2015 Traffic Safety Conference

Highlights from the 2015 Corpus Christi Traffic Safety Conference!

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Center for Transportation Safety, in cooperation with USAA, the ATLAS Center, and TxDOT, held the 2015 Traffic Safety
Conference at the Omni Corpus Christi from June 8-10, 2015.

(Clockwise starting in front: Melissa Tooley (TTI), Barb Lorenz (TTI), Beth Jakubowski (U-M), Renee St. Louis (U-M), Lisa Buckley (U-M), David Eby (U-M), Robert Wunderlich (TTI), Lisa Molnar (U-M), Liang Zhang (U-M), and Nicole Zanier (U-M) )

Here are some ATLAS highlights:

Driver Behaviors and Attitudes

Renée St. Louis, U-M Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) Research Associate and ATLAS Center Education Coordinator presented on an employer-based seatbelt program – Evaluation of Bis-Man Clicks: An Employer-Led Seatbelt Promotion Program

Strategies to Improve Truck Safety

Lidia P. Kostyniuk, UMTRI Research Scientist and ATLAS Center Research Coordinator moderated the session and presented on Measuring Safety Effects of Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Training Program

Dan Blower, ATLAS Center/UMTRI Center Associate Research Scientist  – Shiny-side Up: Advanced Technologies That Can Reduce Heavy Truck Crashes

Improving Safety Through Enforcement

Nicole Zanier, ATLAS Center Technology Transfer Coordinator – Evaluation of Michigan’s TACT Program

Transit Travel Training: Recommended Best Practices

Susan Unger(seated left), Travel Training Coordinator, VIA Mobility Services Seated presented on: Transit Travel Training Models; Overview and Program Development and  Kendra Bullard(seated right), Manager of Travel Ambassador Program and Administration, DART Dallas presented on: DART programs

David Eby, ATLAS Center Director and Head of the UMTRI Behavioral Sciences Group  – The Potential Benefits of Transit Travel Training

Lisa Molnar, ATLAS Center Associate Director and UMTRI Associate Research Scientist at UMTRI – Components of Successful Travel Training Programs: Research Findings

Protecting Our Vulnerable Users

Lisa Molnar, ATLAS Center Associate Director and UMTRI Associate Research Scientist – A Statewide Strategy for Supporting the Safe Mobility of an Aging Population

Michael Manser, ATLAS Center/TTI Senior Research Scientist – Older Driver Support System

Joan Hudson, ATLAS Center/TTI Associate Research Engineer – Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool

Integrated Solutions for Transportation Safety – ATLAS Center Projects (Click here to watch videos of these presentations)

ATLAS was represented by researchers awarded funding for the Cooperative Research,  Strategic Initiatives, and the Research Excellence Programs, and spoke at these designated breakout sessions:

Dan Blower, UMTRI Associate Research Scientist – Assessing the Effect of Crash Avoidance Technologies on Truck Driver Fatality and Injury, and Identifying Residual Crash Types

Melisa D. Finley, TTI Research Engineer – The Moth Effect – Is it Real?

Chiara Silvestri Dobrovolny, TTI Associate Research Scientist – Use of Finite Element Simulations to Parametrically Evaluate and Compare Seat Belt Restraint Systems and RElated Injury Risk in Heavy Truck Frontal Crash Conditions

Lisa Buckley, UMTRI Assistant Research Scientist – A Neurological Understanding of the Social Influence of Teen Passengers

Student Poster Presentations

ATLAS sponsored 11 undergraduate, graduate and PhD students to travel to the conference and present a poster on their research.

Poster Session Winner:

Investigation of Heavy Truck Crashworthiness through Use of Nonlinear Finite Element Computer Simulations (ATLAS Center Collaborative Research Program)

Nathaniel Schulz
Civil Engineering
Texas A&M University
Undergraduate Senior

All Poster Presentations:

Swaroop Dinakar – Emergency Vehicle Operator On-Board Device Distractions

S. Hadi Khazraee – Pedestrian Fatal Crashes on Freeways in Texas

Trebecca McDonald – Analysis of a Problem Pedestrian Crossing in Ann Arbor

Harika Prodduturu – Need for Correlation Between Roadside Safety Hardware and Vehicle Safety Standards Evaluation Criteria

Nina Jo Saint – How the States’ Strategic Highway Safety Plans Address Cultural Diversity

Mohammadali Shirazi – Required Sample Size for Calibrating Highway Safety Manual Safety Performance Functions

Katie Tippey – Evaluating the Risks of Cell Phone versus Mobile Computer Terminal Use on Driving Performance

Lingtao Wu – Validation of Crash Modification Factors Derived from Cross-Sectional Studies Using Regression Models

Liang Zhang – Visual Steering Control of Lane Change: The Effect of Driving Speed and Lane Width

Haotian Zhong– Help Wanted – Pedestrians on Interstates

Yanfen Zhou – Identification and Ranking of High-Crash Intersections