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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>National Impaired Driving Paid Media Campaign Evaluation
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2470500</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Alcohol-impaired driving is a leading cause of fatal crashes in the United States, accounting for 32% of all traffic fatalities in 2022. A 2022 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study found that 54% of drivers involved in a serious injury or fatal crash tested positive for at least one drug, with active cannabinoids (25%) and alcohol (22%) the drugs most commonly found for trauma center cases; and with 39% positive for alcohol and 32% positive for active cannabinoids for medical examiner cases in the study. 

NHTSA uses safety messaging campaigns to raise public awareness and reduce impaired driving behaviors. The "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" paid media campaign is mandated by Congress and conducted annually in two waves around the Labor Day and the winter holiday seasons. These holiday seasons are targeted because both are periods of increased impaired driving. This project will evaluate these paid national media campaigns. The most recent evaluation of this campaign was conducted in 2012, using telephone surveys. This project will update the survey methodology, as well as the questionnaire. Given that phone survey response rates have declined significantly in recent years, NHTSA intends to use a nationally representative online panel to conduct this survey. The questionnaire will be updated to focus on not just alcohol-impaired driving, but drug-impaired driving as well, which was not evaluated in previous survey evaluations. The objective of this project is to assess public awareness of the risks of DUI/DUID and the influence of campaign messaging on individual’s perceptions of risk and their self-reported DUI/DUID behaviors. Findings from this study will be used to assess how public awareness of the media campaigns relates to self-reported impaired driving behaviors, pre- and post-campaign. Findings will also be used to improve NHTSA’s future safety messaging campaigns and to inform other agency programmatic efforts to reduce impaired driving. In addition to assessing awareness, messaging, and behaviors, this task order will also compare results to previous evaluations.  
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:28:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2470500</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Investigate the Impact of Rumble Strips on Motorcyclists</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2342050</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
The goals of this research project are to investigate the effects of rumble strips on motorcycle crashes and to engage with motorcycle communities to promote communication about rumble strips and their impact on safety.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Feb 2024 12:07:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2342050</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Community-Centered Traffic Safety</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2325713</link>
      <description><![CDATA["Community-Centered Traffic Safety" is a research project focused on addressing the complex issue of traffic safety through a multifaceted, locally informed approach. Recognizing the limitations of uniform strategies, the project explores traffic safety challenges by considering varied cultural, financial, and infrastructural factors that influence different communities. The project includes four research thrusts: evaluating the effectiveness of current citation fine structures across different population groups, developing tailored safety messaging, creating a crowdsourced app to identify local safety concerns, and analyzing pedestrian crashes near transit stops to identify contributing factors.

This comprehensive effort involves collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and interdisciplinary student participation from Engineering, Planning, and Public Policy departments. The project will engage with local communities through surveys, focus groups, and observational studies, and will use the UMassSafe Crash Data Warehouse for analysis. Expected outcomes include a proposed revision to the fine structure, targeted traffic safety campaigns, and a prototype of a community-informed app. The project also emphasizes student involvement in data analysis, stakeholder collaboration, and app testing, contributing to the broader goal of improving traffic safety and strengthening community engagement.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:27:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2325713</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Creating Effective Graphic Changeable Dynamic Message Sign (DMS) Messaging</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2255784</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Effective safety message campaigns greatly depend on travelers’ comprehension of the safety messages. Text-based message campaigns may result in reduced comprehension from specific population groups, such as non-native English speakers or slow-reading populations (e.g., older adults). Graphic messages can enhance the effectiveness of safety message campaigns and incident messaging. Current literature reviews have focused on use of graphical shields and highway signs as part of messaging. The research team proposes that for the same reason, graphical signs are used to increase understanding of non-native English speaking or slow-reading populations. The goal of this project is to determine whether graphics can be used to enhance comprehension and effectiveness of safety message campaigns, especially for non-native English speaking and slow reading populations. Use of KU driving simulator to identify effective messaging policy regarding use of graphics is essential to using this capability.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Sep 2023 17:11:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2255784</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The implementation of a public reporting application to enhance safety and security, and the implementation of a public education campaign to increase human trafficking awareness</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071585</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) in Lansing, Michigan, will receive funding to implement an app that allows users to submit public safety concerns with photos, videos and text messages to transit dispatchers. CATA also will conduct a public education campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking on transit.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:20:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071585</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Develop and implement human trafficking awareness campaign and increase staffing for human trafficking law enforcement</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071583</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority will receive funding to develop and disseminate human trafficking awareness materials to passengers, update an existing phone app that provides trafficking victims with information and resources to obtain help, and work with law enforcement agencies to identify best practices for reducing crime on transit. The human trafficking awareness materials will be disseminated via video and audio messages on public address systems on buses.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:20:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071583</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Develop and implement comprehensive program, to include training and community awareness campaign, to combat human trafficking</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071582</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA) will receive funding to provide human trafficking awareness training for public transportation staff in Northern Arizona, conduct a human trafficking awareness and public safety campaign, develop an app that allows bus drivers and riders to report suspicious behavior, and provide transit passes for human trafficking survivors involved in workforce training programs. NAIPTA operates the Mountain Line fixed route bus service as well as paratransit service in Flagstaff, Arizona.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:20:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071582</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Guidelines for Selecting Communication Channels to Deliver Traffic Safety Messaging



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1905553</link>
      <description><![CDATA[BTSCRP Research Report 17: Selecting Communication Channels to Deliver Traffic Safety Messaging: A Guide provides guidelines for delivering effective behavioral traffic safety messaging, including information on how delivery methods impact various audiences.

