Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Form NHTSA Form 1667 FARS Manual Protocol In-Kind Process Support Form	New
Form NHTSA Form 1667 FARS Manual Protocol Case Entry Process (including supporting case materials) Form	New
Form NHTSA Form 1667 FARS EDT Manual Case Entry (supporting case materials) Form	New
2022-06986 FARS 60-day.pdf Supplementary Document	2022-07-25
FARS 30 day notice 2022-15412.pdf Supplementary Document	2022-07-25
Supporting Statements for FARS NTS - Part A 07202022 clean.docx Supporting Statement A	2022-07-25

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
26137	Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) EDT (mapping maintenance) Other-Explanation	Modified
254643	NTS Other-Explanation	New
254640	FARS Manual Protocol In-Kind Process Support Form	New
254639	FARS Manual Protocol Case Entry Process (including supporting case materials) Form	New
254608	FARS EDT Manual Case Entry (supporting case materials) Form	New

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 2127-0006	ICR Reference No: 202206-2127-006
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 201904-2127-002
Agency/Subagency: DOT/NHTSA	Agency Tracking No: Ready for OST Review
Title: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular	Date Submitted to OIRA: 07/26/2022

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	07/31/2022
Responses	34,817	34,748
Time Burden (Hours)	107,209	106,244
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	100,000

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Abstract: The FARS is a voluntary information collection of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. The FARS is in its forty-sixth year of operation and is a census of all defined crashes involving fatalities in the country. The FARS collects data from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico under cooperative agreements. State employees extract and transcribe information from existing State files including police crash reports as well as driver license, vehicle registration, highway department, and vital statistics files. NHTSA aggregates the data for research and analysis in support of motor vehicle regulations and highway safety programs. This supports NHTSA’s mission to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes by providing the agency vital information about fatal crashes. The aggregated data comprises a national database that is NHTSA’s and many States’ principal means of tracking trends in fatalities and quantifying problems or potential problems in highway safety. The FARS data are used extensively by all the NHTSA program and research offices, other DOT modes, States, and local jurisdictions. The highway research community uses the FARS data for trend analysis, problem identification, and program evaluation. Congress uses the FARS data for making decisions concerning safety programs. The FARS data are also available upon request to anyone interested in highway safety. The annual burden has been adjusted from 106,244 to 107,209 hours (an increase of 965 hours) costs have decreased from $100,000 to $0 (a decrease of $100,000). The adjustment in burden hours is due to the increase in the complexity of coding the FARS cases and an increase in the number of fatal crashes across most States. The increase also accounts for the time to process the non-traffic fatalities for NTS. Furthermore, while time for manually inputting data has decreased with States implementing systems to electronically transfer police report data that prepopulate NHTSA’s data systems, including FARS, the overall burden increased because, over the past two years, there has been an increase in staff turnover at the State level, adding an increase in administrative hours, training, and coding assistance to continue operations. The decrease in costs is a result of removing labor costs associated with labor hours that were incorrectly included in our last ICR.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 23 USC 101 Name of Law: Highway Safety Act of 1966
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	87 FR 19573	04/04/2022
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	87 FR 43380	07/20/2022
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 5

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
FARS EDT Manual Case Entry (supporting case materials)	NHTSA Form 1667	FARS Data Entry Form
FARS Manual Protocol Case Entry Process (including supporting case materials)	NHTSA Form 1667	FARS Data Entry Form
FARS Manual Protocol In-Kind Process Support	NHTSA Form 1667	FARS Data Entry Form
Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) EDT (mapping maintenance)
NTS

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	34,817	34,748	0	34,798	-34,729	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	107,209	106,244	0	107,171	-106,206	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	100,000	0	0	-100,000	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The annual burden has been adjusted from 106,244 to 107,209 hours (an increase of 965 hours) costs have decreased from $100,000 to $0 (a decrease of $100,000). The adjustment in burden hours is due to the increase in the complexity of coding the FARS cases and an increase in the number of fatal crashes across most States. The increase also accounts for the time to process the non-traffic fatalities for NTS. Furthermore, while time for manually inputting data has decreased with States implementing systems to electronically transfer police report data that prepopulate NHTSA’s data systems, including FARS, the overall burden increased because, over the past two years, there has been an increase in staff turnover at the State level, adding an increase in administrative hours, training, and coding assistance to continue operations. The decrease in costs is a result of removing labor costs associated with labor hours that were incorrectly included in our last ICR. Costs decreased from $100,000 to $0. When NHTSA last sought approval, labor costs were included in response to question 13, which was incorrect.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $9,700,000

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 07/26/2022

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