Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for Comment; Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) User Acceptance and Effectiveness Testing Using Simulator and/or Closed Track Methods

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2025-0787]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for Comment; Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) User Acceptance and Effectiveness Testing Using Simulator and/or Closed Track Methods

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 collection of information.

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 to

evaluate driver's acceptance and use of intelligent speed assistance systems

.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before August 24, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-2025-0787 through any of the following methods:

•

Electronic Submissions:

Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at

http://www.regulations.gov

. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

•

Fax:

(202) 493-2251.

•

Mail or Hand Delivery:

Docket Management, U.S. Department of

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room 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

http://www.regulations.gov,

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

https://www.transportation.gov/privacy

.

Docket:

For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to

http://www.regulations.gov

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 Emily Shull, Office of Vehicle Safety Research, Intelligent Technologies Research Division NSR-320, West Building, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590;

emily.shull@dot.gov,

Telephone: 202-366-7409. Please identify the relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB Control Number.

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:

Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) User Acceptance and Effectiveness Testing using Simulator and/or Closed Track Methods.

OMB Control Number:

New.

Form Number(s):

There are multiple forms for this new information collection including:

•

NHTSA Form 2179:

Eligibility Questionnaire

•

NHTSA Form 2180:

Informed Consent Document 1

•

NHTSA Form 2181:

Informed Consent Document 2

•

NHTSA Form 2182:

Wellness Questionnaire

•

NHTSA Form 2183:

Questionnaire 1

•

NHTSA Form 2184:

Questionnaire 2

•

NHTSA Form 2185:

Questionnaire 3

•

NHTSA Form 2186:

Questionnaire 4

Type of Request:

New.

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) will collect information from the public as part of a multi-year research effort to learn about drivers' acceptance and effectiveness of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology.

The overall objective of this research is to advance the state of knowledge regarding the interplay between driver acceptance and effectiveness of different ISA systems and is not immediately intended to inform regulations or policy. All study procedures are approved by the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board (IRB). The research will be conducted in three parts, referred to as Study 1, Study 2, and Study 3.

For Study 1, participants will complete an intake and eligibility procedure, a training presentation, a familiarization drive, wellness questionnaires to assess susceptibility to simulator sickness, five study drives accompanied by a questionnaire after each drive to assess their acceptance and attitudes of ISA, and a questionnaire at the end of the study to measure their driving and speed behaviors.

For Study 2 and Study 3, participants will complete an intake and eligibility procedure, a training presentation, a pre-drive questionnaire to assess their acceptance and attitudes of ISA, a familiarization drive, wellness questionnaires to assess susceptibility to simulator sickness, two study drives, and a post-drive questionnaire to assess their acceptance and attitudes of ISA and their driving and speed behaviors. The NADS-1 simulator will collect vehicle data (

e.g.,

brake inputs, steering wheel angle) and data about the surrounding environment (

e.g.,

distance to surrounding vehicles and lane markings).

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

NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce the economic costs of road traffic crashes through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement activity. As vehicle technologies advance, they have the potential to dramatically reduce the loss of life each day in roadway crashes. Alternatively, the systems may not reach this potential if drivers do not accept and do not use the systems. This new information collection supports the department's strategic goal of safety. Speeding contributes to a significant number of fatal motor vehicle crashes each year. ISA technology has the potential to mitigate and prevent speeding-related crashes by alerting the driver of their speed. To evaluate the effectiveness of ISA systems, research is needed to understand to what extent ISA system characteristics influence driver's speeding behavior, attitudes, and perceptions of the technology.

The following components will be used to obtain the necessary information to achieve this purpose.

(1)

Eligibility Questionnaire (NHTSA Form 2179):

This questionnaire is necessary for determining respondent suitability for the study based on driving experience and history, ability to adhere to study requirements, general health, sleeping behavior, and ability to safely drive the NADS-1 without concerns.

(2)

Informed Consent Document 1—(NHTSA Form 2180):

This form is necessary for obtaining documented informed consent from the participant to participate in Study 1. The form

describes all study procedures, data storage and use, and potential risks from the study.

(3)

Informed Consent Document 2—(NHTSA Form 2181):

This form is necessary for obtaining documented informed consent from the participant to participate in Study 2 or 3. The form describes all study procedures, data storage and use, and potential risks from the study.

(4)

Intake & Eligibility Confirmation:

This process includes completion of the research participant substitute W-9 for payment, review of the driver's license to confirm it is valid by checking the expiration date and confirming age (for eligibility) and sex (for balancing sample) as listed on the license. These procedures are necessary to pay the participant and ensure they meet eligibility requirements before continuing with the experiment.

(5)

Wellness Questionnaire (NHTSA Form 2182):

This form is necessary to measure signs and symptoms of simulator sickness. If sickness scores increase during the drive, participants will be asked to take a break or end the experiment.

(6)

Questionnaire 1 (NHTSA Form 2183):

This form is necessary for Study 1 to assess participants' acceptance and attitudes of ISA. Collecting these data after each of the five study drives in Study 1 will let us measure how exposure to ISA impacts acceptance and attitudes of ISA. It will be administered during the driving behavior assessment.

(7)

Questionnaire 2 (NHTSA Form 2184):

This form is necessary for Study 1 to measure participants' self-reported driving and speeding behaviors. These data will be used as covariates in the statistical analyses. It will be administered after the driving behavior assessment.

(8)

Questionnaire 3 (NHTSA Form 2185):

This form is necessary for Study 2 and 3 to assess participants' acceptance and attitudes of ISA. It will be administered before the driving behavior assessment.

