[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 141-142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-33022]



[[Page 141]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2015-0116]


Agency Request for Approval of a New Information Collection: 
Recruitment and Debriefing of Human Subjects for Head-Up Displays and 
Distraction Potential

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Request for public comments on a proposed collection of 
information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT) invites public comments 
about our intention to request Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval for a new information collection. The information collection 
involves eligibility, demographic, and debriefing questionnaires. The 
information will be used to recruit participants for a study on vehicle 
Head-Up Displays. The proposed study will focus on acceptance and 
distraction potential of automotive Head-Up Displays.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by March 4, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket No. NHTSA-2015-
0116 through one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590 between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. 
Telephone: 202-366-9826.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
    Instructions: All submission must include the agency name and 
docket number for this proposed collection of information. Note that 
all comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulation.gov, including any personal information provided. Please 
see the Privacy 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 http://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read comments received, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov, or the street address listed above. Follow 
the online instructions for accessing the dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For access to background documents, 
contact Julie Kang, Ph.D.; 202-366-5677, Vehicle Safety Research, 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
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:
    (i) 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;
    (ii) 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;
    (iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    (iv) 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:
    OMB Control Number: Not assigned.
    Title: Head-Up Displays and Distraction Potential.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Type of Review: New Information Collection.
    Background: Head-Up Display (HUD) technology presents many 
opportunities and challenges for mitigating driver distraction, 
improving driver comfort, and engaging drivers with their vehicles. On 
one hand, the reduction of the distance that the eyes need to travel 
between the road and a display can minimize the amount of time required 
to view a display relative to a traditional Head-Down Display (HDD). 
There is also an added benefit in that peripheral roadway information 
can be processed while viewing a HUD, allowing some aspects of vehicle 
control, like lane keeping, to be partially supported. On the other 
hand, humans have difficulty simultaneously processing two displays 
overlaid on each other. Viewing HUDs while driving may therefore 
prevent drivers from perceiving events in the environment, particularly 
centrally located hazards such as a braking lead vehicle. There is also 
a concern that HUDs whose focal depth is less than 22 feet require the 
eyes to accommodate to be viewed. Because older drivers have 
difficultly accommodating to view these displays, they may take more 
time to process the displayed information compared to younger drivers. 
There is also a concern that if drivers perceive HUDs to be safer than 
HDDs that they may not regulate the length of time they spend looking 
at the HUD. The HUD may therefore negatively alter drivers' visual 
scanning behavior. The potential benefits and drawbacks of using a HUD 
in a vehicle must therefore be investigated.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information: The collection of information consists of: (1) An 
eligibility questionnaire, (2) a demographic questionnaire, and (3) 
consent form.
    The information to be collected will be used as follows:
     Eligibility questionnaire(s) will be used to obtain self-
reported eligibility information.
     Demographic questionnaire will be used to obtain 
demographic information to confirm that the study group includes 
participants from various groups (e.g., age; gender). Other demographic 
information will be collected to describe the study sample (e.g., 
annual travel distance).
     Consent form will be used to inform the participants of 
the study details.
    Respondents: Virginia drivers with a valid driver license.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 60 to 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses: Eligibility screening will consist 
of one response containing 15 questions per respondent. Full 
participation in the study will include 5 additional responses of 30 
questions total per respondent.

[[Page 142]]

    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 18 minutes per respondent (35 hours 
total).
    Estimated Frequency: One-time for the eligibility, demographic 
questionnaire, and consent form.

                                                             Table 1--Estimated Burden Hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                               Total
                                                             Number of                                       Estimated         Total        annualized
                       Instrument                           respondents    Frequency of      Number of      individual       estimated        cost to
                                                                \1\          responses       questions        burden       burden hours     respondents
                                                                                                             (minutes)                          \2\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eligibility questionnaire...............................             100               1              15              10              17         $401.67
Demographic questionnaire...............................              60               1               8               3               3           72.30
Informed consent........................................              60               1               1               5               5          120.50
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............              35          843.50
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The number of respondents in this table includes drop-out rates.
\2\ Estimated based on the mean hourly rate for Virginia (all occupations) is $24.10 as reported in the May 2013 Occupational Employment and Wage
  Estimates, Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_va.htm.

    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the Department's 
performance; (b) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for the 
Department to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information collection; and (d) ways that the burden could be minimized 
without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency 
will summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB's 
clearance of this information collection.

    Authority:  The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44. U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended; 5 CFR part 1320; and 49 CFR 1.95.

    Issued in Washington, DC on December 7, 2015.
Nathaniel Beuse
Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 2015-33022 Filed 12-31-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-59-P