[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45269-45271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14949]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2023-0026]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Examining Distraction and Driver Monitoring Systems To Improve 
Driver Safety

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a request for approval of a 
new information collection.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
invites public comments about our intention to request approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information 
collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information 
from the public, it must

[[Page 45270]]

receive approval from OMB. Under procedures established by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal 
agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of 
information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously 
approved collections. This document describes a collection of 
information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval titled 
``Examining Distraction and Driver Monitoring Systems to Improve Driver 
Safety.''

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 12, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2023-0026 through any of the following methods:
     Electronic submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management, U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except on Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help 
you, please call (202) 366-9322 before coming.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number for this notice. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act 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 https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the street 
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the 
dockets via internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access 
to background documents, contact: Thomas Fincannon, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Research, Human Factors/Engineering Integration Division NSR-
310, West Building, W46-447, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 
20590; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), 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: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) how to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) 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.
    Title: Examining Distraction and Driver Monitoring Systems to 
Improve Driver Safety.
    OMB Control Number: New.
    Form Number(s): NHTSA Form 1718: Online Eligibility Questionnaire; 
NHTSA Form 1719: Karolinska Sleepiness Scale; NHTSA Form 1720 Sleep 
Food Intake; and NHTSA Form 1721: End of Visit Release Statement.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Type of Review: Requested: Regular.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information:
    NHTSA proposes to collect information from the public as part of a 
study to improve NHTSA's understanding of the differences in approaches 
to driver state detection and the potential safety impacts of driver 
monitoring systems (DMS). DMS refers to in-vehicle technology that can 
detect driver state and interact with the driver through the human-
machine interface (the user interface that connects the driver to the 
vehicle). For example, a DMS that detects drowsiness may display an 
icon on the dashboard, such as a coffee cup, accompanied by a sound to 
alert the driver that drowsiness is present.
    This study contains two tracks to assess DMS, and subjects may 
participate in Track A, Track B, or both. This allows for a balance 
between understanding how driver state detection changes within a 
diverse testing sample and within an individual across driver states. 
The overall sample will contain 80 data sets. To achieve this, 120 
subjects are anticipated to be enrolled due to attrition across tracks. 
Each track will have 40 completed data sets. Thus, the total sample 
size is anticipated to be 68 subjects and will include subjects that 
completed Track A only (n = 28), Track B only (n = 28), and those that 
completed both tracks (n = 12). Track A will evaluate the ability of 
the DMS to assess distraction and Track B will evaluate the ability of 
the DMS to assess both drowsiness alone and distraction while drowsy.
    NHTSA proposes to collect information from licensed drivers about 
their age, sex, driver license status, sleep and driving habits, and 
general health history to determine eligibility for the study. Those 
interested in participating will be asked about their ability to adhere 
to various requirements of the protocol (e.g., abstain from caffeine) 
and availability for a study appointment. Those who participate in the 
study will come to the University of Iowa Driving Safety Research 
Institute (DSRI), home of the National Advanced Driving Simulator 
(NADS). Both tracks involve a consent process, breath alcohol 
measurement, facial shape measurement, standing and seated height 
measurement, training presentation, a familiarization drive in the 
driving simulator, and sleepiness ratings before and after each study 
drive as well as approximately every 30 minutes during a waiting 
period. Both tracks also involve taking a digital image of the face so 
that researchers can obtain RGB values to assess skin tone variability. 
Track A only involves one study drive that occurs while the subject is 
alert and distracted. In Track B, subjects will be asked about their 
sleep and food intake (to confirm they have not consumed caffeine since 
1:00 p.m., that they were awake by 7:00 a.m., and that they have 
consumed no other substances that could influence driving) prior to an 
overnight driving session that involves three study drives. The

