Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for Comment; Reporting of Information and Documents About Potential Defects, 77228-77236 [2024-21509]

Agencies

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77228-77236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21509]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0055]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Reporting of Information and Documents About Potential Defects

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments on an extension without change 
of a currently approved collection of information.

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SUMMARY: NHTSA invites public comments about our intention to request 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an 
extension without change 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 
reporting of information and documents about potential safety defects.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 19, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2024-0055 through any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at https://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.
    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 https://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading 
below.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search for 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 https://www.regulations.gov or the street 
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the 
dockets via the internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access 
to background documents, contact Jeff Quandt, Trends Analysis Division 
(NEF-108), Room W48-312, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 
(202) 366-5207. 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

[[Page 77229]]

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: Reporting of Information and Documents About Potential 
Defects.
    OMB Control: 2127-0616.
    Type of Request: Extension without change 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: This notice requests 
comment on NHTSA's intention to seek approval from OMB to extend 
without change a currently approved collection of information, OMB No. 
2127-0616, covering requirements in 49 CFR 579, Reporting of 
Information and Communications about Potential Defects. Part 579 
implements, and addresses with more specificity, requirements from the 
Transportation Recall Enhancement Accountability and Documentation 
(TREAD) Act (Pub. L. 106-414), which was enacted on November 1, 2000, 
and is codified at 49 U.S.C. 30166.
    The purpose of part 579 is to enhance motor vehicle safety by 
specifying information and documents that manufacturers of motor 
vehicles and motor vehicle equipment must provide to NHTSA concerning 
possible safety-related defects and non-compliances in their products, 
including the reporting of safety recalls and other safety campaigns 
the manufacturers conduct outside the United States. Under part 579, 
there are three categories of reporting requirements: (1) Requirements 
at Sec.  579.5 to submit notices, bulletins, customer satisfaction 
campaigns, consumer advisories, and other communications (found in 
subpart A of part 579); (2) requirements at Sec.  579.11 to submit 
information related to safety recalls and other safety campaigns in the 
foreign countries (found in subpart B of part 579); and (3) 
requirements at Sec. Sec.  579.21-28 to submit Early Warning 
Information (found in subpart C of part 579). The Early Warning 
Reporting (EWR) requirements (U.S.C. 30166(m); 49 CFR part 579, subpart 
C) specify that manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle 
equipment must submit to NHTSA information periodically or upon NHTSA's 
request, that includes claims or notices for incidents involving death 
or injury; numbers of property damage claims, consumer complaints, 
warranty claims, and field reports; copies of field reports; and other 
information that may assist NHTSA in identifying potential safety-
related defects. The intent of this information collection is to 
provide early warning of such potential safety-related defects to 
NHTSA.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information: The information required under 49 U.S.C. 30166 and 49 CFR 
part 579 is used by NHTSA to promptly identify potential safety-related 
defects in motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment in the United 
States. When a trend in incidents arising from a potentially safety-
related defect is discovered, NHTSA relies on this information, along 
with other agency data, to determine whether to open a defect 
investigation.
    Affected Public: Manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle 
equipment.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: NHTSA receives part 579 
submissions from approximately 297 manufacturers per year. We estimate 
that there will be a total of 297 respondents per year to this 
extension of the OMB No. 2127-0616, instead of the previously estimated 
337 respondents per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: When this approved information 
collection was last renewed in April 2022, NHTSA estimated the annual 
burden associated with this collection to be 53,810 burden hours. NHTSA 
is updating these estimates to better align with the current volume of 
submissions. NHTSA now estimates the annual burden hours associated 
with this collection to be 54,088 hours based on analysis of EWR 
reporting data from the 2021 through 2023 reporting years.
    NHTSA estimated the burdens associated with this collection by 
calculating the burden associated with submitting information under 
each subpart of part 579. In addition to these burdens, NHTSA also 
estimates that manufacturers will incur computer maintenance burden 
hours, which are estimated on a per manufacturer basis.

Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart A

    The first component of this collection request covers the 
requirements found in part 579 subpart A, Sec.  579.5, Notices, 
bulletins, customer satisfaction campaigns, consumer advisories, and 
other communications. Section 579.5 requires manufacturers to furnish 
(1) a copy of all notices, bulletins, and other communications sent to 
more than one manufacturer, distributor, dealer, lessor, lessee, owner, 
or purchaser, in the United States, regarding any defect in its 
vehicles or items of equipment (including any failure of malfunction 
beyond normal deterioration in use, or any failure of performance, or 
any flaw or unintended deviation from design specifications), whether 
or not such defect is safety-related and (2) a copy of each 
communication relating to a customer satisfaction campaign, consumer 
advisory, recall, or other safety activity involving the repair or 
replacement of motor vehicles or equipment, that the manufacturer 
issued to, or made available to, more than one dealer, distributor, 
lessor, lessee, other manufacturer, owner, or purchaser, in the United 
States. Manufacturers are required to submit these documents monthly. 
Section 579.5 does not require manufacturers to create these documents. 
Instead, only copies of these documents must be submitted to NHTSA, and 
manufacturers must index these communications and email them to NHTSA 
within 5 working days after the end of the month in which they were 
issued. Therefore, the burden hours are only those associated with 
collecting the documents and submitting copies to NHTSA.
    NHTSA estimates that it receives approximately 17,615 notices a 
year. We estimate that it takes about 5 minutes to collect, index, and 
submit each notice to NHTSA. Therefore, we estimate that it takes 1,468 
hours for manufacturers to submit notices as required under Section 
579.5 (17,615 notices x 5 minutes = 88,075 minutes or 1,468 hours).
    To calculate the labor cost associated with submitting Section 
579.5 notices, bulletins, customer satisfaction campaigns, consumer 
advisories and other communications that are sent to more than one 
dealer or owner, NHTSA looked at wage estimates for the type of 
personnel submitting the documents. While some manufacturers employ 
clerical staff to collect and submit the documents, others use 
technical computer support staff to complete the task. Because we do 
not know what percent of the work is completed by clerical or technical 
computer support staff, NHTSA estimates the total labor costs 
associated with these burden hours by looking at the average wage for 
the higher-paid technical computer

[[Page 77230]]

support staff. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the 
average hourly wage for Computer Support Specialists (BLS Occupation 
code 15-1230) in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $37.62.\1\ 
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that private industry workers' 
wages represented 70.4 percent of employer costs for employee 
compensation in December 2023 (ECEC adjustment).\2\ Based on the BLS 
average hourly wage and ECEC adjustment factor, NHTSA estimates the 
hourly labor costs to be $53.44 for Computer Support Specialists 
($37.62 / 0.704 = $53.44). The incremental labor cost per submission is 
estimated to be $4.45 ($53.44 per hour x 5 minutes). NHTSA estimates 
the total labor cost associated with the 1,468 burden hours for Sec.  
579.5 submissions to be $78,387 ($4.45 x 17,615 submissions). Table 1 
provides a summary of the burden estimates using the average annual 
submission count for monthly reports submitted pursuant to Sec.  579.5 
and the estimated burden hours and labor costs associated with those 
submissions. The average number of annual submissions under Sec.  579.5 
decreased by approximately 29 percent from the currently approved 
information collection, dropping from 24,884 to 17,615 manufacturer 
communication submissions. The incremental cost per submission rose 
from $3.73 to $4.45, a 19 percent increase. The annual burden hours 
dropped from 2,074 to 1,468, matching the 29 percent drop in 
submissions. The annual labor costs dropped from $92,817 to $78,387, a 
16 percent decrease with the reduction in submissions partially offset 
by the increased labor cost per submission.
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    \1\ May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage Estimates--Motor 
Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer 
Support Analyst (Code 15-1230), $37.62, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/naics4_336100.htm#15-0000, divided by 70.4 percent for 
total employer costs for employee compensation, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 12, 
2024.
    \2\ March 2024 News Release--Employer Costs for Employee 
Compensation--December 2023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last 
Accessed August 12, 2024.

                                                  Table 1--Burden Estimate for Sec.   579.5 Submissions
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                                                  Estimated burden
    Average annual Sec.   579.5 submissions        per submission     Average hourly   Labor cost per   Total burden           Total labor costs
                                                      (minutes)         labor cost       submission         hours
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17,615.........................................                   5            $53.44           $4.45           1,468  $78,386.75 or $78,387.
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Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart B (Foreign Reporting)

