OMB_supporting_statements_for_CRSS_- Section A FINAL_BRhea

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

FOR

P.L. 89-663, Title 1, Section 106, 108, 112. - COLLECTION OF CRASH DATA

OMB Control Number: None

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information, necessary. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

Motor vehicle crash information is collected to support the establishment and enforcement of motor vehicle regulations that reduce the severity of injury and property damage caused by motor vehicle crashes. The Department’s strategic goal that is supported is “safety, by working towards the elimination of highway safety related deaths, injuries and accidents”.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-563, Title 1, Sec. 106, 108, and 112) (Attachment 1) is charged with the collection of crash data that support the establishment and enforcement of motor vehicle regulations that reduce the severity of injury and property damage caused by motor vehicle crashes. Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS) will be the mechanism through which NHTSA collects nationally representative data on motor vehicle crashes.

1. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS) data will be used to estimate the overall crash picture, identify highway safety problem areas, measure trends, drive consumer information initiatives, and form the basis for cost and benefit analyses of highway safety initiatives and regulations. It will give motor vehicle researchers an opportunity to assess the overall state of highway safety and identify existing and emerging highway safety trends as well as assess the effectiveness of motor vehicle safety standards and highway safety programs.

Users include virtually every program area in NHTSA, other federal agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, state and local governments, domestic and foreign motor vehicle manufacturers, insurance and consumer organizations, safety research organizations, universities, foreign government agencies, and individual citizens.

NHTSA has undertaken a modernization effort to upgrade our data systems by improving the information technology infrastructure, updating the data to be collected and reexamining the sample sites. The goal of this overall modernization effort is to develop a crash data system that meets future data needs. This national data collection effort will capture all type of motor vehicle crashes that are not captured in other NHTSA’s data systems. The current General Estimates System (GES) which collects similar data will end on December 31, 2015. The new system will begin pilot testing procedures on October 1, 2015 while cooperation with new CRSS sampling sites is being established.

2. Describe whether, or to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

In 2011, a major consolidation effort involved combining all the records-based systems into one single infrastructure. This provided a common infrastructure to host the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), GES, and Not-in-Traffic Surveillance (NiTS) applications with maximum reusability. Now, a single server is used to host all of the data entry applications for all of the records-based systems and the same applies for the database as well. This has provided tremendous cost savings in maintaining the three systems. Along with this consolidation, data definitions for each of the systems have also been unified into one single set, thus, allowing for easy data analysis. Because of the consolidation, the GES and the NiTS systems now collect the data on a centralized server, thus, improving the security of the data.

In April 2013, all of the infrastructure hosting the FARS, GES and NiTS systems have been moved into the DOT Southeast Federal Center (SFC) environment, this has increased the security of the entire system from all different aspects including physical security as well. Now, all of the servers supporting the systems are maintained in the cloud environment maintained by NHTSA OCIO.

The coding aspect of CRSS is not going to be much different from GES. The biggest change is with respect to sampling, which will now be web-based and centralized and the listed, sampled and coded data will co-exist in the same environment, thus, eliminating data transfers.

Improved technology is constantly being sought and evaluated to reduce the burden of the data collection and reporting effort.

2. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified.

This item does not apply since no similar information is available.

2. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

This collection does not involve small business or small entities.

2. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently.

If this collection is not done, the Agency would lose its ability to obtain nationally representative police-reported motor vehicle traffic crash data. This information will identify highway safety problem areas and provide general data trends.

7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines set forth in CFR 1320.6.

The procedures specified for this information collection are consistent with the guidelines set forth in 5 CFR 1320.6.

8. Provide a copy of the Federal Register document soliciting comments on extending the collection of information, a summary of all public comments responding to the notice, and a description of the agency's actions in response to the comments. Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views.

NHTSA has undertaken a modernization effort to upgrade our data systems by improving the information technology infrastructure, updating the data to be collected and reexamining the sample sites. The goal of this overall modernization effort is to develop a crash data system that meets current and future data needs.

NHTSA published a notice in the Federal Register with a 60-day public comment period to announce this proposed information collection on September 29, 2014, Volume 79, Number 188, pages 54802 and 54803.

NHTSA published a notice in the Federal Register with a 30-day public comment period to announce forwarding of the information collection request to OMB for approval on May 27, 2015, Volume 80, Number 101, pages 30323 and 30324.

NHTSA received no comments in response to the 60-day or 30-day notice.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No payment or gift will be provided to any respondent.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents.

