Center for Automotive Safety Research
About the Center
The Center for Automotive Safety Research specializes in researching the causes of automobile crashes and ways to prevent them. Its mission is to conduct research and development efforts to advance knowledge in the light vehicle domain and provide solutions to real–world situations.
The center is comprised of four research groups: the Advanced Product Testing and Evaluation (APTE) group tests in–vehicle systems for industry; the Light Vehicle Safety (LiVeS) group conducts federally funded research projects to advance safety on our roadways; the Motorcycle Safety Group investigates motorcycle driver behavior, training, and interaction with other vehicles on the roadways; the Safety and Human Factors Group examines the range of driver behaviors in varying age groups.
About the Director
Dr. Jonathan Hankey is the Director of the Center for Automotive Safety Research and the Associate Director of VTTI. He has over 15 years experience in areas of human factors research relating to driver behavior. Dr. Hankey has conducted extensive transportation research on public roads, on VTTI's Smart Road test track, and in driving simulators. He has made many contributions to driver safety.
His research interests are in the areas of naturalistic driving, advanced collision avoidance systems, driving impairment, driver assistive systems, and drivers' use of in–vehicle systems. He has served as a principle investigator and co–principle investigator both in the public sector (e.g., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Academy of Science, and Federal Highway Administration) and the private sector (several major automotive companies, and OnStar.)
He has authored or co–authored over 60 scientific articles and technical reports. His professional memberships include the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and the Society of Automotive Engineers. Read more CASR faculty biosCASR Research Projects
Current Work
Strategic Highway Research Program
Dr. Jon Hankey, Dr. Jon Antin, Dr. Sheila (Charlie) Klauer
Background — The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies is administering the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2). VTTI is playing an important role in helping TRB achieve its goals in the safety arena via its leadership role in the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS), the largest NDS undertaken to date and the model for similar efforts being pursued around the globe. Read more.
ACAT
Dr. Jon Hankey, Dr. Miguel Perez
The Advanced Collision Avoidance Technologies (ACAT), backing project, funded by General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the potential safety benefits that may emerge from the deployment of backing crash warning systems. These countermeasures will alert the driver when there are obstacles present in the vehicle's travel path as it completes a backing maneuver. Read more.
Motorcycle Feasibility
Dr. Shane McLaughlin, Dr. Zac Doerzaph
With the ultimate goal of ensuring motorcyclists enjoy riding their bikes safely, in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, VTTI is instrumenting the bikes of volunteer motorcyclists to collect data on how motorcycles are ridden. Read more.
CWIM Phase II
Dr. Eddy Llaneras, Luke Neurauter
Sponsored by Westat, the goal of this project is to develop human factors test protocols and related metrics to evaluate Driver–Vehicle Interfaces (DVI) related to Advanced Crash Warning Systems (ACWS). Read more.
Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study
This study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, is an 18–month study to better understand the issues associated with newly licensed teenage drivers who are at a much higher crash risk when compared to other drivers. Read more.
The Practice Driving Study
This research, sponsored by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, assesses the factors that are important during the practice driving phase when a teenager is driving with a learner's permit. The study will be an observational study of the nine months of the learner's permit (practice driving) phase and then the first six months of independent driving. Driving skill and safety outcomes will also be assessed. The study will be conducted using our naturalistic data collection method and continuous data recording. Read more.
Senior Mobility Program
This study is a one–year study to better understand older drivers (75+) who are at a much higher crash and fatality risk per mile driven compared with younger drivers. This Naturalistic Driving study examines how older adults drive, their impairment profiles, and what situations are the riskiest for this group. Read more.
Previous Work
Additional Analyses using 100–Car Naturalistic Driving Data
This NHTSA–funded project utilized data from the 100–Car Naturalistic Driving Study, co–sponsored by NHTSA, VTTI and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Data from the 100–Car Study has been reviewed to attempt to answer questions about methodology used to assess the crash and near–crash risk associated with various forms of driver inattention and secondary task distractions. Read more.
Rear Lighting Follow–On
Dr. Eddy Llaneras, Dr. Suzanne (Suzie) Lee
This study was a multi–year project to evaluate the potential of a new rear signaling system warning drivers behind them that their vehicle was slowing down or stopping. Overall, the findings of this study helped identify what lighting system enhancements should be evaluated in a large–scale fleet test that may be conducted at a later time. Read more.
NADS Lane Change
A study, sponsored by NHTSA, was conducted at the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) where drivers experienced five types of collision avoidance systems (CAS) in the simulator. Lane change CASs are designed to prevent crashes in lane change maneuvers by alerting the driver to hazards relating to adjacent vehicles. This project examined the approach, interpretation and results of this study and refined the analyses. Read more.
Electronic Co–Pilot for Teen Drivers: An Exploration of Vehicle–Based Monitoring of Novice Teen Drivers
This project provided an add–on to the Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study being conducted at VTTI, and was funded by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). The objective of this study was to analyze the Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study data to help determine which driving performance parameters and situations should be used to provide feedback about unsafe driving performance to newly licensed teens. Read more.