then 
prepopulated in NHTSA's crash data systems, including FARS.
    NHTSA estimates the burden to maintain the protocol is estimated at 
two hours per State (respondent) or a total of 38 hours per year (19 
States x 2 hours). This represents time to monitor case quality and 
timeliness, conduct quality control processes, and maintain 
communications with NHTSA and its contractors to ensure accurate data 
transfer. The specific task associated with this maintenance of effort 
is referred to as ``mapping''. Upon becoming an EDT State, the 
respondent

[[Page 19575]]

participates in an initial mapping process. The process requires an 
alignment between the State Specific Coding Instructions and the FARS 
Coding and Validation guidance.\3\ During quality control processes, 
which are conducted year-round, data anomalies may be detected, at 
which time action must be taken to review and ultimately correct the 
shifts in the data. This process, while managed by the Office of Data 
Acquisition, requires concurrence from the respondent, which is what 
the burden represents.
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    \3\ The burden associated with this task is accounted for under 
NHTSA ICR that covers EDT (OMB Control Number 2127-0753).
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FARS EDT Manual Case Entry for Supporting Case Materials

    Participation in EDT reduces but does not eliminate the manual 
entry of data into FARS. Although information from PARs is pre-
populated into the system, EDT State respondents must still collect and 
enter supporting case materials, such as driver records, toxicology 
reports, death certificate information, and coroner's/medical examiners 
reports to complete a FARS case. NHTSA estimates that completing each 
case entry in an EDT States takes 2 hours, which is slightly less than 
half the time the process is estimated to take for non-EDT States. On 
average, NHTSA estimates that 18,000 FARS cases will have pre-populated 
data. Accordingly, NHTSA estimates the total burden associated with 
completing the FARS case entries for these cases to be 36,000 hours 
(18,000 cases x 2 hours).

Total Burden for FARS

    The collective and cumulative efforts of all 52 respondents results 
in an estimated annual burden of 106,909 hours (68,871 hours + 2,000 
hours + 38 hours + 36,000 hours). Table 1 provides a summary of the 
burden associated with FARS.

                          Table 1--Burden Category Estimates and Total Burden for FARS
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                                                                    Burden per
         Burden category               Cases       Participating     response        Hours per      Total hours
                                     processed      respondents       (hours)       respondent
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FARS EDT (mapping maintenance)..             N/A              19             N/A               2              38
FARS EDT Manual Case Entry                18,000              19            2.00           1,895          36,000
 (supporting case materials)....
FARS Manual Protocol Case Entry           16,205              33            4.25           2,087          68,871
 Process (including supporting
 case materials)................
FARS Manual Protocol In-kind                 N/A               8             N/A             250           2,000
 Process Support................
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    Total.......................          34,205              52            3.13        2,056.94         106,909
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NTS Data Collection

    Non-traffic fatal crashes are collected by approximately 25 States 
as part of the FARS data collection process. NHTSA estimates that it 
takes twelve hours per respondent annually to account for NTS cases. 
Therefore, NHTSA estimates that the total burden for NTS case 
identification and coding is 300 hours annually (25 respondents x 12 
hours).

Burden for FARS and NTS

    NHTSA estimates the total annual burden for the two information 
collections, FARS and NTS, is 107,209 hours per year (106,909 hours + 
300 hours). Table 2 provides a summary of the burdens for the two 
information collections.

                                  Table 2--Summary of Burdens for FARS and NTS
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                                                                    Burden per       Hours per     Total burden
     Information collection          Responses      Respondents      response       respondent        (hours)
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FARS............................          34,205              52            3.13        2,056.94         106,909
NTS.............................             585              25             0.5              12             300
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    Total.......................          34,790              52  ..............  ..............         107,209
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    The annual burden and associated costs for this information 
collection have increased from 106,244 to 107,209 hours due to the 
increase in the complexity of coding the FARS cases along with an 
increase in the number of fatal crashes across most jurisdictions, and 
accounting for the processing of the non-traffic fatalities. 
Furthermore, over the past two years, there has been an increase in 
staff turnover at the State level, adding an increase in administrative 
hours to provide for State field personnel turnover, training, and 
coding assistance to continue operations. This is an increase of 965 
hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $0.
    NHTSA estimates that there are no costs associated with this 
information collection other than labor costs associated with burden 
hours. This is a decrease of $100,000 from when NHTSA last sought 
approval for this information collection. The decrease in costs is a 
result of removing labor costs associated with labor hours that were 
incorrectly included in response to question 13, which was incorrect.
    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

[[Page 19576]]

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 1351.29.

Chou-Lin Chen,
Associate Administrator, National Center for Statistics and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2022-06986 Filed 4-1-22; 8:45 am]
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