Behavioral traffic safety messaging is intended to inform, persuade, and motivate specific groups of road users to modify their risky behaviors with the goal of improving road safety and reducing the number of traffic-related injuries and fatalities. To reach specific road users and influence unsafe behaviors, behavioral traffic safety messages must be developed for and adapted to the needs of specific audiences in multiple locations.

SHSOs are routinely contacted by media companies that offer various ways to share traffic safety messaging with the motoring public. Common strategies include print, broadcast, digital, out-of-home, social, experiential, and partner cobranding. Little is known about the effectiveness of such messaging, whether one form is better than others, or which audiences might be most impacted by each form of messaging.

Under BTSCRP Project BTS-22, “Guidelines for Selecting Communication Channels to Deliver Traffic Safety Messaging,” Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was asked to develop guidelines on delivering effective behavioral traffic safety messaging and how different delivery methods impact various audiences. To support this deliverable, the research team was asked to assess a variety of traditional and innovative behavioral traffic safety campaigns to identify noteworthy practices and cost-effective approaches, and to prepare case examples.

In addition to this report, the following deliverables are available on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for BTSCRP Research Report 17: Selecting Communication Channels to Deliver Traffic Safety Messaging: A Guide: campaign matrix (Excel file); conduct of research report documenting the entire research effort; technical memorandum on implementation of research findings; and technical memorandum on research limitations.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2022 15:04:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1905553</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Effectiveness of Highway Safety Public Education at Montana Motor Vehicle Registration Stations by Streaming a Variety of Safety Content</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1890069</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There is a need to educate Montanans about highway safety, the consequences of exhibiting risky behaviors while driving such as texting while driving, driving while impaired or distracted, driving unbuckled; and the benefits of proven innovative road safety countermeasures such as roundabouts and rumble strips installed by public transportation agencies. There is an opportunity to install video equipment at select Motor Vehicle Divisions licensing and vehicle registration stations around the state of Montana to continuously play highway safety video clips. At many of these locations, the public has waiting times of five minutes or longer. This is enough time for people to give their attention to a video screen playing safety messages.

The objectives of this project are to do the following: (1) identify and secure available safety content and purchase and deploy the appropriate equipment to display safety content; (2) survey the public to determine if they are paying attention to the videos shown at the MVD driver license stations and the County Treasurer offices; and (3) determine if the safety messages have an impact on the behavior of the viewing public.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2021 09:51:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1890069</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Buckle Up, Phone Down Evaluation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1883833</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The project will produce a report describing the results of both a process evaluation and an outcome evaluation assessing the effectiveness of Buckle Up Phone Down (BUPD) with respect to increasing belt use and decreasing phone use while driving. In order to combat these two risky behaviors, Missouri Department of Transportation
(MoDOT) implemented the BUPD challenge in 2017. MoDOT partnered with local organizations such as businesses, elected officials, restaurants, schools, and professional sports teams to spread their campaign materials and messaging. They also designed a pledge in which partners could sign and promise to wear their seat belt and put their phone away while driving. The promise of BUPD, along with the seat belt and distracted driving problem in the United States, has motivated NHTSA to replicate the BUPD challenge and assess the effectiveness of the program using an independent evaluation. BUPD will be carried out at two sites outside of Missouri
under a separate NHTSA contract. This related project will assess the effectiveness of the BUPD campaign in increasing belt use and decreasing cell phone use while driving through observational data collected for an outcome evaluation and through a comprehensive process evaluation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2021 18:32:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1883833</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Pedestrian and Cyclist Intersection Safety Sandbox</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1745985</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project seeks to advance a more strategic approach for testing applications of innovative solutions for Vision Zero. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) intends to implement one or more pilot or demonstration projects that use emerging technology solutions to improve pedestrian and/or cyclist safety in intersections. In technology development, the term “sandbox” is used to refer to a testing environment that allows for safe testing of new software or code before implementation in a program or service. Borrowing from this idea, this project will designate a “sandbox” of a single intersection or corridor within the District to be used to safely pilot new technologies. This project will implement the sandbox with several emerging solutions and evaluate the outcomes. It is expected that many of the solutions will still be in research and development phases and that this project can help to shape those products while also providing valuable lessons learned for DDOT staff.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2020 13:28:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1745985</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-4522: Design of Educational Material &amp; Public Awareness Campaigns for Improving Work Zone Driver Safety</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1727172</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The overall goal of this project is to improve work zone driver safety in Indiana through driver education and public awareness campaigns. This project will build on the findings of the public opinion survey under SPR 4441 and inputs from Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Statewide Safety and INDOT’s back of queue Task Force. The project goal is broken down into two specific objectives: (1) prepare educational materials to be incorporated into driver’s education or training curriculum prior to taking driving test and getting a driver’s license issued, and (2) design a public awareness campaign.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2020 11:14:39 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1727172</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Determining the Effectiveness of Combined High Visibility Enforcement</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1716997</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) as a universal traffic safety approach designed to create deterrence and change unlawful traffic behaviors. HVE combines highly visible and proactive law enforcement targeting a specific traffic safety issue. Law enforcement efforts are combined with visibility elements and a publicity strategy to educate the public and promote voluntary compliance with the law. NHTSA has funded several evaluations of combined enforcement programs with mixed results.