    The second component of this information collection request covers 
the requirements found in part 579 subpart B, ``Reporting of Safety 
Recalls and Other Safety Campaigns in Foreign Countries.'' Pursuant to 
Sec.  579.11, whenever a manufacturer determines to conduct a safety 
recall or other safety campaign in a foreign country, or whenever a 
foreign government has determined that a safety recall or other safety 
campaign must be conducted, covering a motor vehicle, item of motor 
vehicle equipment, or tire that is identical or substantially similar 
to a vehicle, item of equipment, or tire sold or offered for sale in 
the United States, the manufacturer must report to NHTSA not later than 
5 working days after the manufacturer makes such determination or 
receives written notification of the foreign government's 
determination. Section 579.11(e) also requires each manufacturer of 
motor vehicles to submit, not later than November 1 of each year, a 
document that identifies foreign products and their domestic 
counterparts.
    To provide the information required for foreign safety campaigns, 
manufacturers must (1) determine whether vehicles or equipment that are 
covered by a foreign safety recall or other safety campaign are 
identical or substantially similar to vehicles or equipment sold in the 
United States, (2) prepare and submit reports of these campaigns to the 
agency, and (3) where a determination or notice has been made in a 
language other than English, translate the determination or notice into 
English before transmitting it to the agency.
    NHTSA estimates that there is no burden associated with determining 
whether an individual safety recall covers a foreign motor vehicle or 
item of motor vehicle equipment that is identical or substantially 
similar to those sold in the United States because manufacturers can 
simply consult the list that they are required to submit each year. 
Therefore, the only burden associated with determining whether a 
foreign safety recall or other safety campaign is required to be 
reported to NHTSA is the burden associated with creating the annual 
list. NHTSA continues to estimate that it takes approximately 9 hours 
per manufacturer to develop and submit the list. The 9 hours are 
comprised of 8 attorney hours and 1 hour for IT work. NHTSA receives 
these lists from 99 manufacturers, on average, resulting in 891 burden 
hours (99 vehicle manufacturers x 8 hours for attorney support = 792 
hours) + (99 vehicle manufacturers x 1 hour for IT support = 99 hours).
    NHTSA estimates that preparing and submitting each foreign defect 
report (foreign recall campaign) requires 1 hour of clerical staff and 
that translation of determinations into English requires 2 hours of 
technical staff (note: This assumes that all foreign campaign reports 
require translation, which is unlikely). Between 2021 and 2023 NHTSA 
received a yearly average of 262 foreign campaign reports. NHTSA 
estimates that in each of the next three years, NHTSA will receive, on 
average, 262 foreign recall reports. NHTSA estimates that each report 
will take 3 hours (1 hour to prepare by a clerical employee and 2 hours 
for translation). Therefore, NHTSA estimates that the burden hours 
associated with submitting these reports will be 786 hours (3 hours per 
report x 262 reports).
    Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total annual burden hours for 
reporting foreign campaigns and substantially similar vehicles is 1,677 
hours (891 hours for submitting annual lists + 786 hours for submitting 
foreign recall and safety campaign reports). This is an increase of 87 
burden hours from our previous estimate (1,677 hours for the current 
estimate--1,590 hours for the previous estimate). Table 2 provides a 
summary of the estimated burden hours for Part 579 Subpart B 
submissions.

[[Page 77231]]



                              Table 2--Burden Hour Estimates for Foreign Reporting
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                                                 Annual number                                     Total burden
                Submission type                 of submissions       Burden hours per report           hours
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Foreign Campaign Report.......................             262  1 hour clerical + 2 hours                    786
                                                                 translation = 3 hours.
Annual List...................................              99  8 hours attorney + 1 hour IT = 9             891
                                                                 hours.
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................................  ..............  ................................           1,677
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    To calculate the labor cost associated with Part 579 foreign 
reporting submissions, NHTSA looked at wage estimates for the type of 
personnel submitting the documents. As stated above, NHTSA estimates 
that submitting annual lists under Sec.  579.11(e) will involve 8 hours 
of attorney time and 1 hour of IT work. The average hourly wage for 
Lawyers (BLS Occupation code 23-1000) in the Motor Vehicle 
Manufacturing Industry is $112.21.\3\ After applying the 70.4 percent 
ECEC adjustment, NHTSA estimates the hourly labor costs for 
manufacturers to be $159.39 for Lawyers. The ECEC adjusted hourly cost 
for Computer Support Specialists (BLS Occupation code 15-1230) in the 
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $53.44 as reviewed in the 
discussion of Table 1 data in the Subpart A reporting burden analysis. 
NHTSA estimates the incremental labor cost associated with submitting 
each annual list to be $1,328.56 or $1,329 ($159.39 per hour x 8 
attorney hours + $53.44 per hour x 1 IT hour), resulting in an 
estimated annual labor cost of $131,527 for submitting all 99 annual 
lists each year.
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    \3\ May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage Estimates,--Motor 
Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lawyers 
(Code 23-1011), $112.21, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/naics4_336100.htm#23-0000, divided by 70.4 percent for total 
employer costs for employee compensation, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 12, 
2024.
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    NHTSA estimates that submitting each foreign recall or safety 
campaign report involves 1 hour of clerical work and 2 hours of 
translation work. The average hourly wage for Office Clerks (BLS 
Occupation code 43-9061) in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is 
$26.65 \4\ and the average hourly wage for Interpreters and Translators 
(BLS Occupation code 27-3091) is $30.33.\5\ Therefore, NHTSA estimates 
the ECEC adjusted hourly labor costs to be $37.86 for Office Clerks and 
$43.08 for Interpreters and Translators. NHTSA estimates the total 
labor cost associated with submitting one foreign recall or safety 
campaign report to be $124.02 or $124 ($37.86 per hour x 1 Clerical 
hour + $43.08 per hour x 2 Translator hours) and $32,493.24 or $32,493 
for all 262 foreign recall or safety campaign reports NHTSA estimates 
will be submitted annually.
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    \4\ May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage Estimates--Motor 
Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office 
Clerks (Code 43-9061), $26.65, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/naics4_336100.htm#43-0000, divided by 70.4 percent for total 
employer costs for employee compensation, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 12, 
2024.
    \5\ May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates 
United States, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Interpreters and 
Translators (Code 27-3091), $30.33, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes273091.htm, divided by 70.4 percent for total employer costs 
for employee compensation, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 12, 2024.
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    Table 3 provides a summary of the labor costs associated with the 
foreign reporting requirements in part 579, subpart B. NHTSA estimates 
that the total labor costs associated with the annual list requirement 
and the requirement to report foreign recalls and safety campaigns is 
$164,020.68 or $164,021 ($131,527.44 + $32,493.24).

