[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 160 (Thursday, August 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40883-40886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15931]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0096]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for
Comment; Factors That Influence the Effectiveness of Hazard
Anticipation and Attention Maintenance Training
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 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 on Factors
that Influence the Effectiveness of Hazard Anticipation and Attention
Maintenance Training.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 20, 2025.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2024-0096 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.
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 Christine Watson, Ph.D., Office of
Behavioral Safety Research (NPD-320), [email protected],
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, W46-474, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
20590.
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
[[Page 40884]]
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: Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Hazard
Anticipation and Attention Maintenance Training.
OMB Control Number: New.
Form Number(s): NHTSA Forms 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.
Type of Request: Request for approval of a new information
collection.
Type of Review Requested: Regular.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is
seeking approval for a one-time voluntary information collection from
168 participants ages 18 and 19 who do not yet have driver's licenses
for a research study on novice driver training. Specifically, this
collection involves developing and testing a novice driver training
program on a smartphone-like platform and determining whether the
effectiveness of the training differs for participants of different
sexes, socioeconomic status (SES) strata, and trait levels of sensation
seeking and aggressiveness.
To be eligible for the study, participants must be 18 or 19 years
old, must not have an unrestricted driver's license or an intermediate/
provisional license that allows driving independently, and must be
interested in obtaining one in the next 12 months. Recruitment efforts
will include posting information about the study on social media
platforms, providing study information to contacts in local communities
(e.g., community college faculty, high school principals, local driving
schools), and reaching out to those who participated in past studies at
the research center and agreed to be contacted about future
opportunities. Enrolled participants will complete either the hazard
anticipation and attention maintenance training program or a placebo
training program on a smartphone-like platform. Then, participants'
driving performance will be assessed on a computerized driving
simulator. Finally, participants will complete a questionnaire that
includes demographic questions and two validated scales to assess trait
levels of sensation seeking and aggressiveness. After data collection,
the research team will examine whether driving simulator performance
differs between participants who took the hazard anticipation and
attention maintenance training program and those that received the
placebo training. The research team will also investigate whether the
effects of training differ by sex, SES, and propensities for sensation
seeking and aggressiveness.
Prior to conducting the study, the research team will obtain review
and approval of this data collection from an Institutional Review Board
(IRB) that meets all Federal requirements in 45 CFR 46, is registered
with the Office for Human Research Protections, and has a Federalwide
Assurance. NHTSA will use the results of this study to produce a
technical report containing summary descriptive and inferential
statistics. The technical report will be shared with State highway
safety offices, local governments, policymakers, researchers,
educators, advocates, and others who may wish to use the data from this
survey to support their work on novice and teen driver safety.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information:
Novice teen drivers are more likely to crash in the first several
months after they obtain licenses than more experienced drivers. Higher
crash rates are observed for novice drivers who first obtain their
licenses at ages 18 and 19,\1\ novice drivers who live in zip codes
with higher poverty rates,\2\ male novices,\3\ and novices with greater
propensities for personality factors like sensation seeking and
aggressiveness.\4\ One reason novices who first obtain their licenses
at age 18 or 19 are at higher risk of crashing may be because most
States do not apply Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) requirements to
novice drivers 18 and older. GDL programs typically restrict nighttime
driving and the number of teen passengers that can be in the vehicle
and often include the requirement to enroll in a driver education
program. An increasing proportion of teens are waiting until age 18 or
older to get their licenses,\5\ when they are exempt from most States'
GDL requirements, and part of this delay may be the cost and
availability associated with traditional novice driver education
programs.\6\ However, while most research has failed to find evidence
that traditional pre-licensure driver education reduces novice drivers'
crash risk,\7\ a growing body of studies suggests that training that
focuses on teaching specific skills--hazard anticipation and attention
maintenance--may increase novice drivers' safety. Prior studies also
suggest that trainings focused on these skills may especially benefit
male novices,\8\ novice drivers from lower SES backgrounds,\2\ and
young drivers with lower levels of the sensation seeking and
aggressiveness personality traits.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Masten, S., Foss, R., & Marshall, S. (2011). Graduated
driver licensing and fatal crashes involving 16- to 19-year-old
drivers. Journal of the American Medical Association, 306(14), 1098-
1103. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1104325.
\2\ Roberts, S., Zhang, F., Fisher, D., & Vaca, F. (2021). The
effect of hazard awareness training on teen drivers of varying
socioeconomic status. Traffic Injury Prevention, 22(6), 455-459.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2021.1940984.
\3\ National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2024, July).
Young drivers: 2022 data (Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS
813 601). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813601.
\4\ Bates, L.J., Davey, J., Watson, B., King, M.J., & Armstrong,
K. (2014). Factors contributing to crashes among young drivers.
Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 14(3), e297-e305. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4117653/.
\5\ Twenge, J., & Park, H. (2019). The decline in adult
activities among U.S. adolescents, 1976-2016. Child Development,
90(2), 638-654. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12930.
