83 FR 33305 - Drugs that Impair Safe Driving; Request for Comments

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 137 (July 17, 2018)

Page Range		33305-33306
FR Document		2018-15209

NHTSA is reviewing the literature on drug use and driving with the aim of updating its Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets that are used by the criminal justice community and others as they address drug-impaired driving. The current edition of the Fact Sheets was released in 2004 and included information on the following drugs: Carisoprodol, cocaine, dextromethorphan, diazepam, diphenhydramine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), ketamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana, methadone, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), morphine, phencyclidine (PCP), toluene, and zolpidem. NHTSA welcomes comments and suggestions for additional drugs to be considered for inclusion in the new edition of the Fact Sheets as well as relevant research studies that have become available since 2004 that could be included in the updated fact sheets. To the extent possible, such comments and suggestions should be accompanied by information about the drug, including the extent of its use, its pharmacology and pharmodynamics, and how impairing it is for driving, along with references.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 137 (Tuesday, July 17, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33305-33306]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15209]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2018-XXXX]


Drugs that Impair Safe Driving; Request for Comments

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

ACTION: Request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: NHTSA is reviewing the literature on drug use and driving with 
the aim of updating its Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets that 
are used by the criminal justice community and others as they address 
drug-impaired driving. The current edition of the Fact Sheets was 
released in 2004 and included information on the following drugs: 
Carisoprodol, cocaine, dextromethorphan, diazepam, diphenhydramine, 
gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), ketamine, lysergic acid diethylamide 
(LSD), marijuana, methadone, methamphetamine, 
methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), morphine, phencyclidine (PCP), 
toluene, and zolpidem. NHTSA welcomes comments and suggestions for 
additional drugs to be considered for inclusion in the new edition of 
the Fact Sheets as well as relevant research studies that have become 
available since 2004 that could be included in the updated fact sheets. 
To the extent possible, such comments and suggestions should be 
accompanied by information about the drug, including the extent of its 
use, its pharmacology and pharmodynamics, and how impairing it is for 
driving, along with references.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments and 
suggestions on or before September 1, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
request for comment, please contact Richard Compton at 
[email protected] or 202-366-2699.
    Written Comments: Written statements and supporting information 
submitted during the comment period will be considered. Please submit 
all written comments no later than September 1, 2018, by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 
9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
     Fax: 202-366-1767.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. 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 discussion below.
    Docket: For access to the docket go to http://www.regulations.gov 
at any time or to 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Telephone: 202-366-
9826.
    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 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78), or you may visit 
http://www.regulations.gov/privacy.html.
    Confidential Business Information: If you wish to submit any 
information under a claim of confidentiality, you should submit three 
copies of your

[[Page 33306]]

complete submission, including the information you claim to be 
confidential business information, to the Chief Counsel, NHTSA, 1200 
New Jersey Ave. SE, W41-326, Washington DC 20590. In addition, you 
should submit two copies, from which you have deleted the claimed 
confidential business information, to Docket Management at the address 
given above. When you send a comment containing information claimed to 
be confidential business information, you should submit a cover letter 
setting forth the information specified in our confidential business 
information regulation (49 CFR part 512).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    In the early 2000s, NHTSA convened a panel of international experts 
on drug-impaired driving to review developments in the field of drugs 
and human performance and to identify the specific effects that both 
high priority illicit and prescription drugs have on driving. The 
experts represented the fields of psychopharmacology, behavioral 
psychology, drug chemistry, forensic toxicology, medicine, and law 
enforcement. That effort resulted in the publication of a document 
entitled Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets (DOT HS 809 725) in 
June 2004.
    Each Fact Sheet covered one of the selected sixteen drugs that 
impair driving. The selected drugs included over-the-counter 
medications such as dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine; prescription 
medications such as carisoprodol, diazepam, and zolpidem; and abused 
and/or illegal drugs such as cocaine, GHB, ketamine, LSD, marijuana, 
methadone, methamphetamine, MDMA, morphine, PCP, and toluene. Each 
individual drug Fact Sheet covered information regarding drug 
chemistry, usage and dosage information, pharmacology, drug effects, 
effects on driving, drug evaluation and classification, and the panel's 
assessment of driving risks. More specifically, the Fact Sheets 
provided details on the physical description of the drug, synonyms, and 
pharmaceutical or illicit sources; medical and recreational uses, 
recommended and abused doses, typical routes of administration, and 
potency and purity; mechanism of drug action and major receptor sites; 
drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination data; blood 
and urine concentrations; psychological and physiological effects, and 
drug interactions; drug effects on psychomotor performance effects; 
driving simulator and epidemiology studies; and drug recognition 
evaluation profiles. Each Fact Sheet concludes with general statements 
about the drugs' ability to impair driving performance. A list of key 
references and recommended reading was also provided for each drug.
    Since 2004, new research on these and other impairing drugs has 
become available. As a result, NHTSA plans to evaluate whether 
additional drugs that impair driving should be included in the Fact 
Sheets and to add them as appropriate, as well as to update information 
on the effects of the sixteen aforementioned drugs on driving. NHTSA 
will base the revised Fact Sheets on the state of current scientific 
knowledge. The agency intends to design the revised Fact Sheets to 
continue to provide practical guidance to toxicologists, 
pharmacologists, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and the general 
public to use in the evaluation of future cases.
    In order to assist on the development of the new edition of the 
Fact Sheets, NHTSA invites comments and suggestions from the general 
public on additional drugs as well as relevant research studies that 
have become available since 2004 that could be included in the updated 
fact sheets. To the extent possible, such comments and suggestions 
should be accompanied by information about the drug, including the 
extent of its use, its pharmacology and pharmodynamics, and how 
impairing it is for driving, along with references.

