[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 112 (Monday, June 11, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26942-26944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12499]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

49 CFR Chapter III

[Docket No. FMCSA-2018-0037]


Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) Which May Be a 
Barrier to the Safe Integration of Automated Driving Systems (ADS) in 
Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Operations; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public listening session.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces a public listening session on June 19, 2018, 
to solicit information on issues relating to the design, development, 
testing, and integration of ADS-equipped CMVs on our Nation's roadways. 
The listening session will provide interested parties with an 
opportunity to assist the Agency's future rulemaking efforts by sharing 
their views on the FMCSRs as they relate to the development and safe 
integration of ADS. It will also allow FMCSA to share with stakeholders 
the Agency's ADS strategy and open a channel for two-way communication. 
This listening session will supplement the information gathered from 
FMCSA's previous requests for comment on issues related to automation 
by targeting stakeholders from whom they have not previously received 
comments, including academia, insurance groups, and technology 
providers and developers. Attendees are also encouraged to share any 
data or analysis on this topic with Agency representatives.

DATES: The meeting will be held Tuesday, June 19, 2018, from 1:00 p.m. 
to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), at the University of 
Michigan's Mcity in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Research Auditorium, 2800 
Plymouth Street, Bldg. 10, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
    Please use the following link to RSVP and find additional 
information about this public meeting as it approaches: https://fmcsaads.eventbrite.com/. Information about this listening session can 
also be found at: https://www.transportation.gov/AV.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William Cunnane, Program 
Specialist, Program Integration Office, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, email: [email protected].

[[Page 26943]]

    Services for Individuals with Disabilities: For information on 
facilities or services for individuals with disabilities or to request 
special assistance at the meeting, please contact Victoria Waters at 
(734) 647-4217 by June 12, 2018.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    FMCSA is responsible for overseeing the safety of CMVs, their 
drivers, and those motor carriers operating CMVs in interstate 
commerce. The Agency works with Federal, State, and local enforcement 
agencies, the motor carrier industry, safety groups, and organized 
labor to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large 
trucks and buses.
    The FMCSRs provide rules to support the safe operation of CMVs, as 
defined in 49 CFR 390.5, which includes vehicles with a gross vehicle 
weight/gross combination weight or gross vehicle weight rating/gross 
combination weight rating, whichever is greater, of 10,001 pounds or 
more; passenger-carrying vehicles designed or used to transport nine to 
15 passengers for direct compensation; passenger-carrying vehicles 
designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers; and any size 
vehicle transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring 
placards.
    On September 12, 2017, the Department published the Automated 
Driving Systems (ADS): A Vision for Safety 2.0. (the Voluntary 
Guidance), adopting the SAE International (SAE) J3016 standard's 
definitions for levels of automation.\1\ The SAE definitions divide 
vehicles into levels based on ``who does what, when.'' Generally:
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    \1\ Publication No. DOT HS 812 442.
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     SAE Level 0, No Driving Automation; the driver performs 
all driving tasks.
     SAE Level 1, Driver Assistance; the vehicle is controlled 
by the driver, but some driving assist features may be included in the 
vehicle design.
     SAE Level 2, Partial Driving Automation; the vehicle has 
combined automated functions, like acceleration and steering, but the 
driver must remain engaged with the driving task and monitor the 
environment at all times.
     SAE Level 3, Conditional Driving Automation; the driver is 
a necessity, but is not required to monitor the environment. The driver 
must be ready to take control of the vehicle at all times with notice.
     SAE Level 4, High Driving Automation; the vehicle is 
capable of performing all driving functions under certain conditions. 
The driver may have the option to control the vehicle.
     SAE Level 5, Full Driving Automation: the vehicle is 
capable of performing all driving functions under all conditions.
    Using the SAE levels described above, the Department draws a 
distinction between Levels 0-2 and 3-5 based on whether the human 
driver or the automated system is primarily responsible for monitoring 
the driving environment. For the purposes of this public meeting, 
FMCSA's primary focus is SAE Levels 3-5 ADS.
    FMCSA encourages the development of these advanced safety 
technologies for use in CMVs. The Agency also recognizes the need to 
work with the States and localities to ensure that all testing and use 
of these advanced safety systems supports the safe operation and 
deployment of ADS-equipped CMVs.

II. FMCSA's 2018 Request for Comments

    On March 28, 2018, FMCSA published ``Request for Comments (RFC) 
Concerning Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) Which May 
Be a Barrier to the Safe Testing and Deployment of Automated Driving 
Systems-Equipped Commercial Motor Vehicles on Public Roads.'' \2\ The 
notice solicited public comments on existing Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that may need to be updated, modified, or 
eliminated to facilitate the safe introduction of automated driving 
systems (ADS)-equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) onto our 
Nation's roadways. The Agency indicated that it had commissioned the 
U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) John A. Volpe National 
Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) to conduct a preliminary review 
of the FMCSRs to identify regulations that may relate to the 
development, testing, and safe deployment of ADS. The Agency requested 
comments on this report in the RFC, including whether any of FMCSA's 
current safety regulations presented barriers to innovation and 
research related to ADS-equipped CMVs. Further, FMCSA requested 
comments on certain FMCSRs likely to be affected as ADS-equipped CMVs 
are increasingly integrated into our roadways, including regulations 
concerning hours of service and driver fatigue, the use of electronic 
devices, roadside inspection, and Commercial Driver's License 
requirements.
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    \2\ Docket No. FMCSA-2018-0037 [March 26, 2018-May 10, 2018].
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    To further support FMCSA's effort to understand necessary changes 
to the FMCSRs, FMCSA requested information from companies and others 
engaged in the design, development, testing, and integration of ADS-
equipped CMVs into their fleets. Specifically, the Agency requested 
information about: (1) The scenarios and environments in which ADS is 
being tested and will soon be integrated into CMVs operating on public 
roads or in interstate commerce; (2) the operational design domains 
(ODD) in which these systems are being operated, tested, and deployed; 
and (3) suggested measures to ensure the protection of any proprietary 
or confidential business information shared with the Agency on this 
topic.
    The comment period ended on May 10, 2018. Interested parties can 
view the comments the Agency received at www.regulations.gov (docket 
number FMCSA-2018-0037).
    In the Spring Regulatory and Deregulatory Agenda issued after the 
publication of the March 28 RFC notice, FMCSA announced the initiation 
of rulemaking concerning ADS-equipped CMVs beginning with an Advance 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), which is currently scheduled to 
be published in December 2018 (``Safe Integration of Automated Driving 
Systems-Equipped Commercial Motor Vehicles,'' 2126-AC17).

III. Meeting Participation

    FMCSA hopes to supplement the information gathered from the RFC by 
targeting stakeholders from whom they have not previously received many 
comments, including academia, insurance groups, and technology 
providers and developers. The listening session will provide interested 
parties an opportunity to assist the Agency's future rulemaking efforts 
by sharing their views on the FMCSRs as they relate to the development 
and safe integration of ADS through oral presentations. FMCSA also 
hopes to use this listening session as a platform to share the Agency's 
ADS strategy with the public. The Agency will provide the public with 
all relevant details and the opportunity to register for this meeting 
at https://fmcsaads.eventbrite.com/. Information about this listening 
session can also be found at: https://www.transportation.gov/AV.
    Oral comments from the public will be heard during the meeting. 
Members of the public may also submit written comments to public docket 
referenced at the beginning of this notice using any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.

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     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590.
     Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC, between 
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., E.T. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

    Issued on: June 5, 2018.
 Raymond P. Martinez,
 Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-12499 Filed 6-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P