[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57750-57752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20405]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2022-0163]


Agency Information Collection Activities; New Information 
Collection: Human Factors Considerations in Commercial Motor Vehicle 
Automated Driving Systems

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA 
announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) 
described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its 
review and approval and invites public comment. This notice invites 
comments on a proposed information collection titled Human Factors 
Considerations in Commercial Motor Vehicle Automated Driving Systems. 
It is a driving simulator study with a series of questionnaires that 
will evaluate how commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers engage in 
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level 2 (L2) and Level 3 (L3) 
automated driving system (ADS)-equipped CMVs. Approximately 100 CMV 
drivers will participate in the study. The study will examine the 
effect of non-driving secondary task engagement, transfer of control, 
and training on driver behavior in ADS-equipped CMVs.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before November 
21, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket 
Management System Docket Number FMCSA-2022-0163 using any of the 
following methods:

[[Page 57751]]

     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Dockets Operations; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. e.t., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and 
docket number. For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see 
the Public Participation heading below. Note that all comments received 
will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including 
any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading 
below.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov, and follow the 
online instructions for accessing the docket, or go to the street 
address listed above.
    Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits 
comments from the public to better inform its decision making. DOT 
posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information 
the commenter provides, to https://www.regulations.gov, as described in 
the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed 
at https://www.dot.gov/privacy.
    Public Participation: The Federal eRulemaking Portal is available 
24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You can obtain electronic 
submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the ``FAQ'' section 
of the Federal eRulemaking Portal website. If you want us to notify you 
that we received your comments, please include a self-addressed, 
stamped envelope or postcard, or print the acknowledgement page that 
appears after submitting comments online. Comments received after the 
comment closing date will be included in the docket and will be 
considered to the extent practicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theresa Hallquist, Office of Research 
and Registration, DOT, FMCSA, West Building 6th Floor, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001; 202-366-1064; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Lower levels of automated driving system (ADS)-equipped CMVs 
present an environment that is ripe for overreliance. An L2 vehicle 
offers longitudinal and lateral support to the driver; however, the 
driver is still responsible for driving at all times. At this level, 
engaging in non-driving secondary tasks can be highly detrimental to 
driving performance as the driver may not recognize and respond to 
hazards timely or appropriately. In an L3 vehicle, the role of 
distraction is blurred. The driver takes on a more supervisory role and 
is in full control of the vehicle in a limited number of situations. 
When an L3 vehicle alerts the driver that a takeover is required, the 
driver needs to have situational awareness to resume full control of 
the vehicle. Engagement in non-driving secondary tasks may prevent the 
driver from maintaining situational awareness of the driving 
environment.
    A recently completed study by FMCSA on research involving ADSs in 
CMVs found a lack of research related to ADS-equipped CMVs. To date, 
most commercial ADSs on U.S. roadways are in passenger vehicles, and 
CMV ADSs are only recently being implemented in real-world operations. 
Therefore, FMCSA needs more data on ADS-equipped CMVs to understand 
driver behavior and policy implications.
    The purpose for obtaining data in this study is to evaluate driver 
readiness to assume control in SAE L2 and L3 ADS-equipped CMVs and 
develop and test a CMV driver distraction training program designed to 
improve driver readiness. Specifically, there are three primary 
objectives for the data collection: (i) determine the effect of 
distraction on CMV drivers of L2 vehicles; (ii) determine the effect of 
transfer of control on CMV drivers in L3 vehicles; and (iii) develop 
and evaluate a training program that is designed to decrease the levels 
of distraction that were identified in CMV drivers in L2 vehicles and 
designed to improve the problems with the transfer of control that were 
identified in L3 vehicles. Answers to these research questions will 
provide insight into the human factors associated with semi-automated 
CMVs. Moreover, these findings will inform training materials to 
educate drivers on distraction and the functionality of ADS as well as 
policy pertaining to the implications of ADSs in CMVs.
    The study includes data collection from a series of questionnaires 
and a driving simulator-focused experiment. The collected survey data 
will support the simulator experiment data. The survey data will be 
used in two ways: in the assessment of driving performance data as 
covariates in the model (to control for certain demographic variables, 
such as age, gender, and experience) and to answer a research question 
on the relationship between driver characteristics and driver readiness 
and performance. Data on driver readiness and performance will be 
collected from the simulator experiment. Eligible drivers will hold a 
valid commercial driver's license, currently drive a CMV, be 21 years 
of age or older, and pass the motion sickness history screening 
questionnaire.
    Data will be collected over two study sessions. The first study 
session will collect data on the effects of non-driving secondary tasks 
and readiness to resume control of an L2- or L3-equipped CMV. The 
second study session will assess the effectiveness of driver training 
to improve safety while operating an L2 or L3 CMV. Questionnaire data 
will be collected prior to the simulator study, during the simulator 
study, and after the simulator study. In addition, participants will 
complete questionnaires about the training in the second study session. 
All questionnaires will be preloaded in an app format for drivers to 
complete on a tablet.
    We anticipate 100 participants in total for the driving simulator 
study. Fifty drivers will participate in the L2 study sessions, and the 
other 50 drivers will participate in the L3 study sessions. During 
consent, each participant will agree to participate in both the L2/L3 
simulator study session and the training study session. For a 
participant who chooses not to continue, a new driver will be recruited 
to fill their position. These new participants will not have data from 
the L2/L3 study but will need to complete a new consent form, pre-/
post-study questionnaires, and the training questionnaire. Each study 
session will be completed in 4 hours, resulting in a total of up to 8 
hours of participation for drivers that complete both study sessions.
    Multiple analyses will be used, including an assessment of driver 
distraction and its effects on driver readiness and driving 
performance. In the L2 and L3 studies, general linear mixed models 
(GLMMs) will be used to answer the research questions. In the 
transportation safety field, GLMMs are often used to analyze driver 
behavior and assess relationships between driving scenarios and 
behaviors. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training program, 
linear mixed models will be

[[Page 57752]]

used with random intercepts. Driver random intercepts will account for 
participants' correlated behaviors and expectations in the L2 or L3 
system before and after training.
    Title: Human Factors Considerations in Commercial Motor Vehicle 
Automated Driving Systems.
    OMB Control Number: 2126-00XX.
    Type of Request: New ICR.
    Respondents: CMV drivers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours.
    Expiration Date: This is a new ICR.
    Frequency of Response: Two responses.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 475.5 hours.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: (1) whether the proposed 
collection is necessary for the performance of FMCSA's functions; (2) 
the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for FMCSA to enhance the 
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) 
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. The Agency will summarize or include your 
comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this ICR.

    Issued under the authority of 49 CFR 1.87.
Thomas P. Keane,
Associate Administrator, Office of Research and Registration.
[FR Doc. 2022-20405 Filed 9-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P