Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, NOTICES—MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT—NHTSA seeks comment on study of modern voice command interfaces, (Feb 17, 2026)

By WK Editorial Staff

The agency’s goal is to understand the effects of the interfaces on driver cognitive workload and distraction.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a notice seeking public comment on a proposed new information collection concerning the safety impacts of modern voice command interfaces in vehicles. The agency intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget to conduct a simulator-based research study evaluating how voice command interfaces affect distracted driving behavior and cognitive workload. Comments are due by April 13, 2026 (NHTSA Notice, 91 Fed. Reg. 5984 (Feb. 10, 2026)).

Description. NHTSA proposes to collect information from individuals participating in a driving simulator study at Dynamic Research, Inc. The study will compare driver performance, distraction, and cognitive workload across six voice command interface systems—three third-party platforms (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Google-Built-In) and three original equipment manufacturer systems—using vehicles installed and instrumented in the simulator. Participants will perform a series of voice based and manual tasks, including navigation and other common in vehicle functions. Data sources will include lane position and speed; eye tracking; heart rate variability; pupil diameter; and responses to a tactile detection task.

Purpose. The collection supports NHTSA’s mission to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities by improving understanding of how drivers interact with advanced vehicle technologies. The agency seeks to assess the safety related effects of voice command interfaces as these systems become more prevalent in modern vehicles. This new information collection request is for a single study to understand the effects of voice command interfaces on driver cognitive workload and distraction across the most common systems.

Burden estimates. NHTSA estimates that 1,330 individuals will respond to the eligibility questionnaire, ultimately yielding 144 valid datasets with 24 participants per system. The total estimated burden for all activities is 637 hours. The agency anticipates minimal out of pocket costs for participants beyond time and travel, noting that compensation for participation is expected to offset these expenses.

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