United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States National Archives and Records Administration Office of the Federal Register author aut Government Organization text government publication eng FR Regulatory Information 2012_register executive 2012-02-24 article Part II Notices D09002ee1c7fd60c7 D09002ee1c7fd6151 United States Department of Transportation originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned about the effects of distraction due to drivers' use of electronic devices on motor vehicle safety. Consequently, NHTSA is issuing nonbinding, voluntary NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines (NHTSA Guidelines) to promote safety by discouraging the introduction of excessively distracting devices in vehicles. This notice details the contents of the first phase of the NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines. These NHTSA Guidelines cover original equipment in-vehicle device secondary tasks (communications, entertainment, information gathering, and navigation tasks not required to drive are considered secondary tasks) performed by the driver through visual-manual means (meaning the driver looking at a device, manipulating a device-related control with the driver's hand, and watching for visual feedback). The proposed NHTSA Guidelines list certain secondary, non-driving related tasks that, based on NHTSA's research, are believed by the agency to interfere inherently with a driver's ability to safely control the vehicle. The Guidelines recommend that those in-vehicle devices be designed so that they cannot be used by the driver to perform such tasks while the driver is driving. For all other secondary, non-driving-related visual-manual tasks, the NHTSA Guidelines specify a test method for measuring the impact of task performance on driving safety while driving and time-based acceptance criteria for assessing whether a task interferes too much with driver attention to be suitable to perform while driving. If a task does not meet the acceptance criteria, the NHTSA Guidelines recommend that in- vehicle devices be designed so that the task cannot be performed by the driver while driving. In addition to identifying inherently distracting tasks and providing a means for measuring and evaluating the level of distraction associated with other non-driving-related tasks, the NHTSA Guidelines contain several design recommendations for in-vehicle devices in order to minimize their potential for distraction. NHTSA seeks comments on these NHTSA Guidelines and any suggestions for how to improve them so as to better enhance motor vehicle safety. 77 FR 11200 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2012-02-24/2012-4017 2012-4017 fr24fe12-132 4910-59-P Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0053 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2012-02-24/2012-4017 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2012-02-24/html/2012-4017.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2012-02-24/pdf/2012-4017.pdf 51 p. 11200 11250 77 FR 11200 Visual-Manual NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines for In-Vehicle Electronic Devices; Federal Register Vol. 77, Issue NOTICE 2012-4017 II DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0053 4910-59-P 2012-4017 Notice of proposed Federal guidelines.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned about the effects of distraction due to drivers' use of electronic devices on motor vehicle safety. Consequently, NHTSA is issuing nonbinding, voluntary NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines (NHTSA Guidelines) to promote safety by discouraging the introduction of excessively distracting devices in vehicles. This notice details the contents of the first phase of the NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines. These NHTSA Guidelines cover original equipment in-vehicle device secondary tasks (communications, entertainment, information gathering, and navigation tasks not required to drive are considered secondary tasks) performed by the driver through visual-manual means (meaning the driver looking at a device, manipulating a device-related control with the driver's hand, and watching for visual feedback). The proposed NHTSA Guidelines list certain secondary, non-driving related tasks that, based on NHTSA's research, are believed by the agency to interfere inherently with a driver's ability to safely control the vehicle. The Guidelines recommend that those in-vehicle devices be designed so that they cannot be used by the driver to perform such tasks while the driver is driving. For all other secondary, non-driving-related visual-manual tasks, the NHTSA Guidelines specify a test method for measuring the impact of task performance on driving safety while driving and time-based acceptance criteria for assessing whether a task interferes too much with driver attention to be suitable to perform while driving. If a task does not meet the acceptance criteria, the NHTSA Guidelines recommend that in- vehicle devices be designed so that the task cannot be performed by the driver while driving. In addition to identifying inherently distracting tasks and providing a means for measuring and evaluating the level of distraction associated with other non-driving-related tasks, the NHTSA Guidelines contain several design recommendations for in-vehicle devices in order to minimize their potential for distraction. NHTSA seeks comments on these NHTSA Guidelines and any suggestions for how to improve them so as to better enhance motor vehicle safety.

Comments: You should submit your comments early enough to ensure that the docket receives them not later than April 24, 2012. For technical issues, you may contact Dr. W. Riley Garrott, Vehicle Research and Test Center, telephone: (937) 666-3312, facsimile: (937) 666-3590. You may send mail to this person at: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Vehicle Research and Test Center, P.O. Box B-37, East Liberty, OH 43319. Visual-Manual National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Driver Distraction Guidelines: In-Vehicle Electronic Devices , http://dms.dot.gov http://DocketInfo.dot.gov http://trb.org/StrategicHighwayResearchProgram2SHRP2/Blank2.aspx http://www.distraction.gov/ http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2009/dl20.cfm http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/distracted_driving/pdf/811299.pdf http://www.regulations.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/reproducible.html http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Executive-Order-Federal-Leadership-on-Reducing-Text-Messaging-while-Driving/ www.distraction.gov Vol. 77, no. 37 Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration 2012-02-24 continuing daily deposited born digital 451 p. Table of Contents: AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: KF70.A2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2012-02-24 P0b002ee181f2bf7a 0097-6326 0042-1219 0364-1406 769-004-00000-9 000582072 f:fr24fe12 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2012-02-24 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2012-02-24/pdf/FR-2012-02-24.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2012-02-24/xml/FR-2012-02-24.xml fdlp 10939 11382 DGPO 2012-02-24 2024-06-03 FR-2012-02-24 machine generated eng FR FR-2012-02-24 77 37