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

    Issued in Washington, DC, on July 12, 2018.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2018-15209 Filed 7-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-59-P

33306 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 137 / Tuesday, July 17, 2018 / Notices

complete submission, including the psychomotor performance effects; the Office of Management and Budget
information you claim to be confidential driving simulator and epidemiology (OMB). Under procedures established
business information, to the Chief studies; and drug recognition evaluation by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
Counsel, NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Ave. profiles. Each Fact Sheet concludes with 1995, before seeking OMB approval,
SE, W41–326, Washington DC 20590. In general statements about the drugs’ Federal agencies must solicit public
addition, you should submit two copies, ability to impair driving performance. A comment on proposed collections of
from which you have deleted the list of key references and recommended information, including extensions and
claimed confidential business reading was also provided for each drug. reinstatements of previously approved
information, to Docket Management at Since 2004, new research on these collections. This document describes
the address given above. When you send and other impairing drugs has become the collection of information for which
a comment containing information available. As a result, NHTSA plans to NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.
claimed to be confidential business evaluate whether additional drugs that DATES: Comments must be received on
information, you should submit a cover impair driving should be included in or before September 17, 2018.
letter setting forth the information the Fact Sheets and to add them as ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
specified in our confidential business appropriate, as well as to update identified by DOT Docket Number
information regulation (49 CFR part information on the effects of the sixteen NHTSA–2018–0060 using any of the
512). aforementioned drugs on driving. following methods:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA will base the revised Fact Electronic submissions: Go to http://
Sheets on the state of current scientific www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
Background knowledge. The agency intends to instructions for submitting comments.
In the early 2000s, NHTSA convened design the revised Fact Sheets to Mail: Docket Management Facility,
a panel of international experts on drug- continue to provide practical guidance M–30, U.S. Department of
impaired driving to review to toxicologists, pharmacologists, law Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
developments in the field of drugs and enforcement officers, attorneys, and the Avenue SE, West Building Ground
human performance and to identify the general public to use in the evaluation Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC
specific effects that both high priority of future cases. 20590.
illicit and prescription drugs have on In order to assist on the development Hand Delivery: West Building Ground
driving. The experts represented the of the new edition of the Fact Sheets, Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey
fields of psychopharmacology, NHTSA invites comments and Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9
behavioral psychology, drug chemistry, suggestions from the general public on a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
forensic toxicology, medicine, and law additional drugs as well as relevant Friday, except Federal holidays.
enforcement. That effort resulted in the research studies that have become Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
publication of a document entitled available since 2004 that could be Instructions: Each submission must
Drugs and Human Performance Fact included in the updated fact sheets. To include the agency name and the docket
Sheets (DOT HS 809 725) in June 2004. the extent possible, such comments and number for this Notice. Note that all
Each Fact Sheet covered one of the suggestions should be accompanied by comments received will be posted
selected sixteen drugs that impair information about the drug, including without change to http://
driving. The selected drugs included the extent of its use, its pharmacology www.regulations.gov, including any
over-the-counter medications such as and pharmodynamics, and how personal information provided.
dextromethorphan and impairing it is for driving, along with FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
diphenhydramine; prescription references. Mary Byrd, Contracting Officer’s
medications such as carisoprodol, Authority: 44 U.S.C. Section 3506(c)(2)(A). Representative, Office of Behavioral
diazepam, and zolpidem; and abused Safety Research (NPD–320), National
Issued in Washington, DC, on July 12,
and/or illegal drugs such as cocaine, 2018. Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
GHB, ketamine, LSD, marijuana, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Jeff Michael,
methadone, methamphetamine, MDMA, Washington, DC 20590. Ms. Byrd’s
Associate Administrator, Research and
morphine, PCP, and toluene. Each phone number is 202–366–5595, and
Program Development.
individual drug Fact Sheet covered her email address is mary.byrd@dot.gov.
[FR Doc. 2018–15209 Filed 7–16–18; 8:45 am]
information regarding drug chemistry, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P
usage and dosage information, Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
pharmacology, drug effects, effects on before an agency submits a proposed
driving, drug evaluation and DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION collection of information to OMB for
classification, and the panel’s approval, it must publish a document in
assessment of driving risks. More National Highway Traffic Safety the Federal Register providing a 60-day
specifically, the Fact Sheets provided Administration comment period and otherwise consult
details on the physical description of with members of the public and affected
the drug, synonyms, and [U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA–2018–0060] agencies concerning each proposed
pharmaceutical or illicit sources; collection of information. The OMB has
Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping
medical and recreational uses, promulgated regulations describing
Requirements
recommended and abused doses, typical what must be included in such a
routes of administration, and potency AGENCY: National Highway Traffic document. Under OMB’s regulations (5
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES

and purity; mechanism of drug action Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask for
and major receptor sites; drug ACTION: Request for public comment on public comment on the following:
absorption, distribution, metabolism proposed collection of information. (i) Whether the proposed collection of
and elimination data; blood and urine information is necessary for the proper
concentrations; psychological and SUMMARY: Before a Federal agency can performance of the functions of the
physiological effects, and drug collect certain information from the agency, including whether the
interactions; drug effects on public, it must receive approval from information will have practical utility;

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Document Created: 2018-07-17 01:39:45
Document Modified: 2018-07-17 01:39:45

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Request for comment.
Dates		Interested parties are invited to submit comments and suggestions on or before September 1, 2018.
Contact		If you have questions about this request for comment, please contact Richard Compton at [email protected] or 202-366-2699.
FR Citation		83 FR 33305

83 FR 33305 - Drugs that Impair Safe Driving; Request for Comments

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 137 (July 17, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration