National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Prevalence of Road Users: 2025
New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)
No
Regular
09/22/2025
table that charts list comparision
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
3,373
0
531
0
0
0
National Roadside Surveys (NRSs) are a central tool in understanding alcohol- and drug-involved driving. Starting in 1973, roadside surveys of drivers on the road have estimated the population-level prevalence of drinking and driving in the United States. The core methodology has continued across decades, but NHTSA has initiated improvements. The number of sites has increased, drugs of interest have been modified to reflect use across the country, and advances in technology have impacted how data can be collected and specimens analyzed.
Conducting an NRS on a periodic basis (e.g., about every 10 years) allows NHTSA to examine the prevalence of alcohol and drug use among drivers, and trends across survey years. Given States are legalizing medicinal and/or recreational use of cannabis, and other issues such as the apparent increase in opioid use in the U.S., more information is needed on the level of alcohol- and drug-involved driving to better inform NHTSAâs countermeasure development.
Roadside surveys provide objective measures of alcohol and drugs in driversâ systems when they are actually driving. These measures are based on results from breath tests and oral fluid samples collected using established protocols. Analyses of these specimens allow for the quantitative determination of alcohol and drug levels. Learning more about alcohol and other drug prevalence among road users other than drivers is new to this NRS. These other road users (ORUs) include pedestrians, bicyclists, scooterists, and those using mobility aids.
NHTSA will conduct two studies. Study 1 will focus on drivers but include convenience sampling of ORUs passing by the data collection locations. Study 2 is a pilot test assessing the feasibility of a NRS specific to ORUs. Both will collect breath and oral fluid specimens, demographic information, and self-report questionnaire data on roads across the country. Participation will be voluntary and anonymous. Study protocols will be reviewed by a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-approved IRB. The only personal identifiable information (PII) collected is oral fluid. No DNA analyses will be conducted on the oral fluid specimens. These will only be analyzed for the presence of alcohol and other drugs, and specimens will be destroyed after the study is complete. The results will be reported in aggregate form in research reports. NHTSA anticipates obtaining a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Study 1 / National Roadside Survey. This request is a voluntary, one-time survey. This survey follows the prior NRS methodology but additionally includes recruiting ORUs who are passing by data collection locations. Data collection will occur in 60 primary sampling units (PSUs) using 5 locations at each PSU (300 locations total). There will be a single data collection event at each location. The biological samples will be sent to a toxicology lab for testing of the presence of alcohol and other drugs. Participantsâ responses to survey questions on the use of drugs and traffic safety-related behaviors and attitudes will also be analyzed.
Study 2 / Pilot Test for Other Road Users. Study 2 examines the viability of a stand-alone roadside survey focused solely on ORUs. This effort uses 20 new data collection locations, inclusive of 4 PSUs with 5 locations each. This effort is to inform NHTSA on the feasibility of such a targeted roadside survey and to determine the level of effort to execute a nationwide study of ORUs. The same procedures as Study 1 will be used.
NHTSA will use the information from both studies to produce technical reports presenting the findings. The technical reports will provide only aggregate (summary) statistics and tables; no PII will be retained or reported. The Study 1 technical report is for audiences interested in traffic safety. The information from Study 2 will also be used by NHTSA in consideration of research on ORUs.
US Code:
23 USC 403
Name of Law: Highway safety research and development
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:
(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;
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.
Form NHTSA 1762 Informed Consent
NRS 30-Day FRN.pdf
NRS Part A 2025.docx
NRS Informed Consent and Respondent Questions - Other Road Users