[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 96 (Thursday, May 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23040-23042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10542]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA-2018-0050]


Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of 
information.

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SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from 
the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). Under the 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 reinstatements of previously approved 
collections. This document describes one collection of information for 
which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 16, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
NHTSA-2018-0050 using any of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the online instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590.
    Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Each submission must include the agency name and the docket number for

[[Page 23041]]

this Notice. Note that all comments received will be posted without 
changes to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Sifrit, Ph.D., Contracting 
Officer's Representative, Office of Behavioral Safety Research (NPD-
320), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590. Dr. Sifrit's phone number is 202-366-
0868, and her email address is [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
before an agency submits a proposed collection of information to OMB 
for approval, it must 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 regulations (at 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for public comment on the following:
    (i) 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;
    (ii) 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;
    (iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (iv) 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 
submissions of responses.
    In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA asks public comment on 
the following proposed collection of information:
    Title: In-Vehicle Drowsiness Detection and Alerting.
    Type of Request: New information collection requirement.
    OMB Clearance Number: None.
    Form Number: NHTSA Forms 1441 through 1449.
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking approval to collect 
information from licensed young drivers for a one-time voluntary 
driving simulator study of the effectiveness of in-vehicle drowsiness 
detection and alerting systems that aim to reduce drowsy driving. NHTSA 
proposes to collect information from licensed young drivers to 
determine (1) their eligibility to participate in a study evaluating 
systems designed to detect and mitigate drowsy driving, (2) their 
driving performance during a simulated driving task to measure 
drowsiness mitigation system effectiveness, and (3) their opinions 
about the safety systems and their perceptions of the benefits. NHTSA 
will collect information about age, sex, driver license status, sleep 
and caffeine habits, and driving habits from an estimated 120 young 
drivers who previously indicated interest in participating in simulator 
studies through a one-time, voluntary telephone interview to determine 
their eligibility for this study. NHTSA will then invite 85 qualified 
young drivers to report to the simulator to complete an informed 
consent form and other screening activities including a ten-minute 
practice drive in the simulator and an assessment of the propensity for 
simulator sickness. NHTSA expects that 75 young drivers will pass the 
screening and will report for the overnight study, which includes a 
four-hour drive in the simulator. This collection is solely reporting, 
and there are no record-keeping costs to the respondents. NHTSA will 
use the information to produce a technical report that presents the 
results of the study. The technical report will provide aggregate 
(summary) statistics and tables as well as the results of statistical 
analysis of the information, but it will not include any personal 
information. The technical report will be shared with vehicle 
manufacturers and suppliers as well as other stakeholders interested in 
improving traffic safety by decreasing drowsy driving.
    Background: The mission of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration (NHTSA) is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce 
economic costs due to motor vehicle crashes. In support of this 
mission, NHTSA's Office of Behavioral Safety Research studies behaviors 
and attitudes in highway safety, focusing on drivers, passengers, 
pedestrians, and motorcyclists, and it uses the results to develop and 
refine countermeasures to deter unsafe behaviors and promote safe 
alternatives. One of the unsafe behaviors we aim to prevent is drowsy 
driving. NHTSA estimates that drowsy driving is involved in 2.4% of 
fatal crashes resulting in 824 fatalities per year from 2011 through 
2015, but the agency also acknowledges that drowsy driving is likely to 
be underreported in police reports and investigations. A 2012 study by 
Tefft published in Accident Analysis and Prevention used a multiple 
imputation methodology to analyze NHTSA's crash data and estimated 
16.5% of fatal crashes involved drowsy driving. If this estimate is 
accurate, it suggests that more than 6,000 people die in drowsy-
driving-related motor vehicle crashes each year. Furthermore, a 
significant proportion of drivers report drowsy driving. According to 
the 2017 AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index survey, 31% of 
drivers reported driving ``when they were so tired they had a hard time 
keeping their eyes open'' in the previous month, and the Centers for 
Disease Control's 2009 through 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance 
System surveys found that 4% admitted falling asleep at the wheel 
within the past 30 days.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information: Given the significant safety risk posed by drowsy driving, 
NHTSA released its Drowsy Driving Research and Program Plan in 2016. 
The document outlines a comprehensive program that involves six broad 
focus areas, and one of these areas is vehicle technology. The 
development and refinement of driver state detection systems promises 
the ability to detect drowsiness and prevent crashes, and previous 
NHTSA research has demonstrated that various approaches to driver state 
detection show promise. However, the problem of how the vehicle should 
respond when drowsy driving is detected remains unanswered. To assess 
the efficacy of different vehicle-based countermeasures, it is 
necessary to develop experimental methods that replicate the 
motivational conditions associated with drowsy driving while keeping 
drivers in a controlled and safe environment. The objective of this 
study is to determine the effect of in-vehicle drowsiness 
countermeasures on driver behavior. Drivers will be randomly assigned 
to one of three experimental groups: No warnings or mitigation 
(baseline), lane departure warning, and drowsiness mitigation, which 
includes a warning as well as a navigation aid that appears to inform 
the driver of the distance to the next rest area. The study will 
compare driver performance and behavior under the two countermeasures 
with baseline drowsy driving. The results will add to the state of 
knowledge by systematically comparing the effect of different in-
vehicle drowsiness countermeasures on

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driver performance and decision-making in a high-fidelity driving 
simulator. The results will be disseminated through a technical report 
that will be shared with vehicle manufacturers and suppliers as well as 
other stakeholders interested in improving traffic safety by decreasing 
drowsy driving.
    Data Collection Plan: The University of Iowa will solicit drivers 
between the ages of 21 and 30 to participate in a driver simulator 
study from a registry of approximately 7,000 individuals who have 
already expressed interest in participating in driving research 
studies. Respondent are likely to be from Eastern Iowa because they 
must drive to the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) at the 
University of Iowa Research Park to participate. The agency proposes to 
conduct one-time voluntary 15-minute phone surveys with up to 120 
potential subjects to collect information about driving experience, 
sleeping and circadian rhythm, and general health to determine 
eligibility. The expected burden of qualifying 120 participants is 30 
hours. Based upon past studies, the agency expects that 85 potential 
subjects will be eligible and will report to the NADS for the study. 
The 85 potential subjects will spend up to one hour reading and signing 
a consent form, watching a simulator training presentation, completing 
a short driving task in the simulator to screen for simulator sickness, 
complete a brief wellness survey to screen for simulator sickness, and, 
if appropriate, schedule a future study drive session. The expected 
burden of screening 85 potential subjects is about 85 hours. It is 
expected that of the 85 screened, 75 will pass the simulator screening 
and opt to participate in the study. The study participants will spend 
up to nine hours providing information about activities, including 
sleeping, in the previous 24 hours, waiting to begin the simulator 
drive, completing the four-hour drive and completing a post-drive 
questionnaire about the experience. During the waiting period and 
immediately after the simulator drive, study participants will complete 
the Stanford Sleepiness Scale ten times. During the simulator drive, 
participants may take breaks. Participants will complete a brief 
questionnaire during the expected two (voluntary) breaks in the drive 
to evaluate participants' rationale for resting. In addition to the 
nine hours for the study, participants also will complete an activity 
log covering the 24 hours before study, which will take an estimated 30 
minutes to complete. The expected burden of 75 participants completing 
the study is about 713 hours.
    Estimate of the Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden 
Resulting from the Collection of Information: The total estimated 
burden for qualifying 120 participants (30 hours), for screening 85 
participants (85 hours) and for 75 participants to complete the study 
(713 hours) is 828 total hours.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. Section 3506(c)(2)(A).

    Issued in Washington, DC on May 14, 2018.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2018-10542 Filed 5-16-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


