News Archive
Blacksburg Transit/VTTI Receives $1.85 Million to Reduce Environmental Impact
Post Date: 11-28-2011Blacksburg, VA, November 28, 2011 – Blacksburg Transit has been awarded $1.85 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to study existing and new technologies to intelligently assign buses as needed to better serve the public while decreasing operating costs and environmental impacts.
Blacksburg Transit is one of only 46 agencies selected to receive funding through the Transit Investment in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER III) program. BT will partner with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to complete the study.
"These grants will put thousands of Americans back to work building sustainable, energy-efficient transit vehicles and facilities across the country," said Secretary LaHood. "The Obama Administration is committed to investing in the cutting-edge transportation projects that will keep our economy moving forward."
Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center Announces Partnership with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Post Date: 09-20-2011Blacksburg, VA, September 20, 2011 – Toyota's Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) recently announced 10 new research initiatives and new partnership agreements with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, as well as six leading North American universities and research institutions, to enhance the development, testing and implementation of new automotive safety innovations across North America.
Tom Dingus to Present Keynote at the Inaugural AA Research Foundation Symposium
Post Date: 09-01-2011Blacksburg, VA, September 1, 2011 – Tom Dingus, VTTI's Director (on sabbatical) will be one of the key-note speakers this week at the inaugural AA Research Foundation symposium in Wellington, New Zealand.
The two-day conference on driver inattention, distraction and fatigue will bring together many of New Zealand's leading researchers on road safety as well as internationally recognized researchers from other universities.
For more information, please go to:
http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=38194&ScoopSrc=wellington
VTTI to Partner to Host 7th Symposium on Pavement Surface Characteristics – SURF 2012
Post Date: 08-29-2011Blacksburg, VA, August 29, 2011 – The 2012 symposium will be held in Norfolk September 19 – 22.
The event is organized by the World Road Association in partnership with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research (VCTIR) and the Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (CSTI) at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).
The 2012 symposium will focus on providing smooth, safe, quiet, and sustainable travel through innovative technologies. The symposium offers a unique platform to send a strong message about the importance of considering surface characteristics when building, renewing, and preserving roadways and airfields. SURF 2012 offers a unique opportunity for practitioners and researchers to share knowledge and expertise on this subject.
http://www.cpe.vt.edu/surf2012/index.html
VTTI Researcher to Present Keynote at International Driver Distraction Conference
Post Date: 08-28-2011Blacksburg, VA, August 29, 2011 – Rich Hanowski, Director of VTTI's Center for Truck and Bus Safety (CTBS) is presenting the keynote at the 2nd International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The conference, to be held September 5 – 7, 2011 at the Lindholmen Conference Centre aims to bring participants up-to date on recent developments in the field of driver distraction and inattention, to bring into the spotlight developments in research from neighboring disciplines that have an important bearing on the problem, and to showcase new and emerging technologies, products and other countermeasures which have significant potential to prevent or mitigate distraction and inattention. It will be a key event for anyone working on these topics.
The conference is followed by a special workshop run by VTTI researchers on September 8 entitled ″Investigating Driver Distraction and Inattention Using Naturalistic Driving Data."
Jeff Hickman, Greg Fitch, Andy Schaudt and Susan Soccolich, also from the CTBS at VTTI will be presenting at the conference and/or providing a support role for the workshop.
Abstract can be found below
See attached PDF
http://www.ertico.com/the-2nd-international-conference-on-driver-distraction-and-inattention-gothenburg-sweden-2/
Sherri Box Appointed to DRIVE SMART Virginia Advisory Board
Post Date: 08-01-2011Blacksburg, VA, August 1, 2011 – DRIVE SMART Virginia (DSV) recently appointed Sherri Box, PR & Marketing Manager at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to its Advisory Board.
DRIVE SMART Virginia is a statewide non-profit in Virginia comprised of member organizations who work together to develop partnerships, conduct public information and education campaigns throughout the Commonwealth. DSV is a source for traffic safety information for parents, teens, seniors, business owners, law enforcement, safety managers or anyone interesting in reducing traffic crashes resulting in deaths or serious injuries on Virginia's roadways.
For more information on DRIVE SMART Virginia, please visit
AAA Mid-Atlantic and VTTI Awarded DMV Grant to Host "JST DRIV" in Richmond, 2012
Post Date: 07-26-2011The first "JST DRIV" Virginia Teen Driver Safety Days were held at VTTI in Blacksburg in October 2010. Eighty-five representatives from 23 different organizations representing seven states came together to change the future attitudes and behaviors of close to 600 drivers education students in the western part of Virginia.
Over the course of two days, "JST DRIV" showcased nine different interactive activities which included but were not limited to distracted driving courses with golf carts, 18-wheeler blind spot demonstrations, an air bag deployment sled, a seat belt convincer, DUI simulation demonstrations, presentations with local Juvenile and Domestic Court Judges and Commonwealth's Attorneys, national and local speakers, and a game show created just for the event called "Are You Smarter Than a Researcher."
The event was an overwhelming success with post-event surveys showing extremely high numbers of students who reported positive changes in the way they would behave behind the wheel in the future.
"JST DRIV" has garnered several awards such as the Public Relations Society of America's Commonwealth Awards Program and the Governor's Highway Safety Award in the category of youth safety.
For more information contact Martha Meade (AAA) at (804)323-6510 or Sherri Box (VTTI) at (540)231-1549.
VTTI Researcher Testifies before U.S. House of Representatives
Post Date: 07-15-2011Blacksburg, VA, June 15, 2011 – Darrell Bowman, Advanced Systems & Applications Group Leader in the Center for Truck & Bus Safety at VTTI recently testified before Congress.
AAA Mid-Atlantic and VTTI Awarded Platinum 2011 Hermes Creative Award for "JST DRIV"
Post Date: 07-14-2011Blacksburg, VA, July 14, 2011 – AAA Mid-Atlantic and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) have been awarded a Platinum 2011 Hermes Creative Award for 'JST DRIV' Virginia Teen Driver Safety Days.
Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of marketing and communication programs and print, visual and audio materials. The awards are selected each year by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.
This is the third award AAA Mid-Atlantic and VTTI have received for 'JST DRIV.' The two-day event in October 2010 taught 600 novice teen drivers safe driving habits through hands-on activities and local and national speakers.
The complete listing of 2011 Hermes Creative Awards winners can be viewed
http://www.hermesawards.com/winners.php
VTTI Study Mentioned in Wall Street Journal Article, "Last Exit for Roadside Businesses?"
Post Date: 06-28-2011Blacksburg, VA, June 28, 2011 – A recent study by Virginia Tech researchers indicated that if state rest areas were allowed to sell food and gas it would result in a $55 billion annual revenue loss for roadside restaurants and independent gas stations.
http://blogs.wsj.com/in-charge/2011/06/22/last-exit-for-roadside-businesses/?mod=google_news_blog.
Four VTTI Researchers Participate in the Electric Vehicles Standards Panel Initiative
Post Date: 06-16-2011Blacksburg, VA, June 16, 2011 – The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has joined the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (ESVP) initiative. Panel representation from VTTI will include Darrell Bowman, Andrew Marinik, Andy Alden (VTTI) and Frank Della Pia (National Tire Research Center). The panel, to be held in Detroit on June 20-21, was formed in response to suggestions that the U.S. standardization community needs a coordinate approach to keep pace with electric vehicles initiatives moving forward in other parts of the world.
Participation in the EVSP initiative provides an organization with the ability to help determine priorities on standardization issues (design, performance, safety, interoperability, testing, certification, training) impacting their business, stay ahead of the curve in technical advancement and policy issues, and enhance their ability to compete in the U.S. and global markets. The EVSP also facilitates the public-private partnership that is needed to ensure that the technologies and infrastructure for electric vehicles will be safe and effective.
Governor McDonnell Declares April Virginia's First Ever Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Post Date: 06-01-2011Richmond, Va., April 5, 2011 – For the past five years, on or around Distracted Driving Awareness Day, safety advocates across the Commonwealth have initiated educational campaigns on the dangers of distracted driving with the goal of saving lives on Virginia roadways. This year, however, following the lead of U.S. Department of Transportation's Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, Governor McDonnell has expanded the declaration to include the entire month, a change safety advocates applaud.
VTTI Submits Innovative Ideas for US DOT Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge
Post Date: 05-11-2011Blacksburg, VA, May 11, 2011 – As a leader in innovative intelligent transportation systems research for more than five years, VTTI developed nine ideas and submitted their top four to the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is undertaking this program to develop new applications, devices, products, business solutions, and a range of services that improve transportation's role in safety and quality of life. The DOT believes that there are new approaches, partnerships and devices for using modern forms of communication such as Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC), cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The DOT believes that innovators among the broader public can and will devise these applications if given the opportunity and the challenge to do so.
America's transportation system is among the best in the world, but Americans face crash risks, congestion, environmental impacts, and other detriments that erode our quality of life. Smart ideas on how to apply advanced wireless technology can make the transportation system safer, more efficient and even "greener."
Working with their many stakeholders, the DOT aims to improve safety, mobility, and the long-term environmental sustainability of transportation. DSRC has the potential to provide dramatic benefits in these goal areas, but only when it is widely implemented in vehicles and roadside equipment.
Submissions can be viewed
AAA Mid-Atlantic/VTTI Win Awards for "JST DRIV"
Post Date: 04-26-2011Blacksburg, VA, April 26, 2011 – Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the U.S. among the 15-20 age group. Virginia alone has buried 750 teens in the past 10 years, a trend that AAA Mid-Atlantic and VTTI want to change. As a result the two groups spent a full year creating what they hoped would be the most comprehensive, hands-on, highly impactful and unique educational event for novice teen drivers that had ever been conducted in Virginia. The resulting program, "JST DRIV," brought together 85 representatives from 23 different organizations representing seven states to attempt to change the future attitudes and behaviors of close to 600 drivers education students in the western part of Virginia.
Over the course of two days, "JST DRIV" showcased nine different interactive activities which included but were not limited to distracted driving courses with golf carts, 18-wheeler blind spot demonstrations, an air bag deployment sled, a seat belt convincer, DUI simulation demonstrations, presentations with local Juvenile and Domestic Court Judges and Commonwealth's Attorneys, national and local speakers, and a game show created just for the event called "Are You Smarter Than a Researcher."
The event was an overwhelming success with post-event surveys showing extremely high numbers of students who reported positive changes in the way they would behave behind the wheel in the future.
"JST DRIV" will be honored in May by the Public Relations Society of America's Commonwealth Awards Program and in June with the Governor's Highway Safety Award in the category of youth safety.
For more information contact Martha Meade at (804)323-6510 or Sherri Box at (540)231-1549.
VTTI's Distracted Driving Research Featured on 20/20
Post Date: 04-21-2011Blacksburg, VA, April 22, 2011 – VTTI's distracted driving research will be featured on "20/20" Friday evening, April 22 at 10 p.m. on ABC.
The 20/20 production staff was at VTTI for two days in March interviewing researchers and participating in demos highlighting the dangers of distracted driving. Chris Cuomo and 3 other participants drove a vehicle instrumented with multiple cameras while performing a variety of commonly distracting tasks. They also encountered realistic obstacles on the road while video was being collected documenting their driving behaviors. These realistic scenarios were conducted and filmed on Virginia's Smart Road located at VTTI's facilities in Blacksburg.
VTTI is largely recognized as the leader in real-world naturalistic driving research garnering real video data as drivers go about their everyday normal driving routines. This data then gives a very clear picture of what dangerous behaviors drivers are engaging in every day and solidifies that all drivers need to pay attention to the forward roadway at all times.