                           Table 3--Annual Labor Cost Estimates for Foreign Reporting
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    Submission type and labor        Hours per     Hourly labor   Labor cost per     Number of      Total labor
            category                submission         cost         submission      submissions        cost
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Annual List-Lawyer..............               8         $159.39       $1,275.12              99     $126,236.88
Annual List-Computer Specialist.               1           53.44           53.44              99        5,290.56
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals for Annual List......               9  ..............        1,328.56  ..............      131,527.44
Foreign Campaign Report-Clerical               1           37.86           37.86             262        9,919.32
Foreign Campaign Report-                       2           43.08           86.16             262       22,573.92
 Translator.....................
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals for Foreign Campaign                3  ..............          124.02  ..............       32,493.24
     Report.....................
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total Labor Costs for     ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............      164,020.68
         Part 579 Subpart B                                                                           or 164,021
         Requirements...........
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Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart C, Reporting of Early Warning 
Information

    The third component of this information collection covers the 
requirements found in part 579 subpart C, ``Reporting of Early Warning 
Information.'' Besides production information, there are five major 
categories requiring reporting of incidents or claims in Subpart C, 
with the specific requirements and applicability of those categories 
varying by vehicle and equipment type and, in some circumstances, 
manufacturer volume. Sections 579.21-27 require manufacturers to submit 
the following:
    (1) Production information; (2) reports on incidents involving 
death or injury in the United States that are identified in claims or 
notices alleging that the death or injury was caused by a possible 
defect; (3) reports on incidents identified in a claim against a 
manufacturer that involve one or more deaths in a foreign country and 
involve

[[Page 77232]]

a vehicle or item of equipment that is identical or substantially 
similar to a vehicle or item of equipment that is offered for sale in 
the United States; (4) separate reports on the number of property 
damage claims, consumer complaints, warranty claims, and field reports 
that involve a specified system or event; (5) copies of field reports; 
and, for manufacturers of tires, (6) a list of common green tires 
(applicable to only tire manufacturers). Section 579.28(l) allows NHTSA 
to request additional information to help identify a defect related to 
motor vehicle safety. The regulation specifies the time frame for 
reporting for each category. Foreign recalls of substantially similar 
vehicles and manufacturer communications are required to be submitted 
monthly, substantially similar vehicle listings are required annually, 
and all other report types are required to be submitted every quarter.