\6\ Tefft, B. & Foss, R. (2019). Prevalence and timing of driver
licensing among young adults (Research Brief). AAA Foundation for
Traffic Safety. https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/19-0500_AAAFTS_Teen-Driver-Safety-Week-Brief_r1.pdf.
\7\ Kirley, B.B., Robison, K.L., Goodwin, A.H., Harmon, K.J.
O'Brien, N.P., West, A., Harrell, S.S., Thomas, L., & Brookshire, K.
(2023, November). Countermeasures that work: A highway safety
countermeasure guide for State Highway Safety Offices, 11th edition,
2023 (Report No. DOT HS 813 490). National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2023-12/countermeasures-that-work-11th-2023-tag_0.pdf.
\8\ Thomas, F., Rilea, S., Blomberg, R., Peck, R., & Korbelak,
E. (2016). Evaluation of the safety benefits of the risk awareness
and perception training program for novice teen drivers (Report No.
DOT HS 812 235). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1986/dot_1986_DS1.pdf.
\9\ Zhang, T., Hajiseyedjavadi, F., Wang, Y., Samuel, S., Qu,
X., & Fisher, D. (2018). Training interventions are only effective
on careful drivers, not careless drivers. Transportation Research
Part F (58), 693-707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2018.07.004.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hazard anticipation training teaches novices to be aware of hazards
on the road that are visible and those that are hidden. Novice driver
training programs targeting hazard anticipation have reduced behaviors
linked to crashes on driving simulators \10\ and during on-road drives
\11\ and have reduced crashes
[[Page 40885]]
among 18-year-old newly-licensed males by 32% in the year following
training.\8\ Attention maintenance training teaches novices to reduce
the number and duration of long glances away from the forward roadway.
Novice driver training programs focused on attention maintenance have
reduced behaviors linked to crashes on driving simulators \12\ and in
the field,\13\ and the benefits of training extended up to four
months.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ Pollatsek, A., Narayanaan, V., Pradhan, A., & Fisher, D.
(2006). Using eye movements to evaluate a PC-based risk awareness
perception training program on a driving simulator. Human Factors,
48(3), 255-259. https://doi.org/10.1518/001872006778606787.
\11\ Pradhan, A., Pollatsek, A., Knodler, M. & Fisher, D.
(2009). Can younger drivers be trained to scan for information that
will reduce their risk in roadway traffic scenarios that are hard to
identify as hazardous?, Ergonomics, 52, 657-673. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2707454/.
\12\ Divekar, G., Pradhan, A.K., Masserang, K.M., Reagan, I.,
Pollatsek, A., & Fisher, D.L. (2013). A simulator evaluation of the
effects of attention maintenance training on glance distributions of
younger novice drivers inside and outside the vehicle.
Transportation Research Part F, 20, 154-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2013.07.004.
\13\ Pradhan, A.K., Divekar G., Masserang, K., Romoser, M.,
Zafian, T., Blomberg, R., Thomas, F., Reagan, I., Knodler, M.,
Pollatsek, A., & Fisher, D. (2011). The effects of focused attention
training (FOCAL) on the duration of novice drivers' glances inside
the vehicle. Ergonomics (54), 917-931. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/ PMC3437545/.
\14\ Divekar, G., Samuel, S., Pollatsek, A., Thomas, D.F.,
Korbelak, K., Blomberg, R.D., & Fisher, D.L. (2016). Effects of a
PC-based attention maintenance training program on driver behavior
can last up to four months. Transportation Research Record, 2602(1),
121-128. https://doi.org/10.3141/2602-15.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The goal of this information collection is to test the
effectiveness of a hazard anticipation and attention maintenance
training program for novice drivers that takes relatively little time
to complete and could support future efforts to deliver the training
via smartphones. Another goal of the information collection is to
determine whether the effectiveness of the training program differs for
groups of novices who may be at higher risk, i.e., different sexes, SES
levels, and trait levels of sensation seeking and aggressiveness. NHTSA
will use the results of this study to produce a technical report to be
shared with State highway safety offices, local governments,
policymakers, researchers, educators, advocates, and others who may
wish to use the data from this survey to support their work on novice
and teen driver safety.
Affected Public: Participants will be English-speaking adults, aged
18-19, without a driver's license.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
Overall, 334 annual respondents will complete the screening
questionnaire, and 60 of these respondents will undergo the informed
consent process. Finally, of these 60, 54 annual respondents will
enroll and participate in the study.
Although the study site has not been finalized, our descriptions
assume that the study will be conducted in one potential study site
area, Boston, Massachusetts. The study plans to recruit participants
who are ages 18 and 19, who do not have an unrestricted driver's
license or an intermediate/provisional license that allows driving
independently, and who are interested in obtaining an unrestricted or
intermediate/provisional license in the next 12 months. Participants
may have a learner's permit. A screening questionnaire will be
administered electronically to an estimated 1,002 potential
participants (334 annually) to yield a total sample of 168 participants
(56 annually). We estimate that approximately 18% (180 participants) of
those who respond to the screening questionnaire will be eligible,
interested, and will travel to the research center to undergo the
informed consent procedure. Then, an estimated 168 participants
(approximately 94% of those who undergo the informed consent process)
are expected to consent and enroll in the study. Of the 168 enrolled
participants, 84 will be from a low SES stratum (as determined by
average poverty rate of zip code of residence at age 17) and 84 will be
from a medium/high SES stratum. An equal number of males and females
will be recruited within each SES group.
