[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 216 (Thursday, November 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88342-88346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25821]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0070]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Crash Avoidance Warning System Human-Machine Interface (HMI) 
Research

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 on 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 titled, 
``Crash Avoidance Warning System Human-Machine Interface (HMI) 
Research.''

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 6, 2025.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2024-0070 through any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Electronic submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    <bullet> 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.

[[Page 88343]]

    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: Alexandria Rossi-Alvarez, Ph.D., 
Office of Vehicle Safety Research, Applied Crash Avoidance Research 
Division NSR-120, Vehicle Research & Test Center, 10820 State Route 
347, East Liberty, OH 43319; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5d3c732f322e2e34703c312b3c2f38271d393229733a322b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="badb94c8d5c9c9d397dbd6ccdbc8dfc0faded5ce94ddd5cc">[email protected]</span></a>; (937) 666-3322.

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: Crash Avoidance Warning System Human-Machine Interface (HMI) 
Research.
    OMB Control Number: New.
    Form Number(s): NHTSA Form (2006): Interest Response Form; NHTSA 
Form (2007): Candidate Screening Questions; NHTSA Form (2008): 
Appointment Scheduling; NHTSA Form (2009): Participant Informed Consent 
Form; and NHTSA Form (2010): Post-Drive Questionnaire.
    Type of Request: 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

    This information collection request (ICR) is to request approval to 
conduct 6 new voluntary information collections as part of a one-time 
research study of drivers' interactions with crash avoidance technology 
with different human-machine interface (HMI) characteristics. NHTSA is 
seeking to conduct the research effort involving up to 200 licensed 
drivers without assisted devices between the ages of 25 to 65 from the 
greater Columbus, Ohio area. The collection of information will consist 
of (1) Interest Response Form to be administered up to 750 potential 
research participants, (2) Candidate Screening Questions to be 
administered up to 375 potential research participants, (3) Appointment 
Scheduling, (4) Participant Informed Consent Form to be administered to 
up to 200 research participants, (5) Study Data Collection, and (6) 
Post-Drive Questionnaire. This research involving collecting 
information from the public will help support NHTSA's vehicle safety 
efforts and potential future rulemaking actions.
    Crash avoidance warning systems aid vehicle drivers in avoiding 
crashes by presenting alerts and warnings to inform drivers of 
situations in which the system has determined, via sensor information, 
that a crash is possible or imminent, depending on the situation. These 
systems communicate the occurrence of such conditions to drivers via 
different sensory modalities, such as visual or auditory signals or 
vibration of the seat or steering wheel. This research will seek to 
improve NHTSA's understanding of how crash avoidance warning system HMI 
characteristics affect system effectiveness and potential safety 
impacts.
    The objective of this driving research is to examine driver 
behavior in using crash avoidance warning systems and assess effects of 
human-machine interface characteristics on drivers' behavior and driver 
response in crash-imminent scenarios. The research will involve driver 
behavior observation while driving on a test track, public roads, or in 
a simulated environment (i.e., driving simulator). Data collection may 
also involve stationary laboratory measurements relating to crash 
avoidance warning signal characteristics, such as stationary laboratory 
measurements of individuals' visual angles when gazing at in-vehicle 
visual signals (e.g., instrument panel symbols) and displays. Test 
vehicles will be equipped, as needed, with instrumentation for 
recording driver eye glance behavior, vehicle control inputs (steering 
wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal inputs), vehicle position and 
speed, and turn signal status. During dynamic testing, sensors will 
determine and record the distances between the test vehicle and 
surrounding vehicles, as appropriate.
    Response to this information collection is voluntary and will be 
conducted in phases corresponding to the different crash avoidance 
warning system types to be examined (i.e., forward, lateral, and rear 
crash avoidance). Research participants will be members of the general 
public living in the Columbus, OH area, participation will be 
voluntary, and appropriate monetary compensation (including the hours 
spent and the mileage traveled) will be provided. Participants will 
include licensed drivers aged 25 to 65 who are healthy and able to 
drive without assistive devices. Participants will be recruited using 
print (newspaper or flyer) or online study recruitment advertisements, 
and/or mailed invitations to registered Ohio owners of specific vehicle 
models. The study protocols will be reviewed and approved by the 
Sterling Institutional Review Board (IRB) before any data collection 
procedures begin. The research is to be performed one time with no 
additional requirements or questions once the person has completed the 
in-person study data collection. The information collected will be 
available for public consumption upon completion in a report accessible 
on the National Transportation Library and/or the Federal Register. 
Personal information will not be published in the technical reports. 
Analysis may also be used to inform NHTSA's future safety research and 
rulemaking efforts.
    Analyses will be performed on the collected data documenting 
participants' driving and eye glance behavior, as well as their 
responses to

