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    <language>en-us</language>
    <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>
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      <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>Immersive AR/VR learning to enhance pedestrian safety</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663606</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Pedestrian injuries remain one of the leading causes of death among children in the United States and globally. Safe crossing behavior depends on cognitive and perceptual skills such as attention, hazard recognition, and gap judgment that are still maturing in younger populations. Traditional classroom instruction offers limited opportunities to practice these skills in realistic traffic contexts, highlighting the need for controlled, repeatable, and engaging training environments that can bridge the gap between knowledge and real-world decision making.
This project develops, tests, and disseminates an integrated Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) learning platform designed to improve pedestrian safety among children. The immersive simulator replicates crosswalks, intersections, and near-miss zones identified through the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) crash database and the DC Traffic Safety Data Portal. VR modules enable users to experience controlled crossings at high-risk intersections, while AR modules project digital traffic cues and guidance into real environments through tablets or mobile devices. Three-dimensional environments are constructed in the Unity or Unreal Engine platform and configured for both mobile devices and VR headsets to support flexible deployment across educational settings.
The methodology proceeds through four tasks: scenario design using DDOT crash data and Vision Zero reports to identify high-risk child pedestrian corridors, prototype development of immersive environments with realistic vehicle motion, environmental conditions, and compliant signal timing, controlled evaluation sessions with K-12 and university participants to assess realism, usability, and learning effectiveness, and dissemination including open-source release, a collaborative workshop with DDOT and school partners, and preparation of a deployment-ready package with simulation files, user manuals, and integration guides. Success is measured by improvements in hazard detection, gap judgment, and safe crossing decisions, with a target of at least 30 percent gain relative to baseline performance. The project also provides initial estimates of the number of crashes and injuries that could potentially be avoided if the toolkit were adopted more broadly in Washington, D.C.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:36:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663606</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>SAFE Schools For Safer Future
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2628212</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Seatbelts Are For Everyone (SAFE) is a Kansas state initiative program launched in 2008 by DCCCA Inc. (Developing Caring Communities Committed to Action) to increase teen restraint compliance through education, positive reinforcement, and enforcement. This teen-led, peer-to-peer program aims to reduce the number of teen motor vehicle injuries and fatalities. The SAFE program has been a component of the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office (KTSRO) for over a decade. The program was expanded to Oklahoma and Missouri in 2014 and 2016 respectively, and Iowa adopted the program in 2021. 
The goal of the current research project is to understand the efficacy of the SAFE program through a multifaceted approach. This project will be conducted in two parts; the first part includes surveying high school students on the topics of seatbelt, traffic laws and other safe driving behaviors covered by the SAFE program that can help in understanding their attitudes, perceptions, knowledge and experience regarding road safety and how it differs between students participating SAFE and non-SAFE schools. In addition, this part will also include socioeconomic analysis to determine the influence of equity factors on the driving behaviors and perception of Kansas teen drivers. The second part of the study will include conducting literature review, examining Kansas fatal and serious injury crashes involving teens over a 13-year period, from 2010 to 2023, and their potential contributing factors, identifying various safety programs, best practices and initiatives across the nation focused on improving teen safety and emphasizing the importance of educating and training young drivers during their early driving phases. It is critical to instill safe driving behavior for young people from an early age to foster a safety culture and better mobility in the future.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:27:17 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2628212</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Handbook for Implementing Traffic Safety Programs in the Workplace</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2394422</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Traffic crashes are a leading cause of workplace injuries and deaths. Total injury costs in 2021 were estimated at $498.3 billion. 

Feelings of safety and security are influenced by workplace culture. Similar to programs through which employees receive information on how to lower blood pressure as a risk factor for heart disease, the workplace can be an effective conduit to share traffic safety information with employees, with the goal of reducing traffic crashes, deaths, and injuries. 

State highway safety offices (SHSOs) have an opportunity to work with employers to help achieve statewide traffic safety goals. However, a gap exists in information regarding effective traffic safety programs delivered in a range of workplaces. Research is needed to fill this gap. 

The objective of this project is to develop a handbook for practitioners to implement scalable traffic safety education programs in a range of workplaces (e.g., both where driving is and is not a primary employee task, both public-sector and private-sector employers, various types of vehicle fleets, and a range of employee staff sizes). ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2024 15:23:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2394422</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Best Practices Toolkit for Slow Down Move Over Laws</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2394425</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Slow down move over (SDMO) laws, which have been enacted by all states, are a relatively new and potentially misunderstood measure to protect first responders (e.g., law enforcement, emergency medical staff, tow truck drivers), highway workers, and disabled motorists from dangers associated with being stopped along roadways. Many drivers are either unaware of or do not fully understand these laws. For example, it is not clear to many drivers what conditions warrant SDMO action, or what actions are required. Furthermore, differences between state laws and periodic changes to these laws may complicate driver understanding. 
There is a knowledge gap regarding best practices for educating, enforcing, and promoting consistent and effective driver response to SDMO laws. State highway safety offices (SHSOs) are looking for ways to address the knowledge gap in order to strengthen and support SDMO laws. Efforts are needed to better ensure drivers are aware of, and properly understand, what is expected of them under SDMO laws.  
OBJECTIVE 
The objective of this research is to develop a toolkit for identifying and adopting best practices for SDMO laws. 
At a minimum, the research shall: Assess current state SDMO laws and practices, and differences across states; Propose model legislation to support consistency between state SDMO laws; For types of crashes that could potentially be mitigated by compliance with SDMO laws, identify characteristics of drivers, vehicle types, and the roadway environments; Identify evidence-based practices for enforcing SDMO laws and educating drivers to promote consistent and effective responses to these laws; Develop a toolkit of practical strategies for SHSOs and other stakeholders to promote safe driving under conditions covered by SDMO laws. 


