Developing a Smartphone APP to Enhance Older Driver Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing a Presolicitation notice for a contract to develop a smartphone application (APP) to enhance older driver safety. This initiative, mandated by Congress, aims to reduce cognitive workload for older drivers by assisting them in avoiding risky traffic situations and alerting them to environmental changes. The project requires the Contractor to design, develop, and pilot test an APP, then design a field operational test to document its effects. Deliverables include the final APP and a report detailing its purpose, development, and the naturalistic driving study design. This is a full and open competition under NAICS code 541720, with an estimated solicitation release date of December 16, 2025, and a 60-month period of performance.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a Presolicitation notice for a contract to develop a smartphone application (APP) aimed at enhancing older driver safety. This initiative, driven by congressional directives and previous research, seeks to reduce cognitive workload for older drivers by helping them avoid risky situations like unprotected left turns and alerting them to environmental changes such as speed limit transitions or sharp curves. The chosen contractor will be responsible for designing, developing, and pilot testing the APP, as well as creating a field operational test (FOT) to assess its impact on driving habits. The project also requires a draft information collection request (ICR) and supporting documents for a subsequent study. This full and open competition, under NAICS code 541720, anticipates a single award contract around March 2026, with a performance period of sixty months.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing a presolicitation notice for a contract to develop a smartphone application (APP) aimed at enhancing older driver safety. Directed by Congress, NHTSA seeks to create an APP that reduces cognitive workload for older drivers by proactively alerting them to environmental changes (e.g., speed limit transitions, sharp curves) and offering safer route options (e.g., avoiding unprotected left turns). The project requires the contractor to design, develop, and pilot test the APP, followed by a field operational test to document its effects on older adults' driving habits and performance. The contractor must also prepare a draft information collection request and related documents for a subsequent study. This full and open competition under NAICS code 541720, Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities, anticipates a single award contract with an estimated release date around December 16, 2025, and an award date around May 2026. The period of performance is sixty months. Interested contractors must be registered in the Systems for Award Management Database.