The State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs), in conjunction with their state highway patrols and local law enforcement agencies, conduct multiple HVE campaigns throughout the year as countermeasures to road user crashes caused by impaired driving, lack of seat belt use, distracted driving, and speeding. These annual multiple campaigns are labor intensive for law enforcement agencies, and there are concerns about their effectiveness.
 
If research could demonstrate through evidence-based data that combined enforcement efforts are indeed effective, this would have positive resource impacts on SHSOs and their law enforcement partners.

The goal of this research was to develop a scalable evaluation framework and methodologies to determine the effectiveness of High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) campaigns to reduce crash frequency and severity involving road user behaviors such as impaired driving, lack of seat belt use, distracted driving, and speeding. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:10:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1716997</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Objectives, Components, and Measures of Effective Traffic Safety Public Awareness and Education Efforts







</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1716998</link>
      <description><![CDATA[BTSCRP Research Report 14: Evaluating Traffic Safety Campaigns: A Guide provides insights into current practices for measuring the effectiveness of behavioral-based traffic safety campaigns. It also presents a framework for evaluating traffic safety campaigns, with the goal of designing and conducting future campaigns to more effectively promote safer road user behaviors. This report will be of interest to state highway safety offices (SHSOs) and other stakeholders concerned with understanding the effectiveness of traffic safety campaigns and associated outcomes. 

Most states have engaged in some sort of behavioral-based traffic safety programs using education and enforcement to change road user behavior. Well-known examples include NHTSA’s Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaigns. With law enforcement agencies across the nation now facing resource challenges, many states are experiencing less participation in these types of campaigns.

Some states have launched new behavioral-based traffic safety campaigns focused more on public awareness, education, and individual responsibility. These campaigns can present some evidence of effectiveness, but such effects are often limited to communication metrics (e.g., number of impressions) rather than behavioral outcomes. A better understanding of how to measure the effectiveness of such campaigns would help create successful and sustainable initiatives. 

Under BTSCRP Project BTS-18, “Objectives, Components, and Measures of Effective Traffic Safety Public Awareness and Education Efforts,” Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was asked to (1) identify current practices used by SHSOs and other entities to evaluate the effectiveness of traffic safety campaigns and associated outcomes, and (2) develop a practical and scalable framework for evaluating how to engage road users, through traffic safety campaigns, to change behavior and improve safety performance. The focus of this research was public awareness and education campaigns regarding nonenforcement traffic safety. 

Appendix A, Costing Tool, and an evaluation matrix are supplemental products to BTSCRP Research Report 14. These products can be found on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for BTSCRP Research Report 14: Evaluating Traffic Safety Campaigns: A Guide. 

BTSCRP Web-Only Document 7 is a companion to BTSCRP Research Report 14. The web-only document describes the research methodology and can be found on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for BTSCRP Web-Only Document 7: Objectives, Components, and Measures of Effective Traffic Safety Public Awareness and Education Efforts.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:06:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1716998</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Communicating Safe Behavior Practices to Vulnerable Road Users</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1632554</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2018, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists) accounted for 12,125 (33%) of traffic fatalities in the United States. The diversity of these users complicates the design and implementation of effective programs for communicating safe behavior practices. For example, consider the statistics for pedestrians: 20% were 65 or older, 18% were 14 or younger, 75% of accidents occurred during darkness, 80% of accidents occurred in urban areas, and 70% were males (in 2017). There have been numerous public communication campaigns designed to curtail high risk behaviors in these populations, but given their growing number of fatalities, it is time to enhance the understanding of how behavioral safety messages are received by the target populations and what messages or marketing strategies are most effective at altering behaviors. For all three groups, an appropriate segmentation approach could improve the impact of behavioral safety interventions at the individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels.   
Despite current efforts to address vulnerable road user behavior, fatalities and serious injuries continue to occur at unacceptable levels. Research is needed to uncover the underlying unsafe behaviors and to develop effective outreach strategies for altering behaviors for each vulnerable road user group.
The objective of this research was to (1) develop a framework that identifies and prioritizes the root causes of high risk behaviors of vulnerable road users (motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians) resulting in fatalities or serious injuries, and (2) develop effective outreach strategies for altering unsafe behavior of each vulnerable road user group.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jun 2019 11:50:09 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1632554</guid>
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