Center for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)

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 five 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; the Connected Vehicle Systems group takes a human-centric approach to supporting the design, development, and evaluation of connected vehicle technologies.

Current CASR Projects

SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study

The objective of the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving study,sponsored by the National Academies of Science – Strategic Highway Research Program 2, is to address the role of driver performance and behavior in traffic safety. This includes developing and understanding of how the driver interacts with and adapts to the vehicle, traffic environment, roadway characteristics, traffic control devices, and the environment. It also includes assessing the changes in collision risk associated with each of these factors and interactions. This information will support the development of new and improved countermeasures with greater effectiveness.  Full description

Integration Requirements Definition for Connected Vehicle Interfaces

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has initiated activities focused on advancing connectivity among vehicles and the roadway infrastructure. A connected surface transportation system has the potential to significantly improve the safety, mobility, and environmental impacts of the network; however, integration of this new technology and its associated user-interfaces into the vehicle presents human factors challenges. Full description

Connected Vehicle Communications Safety Pilot Driver Clinics Supervisor

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and its contractors have demonstrated that vehicle connectivity can have transformational impact on safety, mobility, and the environment. The Connected Vehicle Communications (CVC) Safety Pilot program was created in support of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2013 regulatory decision. Full description

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. Full description

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. Full description

Support for NHTSA Visual-Manual Guidelines

VTTI is aware that distraction is a widespread problem in everyday driving, and has embarked in a large number of studies to better understand the causes and effects of distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as a part of its "Distraction Plan", is in the process of developing interface guidelines for different devices that may be sources of distraction for drivers. The "Support for NHTSA Visual-Manual Guidelines" study focuses on supporting NHTSA's efforts pertaining to the visual-manual guideline creation effort. Research is currently underway and is planned to be completed by May 2011.

Previous CASR Projects

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.

Additionally, the differences and similarities between crashes and near-crashes was examined and analyzed statistically to determine the types of analyses where near-crashes can best be used as surrogates for crashes. 100-Car Press Release (pdf)
100-Car Study Results Fact Sheet ( pdf)
Inattention Study Results Fact Sheet (pdf)

ACAT

The Advanced Collision Avoidance Technologies (ACAT), backing project, funded by General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated the potential safety benefits that may emerge from the deployment of backing crash warning systems. Full description

Rear Lighting Follow–On

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.

Participants are subjected to varying subsets of brake lighting arrangements to see which have the best eye–drawing capability when a driver's eyes are not focused straight ahead or while the driver is distracted. The different subsets are designed to reduce the rate of rear crashes by getting a distracted driver's attention quicker than current brake lights on the market today. The results of this study will help in the design and improvements of brake lights. Average experiment time is 45–60 minutes.

(The subsets are different increases of intensity of the lights and some are steady burning and some are flashing. The flashing is also done in different patterns and for different lengths of time, etc.) For each subset VTTI ran 16–20 subjects each. For phase III, VTTI ran four subsets in addition to the phase III subsets run last year, for which the report has already been published with last year's results. This summer VTTI ran 72 subjects total, ages 20–60yr.

The full Task 1 report can be downloaded from the NHTSA website:http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NRD/Multimedia/PDFs/Crash Avoidance/2009/811127.pdf

CWIM Phase II

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).

With the flood of new vehicle features coming to market, it is important to understand the need for consistency and standardization across these systems. For example, drivers, accustomed to a particular system in their personal vehicle should not be confused by, or react inappropriately to, alerts issued by that same system in a different vehicle with a different DVI. Empirical evidence is needed to determine which aspects (if any) should be considered for standardization. This project will initially focus on two ACWS functions: forward collision warning and lane departure warning.

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.

The final report for this study has been delivered to NHTSA, more information on the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) is available here: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Research/Driver+Simulation+(NADS)/NADS+Research+Uses

Electronic Co–Pilot for Teen Drivers: An Exploration of Vehicle–Based Monitoring of Novice Teen Drivers

This research was comprised of a naturalistic driving study in which teen–driver behaviors were observed via video cameras and other sensors installed in their vehicles. Building upon the analyses conducted under the NICHD contract under the auspices of the NHTSA Task Order, VTTI conducted more in–depth analyses investigating which driving performance and behavior measures were most highly associated with crash and near–crash involvement. In the future, these driving performance measures (i.e., high speed, following too closely, hard decelerations, etc.) can be programmed into a teen driving monitoring device. This monitoring device could provide feedback to the teens or their parents, warning or making them aware of certain unsafe driving performance parameters being demonstrated by the teen. Applying this learned awareness would prepare the teens to avoid these types of maneuvers in the future.

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.Full description

Motorcycle Feasibility

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. Full description