Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Request for Comment; Older Novice Driver Study

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Published

October 19, 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. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to conduct a new information collection, Older Novice Driver Study. This study aims to examine the driving performance and behavior of younger (less than age 17) and older (ages 18 to 20) novice drivers during their first year of unsupervised driving to inform the feasibility of developing Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) provisions that apply to older novice drivers. This study will also examine the driving performance and behavior of novices who are consistently at higher- or lower-risk during this period to inform the development of other behavioral countermeasures like training, education, and messaging. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on May 26, 2026. NHTSA did not receive any comments on the proposed information collection.

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 200 (Monday, October 19, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 200 (Monday, October 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66193-66196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21264]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2026-0958]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Request for
Comment; Older Novice Driver Study

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. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to conduct a new
information collection, Older Novice Driver Study. This study aims to
examine the driving performance and behavior of younger (less than age
17) and older (ages 18 to 20) novice drivers during their first year of
unsupervised driving to inform the feasibility of developing Graduated
Driver Licensing (GDL) provisions that apply to older novice drivers.
This study will also examine the driving performance and behavior of
novices who are consistently at higher- or lower-risk during this
period to inform the development of other behavioral countermeasures
like training, education, and messaging. A Federal Register Notice with
a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following
information collection was published on May 26, 2026. NHTSA did not
receive any comments on the proposed information collection.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 18, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection, including suggestions for reducing burden,
should be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 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 Christine Watson, Ph.D., Office of
Behavioral Safety Research (NPD-320), <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#591a312b302a2d30373c770e382d2a3637193d362d773e362f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fcbf948e958f88959299d2ab9d888f9392bc989388d29b938a">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, phone:
(771) 241-3120, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, W46-
492, 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 the Office of Management and
Budget (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: Older Novice Driver Study.
OMB Control Number: New.
Form Numbers: NHTSA Forms 2228, 2229, 2230, 2231, 2232, 2233, and
2234.
Type of Request: Request for approval of a new information
collection.
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) is
seeking approval for a one-time voluntary information collection from
older (ages 18 to 20) and younger (younger than age 17) novice drivers
to investigate their driving performance and behavior during the first
12 months of independent (unsupervised) driving after licensure in a
State(s) that does not apply GDL laws to novices 18 and older.
Naturalistic driving data for each participant will be collected for 12
months following licensure using a smartphone-based data acquisition
system (DAS) or using both the smartphone-based system and another,
more comprehensive DAS installed in participant's personal vehicles.
The smartphone-based DAS will use Global Positioning System (GPS) and
accelerometer inputs to collect information related to velocity,

[[Page 66194]]

acceleration, and driver exposure. The vehicle DAS includes video
cameras and sensors; data will also be collected from the vehicle data
bus. In addition, at the beginning, at the end, and up to four times
throughout the study, participants will complete questionnaires about
demographic, psychological, or other individual characteristics, such
as attitudes and beliefs about traffic safety, that prior research
indicates is associated with increased risk of crashes or risky
driving. Finally, participant-provided driver license numbers will be
linked to State databases to obtain crash and citation information
(number, type, and date) for the 12-month study period.
While the naturalistic data collection does not create a burden to
participants, study tasks with associated burden include a 2-minute
screening questionnaire and a 10-minute informed consent briefing for
potential participants (and their parent/guardian, if under 18). At the
beginning of the study, all enrolled participants will complete a
baseline questionnaire and hazard perception test and have the
smartphone DAS installed (30 minutes); a subgroup will also have the
vehicle DAS installed (an additional 240 minutes). During the
naturalistic driving data collection period, participants will complete
a study questionnaire on their smartphones up to four times (84
minutes). Finally, at the end of the study, all participants will
complete a final questionnaire and have the smartphone app uninstalled
from their phones (two minutes); the subgroup with the vehicle DAS will
also have it uninstalled (an additional 240 minutes).
The total expected annual burden for this collection is 2,574
hours, with an estimated opportunity cost of $110,378. The total annual
cost burden is $0. Prior to conducting the study, the research team
will obtain review and approval of this data collection from an
Institutional Review Board (IRB) that meets all Federal requirements in
45 CFR 46, is registered with the Office for Human Research
Protections, and has a Federalwide Assurance. NHTSA will use the
results of this study to produce a technical report containing summary
descriptive and inferential statistics. The technical report will be
shared with State Highway Safety Offices, local governments,
policymakers, researchers, educators, advocates, and others who may
wish to use the results of this study to support their work on novice
and teen driver safety.

Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information:

NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce
health care and other economic costs from motor vehicle crashes. To
further this mission, NHTSA conducts research as a foundation for the
development of motor vehicle standards and traffic safety programs.
Because of their increased risk, novice drivers are an area of focus
for NHTSA's behavioral safety efforts. State GDL laws have been
successful at reducing crashes of younger novices, but an increasing
number of young people are delaying licensure until they are 18 or
older, when they are typically exempt from GDL provisions. Little is
currently known about the driving performance and behavior of novices
ages 18-20, but some research indicates older novices may be at higher
risk than their teen counterparts.
This study aims to examine the driving performance and behavior of
younger and older novice drivers during their first year of
unsupervised driving to inform the feasibility of developing GDL
provisions that apply to older novice drivers. This study will also
examine the driving performance and behavior of novices who are
consistently at higher- or lower-risk during this period to inform the
development of other behavioral countermeasures like training,
education, and messaging. Finally, this study employs the use of
smartphone telematics for the collection of naturalistic driving data
from all participants, with the goal of removing barriers to
participation and recruiting a study sample that is more representative
of the older and younger novice driver populations. Because a subgroup
of participants will also have naturalistic driving data collected from
a vehicle DAS, this study will provide methodological information about
the correspondence of driving performance and behavior data collected
with the two methods.

60-Day Notice

A Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting
public comments on the following information collection was published
on May 26, 2026 (91 FR 30780). No comments were received regarding the
information collection.
Affected Public: Newly-licensed drivers in one or more States,
either less than 17 years old or between 18 and 20 years old.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The study anticipates screening up
to 3,337 potential participants annually. Of this group, an estimated
1,001 potential participants annually (plus an estimated 501 parents/
guardians for potential participants younger than 18) will undergo the
informed consent briefing. Finally, of this group, about 834
respondents are expected to consent and enroll in the study annually.
Frequency: This study is a one-time data collection.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours

A screening questionnaire to identify respondents who are eligible
for the study will be administered in person or over the telephone. We
estimate that 2,336 respondents annually will complete the screening
questionnaire but will not be eligible or interested in participating
in the study. For this group (``Screened, Ineligible''), completing the
screening questionnaire (two minutes) has an estimated annual burden of
78 hours (Table 1).
We estimate that 30% of those who complete the screening
questionnaire will be eligible and interested in participating in the
study. These respondents will then complete the informed consent
briefing. In this briefing, a member of the research team will share an
overview of the study, explain the consent form, and answer any of the
potential participant's questions. However, we estimate that about 17%
of respondents who undergo the informed consent briefing will
ultimately decline to participate in the study (167 respondents
annually). For this group (``Eligible, Not Enrolled''), completing the
screening questionnaire (two minutes) and informed consent briefing (10
minutes) has an estimated annual burden of 33 hours (Table 1). In
addition, about half of all respondents who complete the informed
consent briefing are expected to be younger than 18. For these
respondents, a parent or guardian must also complete the informed
consent briefing. We estimate that about 501 parent/guardians will
complete the informed consent briefing (10 minutes) annually, for an
estimated annual burden of 84 hours (Table 1).
Finally, we anticipate enrolling 834 respondents in the study
annually. Of these 834 respondents, 759 respondents will be assigned to
smartphone DAS group and will only have naturalistic driving data
collected via smartphone telematics. The remaining 75 respondents will
be assigned to the vehicle DAS group and will additionally have driving
data collected via in-vehicle equipment.

[[Page 66195]]