The CRSS files are not a system of records that are subject to the Privacy Act. No names of individuals will be entered into automated or hard copy case files.

The data acquired for CRSS obtained from State public record files. Personal identifiers are not required, requested or recorded on analytical files released to the public. NHTSA makes CRSS data available to the public. The data are maintained in the following file format:

ANALYTICAL FILE - The data are reformatted for analysis purposes and to ensure compliance with the Privacy Act.

It is anticipated that information on about 50,000 motor vehicle crashes will be collected and entered into the CRSS file every year. For each of these crashes, every precaution is taken to safeguard against personal identifying information from appearing in the database. The potential that a person can uniquely be identified by the crash and vehicle characteristics from the more than 100 data elements collected is not likely.

11. Provide additional justification for questions on matters that are commonly considered sensitive.

The CRSS program will not obtain additional data beyond the selected police accident reports (PARs) collected.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information on the respondents.

At a given police jurisdiction, a sampler must obtain police accident reports (PARs) to code the case. Based on existing data, sampled jurisdictions are visited by a sampler approximately 52 times per year (once per week). In CRSS, there are 60 primary sampling units (PSUs) across the U.S., in which includes on average about seven police jurisdictions. The “number of law enforcement personnel” refers to the number of law enforcement staff per police jurisdiction that may assist the sampler. The “weekly burden hours” refers to the number of expected hours that the law enforcement staff will provide assistance to the sampler. The estimated annual burden to law enforcement personnel is obtained by multiplying the average number of visits per year by the number of sites by the estimated number of PJ staff by the expected time allocated for the law enforcement staff to provide assistance to the sampler.

ESTIMATE OF REPORTING BURDEN
Law Enforcement Personnel Burden - Weekly
Average Number of Visits Per Week	Number of PSUs (60) * Average Number of PJs (7)	Estimated Number of Law Enforcement Personnel Per PJ	Number of Responses	Estimated Time Allocated for Law Enforcement Personnel Per PJ	Weekly Burden Hours
(A)	(B)	(C)	(A)*(B)*(C)=(D)	(E)	(D)*(E)/ 60 minutes
1	(60)(7)=420 Sites	2.0	840	10 minutes	140 hours

ESTIMATE OF REPORTING BURDEN
b. Law Enforcement Personnel Burden - Annual
Average Number of Visits Per Year	Number of PSUs (60) * Average Number of PJs (7)	Estimated Number of Law Enforcement Personnel Per PJ	Estimated Time Allocated for Law Enforcement Personnel Per PJ	Annual Burden Hours
(A)	(B)	(C)	(D)	(A)*(B)*(C)*(D)/ 60 minutes
52	(60)(7)=420 Sites	2.0	10 minutes	7,280 hours

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information.

There is no annual cost burden to respondents or record-keepers resulting from the collection of information.

14. Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal government.

The following figures are based from the government cost estimates calculated for the CRSS 5-year contracts.

Government Cost Estimates	Estimated Cost for Year 1
CRSS PSU Operation, Coding, Quality Control, and Training contracts	$5,288,614

Government Cost Estimates	Estimated Cost for Year 2
CRSS PSU Operation, Coding, Quality Control, and Training contracts	$5,394,386

Government Cost Estimates	Estimated Cost for Year 3
CRSS PSU Operation, Coding, Quality Control, and Training contracts	$5,556,218

Government Cost Estimates	Estimated Cost for Year 4
CRSS PSU Operation, Coding, Quality Control, and Training contracts	$5,667,342

Government Cost Estimates	Estimated Cost for Year 5
CRSS PSU Operation, Coding, Quality Control, and Training contracts	$5,780,689

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-I.

Because it is a new program, there will be an annual increase in the inventory of burden hours by 7,280.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.

There will be one CRSS file made available to the public each year after completion of quality control. The file is an analytical file. CRSS data file and accompanying documentation will be released annually which is available on the Internet in August for the previous calendar year. For example, data collection during calendar year 2016 will be available for public release in August 2017. Copies of the data base have been acquired by motor vehicle manufacturers, highway safety research organizations, and insurance and consumer groups, who use the data for their own analyses. NHTSA uses the data file to answer hundreds of questions received from federal, state and local governments, businesses, and private citizens.

17. OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

NHTSA will display the expiration date for OMB approval.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19 of OMB Form 83-I.

No exceptions requested.

Page 9