[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 72 (Monday, April 17, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 18096-18098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07723]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

49 CFR Parts 383, 391, 392, 395 and 396

[Docket No. FMCSA-2017-0114]


Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations: Highly Automated 
Commercial Vehicles; Public Listening Session

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Announcement of public listening session.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces that it will hold a public listening session 
on April 24, 2017, to solicit information on issues relating to the 
design, development, testing, and deployment of highly automated 
commercial vehicles (HACVs). The listening session will provide 
interested parties an opportunity to share their views and any data or 
analysis on this topic with Agency representatives. FMCSA will 
transcribe all comments and place the transcripts in the docket 
referenced above. FMCSA will webcast the entire proceeding.

[[Page 18097]]


DATES: The listening session will be held on Monday, April 24, 2017, 
from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., e.t. Comments will be accepted from in-
person participants as well as comments submitted via the Internet. If 
all interested participants have had an opportunity to comment, the 
session may conclude early.
    Public Comments: Comments on this notice must be received on or 
before July 17, 2017.

ADDRESSES: The public listening session will be held as part of the 
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Workshop at the Hyatt Regency 
Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street NE., Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 577-1234, 
in the Regency Ballroom. Participation in the listening session is 
free. FMCSA will post specific information on how to participate via 
the Internet on the FMCSA Web site at www.fmcsa.dot.gov in advance of 
the session.
    You may submit comments identified by Docket Number FMCSA-2017-0114 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building, Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9:00 
a.m. and 5:00 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Shannon L. Watson, Senior Policy 
Advisor, (202) 366-2551, [email protected], Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 
20590-0001.
    If you need sign language interpretation or any other accessibility 
accommodation, please contact Ms. Watson by April 19, 2017, to allow us 
to arrange for such services. FMCSA cannot guarantee that interpreter 
services requested on short notice will be provided.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Submitting Comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
notice (FMCSA-2017-0114), indicate the specific section of this 
document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for each 
suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material 
online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of 
these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and mailing 
address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of your 
document so that FMCSA can contact you if there are questions regarding 
your submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
put the docket number, FMCSA-2017-0114, in the keyword box, and click 
``Search.'' When the new screen appears, click on the ``Comment Now!'' 
button and type your comment into the text box on the following screen. 
Choose whether you are submitting your comment as an individual or on 
behalf of a third party and then submit.
    If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them 
in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic filing. If you submit comments by mail and would 
like to know that they reached the facility, please enclose a stamped, 
self-addressed postcard or envelope.

Viewing Comments and Documents

    To view comments, as well as any documents mentioned in this 
preamble as being available in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov. Insert the docket number, FMCSA-2017-0114, in the 
keyword box, and click ``Search.'' Next, click the ``Open Docket 
Folder'' button and choose the document to review. If you do not have 
access to the Internet, you may view the docket by visiting the Docket 
Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

Privacy Act

    The Department of Transportation (DOT) solicits comments from the 
public to better inform its decision-making processes. DOT posts these 
comments, without edit, including any personal information the 
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system 
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.

I. Background

    Highly automated vehicles (HAVs) are those in which the vehicle can 
take full control of the driving tasks in at least some circumstances. 
HAVs hold enormous potential benefits for safety, mobility, and 
sustainability.
    In January 2014, SAE International (SAE) published Standard J3016, 
``Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to On-Road Motor Vehicle 
Automated Driving Systems'' in order to simplify communication and 
facilitate collaboration within technical and policy domains for 
automated driving. The Standard defines more than a dozen key terms, 
and provides full descriptions and examples for each of six levels of 
driving automation. The SAE definitions divide vehicles into levels 
based on ``who does what, when.'' Generally:
     At SAE Level 0, the human driver does everything.
     At SAE Level 1, an automated system on the vehicle can 
sometimes assist the human driver conduct some parts of the driving 
task.
     At SAE Level 2, an automated system on the vehicle can 
actually conduct some parts of the driving task, while the human 
continues to monitor the driving environment and performs the rest of 
the driving task.
     At SAE Level 3, an automated system can both actually 
conduct some parts of the driving task and monitor the driving 
environment in some instances, but the human driver must be ready to 
take back control when the automated system requests.
     At SAE Level 4, an automated system can conduct the 
driving task and monitor the driving environment, and the human need 
not take back control, but the automated system can operate only in 
certain environments and under certain conditions.
     At SAE Level 5, the automated system can perform all 
driving tasks, under all conditions that a human driver could perform 
them.
    Using the SAE levels described above, there is a distinction 
between Levels 0-2 and 3-5 based on whether the human operator or the 
automated system is primarily responsible for monitoring the driving 
environment. The term ``highly automated vehicle'' represents SAE 
Levels 3-5 vehicles, with automated systems that are responsible for 
monitoring the driving environment.
    Public discussions regarding HACVs have become much more prominent 
in recent months as developers continue efforts to demonstrate and test 
the viability of advanced driver assistance systems on large commercial 
vehicles. FMCSA encourages the development of these advanced safety 
technologies for use on commercial vehicles, and at the same time, 
recognizes the need to ensure that testing and operation of these 
advanced safety systems is conducted in a manner that ensures the 
highest level of safety for everyone involved--and most importantly, 
for the motoring public.

[[Page 18098]]

    Sections 390.17 and 393.3 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Regulations (49 CFR parts 350-399) permit the use of additional 
equipment and accessories on CMVs beyond those which are minimally 
required by the regulations, provided that such equipment and 
accessories do not decrease the safety of operation of the CMVs on 
which they are used. While advanced driver assistance systems such as 
automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, forward collision 
warning, and others are not currently required to be used on CMVs, the 
use of such systems is permitted provided they do not impair the 
effectiveness of the required safety systems.

II. Meeting Participation and Information the Agency Seeks From the 
Public

    The listening session is open to the public. Speakers should try to 
limit their remarks to 3-5 minutes, and no preregistration is required. 
Attendees may submit material to FMCSA staff at the session to include 
in the public docket referenced in this notice. Those participating in 
the webcast will have the opportunity to submit comments online that 
will be read aloud at the session with comments made in the meeting 
room. FMCSA will docket the transcript of the webcast, a separate 
transcription of the listening session prepared by an official court 
reporter, and all other materials submitted to Agency personnel.
    In anticipation of the continued development of HACVs, FMCSA seeks 
information on issues that need to be addressed to ensure that the 
Federal safety regulations provide appropriate standards for the safe 
operation of HACVs from design and development through testing and 
deployment. Specifically, FMCSA welcomes comments and information on 
the application of the following regulatory provisions in title 49 CFR 
to HACVs: Part 383 (Commercial Driver's Licenses); part 391 
(Qualifications of Drivers); sections 392.80 and 392.82 (use of 
electronic devices); part 395 (Hours of Service of Drivers); and part 
396 (Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance). The FMCSA also requests 
public comments on how enforcement officials could identify CMVs 
capable of various levels of automated operation and the types of HACV 
equipment that can be effectively inspected at roadside. The Agency 
welcomes the opportunity to work with all interested parties to 
identify actions that may be necessary to address regulatory barriers 
while ensuring the safe operation of HACVs.

    Issued on: April 12, 2017.
Daphne Y. Jefferson,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-07723 Filed 4-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P