National School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 19–23, 2020) recognizes the importance of school bus safety with various activities aimed at teaching students how to be safer in and around school buses. The week also highlights ways roadway users can practice safer behaviors whenever they encounter buses on the roadway, helping to keep our children safer. […]
safety
College Students, Traffic Safety Professionals Attend Virtual 2020 U in the Driver Seat Symposium
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) U in the Driver Seat (UDS) education and outreach program held its virtual 2020 UDS Symposium Oct. 7–9. Now in its eighth year, the symposium raises awareness about the leading cause of death for young adults ages 18–25 — traffic crashes. This year’s theme was “recharge to save lives […]
Bringing the Passion at the Virtual 2020 Texas Child Passenger Safety Conference
People in the child passenger safety field are some of the most passionate advocates you’ll ever meet. And they infused passion into the virtual 2020 Texas Child Passenger Safety Conference Sept. 9–11, 2020. The fourth annual event had more than 400 attendees, most of whom are child passenger safety technicians (CPSTs). Organized by the Texas […]
Winfree Featured in Bloomberg CityLab Article
Texas A&M Transportation Institute Agency Director Greg Winfree was featured as a contributor in a recently-published story on Bloomberg CityLab. “The Life-Saving Car Technology No One Wants” explores why safety features that would make vehicles far less lethal to pedestrians exist right now, but are not required. Read the full article on Bloomberg CityLab
Texas Roads Less Crowded, but No Less Dangerous
Reformation Austin News highlights the COVID-19 traffic trend of fewer vehicles on Texas roadways but the lack of a commensurate reduction in fatal crashes. TTI’s Center for Transportation Safety Director Robert Wunderlich discusses his analysis of the data behind those findings. Read the Reformation Austin News story
A Galaxy Not So Far Away: Safety Innovation at the 2020 Virtual Traffic Safety Conference
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) hosted the first ever virtual Traffic Safety Conference June 10–12, 2020. The conference, supported by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), focused on traffic safety issues and forward-looking research aligned with TxDOT’s goal to end all traffic fatalities on Texas roadways by 2050. For more information on the zero […]
The Safe System Approach with Robert Wunderlich, P.E.
Robert Wunderlich, P.E., ITE Fellow and Director of the Center for Transportation Safety at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, discusses the Safe System approach to reducing serious injuries and fatalities on roadways. He highlights the various aspects of the Safe System, including roadway design that reduces user error and lowers impact forces, and explains what […]
The Last Stop with Greg Winfree: More than Meets the Eye — Expanding How We See Transportation Safety in a World with Pandemics
Historically, transportation research has focused on avoiding dangers we can see. The first traffic light troubleshot human errors in judgment by better regulating traffic flow. As the 20th century unfolded, our focus shifted to innovations like seat belts and air bags to help us survive crashes we couldn’t avoid. Nowadays, sensors and cameras — high-tech […]
TTI, Texas A&M Partner on Senior Driver Assistance Technologies Study
TTI Human Factors Program Manager and Senior Research Scientist Michael Manser recently concluded a study in which he partnered with Ranjana Mehta, associate professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and director of Texas A&M’s NeuroErgonomics Laboratory. The study examined how senior drivers prefer to learn about assistance technologies. Researchers discovered […]
Are You Currently “Home” Schooling? Add Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety to Your Child’s Schoolwork
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has closed schools statewide and left a lot of parents “home schooling” their children. If you have an elementary-age child, this is a great time to incorporate pedestrian and bicycle safety into their schoolwork. Teaching your children pedestrian and bicycle safety will help them be safer as they explore your neighborhood. […]
2020 National Work Zone Awareness Week
Safe Work Zones for All: Protect workers This week, April 20-24, is National Work Zone Awareness Week. This year’s theme is “Safe Work Zones for All: Protect workers. Protect road users.” Across the country, various agencies will work together to promote safe driving habits in work zones with an emphasis on reminding drivers that work […]
Now’s the Time to Teach Your Teen to Drive
The Silver Lining in the COVID-19 Cloud The entire world is practicing social distancing, and some of us are under shelter-in-place orders. You might find you have some extra time on your hands. If you’re a parent with a teen at home, you might find yourself even growing a bit antsy for something to do […]
Car Crashes Are Down. Working From Home Keeps Us Safe On the Road
By Gregory Winfree No one yet knows how many Americans will die this year from COVID-19. But here’s a pretty safe bet on the number who will die in car crashes: Likely not as many as last year. Call it an unintended benefit of widespread stay-at-home orders designed to fight the spread of the coronavirus. […]
A Good Time for a Walk? Sure, but Stay Safe
Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has temporarily altered life as we knew it — we’re all operating under more stress and often in tighter quarters. With some of our communities currently under shelter-in-place orders, many of us now work remotely, while others still must venture out to provide essential services. You might have already noticed that more […]
TTI Helps Coordinate the CAV Task Force: Connected-Automated Vehicles Are Becoming a Reality
Connected-automated vehicles (CAVs) were once a figment of our imagination, something we only saw in science fiction movies; now, they’re becoming a reality. What exactly is CAV technology? CAVs leverage a combination of on- and off-vehicle sensors, cameras and other technologies to connect with other vehicles and infrastructure to help guide vehicles, improving public safety […]
People First: Advanced Technology Improves Safety near Transit Stops
Ensuring connected-automated vehicle technology benefits pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable road users is vital to transforming our transportation system in a way that meets the needs of all users. Aiming for zero traffic deaths by the mid-century mark, the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) Enhance Safety goal “promotes safe driving, bicycling and pedestrian activities.” TxDOT […]
Looking to the Future with the Texas Connected Freight Corridors Project
Imagine yourself driving a truck along I-35 filled with perishable goods. You rely on your eyes to predict what you might encounter on the road ahead, though you can’t always see every hazard. Advanced transportation technologies can make the difference, noticing (and reacting to) things the human eye can’t. Mobility, safety, reliability, security — all […]
Wunderlich Briefs Texas Senate Panel on Traffic-Related Crash Trends, Causes
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Senior Research Engineer Robert Wunderlich shared road safety insights with state lawmakers on February 26 during a meeting of Texas’ Senate Transportation Committee. The panel heard Wunderlich’s testimony in the course of pursuing its goal to study crash causes and make recommendations to improve roadway safety. “Texas traffic crashes are […]
When You Ride Uber or Lyft With Your Kids, Do You Use Car Seats? You Should
We need consistent policies and laws regarding children and rideshare before somebody gets hurt. By Katie Womack Passengers under age 5 may constitute a tiny share of customers for Uber and Lyft, but those fragile riders deserve more attention as the industry grows. That’s because parents and rideshare drivers are both confused about when, where […]
Tips to Be a Safe Pedestrian in 2020 (and Beyond)
Learning how to be a safer pedestrian may not be at the top of your New Year’s resolution list, but with a rise in pedestrian deaths, it’s time to consider adding it. Only six days into the New Year and Bryan, Texas — home to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Headquarters — has already […]