SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), a Federal agency must receive approval from OMB before it collects certain information from the public and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information by a Federal agency unless the collection displays a valid OMB control number. In compliance with these requirements, this notice announces that the following information collection request will be submitted OMB.

Title: Novel Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Designs.

OMB Control Number: New.

Form Number(s): NHTSA Forms 1814—Eligibility Questionnaire; 1815—Informed consent; 1816—Vehicle Technology Questionnaire; and 1817—Exit Questionnaire.

Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection request.

Type of Review Requested: Regular.

Requested Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from date of approval.

Summary of the Collection of Information: This ICR is to request approval to conduct seven new voluntary information collections as part of a one-time research study of drivers' interactions with commercially available vehicles with different HMI features/designs. NHTSA of the DOT is seeking to conduct the research study involving up to 35 licensed drivers between the ages of 18 and 55 from the greater Phoenix, Arizona area. The information collections involve reporting and include: (1) an eligibility questionnaire to be administered to up to 100 potential research respondents; (2) an informed consent form to be administered to up to 35 research participants; (3, 4, 5) study drives with vehicles 1, 2, and 3; (6) the same vehicle technology questionnaire after each study drive; and (7) an exit interview (including the time for a debrief).

Participants' naturalistic driving data will be collected in three study-provided vehicles using GoPro cameras and a device to measure where drivers are looking (eye tracker). Three vehicle makes and models will be used to reflect a range of HMI designs, and all participants will drive each vehicle on an approximately 20-minute test route through urban surface streets in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Before completing the study drives, research participants will complete a 15-minute introduction and informed consent procedure, and for each vehicle, a 15-minute eye tracker setup and calibration, and a 15-minute vehicle and task familiarization and training briefing. After each 20-minute study drive, participants will complete a 10-minute vehicle technology questionnaire. At the end, participants will complete a 10-minute exit questionnaire and a 10-minute final debriefing.

NHTSA will use the information collected from the research study to produce a technical report that will provide summary figures and tables, as well as the results of statistical analysis of the information. No identifying information or individual responses will be reported. The technical report will be shared across the DOT, and members of the general public would have access to the aggregated information when the final report is published. The report may also be of interest to vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers ( e.g., developers of in-vehicle displays). This collection will be used to assess gaps in the understanding of driver behavior and performance with respect to new HMI features ( e.g., fully digital instrument panel, large display screens, virtual controls, infotainment systems, etc.) in current production vehicles.

Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the Information: Vehicles equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and even higher levels of automation have the potential to reduce traffic crashes and save lives. Technologies such as forward collision warning systems, lane centering/keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning systems, traffic jam assistance systems, etc., are becoming increasingly common on even moderately priced new vehicles. ( printed page 55433) However, despite their overall potential safety benefits, different implementations of these technologies my impact driver performance differently. In particular, since these technologies provide new sources of information to drivers and require drivers to make control inputs to use them and some implementations may be more consistent with driver limitations, capability, and expectations. Therefore, a safety-critical element of these advanced technologies is the human-machine interface or HMI, which refers to vehicular displays that present information to a driver, as well as those controls that facilitate a driver's control over the operation of various vehicle subsystems—including ADAS and driving automation systems.

Safe and efficient operation of any motor vehicle requires that an HMI be designed in a manner that is consistent with driver limitations, capabilities, and expectations. However, in-vehicle technology is an evolving and ever-changing domain, and there have been a number of developments in this domain since NHTSA's Human Factors Design Guidance For Driver-Vehicle Interfaces ^[1] was published. These developments include advances and changes in: (1) basic technological capabilities ( e.g., full manual control→driver assistance→vehicle automation), (2) status indicators and telltales presented to drivers ( e.g., head-up displays, augmented reality displays, large displays in the center stack, in-vehicle advertising/e-commerce) and (3) novel input devices ( e.g., touch screens, speech input, gesture inputs).

Critically, these topics were either not considered at the time the earlier guidance was published or they did not have sufficient research to support the development of robust guidance. In short, these recently emerging technologies, novel HMI designs, and changes in driver-vehicle interfaces impact driver information needs and control inputs and indicate that there are many gaps between the guidance that is available versus the guidance that may be valuable to NHTSA and be needed by industry. This data collection will directly support NHTSA's efforts to identify the implications of current HMIs on driver information needs, behavior, and performance, and characterize gaps in a manner that will aid NHTSA's efforts to support the deployment of safe technologies through ongoing HMI research and development. If the proposed study is not conducted, NHTSA will have unanswered questions regarding driver behavior with and performance implications of novel HMIs.

