Presolicitation Notice – Effects of Internal Distractions on Driving

Notice Type: Presolicitation Notice

Posted Date: 28-MAR-14

Office Address: Department of Transportation; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); National Highway Traffic Safety Administration HQ; 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington DC 20590

Subject: Effects of Internal Distractions on Driving

Classification Code: B - Special studies and analysis - not R&D

Solicitation Number: DTNH22-14-R-00037

Contact: Sherese A. Gray, Email [email protected]

Description: Department of Transportation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration HQ

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an integral part of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and its mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. To accomplish this, NHTSA develops, promotes, and implements effective educational, engineering, and enforcement programs with the goal of ending preventable tragedies and reducing economic costs associated with vehicle use and highway travel.Studies estimate internally-distracted driving, in contrast to externally-distracted driving (e.g. texting), to be the most deadly and least understood form of distracted driving. According to an analysis of 2010-2011 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data by Erie Insurance and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (Press Release: April 3, 2012), the number-one cause of distracted driving fatalities was not, as might be expected, talking on a cellular phone or texting; unspecified internal distraction, more commonly termed "mind wandering" in the psychological literature, was the prime culprit. In fact, Erie's analysis found that 62% of all FARS cases involving distracted driving could be attributed to mind wandering. The second deadliest source of distraction, cell phone use, accounted for 12% of fatalities.

Internal distractions can generally be defined as the decoupling of attention from an individual's perception of the outside world coincident with his or her shift in focus to internal thought processes. Some mind wandering can be consciously directed while some is unintentional. Mind wandering can involve any topic and can last mere seconds or be protracted over many minutes. Regardless of content, length, or intensity, whenever perception and attention is decoupled the risk of looking but not seeing increases.

The primary objective of this procurement is to review the current literature and algorithms associated with mind wandering detection and determine the plausibility of using different methods, or combinations of methods to assess the incidence and impact of mind wandering on traffic safety.

NHTSA seeks a Contractor to develop a methodology, informed by the literature/algorithm review, to detect the overall incidence of mind wandering in a driving simulator or equipped car. The Contractor will demonstrate and report on their methodologies effectiveness through the use of a pilot study, or with previously acquired simulator/sensor equipped car data.

This acquisition is being offered for full and open competition. The NAICS Code for the anticipated contract is 541720. Contractors must be registered in the Systems for Award Management Database located at http://www.sams.gov, and must complete electronic representations and certification on the ORCA database located at http://orca.bpn.gov to be considered for contract award. It is the Government's intent to award a Time and Materials type contract resulting from the solicitation, with or without discussions, to the responsible offeror whose proposal, conforming to the solicitation, is most advantageous to the Government based on the evaluation factors contained in the solicitation. It is the Offeror's responsibility to monitor the FedBizOpps Internet site for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential Offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Requests for paper copies of the RFP will not be accepted. The estimated date for release of the solicitation is on or about April 18, 2014.

Period of Performance: Base period of twenty four (24) months.

Contract Award: The anticipated award date for the resultant contract is expected to be on or about July 2014.

Link/URL: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOT/NHTSA/NHTSAHQ/DTNH22-14-R-00037/listing.html