60-day Notice

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 49 / Thursday, March 13, 2014 / Notices
interstate operations, involves
substantial driving on highways on the
interstate system and on other roads
built to interstate standards. Moreover,
driving in congested urban areas
exposes the driver to more pedestrian
and vehicular traffic than exists on
interstate highways. Faster reaction to
traffic and traffic signals is generally
required because distances between
them are more compact. These
conditions tax visual capacity and
driver response just as intensely as
interstate driving conditions. The
veteran drivers in this proceeding have
operated CMVs safely under those
conditions for at least 3 years, most for
much longer. Their experience and
driving records lead us to believe that
each applicant is capable of operating in
interstate commerce as safely as he/she
has been performing in intrastate
commerce. Consequently, FMCSA finds
that exempting these applicants from
the vision requirement in 49 CFR
391.41(b)(10) is likely to achieve a level
of safety equal to that existing without
the exemption. For this reason, the
Agency is granting the exemptions for
the 2-year period allowed by 49 U.S.C.
31136(e) and 31315 to the 33 applicants
listed in the notice of January 10, 2014
(79 FR 1908).
We recognize that the vision of an
applicant may change and affect his/her
ability to operate a CMV as safely as in
the past. As a condition of the
exemption, therefore, FMCSA will
impose requirements on the 33
individuals consistent with the
grandfathering provisions applied to
drivers who participated in the
Agency’s vision waiver program.
Those requirements are found at 49
CFR 391.64(b) and include the
following: (1) That each individual be
physically examined every year (a) by
an ophthalmologist or optometrist who
attests that the vision in the better eye
continues to meet the requirement in 49
CFR 391.41(b)(10) and (b) by a medical
examiner who attests that the individual
is otherwise physically qualified under
49 CFR 391.41; (2) that each individual
provide a copy of the ophthalmologist’s
or optometrist’s report to the medical
examiner at the time of the annual
medical examination; and (3) that each
individual provide a copy of the annual
medical certification to the employer for
retention in the driver’s qualification
file, or keep a copy in his/her driver’s
qualification file if he/she is selfemployed. The driver must have a copy
of the certification when driving, for
presentation to a duly authorized
Federal, State, or local enforcement
official.

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Discussion of Comments

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

FMCSA received one comment in this
proceeding. The comment is discussed
below.
MAG Trucking supported granting an
exemption to Rogelio C. Hernandez.

National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration

Conclusion
Based upon its evaluation of the 33
exemption applications, FMCSA
exempts Trawn L. Andrews (NC), Jeffery
A. Benoit (VT), Norvan D. Brown (IA),
Thomas A. Busacca, Jr. (FL), James A.
Champion (WA), James C. Colbert (FL),
Bobby R. Cox (TN), Jackie K. Curlin
(KY), Justin W. Demarchi (OH), Gary
Goostree (OH), Jimmey C. Harris (TX),
David G. Henry (TX), Rogelio C.
Hernandez (CA), Michael J. Hoskins
(KS), Zion Irizarry (NV), Mohamed H.
Issak (KS), Craig B. Jacques (NY),
William D. Jackson (MN), Juan J. Luna
(CA), Robert Mollicone (FL),
Christopher D. Moore (NC), Elmore
Nicholson, Jr, (AL), Michael Pace (TX),
Ernest S. Parsons, Jr. (NY), James C.
Paschal, Jr. (GA), Lee E. Perry (AL),
Harold D. Pressley (TX), Thomas H.
Randall (MN), David T. Rueckert (WA),
Jason C. Sadler (KY), Robert Schick
(PA), Michael O. Thomas (NC), Danielle
Wilkins (CA) from the vision
requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10),
subject to the requirements cited above
(49 CFR 391.64(b)).
In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e)
and 31315, each exemption will be valid
for 2 years unless revoked earlier by
FMCSA. The exemption will be revoked
if: (1) The person fails to comply with
the terms and conditions of the
exemption; (2) the exemption has
resulted in a lower level of safety than
was maintained before it was granted; or
(3) continuation of the exemption would
not be consistent with the goals and
objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136 and 31315.
If the exemption is still effective at the
end of the 2-year period, the person may
apply to FMCSA for a renewal under
procedures in effect at that time.
Issued on: February 26, 2014.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2014–05509 Filed 3–12–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P

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[Docket No. NHTSA–2014–0025]

Agency Request for Approval of a New
Information Collection: Recruitment
and Debriefing of Human Subjects for
Field Study on Vehicle Occupant
Protection Technologies
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Request for public comments on
a proposed collection of information.
AGENCY:

The Department of
Transportation (DOT) invites public
comments about our intention to request
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval for a new information
collection. The information collection
involves eligibility, demographic, and
debriefing questionnaires. The
information will be used to recruit
participants for a field study on vehicle
occupant protection technologies and to
get information from study participants
about their experience with such
technologies. The study focuses on
occupant protection technologies that
restrict some vehicle functionality,
permanently or temporarily, when they
detect that a vehicle occupant is not
wearing a seat belt.
DATES: Written comments should be
submitted by May 12, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by Docket No. NHTSA–2014–
0025 through one of the following
methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket
Management Facility, US Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., West Building Ground
Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC
20590 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. Telephone:
202–366–9826.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
Instructions: All submission must
include the agency name and docket
number for this proposed collection of
information. Note that all comments
received will be posted without change
to http://www.regulation.gov, including
any personal information provided.
Please see the Privacy heading below.
Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search
the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the
SUMMARY:

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 49 / Thursday, March 13, 2014 / Notices

comment (or signing the comment, if
submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). You may
review DOT’s complete Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR
19477–78) or you may visit http://
www.dot.gov/privacy.html .
Docket: For access to the docket to
read comments received, go to http://
www.regulations.gov, or the street
address listed above. Follow the online
instructions for accessing the dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
access to background documents,
contact Lisandra Garay-Vega, Ph.D.;
202–366–1412 Vehicle Safety Research,
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
before an agency submits a proposed
collection of information to OMB for
approval, it must first 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
regulation (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;
(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 for public
comments on the following proposed
collection of information for which the
agency is seeking approval from OMB:
OMB Control Number: Not assigned.
Title: Recruitment and Debriefing of
Human Subjects for Field Test of
Vehicle Occupant Protection
Technologies

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Form Numbers: None.
Type of Review: New Information
Collection
Background: NHTSA’s mission is to
save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce
economic losses resulting from motor
vehicle crashes. Increasing seat belt use
is one of the agency’s highest priorities.
Seat belt use has shown an increasing
trend since 1995, accompanied by a
steady decline in the percentage of
unrestrained passenger vehicle
occupant fatalities during daytime. In
2013, the nationwide seat belt use
reached 87 percent for drivers and front
seat passengers.1 Despite gains in seat
belt usage, data from the 2011 Fatality
Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
indicates that 52 percent of all
passenger vehicle crash fatalities 2 were
unbelted occupants.3 The age group 21
to 24 had the highest percentage of
unrestrained occupants killed: 2,172
fatalities, of which 1,385 (64%) were
unrestrained. The second highest
percentage of unrestrained passenger
vehicle occupant fatalities was 63
percent among 25- to 34-year-olds.c Use
of lap/shoulder seat belts reduce the risk
of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car
occupants by 45 percent and the risk of
moderate-to-critical injury by 50
percent. In 2011 alone, seat belts saved
an estimated 11,949 lives.c
The proposed study will examine seat
belt use; users’ acceptance of emerging
vehicle technologies designed to
increase seat belt use; likelihood and
potential strategies to circumvent the
system; and unintended consequences.
The study method consists of a field
operation test to collect objective and
subjective data about two prototype
technologies developed by automakers
to increase seat belt use. A total of 32
drivers from two age groups will be
recruited to participate in the study, 16
non-seatbelt users (8 young drivers; 8
middle-aged drivers), and 16 part-time
users (8 young drivers; 8 middle-aged
drivers). The study sample will have
equal numbers of male and female
drivers from each age group. The
research team acknowledges that it may
not be possible to recruit non-users
given the high seat belt use rate in
Michigan (more than 90%).
1 Pickrell, T. M., & Liu, C. (2014, January). Seat
Belt Use in 2013—Overall Results. (Traffic Safety
Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 811 875).
Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
2 The 2012 and 2013 data on the percent of
unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities
during daytime is not yet available.
3 NHTSA. (2013, June) Occupant Protection
(Traffic Safety Facts 2011 Data. Report No.DOT HS
811 729). Washington, DC: National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration. http://
www.nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811729.pdf.

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Alternatively, the research team may
consider recruiting part-time users with
different non-belt use frequencies. The
estimated burden hours are shown for
48 to 60 respondents to account for
estimated dropout rates.
Each driver will be presented with
one baseline condition and each of the
two vehicle occupant protection
technologies. Each condition will last
one week. Therefore, each participant
will drive the research vehicles for three
weeks. A data acquisition system will
record system state (i.e., door, ignition,
driver seat belt buckle) and video inside
the vehicle cabin. The University of
Michigan Transportation Research
Institute, in collaboration with the
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
and Montana State University, Western
Transportation Institute, will conduct
this study under a research contract
with the NHTSA.
Description of the Need for the
Information and Proposed Use of the
Information: The collection of
information consists of: (1) An
eligibility questionnaire, (2) a
demographic questionnaire; and (3) post
study questionnaires.
The information to be collected will
be used to:
• Eligibility questionnaire(s) will be
used to obtain self-reported driving
history information. Individuals
interested in participating in the study
will be asked to provide information
about their driving history. People who
have been convicted of felony motor
convictions will be excluded.
Individuals who pass the initial
screening will be asked to provide their
driver license number and consent to
review their driving records to confirm
self-reported driving history
information. Drivers’ consent and
driving license numbers will be used to
obtain official driving records from the
state of Michigan. Individuals will be
excluded from participating in the study
if they refuse to grant UMTRI
permission to review their public
driving records or if they have been
convicted of felony motor convictions in
the last 2 years. This exclusion criterion
is used to reduce the liability risk of
providing participants with research
vehicles.
• Demographic questionnaire will be
used to obtain demographic information
to confirm that the study group includes
participants from various groups (e.g.,
age; gender; part-time seat belt users or
those who sometimes wear their belts;
non-users or those who never wear a
seat belt; etc. Other demographic
information will be collected to describe
the study sample (e.g., annual travel
distance).

