Although motorcyclists make up only 3 percent of all registered vehicles, in 2020, motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States. As these numbers have risen over the years, several state DOTs are taking matters into their own hands to address these issues. In partnership with the Texas Department of […]
safety
Teens Innovate Ways to #StopTrackTragedies
Every year, 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured when they engage in unsafe behavior around tracks and trains. Operation Lifesaver Inc., Union Pacific Railroad and Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Teens in the Driver Seat® (TDS) program joined together Sept. 19–25 to observe Rail Safety Week (RSW) and urged the public to help […]
Transportation Leaders Discuss the Future of Technological Innovations at 2022 Transportation Technology Conference
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) hosted the 2022 Texas A&M Transportation Technology Conference Sept. 15–16 in partnership with The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Engineering and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. The event — sponsored by HNTB, Alliance Texas Mobility Innovation Zone, 3M and Cavnue — highlighted innovative projects […]
Clear the Way! Emergency Vehicles En Route
During an emergency, seconds matter. However, navigating through busy urban arterials may sometimes be a tricky task for emergency response vehicles, particularly through busy intersections. In 2021, of the 633,499 roadway crashes in Texas, nearly 37 percent occurred at intersections, emphasizing the importance of improving safety in these scenarios. An ongoing research project conducted by […]
TTI Provides Technical Assistance Study on Railway Grade Crossings in Mexico
Mexico’s national railway network consists of 16,700 miles of railway lines. Following a restructuring and privatization completed in 1998, the system is operated under long-term concessions to the federal government. The restructuring has resulted in the steady growth of freight rail traffic and increased efficiency. The road and rail systems intersect at more than 7,000 […]
Do Not Enter! You’re Driving the Wrong Way
Few scenarios are more terrifying for a motorist than encountering someone driving the wrong way on a freeway. When a crash occurs because of wrong-way driving (WWD), the results are often catastrophic. Such was the case on March 15, 2011, when San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) Officer Stephanie Brown was killed by an intoxicated WWD […]
How a More Forgiving Roadside Could Impact Severity of Crashes
Side roads, main roads, and highways have seemingly transformed into race tracks or obstacle courses during the last couple of years. Drivers slowing down, wearing seatbelts and not being under the influence can help reduce the number of deaths on roads; however, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers are also working on other ways to […]
TTI’s Minjares-Kyle Promoted to Youth Transportation Safety Program Manager
After 35 years of service with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) — nearly 30 of that in a management position — Russell Henk resigned as program manager of the Youth Transportation Safety (YTS) Program effective June 30. “Creating the Teens in the Driver Seat® Program and leading the YTS team for the past 20 […]
TTI’s Warner Presents at Special Session on Trespass and Suicide Prevention at ILCAD International Rail Safety Conference
Recognizing the importance of increasing awareness of the safety dangers at highway–rail grade crossings (also known as level crossings), the International Union of Railways (UIC) began the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) in 2009. Level crossing safety remains a major safety concern — especially regarding the dangers of trespassing on rail rights-of-way. In the […]
TTI’s Das Publishes Book on Artificial Intelligence in Highway Safety
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Associate Research Scientist Subasish Das will publish the book Artificial Intelligence in Highway Safety (1st edition) September 29, 2022, with CRC Press/Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group. In this book, Das discusses advances in the highway safety field that involve artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. He specifically addresses how […]
Seeing the Road
Though highway striping technologies have evolved in the past 80 years, one constant has remained the same: Clear and highly visible highway markings ensure safety for drivers. Driving is a visual activity, and as we make our way down a road, we all look at a wide range of visual inputs — the roadway, the […]
Seeing the Road in Low-Visibility Conditions
Seeing the road is an essential component of safe driving. Drivers depend on a continuous flow of information as they move along the roadway to properly position their vehicle. Centerline and edge-line markings delineate the vehicle lane for drivers, while other markings such as stop bars and railway crossings provide key safety information and alert […]
Traffic Signal Technologies Improve Pedestrian, Bicyclist Safety in Texas
The Lone Star State has experienced an increase in the number of pedestrians and bicyclists who have lost their lives in roadway crashes. Within the last decade, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities rose by 69 percent in Texas. These statistics — but, even more so, the real people behind the numbers — present a safety concern […]
Evaluating Road Types Improves Safety, Mobility in Rural Areas
Rural roadways often have a high number of crashes, especially severe crashes. To help decrease that number, researchers have focused safety and mobility studies on rural areas that experience increased truck traffic and road usage during certain economic booms — like oil booms. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Odessa District experienced an oil boom […]
TTI Facilities Research Road Safety Devices, Technologies
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Visibility Research Laboratory and smart intersection explore how improvements in road markings, signals and equipment can keep road users safe. Through the Eyes of the Visibility Research Laboratory Researchers in TTI’s Visibility Research Laboratory evaluate retroreflective materials, lights, coatings and other technologies designed to provide nighttime visibility. The lab […]
Preventing Roadway Crashes before They Occur
Roadway departure crashes make up a significant number of the crashes on Texas roadways each year. In 2016 alone, Texas roads experienced 61,973 roadway departure crashes, most of which occurred on two-way two-lane (TWTL) highways (92 percent). These numbers — especially in a state that just saw its second-deadliest year on record for road fatalities […]
Proper Friction Equals Safer Roads
The correct amount of pavement friction is critical for motorist safety, especially during wet weather. The Wet Surface Crash Reduction Program guidelines from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Traffic Safety Division provide engineers with a framework for identifying existing pavement friction and the tools for specifying new pavement surfaces that will meet project-specific friction […]
U in the Driver Seat Holds First In-Person Symposium Since 2019
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) U in the Driver Seat (UDS) education and outreach program held its 2022 UDS Symposium in Austin, Texas, April 29–30. With the support of State Farm, the Texas Department of Transportation, and Union Pacific Railroad, the symposium was available at no cost to college-aged students representing different colleges across […]
Before Warning Bells Ring — Hazmat, Train Derailment Emergency Planning for Schools
Hazardous materials (hazmat) travel daily by road, rail, pipeline, waterway and air through the Lone Star State. Most transport vehicles safely arrive with their cargo. It’s when things go wrong — such as a hazmat incident or train derailment near a school — that a well-informed, thorough safety plan can save student, teacher and staff […]
Caution: Navigation Tools Could Steer Drivers to Shortest, But Not Safest Route
Time for a road trip. You punch the destination into your GPS and choose the suggested route. But is this shortest route the safest? Not necessarily, according to Texas A&M University researchers. Dr. Dominique Lord and Dr. Soheil Sohrabi, with the help of funding from the A.P. and Florence Wiley Faculty Fellow at Texas A&M, designed a […]
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