 

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 18 Jun 2024 16:58:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2394425</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 56-01. Occupational Safety Training and Knowledge Transfer Practices for State DOT Employees



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2384690</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Safety training and knowledge transfer practices are important tools for state DOT employees to identify workplace hazards, increase department-wide risk awareness, and develop strategies to eliminate or mitigate risk. A wide range of occupational and workplace hazards exist for all employees within state DOTs. Safety training programs and knowledge transfer strategies increase hazard recognition to improve employee health and safety. Industry driven safety practices and regulations require specific training for workers and supervisors to address workplace safety.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices regarding safety training programs and knowledge transfer.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 May 2024 16:36:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2384690</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Watch Out for CityLYNX! Be Streetcar Smart</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2096560</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The project will execute a campaign to include bold signage and pavement markings in the streetcar corridor areas along the CityLYNX Gold Line. CATS will be installing creative marketing strategies to educate the public that streetcar safety is important and to prevent fatalities from pedestrians and bicyclists being hit by the streetcar (26 incidents in 3 yrs) due to improper crossing and trespassing.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2023 14:49:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2096560</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Alive at 25 Young Driver Education Program Effectiveness Evaluation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2083793</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The goals of this project include: (1) To evaluate the efficacy of the Alive at 25 defensive driving program in Idaho; (2) Examine degree of consistency among instructors and course delivery methods throughout the state; (3) Assess changes in participant perception toward risky driving; and (4) Use driver records data to explore relationship between driving behavior and educational 
intervention.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2022 15:26:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2083793</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>Attitudes and Trust in Leveraging Integrated Sociotechnical Systems for Enhancing Community Adaptive Capacity – Phase III</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1774901</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Current work in the area of resource sharing for disaster response and recovery assumes a top- down, centralized perspective. This study addresses a gap in knowledge about how resources might be shared among community members when a centralized supply of resources is not available, as might occur in a large-scale event such as a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. In the case of such a disaster, community members’ willingness to share resources with one another could contribute to the relative success or failure of communities to be locally self-sufficient if required. This research draws upon data gathered from a community-scale sample survey set in the Pacific Northwest, a region in which earthquakes are a certain, though largely unpredictable, hazard. In order to better understand the potential for resource sharing among community members in the event of an earthquake, we analyze three attitudinal variables related to both actual disaster preparedness and anticipated willingness to share: level of concern about disasters, place attachment, and trust. Our findings reveal a negative association between level of concern and actual disaster preparedness, while willingness to share is most strongly influenced by trust. Additional observed relationships between trust, place attachment, and community social network size suggest a need for further research in this area. Better understanding willingness to share and available resources at the community level can help to inform both grassroots efforts and more formal disaster preparedness organizations regarding targeted interventions for improving disaster preparedness.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 21 Feb 2021 15:06:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1774901</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>An Equity-Driven Approach to School Zone Safety to Inform Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programs</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1757939</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Even as the trends in traffic fatalities for motorists have been improving, vulnerable road users (VRUs, specifically pedestrians and bicyclists) have seen an alarming rise in fatalities in recent years. According to the Center for Disease Control, injuries from road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for children under the age of 10, hence a critical public health issue. School-age pedestrians in lower-income neighborhoods may be particularly at risk. The proposed research takes a data-driven safe systems approach inspired by Vision Zero (VZ) policy goals. The data-driven approach will be used to develop engineering and educational safety countermeasures for areas near elementary schools serving disadvantaged populations in major metropolitan areas of FL, TX, and CA (three largest states with Center for Transportation, Equity, Decisions and Dollars (CTEDD) consortium partners). The PIs will work closely with the stakeholders to incorporate engineering countermeasures into Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs. Potentially effective education-related activities will be evaluated using Virtual Reality-based (VR-based) pilot testing on elementary school children from schools serving low-income neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. PIs have a long history of working collaboratively with stakeholders, including MPOs, state DOTs, school administrators, and community groups engaged with SRTS programs. The stakeholder engagement plan documented in the proposal will ensure successful tech transfer towards more effective SRTS programs.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2020 18:10:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1757939</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>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>Commercial Driver Individual Differences Study (CDIDS)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400152</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of the case-control Commercial Driver Individual Differences Study (CDIDS) was to examine a wide array of driver and situational factors to determine their prevalence in and relationship to being involved in a crash. The CDIDS sought to identify and prioritize commercial driver individual risk factors that primarily consisted of personal factors such as demographic characteristics, medical conditions, personal attitudes, and behavioral history. These factors also included work environmental conditions, such as carrier operation type and compensation method. Risk factors were identified by linking the characteristics of individual drivers with their driving records through the duration of the study. Of particular importance was the occurrence or absence of critical incidents, including preventable crashes, crashes regardless of preventability, moving violations, and vehicle inspection violations. The study had the following goals:
To determine whether individual factors such as demographic characteristics or medical conditions resulted in increased risk for a CMV crash or violation.
To determine if there was a relationship between fleet characteristics and protocols and CMV driver performance and health.
To identify contributing factors which led to a CMV crash.
To track carriers and CMV drivers for up to 3 years after an initial CMV driver survey for identification of additional crash data and validation of study results.•	To determine whether individual factors such as demographic characteristics or medical conditions result in increased risk for a CMV crash or violation. 
•	To determine if there is a relationship between fleet characteristics and protocols and CMV driver performance and health. 
•	To identify contributing factors leading to a CMV crash. 
•	To track carriers and CMV drivers for up to 3 years after an initial CMV driver survey for identification of additional crash data and validation of study results. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2016 13:05:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400152</guid>
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