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 49 / Thursday, March 13, 2014 / Notices
• Post study questionnaire(s) will be
used to get information about drivers’
beliefs and attitude towards each
occupant protection technology tested,
and to identify potential problems
associated with each system. These
questionnaires will also be used to
assess perceived usability of the systems
in terms of acceptance and satisfaction,

as well as willingness to have this
technology in their vehicle. Each driver
will complete a post study
questionnaire twice, one by the end of
the second week and the other by the
end of the third week.
Respondents: Michigan drivers with a
valid driver license.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 48
to 60

Estimated Number of Responses: One
response per person to 25 to 160
questions total.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 35
minutes per respondent (46 hours total).
Estimated Frequency: one-time for the
eligibility and demographic
questionnaire; two-times for the post
study questionnaire.

TABLE 1—ESTIMATED BURDEN HOURS
Frequency of
responses

Number of
respondents 4

Instrument

Eligibility questionnaire ............................
Demographic questionnaire .....................
Post study questionnaire .........................

60
48
48

Number of
questions

1
1
2

Estimated
individual
burden
(minutes)

25
15
60

Total
estimated
burden
hours
10
5
20

Total ..................................................

Public Comments Invited: You are
asked to comment on any aspect of this
information collection, including (a)
Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the
Department’s performance; (b) the
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c)
ways for the Department to enhance the
quality, utility and clarity of the
information collection; and (d) ways
that the burden could be minimized
without reducing the quality of the
collected information. The agency will
summarize and/or include your
comments in the request for OMB’s
clearance of this information collection.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, 44. U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended;
5 CFR part 1320; and 49 CFR 1.95.
Nathaniel Beuse,
Associate Administrator for Vehicle Safety
Research.
[FR Doc. 2014–05368 Filed 3–12–14; 8:45 am]

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4 The number of respondents in this table
includes drop-out rates.

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. FD 35791]

Union Pacific Railroad Company—
Acquisition and Operation
Exemption—Brownsville and
Matamoros Bridge Company
AGENCY:

Surface Transportation Board,

DOT.
ACTION:

Notice of Exemption.

The Board is granting an
exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502 from
the prior approval requirements of 49
U.S.C. 11323–25 for Union Pacific
Railroad Company (UP), a Class I rail
carrier, to acquire and operate 0.8 miles
of rail line owned by Brownsville and
Matamoros Bridge Company (B&M),
between UP milepost 0.59 (B&M
milepost 0.80) to the international
border with Mexico located at the center
point of B&M’s railroad bridge (B&M
milepost 0.00). B&M is a common
carrier by railroad but does not perform
railroad operations itself. Historically,
UP has conducted all operations on the
line. Upon consummation of the
transaction, UP will relocate overhead
traffic to a newly constructed line
outside the city of Brownsville, Tex.

SUMMARY:

5 Estimated based on the mean hourly rate for
Michigan (all occupations) is $21.14 as reported in
the May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage

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Total
annualize
cost to
respondents 5
10
4
32

$211.40
84.56
676.48

46

972.44

This exemption is subject to standard
labor protective conditions.
DATES: This exemption will be effective
on April 2, 2014. Petitions to stay must
be filed by March 21, 2014. Petitions to
reopen must be filed by March 28, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Send an original and 10
copies of all pleadings referring to
Docket No. FD 35791 to: Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20423–0001. In
addition, send one copy of pleadings to:
Mack H. Shumate, Jr., 101 North Wacker
Drive, #1920, Chicago, IL 60606.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Amy Ziehm,
(202) 245–0391. Assistance for the
hearing impaired is available through
the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at (800) 877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Additional information is contained in
the Board’s decision served on March
13, 2014, which is available on our Web
site at www.stb.dot.gov.
Decided: March 10, 2014.
By the Board, Chairman Elliott and Vice
Chairman Begeman.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2014–05510 Filed 3–12–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

Estimates, Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://
www.bls.gov/oes/oes_dl.htm.

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