60-Day Notice: A Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting public comments on the following information collection was published on April 3, 2016 (91 FR 17055). NHTSA received five public comments in response to the 60-day notice. One comment did not address the topic of PRA clearance for this information collection request and will not be addressed; another one was submitted two times and will be addressed once. The comments that address the topic of PRA clearance for this information collection are addressed below.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) included several statements in response to the 60-day notice. NTSB stated that the 60-day notice was unclear as to whether the study will provide “sufficient information to adequately evaluate HMI features and performance.” As an example, NTSB indicates that “the notice does not specify the types of tasks participants will be asked to complete while driving.”

NHTSA appreciates and understands the rationale behind this comment. HMIs are changing rapidly and task selection will reflect the latest HMI features in current production of vehicles ( e.g., fully digital instrument panel, large display screens, virtual controls, infotainment systems, ADAS, etc.) at the time at which this study is conducted. Because the duration of the PRA clearance process can vary greatly, specifying the tasks to be performed by participants at the time of initial submission may omit tasks and capabilities developed during that time. NHTSA will ensure that limitations in the study will be documented during the conduct of the research project and reflected in the final report.

The XR Association provided two identical comments on the topic of augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR) and related technologies. While NHTSA appreciates these comments, they are out of scope of the study protocol. The study protocol samples commercially available, recent model year vehicle interfaces, which do not include AR or XR systems. This will be documented in the final report. NHTSA does, however, monitor the state of technology and new features in vehicles and will make updates if necessary.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) included several statements in response to the 60-day notice. Auto Innovators recommended that NHTSA “take steps to standardize the driving conditions as much as possible to reduce potential confounding factors that could impact research findings ( e.g., standardized routes).” Auto Innovators recommended to NHTSA that, “if there are differences in driving conditions ( e.g., traffic density) or weather ( e.g., rain), these should be accounted for during the analysis.” NHTSA concurs and assures that the study will seek to reduce potential confounding factors that could impact research findings. Furthermore, NHTSA will ensure that relevant differences in driving conditions are documented and—as appropriate—included in the analyses performed as part of this research. In addition, to the extent feasible, researchers will make efforts to schedule and conduct the research in a manner to avoid driving condition outliers.

Auto Innovators recommended that NHTSA randomize “the order in which participants drive the vehicles being evaluated as part of this study in order to address potential sequencing effects.” NHTSA concurs and will implement this comment by counterbalancing the order in which study participants drive the vehicles.

Auto Innovators requested that NHTSA “provide justification regarding its rationale for selecting only 24 research participants for this study.” NHTSA concurs and clarifies that the sample size of 24 participants was selected after conducting a statistical power analysis. The researchers will conduct additional power analysis with slightly more conservative assumptions to assess confidence in that decision and document the associated justification in the final report.

The process and project implementation updates made in response to public comments do not materially change the participant burden, and therefore participant burden calculation remains unchanged from what was published in the 60-day notice.

Affected Public: Individuals in the Phoenix, Arizona area between the ages of 18 and 55.

Estimated Number of Respondents: The study anticipates screening 100 potential participants to obtain 24 drivers who meet study inclusion criteria and fully participate in the study. While the goal is 24 final participants, the research team will ensure eligibility and interest of 35 participants to account for potential attrition. However, while NHTSA estimates that there will be 100 potential research participants screened and up to 35 participants in the research ( printed page 55434) study, NHTSA's burden estimates are based on the average number of respondents to each information collection in each year of the three-year project. Accordingly, NHTSA has estimated that, on average, there will be 33 respondents to the eligibility questionnaire (100 potential participants ÷ 3 years) and 12 respondents for each of the other information collections (35 research participants ÷ 3 years) annually.

Frequency: This study is a one-time information collection.

Number of Responses: Each respondent responds to each form only once.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 51 hours.

The annual estimated burden for the information collection is 51 hours. This is the aggregate of the estimated annual burden for seven information collections that would be part of the one-time study. These seven information collections include: (1) an eligibility questionnaire to be administered to up to 100 potential research respondents; (2) an informed consent form to be administered to up to 35 research participants; (3, 4, 5) study drives with vehicles 1, 2, and 3; (6) the same vehicle technology questionnaire after each study drive; and (7) an exit interview (including the time for a debrief).

Since this is a one-time study that will be conducted over a three-year period, NHTSA will first explain how we estimated the total burden for the research project and then describe how that burden was averaged over the three-year period for which NHTSA is seeking approval of its information collection request.

The study will begin with a screening process to identify eligible participants. As stated above, the research team intends to identify 35 eligible participants to account for potential attrition to ensure that the target sample of 24 participants is achieved. In order to identify 35 eligible participants, NHTSA estimates that the research team will need to contact up to 100 potential participants. These potential respondents will be contacted via phone and will be asked to answer eligibility questions. NHTSA estimates that the eligibility screening questionnaire takes, on average, 15 minutes to complete. Therefore, estimates the total burden for eligibility screening to be 25 hours (15 minutes × 100 respondents).

