Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for Comment; Title of Collection: Driver Monitoring System (DMS)-Applied Research To Develop Test Procedure for Drowsiness

Primary source

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

August 26, 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 Driver Monitoring System (DMS)--Applied Research to Develop Test Procedure for Drowsiness.

Full Text

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 164 (Wednesday, August 26, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 26, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55162-55166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17423]

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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2025-0788]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for
Comment; Title of Collection: Driver Monitoring System (DMS)--Applied
Research To Develop Test Procedure for Drowsiness

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.

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

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

[[Page 55163]]

previously approved collections. This document describes a collection
of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval on Driver
Monitoring System (DMS)--Applied Research to Develop Test Procedure for
Drowsiness.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 26, 2026.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2019-0146 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 W58,
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) 366-9826 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
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 Jeremiah Singer, Office of Vehicle
Safety Research, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, W46-
430, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590. Phone: 202-366-7409.

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 Monitoring System (DMS)--Applied Research to Develop
Test Procedure for Drowsiness.
OMB Control Number: New.
Form Number(s): NHTSA Forms 2117, 2118, 2119, 2120, 2122, 2123,
2124, 2125, 2126, and 2127.
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) an operating mode of the U.S.
Department of Transportation is seeking approval for a one-time
voluntary information collection from 48 licensed drivers of various
ages for a research study to identify approaches, procedures, and
metrics to evaluate drowsy driver DMS performance with human subjects.
Factors of interest include methods to induce drowsiness, test drive
methods (i.e., driving simulator, closed course), measures to identify
drowsiness, level of drowsiness to detect, sensitivity and specificity
of detection, and driver characteristics and testing conditions that
are important for inclusion. This collection will not develop an
objective test procedure for use in a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard. The data collection will include integrated studies that
feature test track driving in the Phoenix, Arizona area and a driving
simulator driving in Iowa City, Iowa. For the test track portion of the
study, participants will be assigned to one of three drive times (11
p.m., 1:30 a.m., 4 a.m.), will be asked to wake at least 16 hours
before the start of the study drive, and will also be asked to refrain
from napping or consuming caffeine within the final 13 hours before
their study drive. The test track portion of the data collection will
include a consenting process, a food, drink, and activity log, a
breathalyzer test, a 2-hour study drive during dark, nighttime
conditions, and a final debrief. The participants' driving data will be
collected in the study-provided vehicle using a GoPro camera, an
infrared (IR) camera, and a driver monitoring system (DMS). NHTSA
expects to provide screening questionnaires to 100 potential
participants to determine their eligibility for the test track portion
of the study. Recruiting participants for the test track portion of the
study has an estimated burden of approximately 25 hours for the
screening questions. While the goal is 24 final participants, the
research team will ensure eligibility and interest of 36 participants
to account for potential attrition. Total burden for the test track
portion of the study is 133 hours and the average over the three-year
approval is 44 hours.
For the driving simulator portion of the study, NHTSA expects to
provide screening questionnaires to 150 potential participants to
determine their eligibility for the study. Recruiting participants for
the driving simulator portion of the study has an estimated burden of
approximately 22.5 hours for the screening questions. While the goal is
24 final participants, the research team will ensure eligibility and
interest of 100 participants to account for potential attrition. Prior
to the overnight visit, participants will be asked to wake at least 16
hours before the start of their study drive (e.g., wake at 7 a.m. for a
11 p.m. drive time) and to refrain from napping, exercise, caffeine,
alcohol, and other drug use before the visit. Participants will
complete questionnaires throughout the visit that collect information
regarding demographics, sleep and food intake over the last 24 hours,
and how they feel related to sleepiness and well-being. Participants
will complete a 10-minute screening drive then wait in a conference
room until their scheduled study drive time. Participants will drive

[[Page 55164]]

