[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 35 (Monday, February 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9042-9043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4527]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements Under Emergency
Review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Request for public comments on a proposed collection of
information.
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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 new 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 reinstatements of previously approved
collections.
This document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA
intends to seek expedited OMB approval.
DATES: OMB approval has been requested by March 31, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket and notice numbers cited
at the beginning of this notice and be submitted to Docket Section,
Room 5110, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. Please
identify the proposed collection of information for which a comment is
provided by referencing its OMB Clearance Number. It is requested, but
not required, that 1 original plus 2 copies of the comments be
provided. The Docket Section is open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4
p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Complete copies of each request for
collection of information may be obtained at no charge from Mr. Edward
Kosek. NHTSA Information Collection Clearance Officer. NHTSA, 400
Seventh Street, SW, Room 5110, Washington, DC 20590. Mr. Kosek's
telephone number is (202) 366-2589.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB
for approval, it must 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, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks public comment on
the following proposed collection of information:
Drivers' Experiences and Expectations of Light Vehicle Brake System
Performance: ABS vs. Conventional
Type of Request--New collection.
OMB Clearance Number--2127-####.
Form Number--This collection of information uses no standard forms.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval--Two years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information--Data collection will be
accomplished through the use of Computer Assisted Telephone
Interviewing (CATI). The CATI system allows a computer to perform a
number of functions prone to error when done manually by interviewers,
including:
A. Providing correct question sequence;
B. Automatically executing skip patterns based on responses to
prior questions (which decreases overall interview time and
consequentially the burden on respondents);
C. Recalling answers to prior questions and displaying the
[[Page 9043]]
information in the test of later questions;
D. Providing random rotation of specified questions or response
categories (to avoid bias);
E. Ensuring that questions cannot be skipped; and
F. Rejecting invalid responses or data entries.
The CATI system lists questions and corresponding response
categories automatically on the screen, eliminating the need for
interviewers to track slip patterns and flip pages. Moreover, the
interviewers enter responses directly from their keyboards, and the
information is automatically recorded in the computer's memory.
The CATI system includes safeguards to reduce interviewer error in
direct key-entry of survey responses. It has a double check method to
eliminate the problem of key entry error as a result of accidentally
hitting the wrong key. Unlike some systems, when the interviewer enters
the code for the respondent reply, the code is not immediately accepted
and the interview moved to the next screen. Rather, the screen remains
on the question and response categories for the item, and the code and
category entered by the interviewer are displayed at the bottom of the
screen. The interviewer must confirm the initial entry before it is
accepted by the computer as final. If, despite these safeguards, the
wrong answer is entered or a respondent changes his/her reply, the
interviewer can correct the entry before moving on to the next
question.
CATI allows the computer to perform a number of critical assurance
routines that are monitored by survey supervisors, including tracking
average interview length, refusal rate, and termination rate by
interviewer; and performing consistency checks for inappropriate
combination of answers.
Description of the need for the information and proposed use of the
information: Antilock brake systems (ABS) have been increasingly
prevalent on passenger car and light trucks in recent years. Brake
experts anticipated that the introduction of ABS on these vehicles
would reduce the number and severity of crashes. A number of
statistical analyses of crash databases have been performed over the
past three years, and suggest that the introduction of ABS does not
appear to have reduced the number of automobile crashes where they were
expected to be effective. Included in these analyses is a significant
increase of single-vehicle, run-off-road crashes for vehicles equipped
with ABS as compared to cars without ABS. It is unknown to what extent,
if any, this increase is due to incorrect driver usage of ABS,
incorrect driver responses to their ABS, or unrealistic driver
expectations of an ABS braking ability.
NHTSA will analyze the survey data to determine differences in
drivers' experiences and expectations of brake performance between ABS-
equipped and non-ABS-equipped light vehicles. From these findings,
inferences about the ability of ABS to mitigate crashes will be made
and the need for an educational campaign for specific demographic
groups will be assessed.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information):
The respondents are the population of the United States age 16 and
older living in households with telephones. The agency estimates the
number of respondents to total 4000. The survey will be conducted once
only.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information: The agency estimates
there will be no annual reporting burden, as the study will be
conducted only once. Respondents answer the survey strictly on a
voluntary basis. No payment or gift will be provided to any respondent.
The agency estimates the time per respondent to be 20 minutes, and a
total time burden of 1375 hours. The agency estimates the total cost
per survey respondent to be $50.00.
Authority: Title 15 U.S.C. 1395 Section 106(b): The National
Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, Title 15 United States
Code 1395, Section 106(b), (Exhibit V), gives the Secretary
authorization to conduct research, testing, development, and
training as authorized to be carried out by subsections of this
title.
Dated: February 17, 1998.
Raymond P. Owings,
Associated Administrator for Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 98-4527 Filed 2-20-98; 8:45 am]
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