Study: Voice-based Navigation Safest Way to Get Around
Post Date: 04-19-2011Detroit, MI, April 14, 2011 – A recent study by OnStar and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) found that voice-based telematics systems are a safer form of in-vehicle navigation compared to systems that rely solely on visual aids.
VTTI's Center for Injury Biomechanics receives $1.5 million awards
Post Date: 03-24-2011Blacksburg, Va, November 16, 2010 – The National Academies of Science has awarded VTTI's Center for Injury Biomechanics two research grants totaling $1.5 million. These grants are to fund an in-depth investigation of serious and fatal road departure crashes to identify the crash and injury causation mechanisms associated with these traumatic events.
Dr. Clay Gabler, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, will lead both research programs. The first grant is for a four-year large-scale study involving in-depth crash and injury investigations involving passenger vehicles. The second grant is for a two-year study which will focus on the specific characteristics of serious injury and fatal motorcycle crashes into traffic barriers through in-depth accident investigations.
"VTTI is the leader in conducting large-scale crash causation studies involving passenger and commercial motor vehicles and we have just launched a new motorcycle crash causation study. Continuing research such as this, including injury biomechanics, adds to our overall knowledge base to amass real data that will help save lives," says Tom Dingus, director of VTTI.
VTTI creates ″Driving Healthy″ resource network to aid commercial vehicle drivers
Post Date: 03-23-2011Blacksburg, Va., March 23, 2011 — Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in the Center for Truck and Bus Safety have created the ″Driving Healthy″ resource network on a website, Facebook, and Twitter for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.
Sponsored by the National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence in accordance with their mission to disseminate advanced transportation safety technologies, ″Driving Healthy″ provides practical and free health information and best practices for CMV drivers.
Truck driver health is an issue that affects the safety of the entire transportation system.
VTTI seeking vendors to be evaluated as part of the FAST DASH Program
Post Date: 11-16-2010Blacksburg, Va., November 16, 2010 – The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) is looking for companies with promising commercial vehicle safety technologies to be independently evaluated as part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Advanced System Testing using a Data Acquisition System on the Highways (FAST DASH) program.
AAA Mid-Atlantic and VTTI host 600 teens for highly interactive driving safety event
Post Date: 10-28-2010Blacksburg, Va., October 20, 2010 – AAA Mid-Atlantic (AAA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) today hosted 300 teens from Bedford County, Virginia for a highly interactive driving safety event, entitled "JST DRIV", in conjunction with National Teen Driver Safety Week. The event, which was created by AAA and VTTI, features eight hands-on driver safety activities as well as local and national speakers. The two day event began yesterday with nearly 300 additional students from Montgomery County.
VTTI releases new study results on distraction in commercial trucks and buses
Post Date: 10-28-2010Blacksburg, Va., October 28, 2010 –The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently released key findings from a naturalistic driving study recently conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) aimed at further analyzing risk of commercial truck and bus drivers' activities or actions that distract their attention away from the driving task.
With this particular study, using an existing naturalistic data set to document the prevalence and risk of commercial truck and bus drivers' activities, Rich Hanowski, director of VTTI's Center for Truck & Bus Safety states "this real-world data set comprised over 13,000 commercial motor vehicles, both trucks and buses, and provides a wealth of additional data including video of driver behavior preceding safety-critical events."
VTTI seeking vendors to be evaluated as part of the FAST DASH Program
Post Date: 10-17-2010Blacksburg, Va., November 16, 2010 – The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) is looking for companies with promising commercial vehicle safety technologies to be independently evaluated as part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Advanced System Testing using a Data Acquisition System on the Highways (FAST DASH) program.
Semi-annual School Day and Public Open House at VTTI held recently
Post Date: 10-13-2010Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Transportation and VTTI, School Day and Public Open House were held at VTTI on October 8th.
Visitors to VTTI and Virginia's Smart Road toured the facilities in Blacksburg which included a brief presentation, a look at the Control Room and the instrumented vehicles used in research studies. They then headed out on the Smart Road to experience VTTI's all-weather testing capabilities with a ride through a simulated rain event.
VTTI welcomed over 500 students during School Day hours and over 200 visitors during Public Open House hours.
There were 5 groups of students touring throughout the day representing teams from First Lego League whose problem statement this year is on transportation. In preparation for their competition, the students had a chance to ask questions of researchers regarding transportation research, problems with various modes of transportation and how to address and correct those problems. First Lego League state competition is the first week in December, 2009 at James Madison University.
Virginia Tech and GM announce creation of the National Tire Research Center in Southside, Virginia
Post Date: 08-05-2010Thursday, August 5, 2010 – Virginia Tech announced today the establishment of the National Tire Research Center (NTRC), an advanced tire research and test facility to be established in Southside Virginia. The facility is a partnership between the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), General Motors (GM) Company, Virginia Tech's Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), the Southside Virginia community, and the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Relations Revitalization Commission.
Dave Mellichamp named VT employee of the week
Post Date: 07-02-2010Friday, July 2, 2010 – Dave Mellichamp from VTTI was named this week's VT Staff Employee of the Week.
The goals of the Staff Employee of the Week program are to provide additional opportunities to recognize staff and enhance university awareness of staff contributions. The program is coordinated by the Commission on Staff Policy and Affairs and Human Resources.
Each year, Human Resources received approximately 30 to 40 nominations for the President's Award for Excellence. They also receive a number of nominations for the Governor's Awards. The nominations for these two award programs will be used for the weekly staff recognition program.
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/vtpubs/empweek/2010/mellichamp_06_28_2010.pdf
VTTI researchers receive award
Post Date: 06-11-2010Friday, June 11, 2010 – Several researchers at VTTI received the 2008 Arch T. Colwell Merit Award recently for outstanding papers presented at Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) meetings.
This award was established by Arch T. Colwell to recognize authors of outstanding papers that have been presented at SAE meetings. Papers are judged for their value as contributions to existing knowledge of mobility engineering, and primarily with respect to their value as an original contribution to the subject matter.