Quarterly Reporting

    Manufacturers are required to report specific information to NHTSA 
every quarter. Manufacturers are required to submit production 
information,\6\ non-dealer field reports, aggregate submissions, and 
death and injury submissions every quarter. Estimates of the burden 
hours and reporting costs are based on:
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    \6\ Low volume and equipment manufacturers are not required to 
submit production information.
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     The number of manufacturers reporting;
     The frequency of required reports;
     The number of hours required per report; and
     The cost of personnel to report.
    The number of hours for reporting ranges from 1 hour for trailer, 
child restraint, low volume vehicle, and equipment manufacturers to 8 
hours for light vehicle manufacturers (Table 4). Quarterly reporting 
burden hours are calculated by multiplying hours used to report for a 
given category by the number of manufacturers for the category and by 
the four times per year quarterly reporting. Using these methods and 
the average number of manufacturers who report annually, we estimate 
the annual burden hours for quarterly reporting of production 
information at 4,176 hours as detailed below in Table 4.
    NHTSA assumes that the hourly wage rate for each quarterly report 
is split evenly between technical and clerical personnel and a weighted 
hourly rate is developed from this assumption. Therefore, using the BLS 
total hourly compensation rates discussed above of $53.44 for a 
Computer Support Specialist and $37.86 for an Office Clerk, the 
weighted hourly rate is $45.65 (Technical Mean Hourly Wage of $53.44 x 
0.5 + Clerical Mean Hourly Wage of $37.86 x 0.5). The estimated 
reporting costs are calculated as follows:

(M x Tp x $45.65) = Quarterly cost of reporting x 4 = 
Annual cost of reporting *
* M = Manufacturers reporting data in the category; Tp = 
Reporting time for the category; $45.65 = Reporting labor cost 
compensation rate; 4 = Quarterly reports per year

    For example, the estimated reporting cost for light vehicles is 
$59,892.80 (41 manufacturers x 8 hours x $45.65 compensation rate x 4 
quarters), and the total annual labor costs associated with quarterly 
reporting are estimated to be $190,634. Table 4 includes the estimated 
burden hours and reporting costs for production information, non-dealer 
field reports, aggregate submissions, and death and injury submissions, 
as well as the quarterly and annual labor costs associated with 
reporting.

                               Table 4--Estimated Manufacturer Annual Burden Hours and Labor Costs for Quarterly Reporting
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                                                                             Quarterly                       Quarterly
                                                          Average number     hours to     Blended hourly    labor costs    Annual burden   Annual labor
               Vehicle/equipment category                       of          report per      comp. rate          per          hours for         costs
                                                          manufacturers    manufacturer                    manufacturer      reporting
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Light Vehicles.........................................               41               8          $45.65         $365.20           1,312      $59,892.80
Medium-Heavy Vehicles..................................               41               5           45.65          228.25             820       37,433.00
Buses..................................................               30               5           45.65          228.25             600       27,390.00
Emergency Vehicles.....................................                9               5           45.65          228.25             180        8,217.00
Motorcycles............................................               16               2           45.65           91.30             128        5,843.20
Trailers...............................................               91               1           45.65           45.65             364       16,616.60
Child Restraints.......................................               35               1           45.65           45.65             140        6,391.00
Tires..................................................               31               5           45.65          228.25             620       28,303.00
Low Volume & Equipment \7\.............................                3               1           45.65           45.65              12        1,095.60
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals.............................................              297  ..............  ..............  ..............           4,176      190,634.40
                                                                                                                                              or 190,634
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Early Warning Reporting Field Data Submissions

    Table 5 provides an average annual submission count for each 
category submitted per the requirements of 49 CFR part 579, subpart C: 
reports on incidents identified in claims or notices involving death or 
injury in the United States; reports on incidents involving one or more 
deaths in a foreign country identified in claims involving a vehicle or 
item of equipment that is identical or substantially similar to a 
vehicle or item of equipment that is offered for sale in the United 
States; separate reports on the number of property damage claims, 
consumer complaints, warranty claims, and field reports that involve a 
specified system or event; copies of field reports; and, for 
manufacturers of tires; a list of common green tires; and additional 
follow-up information per 579.28(l) related to injury and fatality 
claims. Each reporting category has specific requirements and types of 
reports that need to be submitted and we state ``N/A'' where there is 
no requirement for that reporting category.
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    \7\ Reporting requirements for low volume vehicle and equipment 
manufacturers are limited to reporting fatal incidents in the United 
States and foreign countries and responding to inquiries about those 
incidents, see Sec.  579.27 and Sec.  579.28(l). Table 4 
manufacturer counts are calculated by dividing the number of total 
manufacturer reporting quarters (1 manufacturer reporting in 1 
quarter = 1 manufacturer reporting quarter) by 4 quarters to show 
the number of equivalent full manufacturer reporting years (4 
manufacturer reporting quarters).