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first drive occurs while alert. The next two drives are counterbalanced 
and will occur while drowsy (at least 14 hours awake and having 
sleepiness ratings indicating drowsiness) and while drowsy and 
distracted. Simulator data will be used to evaluate the ability of the 
DMS to assess driver state.
    Respondents will volunteer for the study by responding to an 
internet ad or via solicitation for volunteers from the DSRI subject 
registry. Only potential subjects in the registry meeting inclusion 
criteria will be contacted. Respondents will be asked a series of 
questions to determine eligibility to participate in the study. The 
questionnaire covers both Track A and Track B so respondents don't have 
to complete the questionnaire more than once and so researchers can 
ensure a subset of respondents meet criteria for both tracks. Criteria 
for both studies are largely the same; differences are related to 
ability to attend visits of a specified length, willingness to adhere 
to different protocol elements, and sleep habits (needed only for Track 
B). A research team member will answer all questions the respondent may 
have and schedule eligible respondents who wish to participate for a 
session at the DSRI.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information:
    NHTSA was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 (23 U.S.C. 
101) to carry out a Congressional mandate to reduce deaths, injuries, 
and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes on the 
Nation's highways. As part of this mandate, NHTSA is authorized to 
conduct research as a foundation for the development of traffic safety 
programs.
    In 2013, NHTSA published the final version of the Visual-Manual 
NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines for In-Vehicle Electronic Devices. 
In the decade since, vehicle technologies and interfaces have evolved 
and a substantial amount of new research on the topic of driver 
distraction has been conducted. As a result, NHTSA requires a rigorous 
and thorough review to update the current state of knowledge on driver 
distraction, attention management, and distraction/risk assessment. DMS 
are currently deployed in many production vehicles. Current production 
systems use different data sources, including driver-facing cameras, 
vehicle inputs (e.g., steering wheel torque), driving performance 
(e.g., lane departures), and other measures (e.g., time on task). 
Future production systems are also likely to use physiological sensors 
(e.g., heart rate) as tools to identify driver state more accurately.
    DMS could play a variety of roles in vehicles, including detecting 
and alerting drivers to distraction, drowsiness, or impairment, and 
then adjusting the vehicle technology to meet the needs of the driver 
or providing support in particular situations. It is important for 
NHTSA to be able to discern the differences in approaches to state 
detection to understand the potential safety impacts of DMS. This 
requires a comparison of various sensor approaches to driver state 
monitoring and the development of a test protocol for different DMS 
methodologies. The overall objective is to develop and deliver a 
methodology that will assess the ability of DMS to accurately determine 
driver state by collecting data to support a full assessment of the 
factors associated with DMS and modeling driver state based on sensor 
data in a driving simulator.
    Affected Public: Individuals aged 18+ from Eastern Iowa and the 
surrounding areas who have volunteered to take part in driving studies 
will be contacted for participation. They will be randomized evenly by 
sex, though some imbalance will be permitted to be inclusive of 
individuals who do not identify on the binary. Efforts will be made to 
enroll a diverse age sample that broadly represents the age of the 
driving population and includes those at greater risk of crashing 
(e.g., less than 25 years of age and greater than 65 years of age). 
Additional efforts will be made to enroll individuals with diverse skin 
tones, oversampling those who rate themselves higher on the Fitzpatrick 
Skin Type Scale. Businesses are ineligible for the sample and will not 
be contacted.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 600.
    Study pre-screening is done via online questionnaire. It is 
estimated that 600 individuals may begin the pre-screening 
questionnaire. After pre-screening, it is estimated that 300 
individuals could be potentially eligible and require contact to be 
scheduled or to confirm eligibility requirements are met. It is 
estimated that 120 individuals will be enrolled to complete 80 total 
data sets (anticipated breakdown of Track A only = 28, Track B only = 
28, both = 12).
    Frequency: Once.
    This is a one-time collection of information. The initial pre-
screening time is roughly 15 minutes and can be done at the 
respondents' convenience using a device of their choosing. The only 
requirement is an internet connection to access the online pre-
screening. Not all who begin this pre-screening will complete the form 
in its entirety, and not everyone will meet study criteria. Those who 
meet study criteria could be scheduled for Track A, Track B, or both.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 700 hours.
    The total estimated burden for the study is 700 hours. Track A 
contributes 117 hours, and Track B contributes 473 hours. Online pre-
screening and visit reminders contribute 110 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: The respondents will not incur 
any reporting or recordkeeping cost from the information collection. 
Respondents will incur a one-time cost for local travel to and from 
DSRI, which is estimated not to exceed approximately $39.30 (based on 
the standard mileage rate for business-related driving in 2023 and a 
round trip distance of 60 miles). These transportation costs are offset 
by subject compensation. For respondents in Track B, who will not be 
permitted to walk, bike, or drive when leaving DSRI, an additional $70 
will be provided to offset the costs of finding alternative 
transportation.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspects of 
this information collection, including (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate 
of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 
35, as amended; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order 1351.29A.

Tim John Johnson,
Acting Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 2023-14949 Filed 7-13-23; 8:45 am]
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