for two hours in the simulator. During the drive, participants will
complete sleepiness questionnaires every 10 minutes on the simulator's
integrated display. The total burden for the driving simulator portion
of the study is 187.5 hours and the average over the three-year
approval is 62.5 hours. The total expected burden for this collection
(test track + driving simulator driving) is 320.5 hours. This
collection will be used to conduct a final evaluation of the test
protocol for DMS detection and classification of drowsiness to aid
NHTSA's goal for the protocol to be deployed by different groups of
testers (manufacturers, researchers, regulators) to evaluate DMS
efficacy. NHTSA will use the information to produce a technical report
that will provide summary figures and tables, as well as the results of
data analysis of the information. No personally identifiable
information or individual responses will be reported or published. The
technical report will be made available to the public through the NHTSA
website and the National Transportation Library. This project involves
approval by an institutional review board, which the contractor will
obtain before contacting potential participants. This data collection
will directly support NHTSA's goal of developing a test protocol that
different groups of testers (manufacturers, researchers, government
entities) can implement with a robust and validated approach to
inducing different levels of drowsiness, collecting ground truth and
driving data, and using the data to evaluate DMS efficacy.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information: NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and
reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education,
research, safety standards and enforcement activity. Drowsiness plays a
large and often underestimated role in traffic crashes, injuries, and
deaths in the United States. While driver drowsiness is recorded as a
factor in only about 2.5%of fatal crashes nationwide, research by the
American Automobile Association's Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA
FTS) has estimated that as many as 6-10% of all police-reported crashes
and 16%-21% of fatal crashes may involve driver drowsiness. In 2016,
NHTSA released the Drowsy Driving Research and Program Plan that
described efforts related to quantifying the problem, building public
awareness and education, developing policy, identifying high-risk
populations, and advancing vehicle technology and infrastructure. One
technology solution is a driver monitoring system (DMS), which refers
to technologies intended to detect impairment and/or classify the state
of the driver, whether drowsy, distracted, or otherwise impaired.
There is no consensus approach to how DMS should be tested for
drowsiness detection. Testing has been conducted across a range of
sample sizes and population characteristics in varied and often poorly
controlled environments. As more DMS systems are deployed, it is
critical that developers, manufacturers, designers, and other
evaluators be able to assess them in a rigorous, repeatable way. The
European New Car Assessment Procedures (Euro NCAP) \1\ specify that DMS
manufacturers should provide data that support the ability of their
systems to classify a driver as drowsy based on subjective ratings,
microsleep detection (specifically eyelid closures), and sleep
detection (eyelid closures longer than 3 seconds). However, Euro NCAP
does not specify the conditions under which DMS should be evaluated,
including the type of driving task, specific driver characteristics,
and environmental conditions. Furthermore, the criteria used to define
drowsiness reflect the late stages of drowsiness, once drivers are near
sleep and where countermeasures may no longer be effective. Whereas
severe drowsiness may be relatively easy to detect due to clear
symptoms (e.g., long eye closures), countermeasures may be more useful
when the driver is mildly or moderately drowsy. This data collection
will directly support NHTSA's goal of developing a test protocol that
different groups of testers (manufacturers, researchers, government
entities) can implement with a robust and validated approach to
inducing different levels of drowsiness, collecting ground truth and
driving data, and using the data to evaluate DMS efficacy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ Euro NCAP (2023). Assessment Protocol-Safety Assist
(Implementation 2023, version 10.1.2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Affected Public: Study volunteers in the Phoenix, Arizona and Iowa
City, Iowa area. The study plans to recruit participants aged 18 and
older. Efforts will be made to enroll a diverse age sample that broadly
represents the age of the U.S. driving population and includes those at
greater risk of crashing (e.g., less than 25 years of age and greater
than 65 years of age).
Estimated Number of Respondents: The total number of estimated
respondents is 66 (36 test track participants and 30 driving simulator
participants). For the test track portion of the study, we anticipate
screening 100 potential participants to obtain 36 individuals who meet
study inclusion criteria. It is estimated that 35% of those who begin
the screening process will be eligible and agree to participate in the
test track portion. As such, we anticipate conducting a maximum of 100
individual eligibility interviews to recruit the necessary participants
for the test track portion of the study. While the goal is 24 final
participants, the research team will ensure eligibility and interest of
up to 36 participants to account for potential attrition. For the
driving simulator portion of the study, we anticipate screening 150
potential participants to obtain 30 individuals who meet study
inclusion criteria. It is estimated that 67% of those who begin the
screening process will be eligible and agree to participate in the
study. We anticipate conducting a maximum of 150 individual eligibility
interviews to recruit the necessary participants for the driver
simulator portion of the study. While the goal is 24 final
participants, the research team will ensure eligibility and interest of
30 participants to account for potential attrition. Based on experience
with similar studies, the screening process via phone provides
sufficient information to participants to determine their interest in
the study, thus little to no attrition is expected during the informed
consent process.
Frequency: This study is a one-time information collection.
Estimated Number of Responses: Each respondent will complete the
full study procedure one time. The study procedure contains multiple
information collections, with different collections applicable to test
track participants and driving simulator participants. Table 1 provides
the full list of collections, including which ones apply to test track
and which apply to driving simulator.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 106.8
The annual estimated burden is 106.8 hours. This is calculated as
follows. First, as stated above, the research team will ensure
eligibility and interest of 100 participants for the test track portion
of the study and 150 participants for the driving simulator portion of
the study to account for potential attrition, and therefore burden
calculations are reflective of 250 participants in order to provide a
conservative estimate. This estimate includes 47.5 hours for 250
potential participants to complete the initial screening for the test
track and driving simulator portions of the study. Second, the test
track study tasks include a 15-minute food, drink, and activity log, a
5-minute breathalyzer test, a 15-minute vehicle familiarization and KSS

