[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 248 (Thursday, December 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74427-74429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28363]



[[Page 74427]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2021-0085]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Field Operational 
Test

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

ACTION: Notice and request for public comment on an extension of a 
currently approved 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 an extension of a 
currently approved information collection. Before a Federal agency may 
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 reinstatements of previously approved collections. This 
document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA intends 
to seek OMB approval to allow NHTSA to continue to conduct research on 
the development of a driver alcohol detection system. NHTSA is seeking 
an extension of the information collection, titled ``Driver Alcohol 
Detection System for Safety Field Operational Test'' (OMB Control 
Number 2127-0734), which is currently approved through March 31, 2022. 
The extension is necessary to complete data collection that was delayed 
due to COVID-19 restrictions. The burden hour and cost calculations 
have been adjusted to reflect only the remaining data collection, 
adjustments for recruitment based on current experience, and 
adjustments in participation based on current experience.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2021-0085 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 instructions for accessing the 
dockets via internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access 
to background documents, contact Eric Traube, Vehicle Safety Research, 
Human Factors/Engineering Integration Division (NSR-310), (202) 366-
5673, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, W46-424, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590. Please identify the relevant collection of information by 
referring to its OMB Control Number.

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: Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Field Operational 
Test.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0734.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved 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 and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) began 
research in February 2008 to try to find potential in-vehicle 
approaches to the problem of alcohol-impaired driving. Members of ACTS 
comprise motor vehicle manufacturers representing approximately 99 
percent of light vehicle sales in the U.S. This cooperative research 
partnership, known as the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety 
(DADSS) Program, is exploring the feasibility, the potential benefits 
of, and the public policy challenges associated with a more widespread 
use of non-invasive technology to prevent alcohol-impaired driving. The 
2008 cooperative agreement between NHTSA and ACTS for Phases I and II 
outlined a program of research to assess the state of detection 
technologies that are capable of measuring blood alcohol concentration 
(BAC) or Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC). The 2008 cooperative 
agreement and a subsequent 2013 cooperative agreement support the 
creation and testing of prototypes and subsequent hardware that could 
be installed in vehicles. As part of this research program, and 
pursuant to the 2013 cooperative agreement, NHTSA and ACTS developed 
both breath- and

[[Page 74428]]

touch-based sensors to evaluate the potential implementation and 
integration of both breath- and touch-based sensor technologies. The 
sensors are to be integrated into a vehicle in a manner that does not 
significantly alter the appearance of the vehicle interior. Further 
research is needed to evaluate the potential implementation and 
integration of both breath- and touch-based sensor technologies.
    The purpose of this information collection is to collect data 
needed to evaluate the functionality of the touch- and breath-based 
sensors in varying operating conditions by having study participants 
provide breath and touch samples in DADSS research vehicles equipped 
with the sensors. Although the sensors will undergo significant 
laboratory testing, it is necessary to evaluate their function in 
extreme real-world environmental conditions to ensure that they will be 
operational for the harshest conditions that the sensors will 
encounter.
    The sensor-equipped research vehicles are used to gather data 
regarding sensor validity and reliability, as well as assess the real-
world use of the sensors with human participants in varying 
environmental conditions, such as weather conditions, road conditions, 
temperatures, altitudes, air conditioner or heater status, window up or 
down, etc. These are the first vehicles ever to be equipped with 
systems designed to be unobtrusive that can measure driver alcohol 
levels. As such, it represents the first opportunity for researchers to 
gain an understanding of the use of the sensors in the operational 
context for which they were designed. Data collected from the study's 
Field Operational Test (FOT or DADSS FOT) will be used to further 
refine the DADSS Performance Specifications and evaluate subsystem/
sensor performance. The collection of information consists of: (1) An 
eligibility interview with COVID screening questions and COVID test, 
(2) a multi-day FOT of DADSS sensors, and (3) a post-test-day 
questionnaire. NHTSA is currently collecting information for the study 
and the data collection is ongoing. Extension of the study is necessary 
due to COVID-related delays which paused data collection for a period 
of time and during development of new COVID precautions.

Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information

    A key to the establishment of effective in-vehicle alcohol 
detection systems is an understanding of real-world use of the 
technology. The DADSS FOT will provide a greater understanding of the 
performance of both breath- and touch-based sensors with actual drivers 
using the technology under varying environmental conditions.
    The objectives of the DADSS FOT are to:
     Determine the effectiveness, as compared to the 
standardized breathalyzer, of the DADSS sensors in a real-world driving 
environment.
     Analyze DADSS touch- and breath-based sensors in real-
world driving scenarios.
     Obtain technical data to further refine the DADSS 
Performance Specifications for the DADSS System that will ultimately be 
used for vehicle design and development.
    The data collected during the DADSS FOT is for the purpose of 
validating the DADSS prototype sensors under varying environmental 
conditions. The use of human participants in the DADSS FOT is for the 
operation of the vehicle and to have participants testing the sensors 
with and without alcohol in their systems so that the sensors'' 
performance may be evaluated.
    Affected Public: General public.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,787.
    When NHTSA sought approval for the currently approved information 
collection, it described its plan for collecting data from 480 unique 
respondents. In order to recruit 480 participants who would complete 
the field operational test, NHTSA estimated that 600 respondents would 
need to complete the initial eligibility screening (a 75% recruitment 
rate). Based on experience, NHTSA has found that the actual recruitment 
rate is much lower than anticipated. As of August 31, 2021, 62 
participants had been successfully recruited and participated in the 
FOT. Successful recruitment involved a screening of 420 individuals, 
for a recruitment rate of 15 percent. Since NHTSA needs to recruit 418 
more participants, NHTSA estimates that the research team would need to 
screen 2,787 individuals.
    Frequency: Varies.
    There are four different components to this information collection 
and the frequency for response varies across the components: The 
initial eligibility screening is conducted one-time; the full 
orientation is conducted one-time; the health screening is conducted 
each time that an individual participates in the FOT; and the FOT is 
conducted as many times as the individual wishes, up to 60 times.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,249.
    When NHTSA originally obtained clearance for this ICR, the agency 
did not expect to need to renew the collection. Instead, it was 
expected that the data collection would have been completed within the 
three-year clearance period. However, COVID-19 delayed the research 
effort, necessitating this request for extension. Accordingly, NHTSA is 
requesting an extension of this currently approved information 
collection for the portion of the planned data collection that still 
needs to be completed. As of August 31, 2021, collection is complete 
for 62 participants of the necessary 480 participants. Therefore, NHTSA 
is requesting approval for the collection of information from 418 
remaining participants and individuals screened in order to recruit the 
418 participants. In estimating the burden of this collection, NHTSA 
has made adjustments, based on its experience with recruitment and data 
collection under the current collection, to its estimates for numbers 
of screenings, duration associated with information collection, and 
frequency of data collection of various phases of the study. NHTSA has 
also added new COVID-19 screening questions and a COVID-19 test 
requirement for the safety of both researchers and study participants. 
These new COVID-19 safety measures will be carried out in accordance 
with CDC guidelines and the data from the screening questions and tests 
will not be retained nor used for analytic purposes.
    When NHTSA originally sought approval for this research study, it 
estimated that each initial eligibility/demographic interview would 
take approximately 15 minutes. With experience, NHTSA is now revising 
the estimate to be 30 minutes. NHTSA is also revising its burden 
estimates to include time for health screenings each time a respondent 
participates in the FOT after their first day. On the first day, 
participants will go through a full orientation, which is expected to 
last 1 hour and includes both a health screening and in-vehicle 
instruction. NHTSA estimates that the health screening portion takes 
approximately 30 minutes.
    NHTSA originally estimated burdens associated with this collection 
assuming that each participant would complete the FOT 60 times. This 
was based on the maximum amount of participation. However, based on the 
experience of the data collection through August 31, 2021, participants 
are, on average, completing the FOT 2.13 times. Of the 62 participants 
who have completed the FOT thus far, 27 participated only once. The 
remaining 35 participated an

[[Page 74429]]

average of 3 times each. Using this average, NHTSA estimates that the 
remaining 418 participants will complete a total of 890 operational 
tests.
    Based on experience, NHTSA has also revised the estimated burden 
hours for the FOT. NHTSA now estimates the average duration of the pre-
drive, drive, and post-drive recovery to be five hours (this estimate 
does not include orientation time, which is estimated separately).
    NHTSA has also revised estimates to include the time for test-day 
questions in the burden estimate for FOT. These questions were counted 
separately in the initial ICR. However, the question responses are 
collected during the post-drive recovery time and included in the 
average time for participants in the FOT portion of the study.
    NHTSA estimates the total burden for the remaining data collection 
to be 6,498 hours. The research team expects the data collection to 
take place over 24 months, for an average of 3,249 hours per year. This 
is longer than initially estimated due to observed difficulty in 
recruitment.
    NHTSA estimates the opportunity cost associated with this 
information collection using the median hourly wage for the Southwest 
Virginia nonmetropolitan area of $15.34 per hour for all 
occupations,\1\ resulting in a total opportunity cost of $99,679.32 and 
an annual opportunity cost of $49,839.66.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. May 2020 
Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and 
Wage Estimates--Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area. U.S. Bureau 
of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/2020/may/oes_5100001.htm. Last Accessed 12/27/21.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 1 provides a summary of the remaining burden hours for this 
information collection.

                        Table 1--Estimated Burden Hours and Associated Opportunity Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Estimated                   Estimated
          Instrument             Number of    Number of     Duration       burden      Cost per     burden hour
                                 responses   respondents                   hours         hour          cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eligibility/Demographic               2,787        2,787  30 min (0.5       1,393.5       $15.34      $21,376.29
 Interview.                                                hrs).
Full Orientation..............          418          418  1 hour......          418        15.34        8,151.00
Health Screening Only.........          468          234  30 min (0.5           234        15.34        4,563.00
                                                           hrs).
Field Operational Test........          890          418  5 hours.....        4,452        15.34       86,814.00
Total (covering a 24-month      ...........  ...........  ............      6,497.5  ...........       99,679.32
 period).                                                                   (6,498)
Estimated Annual Burden.......  ...........  ...........  ............        3,249  ...........       49,839.66
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $0.
    NHTSA estimates that there are no additional costs to respondents 
beyond those associated with opportunity cost. To offset these costs, 
NHTSA is paying respondents who participate in the FOT $19.50 per hour.
    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 1351.29.

Cem Hatipoglu,
Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research.
 [FR Doc. 2021-28363 Filed 12-29-21; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


