NHTSA Safety Research Portfolio Public Meeting: Fall 2026, and Automated Driving Systems Workshop

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will hold a public meeting on December 1-2, 2026, to provide updates and insights into ongoing activities across NHTSA's safety research programs. The meeting will be held in-person and will feature panel presentations and research posters by representatives from the Offices of Vehicle Safety Research and Behavioral Safety Research. Each research panel will conclude with an opportunity for the audience to ask technical questions related to the presented materials. Visual slides used in presentations and posters will be made available in the public docket following the public meeting. The event will not be live streamed; however, panel presentations will be recorded and made available on the NHTSA website after the event. On the afternoon of the first day, Tuesday, December 1, the Agency will also convene an Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Workshop organized by the Office of Automation Safety. The ADS Workshop will not be recorded.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 193 (Wednesday, October 7, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 7, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64222-64223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20516]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1618]


NHTSA Safety Research Portfolio Public Meeting: Fall 2026, and 
Automated Driving Systems Workshop

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
will hold a public meeting on December 1-2, 2026, to provide updates 
and insights into ongoing activities across NHTSA's safety research 
programs. The meeting will be held in-person and will feature panel 
presentations and research posters by representatives from the Offices 
of Vehicle Safety Research and Behavioral Safety Research. Each 
research panel will conclude with an opportunity for the audience to 
ask technical questions related to the presented materials. Visual 
slides used in presentations and posters will be made available in the 
public docket following the public meeting. The event will not be live 
streamed; however, panel presentations will be recorded and made 
available on the NHTSA website after the event. On the afternoon of the 
first day, Tuesday, December 1, the Agency will also convene an 
Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Workshop organized by the Office of 
Automation Safety. The ADS Workshop will not be recorded.

DATES: NHTSA will hold the Safety Research Portfolio public meeting on 
December 1-2, 2026. The ADS workshop will be held on the afternoon of 
December 1, 2026. Registration for the public meeting must be completed 
no later than November 24, 2026. The public docket for the Safety 
Research Public Meeting and ADS Workshop will remain open for comments 
for 90 days following the Public Meeting, until March 2, 2027.

ADDRESSES: The Research Public meeting and the ADS Workshop will both 
be held in person in the West Atrium of the DOT Headquarters: 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
    Registration: Attendees must register at <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/events/nhtsa-safety-research-portfolio-public-meeting-fall-2026">https://www.nhtsa.gov/events/nhtsa-safety-research-portfolio-public-meeting-fall-2026</a>. Please 
follow the registration instructions presented at the registration 
site.
    Comments: You may submit comments about either the public

[[Page 64223]]

meeting or the workshop by 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, Suite W58-
213, 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 or (202) 366-9317 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 below.
    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> at any time or the 
street address listed above. Follow the online instructions for 
accessing the dockets via internet.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can 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="http://www.regulations.gov/privacy.html">http://www.regulations.gov/privacy.html</a>.
    Confidential Business Information: If you wish to submit any 
information under a claim of confidentiality, you must submit your 
request directly to NHTSA's Office of the Chief Counsel. Requests for 
confidentiality are governed by 49 CFR part 512. NHTSA is currently 
treating electronic submission as an acceptable method for submitting 
confidential business information to the agency under part 512. If you 
would like to submit a request for confidential treatment, you may 
email your submission to Dan Rabinovitz in the Office of the Chief 
Counsel at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#db9fbab5b2beb7f589bab9b2b5b4adb2afa19bbfb4aff5bcb4ad"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6420050a0d01084a3605060d0a0b120d101e24000b104a030b12">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or you may contact him for a 
secure file transfer link. At this time, you should not send a 
duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to DOT 
headquarters. If you claim that any of the information or documents 
provided to the agency constitute confidential business information 
within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) or are protected from 
disclosure pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1905, you must submit supporting 
information together with the materials that are the subject of the 
confidentiality request, in accordance with part 512, to the Office of 
the Chief Counsel. Your request must include a cover letter setting 
forth the information specified in our confidential business 
information regulation (49 CFR 512.8) and a certificate, pursuant to 
Sec.  512.4(b) and part 512, appendix A. In addition, you should submit 
a copy, from which you have deleted the claimed confidential business 
information, to the Docket at the address given above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about the 
research portion of the public meeting, please contact Jennifer Oxenham 
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e48e818a8a8d828196ca8b9c818a8c8589a4808b90ca838b92"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="056f606b6b6c6360772b6a7d606b6d646845616a712b626a73">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. If you have questions about the ADS 
Workshop, please contact Debbie Sweet at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#53373631313a367d202436362713373c277d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="66020304040f034815110303122602091248010910">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year, NHTSA executes a broad array of 
research programs in support of Administration, DOT, and agency 
priorities. The Agency's research portfolio covers a diverse range of 
program areas pertaining to vehicle safety, including automotive 
technologies that aid drivers to avoid crashes, research on ADS, 
vehicle cybersecurity, crashworthiness including occupant protection 
and advanced crash test dummies, and behavioral safety, which includes 
safety countermeasures that pertain to the behavior and actions of 
drivers, occupants, and other road users.
    This meeting is intended to inform the public and NHTSA 
stakeholders about the Agency's ongoing research activities in both 
vehicle and behavioral safety. NHTSA's technical research staff will 
present recently concluded projects, ongoing work, and may also 
highlight early-stage research activities. As time permits, there will 
be an opportunity for session attendees to participate in Q&A sessions 
following each panel. Presentations utilized during the Research Public 
meeting will be posted to the docket (<a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>) after the 
meeting. Instructions for accessing the docket are found under the 
ADDRESSES heading. Updates to this event will be available at <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/events/nhtsa-safety-research-portfolio-public-meeting-fall-2026">https://www.nhtsa.gov/events/nhtsa-safety-research-portfolio-public-meeting-fall-2026</a> and NHTSA recommends checking back periodically for updates 
or potential schedule changes.
    The Agency invites comments on the information presented, as well 
as input on the Agency's research priorities, research goals, and 
additional research gaps and needs the public may believe NHTSA should 
address.
    The Agency will also host an ADS Workshop in the afternoon of 
December 1, following the conclusion of that day's research panels and 
presentations. The ADS workshop will include presentations and an 
update covering activities in the Agency's Office of Automation 
Safety--including the status of guidance documents and FMVSS 
modernization efforts. Following this presentation, stakeholders will 
have the opportunity to provide technical input and feedback through an 
interactive, round-robin format. Details on specific topic areas for 
both presentations and workshop topics will be available at <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/events/nhtsa-safety-research-portfolio-public-meeting-fall-2026">https://www.nhtsa.gov/events/nhtsa-safety-research-portfolio-public-meeting-fall-2026</a>.
    Registration is required for anyone planning to attend either or 
both the public meeting and the ADS workshop. Instructions for 
registration are found under the ADDRESSES heading and participants 
will be able to register for one or both days.
    A sign language interpreter will be provided, and closed captioning 
services will be available. During registration, please indicate 
whether you may need any other type of special accommodation.
    Should it be necessary to cancel or reschedule the meeting or 
workshop due to an unforeseen circumstance, NHTSA will take all 
available measures to notify registered participants as soon as 
possible. The Safety Research Portfolio public meeting will not be live 
streamed but will be recorded, and a recording will be made available 
after the event. The ADS workshop will not be recorded.

    Issued under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.5.
Cem Hatipoglu,
Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 2026-20516 Filed 10-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


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