[[Page 77233]]



                                               Table 5--Annual Average of EWR Submissions by Manufacturers
                                                                       [2021-2023]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Bus,
                                                  emergency,                                       Child                      Low volume
                                Light vehicles     heavy, &       Motorcycles    Trailers Sec.   restraints    Tires Sec.     vehicles &
      Category of claims         Sec.   579.21      medium       Sec.   579.23       579.24         Sec.         579.26       equipment       Totals
                                                 vehicles Sec.                                     579.25                        Sec.
                                                     579.22                                                                     579.27
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Incidents Involving Injury or            6,338             223             109              44          133              35           11           6,893
 Fatality in U.S..............
Incidents Involving Fatality                38               0               2               1            0               0            0              41
 in Foreign Country...........
Reports on Number of Claims              7,985             831              23              55           NA             298           NA           9,192
 Involving Specific System or
 Event........................
Mfr. Field Reports............          83,360          18,650           1,456              81        2,859              NA           NA         106,406
Common Green Tire Reporting...              NA              NA              NA              NA           NA              99           NA              99
Average Number of Follow-Up              1,425              91              67              14           64              44           13           1,718
 Sequences per 579.28(l)......
                               -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals....................          99,146          19.795           1,657             195        3,056             476           24         124,349
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    The submission totals summarized in Table 5 represent a 10 percent 
increase from the currently approved information collection with two 
reporting categories responsible for all of the increase. Submission 
totals increased for manufacturer field reports and follow-up sequence 
inquiries conducted per Sec.  579.28(l) but saw a net decrease of 34 
percent for the other four categories combined. Average annual injury 
and fatality claims in the United States dropped from 11,887 to 6,893 
claims per year, a 42 percent decrease; foreign death claims dropped 
from 330 to 41 per year, an 88 percent decrease; claims involving 
specific systems or events dropped from 12,212 to 9,192, a 25 percent 
decrease; and common green tire reports dropped from 112 to 99 per 
year, a 12 percent decrease. Manufacturer field reports, which 
accounted for the majority of submissions in both the current and prior 
approved information collection requests, rose from 88,409 to 106,406 
per year, a 20 percent increase.\8\ Death and injury follow-up sequence 
inquiries conducted per Sec.  579.28(l) saw a much larger change, 
rising from 190 to 1,718 average incident inquiries per year, an 
increase of 804 percent. The net effect of these changes was an 
increase from 113,140 to 124,349 submissions per year on average.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ Manufacturer field reports rose from 78 percent of EWR 
submissions in the currently approved information collection to 86 
percent of submissions in the current information collection 
request.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The agency estimates that an average of 5 minutes is required for a 
manufacturer to process each report, except for foreign death claims 
and follow-up responses. We estimate foreign death claims and follow-up 
responses per Sec.  579.28(l) require an average of 15 minutes to 
process. Multiplying the total average number of minutes by the number 
of submissions NHTSA receives in each reporting category yields the 
burden hour estimates found below in Table 6. Our previous estimates of 
EWR associated submission burden hours totaled 9,515 hours, and we now 
update that total to 10,655 burden hours, a 12 percent increase, 
associated with the above noted claim categories.

                     Table 6--Annual Manufacturer Burden Hour Estimates for EWR Submissions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Annual average   Average time      Estimated
                       Category of claims                             of EWR        to process     annual burden
                                                                    submissions     each report        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Incidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S...................           6,893               5             574
Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country.................              41              15              10
Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System or Event..           9,192               5             766
Mfr. Field Reports..............................................         106,406               5           8,867
Common Green Tire Reporting.....................................              99               5               8
Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l).............           1,718              15             430
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................         124,349  ..............          10,655
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We have also calculated hourly labor costs for each claim type with 
an incremental reporting burden based on time to process and labor 
costs for employee positions required for processing each submission. 
Table 7 shows the employee positions required for processing 
submissions for each claim type, the time required for each position to 
process each submission, and the weighted hourly rates for each claim 
type. The employee positions analyzed in Table 7 include three that 
have been introduced in prior sections of this information collection 
request: Lawyers (BLS Occupation code 23-1000), Computer Support 
Specialists (BLS Occupation code 15-1230), and Office Clerks (BLS 
Occupation code 43-9061).\9\ Cost analysis for Computer Support 
Specialists was provided in the discussion of Table 1 data for Subpart 
A labor costs analysis and analyses for Lawyers and Office Clerks were 
provided in the discussion of Table 3 data for Subpart B labor cost 
burden analysis. Labor cost analysis for

[[Page 77234]]

Engineers (BLS Occupation code 17-2000) is introduced in Table 7. The 
average hourly wage for Engineers in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing 
Industry is $52.56.\10\ After applying the 70.4 percent ECEC 
adjustment, NHTSA estimates the hourly labor costs for manufacturers to 
be $74.66 for Engineers. Table 7 shows the weighted hourly rates for 
each submission claim type.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ Table 7 references Computer Support Specialists as 
``Technical'' and Office Clerks as ``Clerical''.
    \10\ May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage Estimates--Motor 
Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Engineers 
(Code 17-2000), $52.56, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/naics4_336100.htm#17-0000, divided by 70.4 percent for total 
employer costs for employee compensation, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 12, 
2024.

