Aaa Foundation For Traffic Safety

THE FOUNDATION CONDUCTS OR FUNDS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPS EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO ENHANCE TRAFFIC STUDY

RESEARCH: IN 2023, THE FOUNDATION PUBLISHED 17 NEW TRAFFIC SAFETY REPORTS, INITIATED 12 NEW TRAFFIC SAFETY RESEARCH CONTRACTS/AGREEMENTS, BEGAN 5 IN-HOUSE STUDIES, AND CONTINUED WORK ON 15 TRAFFIC SAFETY RESEARCH PROJECTS INITIATED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.THE FOUNDATION FUNDED, MANAGED, AND/OR PERFORMED RESEARCH IN 2023 DETAILED IN THE FOLLOWING REPORTS (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER BY DATE OF PUBLICATION): PROTECTING ROADSIDE WORKERS: FIELD EVALUATION OF A VEHICLE-MOUNTED VARIABLE MESSAGE SIGN AND EXAMINATION OF WORKER PERCEPTIONS AND USE OF COUNTERMEASURES, PROTECTING ROADSIDE WORKERS: FIELD EVALUATION OF FLARES, CONES, AND TOW TRUCK LIGHT PATTERNS, USER INTERACTIONS WITH VEHICLE AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES: A REVIEW OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND A PROPOSED FRAMEWORK, IN-VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY USE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG OLDER DRIVERS, DROWSINESS AND DECISION MAKING DURING LONG DRIVES: A DRIVING SIMULATION STUDY, PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS AUTOMATED VEHICLES, UNITED STATES, 2021: EXAMINING THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN PREFERENCES FOR ADOPTION AND PERCEIVED SAFETY, CHANGE IN MENTAL MODELS OF ADAS IN RELATION TO QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF EXPOSURE, A MULTI-SITE EXAMINATION FOR THE IMPACT OF CHANGES IN POSTED SPEED LIMIT ON TRAFFIC SAFETY, HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACES AND VEHICLE AUTOMATION: THE EFFECT OF HMI DESIGN ON DRIVER PERFORMANCE AND BEHAVIOR, EXAMINING THE SAFETY BENEFITS OF PARTIAL VEHICLE AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE, AMERICAN DRIVING SURVEY: 2022, MEASURING AND PREDICTING DRIVERS' TAKEOVER READINESS AND SUPPORTING TAKEOVER TRANSITIONS IN AUTOMATED DRIVING, A MULTI-METHOD APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING DRIVERS' EXPERIENCES AND BEHAVIOR UNDER PARTIAL VEHICLE AUTOMATION, MAPPING COMPREHENSION OF ADAS ACROSS DIFFERENT ROAD USERS, PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND FRAILTY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SELF-REGULATION OF DRIVING AMONG OLDER ADULTS: A LONGROAD STUDY, A SAFE SYSTEM GUIDE FOR TRANSPORTATION: SHARING THIS APPROACH TO LEAD YOUR COMMUNITY TO ACTION, AND THE 2022 TRAFFIC SAFETY CULTURE INDEX.FOUNDATION RESEARCH FINDINGS ARE USED TO SUPPORT NATIONAL PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, SUCH AS NATIONAL TEEN DRIVER SAFETY WEEK AND DROWSY DRIVING PREVENTION WEEK. THEY ARE ALSO USED TO DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, AND SUPPORT ADVOCACY EFFORTS OF AAA AND OTHER TRAFFIC SAFETY ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS. FOUNDATION RESEARCH FINDINGS ON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY HAVE BEEN CITED IN NUMEROUS STATE AND LOCAL TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT "VISION ZERO" PLANS OUTLINING NEEDED SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. ALL THESE EFFORTS ARE ULTIMATELY DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE AND AFFECT REAL WORLD IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAFFIC SAFETY. FOUNDATION RESEARCH HAS ALSO SUPPORTED OUR NUMEROUS PARTNERSHIPS IN THE TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY COMMUNITIES. FOUNDATION CO-SPONSORED RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH THE SAFER-SIM UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTER TO EXAMINE DRIVERS' UNDERSTANDINGS AND INTERACTIONS WITH ADVANCED DRIVER-ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TO HELP TRAFFIC SAFETY STAKEHOLDERS ADVOCATE EFFECTIVELY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE FOUNDATION ALSO WORKED WITH THE COLLABORATIVE SCIENCES CENTER FOR ROAD SAFETY (CSCRS) UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTER TO UNDERSTAND THE REASONS FOR THE INCREASING TREND IN PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES AND IDENTIFY WAYS TO ADDRESS IT. FINALLY, IN 2023, THE FOUNDATION INITIATED RESEARCH PROJECTS WHICH INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING GOALS: DEVELOPING ADAS TRAINING THAT DRIVERS WILL USE; IDENTIFYING STRATEGIES TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND CORRECT MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT CANNABIS USE AND IMPAIRED DRIVING; IDENTIFYING THE CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ON CANNABIS USE, DECRIMINALIZATION AND TRAFFIC SAFETY; DEVELOPING A NEAR-MISS REPORTING SYSTEM FOR ROADSIDE RESPONDERS; UNDERSTANDING FACTORS INFLUENCING DRIVERS' COMPLIANCE WITH "SLOW DOWN, MOVE OVER" LAWS; ANALYZING THE INFLUENCE OF ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE VEHICLE LIGHTING ON DRIVER BEHAVIOR AND SAFETY; INCREASING EQUITY IN TRAFFIC SAFETY, AND UNDERSTANDING AGGRESSIVE DRIVING BEHAVIOR AND ROAD RAGE. IN ADDITION, THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED WORK ON SEVERAL ACTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS BEGUN IN PRIOR YEARS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: EXAMINING COUNTERMEASURES TO REDUCE DROWSY DRIVING; EXAMINING COUNTERMEASURES TO REDUCE DRIVER DISTRACTION; PREDICTING THE FUTURE SOCIETAL SAFETY IMPACT OF VEHICLE AUTOMATION; AND THE LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH ON AGING DRIVERS (LONGROAD) STUDY.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: ALL RESEARCH REPORTS AND FINDINGS PRODUCED BY THE AAA FOUNDATION FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, FREE OF CHARGE. ADDITIONALLY, THE FOUNDATION PRODUCES COMPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR EACH PROJECT SO THAT VISITORS TO THE WEBSITE CAN FIND KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM EACH STUDY. THESE MAY INCLUDE REPORT SUMMARIES, RESEARCH BRIEFS, INFOGRAPHICS, ETC. THE AAA FOUNDATION HAS PROVIDED OUTREACH THROUGH CONFERENCES, FORUMS, AND WORKSHOPS TO A RANGE OF AUDIENCES INCLUDING TECHNICAL EXPERTS, KEY STAKEHOLDERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH THE GOAL OF EFFECTING REAL-WORLD IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAFFIC SAFETY. IN 2023, FOUNDATION RESEARCH FINDINGS WERE PRESENTED AT NUMEROUS CONFERENCES AND EVENTS INCLUDING: THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD ANNUAL MEETING; THE AAA SAFE SYSTEM SUMMIT; THE INTERNATIONAL TASKFORCE ON VEHICLE-HIGHWAY AUTOMATION ANNUAL MEETING; THE ASCE 2023 CONVENTION; MOBILITY INNOVATION WEEK JAPAN; THE HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING; THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR BUSINESS ECONOMICS ANNUAL MEETING; THE CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SUMMIT; THE AAA DRIVER TRAINING & TRAFFIC SAFETY SUMMIT; AND THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS' "SLOW ROADS SAVE LIVES" WORK. THE AAA FOUNDATION'S PRESENCE AT THESE CONFERENCES HELPED SPREAD AAA FOUNDATION'S RESEARCH AND MISSION TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES. THE AAA FOUNDATION HAD EXHIBIT BOOTHS AT THE INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS ANNUAL MEETING AND THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD ANNUAL MEETING IN 2023. THE AAA FOUNDATION ALSO STRIVES TO PUBLISH MUCH OF OUR RESEARCH IN LEADING PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL JOURNALS TO ENSURE THAT OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH FINDINGS ARE SHARED WITH THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND POLICYMAKERS. IN 2023, RESEARCH PERFORMED AND/OR FUNDED BY THE AAA FOUNDATION WAS PUBLISHED IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS INCLUDING: ACCIDENT ANALYSIS & PREVENTION; JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS; TRAFFIC INJURY PREVENTION; ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MEDICINE; AND JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY.