Generic Approval Request

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration/Preusser Research Group, Inc.

Focus Groups for Increasing Safety Belt Use Among Rural Populations

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback”

Contract Number: DTNH2217R00027

3-22-2019

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 2127-0682)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Focus Groups for Increasing Safety Belt Use Among Rural Populations

PURPOSE:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working to increase seat belt enforcement and usage among rural populations. The goal of this research is to help NHTSA better understand how to reach rural communities and make them aware of the negative consequences associated with non-seat belt use. The primary objective of this project is to increase seat belt enforcement and seat belt use rates among motorists in rural areas and to demonstrate and assess whether data-based program messaging will resonate with occupants and ultimately increase seat belt use that is currently lower than average. The project contains different programs with two distinct characteristics: the use of health and safety data to publicize program efforts, with observational survey data as a centerpiece; and the use of focus groups to gather information from community members.

An understanding of the local perception of seat belt use is needed to assist law enforcement and community partners in developing more effective seat belt program strategies (e.g. shaping a program based on local perspectives, seeking to motivate the community based on their input). Focus group information will also help determine the shape and focus of publicity and outreach by identifying what community members find useful and juxtaposing these elements with local safety data and program material/messaging. In short, focus groups will help define the character of the rural community and ascertain what resonates with them. That knowledge will be used to tailor an occupant protection program and increase the likelihood of the program’s effectiveness.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

Our recommended data collection method is qualitative focus groups among community members. Preusser Research Group, Inc. (PRG) will conduct three focus groups in two geographically separate locations for a total of six focus groups. Each focus group will be 90 minutes in length. Each focus group will have a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 15 participants being present. We have allowed for the possibility that all 15 participants will attend all discussions. The breakdown is outlined in Table 1.

Table 1. Number of Participants

Location	Group	Description	N	*Burden Hours
Montana	1	Weekday – Day	15	22.5
	2	Weekday - Night	15	22.5
	3	Weekend	15	22.5
Louisiana	4	Weekday – Day	15	22.5
	5	Weekday – Night	15	22.5
	6	Weekend	15	22.5
		TOTAL	90	135

* Assumes 1.5 hours per person.

Focus Groups will be offered at three times—once on a weekday morning, once on a weekday evening, and once on the weekend. The three meeting times will allow us to sample from a broader demographic (i.e. there may be a difference between participants available during the day and those available in the evenings and on weekends).

We anticipate approaching 600 individuals to recruit the 90 individuals (estimated 100 people approached per 15 participating in each focus group). Our screener guide takes 5 minutes to administer.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software) [ ] Small Discussion Group

[X] Focus Group [ ] Other: ____________________

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name: ____Liza Lemaster-Sandbank________________________________________

To assist review, please provide answers to the following questions:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [X] Yes [ ] No

No more than 15 participants will be given a gift card (e.g. Walmart gift card) in the amount of $25. Snacks or a light meal (depending on time of day) and a drink will also be made available to respondents who participate in the session.

BURDEN HOURS

Table 2. Burden Hours

	Maximum Number Participants	Minutes per person	Burden Hours
Role
Focus Group Recruitment	600	5	50
Focus Group Participant	90	90	135
			185

TOTAL BURDEN HOURS: 185 hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $49,500.

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [ ] Yes [X] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan). If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them.

Because of the rural nature of the communities combined with the relatively small number of needed participants, we decided that a “customer list” is not feasible and believe “face-to-face” recruitments will be more effective. We plan to consult with our local program partners to recruit licensed drivers 18 years of age and older. Program partners will be able to draw on their knowledge of the community to help identify local venues (grocery stores, gas stations, big box stores, etc.) from which to recruit participants. One to two researchers will recruit and screen in each community. After gaining permission from local business(es), PRG recruiters will stand on property and recruit patrons/customers face-to-face to participate in upcoming focus groups using the “Recruitment Screener for Focus Groups” guide. Screened recruits will be handed a printed card or “invitation” that includes the date, time, and location of the focus group and asked to arrive at the time printed on the invitation. A first-come first-served approach will be utilized. Recruits will be asked to bring the “invitation” with them to the focus group and informed that the first fifteen people to arrive will be selected to participate.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[X] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [X] Yes [ ] No

Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request. Included: Focus Group Moderator’s Guide, Recruitment Screener for Focus Groups