Document ID: NHTSA-2023-0016-0001
Agency: nhtsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Request for Comments: Crash Investigation Sampling System Expansion
Posted Date: 2023-04-05T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20207-20208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07071]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2023-0016]

Request for Comments; CISS Expansion

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: On November 15, 2021, Congress passed the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law (BIL). Under Sec.  24108(e) Congress authorizes the 
Secretary of Transportation to enhance the collection of crash data by 
upgrading the Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS) to include--
(1) additional program sites; (2) an expanded scope that includes all 
crash types; and (3) on-scene investigation protocols. The NHTSA is 
conducting a comprehensive review of the Crash Investigation Sampling 
System (CISS) sample design and data collection methods as part of a 
major effort to upgrade CISS. Users of CISS and other crash data may 
comment as to the future utility of current CISS, recommend ways to 
upgrade current CISS, and indicate their anticipated data needs. All 
comments should be submitted via Docket number NHTSA-2023-0016.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 5, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2023-0016 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. 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 can 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 questions relating to the redesign 
effort, please contact Tina Morgan, National Center for Statistics and 
Analysis, NHTSA, telephone: (202) 366-9253, email: [email protected]. 
She may also be reached at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, NSA-010, 
Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Data Review for the upgrade of Crash Investigation Sampling 
System (CISS).
    Background: NHTSA is undertaking an effort to upgrade the Crash 
Investigation Sampling System (CISS) by adding data collection sites, 
expanding the scope of crashes investigated and using on-scene 
investigation protocols.
    CISS collects crash data on a nationally representative sample of 
crashes involving at least one passenger vehicle--cars, light trucks, 
sport utility vehicles, and vans--towed from the scene. CISS collects 
real-world crash data that identifies the primary factors related to 
crashes and their injury outcome. CISS data is used throughout the 
world by stakeholders, researchers, manufacturers, other Federal 
agencies, and safety advocates for making vehicles and highways safer. 
The data enables stakeholders to make informed regulatory, program, and 
policy decisions regarding vehicle design and traffic safety.
    The CISS began implementation in 2015 and by 2018 was collecting 
crash

[[Page 20208]]

data from thirty-two (32) fully operational sites. The current scope of 
crashes in CISS is limited to crashes involving at least one passenger 
vehicle towed from the scene. There are very few crashes in CISS 
involving a non-motorist, motorcyclist or large vehicle. CISS 
investigates about 4,000 crashes annually making it sometimes difficult 
to identify new or emerging crash trends and containing an adequate 
number of rare crashes or crashes involving a non-motorist, motorcycle, 
large vehicle, or a vehicle with new technology for meaningful 
analysis. However, the original sample was designed to be flexible and 
scalable to accommodate different types of crashes and increase the 
number of data collection sites without redesigning the site sample. 
NHTSA plans to utilize these capabilities to increase the number of 
data collection sites and types of crashes included in CISS. These 
changes will increase the number of crashes investigated annually, 
reduce variance of key estimates, and expand the current scope of 
crashes.
    The current CISS investigation process selects crashes to be 
investigated usually 3 to 7 days after the crash. Then crash 
technicians locate, visit, measure, and photograph the crash scene; 
locate, inspect, and photograph vehicles; conduct a telephone or 
personal interview in specific crashes with the involved individuals or 
surrogate (another person who can provide occupant or crash 
information, such as parents of a minor, or a parent or spouse for the 
deceased individual); and obtain and record injury information received 
from various medical data sources. From the time of the crash to the 
time of investigation, critical evidence from the scene can be 
destroyed, altered or removed, vehicles can be hard to locate or 
repaired, and people involved tend to forget information related to the 
crash. To obtain this critical information, on-scene or rapid response 
investigations protocols would be required. On-scene protocols involve 
crash investigators arriving at the scene of the crashes before the 
crash scene is cleared allowing investigators to collect critical 
evidence and interview drivers or witnesses while the crash is still 
fresh. Rapid response protocols are where crash investigators arrive at 
the scene of the crash 1-2 days after the crash.
    NHTSA is pursuing data improvement initiatives that will enhance 
the amount of data collected and the quality of the data collected in 
CISS as authorized by BIL.
    This effort includes the following major objectives:
     Add more data collection sites to increase the number of 
crashes collected and reduce the variance of estimates,
     Expand the scope of crashes investigated to collect real-
world data for crashes involving other types of vehicles and non-
motorists (pedestrian, pedalcyclist, etc.); and
     Utilize rapid response investigation protocols to collect 
data sooner than the current method to reduce the loss of critical 
information needed from the scene, vehicle and people involved.
    In order to meet these objectives, NHTSA invites stakeholders to 
comment on the types of crashes to include in CISS, propose new data 
elements for new crash types, make suggestions on the improving 
timeliness of investigation protocols or notification and 
identification of crashes, and make any other suggestions they feel 
NHTSA should consider in an attempt to improve crash data collection.
    For more information about CISS can be reviewed on NHTSA's 
websites: https://www.nhtsa.gov/crash-data-systems/crash-investigation-sampling-system. Current CISS data elements, coding instructions, and 
descriptive materials can be reviewed on NHTSA's website at: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/#!/PublicationList/110 and the CISS crash 
viewer at: https://crashviewer.nhtsa.dot.gov/CISS/SearchIndex.

Chou-Lin Chen,
Associate Administrator for the National Center for Statistics and 
Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2023-07071 Filed 4-4-23; 8:45 am]
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