[[Page 88344]]

crash avoidance alerts and warnings. Vehicle control metrics such as 
speed, headway, and steering and braking input characteristics may be 
compared across conditions. Analyses will also be performed on drivers' 
responses to any crash avoidance warnings presented, such as response 
time from visual crash avoidance warning signal onset to the time at 
which the driver's eye glance reaches the visual warning signal and the 
time at which the driver initiates a crash avoidance response.

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. 
401) 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 through delegation 
(23 U.S.C. Sec.  403), is authorized to conduct research as a 
foundation for developing traffic safety programs. As driver assistance 
technologies advance, they have the potential to dramatically reduce 
the number of motor vehicle crashes and injuries, as well as the 
associated economic costs. The safety and effectiveness of the crash 
avoidance warning systems depend on drivers understanding the 
capabilities and constraints of the systems, and the meaning of visual 
and auditory alerts or warnings provided.
    Drivers successfully perceiving and understanding crash avoidance 
warnings is important for crash avoidance system effectiveness and 
mitigating crashes. In particular, drivers must comprehend the 
situation and respond quickly when a crash avoidance warning system 
indicates an imminent collision is likely. This research aims to assess 
the effects of crash avoidance warning system HMI characteristics on 
driver behavior, on driver response in crash-imminent scenarios, and on 
crash avoidance success. The research will compare various crash 
avoidance warning system HMI characteristics and examine participants' 
responses to the alerts and/or warnings.
    The collection of information will consist of (1) Interest Response 
Form, (2) Candidate Screening Questions, (3) Appointment Scheduling, 
(4) Participant Informed Consent Form, (5) Study Data Collection, and 
(6) Post-Drive Questionnaire. The information to be collected will be 
used for the following purposes:
    (1) Interest Response Form will be used to determine individuals' 
willingness to participate in the research and whether an individual 
qualifies for participation in this study based on specific 
information, such as annual mileage driven. Individuals' responses are 
reviewed to determine whether they meet the age, licensing, and annual 
driving mileage criteria:

a. Be aged 25-65 years (inclusive)
b. For drivers of light passenger vehicles: Hold a valid U.S. driver's 
license and drive at least 11,000 miles annually in light passenger 
vehicles
c. For drivers of heavy trucks: Hold a valid U.S. commercial driver's 
license and drive at least 11,000 miles annually in a commercial truck

    (2) Candidate Screening Questions will be primarily used to ensure 
that participants meet driving record requirements of the contractor's 
insurance company, are free of recent criminal convictions, meet 
specific minimum health qualifications, and have reasonable 
availability to participate in the study. Health screening questions 
aim to identify candidate participants whose physical and health 
conditions and driving experience may be deemed generally `average' and 
that they can understand study documents.

a. Have no more than 2 points on current driving record
b. Have no criminal convictions in the past 3 years including criminal 
driving offenses
c. Have no uncorrected vision or hearing problems
d. Be in good general health, able to drive continuously and safely for 
a period of 2 hours without the need for assistive devices
e. Self-report that they are able to read, write, speak, and understand 
English
f. Be willing to drive to NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center and 
spend up to approximately 3 hours participating in a research study

