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OMB Control No: 2127-0006	ICR Reference No: 202512-2127-003
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 202503-2127-008
Agency/Subagency: DOT/NHTSA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
Type of Information Collection: Reinstatement without change of a previously approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular	Date Submitted to OIRA: 03/24/2026

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved
Responses	38,581	0
Time Burden (Hours)	152,211	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

Abstract: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking approval from OMB of this information collection request (ICR) for an extension with modification of its currently approved information collection for the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) information collection. NHTSA is seeking approval to modify the collection to include the collection of the portion of NHTSA’s Non-Traffic Surveillance (NTS) data that is submitted through the FARS data collection effort. NHTSA is authorized by 49 U.S.C. 30182 and 23 U.S.C. 402, 403 & 405 to collect data on motor vehicle traffic crashes to aid in the identification of issues and the development, implementation, and evaluation of motor vehicle and highway safety countermeasures to support efforts to reduce injuries and fatalities caused by motor vehicle crashes. The FARS is a voluntary information collection of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. The FARS data collection started in 1975 and is a census of all defined crashes involving fatalities in the country. The FARS collects annual data from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico under cooperative agreements. State employees collect and process information from existing State files including police crash reports as well as driver license, vehicle registration, highway department files, 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 by providing the agency vital information about fatal crashes. The aggregated data comprises a national database that tracks trends in fatalities and quantifying problems in highway safety. The FARS data are used extensively by NHTSA, other DOT modes, States, and local jurisdictions and the highway research community. Congress uses the FARS data for making decisions concerning safety programs. The FARS data are publicly available. The Non-Traffic Surveillance (NTS) is an automated data collection effort for collecting information about non-traffic crashes and non-crash incidents. The NTS data provide counts and details regarding fatalities and injuries that occur in non-traffic crashes and in non-crash incidents. The NTS non-traffic crash data are obtained through NHTSA’s data collection efforts for the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS), the Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS), and FARS. NTS also includes data outside of NHTSA’s own data collections. NTS’ non-crash injury data are based upon emergency department records from a special study conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) All Injury Program. NTS non-crash fatality data are derived from death certificate information from the Centers for Disease Control’s National Vital Statistics System. This ICR only seeks approval for the collection of NTS data for NTS that comes from the FARS data collection effort. The annual burden has been adjusted from 107,209 to 118,762 hours (an increase of 11,553 hours), while the costs are maintained at $0. 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.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 23 USC 402 Name of Law: Highway safety programs
   US Code: 23 USC 403 Name of Law: Highway safety research and development
   US Code: 23 USC 405 Name of Law: National Priority Safety Programs
   US Code: 49 USC 30182 Name of Law: Powers and duties
   PL: Pub.L. 110 - 189 3 Name of Law: Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	90 FR 51812	11/18/2025
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	91 FR 14067	03/24/2026
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	38,581	3,764	34,817
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	152,211	45,002	107,209
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	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 107,209 to 152,211 hours (an increase of 45,002 hours) costs are maintained at $0. 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.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $12,474,865

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

Agency Contact: Lixin Zhao 202 695-0839 lixin.zhao@dot.gov

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