Researchers and authors, Andy Schaudt, Walt Wierwille and Rich Hanowski from VTTI were chosen for this award based on their 2008 paper presentation entitled "Enhanced Camera/Video Imaging Systems (E-C/VISs) for Heavy Vehicles."
Schaudt has chosen to receive his award at the SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress in Rosemont, IL in October, 2010 and will receive Wierwille's award on his behalf at the same conference. Hanowski will receive his award at the SAE 2011 World Congress in Detroit, MI.
VTTI researcher showcases lighting technology to Finnish Ambassador
Post Date: 05-25-2010Thursday, May 13, 2010 – Ron Gibbons, director of VTTI's Lighting and Infrastructure Technology group, recently attended Lightfair International in Philadelphia, PA. Gibbons was given the opportunity to host Bruce Oreck, U.S. Ambassador to Finland for a 2.5 hour presentation and discussion about current outdoor lighting technologies.
Lightfair International is the world's largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference. It blends continuing education courses with innovative products ranging from high-end design to cutting-edge technology.
Bruce Oreck was sworn in as a U.S. Ambassador to Finland on August 12, 2009. Oreck has a diverse and encompassing background and has a life-long passion for nature and the wilderness. An avid hiker from his youth, he has camped all over American, throughout Europe and much of East Africa.
Among his many interests, Oreck founded the Zero Carbon initiative which is committed to implementing both experimental and off-the-shelf technologies in the built environment not just to reduce but to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
VTTI Researcher on 17-day/ 5-country tour to indentify how other countries manage outdoor advertising.
Post Date: 05-25-2010Tuesday, March 9, 2010 – Dr. Charlie Klauer, a research scientist in the Center for Automotive Safety Research at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, has been selected to participate in an international scanning tour to identify how other countries have efficiently and effectively managed and regulated outdoor advertising both within and adjacent to the roadway right-of-way.
The panel includes representatives of AASHTO, FHWA, the academic sector, and non-federal U.S. public agencies. Panel members will be traveling for 17 days to 5 countries including stops in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, Australia; Stockholm, Sweden; The Hague, Netherlands; Glasgow, Scotland; and London, England.
The purpose of this tour is to learn how other countries have balanced competing interests -- including public involvement -- in the development and consideration of policy, regulations, enforcement, safety, environmental concerns, and revenue generation. Panel topics of interest include: laws, regulations, policies, and enforcement; community and citizen involvement; program management; environmental impacts; economic benefits, and revenue generation; and safety.
The team is also interested in field visits to observe emerging outdoor advertising technologies that have been approved, and are compliant with regulations and permits to the extent of vegetation control; and use of advertising at facilities such as toll booths, overpasses, sculptures, landscapes, and intelligent transportation system (ITS) facilities.
The panel is co-sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO); Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT); and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).
2010 Virginia Trucking Association Safety Management Conference held in Blacksburg
Post Date: 04-27-2010Monday, April 26, 2010 – The 2010 Virginia Trucking Association (VTA) and the VTA Safety Management Council held their 2010 Annual Safety Conference April 21 – 23 in Blacksburg.
The theme for the three-day conference was "Creating a Safety Culture in an Ever-Changing Industry" and offered a unique opportunity for drivers and fleet managers to network with other safety professionals to work toward improving safety in their companies.
Dr. Rich Hanowski, director for VTTI's Center for Truck and Bus Safety presented VTTI's most recent commercial vehicle naturalistic driving study results in a session specifically aimed at driver distraction in commercial vehicle operators. In addition, all attendees had the opportunity to visit VTTI and the Virginia Smart Road to participate in interactive demonstrations targeting problems and issues faced by commercial vehicle operators.
The keynote speaker was Colonel Steve Flaherty, superintendent, Virginia State Police, with other guest speakers from the American Trucking Association, DMV, Virginia Trucking Association and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Other topics included: industry changes, CSA 2010 compliance, updates by Virginia Division of Motor Vehicle (DMV), and pertinent legislative issues.
2010 Pulitzer Prize in Journalism awarded for coverage of VTTI's naturalistic driving research
Post Date: 04-13-2010Tuesday, April 13, 2010 – The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has completed several large-scale naturalistic driving studies (using sophisticated cameras and instrumentation in participants' personal vehicles) over the past several years to provide a clear picture of driver distraction, cell phone use and general driving behavior under real-world driving conditions. The results of the most recent naturalistic driving study (driving behavior of commercial vehicles drivers) were released in July 2009 garnering national and international attention and subsequently, great impact.
Within a few weeks of the 2009 release of VTTI's research study results, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a distracted driving summit to bring national attention to the growing problem of cell phone use and texting while driving. Many others, such as Oprah Winfrey, have since initiated "No Texting" campaigns to increase awareness of this deadly secondary driving task.
The VTTI is the leader in naturalistic driving research having pioneered the first-ever study of its kind, the 100-Car Study, completed in 2006. The Institute continues to conduct naturalistic driving research and closed, test-track transportation safety research on the Virginia Smart Road located in Blacksburg with the ultimate goal of increasing awareness, "making a difference" and saving lives.
The Institute's research was highlighted in an exclusive front-page article, "In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin," in the New York Times in July, 2009 resulting in a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism awarded to Matt Richtel and members of the New York Times staff for "incisive work, in print and online, on the hazardous use of cell phones, computers and other devices while operating cars and trucks, stimulating widespread efforts to curb distracted driving."
The VTTI is the largest, university-level research center at Virginia Tech, employing approximately 300 faculty, staff and students.
For related links, "Driven to Distraction," please visit
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/series/driven_to_distraction/index.html#
VTTI's Center for Injury Biomechanics announces $3M award
Post Date: 04-06-2010Tuesday, April 6, 2010 – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded $3M over five years to the Center for Injury Biomechanics (CIB). The CIB is partnering in this effort with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) through the Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences (VT/WFU SBES) to generate gender and age specific models for prediction of injury as a result of motor vehicle crashes.
VTTI Director Tom Dingus said, "We are pleased to continue to partner with the CIB and VT/WFU SBES and are particularly pleased to announce this project. Given the continuing, unacceptably high crash rate in the U.S., it is critical that we continue to be diligent in our efforts to find ways to predict and mitigate injury from motor vehicle crashes thereby effecting policy change to ultimately save lives."
Motorcycle Safety Foundation partners with VTTI on groundbreaking naturalistic study of motorcycles
Post Date: 04-01-2010Thursday, April 1, 2010 – The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and its members are partnering with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) on what is likely the world's first large-scale, naturalistic motorcycle riding study: "The MSF Naturalistic Study of Motorcycles." Using small video recorders and instrumentation mounted on numerous bikes for 6 – 18 months, the study will combine unobtrusive, continuous data collection with post-incident interviews to create a comprehensive picture of many factors contributing to both crashes and near-crashes.
"We know of no other naturalistic study for motorcycles," said VTTI Director Tom Dingus. "We expect the study to be very valuable to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's work, since we also will examine where and how crash avoidance is successful. With so much information bandwidth coming from the cameras and instrumentation on each bike, we'll be able to examine details for years, and the findings will be relevant for decades."
VTTI sponsors Second International Symposium on Naturalistic Driving Research
Post Date: 03-10-2010Wednesday, March 10, 2010 – The Second International Symposium on Naturalistic Driving Research will be held at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg, Virginia from August 31 – September 1, 2010.
The two-day international symposium will gather experts in the field of naturalistic driving research to discuss a wide range of topics including but not limited to: real-world operations; instrumentation of vehicles for data gathering; field operation testing (FOT); field technology demonstrations; extraction and analysis of naturalistic driving data; data access and sharing issues; and data analysis reporting. There will be a separate workshop on September 2 for those interested entitled "Removing Roadblocks – Determining and Specifying Data Needs."
The symposium will include an international review of experts from Canada, Japan, China, Sweden, Germany, England and the Netherlands as well as presentations and panel discussions.
Sponsors for the symposium include: General Motors (GM); the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT); the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC); Federal Highway Administration; Federal Motor Carrier Administration; and Travelers Insurance.
For more information or to register, please go to
Documentary filmed at VTTI
Post Date: 03-05-2010Wednesday, March 3, 2010 — Merit Motion Pictures/CBC Television was at VTTI today filming a documentary for international release entitled ″Information Overload″.
As VTTI is the leader in the field, its light and heavy vehicle naturalistic research and results will be featured in this documentary that focuses on multitasking while driving, as well as various types of distractions drivers engage in while behind the wheel of their vehicles, along with the associated risks of such actions.
The day's filming included naturalistic driving/data collection demonstrations on Virginia's Smart Road in both heavy and light vehicles, followed by filming in and around the VTTI facilities, and an interview with Andy Schaudt, a research associate in the Center for Truck and Bus Safety.
During the filming, a Merit Motion Pictures crew member had the opportunity to drive one of VTTI's instrumented light vehicles on the Smart Road while video and data were being continuously recorded. Upon reviewing his video and accompanying data with Schaudt, the crew member commented that when the demonstration started, he was pretty sure that he could text and drive and/or perform a variety of other tasks while driving and not be a danger to himself or others. After seeing the video and all recorded data, he admitted that it was ″scary″ and that he now ″realizes that he cannot and should not text and drive″, nor should he engage in any other distracting task while he is driving.
The documentary is scheduled for release in late 2010 or early 2011.
School Day Scheduled for April 22, 2010
Post Date: 03-05-2010Thursday, March 4, 2010 – Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Transportation and VTTI, the next School Day is currently scheduled for Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Students from elementary school through college will have the opportunity to tour VTTI's facilities in Blacksburg. The tour will include a brief presentation, a look at the Smart Road Control Room, an opportunity to see the instrumented vehicles used in research studies, followed by a ride through a simulated rain event on Virginia's Smart Road to experience VTTI's all–weather testing capabilities.
For more information or to register your school group, please contact Sherri Box; 540-231-1549.
Director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to testify at Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection
Post Date: 03-05-2010Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - Dr. Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has been invited to testify at hearings to be held by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit on Thursday on October 29, 2009 and the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and
Consumer Protection on November 4, 2009, both in Washington, DC.
The hearing topics are "Addressing the Problem of Distracted Driving" and "Distracted Driving: Wireless Devices and Vehicle Safety" with both being held in response to the Driving Summit Leaders to Explore Solutions to Distracted Driving held in Washington September 30 – October 1 in an effort to continue moving toward finding viable solutions to stem the growing problem of fatalities that occur as a result of driver distraction.
Dingus has conducted transportation safety and human factors research since 1984, including the issues surrounding driver distraction and inattention. His distraction work has resulted in over 40 book chapters and refereed publications, over 20 major technical reports and over 150 technical publications. The associated projects have involved automobiles, trucks, and a number of after-market devices including cell phones. This work has been sponsored by the NHTSA, FMCSA, RITA, FHWA, NIH, the Virginia DOT, and several major automobile manufacturers.
He has also had the honor of previously testifying before a U.S. Congressional sub-committee in 2001 as well as providing invited presentations over the past 8 years to a Congressional Roundtable, the National Council of State Legislatures, the National Safety Council, and the Virginia Legislature on issues of driver distraction and inattention.
Dingus will also be presenting video from several of VTTI's large-scale naturalistic driving studies which show real-world examples of the causes of crashes and near-crashes as a result of driver distraction and inattention.
Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Ford team to study simulated car crashes involving pregnant women
Post Date: 12-02-2009Tuesday, December 2, 2009 – Although states are not required to report fetal deaths in accident data, between 300 and 1,000 unborn babies die in car accidents each year. This accident fatality rate is about four times the rate for victims between infancy and four years old, said Stefan Duma, head of the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Science (SBES).