(9)

Questionnaire 4 (NHTSA Form 2186):

This form is necessary for Study 2 and 3 to assess participants' acceptance and attitudes of ISA and their driving and speeding behaviors. It will be administered after the driving behavior assessment.

(10)

Driving Behavior Assessment for Study 1:

This procedure for Study 1 is necessary to measure the impact of ISA system characteristics on speeding behavior and acceptance of ISA. The participant will drive for 80 minutes in the driving simulator, ample time to briefly experience different ISA systems and form an opinion of different system characteristics.

(11)

Driving Behavior Assessment for Study 2 and 3:

This procedure is necessary for Study 2 and 3 to measure the impact of ISA system characteristics on speeding behavior and acceptance of ISA. The participant will drive for 110 minutes in the driving simulator, ample time for prolonged exposure to two different ISA systems.

Affected Public:

Individuals 18 and older from Eastern Iowa and the surrounding areas who have volunteered to take part in driving studies or who have opted to receive research-related emails from the University of Iowa mass email system. Respondents must meet specific eligibility criteria to be included in this information collection. Businesses are ineligible for the sample and will not be contacted.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

We estimate 700 respondents will initiate the eligibility questionnaire. We anticipate 475 respondents will complete the eligibility questionnaire. To account for dropout or missing data, we anticipate enrolling up to 300 respondents to reach our target sample of 240 drivers.

Frequency:

This study will be conducted once during the three-year period for which NHTSA is requesting approval.

Estimated Number of Responses:

We estimate 3,300 total responses. The estimated number of responses reflects the number of respondents anticipated at each component of this information collection request.

Table 1—Estimated Number of Responses

NHTSA form No.

Information collection component

Respondents

Frequency

Total number of responses

2179

Eligibility Questionnaire

700

1

700

2180

Informed Consent Document 1

50

1

50

2181

Informed Consent Document 1

250

1

250

Intake & Eligibility Confirmation

300

1

300

2182

Wellness Questionnaire

300

3

900

2183

Questionnaire 1

50

5

250

2184

Questionnaire 2

50

1

50

2185

Questionnaire 3

250

1

250

2186

Questionnaire 4

250

1

250

Driving Behavior Assessment 1

50

1

50

Driving Behavior Assessment 2

250

1

250

Total

3,300

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:

The total estimated burden for this information collection is 932 hours. The annual burden is 311 hours.

The individual form and procedure burden contributions are outlined in the below text and tables (Table 2).

•

Eligibility Questionnaire (NHTSA Form 2179):

We estimate 700 respondents will initiate a response to the online eligibility questionnaire one time, with 475 respondents completing the questionnaire. Respondents that initiate but do not complete the questionnaire (four minutes) and respondents that complete the entire questionnaire (15 minutes), this results in an average of approximately 12 minutes for 700 respondents, with a single response each.

•

Informed Consent Document (NHTSA Form 2180):

We expect 50 participants to complete this form prior to their participation. Participants will take approximately 15 minutes to complete the form one time.

•

Informed Consent Document (NHTSA Form 2181):

We expect 250 participants to complete this form prior to their participation. Participants will take approximately 15 minutes to complete the form one time.

•

Intake & Eligibility Confirmation:

We expect 300 participants to complete this block of procedures one time with a duration of five minutes.

•

Wellness Questionnaire (NHTSA Form 2182):

We expect 300 participants to take approximately 2 minutes to complete this form three times for a total burden of six minutes.

•

Questionnaire 1 (NHTSA Form 2183):

We expect it will take six minutes for completion. 50 respondents will complete this form five times.

•

Questionnaire 2 (NHTSA Form 2184):

We expect it will take five minutes for completion. 50 respondents will complete this form once.

•

Questionnaire 3 (NHTSA Form 2185):

We expect it will take 10 minutes for completion. 250 respondents will complete this form once.

•

Questionnaire 4 (NHTSA Form 2186):

We expect it will take 15 minutes for completion. 250 respondents will complete this form once.

•

Driving Behavior Assessment 1:

We expect 50 participants to complete the behavior assessment once. Participants will take 80 minutes to complete the block of procedures. The procedures include a pre-drive PowerPoint training and simulator orientation of approximately 5 minutes, a familiarization drive of approximately 15 minutes, and five study drives of approximately 12 minutes each.

•

Driving Behavior Assessment 2:

We expect 250 participants to complete the driving behavior assessment once. Participants will take 110 minutes to complete the block of procedures. The procedures include a pre-drive PowerPoint training and simulator orientation of approximately five minutes, a familiarization drive of approximately 15 minutes, and two study drives of approximately 45 minutes each.

Table 2—Burden Estimates

NHTSA form No.

Information collection

Number of

respondents

Frequency of response

Time per

response

(minutes)

Burden hours

2179

Eligibility Questionnaire

700

1

12

140

2180

Informed Consent Document 1

50

1

15

13

2181

Informed Consent Document 2

250

1

15

63

Intake & Eligibility Confirmation

300

1

5

25

2182

Wellness Questionnaire

300

3

2

30

2183

Questionnaire 1

50

5

6

25

2184

Questionnaire 2

50

1

5

5

2185

Questionnaire 3

250

1

10

42

2186

Questionnaire 4

250

1

15

63

Driving Behavior Assessment 1

50

1

80

67

Driving Behavior Assessment 2

250

1

110

459

Total

932

Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost:

$0.

Respondents will not incur any reporting or recordkeeping costs from the information collection. The only cost respondents will incur is a one-time cost for local travel to and from DSRI. The costs are minimal and are expected to be offset by the monetary compensation that will be provided to all participants who enroll.

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. 2026-12835 Filed 6-24-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-59-P