    (3) Appointment Scheduling will be used to contact the candidates 
meeting the criteria and to schedule their study participation 
appointment. Contact with the selected participants will be by email, 
text message, or phone to schedule participation as needed.
    (4) Participant Informed Consent Form will be used to describe the 
purpose, procedures, possible benefits and risks of the study. This 
form explains what information will be collected, how the information 
will be used, how it is maintained, who may use it, and secondary 
research and other uses.
    (5) Study Data Collection will produce data documenting 
participants' driving and eye glance behavior for later analysis with 
respect to research questions addressing safety impacts of the crash 
avoidance warning system HMI characteristics.
    (6) Post-Drive Questionnaire will be used to understand drivers' 
opinions regarding, degree of comfort experienced, and perceptions of 
safety associated with the different crash avoidance warning system HMI 
characteristics tested.
    Affected Public: Research participants will be paid volunteers from 
the Columbus, OH area who are licensed drivers aged 25-65 years 
(inclusive), who drive at least 11,000 miles annually, are in good 
health, and do not require assistive devices to safely operate a 
vehicle and drive continuously for a period of up to 2 hours.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Candidate participant recruitment 
information will be collected in an incremental fashion to permit the 
determination of which individuals meet the criteria for research 
participation. All interested candidates (estimate: 750) will complete 
the Interest Response Form. A subset of individuals (estimate: 375) 
meeting the criteria for the Interest Response Form will be asked to 
complete Candidate Screening Questions. Those who complete and are 
eligible based on the Candidate Screening Questions will be contacted 
for Appointment Scheduling to be study participants, with a goal of 200 
participants.
    Frequency: Once.
    This research will be conducted once in phases corresponding to the 
different crash avoidance warning system types to be examined (i.e., 
forward, lateral, and rear crash avoidance).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 239 hours. The annual 
estimated burden for the information collection is 239 hours. This is 
the aggregate of the estimated annual burden for 6 information 
collections that would be part of the one-time study. The 6 information 
collections include: (1) Interest Response Form to be administered to 
up to 250 potential research respondents; (2) Candidate Screening 
Questions to be administered to up to 125 research participants; (3) 
Appointment Scheduling to be administered to up to 67 research 
participants; (4) Participant Informed Consent Form to be administered 
to up to 67 research participants; (5) Study Data Collection; and (6) 
Post-Drive

[[Page 88345]]

Questionnaire to be administered to up to 67 research participants.
    The study will begin with a screening process to identify eligible 
participants. As stated above, the research team intends to identify 
250 eligible participants to account for potential attrition to ensure 
that the target sample of 67 participants is achieved. Participant 
recruitment will be accomplished via online and print advertisements, 
and as needed, mailings to registered Ohio vehicle owners. Individuals 
interested in participation will respond to the recruitment 
advertisement by visiting a secure website containing a brief study 
description. The study description includes a web link that interested 
candidate participants can follow to begin the screening process. NHTSA 
estimates that the Interest Response Form takes, on average, 5 minutes 
to complete. Therefore, estimates the annual burden for Interest 
Response Form to be 21 hours (5 minutes x 250 respondents).
    Individuals whose responses meet participation requirements will be 
selected to take the Candidate Screening Questions. The research team 
intends to identify 125 eligible participants to account for potential 
attrition to ensure that the target sample of 67 participants is 
achieved. Candidate participants are emailed a link to the 
electronically presented question set hosted on a secure website. NHTSA 
estimates that the Candidate Screening Questions takes, on average, 7 
minutes to complete. Therefore, estimates the annual burden for 
Candidate Screening Questions to be 15 hours (7 minutes x 125 
respondents).
    Upon review of response data for the Candidate Screening Questions, 
candidates meeting the criteria will be contacted to schedule the study 
participation appointment. The research team intends to identify 67 
eligible candidates. NHTSA estimates that the Appointment Scheduling 
takes, on average, 2 minutes to complete. Therefore, estimates the 
annual burden for Appointment Scheduling to be 2 hours (2 minutes x 67 
respondents).
    Each respondent will begin with a consenting process, which is 
completed on-site at the testing facility at the beginning of the study 
session. This consenting process includes an overview of the study and 
an explanation of the informed consent form. This consenting process is 
expected to take 35 minutes. Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total 
burden for obtaining informed consent to be 39 hours (35 minutes x 67 
respondents).
    Following consent, the participant will receive instructions on the 
study protocol. For driving data collection, the participant will be 
shown the vehicle, seated in the driver seat, and an eye-tracking 
system calibration will be performed. Driving will then commence while 
data are recorded to document vehicle performance and driver behavior. 
For stationary measurements, the individual would be seated in a 
stationary vehicle and asked to look at and/or listen to different 
crash avoidance warnings and provide verbal feedback as appropriate. 
This Study Data Collection will be conducted once and take 
approximately 130 minutes. Therefore, NHTSA estimates that the total 
burden for the Study Data Collection to be 145 hours (130 minutes x 67 
respondents).
    At the end, participants will complete a Post-Drive Questionnaire, 
estimated to take approximately 15 minutes. The total burden for the 
Post-Drive Questionnaire is estimated to be 17 hours (15 minutes x 67 
respondents). The total annual burden for the entire study is estimated 
to be 239 hours.
    The estimated annual burden time and opportunity cost burdens are 
summarized in the table below. The opportunity cost is calculated per 
hour based on Bureau of Labor Statistics Jan. 2024 Average Hourly 
Earnings data for ``Total Private,'' $34.55 (Accessed February 8, 2024, 
at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t19.htm). The number of 
respondents and time to complete each question set are estimated as 
shown in the table. The time per question set is calculated by 
multiplying the number of respondents by the time per respondent and 
then converting from minutes to hours. The hour value for each question 
set is multiplied by the latest average hour earning estimate from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics to obtain an estimated burden cost per 
question set. NHTSA estimates that the annual opportunity cost is 
approximately $8,245.

