Research Projects
THOR Dummy FE Model Creation
George Washington University , Virginia Tech
Date: 12-6-2011
Development and study of a detailed THOR Dummy FE model to better understand NHTSA’s upgraded crash test dummy and how to reduce injuries caused by vehicle crashes.
BACKGROUND
NHTSA has developed its THOR-NT frontal impact crash test dummy, which includes more biofedilic features for improved assessments of neck injury, chest deflection, and lower leg forces among others, in a vehicle crash....
Whole Body THUMS Validation
University Of Virginia
Date: 12-6-2011
Understanding how Toyota’s THUMS models perform in crash tests at a “whole body” level.
BACKGROUND
Toyota has developed the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) as a tool for studying the effects of vehicle crashes on the human body. THUMS has been thoroughly validated on a component-by-component level, but there has been limited study of THUMS at the “whole body” level. To better u...
Task Analytic and Time Series Analysis of Driver Behavior
University Of Iowa
Date: 12-6-2011
A comprehensive three-year study of pre-drive behavior, such as where the feet are placed prior to beginning the drive to determine its influence on driver-vehicle interactions.
BACKGROUND
The University of Iowa is collaborating with Toyota to research driver behavior related to pre-drive behavior. The goal of this research is to create statistically reliable models of foot placement in order ...
Abdominal Injury Study
Virginia Tech
Date: 12-6-2011
Studying the relationship between age and abdominal injuries from automobile crashes to find new ways to better protect vulnerable populations of drivers and passengers.
BACKGROUND
Researchers in Japan have found that senior drivers are involved in a higher number of traffic crashes and, in those events, experience a higher rate of abdominal injuries.
While the same trend has not been ident...
THUMS Simulation of Real-World Crash Events
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Date: 9-21-2011
Combining crash reconstruction data with Finite Element Modeling to better understand how to reduce injuries caused by vehicle crashes.
BACKGROUND
The Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) maintains an in-depth database of real-world vehicle crashes, including detailed analysis of post-crash conditions, witness comments, environmental conditions and occupant injuries. The CIREN...
Advanced Automatic Crash Notification
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Date: 9-21-2011
Developing vehicle computer systems that not only notify first responders in the event of a crash, but also predict for them the likelihood and severity of occupant and driver injuries
BACKGROUND
Toyota has been engaged in research related to vehicle computer systems that can automatically notify first responders in the event of a crash. These efforts have led to steps that could be used to d...
Brain Fitness Training for Senior Drivers
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Date: 9-21-2011
Studying the effectiveness of brain fitness training for senior drivers in limiting the risk of reduced field of vision associated with age
BACKGROUND
The decreased field of vision and reduced mobility associated with aging can lead to an increased risk of accident, injury and even premature death among senior drivers. Given the predicted dramatic increase in the U.S. senior driver population...
Senior Occupant Posture, Belt Fit, and Body Shape
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Date: 8-15-2011
Studying the relationship between age and how the occupant sits in and interacts with the vehicle due to posture and body shape changes to find new ways to protect senior drivers and passengers
BACKGROUND
Senior drivers and passengers are much more vulnerable to injuries in car crashes than are younger occupants. Analyses of crash data have demonstrated that most of the increased risk is due ...
Teen Driver Coaching
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Date: 8-31-2011
Developing a system of feedback and coaching for helping teenage drivers reduce unsafe driving acts and lower their rate of auto-related injuries and death.
BACKGROUND
Teenage drivers have a higher risk of being in a motor vehicle crash and sustaining injury than any other driving populations. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury and death for teenage drivers. The r...
Child Injury Database
The Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia
Date: 8-15-2011
Researching effective ways to establish a new National Child Occupant Special Study database in order to improve how we keep children safe in vehicles.
BACKGROUND
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injuries and fatalities to children under 14, and national crash data databases such as the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) either do not contain sufficient cases or enough deta...
Driver Distraction: Cognitive Model & Validation
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Date: 8-15-2011
Filling the gap in our understanding of cognitive driver distraction with a new model of cognitive distraction that combines driver performance with findings from cognitive psychology and neuroscience.
BACKGROUND
While there have always been distractions that can take a driver’s attention from the road, the rise in cell-phones and in-vehicle entertainment systems have increased safety concer...
Pedestrian PCS Test Scenarios
Transportation Active Safety Institute - IUPUI
Date: 8-14-2011
Developing test procedure for pedestrian pre-collision systems to help consumers and the government compare technologies across the automotive industry.
BACKGROUND
To help consumers compare automotive safety technologies across manufacturers when buying a new vehicle, NHTSA developed the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). As new technologies are introduced to the market, the system is updated ...
Finite Element Model Development for Vulnerable Populations
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Date: 8-31-2011
Developing new computer models to study the effects of automobile accidents on child and senior passengers.
BACKGROUND
Because human bodies change as we age, the injuries suffered in vehicle crashes by children and seniors differ in important ways from the average adult male or female. Existing computer models of the human body used to study how vehicle occupants move and interact with a vehic...
Lane Departure Warning System Safety Benefit Estimation
Virginia Tech
Date: 8-31-2011
Examining the benefits of Lane Departure Systems by developing computer simulation models to evaluate their effectiveness
BACKGROUND
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Systems warn a driver if the vehicle begins to move out of its lane, and are a recent addition to the list of available automotive active safety technologies. The design and operation of these systems vary across vehicle manufacturers...
Demands of In-Vehicle Interfaces
MIT AgeLab
Date: 8-31-2011
Analyzing the impact of voice command systems on driver performance of in-vehicle voice-command systems for improved driver vehicle interface design.
BACKGROUND
With the rise of automotive entertainment and Telematics systems, U.S. roads and highways are increasingly filled with vehicles that feature in-vehicle systems operated by voice commands.
These voice command systems were created as an...
Washtenaw County Crash Data Archive
Washtenaw Area Transportation Study
Date: 8-31-2011
Working to develop a detailed crash data archive to help better understand crash mechanisms and improve in-vehicle safety countermeasures.
BACKGROUND
NHTSA’s crash databases are populated with data from police reports of vehicle crashes nationwide. While these provide researchers with a variety of important details such as road location, road condition, date, time and speed limit, the data ...
Pre-Collision System Test Procedures
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Date: 8-15-2011
Developing new tests for vehicle pre-collision systems to help consumers and the government compare technologies across the automotive industry.
BACKGROUND
To help consumers compare automotive safety technologies across manufacturers when buying a new vehicle, NHTSA developed the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). As new technologies are introduced to the market, the system is updated with new...
