30-day Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 180 / Thursday, September 17, 2015 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA–2014–0025]

Request for Comments on New
Information Collection
Notice and request for
comments.

ACTION:

In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice
announces that the Information
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted
below is being submitted to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and comments.
DATES: Written comments should be
submitted by October 19, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to the
Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, 725 17th Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20503, Attention
NHTSA Desk Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information or access to
background documents, contact Julie
Kang, Ph.D., Vehicle Safety Research,
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington,
DC 20590. Dr. Kang’s telephone number
is (202) 366–5195.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Before a
Federal agency can collect certain
information from the public, it must
receive approval from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). In
compliance with these requirements,
this notice announces that the following
information collection request has been
forwarded to OMB. A Federal Register
notice with a 60-day comment period
soliciting comments on the following
information collection was published on
March 13, 2014 (79 FR 14335).
NHTSA received one comment from
the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) on the proposed
information collection. In NHTSA’s
original proposed study, each driver
would have experienced a one week
baseline period and two one week
periods where each driver would use
each technology. IIHS stated a withinsubject design may result in a carryover
effect in which changes in behavior
resulting from exposure to the first
technology may influence behavioral
responses to the second technology in a
subsequent week. IIHS’s concern is that
the reinforcement contingencies drivers
learn with the first technology may

tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

SUMMARY:

VerDate Sep<11>2014

17:30 Sep 16, 2015

Jkt 235001

carry over to a subsequent phase of
study and potentially confound the
measurement of the second technology’s
effect on belt use. Based on IIHS’s
suggestion, NHTSA has changed the
experimental design from a withinsubjects design (32 participants, 3
weeks) to a between-subject design (48
participants, 3 weeks). In this betweensubject design experiment, each
participant will only experience one of
the two seat belt interlock technologies.
This new design holds reasonable
statistical analysis power and clears out
the concern of the behavior carry-on
effect.
OMB Control Number: Not assigned.
Title: Recruitment and Debriefing of
Human Subjects for Field Test of
Vehicle Occupant Protection
Technologies.
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 percent)
were unrestrained. The second highest
percentage of unrestrained passenger
vehicle occupant fatalities was 63
percent among 25- to 34-year-olds.3 Use
of lap/shoulder seat belts reduces 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.3
The proposed study will examine seat
belt use, users’ acceptance of emerging
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://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811729.pdf

PO 00000

Frm 00078

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

55903

vehicle technologies designed to
increase seat belt use, the likelihood of
and potential strategies to circumvent
the system, and unintended
consequences. The study method
consists of a field operational test to
collect objective and subjective data
about two prototype technologies
developed by automakers to increase
seat belt use. In response to comments
received during the 60-day comment
period, NHTSA has changed the
experimental design, from a withinsubjects design (32 participants, 3-week)
to a between-subject design (48
participants, 3-week). This new design
holds reasonable statistical analysis
power and clears out the concern of the
behavior carry-on effect. A total of 48
drivers from two age groups would be
recruited to participate in the study, 24
non-seat belt users (12 young drivers; 12
middle-aged drivers), and 24 part-time
users (12 young drivers; 12 middle-aged
drivers). The study sample would have
equal numbers of male and female
drivers from each age group. The
research team acknowledges that it may
be difficult to recruit non-users given
the high seat belt use rate in Michigan
(more than 90 percent). As a result, the
research team will also draw from the
University of Michigan Transportation
Researh Institute’s (UMTRI) previous
field operational test study participant
pool of low seat belt users. This pool of
previous participants have indicated
that they would be willing do other
studies; therefore, it is expected that this
strategy will greatly expedite the
recruitment process. The estimated
burden hours are shown for a maximum
of 391 respondents to respond to the
recruitment advertisements. The
number of call-ins was calculated based
on:
—A 93 percent seat belt use rate in
Michigan, so it takes about 343 callins to find the 24 non-seat belt users
for screening purposes;
—It is estimated at least 50 percent of
the part-time seat belt users from
previous studies will participate in
the current study (pulling from those
who have indicated that they would
be interested in participating in future
studies), so it takes about 48 call-ins
to find 24 part-time seat belt users.
Each driver will be presented with
one baseline condition and one vehicle
occupant protection technology. Each
condition will last one week. Therefore,
each participant will drive the research
vehicles for two 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

E:\FR\FM\17SEN1.SGM

17SEN1

55904

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 180 / Thursday, September 17, 2015 / Notices

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 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. In the revised
study design, minor changes were also
made to the three instruments to reflect
the study changes. Example changes
include deleting the question asking for
driver’s social security number in the
demographic questionnaire, and adding
more open-end questions in the poststudy 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’s 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).
• 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 once, at the end of the
second week.
Respondents: Michigan drivers with a
valid driver license.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 50
to 391.
Estimated Number of Responses: One
to three responses per person, 17 to 85
questions total.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 10 to
45 minutes per respondent (95.2 hours
total).
Estimated Frequency: One-time for
the eligibility; demographic
questionnaire; and the post-study
questionnaire.

TABLE 1—ESTIMATED BURDEN HOURS
Number of
respondents 4

Instrument

Frequency of
responses

Estimated
individual
burden
(minutes)

Number of
questions

Total estimated
burden hours

Total
annualize cost
to
respondents 5

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

391
60
50

1
1
1

17
23
45

10
5
30

65.2
5
25

$1377.60
105.70
528.50

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

........................

........................

........................

........................

95.2

2011.80

4 The

number of respondents in this table includes drop-out rates.
based on the mean hourly rate for Michigan (all occupations) is $21.14 as reported in the May 2011 Occupational Employment and
Wage Estimates, Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_dl.htm

tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

5 Estimated

Comments are invited on: Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; the accuracy of
the Department’s estimate of the burden
of the proposed information collection;
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, 44. U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended;
5 CFR part 1320; and 49 CFR 1.95.

VerDate Sep<11>2014

18:07 Sep 16, 2015

Jkt 235001

Issued in Washington, DC.
Nathaniel Beuse,
Associate Administrator for Vehicle Safety
Research.
[FR Doc. 2015–23294 Filed 9–16–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 378X)]

Norfolk Southern Railway Company—
Abandonment Exemption—in
Nottoway County, VA
Norfolk Southern Railway Company
(NSR) has filed a verified notice of
exemption under 49 CFR part 1152
subpart F—Exempt Abandonments to
abandon approximately 0.70 miles of

PO 00000

Frm 00079

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

railroad line (the Line). The Line
extends between mileposts N 133.4
(near Atwood Street) and N 134.1 (near
Highway 460 and Burkes Tavern Road),
in Nottoway County, Va., and traverses
United States Postal Service Zip Code
23922.
NSR has certified that: (1) No local
traffic has moved over the Line for at
least two years; (2) there is no overhead
traffic on the Line that would have to be
rerouted over other lines; (3) no formal
complaint filed by a user of rail service
on the Line (or by a state or local
government entity acting on behalf of
such user) regarding cessation of service
over the Line either is pending with the
Surface Transportation Board (Board) or
with any U.S. District Court or has been
decided in favor of complainant within
the two-year period; and (4) the
requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7(c)

E:\FR\FM\17SEN1.SGM

17SEN1