                                 Table 7--Estimated Manufacturer Time Allocation by Claim Type and Weighted Hourly Rate
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                           Estimated time (in minutes) to review a claim
                                                         --------------------------------------------------------------------------------    Weighted
                       Claim type                          Lawyer (rate:     Engineer        Technical       Clerical                       hourly rate
                                                             $159.39)     (rate: $74.66)  (rate: $53.44)  (rate: $37.86)    Total time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Incidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S...........               3               0               0               2               5         $110.78
Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country.........               3              10               0               2              15           86.70
Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System or               0               0               3               2               5           47.21
 Event..................................................
Mfr. Field Reports......................................               0               0               3               2               5           47.21
Common Green Tire Reporting.............................               0               0               0               5               5           37.86
Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l).....               3              10               0               2              15           86.70
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    These rates are calculated by summing the weighted employer costs 
for each employee position required to review each submission claim 
type using the formula:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN20SE24.010

    The annual labor costs for submissions of claims data are shown in 
Table 8. Labor Cost per Submission is the product of the Average Time 
to Process Each Report and the Weight Hourly Rate calculated in Table 
7. Annual labor cost is the product of the labor cost per submission 
and the average annual submissions.

                              Table 8--Estimated EWR Annual Labor Costs by Category
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Annual average   Average time                      Estimated       Estimated
       Category of claims             of EWR        to process       Weighted     labor cost per   annual labor
                                    submissions     each report     hourly rate     submission         cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Incidents Involving Injury or              6,893               5         $110.78           $9.23      $63,633.88
 Fatality in U.S................
Incidents Involving Fatality in               41              15           86.70           21.68          888.68
 Foreign Country................
Reports on Number of Claims                9,192               5           47.21            3.93       36,162.86
 Involving Specific System or
 Event..........................
Mfr. Field Reports..............         106,406               5           47.21            3.93      418,618.94
Common Green Tire Reporting.....              99               5           37.86            3.16          312.35
Average Number of Follow-Up                1,718              15           86.70           21.68       37,237.65
 Sequences per 579.28(l)........
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................         124,349  ..............  ..............  ..............      556,854.35
                                                                                                      or 556,854
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The total annual manufacturer burden hours for subpart C reporting 
of EWR data (Sections 579.21-28) is calculated by summing the burden 
hour estimates for quarterly reporting in Table 4 (4,176 hours) and 
submission reporting in Table 6 (10,655 hours). This produces an EWR 
annual burden hour estimate of 14,831 hours. The total annual labor 
cost for subpart C reporting is calculated by summing the labor cost 
estimates in Table 4 ($190,634.40) and Table 8 ($556,854.35), producing 
a total annual labor cost estimate for Subpart C reporting of 
$747,488.75 or $747,489.

Computer Maintenance Burden

    In addition to the burden associated with submitting documents 
under each subpart of Part 579, NHTSA also estimates that manufacturers 
will incur computer maintenance burden hours associated with the 
information collection requirements. The estimated manufacturer burden 
hours associated with aggregate data submissions for consumer 
complaints, warranty claims, and dealer field reports are included in 
reporting and computer maintenance hours. The burden hours for computer 
maintenance are calculated by multiplying the hours of computer use 
(for a given category) by the number of manufacturers reporting in a 
category. NHTSA estimates that light vehicle manufacturers will spend 
approximately 347 hours per year on computer maintenance and that other 
vehicle manufacturers will spend about 22 percent as much time as light 
vehicle manufacturers on computer

