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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 249 (Monday, December 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 106741-106744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30932]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0056]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Female Occupant Anthropometry and Seating

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: 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 Occupant Anthropometry and Seating.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 28, 2025.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2024-0056 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

[[Page 106742]]

instructions for accessing the dockets via internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access 
to background documents, contact Elizabeth Lafferty, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Research, Human Injury Research Division NSR-220, West Building, 
W46-311, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590; Email: 
[email protected]; Phone: 202-366-6222.

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: Occupant Anthropometry and Seating.
    OMB Control Number: New.
    Form Number(s): NHTSA Form 1824, NHTSA Form 1825, NHTSA Form 1826, 
NHTSA Form 1827, NHTSA Form 1828, and NHTSA Form 1848.
    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:
    NHTSA proposes to collect information from the public as part of a 
study to collect detailed information on current body size and shape, 
posture, and motion of vehicle occupants. This research will support 
NHTSA in the development of tools used for occupant protection during 
crashes, particularly in the context of equity in crashworthiness. This 
research will add to the body of knowledge and is not immediately 
intended to inform regulations or policy.
    The designs of anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs, commonly known 
as crash test dummies) are based on measurements of volunteers sitting 
in vehicle and laboratory seats. The current generation of ATDs is 
based on data gathered at University of Michigan Transportation 
Research Institute (UMTRI) in the 1980s. Since that time, the U.S. 
population has change substantially, most notably due to the large 
increase in body mass. Measurement technologies have also improved 
dramatically with the development of fast three-dimensional surface 
measurement systems. Seating configurations have also expanded from the 
traditional seat posture collected in the 1980s with increased recline 
angles in modern vehicles. This combination of a population size shift 
and more variable seat configurations presents a clear need for updated 
seated anthropometry to be collected with new advanced anthropometry 
measurement capabilities.
    The data collections, approved by the Institutional Review Board at 
the University of Michigan, will be performed once to obtain the target 
number of valid test participants. Study participants will be male and 
female licensed adult drivers from the general public, and 
participation will be voluntary with monetary compensation provided. 
Participants are recruited using University of Michigan's Health 
Research portal, https://umhealthresearch.org/. The voluntary study 
would involve recruiting licensed drivers for two studies (in-lab and 
in-vehicle). For the in-lab study, the following information 
collections include: (1) an online screening questionnaire; (2) an 
eligibility phone call to confirm eligibility, interest, and schedule a 
time in the lab; (3) informed consent for the in-lab study and 
anthropometric measurement. A subset of the in-lab participants will be 
asked to participate in the in-vehicle study and the following 
information collections include: (1) a pre-drive questionnaire for the 
in-vehicle study; (5) informed consent and anthropometric measurements 
for the in-vehicle study; and (6) a post-drive questionnaire for the 
in-vehicle study.
    In this study, 3D surface scan data quantifying body size and shape 
in a range of postures will be obtained. Posture, position, and belt 
fit in driver and passenger seating mockups that are adjusted to a wide 
range of vehicle configurations and using multiple seats will be 
measured. The participants will be selected to span a wide range of 
stature and weight, spanning the 5th percentile female to 95th 
percentile male values. Individuals with high body mass will be 
preferentially selected to address the current lack of data from that 
cohort. An in-vehicle study will be conducted using participants 
recruited from among those participating in the laboratory study. 
Participants will be provided an instrumented vehicle to drive in place 
of their own for a 7-to-10-day period. Given unknown budget 
appropriations the drive time may be reduced from 7-to-10-days to two 
hours. Independent of budget appropriations the burden to the public is 
two hours. The two hours will either be spent as more detailed check 
in/check out time for the 7-to-10-day plus questionnaire post-drive or 
as a 2-hr drive starting and ending at the lab. The goal of the in-
vehicle study is to validate the driver postures measured in the 
laboratory and to obtain high-resolution 3D data on postures and 
movements during driving. A particular focus is on the lower 
extremities, where crash injury data have indicated a large difference 
in risk between male and female drivers. Body scans, measurements, and 
any video will be de-identified prior to submission to NHTSA. 
Statistical models will also be developed from de-identified data and 
made available to the public through a software tool.
    This research study will gather a new database of information on 
adult body size, shape, posture, and motion to support advancement in 
these safety applications. This study will add to the body of the 
knowledge on motor vehicle anthropometry and will support female crash 
safety and equitable occupant protection through the development of 
human body models (HBMs) and anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs).
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information:
    Early ATDs, including the Hybrid-III family that was initially 
designed in the 1970s, were constructed using manually gathered 
anthropometric data, such as segment lengths and circumferences. 
Minimal 3D information was available, and seated postures were 
approximated. In 1980, NHTSA funded a large-scale study at UMTRI to 
develop anthropometric specifications for a new generation of ATDs. The 
Anthropometry

