Raleigh-Durham area residents are needed for a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study of driving behavior, described as the largest coordinated highway safety research program ever undertaken in the United States.
A total of 3,100 drivers in six states will participate. In addition to Raleigh-Durham, study centers are collecting data in Seattle, WA, Buffalo, NY, Bloomington, IN, State College, PA, and Tampa, FL.
The study seeks to identify countermeasures to improve highway safety through an understanding of drivers’ actual in-car behavior. “It is really important to understand what happens to drivers and their vehicles in the real world. The study results will lead to better and safer highway and auto design,” says Jim Jenness, Westat Senior Study Director.
Over the course of the study (1–2 years), special monitoring equipment installed in the driver’s car will capture both driver and vehicle performance data. The technology includes forward radar, video cameras, GPS, accelerometers, and other sensors.
“Similar technology is used in automotive design and even in NASCAR,” says Westat Site Manager Martha Wilaby. “It’s pretty high-tech, but it isn’t obtrusive when it’s installed. It doesn’t interfere with driving, and it doesn’t harm your vehicle.”
A total of 476 local drivers and their personal cars are being recruited. According to Wilaby, “We need drivers of all ages, especially those under 25 and those over 75.” Any volunteer under 18 requires parental permission. The national research firm, Westat, is conducting the NAS study out of its Durham facility. Drivers who volunteer will be asked to fill out questionnaires and take some tests, while their vehicle is being instrumented, to provide information to support research on the relationship between driver characteristics and highway safety. Then they will simply follow their regular driving patterns. Drivers will be reimbursed $500 per year for their participation.
The study website, www.drivingstudy.org, provides detailed information on the study, as well as instructions for those who may be interested in participating.
Contact: Martha Wilaby, Westat-Durham, 919-388-3424, marthawilaby@westat.com.