[[Page 55165]]

training, a 120-minute study drive, and a 10-minute final debriefing.
The burden estimate for the test track portion of the study is 133
hours, including 9 hours for the consenting process and 99 hours to
complete all test track tasks. Third, the driving simulator study tasks
include a 5-minute food, drink, and activity log, a 1-minute
demographic questionnaire, a 2-minute wellness questionnaire, a 15-
minute simulator training and acclimation procedure, a waiting period
(averaging 150-minutes), a 1-minute KSS questionnaire, a 125-minute
driving behavior assessment, and a 2-minute end of visit release
agreement. The burden estimate for the driving simulator portion of the
study is 187.5 hours, including 7.5 hours for the consenting process
and 157.50 hours to complete all driver simulator tasks. The total
burden estimate is the sum of both the test track and the driving
simulator driving activities and includes screening, consenting, and
completing all of the test track and driving simulator driving
activities for a total estimate of 320.5 hours. The details are
presented in Table 1 below.

Table 1-Annual Combined Study Burden Hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time per Opportunity Annual
Form No. Information Annual number of response cost per Frequency of Annual burden opportunity
collection respondents (minutes) response \2\ response hours costs \3\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2117............................. Eligibility 150/50 9 4.94 1 7.5 246.90
Questionnaire--sim
ulator.
2118............................. Eligibility 100/33 15 8.23 1 8 271.59
Questionnaire--clo
sed course.
2119............................. Informed Consent-- 30/10 15 8.23 1 2.5 82.30
simulator.
2120............................. Informed Consent-- 36/12 15 8.23 1 3 98.76
closed course.
N/A.............................. Intake & 30/10 10 5.49 1 1.67 54.87
Eligibility
Confirmation--simu
lator.
2122............................. Sleep and Food 30/10 5 2.74 1 0.84 27.43
Intake--simulator.
2123............................. Sleep and Food 36/12 15 8.23 1 3 98.76
Intake Form--
closed course.
2124............................. Demographic 30/10 1 0.55 1 0.17 5.49
Questionnaire--sim
ulator.
2125............................. Wellness 30/10 2 1.10 3 1 32.92
Questionnaire--sim
ulator.
N/A.............................. Breathalyzer Test.. 36/12 5 2.74 1 1 32.88
N/A.............................. Simulator Training 30/10 15 8.23 1 2.5 82.30
& Acclimation (Pre-
Drive Orientation,
Screening Drive).
N/A.............................. Waiting Period..... 30/10 150 82.30 1 25 823.00
2126............................. Karolinska 30/10 1 0.55 1 0.17 5.49
Sleepiness Scale
(KSS)--simulator.
N/A.............................. Driving Behavior 30/10 125 68.58 1 20.84 685.83
Assessment (Study
Drive with
integrated KSS)--
simulator.
N/A.............................. Study Drive 36/12 135 74.07 1 27 888.84
(Vehicle
Familiarization/
KSS Training, Test
Track Drive, KSS
Ratings)--closed
course.
2127............................. End of Visit 30/10 2 1.10 1 0.34 10.97
Release Agreement--
simulator.
N/A.............................. Debrief............ 36/12 10 5.49 1 2 65.88
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................ ................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 106.8 3,514.21
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: 0.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\2\ Costs are calculated on the fraction of the hourly wage with
rounding being done only on the final computed number.
\3\ Cost rounded to the hundredth's place.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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
during the study are not the participants vehicles. For individuals who
participate in the test track portion of the study, they will be
offered 400 as compensation for completing the study requirements, plus
up to 25 in transportation compensation to cover their ride to and from
the test facility. For the driving simulator portion of the study,
participants will be offered 230, 290, or 350 as compensation for
completing the study requirements, depending on their overnight visit
start time. Previous experience indicates that anything less than the
proposed total compensation would likely result in failure to recruit
enough participants to provide meaningful results. This level of

[[Page 55166]]

compensation is in line with past similar efforts given the activities
it requires of participants while not being coercive. This compensation
amount also helps offset any transportation costs (e.g., travel time,
gas, etc.) that participants may incur.
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 for Vehicle Safety Research
[FR Doc. 2026-17423 Filed 8-25-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P

</pre></body>
</html>

View on FederalRegister.gov →Plain-text source

Indexed from Federal Register on August 26, 2026.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.