[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 157 (Monday, August 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50034-50036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20162]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0109]
Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.
ACTION: Request for public comment on 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 procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), 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 an Information Collection Request (ICR) for
which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 15, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the U.S. Department of
Transportation Dockets, 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
You may also submit comments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov. All comments should refer to the Docket No. NHTSA-
2010-0109.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Cicchino, Ph.D, Contracting
Officer's Technical Representative, Office of Behavioral Safety
Research (NTI-131), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE., W46-491, Washington, DC 20590. Dr. Cicchino's
phone number is 202-366-2752 and her e-mail address is
[email protected].
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
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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:
Title: The Effect of Entry-Level Motorcycle Rider Training on
Motorcycle Crashes.
Type of Request: New information collection request.
OMB Clearance Number: None.
Form Number: This collection of information uses no standard forms.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information: The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans on combining information
from surveys, motorcycle riding skills tests, and archival records to
examine the effect of entry-level motorcycle rider training on safe
motorcycle riding. Participation by respondents will be voluntary.
Surveys will be used to collect information from motorcycle riders on
topics such as demographics, attitudes towards safety, miles and years
of riding experience, purpose of riding, training history, alcohol use
while riding, use of helmets and protective gear while riding, and
riding experience under different conditions (for instance, in
inclement weather or while fatigued).
This information will be used to initially match riders that have
received entry-level training with untrained riders at the start of the
study to ensure that these groups are comparable in terms of
demographics, safety attitudes, riding experience, and purpose of
riding. Survey information will additionally supplement data from
skills tests of riders' on-motorcycle performance and archival data on
riders' crashes, injury severity, and motor vehicle citations. Data
collected from motorcycle riders that have received entry-level rider
training will be compared to data from untrained motorcycle riders.
Surveys will be conducted electronically over the internet when
possible, with a pen-and-paper option available if preferred by the
respondent.
Need and Use of Information: NHTSA's mission is to save lives,
prevent injuries, and reduce healthcare and other economic costs
associated with motor vehicle crashes. A total of 5,290 motorcycle
riders lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2008. This represents a
150% increase in the number of motorcycle fatalities since 1997. In
contrast, the number of fatalities from car crashes has decreased
during this time.
Motorcycle rider training is a part of most States' motorcycle
safety programs, and funds are set aside under Section 2010 of SAFETEA-
LU in part to help States increase their motorcycle training. A study
conducted by Billheimer (1998) found that trained riders with less than
500 miles of riding experience had a lower crash rate than untrained
riders during the six months after training. Other studies conducted on
the effectiveness of motorcycle rider training in the United States,
however, have not found an effect of motorcycle rider training on
crashes. Thus, the extent to which motorcycle rider training reduces
crash involvement is unclear.
In 2000, NHTSA and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation published the
National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS), which includes
recommendations to improve motorcycle safety efforts in the United
States. One of the recommendations in the NAMS is to ``conduct uniform
follow-up research into the effectiveness and impact of rider education
and training.'' NHTSA convened an expert panel in 2008 to discuss the
best way to perform a comprehensive study of the effectiveness of
motorcycle rider training (Brock, Robinson, Robinson & Percer, 2010).
The panel concluded that such a study should examine the effect of
rider training on the characteristics of a safe rider, which would
encompass riders' on-motorcycle skills in addition to the outcomes of
their riding (crashes and injuries) and their preparation for riding
(such as avoiding impairments). The proposed study will carry out the
recommendations of the expert panel.
Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,
and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information):
Respondents will be motorcycle riders that have and have not completed
an entry-level motorcycle rider training course, with an emphasis on
novice riders with less than 500 miles of riding experience.
Participation will be solicited through motorcycle rider training
courses, Departments of Motor Vehicles, motorcycle dealerships,
motorcycle accessory shops, and at motorcycle trade shows.
Under this collection, up to 16,000 motorcycle riders (8,000
trained and 8,000 untrained) will participate in an initial screening
survey. Of this initial sample, approximately 625 trained riders will
be matched with 625 untrained riders on the basis of similarities in
their demographics, safety attitudes, riding experience, and riding
purpose for a total of 1,250 riders. These 1,250 motorcycle riders will
participate in two additional follow-up surveys: One six months after
the initial matching survey, and one 18 months after the initial
matching survey. Consequently, of the initial 16,000 respondents, the
1,250 matched riders will be surveyed three times over 18 months, and
the 14,750 unmatched riders will be surveyed once. The purpose of this
matched pairs survey is to obtain information on how trained and
untrained motorcycle riders prepare for riding and on their prior
riding experience, which will supplement data from archival records on
crashes, injury severity, and motor vehicle citations.
An additional group of motorcycle riders will respond to surveys in
conjunction with participating in a motorcycle riding skills test. Two
hundred seventy motorcycle riders, 135 trained and 135 untrained, will
complete a survey and an on-motorcycle skills test shortly after
receiving training (for trained riders) or shortly after beginning the
study (for untrained riders). The same number of riders will complete a
follow-up survey and on-motorcycle skills test six months later.
Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record Keeping Burden
Resulting from the Collection of Information: The initial screening
survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and all other
surveys will take approximately 12 minutes to complete. The estimated
burden for respondents that participate in the initial screening survey
only is 3,687.5 hours (14,750 respondents at 15 minutes each). The
additional estimated burden for the 1,250 riders that are matched from
the screening survey is 812.5 hours (1,250 respondents, surveys at
three time points, 15 minutes for the first survey, 12 minutes each for
subsequent surveys). Finally, the estimated burden for the information
collected from the skills test participants is 108 hours (270
respondents, surveys at two time points, 12 minutes each).
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The total burden resulting from the collection of information is
4,608 hours. For the respondents that participate in the initial
screening survey only, the annual estimated burden is 3,687.5 hours.
For the 1,250 respondents matched from the screening survey, the
estimated annual burden is 542 hours (812.5 hours total over a period
of 18 months). For the riders that will participate in the on-
motorcycle skills test, the estimated annual burden from information
collection is 108 hours. Therefore, the total estimated annual burden
is 4,337.5 hours. The respondents would not incur any recordkeeping
burden or recordkeeping cost from the information collection.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. Section 3506(c)(2)(A).
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-20162 Filed 8-13-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P