[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 11 (Friday, January 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 2715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1130]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. 3240]


Notice of Request for Reinstatement of an Expired Information 
Collection; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, Accident 
Recordkeeping Requirements

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3051, 3506(c) (2) (A)), the FHWA is requesting public comment on 
its intent to ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to 
reinstate the expired information collection that documents information 
on commercial motor vehicle crashes (accidents) collected and 
maintained by motor carriers.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 17, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Signed, written comments should refer to the docket number 
that appears at the top of this document and must be submitted to the 
Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. All comments received will be available for 
examination at the above address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Those desiring 
notification of receipt of comments must include a self-addressed, 
stamped envelope or postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Deborah M. Freund, Office of Motor 
Carrier Research and Standards, (202) 366-4009, Department of 
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 
p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability

    Internet users can access all comments received by the U.S. DOT 
Dockets, Room PL-401, by using the universal resource locator (URL): 
http://dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each 
year. An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a 
modem and suitable communications software from the Federal Register 
electronic bulletin board service (telephone number: 202-512-1661). 
Internet users may reach the Federal Register's home page at: <a href="http://
www.nara.gov/nara/fedreg">http://
www.nara.gov/nara/fedreg</a> and the Government Printing Office's database 
at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su__docs.
    Title: Accident Recordkeeping Requirements.
    OMB Number: 2125-0526
    Background: Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 
390.15 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), 
requires motor carriers to make all records and information pertaining 
to crashes (accidents) available to an authorized representative or 
special agent of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) upon request 
or as part of an inquiry. For the purposes of Sec. 390.15, ``accident'' 
is defined as an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle 
operating on a public road in interstate or intrastate commerce which 
results in (1) A fatality; (2) bodily injury to a person who, as a 
result of the injury, receives medical treatment away from the scene of 
the accident; or (3) one or more motor vehicles incurring disabling 
damage as a result of the accident, requiring the motor vehicle to be 
transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other motor vehicle 
(49 CFR 390.5). Occurrences involving only boarding and alighting from 
a stationary motor vehicle or involving only the loading or unloading 
of cargo are not included in the definition.
    Motor carriers are required to maintain an accident register for 
one year after the date of the accident. The register must include a 
list of each accident. The information for each accident must include, 
at a minimum, the following elements: date of accident; city or town in 
which or most near where the accident occurred and the State in which 
the accident occurred; driver name; number of injuries; number of 
fatalities; and whether hazardous materials, other than fuel spilled 
from the fuel tanks of motor vehicles involved in the accident, were 
released. In addition, the register must contain copies of all accident 
reports required by State or other governmental entities or insurers.
    There are no prescribed forms. The records are used by the FHWA and 
its representatives as a source of information for investigations or 
special studies, and to assess the effectiveness of motor carriers' 
safety management controls.
    Respondents: Motor carriers.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Per Record: The FHWA estimates 
approximately 129,000 accidents involving trucks and 16,000 accidents 
involving buses as defined in Section 390.5 of the FMCSRs occur 
annually (source: Truck and Bus Crash Factbook, 1995). Of these, 
approximately 75 percent involve trucks and buses operated by 
interstate motor carriers. About 80 percent of the buses involved in 
crashes are school or transit buses and are not subject to this 
recordkeeping requirement. The number of accidents is therefore 
estimated to be (0.75 x 129,000)+(0.75 x 0.20 x 16,000)=99,150 .
    The agency estimates it takes approximately two minutes for 
interstate motor carriers to collect and record the seven elements of 
information on the accident register. Based on these assumptions, the 
agency estimates a time burden of 3,305 hours per year for accident 
report register information.
    Interested parties are invited to send comments regarding any 
aspect of these information collections, including, but not limited to: 
(1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the FHWA, including whether the 
information has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the estimated 
burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
collected information; and (4) ways to minimize the collection burden 
without reducing the quality of the collected information.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 31136, 31141, and 31502 and 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: January 7, 1998.
George S. Moore,
Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-1130 Filed 1-15-98; 8:45 am]
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