Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for Comment; National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats

AGENCY:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments on extension of a currently approved information collection.

SUMMARY:

NHTSA invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of a currently approved information collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from OMB. Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval on the National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS).

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before April 18, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-2022-0009 through any of the following methods:

• Electronic Submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov . Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

• Fax: (202) 493-2251.

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9322 before coming.

Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and docket number for this notice. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act 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 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 https://www.transportation.gov/privacy .

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the street address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets via internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or access to background documents, contact Lacey L. Boyle, Office of Traffic Records and Analysis, Mathematical Analysis Division (NSA-210), (202) 366-7468, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, W55-207, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Please identify the relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB Control Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. ), 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: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) how to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 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.

Title: National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats.

OMB Control Number: 2127-0644.

Form Number(s): NHTSA Form 1010.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information collection.

Type of Review Requested: Regular.

Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of approval.

Summary of the Collection of Information: The National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS) is a voluntary collection of restraint use information for children under 13. The purpose of the NSUBS is to gather information on restraint use for all child occupants, in particular the use of booster seats among children ages 4-7. NSUBS is a biennial collection that involves data collectors visiting sampled gas stations, recreation centers, day care centers, and seven specific fast food restaurant chains (McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dairy Queen, and Sonic), where vehicles are most likely to have child occupants. Data collectors will observe as many vehicles as possible that appear to have a least one child occupant under the age of 13 in order for data collector observation of restraint use for all occupants. For motorists who voluntarily participate in a subsequent interview, the data collectors conduct a brief interview with the vehicle driver or other knowledgeable adult to determine the age, height, weight, race, and ethnicity of the child occupants and age of the driver. The survey collects data to support estimates of restraint use for all children under 13. The collection includes race and ethnicity breakouts of restraint use among all occupants in a vehicle as well as age, height, and weight of children.

Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the Information: The NSUBS is conducted to respond to Section 14(i) of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act of 2000. The Act directs the Department of Transportation to reduce deaths and injuries among children in the 4- to 8-year old age group that are caused by failure to use a booster seat by twenty-five percent. Conducting the National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats provides the Department with invaluable information on use and non-use of booster seats, helping the Department to improve its outreach programs to ensure that children are protected to the greatest extent possible when they ride in motor vehicles. The survey data will allow programs to better reach the caretakers whose children are unrestrained or not using the best restraint choice for their children's sizes. The findings may also be of interest to State legislatures wanting to strengthen their child restraint laws by enacting mandatory or enhanced booster seat use provisions.

Affected Public: Motorists in passenger vehicles with children under 13 who are approached at gas stations, fast food restaurants, day care centers, and recreation centers frequented by children and asked to participate in the survey.

Estimated Number of Respondents: Based on the average number of respondents from the last three survey years (2017, 2019, 2021), we estimate that there will be approximately 5,300 respondents ( i.e., 5,300 adult motorists in passenger vehicles with children under 13 at gas stations, fast food restaurants, day care centers, and recreation centers who agree to be interviewed for the survey).

Frequency: Biennial.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: NHTSA estimates that the data collection will, on average, take approximately 4.25 minutes per respondent. A respondent in this case is an adult motorist providing information about children in their vehicle. Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total burden for the 5,300 respondents to be 376 hours, rounded ((4.25 minutes × 5,300 respondents) ÷ 60 min/hr = 375.42 hours). Since NSUBS data are collected biennially, dividing the 376 total burden hours by two yields an annual burden of 188 hours. Table 1 provides a summary of the burden hour estimates.

To represent the value of the respondents' time, NHTSA uses the average hourly wage for the United States, which is estimated to be $27.07. Using this estimate, NHTSA estimates the total opportunity costs to respondents to be $10,178.32 (376 × $27.07) or $5,089.16 annually.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: Participation in this study is voluntary, and there are no costs to respondents beyond the time spent taking part in the survey.

Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspects of this information collection, including (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 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; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order 1351.29.