Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Request for Comment; Novel Human-Machine Interface Designs

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Published

August 27, 2026

Issuing agencies

Transportation DepartmentNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Abstract

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. This ICR is for a new collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval for a one-time voluntary experiment on drivers' interactions with commercially available vehicles with different human machine interface (HMI) features/designs. A Federal Register notice with a 60- day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on April 3, 2026. Five comments were received.

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 165 (Thursday, August 27, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 165 (Thursday, August 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55432-55436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17515]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2024-0072]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Request for
Comment; Novel Human-Machine Interface Designs

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: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR)
summarized below will be submitted to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR describes the nature of
the information collection and its expected burden. This ICR is for a
new collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB
approval for a one-time voluntary experiment on drivers' interactions
with commercially available vehicles with different human machine
interface (HMI) features/designs. A Federal Register notice with a 60-
day comment period soliciting comments on the following information
collection was published on April 3, 2026. Five comments were received.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 28, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection, including suggestions for reducing burden,
should be submitted to OMB at <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. To
find this particular information collection, select ``Currently under
Review--Open for Public Comment'' or use the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access
to background documents, contact Dr. Jeffrey Dressel, 202-366-7409,
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 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 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.

[[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[rarr]driver assistance[rarr]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).
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\1\ <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/812360_humanfactorsdesignguidance.pdf">https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/812360_humanfactorsdesignguidance.pdf</a>.
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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

[[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 x 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 x 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 x 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 x 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 x 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.

Table 1--Total Study Burden Hours
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Time per
Form No. Information Number of response Frequency of Total burden
collection respondents (minutes) response hours
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1814......................... Eligibility 100 15 1 25 hours.
Questionnaire.
1815......................... Informed Consent 35 15 1 8.75
9 hours.

[[Page 55435]]

Study Drives 35 50 3 87.51
(Eye Tracker 88 hours.
Setup &
Calibration,
Vehicle
Familiarization/
/Training,
Planned Drive).
1816-a, b, c................. Vehicle 35 10 3 17.49
Technology 18 hours.
Questionnaire.
1817......................... Exit 35 20 1 11.67
Questionnaire 12 hours.
(including time
for debriefing).
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Total.................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 152 hours.
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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.
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\2\ US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics, May
2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Arizona:
<a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm#00-0000">https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm#00-0000</a>.
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Table 2 provides estimates for the total annual burden hours and
opportunity costs.

Table 2--Annual Burden Estimates
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Opportunity
Number of Time per cost per Frequency Total burden Total
Form No. Information collection respondents response response of hours opportunity
(minutes) \3\ response costs \4\
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1814..................................... Eligibility Questionnaire.. 33 15 $7.58 1 8.25 $250.14
8
1815..................................... Informed Consent........... 12 15 7.58 1 3 90.96
Study Drives (Eye Tracker 12 50 25.26 3 30 909.36
Setup & Calibration,
Vehicle Familiarization/
Training, Planned Drive).
1816-a, b, c............................. Vehicle Technology 12 10 5.05 1 6 181.80
Questionnaire.
1817..................................... Exit Questionnaire 12 20 10.10 1 4 121.24
(including time for
debriefing).
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Annual Estimates..................... ........................... ........... .......... ........... .......... 51 1,553.50
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* Note references 3 & 4 are missing.

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.

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(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. 2026-17515 Filed 8-26-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P

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