[[Page 106743]]

of Motor Vehicle Occupants (AMVO) study gathered data and developed 
detailed 3D body shapes for small female, midsize male, and large male 
occupants, using 5th percentile female, 50th percentile male, and 95th 
percentile male stature and body weight as the target reference values. 
Drawing packages were developed detailing landmark and joint locations, 
and physical 3D surface shells were constructed using landmark data and 
minimal 3D contour information. These data have formed the 
anthropometric basis for most adult ATDs developed since that time, 
including the THOR family.
    AMVO had some limitations, however. Due to the limits of the 
technology available at the time, a small number of participants were 
measured (25 per size bin were used to create the final 
specifications), and no 3D surface information was collected. Moreover, 
the analysis was based on simple averaging per size bins, so no 
information was provided for other occupant sizes. Most importantly, 
the midsize female was dropped for cost reasons, so the only female 
data were gathered from very small individuals.
    Over the past 20 years, HBMs have become an important addition to 
the biomechanics toolkit. Using the same logic that was applied to 
selecting body sizes for ATDs, the HBMs have typically been targeted to 
the same stature and body weight reference values as were used in AMVO. 
However, unlike the averaging process used in AMVO, most HBMs have 
developed using data primarily or entirely from a single individual. A 
consequence of this approach is that HBM development has not provided 
meaningful additions to the anthropometric data available to 
characterize vehicle occupants.
    In the decades since AMVO, UMTRI has conducted a large number of 
studies of occupant posture and body shape and has developed 
advancements in both measurement and analysis methodology. Of 
particular importance, rather than averaging data to create a 
representation of a single body size, UMTRI has developed continuous 
statistical models that can generate accurate specifications for a wide 
range of sizes and shapes (for examples, see http://HumanShape.org). 
Simultaneously analyzing both landmark locations and 3D body shapes has 
enabled the development of parametric human body modeling, in which 
HBMs are morphed to represent people with widely varying size and 
shape.
    Concurrent with the development of parametric HBMs, crash injury 
data analyses have highlighted the potential benefits of these new 
tools. In particular, the field data indicate that female occupants 
experience higher risks of some injuries in certain types of crashes. 
Notably, lower-extremity injury risks are markedly higher for female 
drivers than for male drivers in frontal impacts. Detailed 
anthropometric and posture data for female drivers could help to 
elucidate the causes of this difference. Crash injury data also show 
that individuals with high body mass are at higher risks of some 
injuries, possibly due to differences in the interaction with the 
restraint systems. Minimal data are available to describe the seated 
postures and body shapes of this cohort, which is increasingly 
important in the U.S.
    Affected Public:
    Respondents will be licensed drivers, ages 18+, in the Ann Arbor, 
MI region and willing to travel to UMTRI. Study participants will be 
male and female licensed adult drivers from the general public, and 
participation will be voluntary with monetary compensation provided. 
Participants are recruited using University of Michigan's Health 
Research portal, https://umhealthresearch.org/. Prospective 
participants will respond to the U-M Health Research posting by 
completing a screening questionnaire on a Google Form. Eligible 
participants are those whose answers to the Google Form questions are 
consistent with the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
    Eligibility requirements include the ability to read and speak 
English, ability to drive for two hours continuously, hold a current 
and unrestricted U.S. driver's license, have been a licensed driver for 
at least one year, drive a car daily for an average of at least 15 
minutes, and comfortable driving on the highway and local roads. 
Exclusion criteria include individuals with musculoskeletal ailments 
impeding the ability to walk or sit comfortably or musculoskeletal 
deformities such as scoliosis or amputations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2000.
    We estimate that 2000 screening questionnaires will be filled out 
to obtain the needed number of subjects. The form has 23 questions, 
including name, address, and time slots available. We estimate that up 
to 600 individuals will need to be contacted to obtain the needed 
number of 300 subjects for the lab study. This considers that some 
people's schedules may not match up with lab openings or they may not 
show up for their scheduled appointment. A subset of the in-lab study 
participants will be asked to participate in the in-vehicle study with 
the targeted 100 participants.
    Frequency: Once.
    This is a one-time collection of information with two studies: in-
lab and in-vehicle. A subset of the in-lab participants will be asked 
to participate in the in-vehicle study. The initial pre-screening time 
is roughly 5 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 
contacted for an eligibility phone call prior to study enrollment.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:
    The annual estimated time burden to complete the collection of 
information is 347 hours and an annual opportunity cost of $16,373.05 
over the study period. To minimize the burden of the screening 
questionnaire and eligibility phone call, individuals for the in-
vehicle study will be selected from the in-lab study pool. An estimate 
of up to 2000 individuals will initiate a response to the online 
screening questionnaire due to the broad range of inclusion criteria. 
Of the screened individuals we anticipate that up to 600 will need to 
be contacted for an eligibility phone call to obtain the needed number 
of 300 participants scheduled for the in-lab study. Scheduled 
participants that do not show up will be replaced from the remaining 
pool of screened participants and eligibility phone call to ensure 300 
individuals arrive for in-lab measurements. After completion of the 2-
hour process for informed consented and in-lab data collection, some 
participants will be asked if they are interested in the in-vehicle 
study. From the 300 in-lab participants, 100 will be scheduled to 
return to the lab for the in-vehicle study. The in-vehicle pre-drive 
and post-drive questionnaires will each take 5 mins, the informed 
consent, vehicle check-out, and vehicle check-in processes will take 
110 min. totaling 2 hrs. for all of the in-vehicle study.
    To calculate the opportunity cost associated with the forms and 
other relevant activities necessary for this collection of new 
information, NHTSA looked at average hourly earnings for employees 
across all occupations in the Ann Arbor, MI area. The Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS) estimates that the average hourly wage for this group 
is $33.43, thus serving as the opportunity cost per hour. The Bureau of 
Labor Statistics estimates that private industry

