Notice2026-02657
Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for Comment; Drive-Mode Design Best Practices
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Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 11, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract
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 a one-time voluntary experiment which will examine how different drive mode implementations affect driver attention and performance compared to standard interfaces.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6284-6287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02657]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2025-0128]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for
Comment; Drive-Mode Design Best Practices
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 a one-time voluntary experiment which will examine how
different drive mode implementations affect driver attention and
performance compared to standard interfaces.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 13, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2025-0128 through any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments.
<bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
<bullet> 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 <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any
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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 <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/privacy">https://www.transportation.gov/privacy</a>.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> 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 Starla Weaver, Office of Vehicle Crash
Avoidance and Electronic Controls Research, Human Factors Division
(NSR-310), W46-424, 202-366-7409, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
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: Drive-Mode Design Best Practices.
OMB Control Number: New.
Form Number(s): NHSTA Form 2112, 2113, 2114, and 2115.
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: The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of
Transportation is seeking approval for a one-time voluntary information
collection from 96 licensed drivers of various ages for a research
study which will examine how different drive mode implementations
affect driver attention and performance compared to standard
interfaces. NHTSA expects to provide screening questionnaires to 300
potential participants in the greater Phoenix area to determine their
eligibility for this experiment. Recruiting participants for this study
has an estimated burden of approximately 75 hours for the screening
questions. The data collection will include a test track component and
a cones course component, in which 36 participants are estimated to be
eligible and interested in each. (While the goal is 36 final
participants per experiment, the research team will ensure eligibility
and interest of up to 96 participants total to account for potential
attrition and replacement). The test track experiment has a total
expected burden of 128 hours, and the cones course experiment has a
total expected burden of 104 hours. In the test track experiment,
participants will perform tasks on a mobile phone in a stationary
vehicle, while wearing occlusion glasses, and while driving around a
test track. In the cones course experiment, participants will perform
tasks while driving through a cones course. Across both experiments,
data will be collected by the experimenter who will provide
instructions to the participant and will observe participant
performance; using GoPro cameras that will monitor the participant and
the driving environment; and using the Ergoneers Dikablis Glasses X
eye-tracking system, which will record gaze position, pupil diameter,
and blink behavior. The total expected burden for this collection is
331 hours. NHTSA will use this information 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 with NHTSA and the Department of Transportation.
Members of the general public would have access to the aggregated
information when written reports are published. This project involves
approval by an institutional review board, which the contractor will
obtain before contacting potential participants. This collection will
be used to generate evidence-based best practices for the design of
future drive mode applications and functionalities for mobile phones
operating independently of in-vehicle systems.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information: Driver distraction remains a significant safety threat,
claiming thousands of lives annually, according to the latest data from
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).\1\ NHTSA
has implemented a multi-faceted approach to combat this issue,
including public awareness campaigns like ``Put the Phone Away or
Pay,'' increased law enforcement visibility,\2\ and the development of
Driver Distraction Guidelines for in-vehicle electronic device
design.\3\
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\1\ National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2024).
Distracted driving in 2022 (Report No. DOT HS 813 559). National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
\2\ Chaudhary, N.K., Connolly, J., Tison, J., Solomon, M., &
Elliott, K. (2015). Evaluation of the NHTSA distracted driving high-
visibility enforcement demonstration projects in California and
Delaware. (Report No. DOT HS 812 108). National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration.
\3\ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2013).
Visual-manual NHTSA driver distraction guidelines for in-vehicle
electronic devices (Federal Register Vol. 78, No. 81). Washington,
DC.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2014). Visual-
manual NHTSA driver distraction guidelines for in-vehicle electronic
devices (Federal Register Vol. 79, No. 179). Washington, DC.
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A key focus of the NHTSA Distraction Guidelines has been addressing
visual-manual distractions, which are a major safety concern with in-
vehicle systems.\4\ The guidelines established test protocols and
acceptance criteria for
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measuring this type of distraction.\5\ In 2016, NHTSA proposed
expanding these guidelines to include portable and aftermarket
devices.\6\ This proposal advocated for pairing smartphones with
vehicle systems, contributing to the widespread adoption of platforms
like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. NHTSA also promoted ``drive mode''
for unpaired mobile phones, defining it as a simplified user interface
designed for safe driving.\7\ To further refine its research agenda,
NHTSA convened a Distraction Action Forum in August 2024.
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\4\ Fitch, G.A., Soccolich, S.A., Guo, F., McClafferty, J.,
Fang, Y., Olson, R.L., Perez, M.A., Hanowski, R.J., Hankey, J.M., &
Dingus, T.A. (2013). The impact of hand-held and hands-free cell
phone use on driving performance and safety-critical event risk.
(Report No. DOT HS 811 757). National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Klauer, S.G., Dingus, T.A., Neale, V.L., Sudweeks,
J.D., & Ramsey, D.J. (2006). The impact of driver inattention on
near-crash/crash risk: An analysis using the 100-car naturalistic
driving study data. (Report No. DOT HS 810 594). National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.
\5\ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2013).
Visual-manual NHTSA driver distraction guidelines for in-vehicle
electronic devices (Federal Register Vol. 78, No. 81). Washington,
DC.
\6\ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2016).
Visual-manual NHTSA driver distraction guidelines for portable and
aftermarket devices--Notice for Comment (Federal Register Vol. 81,
No. 233). Washington, DC.
\7\ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2016).
Visual-manual NHTSA driver distraction guidelines for portable and
aftermarket devices--Notice for Comment (Federal Register Vol. 81,
No. 233). Washington, DC.
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Drive mode limits phone functionality and simplifies the human-
machine interface (HMI).
This collection will provide answers to NHTSA's objectives for this
task order, which include determining how the interface of cell phones
and electronic devices differ when operating in drive mode relative to
their standard operations, determining what changes in functionality
occur when drive mode is enabled, determining how much variability
exists across different driver mode implementations, determining how
well drive mode interfaces and functionality comply with the
recommendations in the NHSTA Driver Distraction Guidelines, and
identifying what factors influence user acceptance and use of drive
mode. This collection will be used to investigate how drive mode
implementations impact driver attention and performance as compared to
their standard interfaces. NHTSA will use the information gathered to
produce a technical report that presents the results of the study. The
technical report will provide summary statistics and tables, as well as
the results of data analysis of the information, but it will not
include any personally identifiable information. The technical report
will be published to the National Transportation Library and available
to the general public. The report may also be of interest to a variety
of stakeholders, including automotive manufacturers, suppliers,
researchers, safety advocates, and regulators. The study results will
provide NHTSA with valuable information to support initiatives to
generate evidence-based best practices for the design of future drive
mode applications and functionalities for mobile phones operating
independently of in-vehicle systems. The results support the agency's
mission to reduce the number of deaths, injuries, and economic losses
resulting from motor vehicle crashes related to driver distraction on
U.S. roads.
Affected Public: Study volunteers in the Phoenix, Arizona area
between the ages of 18 and 60. Of the selected participants, equal
numbers of males and females will be recruited.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The study anticipates screening
300 potential participants to obtain 96 individuals who meet the
inclusion criteria. It is estimated that approximately 35% of those who
begin the screening questionnaire will be eligible and will agree to
participate in the study. While the goal is 36 final participants per
experiment, (72 participants total) the research team will ensure
eligibility and interest of up to 96 participants total to account for
potential attrition and data loss.
Frequency: This is a one-time information collection, and there
will be no recurrence.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 111.
The annual estimated burned is 111 hours. This estimate includes 25
hours for 100 potential participants to complete the initial screening.
The annual burden estimate also includes 8 hours for 32 participants to
review the consent form. An additional 43 hours are estimated for the
16 annual participants in the test track experiment and 35 hours for
the 16 annual participants in the cones course experiment. The total
burden is the sum of the burden across screening, consenting, and
completing the test track or cones course drive. The details are
presented in Table 1 and Table 2 below:
Table 1--Total Study Burden Hours
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Time per Total
Form No. Information collection Number of response Frequency of Total burden opportunity
respondents (minutes) response hours costs
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NHTSA 2112................................ Screening Questionnaire..... 300 15 1 75 $3,082
NHTSA 2113 & 2115......................... Informed Consent............ 96 15 1 24 986
NHTSA 2114................................ Study Drive (Test Track).... 48 160 1 128 5,260
NHTSA 2114................................ Study Drive (Cones Course).. 48 130 1 104 4,273
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Total................................. ............................ .............. .............. .............. 331 13,901
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Table 2--Annual Burden Estimates
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Time per Opportunity Total
Form No. Information Number of response cost per Frequency of Total burden opportunity
collection respondents (minutes) response response hours costs
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NHTSA 2112........................ Screening 100 15 $10.27 1 25 $1,027
Questionnaire.
NHTSA 2113 & 2115................. Informed Consent.... 32 15 10.27 1 8 329
NHTSA 2114........................ Study Drive (Test 16 160 109.57 1 43 1,753
Track).
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NHTSA 2114........................ Study Drive (Cones 16 130 89.03 1 35 1,424
Course).
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Annual Estimates.............. .................... .............. .............. .............. 111 4,533
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: Participation in this study is
voluntary, and there are no costs to respondents beyond the time spent
completing the questionnaires and visits to the study facility.
Further, there is no preparation of data required or expected of
respondents, thus there are no record keeping costs to the respondents.
Participants do not incur capital and start-up costs, nor do they incur
fuel costs as the vehicles being driven are not the participants
vehicles. Individuals will complete one study drive, either the test
track drive or the cones course drive. For individuals who participate
in the test track study, they will be offered $375 as compensation for
their participation. For individuals who participate in the cones
course study, participants will be offered $300 as compensation for
completing the study requirements. Our experience indicates that
anything less than the rate of $150 per hour for total compensation
would likely result in failure to recruit enough participants to
provide adequate statistical power. This level of compensation is in
line with past similar efforts given the activities it requires of
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 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. 2026-02657 Filed 2-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
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