                                                             Table--Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                                                                                  Annual
                                                              Annual                                Time per      Cost per      estimated      Annual
                  Information collection                    number of   Frequency of     Annual     response      response        burden     opportunity
                                                           respondents    response     responses      (min)      $34.55/hour      hours         costs
                                                                                                                                (rounded)     (rounded)
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Interest Response Form...................................          250             1          250           5           $2.88           21          $720
Candidate Screening Questions............................          125             1          125           7            4.03           15           504
Appointment Scheduling...................................           67             1           67           2            1.15            2            77
Participant Informed Consent Form........................           67             1           67          35           20.15           39         1,350
Study Data Collection....................................           67             1           67         130           74.86          145         5,016
Post-Drive Questionnaire.................................           67             1           67          15            8.64           17           579
                                                          ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Annual Burden..................................  ...........  ............  ...........  ..........  ..............          239         8,245
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $2,693.40.
    There are no additional costs to respondents beyond the time spent 
participating in the study, completing the questionnaires and travel 
costs for the visit to the study site. Respondents for the Interest 
Response Form and the Candidate Screening Questions use their own 
electronic device to complete the questionnaires. They are not 
responsible for purchasing additional equipment nor software for this 
completion. Any email messages or phone calls made for the purposes of 
Appointment Scheduling are handled through personal devices as well.
    Respondents selected, and who agree to participate in the Study 
Data Collection, will need to provide or obtain their own 
transportation to and from the study site. However, they are reimbursed 
for hours of participation (estimated 3 hours at $65 hour) and the cost 
of mileage driven to and from the study site and, therefore, incur no 
additional costs. The costs are minimal and are expected to be offset 
by the compensation that will be provided to the research participants. 
NHTSA estimates that each of the participants will travel on average 30 
miles one-way to the research location (approximately

[[Page 88346]]

60 miles round trip). Using the IRS standard mileage rate of $0.67 per 
mile,\1\ each respondent is expected to incur approximately $40.20 in 
transportation costs. Therefore, NHTSA estimates that the total costs 
to all respondents for the one-time study will be approximately $8,040 
($40.20 x 200 respondents). NHTSA estimates the total annual costs 
based on an average of 67 respondents a year. Accordingly, NHTSA 
estimates the total annual cost to be $2,693.40 per year ($40.20 x 67 
respondents). All equipment required for conduct of the research will 
be provided by NHTSA. The respondents will be fairly compensated for 
their participation without being coercive.
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    \1\ From Internal Revenue Service's 2024 standard mileage rates 
for self-employed and business. https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates, last accessed May 14, 2024.
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    Public Comments Invited: The public is invited 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.

Cem Hatipoglu,
Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 2024-25821 Filed 11-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


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