Department of Transportation
Office of the Chief Information Officer
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
Share the Road Safely Program Assessment Study
Part A. Justification
1. Circumstances that make collection of information necessary.
The Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (MCSIA) (Public Law 106-159, 113 Stat. 1749) was signed into law on December 9, 1999 (Attachment A). The MCSIA established a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), effective January 1, 2000. During the early 2000s, FMCSA relied on previous Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), its predecessor agency’s statistical studies that quantified respondents’ knowledge of truck and bus limitations and knowledge of the Share the Road and No-Zone Campaign.1 However, in 2001, FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) jointly conducted their own highway safety large-truck crash causation study (LTCCS) that was the first of its kind to capture information detailing contributing factors for large-truck crashes.2 From the LTCCS findings, FMCSA has shifted the earlier focus from education of passenger car drivers’ awareness of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) limited visibility3 to the highly visible theme of “Share the Road Safely” (STRS) for all highway users.4
The 2005 Large Truck Crash Overview, which provides a high-level overview of statistics about crashes involving large trucks between the years of 1995 and 2005, states:
Of all of the people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2005, 12 percent (5,212) died in crashes that involved a large truck. Another 114,000 people were injured in crashes involving large trucks. Only about 15 percent of those killed and 24 percent of those injured in large truck crashes were occupants of large trucks.5
Safety is the FMCSA's highest priority, and its goal is to reduce truck and bus-related fatalities to no more than 0.160 fatalities per 100 million total vehicle miles of travel by the end of 2011. Commercial motor vehicle drivers generally have good safety records, but because of the high mileage exposure of trucks due to consumer demand for just-in-time logistics and the often severe consequences of their crashes, the public places a premium on making trucks and truck drivers safer. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) reports: “Annual crash costs are more than four times greater for a combination-unit truck (tractor-trailer) than for a passenger car crash.”6
In a Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report, dated September 2006,7 the GAO assessed the DOT’s plans for the future of STRS and made recommendations for FMCSA to establish a systematic strategy for evaluating the STRS program’s initiatives. For example, the evolving Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) initiative uses enforcement, education, media, and evaluation to reduce fatalities and injuries resulting from cutting off, tailgating, and speeding around trucks.8 The GAO report also recommended that an STRS evaluation study be conducted to gather baseline data to assess awareness of whether education and outreach materials reached the intended audience.
The authority to conduct studies pertaining to STRS are located at 49 U.S.C. § 31133 (Attachment B), entitled “General Powers of the Secretary of Transportation,” and 49 CFR § 1.73 (Attachment C), “Delegation to the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.”
In response to GAO recommendations, FMCSA is conducting a program assessment of the Share the Road Safely Outreach Program. The objective of the study is to evaluate the outreach process and determine the extent to which the target population of licensed drivers has been reached or has knowledge of STRS information from FMCSA/DOT or its partners.9 The study also supports the DOT Strategic goals of Safety and Organizational Excellence. To complete this study, FMCSA desires to collect necessary data through a general awareness survey of licensed CMV and passenger car drivers.
2. How, by whom and for what purpose is the information used.
The DOT and FMCSA will use the data collected for the Share the Road Safely Outreach Program Assessment Study to help measure the public’s awareness and knowledge of safety messages and/or materials (e.g., brochures, decals, bumper stickers, videos) related to sharing the road safely with CMVs. This may include outreach and education activities around public service announcements (PSAs), STRS campaigns, or demonstrations about limited visibility when driving around trucks. Results from the analysis of this initial data collection will provide a national baseline for FMCSA to benchmark against future evaluations. The data collection will also address GAO recommendations to determine whether FMCSA’s consumer information reached the target population. Analysis of the data will be conducted at the national level, as well as within specific targeted markets or States where FMCSA has strengthened outreach efforts.
Finally, the study will provide insight as to whether the licensed driver has awareness of the STRS messages and their sources (e.g., PSA, STRS information distribution, driver training courses). This feedback will allow FMCSA to identify opportunities to improve its outreach program by better targeting drivers and identifying the most effective mechanisms to reach different segments of the population, industry, or potential STRS partners. The findings will also be useful to other organizations in State and local government that are interested in promoting awareness about sharing the road safely. FMCSA plans to conduct a follow-up awareness survey to the public two years after the initial data collection and compare the results against the baseline assessment.
3. Extent of automated information collection.
We will use a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) system to conduct the telephone survey. The survey questionnaire will be programmed in the CATI system to guide the interviewers through the interview questions in a consistent manner. The software will also help to randomize the sample; manage callbacks; and serve as a tool for the data collection, analysis, and reporting. In addition to promoting consistency across interviews, the tool will enable interviewers to conduct the survey more efficiently, reducing burden on the respondents. Zero percent (0%) of the responses will be collected electronically.
4. Efforts to identify duplication.
Prior to the current study, FMCSA supported earlier research studies through FHWA (e.g., No-Zone Campaign Assessment, October 2000).10. The current study will add to data available in previous studies in reference to sharing the road safely. There is no current FMCSA/STRS program assessment information available.
5. Efforts to minimize the burden on small businesses.
No small businesses will be involved in this study; therefore, there will be no impact on small businesses or other small entities.
6. Impact of less frequent collection of information.
Congress and GAO have also expressed a need for FMCSA to assess its outreach programs. Without the data collection, FMCSA will not be able to determine whether its outreach activities are reaching the target population and whether the population finds the activities and outreach materials useful.
Furthermore, since FMCSA has never assessed the STRS Outreach Program, it will be important to establish a baseline measurement that can be compared against future evaluations.
7. Special circumstances.
There are no special circumstances related to this information collection.
8. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.8.
FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register with a 60-day public comment period to announce this proposed information collection on September 11, 2007 (72 FR 51892) (Attachment D). The Agency received one comment (Attachment E) that did not address the burden imposed by this information collection activity. The agency reply to the commenter is provided at Attachment F.
FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register on January 17, 2008 (73 FR 3318) (Attachment G) with a 30-day public comment period that announced this information would be sent to OMB for review and approval.
9. Payment or gifts to respondents.
There will be no payments or gifts to respondents involved in this study.
10. Assurance of confidentiality.
Each study respondent will be given an assurance of confidentiality in the form of a non-disclosure statement at the beginning of the survey. Response records will also be coded numerically to represent anonymity, and results will be aggregated and reported in a non-attributional way to ensure confidentiality by not linking the responses to the respondents. We will inform our respondents that the information collected from them will be provided confidentiality to the extent allowed by the Privacy Act of 1974 (as amended) (Attachment H).
11. Justification for collection of sensitive information.
There will be no sensitive questions asked of respondents involved in the study.
12. Estimate of burden hours for information requested.
The response burden of the IC is estimated at 10 minutes per respondent to answer the telephone interview questions. The estimated annual burden for this information collection activity is 250 hours [1,500 respondents x 10 minutes/60 minutes to complete telephone interview = 250 hours] for the first and third year. The information collection will not be conducted during the second year.
Type of Respondent |
Number of Respondents |
Frequency of Response |
Average Time Per Response |
Annual Hour Burden (Year 1) |
Annual Hour Burden (Year 2) |
Annual Hour Burden (Year 3) |
Household Consumers |
1,500 |
1 |
10 minutes |
250 hours |
0 hours |
250 hours |
According to recent figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the seasonally adjusted average hourly earnings for the respondents was $17.16 in February 2007.11 The total annual cost to respondents for participating in the telephone interview is $4,290 [1,500 respondents x 10 minutes/60 minutes x $17.16 per hour = $4,290].
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 167 [1,500 respondents x 10 minutes/60 minutes per response x 2 telephone interviews/3 year ICR = 167].
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 1,500.
Estimated Annual Costs to Responses: $4,290.
13. Estimates of total annual costs to respondents.
There are no other costs to respondents, as the study does not involve any capital operating or maintenance costs.
14. Estimate of cost to the Federal government.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government for research services from Booz Allen Hamilton related to the awareness survey of the STRS Program Assessment Study is $218,000.
15. Explanation of program changes or adjustments.
This program change increase of 167 burden hours is due to a new collection of information.
16. Publication of results of data collection.
The results of the information collection will not be published, but will be documented in an STRS Program Assessment Final Report to be delivered to and maintained by FMCSA for internal research purposes.
Project Time Schedule
Activity |
Time Schedule |
Initiation of telephone survey collection process |
1 month after OMB approval |
Completion of data collection |
2 months after OMB approval |
Data tabulations |
3 months after OMB approval |
Data analysis |
4 months after OMB approval |
Completion of agency final report |
4 months after OMB approval |
17. Approval for not displaying the expiration date of OMB Approval.
No such request is being made. An OMB expiration date will be displayed on all documents involved in this study, whether electronic or paper.
18. Exceptions to certification statement.
There are no exceptions to the certification for Paperwork Reduction Act submission in this study.
ATTACHMENTS
A Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (MCSIA) (Public Law 106-159, 113 Stat. 1749) was signed into law on December 9, 1999.
B. 49 U.S.C. § 31133, entitled “General Powers of the Secretary of Transportation.”
C. 49 CFR § 1.73, “Delegation to the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.”
D. 60-day comments request Federal Register Notice, (72 FR 51892) September 11, 2007.
E. Comment to 60-day Federal Register Notice.
F. FMCSA reply to comment to 60-day Federal Register Notice.
G. 30-day comments request Federal Register Notice (73 FR 3318), January 17, 2008.
H. Privacy Act of 1974 (as amended), January 2, 1991.
Telephone Interview
GAO Report entitled “Truck Safety Share the Road Safely Pilot Initiative Showed Promise, but the Program’s Future Is Uncertain,” (GAO-06-916), September 2006.
1 Federal Highway Administration, No-Zone Campaign Assessment Final Report, October 2000.
2 U.S. Department of Transportation, Report to Congress on the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, Washington, DC, March 2006.
3 Federal Highway Administration, Share the Road Campaign Research Study Final Report, June 1999.
4 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Share the Road Safely Program Goals and Objectives, http://www.sharetheroadsafely.gov “To include drivers of commercial vehicles, passenger cars, motorcyclists, recreational vehicles, mature drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
5 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Analysis Division, 2005 Large Truck Crash Overview, January 2007. For detailed statistics, see publication Large Truck Crash Facts 2005, February 2007 at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/2005LargeTruckCrash.htm.
6 Transportation Research Board, Commercial Truck and Bus Safety, Synthesis 1, Effective Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Management Techniques, 2003.
7 Government Accountability Office (GAO) Truck Safety, Share the Road Safely Pilot Initiative Showed Promise, But the Program’s Future Success Is Uncertain, GAO-06-916, September 2006.
8 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks in Washington State: High Visibility Enforcement Applied to Share the Road Safely, May 2006.
9 STRS partners consist of Federal agencies, as well as commercial motor vehicle associations and government entities at the State and local level.
10 Federal Highway Administration, No-Zone Campaign Assessment Final Report, October 2000.
11 This is based on results of monthly Current Employment Statistics survey (or establishment survey) completed in February 2007.
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | Nancy Cross |
| Last Modified By | herman.dogan |
| File Modified | 2008-01-25 |
| File Created | 2008-01-25 |