In response to these numbers, Ford Motor Company has worked with SBES for the past three years to gather data in support of future development of a computer-aided model of a pregnant woman for virtual crash test simulations. The effort builds on 15 years of Ford research that helped lead to one of the first adult whole body computerized crash models. These virtual crash models combine advanced computer simulations and medical research to virtually test how crash forces affect the human body.
VTTI's director of Center for Truck & Bus Safety to speak at Alabama Distracted Driving Summit
Post Date: 12-02-2009Tuesday, December 2, 2009 – The University of Alabama will host the state's first distracted driving Summit December 3rd. Leaders in transportation, policy, law enforcement and science will come together to discuss how motor-vehicle crashes caused by distracted driving can be reduced through legislation, enforcement, public awareness and education.
Alabama is the first state to sponsor a distracted driving summit since the national summit called by Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, in September.
Rich Hanowski, director of VTTI's Center for Truck & Bus Safety, is one of three speakers considered experts in various aspects of distracted driving; LaHood is the keynote speaker.
″The purpose of the summit is to make the public aware of an issue that is responsible for an increasing number of motor-vehicle crashes, injuries and deaths in Alabama and the nation,″ said Desouba Stavrinos, a post-doctoral fellow and co-organizer of the Alabama summit. ″It will provide a forum for exchanging information and ideas so measures to prevent and reduce the growing number of crashes, injuries, and deaths resulting from distracted driving can be identified and implemented.″ Read more at:
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/reporter/71460/
Director of the Center for Truck & Bus Safety at VTTI presented at the First International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention
Post Date: 10-13-2009Monday, October 12, 2009 - Rich Hanowski, Director of the Center for Truck & Bus Safety at VTTI, presented "Driver Distraction in Commercial Vehicle Operations" at the First International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden on September 28 – 29, 2009.
Director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to be a panelist at Summit; Leaders to Explore Solutions to Distracted Driving
Post Date: 09-25-2009Dr. Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) will be among the panelists invited to speak at the Distracted Driving Summit Leaders to Explore Solutions to Distracted Driving to be held in Washington, DC September 30 – October 1. He will be discussing "Research Results – How Risky is Distracted Driving?"
Grand Opening of VTTI's Center for Injury Biomechanics Crash Sled Lab
Post Date: 09-14-2009The new 10,000 square foot CIB facility houses offices, conference rooms, an impact laboratory, and a high-speed biplane x-ray suite. "The new VTTI facility will also allow the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University CIB to 'close the loop' on injuries allowing complete analysis from the most basic biomechanics and prediction tools, to the outcome of real-world patients. It is a capability that few other groups in the world have. With VTTI's existing expertise in crash avoidance research and CIB's expertise in crash survivability, we now have great synergy to help reduce automotive injuries and fatalities," says Tom Dingus, director of VTTI.
Datasets Now Available for 100–Car Crashes and Near–Crashes
Post Date: 08-06-2009video reduction data which contains detailed event, driver state and driving environment information;
vehicle instrumentation (time series) data collected at 10 Hz;
eye glance data which contains frame–by–frame tracking of participant eye glance location.
In the near future, video reduction data and eye glance data will be released for baseline epochs. The data distribution website is:
Headline: New Data from VTTI Provides Insight into Cell Phone Use and Driving Distraction
Post Date: 07-27-2009Monday, July 27, 2009 – Several large-scale, naturalistic driving studies (using sophisticated cameras and instrumentation in participants' personal vehicles) conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), provide a clear picture of driver distraction and cell phone use under real-world driving conditions. Combined, these studies continuously observed drivers for more than 6 million miles of driving.
"Given recent catastrophic crash events and disturbing trends, there is an alarming amount of misinformation and confusion regarding cell phone and texting use while behind the wheel of a vehicle. The findings from our research at VTTI can help begin to clear up these misconceptions as they are based on real-world driving data. We conduct transportation safety research in an effort to equip the public with information that can save lives," says Dr. Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
New Data from VTTI Provides Insight into Cell Phone Use and Driving Distraction
Post Date: 07-27-2009″Given recent catastrophic crash events and disturbing trends, there is an alarming amount of misinformation and confusion regarding cell phone and texting use while behind the wheel of a vehicle. The findings from our research at VTTI can help begin to clear up these misconceptions as they are based on real–world driving data. We conduct transportation safety research in an effort to equip the public with information that can save lives,″ says Dr. Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
The 10 Most Dangerous Foods to Eat While Driving not issued by VTTI
Post Date: 07-23-2009Thursday, July 23, 2009 – For the past 10 years, VTTI has conducted numerous light- and heavy-vehicle naturalistic driving research studies regarding distracted driving and crash causation. The jump has been made by many media outlets from our research to The 10 Most Dangerous Foods to Eat While Driving which was not issued by VTTI and was actually issued by Cleveland-based www.insurance.com Please check their website for more information on this listing.
Webinar: Evaluating the Safety Benefits of a Low Cost Driver Behavior Management System
Post Date: 07-21-2009Tuesday, July 21, 2009- On Wednesday, July 22 from 11 a.m. – 12 noon EST, FMCSA Art will host a Webinar on the Safety Benefits of a Low Cost Driver Behavior Management System
FMCSA's Research Division sponsored a study to evaluate the safety benefits of a low-cost driver behavior management system (DBMS) called DriveCam. The objective of this research was to provide an independent evaluation of the safety benefits of a commercially available low-cost DBMS in commercial motor vehicle operations.
The DriveCam System integrates in-vehicle video, driving performance management software, and driver counseling to reduce poor driving and its resulting impacts and costs. This recently-completed study was conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). It involved two commercial vehicle carriers, one local/short haul and one long-haul operation and a total of 100 large trucks. Jeff Hickman, the research coordinator at VTTI for this study, will present the findings from it in this webinar. The results demonstrate that the DBMS, DriveCam, significantly reduced the mean rate of safety-related events per 10,000 miles traveled.
To register no later than COB on Tuesday, July 21, 2009, go to http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/art-webinars-future.asp and clicking on the heading "Evaluating the Safety Benefits of a Low Cost Driver Behavior Management System." You will be emailed a confirmation notice within 24 hours of registration that will provide information on how to participate as well as contact information for technical questions on the webinar or for special accommodations.
We welcome all interested parties, including carriers and their safety managers, our State partners, and FMCSA headquarters and field staff. An International phone number will also be provided.
TORC Technologies Demonstrated Unmanned Autonomous Ground Vehicle on Virginia's Smart Road
Post Date: 07-14-2009Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - TORC Technologies demonstrated an autonomous ground vehicle system on Virginia's Smart Road located at the Virginia Transportation Institute that can help reduce casualties from roadside bombs.
With the increasing threat of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, unmanned systems such as ARCH provide the capability to place an unmanned vehicle in front of a convoy to help reduce casualties from roadside bombs.
New Data from VTTI Provides Insight into Cell Phone Use and Driving Distraction
Post Date: 07-07-2009″Given recent catastrophic crash events and disturbing trends, there is an alarming amount of misinformation and confusion regarding cell phone and texting use while behind the wheel of a vehicle. The findings from our research at VTTI can help begin to clear up these misconceptions as they are based on real–world driving data. We conduct transportation safety research in an effort to equip the public with information that can save lives,″ says Dr. Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
First Participant Motorcycle Instrumented for Extended Naturalistic Data Collection
Post Date: 07-02-2009"From 1997 to 2007, fatalities from motorcycle crashes have increased 128% (NHTSA, 2008)." To identify factors behind this trend, VTTI engineers recently developed the first system capable of extended naturalistic data collection on motorcycles. Preliminary data collection is underway. The motorcycle pictured at left is equipped with five camera views: forward, rear, left, right, and rider; machine vision lane tracker, accelerometers (three axes), gyros (three axes), forward radar, GPS, and sensing on wheel speed, turn signals, and brakes.
Texting Ban Becomes Law in Virginia July 1
Post Date: 06-26-2009HERE Dr. Charlie Klauer joined Delegate John A. Cosgrove and AAA Mid-Atlantic at a press conference Wednesday, June 24 in Richmond to support the upcoming texting ban. House Bill (HB) 1876, which created the ban and was sponsored by Delegate Cosgrove, has been signed by the governor and becomes law on July 1.
Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) played a major role in the passage of the law. Dr. Tom Dingus, VTTI's Director, testified before JCOTS last summer with study results that were hard for otherwise hesitant lawmakers to ignore. In a study released in April of 2006, the Institute reported that driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes with nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involving some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.
VTTI Hosted 19th Biennial TRB Visibility Symposium
Post Date: 05-21-2009The 19th Biennial TRB Visibility Symposium was hosted by VTTI and held at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center on May 12 – 14, 2009. Seventeen presenters were selected based on abstract submission. Experts from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and France held sessions dealing with roadway lighting, pedestrian visibility, retroreflectivity, measurement and analysis methods, and driver visibility behaviors. Symposium attendees also participated in research demos conducted on Virginia's Smart Road.
New Partnership between VTTI and Center for Injury Biomechanics Receives First Award
Post Date: 04-20-2009A team of three Virginia Tech faculty members, Stefan Duma, Warren Hardy and H. Clay Gabler was recently awarded $2.6M from U.S. Army Research Acquisition Activity to study the biomechanics of head, neck and chest injury prevention for soldiers. Joel Stitzel at Wake Forest University will also be heavily involved in the project.
This award represents the first major grant of a new partnership between the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and the Center for Injury Biomechanics (CIB) that combines VTTI auto safety expertise with CIB injury biomechanics for military applications.
Congressman Rick Boucher Visits the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Post Date: 04-20-2009Congressman Rick Boucher, along with Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds, visited the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) last week and was given a presentation about VTTI and the Smart Road by VTTI director, Tom Dingus; witnessed a demonstration of a transportation study conducted on the Smart Road; had an opportunity to see various instrumented vehicles used in transportation studies and took a trip up and down the Smart Road. Boucher was traveling across Southwest Virginia campaigning for Deeds as the next Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Virginia Teen Driver Coach Safety Project
Post Date: 03-24-2009The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has been independently approached by representatives from Bedford and Montgomery Counties in Virginia to design a program to provide education and comprehensive monitoring and coaching to correct the most critical unsafe behaviors of teen drivers and to provide a comprehensive feedback mechanism for both teens and parents. This initiative is currently in progress with implementation expected over the next two years.
Defensive Driving Tips Website for CMV Drivers
Post Date: 03-11-2009The final deliverable for the large-vehicle, naturalistic (open-roadway, non-test track) driving study conducted by the Center for Truck & Bus Safety at VTTI has been approved. This website was developed to raise the consciousness of CMV drivers about common driving errors and to provide valuable driving tips offering preventive measures CMV drivers can take to help avoid crashes. The website provides driving tips, interesting facts, video clips, a video description and training exercise questions and can be viewed at:
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/outreach/education/driverTips/index.htm
VTTI participated in Kids' Tech University on Feb. 28
Post Date: 03-06-2009Virginia 4-H and Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) have partnered to give hundreds of kids exposure in the STEM (science, technology, math and engineering) disciplines. Over a period of 4 weekends (Jan. 31, Feb. 28, March 28, and April 18) kids will be given an opportunity to hear lectures, talk to researchers and scientists in the 4 fields of study and participate in numerous hands-on activities to spur interest in STEM. VTTI had its DAS (data acquisition system) on hand on Saturday, Feb. 28. A game console like those typically used with racing video games is employed to interactively demonstrate the type of data that is collected in transportation safety research activities. The kids saw first-hand the video and driving performance data that is collected as they operated the game console.