[[Page 77235]]

maintenance. Therefore, NHTSA estimates that medium-heavy truck, 
trailer, motorcycle manufacturers, emergency vehicle, and bus 
manufacturers will each spend approximately 86.5 hours on computer 
maintenance each year. NHTSA estimates that tire manufacturers and 
child restraint manufacturers will also spend 86.5 hours on computer 
maintenance per year. Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total burden for 
computer maintenance to be 36,112 hours per year (based on there being 
an estimated 41 light vehicle manufacturers, 41 medium-heavy vehicle 
manufacturers, 91 trailer manufacturers, 16 motorcycle manufacturers, 9 
emergency vehicle manufacturers, 30 bus manufacturers, 31 tire 
manufacturers, and 35 child restraint manufactures).
    To calculate the labor cost associated with computer maintenance 
hours, NHTSA looked at wage estimates for the type of personnel 
submitting the documents. The ECEC adjusted average hourly wage for 
Computer Support Specialists (BLS Occupation code 15-1230) in the Motor 
Vehicle Manufacturing Industry is $53.44 as reviewed in the discussion 
of Table 1 data in the Subpart A reporting burden analysis. For the 
estimated total of 36,112 annual computer maintenance burden hours, 
NHTSA estimates the associated labor costs will be approximately 
$1,929,799. Table 9 shows the annual estimated burden hours for 
computer maintenance by vehicle/equipment category and the estimated 
labor costs associated with those burden hours.

                               Table 9--Estimated Manufacturer Annual Burden Hours for Computer Maintenance for Reporting
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             Hours for
                                                          Average number     computer                      Annual labor
               Vehicle/equipment category                       of          maintenance   Average hourly     cost per      Total annual    Total annual
                                                          manufacturers         per         labor cost     manufacturer    burden hours     labor costs
                                                                           manufacturer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Light vehicles.........................................               41             347          $53.44      $18,543.68          14,227     $760,290.88
Medium-Heavy Vehicles..................................               41            86.5           53.44        4,622.56           3,547      189,524.96
Buses..................................................               30            86.5           53.44        4,622.56           2,595      138,676.80
Emergency Vehicles.....................................                9            86.5           53.44        4,622.56             779       41,603.04
Motorcycles............................................               16            86.5           53.44        4,622.56           1,384       73,960.96
Trailers...............................................               91            86.5           53.44        4,622.56           7,872      420,652.96
Child Restraints.......................................               35            86.5           53.44        4,622.56           3,028      161,789.60
Tires..................................................               31            86.5           53.44        4,622.56           2,682      143,299.36
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals.............................................  ...............  ..............  ..............  ..............          36,112   $1,929,798.56
                                                                                                                                           or $1,929,799
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on the foregoing, we estimate the burden hours for industry 
to comply with the current part 579 reporting requirements (EWR 
requirements, foreign campaign requirements and part 579.5 
requirements) to be 54,088 hours per year. The total annual burden 
hours, labor costs, and changes from for this information collection 
consisting of manufacturer communications under section 579.5 (subpart 
A), foreign reporting (subpart B), EWR submissions and reporting 
(subpart C), and computer maintenance are outlined in Table 10 below.

                                                Table 10--Total Manufacturer Burden Hours and Labor Costs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Currently approved part 579    Pending part 579 information     Changes in burden hours and
                                                          information collection request        collection request                  labor costs
                     Reporting type                      -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Annual burden   Annual labor    Annual burden   Annual labor    Annual burden   Annual labor
                                                               hours           costs           hours           costs           hours           costs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subpart A: Manufacturer Communications Sec.   579.5                2,074         $92,817           1,468         $78,387         * (606)     * ($14,430)
 (Table 1)..............................................
Subpart B: Foreign Reporting (Tables 2 & 3).............           1,590         139,464           1,677         164,021              87          24,557
Subpart C: EWR Submissions and Quarterly Reporting                14,731         621,260          14,831         747,489             100         126,229
 (Tables 4 & 6/8).......................................
Computer Maintenance (Table 9)..........................          35,415       1,585,861          36,112       1,929,799             697         343,938
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................................          53,810       2,439,402          54,088       2,919,696             278         480,294
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Reduction from currently approved ICR.

    The burden estimates show overall increases in annual burden hours 
of 278 hours and annual labor costs of $480,294 from the Part 579 
information collection request approved in April 2022. These represent 
increases of 0.5 percent in burden hours and 19.7 percent in labor 
costs. The changes in annual burden hours are due to changes in the 
number of submissions in Tables 1, 2, and 6 and changes in the number 
of manufacturers reporting in each category in Tables 4 and 9. The 
changes in annual labor costs are attributed to changes in burden hours 
as well as changes in labor costs for the manufacturer employee 
positions required for reporting Part 579 information. The wage 
estimates have been adjusted to reflect the latest available rates from 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: NHTSA estimates the collection 
requires no additional costs to the respondents beyond the labor costs 
associated with the burden hours to

[[Page 77236]]

collect and submit the reports to NHTSA and the labor hours and 
associated labor costs for computer maintenance.
    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 1351.29A.

Eileen Sullivan,
Associate Administrator, Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2024-21509 Filed 9-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P