The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 (23 U.S.C. 101) to carry out a Congressional mandate to reduce the mounting number of deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes on our NationÂs highways. In support of this mission, NHTSA proposes to conduct information collections to (1) assess attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to distracted and unsafe driving practices, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of a high-visibility enforcement (HVE) demonstration program in deterring those practices.
NHTSA must account for whether its initiatives were effective. An essential part of this evaluation effort will be comparing a baseline survey of publicÂs awareness and attitudes towards NHTSAÂs initiatives to reduce distracted driving immediately prior to the initiation of a mobilization with a post-mobilization survey conducted immediately following the campaign. A national survey provides an additional baseline for comparison, and annual administrations of the same survey will help NHTSA monitor trends in distracted driving and develop more effective interventions.
NHTSA will conduct the national survey no sooner than September 2010, after the 2010 Census and OMBÂs moratorium on information collections. The first wave of the HVE demonstration programs are expected to occur in the Spring of 2010. Therefore, NHTSA is requesting approval to conduct one round of pre- and post-mobilization administrations of the community-level evaluation surveys during OMBÂs collection moratorium.
There are two community-level survey instruments with which NHTSA can evaluate the effectiveness of the community-level demonstration programs. Ideally, NHTSA prefers to utilize the Distracted Driving Intercept Survey (DDIS), a one-page survey that drivers can complete while waiting at selected driverÂs licensing (DMV) offices. In cases where DMV offices are not available, NHTSA can administer the Distracted Driving Enforcement Awareness Survey (DDEAS) via telephone. NHTSA fully intends to administer only one of the two community-level survey instruments in any one community. However, NHTSA is requesting clearance to administer either instrument so that it has the needed flexibility to evaluate the program activity should access to DMV offices change in the future.
US Code:
23 USC 101
Name of Law: Highway Safety Act of 1970
US Code:
49 USC 30168
Name of Law: Motor Vehicle Safety
The renewal of OMB Control Number 2127-0665 contains several adjustments. The renewal request clearance for the Distracted Driving Intercept Survey (not the telephone survey), as it applies to the two State demonstration programs, the sample of respondents is larger (22,200 vs. 6,400), and the estimated cost of the surveys increased from $6.00 to $8.00.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.