Grant to Study Drivers' Night Vision
Post Date: 03-03-2009The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute's Lighting and Infrastructure Technology Group has been awarded $700,000 by the Federal Highway Administration to conduct advanced research that will attempt to develop the link between driver safety and the visual environment by identifying a dynamic driver visual model. This model is a system of rules, statistics and expectations used to define how a driver collect visual information from the environment and how their behavior is affected by the presence of signage, lighting, pavement markings and other vehicles. VTTI heads a team of world leaders in visual performance, lighting and signage including researchers from the Texas Transportation Institute and Franklin & Marshall College.
Dingus addresses Congressional Luncheon and the National Safety Council
Post Date: 02-24-2009Tom Dingus, Director of VTTI and Newport News Shipbuilding Professor, Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, gave invited presentations on driver distraction to the Congressional Luncheon in Washington, DC. Among those in attendance were representatives from US Congress, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, National Academy of Sciences, National Transportation Safety Board, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the US Department of Transportation. He also presented to the National Safety Council while in Washington.
VTTI Researcher Named to AdvanceVT Faculty Advisory Committee
Post Date: 02-19-2009Alejandra Medina, researcher with the Center for Truck and Bus Safety, has recently been named to a 1-year term with the AdvanceVT Faculty Advisory Committee. The program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was initiated to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers. The program has been in place for five years, and through the sixth year, Medina will be assisting with efforts to complete university-wide faculty surveys and assessments of the various initiatives in the program
Forward Collision Warning Evaluation Final Report Posted
Post Date: 02-18-2009The report from the Safety Benefit Evaluation of a Forward Collision Warning (FCW) System Study has been approved and published online by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The purpose of the study was to estimate the safety benefits that may be obtained by deploying a FCW system in heavy vehicles. Through simulation and evaluation of a naturalistic truck-driving database produced by VTTI for an earlier study, it was determined that a nationwide deployment of FCW systems in heavy vehicles could reduce the number of rear-end crashes by up to 21 percent. The full report can be found here:
Drowsy Driver Warning System Data Collection Final Report Posted
Post Date: 02-18-2009The report from the Drowsy Driver Warning System Field Operational Test (DDWS FOT) data collection report has been approved and published online by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This study, with the original purpose of testing a Driver Fatigue Monitor, has produced one of the largest naturalistic truck-driving databases to date, including 46,000 driving-data hours, and 195,000 hours of activity/sleep data. The full report can be found here:
Hanowski Article Accepted for Publication by Accident Analysis and Prevention
Post Date: 12-19-2008Rich Hanowski, director of the Center for Truck and Bus Safety, recently had an article accepted for publication to Accident Analysis and Prevention, a premier journal that provides wide coverage of the areas of accidental injury and damage. The article, titled "Evaluating the 2003 Revised Hours-of-Service Regulations for Truck Drivers: The Impact of Time-on-Task on Critical Incident Risk," will be published sometime in early 2009.
Ray Pethtel, University Transportation Fellow, has recently been elected to his third and final membership on the ITS America Board of Directors
Post Date: 12-02-2008The Intelligent Transportation Society of America is the leading advocate for technologies that improve the safety, security and efficiency of the nation's surface transportation system. Pethtel previously served as Secretary of the organization. Currently, he serves on the Finance, Strategic Planning, and Governance Committees and has recently been elected to his third membership on the ITS America Board of Directors. His term will be until May 2010.
Anchorage Street Lighting Conference Highlights VTTI Lighting Researchers
Post Date: 11-24-2008Dr. Ron Gibbons, group leader of the Center for Lighting & Infrastructure Technology group will be featured at the upcoming Anchorage Street Lighting Conference, to be held December 3 and 4 in Anchorage, Alaska. Dr. Gibbons' team will be hosting a demonstration of a vehicle equipped with visual sensing instruments that will record driver reactions to small target visibility. The conference's purpose is to discuss street lighting retrofit programs that provide higher street lighting quality while greatly reducing energy and maintenance.
VTTI Researcher Presents for World Usability Day 2008
Post Date: 11-24-2008Greg Fitch, a researcher in the Center for Truck and Bus Safety at VTTI, presented at Virginia Tech's Corporate Research Center for World Usability Day, an event held by the Usability Professional's Association to ensure that services and products important to human life are easier to access and simpler to use. This year's theme was transportation and Fitch presented research on how drivers react to collision avoidance alerts presented through a haptic driver's seat.
Society of Environmental Journalists Visits VTTI
Post Date: 11-24-2008VTTI was a point of interest for the Society of Environmental Journalists 18th Annual Conference, held October 15th – 19th. Attendees attended a presentation given by Dr. Hesham Rakha, the director of the Center for Sustainable Mobility at VTTI. In addition to having the opportunity to speak with Dr. Rakha, they had a chance to interact with other researchers and students at Virginia Tech and see several alternative vehicles developed at Virginia Tech. Attendees also got a chance to see how various traffic control strategies can reduce vehicle fuel consumption and emissions.
School Day and Open House a Success
Post Date: 11-24-2008Approximately 700 people, both students and members of the public, toured VTTI during its latest combined School Day/Open House event on October 1. In an effort to increase public awareness of the valuable research that goes on every day at VTTI's facilities, attendees were given a presentation about the research conducted at VTTI, a close up look at instrumented vehicles, a ride on the Smart Road with VTTI's rain towers in operation, and a chance to visit the Smart Road Control Room. VTTI will hold its next School Day in Spring 2009, and the next combined School Day/Open House in Fall 2009. More details will be posted as the dates are finalized.
VTTI Hosts K-9 Law Enforcement
Post Date: 11-24-2008When law enforcement agencies approached VTTI with a need for a safe place to do K-9 training that involved a variety of situations including vehicles, VTTI knew that it would be a perfect opportunity to provide a valuable resource to an agency in need. Sixty-eight different K-9 units from across the Commonwealth worked on training animals in narcotics detection, criminal apprehension, and explosive detection; some of these areas required jumping out of cars and chasing after suspects. The road provided a real life setting but at the same time ensured a safe, controlled environment for the officers and the dogs.