Document ID: NHTSA-2014-0002-0001
Agency: nhtsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
Posted Date: 2014-01-16T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 11 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2936-2938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00640]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2014-0002]

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information 
Collection Activity Under OMB Review

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

ACTION: Request for public comment on renewal of existing information 
collections.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from 
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (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 renewal of existing information collections for 
which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received by March 17, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by one or both of the 
docket numbers in the heading of this document, by any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andr[eacute]a A. Noel, Office of 
Defects Investigation, NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West 
Building, NVS-210, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 493-0210. For 
access to background documents, please contact Ms. Noel.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA), 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 the proposed 
collection of information. 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:
    (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;
    (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, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks for public

[[Page 2937]]

comments on the renewal of the following described collections of 
information:
    Title: Record Retention.
    Type of Request: Renewal of a currently approved information 
collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0042.
    Affected Public: Vehicle manufacturers and vehicle equipment 
manufacturers (including tire and child restraint system 
manufacturers).
    Abstract: Under 49 U.S.C. 30166(e), NHTSA ``reasonably may require 
a manufacturer of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment to keep 
records, and a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer to make reports, to 
enable [NHTSA] to decide whether the manufacturer, distributor or 
dealer has complied or is complying with this chapter or a regulation 
prescribed or order issued under this chapter.''
    To ensure that NHTSA will have access to this type of information, 
the agency exercised the authority granted in 49 U.S.C. 30166(e) and 
promulgated 49 CFR Part 576, Record Retention, initially published on 
August 20, 1974 (39 FR 30045) and most recently amended on July 10, 
2002 (67 FR 45873), requiring manufacturers to retain one copy of all 
records that contain information concerning malfunctions that may be 
related to motor vehicle safety for a period of five calendar years 
after the record is generated or acquired by the manufacturer. Part 576 
also requires manufacturers to retain for five years the underlying 
records related to early warning reporting (EWR) information submitted 
under 49 CFR part 579.
    Estimated annual burden: Approximately one thousand manufacturers 
of vehicles and equipment (including tires and child restraint systems) 
are required to maintain records. We estimate their burden at 40 hours 
each for a subtotal of 40,000 hours (1,000 respondents x 40 hours). In 
addition, there are approximately 23,600 equipment manufacturers 
(excluding child seat and tire manufacturers) whose record retention 
requirements under part 576 are limited to the documents underlying 
their part 579 reporting requirements. Their part 579 requirements 
include only the reporting of incidents involving deaths. Therefore, 
based on the number of death reports submitted to date by these 
equipment manufacturers, we estimate that an additional 20 equipment 
manufacturers have record retention requirements imposed by part 576. 
We estimate that it will take one hour each to maintain the necessary 
records for a subtotal burden of 20 hours (20 respondents x one hour). 
Accordingly, the estimate of total annual burden hours is 40,020 hours 
(1,000 respondents x 40 hours plus 20 respondents x 1 hour).
    Number of respondents: 1,020.
    Below are detailed instructions for submitting comments on this 
collection and additional information on the commenting process.

How do I prepare and submit comments?

    Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that your 
comments are correctly filed in the Docket, please include the docket 
number of this document in your comments.
    Your comments must not be more than 15 pages long. (49 CFR 553.21). 
We established this limit to encourage you to write your primary 
comments in a concise fashion. However, you may attach necessary 
additional documents to your comments. There is no limit on the length 
of the attachments.
    Comments may be submitted to the docket electronically by logging 
onto the Docket Management System Web site at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    You may also submit two copies of your comments, including the 
attachments, to Docket Management at the address given above under 
ADDRESSES.
    Please note that pursuant to the Data Quality Act, in order for 
substantive data to be relied upon and used by the agency, it must meet 
the information quality standards set forth in the OMB and DOT Data 
Quality Act guidelines. Accordingly, we encourage you to consult the 
guidelines in preparing your comments. OMB's guidelines may be accessed 
at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/reproducible.html. DOT's 
guidelines may be accessed at http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/subject_areas/statistical_policy_and_research/data_quality_guidelines/html/guidelines.html.

How can I be sure that my comments were received?

    If you wish Docket Management to notify you upon its receipt of 
your comments, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard in the 
envelope containing your comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket 
Management will return the postcard by mail.

How do I submit confidential business information?

    If you wish to submit any information under a claim of 
confidentiality, you should submit three copies of your complete 
submission, including the information you claim to be confidential 
business information, to the Chief Counsel, NHTSA, at 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., West Building, Washington, DC 20590. In addition, you 
should submit two copies, from which you have deleted the claimed 
confidential business information, to Docket Management at the address 
given above under ADDRESSES. When you send a comment containing 
information claimed to be confidential business information, you should 
include a cover letter setting forth the information specified in our 
confidential business information regulation. (49 CFR part 512)

Will the agency consider late comments?

    We will consider all comments that Docket Management receives 
before the close of business on the comment closing date indicated 
above under DATES. To the extent possible, we will also consider 
comments that Docket Management receives after that date.

How can I read the comments submitted by other people?

    You may read the comments received by Docket Management at the 
address given above under ADDRESSES. The hours of the Docket are 
indicated above in the same location. You may also see the comments on 
the Internet. To read the comments on the Internet, go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for accessing the 
dockets.
    Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will 
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes 
available. Further, some people may submit late comments. Accordingly, 
we recommend that you periodically check the Docket for new material.

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) or you may visit http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.

[[Page 2938]]

    Issued on: January 9, 2014 in Washington, DC, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.95.
Frank Borris,
Director, Office of Defects Investigation, Office of Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2014-00640 Filed 1-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P