Table 1--Annual Burden Estimates
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Total
Burden per Annual number Hourly Opportunity Total annual annual
Information collection NHTSA Form No. response of opportunity cost per opportunity burden
(minutes) respondents cost response cost (hours)
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Screened, Ineligible............. 2228................................. 2 2,336 $42.88 $1.43 $3,341 78
Eligible, Not Enrolled........... 2228, 2229........................... 12 167 42.88 8.58 1,433 33
Parent/Guardian Consent (if under 2229................................. 10 501 42.88 7.15 3,579 84
18).
Eligible, Enrolled--Smartphone 2228, 2229, 2230, 2232, 2233......... 128 759 42.88 91.48 69,434 1,619
DAS Only.
Eligible, Enrolled--Smartphone & 2228, 2229, 2231, 2232, 2234......... 608 75 42.88 434.54 32,591 760
Vehicle DASs.
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Annual Total................. ..................................... ........... 3,838 ............ ............ 110,378 2,574
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Table 2--Burden by Form
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NHTSA Form No. Form name Burden (minutes)
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2228.......................... Screening 2
Questionnaire.
2229.......................... Informed Consent 10
Briefing.
2230.......................... Baseline 30
Questionnaire--Smart
phone DAS Only.
Baseline 15
questionnaire.
Hazard perception 10
test.
Smartphone DAS 5
installation.
2231.......................... Baseline 270
Questionnaire--Smart
phone & Vehicle DASs.
Baseline 15
questionnaire.
Hazard perception 10
test.
Smartphone DAS 5
installation.
Vehicle DAS 240
installation.
2232.......................... Study Period 84
Questionnaire (up to
4 times).
2233.......................... Final Questionnaire-- 2
Smartphone DAS Only.
Final questionnaire.. 1
Smartphone DAS 1
uninstallation.
2234.......................... Final Questionnaire-- 242
Smartphone & Vehicle
DASs.
Final questionnaire.. 1
Smartphone DAS 1
uninstallation.
Vehicle DAS 240
uninstallation.
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All respondents enrolled in the study will complete the screening
questionnaire (two minutes), the informed consent briefing (10
minutes), and all other study activities. These study activities
include (Table 2):
<bullet> Completing a baseline questionnaire (15 minutes), a hazard
perception test to measure the respondent's ability to correctly
identify driving hazards in static images (10 minutes), having the app
that will collect naturalistic driving data installed on their
smartphone (five minutes), and, for the vehicle DAS group, having the
in-vehicle data collection equipment installed in their personal
vehicles (240 minutes). These baseline activities have an estimated
total burden of 30 minutes for the smartphone DAS group and 270 minutes
for the vehicle DAS group.
<bullet> Completing a study period questionnaire up to four times
during the 12-month study period (up to 84 minutes). This questionnaire
asks participants to self-report a variety of information that prior
research indicates is associated with increased risk of crashes or
risky driving, including mindfulness, anxiety, depression, parental
involvement, sense of purpose, neighborhood collective efficacy,
perceived community support, safety attitudes and behaviors, sensation
seeking personality, and sleep quality.
<bullet> Completing a final questionnaire that asks participants
about any crashes or citations they experienced during the study period
(one minute), having the data collection app uninstalled from their
smartphones (one minute), and, for the vehicle DAS group only, having
the in-vehicle data collection equipment uninstalled from their
vehicles (240 minutes). These final study activities have an estimated
total burden of two minutes for the smartphone DAS group and 242
minutes for the vehicle DAS group.
Overall, we estimate that for the 759 annual respondents in the
smartphone DAS group, the burden per response is 128 minutes, for a
total annual burden of 1,619 hours. For the 75 annual respondents in
the vehicle DAS group, the burden per response is 608 minutes, for a
total annual burden of 760 hours.
The total hour burden for all respondents is 2,574 hours annually
(Table 1). A summary of the number of study participants expected to
complete each stage of the study (i.e., screening, informed consent,
and enrollment) is shown in Table 3.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: $0.
The subset of participants (n = 225) who will have both the
smartphone DAS and vehicle DAS installed will need to travel to and
from a study location where the vehicle DAS equipment installation will
occur. While at the study location, these participants will also have
the smartphone DAS installed and complete the baseline questionnaire
and hazard perception test. Then, at the end of the study, this
subgroup of participants will again travel to and from the study
location to have the DASs uninstalled and complete the final
questionnaire. NHTSA estimates that each of the 225 participants will
travel less than 10 miles one-way to the study location (20 miles round
trip), for a total of 40 miles for the two days. Using the IRS standard
mileage rate of $0.725 per mile, each participant is expected to incur
no more than $29 in transportation costs. Therefore, NHTSA estimates
that the total costs to the respondents enrolled in the study will be
no more than $2,175 annually ($6,525 total). The costs

[[Page 66196]]

associated with this travel are minimal and are expected to be offset
by the compensation that will be provided to participants (i.e., $220
for the smartphone DAS group and $340 for the vehicle DAS group).
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.

Angie Wang,
Acting Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2026-21264 Filed 10-16-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P

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