After the screening process, up to 35 eligible participants will be given an appointment to arrive on-site at the testing facility. 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 15 minutes. Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total burden for obtaining informed consent to be 8.75 hours (15 minutes × 35 research participants). Once participants have signed their consent forms, they will be brought outside to the front seat of the first testing vehicle and instructed to adjust the seat to their liking and fasten their seatbelt. The experimenter will provide general safety instructions for the study. The respondents will be reminded that the primary task during the study is to drive safely while operating the vehicle, and that they as the driver are always ultimately in control of the vehicle, regardless of whether they are just driving or completing a task. The respondent will also be reminded to obey the rules of the road and wear their seatbelt at all times while operating the vehicle. The respondents will be given a brief introduction to the operation of the first vehicle, the location of the various controls, and will be instructed on the set of tasks they will perform. They will then be asked to practice each of the tasks one at a time while the vehicle is stationary. The eye-tracking system will then be fitted and calibrated inside the testing vehicle. While stationary, the respondents will review a map of the route (public streets in Phoenix) they will be driving. In addition, the respondents will have an opportunity to practice and establish a comfort level with driving the vehicle and wearing the head-mounted eye-tracking system prior to data collection during the on-road drive. Once comfortable with the vehicle, the experiment will direct the respondents out of the Exponent facility and onto public roads to begin the drive. Throughout the drive, the respondents will complete each of the tasks one at a time when prompted by the experimenter. NHTSA estimates that it will take approximately 50 minutes for the vehicle and task familiarization and training (approximately 15 minutes), the eye tracker setup and calibration (approximately 15 minutes) and the 20-minuted planned drive. Therefore, NHTSA estimates that the total burden for the study drive in vehicle 1 to be 30 hours (50 minutes × 35 research participants).

After completing a full drive of the pre-determined route in the first test vehicle, the respondents will return to the start location and complete the vehicle technology questionnaire based on the vehicle they just drove. NHTSA estimates that completing the vehicle technology questionnaire will take approximately 10 minutes, for a total burden of 6 hours (10 minutes × 35 research participants).

Each research participant would then complete the study drive for vehicle 2, including vehicle and task familiarization and training (approximately 15 minutes), the eye tracker setup and calibration (approximately 15 minutes) and the 20-minuted planned drive. As with vehicle 1, NHTSA estimates that this will take each respondent approximately 50 minutes, for a total burden of 29.17. And as with vehicle 1, each participant will also complete a vehicle technology questionnaire after the study drive 2, which is estimated to take each participant approximately 10 minutes. The process is then repeated again for vehicle 3.

At the end, participants will complete an exit questionnaire (estimated to take approximately 10 minutes per participant) and a final debriefing (estimated to take approximately 10 minutes per participant). The total burden for the exit questionnaire and final debriefing is estimated to be 12 hours (20 minutes × 35 respondents). The total burden for the entire study (including screening, consenting, study drives, and questionnaires) is estimated to be 151 hours. The details are presented in Table 1 below.

As explained above, because this information collection request is for a three-year approval, NHTSA has estimated the annual burden associated with each information collection by averaging the burden across the three-year period for which NHTSA is seeking approval. NHTSA has estimated annual burden hours by first dividing the total number of respondents per information collection by three and then rounding to the nearest whole number. Accordingly, NHTSA estimates the burden for the eligibility questionnaire based on an average of 33 respondents completing the questionnaire each year (100 potential respondents ÷ 3 years = 33.33 respondents). For the remaining eight information collections, NHTSA estimates that there are, on average, 12 research participants per year (35 research participants ÷ 3 years). Based on the estimates of 33 annual respondents for eligibility questionnaire and 12 annual respondents to each of the other information collection, NHTSA has estimated that the total annual burden hours for the collections is 51 hours.

To calculate the opportunity cost to participants in this study, NHTSA used the average (mean) hourly earnings from employers in all industry sectors in the State of Arizona, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists at $30.31 per hour.^[2] NHTSA estimates that the annual opportunity cost is approximately $2,019.55.

Table 2 provides estimates for the total annual burden hours and opportunity costs.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $0.

Participation in this study is voluntary, and there are no costs to respondents beyond the time spent completing the questionnaires and travel costs for the visits to the study facility. The travel costs are minimal and expected to be offset by the compensation that will be provided to the research participants.

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 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) 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 appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

( printed page 55436)

(Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order 1351.29A.)

91 FR 55432