We Make Travel Safer

Despite the introduction of new safety technologies, more than 37,000 Americans died on our roads in 2016 and another 2.5 million were injured.

After years of declining rates, the number of injuries and deaths are increasing.

Traffic accidents cost the U.S. economy more than $80 billion per year in medical costs and lost work time.

Our research makes travel safer. Our Center for Transportation, Technology & Safety Research works to understand why these rates are increasing and how we can reverse the trend.

Seeing is believing. Our human factors simulation lab and instrumented vehicle let our researchers observe drivers in real time. We can

• See how drivers interact with safety technologies like lane departure and blind spot warnings, voice controls, and automatic braking.
• Measure driver distraction and recommend how to keep people focused on the road and not on display screens or smartphones.
• Understand more about teen drivers to develop training that helps reduce the high crash rates among these new drivers.

Our research helps save lives. The data we gather helps car manufacturers improve vehicle safety features. It also helps law enforcement agencies and traffic safety organizations develop programs to reduce crash deaths, injuries, and costs.

Explore Transportation Research