On Aug. 17, reporters and transportation agency representatives gathered under a tent near a repurposed runway at The Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS Campus. They watched as Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Research Engineer Melisa Finley — known for her innovative studies on wrong-way drivers — led a first-of-its-kind and successful connected-vehicle demonstration funded by […]
human behavior
A Team Effort: Toyota Project Brings Together Multiple Institutions to Create Crash Countermeasures
In 2013, Robert Wunderlich, director of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Center for Transportation Safety gathered a team of researchers to work on a project funded by the Toyota Economic Loss Settlement — money set aside for transportation safety research. The project’s goal was to find methods to reduce crashes caused by vehicle- and/or […]
Spike in Pedestrian/Bicyclist Deaths Prompts Year-Long Study by TxDOT
A sharp increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities in Texas has prompted researchers with the Center for Transportation Safety at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) to examine what factors contributed to the 550 deaths in 2015 — nearly a 13 percent increase from the year before. In fact, since 2010, pedestrian fatalities have […]
TTI’s Toyota Project Aims to Proactively Detect Driver Stress, Vehicle Errors
Can driver stress levels and abnormal vehicle operations be detected and measured to help prevent crashes? Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers and members of its multidisciplinary, multi-institution team have completed the second year of a three-year project looking at that question. So far, the answer seems to be a resounding “yes.” The TTI project […]
TTI Researchers Investigate Reasons Impaired Drivers Choose Transportation Network Companies to Provide Safe Rides
For years transportation safety officials have encouraged impaired drivers to find a sober ride home — be it designating a driver, catching a cab or riding the bus. Another option became available in 2009, when transportation network companies (TNCs) first appeared. TNCs provide on-demand taxi-like transportation via self-dispatched independent drivers. Riders summon drivers through a […]
Walk, Don’t Drive: Active Transportation May Provide More than Health Benefits
In the United States, more people live in suburbs than in central cities, and suburbanites drive automobiles or rely on mass transit to get to and from work. The construction of highways with multiple lanes and faster speed limits has been a common response to meet the growth of sprawling cities and the widespread ownership […]
Aging Drivers Expected to Impact Transportation Landscape
TTI, TAMHSC Lead Global Research Effort It’s no secret that we are living longer, healthier lives. But, does that also mean we are driving longer and traveling more? If so, it could have a dramatic impact on congestion, safety, public transportation and numerous other transportation issues — not only in the United States, but around […]
Researchers Test Emergency Exit Signs for Tunnels
About 15 years ago, several catastrophic, deadly highway tunnel disasters occurred in Europe. As a result, researchers began to evaluate methods to more effectively help stranded motorists reach emergency exits. The green “running man” sign — an international symbol for “emergency exit” — was adopted to help communicate with motorists. The United States has yet […]