Reports, Forms, and Record keeping Requirements

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. 97-016, Notice 1]

Reports, Forms, and Record keeping Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collections 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.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments must refer to the docket and notice numbers cited

at the beginning of this notice and be submitted to Docket Section,

Room 5109, NHTSA, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 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 one (1) original plus two (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, S.W., Room 6123, Washington, D.C. 20590. Mr. Kosek's

telephone number is (202) 366-2589. Please identify the relevant

collection of information by referring to its OMB Clearance Number.

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:

Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

Type of Request--Reinstatement of clearance.

OMB Clearance Number--2127-0006

Form Numbers--HS-214, HS-214A, HS-214B and HS-214C.

Requested Expiration Date of Approval--December 31, 2000

Summary of the Collection of Information--FARS is the major system

that acquires a national census of information on fatal motor vehicle

traffic crashes. This information is collected directly from existing

State files and documents. Under both the

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Highway Safety Act of 1966 and the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle

Safety Act of 1966, NHTSA has the responsibility to collect crash data

that support the establishment and enforcement of motor vehicle

regulations and highway safety programs. These regulations and programs

are developed to reduce the severity of injury and property damage

associated with motor vehicle crashes.

Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the

Information--FARS is the largest and most comprehensive data base of

fatal crash data in the world. The total user population includes

Federal and State agencies and the private sector. This information

comprises a national data base that is NHTSA's and many States'

principal means of tracking trends in fatalities and quantifying

problems or potential problems in highway safety. FARS data is also

used extensively by State legislators for determining highway safety

problem areas requiring laws and programs (mandatory use of seat belts,

55- vs. 65-mile per hour speed limits); by the highway research

community including the private sector (industry and associations) for

trend analysis, problem identification, and program evaluation (e.g.,

air bag studies and drunk driving campaigns); and by the Congress for

making decisions concerning safety programs. The FARS data are

available upon request to anyone interested in highway safety. FARS

data has been made available through the Internet and via fax-on-demand

service. On the average, more than 10,000 requests for information from

FARS are received every year.

Description of the Likely Respondents (Including Estimated Number,

and Proposed Frequency of Response to the Collection of Information)--

``Respondents'' are employees of state agencies (FARS Analysts). Their

salaries and other direct costs are 100% reimbursed through cooperative

agreements duly executed through the NHTSA Office of Contracts and

Procurement. Cooperative Agreements exist with all fifty states, the

District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The number of FARS Analysts

varies by state from one to six. The entire corps of more than 70 FARS

Analysts acquire and code the required information as fatal crashes

occur. Approximately 2.15 hours per case are required to complete the

FARS forms. The number of cases varies by state from a high of 3669 in

California to a low of 54 in D.C. ( in 1995).

Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Record keeping Burden

Resulting from the Collection of Information--The 52 jurisdictions

report on approximately 36,000 fatal cases per year. The estimated

annual hour burden is 77,400 hours. This estimate is based on 20 years

of FARS operation and includes the nominal time needed to access data

from existing state files. These various sources reside in several

places in each state. FARS does not involve the generation of new data.

If the state analyst cannot get the information from existing records,

it is reported to NHTSA as ``unknown.'' The FARS Analysts retain the

current year's completed FARS forms plus three prior years' forms.

Dated: October 10, 1997.

Raymond P. Owings,

Associate Administrator, Research and Development.

[FR Doc. 97-27475 Filed 10-15-97; 8:45 am]

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