Frequency: This study will be conducted one time during the three-
year period for which NHTSA is requesting approval.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:
The research team expects to provide screening questionnaires to an
estimated 1,002 potential participants to determine their eligibility
for the study. The research team will post the opportunity on social
media platforms likely to be seen by eligible participants and provide
it to existing contacts (e.g., managers at neighborhood development
community centers, teen centers, community college faculty in the area,
high school principals, local driving schools) in local communities.
The research team will also contact potential participants via email or
phone who indicated a prior interest in similar past studies if they
agreed to be contacted about future opportunities. Completing the
screening questionnaire has an estimated burden of 5 minutes per
respondent (an annual burden of 28 hours for 334 annual respondents,
averaged over the three-year approval period) (Table 1).
Similar to a NHTSA behavioral study recently reviewed by OMB,\15\
we estimate that approximately 18% (180 individuals) of those who
respond to the screening questionnaire will be eligible, interested,
and will travel to the research center to undergo the informed consent
process. Travel time from around the Boston metropolitan area is
estimated at 60 minutes round trip, and the informed consent process is
estimated to take 10 minutes. Thus, the burden for this second phase of
the study, including travel time, is estimated at 70 minutes per
participant (an annual burden of 70 hours for 60 annual respondents).
Finally, we estimate that approximately 94% (168 individuals) of
those who undergo the informed consent process will consent and enroll
in the study. For these participants, participation in the study is
estimated at 240 minutes per participant (an annual burden of 224 hours
for 56 annual respondents). Study tasks include (see Table 1):
i. An enrollment process (5 minutes);
ii. A pre-study questionnaire assessing participants' propensity to
experience motion sickness in the computerized driving simulator (5
minutes);
iii. A pre-training hazard anticipation and attention maintenance
test administered on a smartphone-like platform (20 minutes);
iv. A novice driver training program (placebo or treatment),
administered on a smartphone-like platform (60 minutes);
v. A post-training hazard anticipation and attention maintenance
test administered on a smartphone-like platform (20 minutes);
vi. A break (15 minutes);
vii. A drive on a computerized driving simulator (90 minutes); and
viii. A post-study questionnaire (25 minutes) that consists of:
demographic questions; the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking; \15\
the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire; \16\ and a post-study
debriefing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ Arnett, J. (n.d.) Arnett Inventory Sensation Seeking
(AISS). https://sjdm.org/dmidi/Arnett_Inventory_of_Sensation_Seeking.html.
\16\ Buss, A. & Perry, M. (n.d.) Buss Perry Aggression
Questionnaire (BPAQ). https://psychology-tools.com/test/buss-perry-aggression-questionnaire.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In total, NHTSA estimates that this information collection will
yield a total annual burden of 322 hours (Table 1).
NHTSA estimates the opportunity cost to respondents using an
average hourly wage. The May 2023 mean hourly wage for all occupations
in the United States was $31.48 per hour.\17\ Additionally, given that
wages in burden estimates need to be fully-loaded,\18\ we added 29% to
reflect the
[[Page 40886]]
full cost of labor, including benefits, yielding a fully-loaded mean
hourly wage of $40.61. Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total annual
opportunity cost to be approximately $13,069 (Table 1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, April 3). May 2023
National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000.
\18\ https://pra.digital.gov/burden/estimation/.
Table 1--Annual Burden Estimates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Burden per Hourly Opportunity Total annual
Information collection Annual number response opportunity cost per opportunity Total annual
of respondents (minutes) cost response cost burden (hours)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHTSA Form 2018 (Total)................................. 334 5 $40.61 $3.38 $1,129 28
Screening Questionnaire
NHTSA Form 2019 (Total)................................. 60 70 40.61 47.38 2,843 70
Travel Time (Round-Trip)............................ .............. 60
Informed Consent.................................... .............. 10
NHTSA Form 2020 (Total)................................. 56 10 40.61 6.77 379 9
Enrollment.......................................... .............. 5
Pre-Study Questionnaire............................. .............. 5
NHTSA Form 2021 (Total)................................. 56 230 40.61 155.67 8,718 215
Pre-Training Test................................... .............. 20
Training Program.................................... .............. 60
Post-Training Test.................................. .............. 20
Break............................................... .............. 15
Driving Simulator Testing........................... .............. 90
Post-Study Questionnaire............................ .............. 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................................... .............. .............. .............. .............. 13,069 322
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $0.
Participation in this study is voluntary and there are no costs to
participants beyond the time spent completing the study. The costs
associated with travel to the research center are minimal and expected
to be offset by the compensation that will be provided to the research
participants.
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.)
Jane Terry,
Acting Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2025-15931 Filed 8-20-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P