[[Page 106744]]

workers' wages represent 70.3% of total labor compensation costs. 
Therefore, NHTSA estimates the hourly labor costs to be $47.55. NHTSA 
estimates the total opportunity cost associated with the 1033 burden 
hours to be $49,119.15. Annual burden cost is estimated to be 
$16,373.05, and annual burden hours is estimated to be 347. There may 
be a slight variation in the comparison of total to annual burden over 
the three years due to rounding. The annual burden figures will be 
those represented in ROCIS.

                                                                Table 1--Burden Estimates
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                                                    Number of       Time per
   NHSTA form No.      Information collection      respondents      response        Cost per      Frequency of    Burden hours    Burden cost (dollars)
                                                  total/annual        (min)         response        response      total/annual         total/annual
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1824...............  Online Screening                  2000/667               5           $3.96               1          167/56      $7,940.85/$2,646.95
                      questionnaire.
1825...............  Eligibility Phone Call....         600/200               5            3.96               1           50/17          2,377.50/792.50
1826...............  Informed Consent, In-Lab..         300/100             120           95.10               1         600/200       28,530.00/9,510.00
1827...............  In-Vehicle Pre-Drive                100/34               5            3.96               1             8/3            380.40/126.80
                      Questionnaire.
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1828...............  Informed Consent, In-               100/34             120           95.10               1          200/68        9,510.00/3,170.00
                      Vehicle.
1848...............  In-Vehicle Post-Drive               100/34               5            3.96               1             8/3            380.40/126.80
                      Questionnaire.
                     Total Burden/Annual Burden  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............        1033/347      49,119.15/16,373.05
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost:
    NHTSA estimates that the total travel costs to all respondents will 
be no more than $10,720. The total estimated cost to the Government for 
this one-time information collection is $49,119.15 plus $10,720 
totaling $59,839.15 where the annual estimated cost is $19,946.38.
    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.

Cem Hatipoglu,
Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 2024-30932 Filed 12-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
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