Emergency Clearance Request Letter

5/26/2021
Chandana Achanta
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
RE: Request for Emergency Processing of Information Collection Request
Dear Ms. Achanta:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requests emergency processing of a
request for approval of a collection of information concerning the State Data Transfer (SDT)
program. NHTSA seeks emergency clearance for this information collection request for the
maximum permissible period under 5 CFR 1320.13(f).
The State Data Transfer (SDT) program is a voluntary collection of motor vehicle crash data.
Participating States transfer information about motor vehicle crashes to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA uses this information to develop a census of the
participating States’ crashes that the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) will use to
identify existing and emerging highway safety trends and assess the effectiveness of motor vehicle
safety standards and new technologies on vehicle and highway safety programs.
This data are critical to several high priority projects for this administration. The SDT data will be
used to determine mass/safety impacts for the Coporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) notice of
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) scheduled for release this spring/summer. E.O. 13990 requires
NHTSA to “as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, […] consider publishing for notice
and comment a proposed rule suspending, revising, or rescinding” the SAFE II Rule “by July 2021.”
Following the normal clearance procedures will not allow NHTSA to receive approval before the
deadline for publication of the NPRM.
The Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) also needs this data to determine
the effectiveness of automated driver assistance systems (ADAS) with Departmental leadership
expecting initial analyses later this year. These results will be used in the cost and benefit analysis
needed for rulemaking on these technologies as required by E.O. 12863.
Given the priorities identified above, this information is needed before NHTSA can complete the
normal clearance procedures under 5 CFR Part 1320. NHTSA requests that OMB approve or
disapprove the collection of information within 3 days. Any delays in this program will potentially
delay these analytical and rulemaking actions that could prevent fatalities and injuries in motor
vehicle crashes.

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590

NHTSA published a notice in the Federal Register with a 60-day public comment period to announce
the SDT information collection on May 31, 2018 (83 FR 25112). Five comments were received and
have been addressed in a new 60-day notice which will be published shortly.
If you would like to discuss this matter further, please contact Walter Culbreath at 202.366.1566
(walter.culbreath@dot.gov).
Sincerely,
Digitally signed by CHOU-LIN

CHOU-LIN CHEN CHEN
Date: 2021.05.26 09:55:54 -04'00'
Chou-Lin Chen
Associate Administrator,
National Center for Statistics and Analysis
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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