The Science Behind Roadside Safety and Vehicle Testing

From the ATSSA Conference, a look at how simulation and crash testing are redefining roadside safety
Gavin Jenkins, Senior Managing Editor of Roads & Bridges, talks with Mark Parisi, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Calspan, about the science behind roadside safety. Parisi explains how simulations help determine whether roadway designs and safety features perform as intended, and how those tools are influencing the future of transportation safety.

He also discusses Calspan’s role in MASH testing and how the company is preparing for next-generation and electric vehicles. From math-based modeling to full-scale crash testing, Parisi outlines how advanced simulations are being used to predict performance and ensure products meet safety standards before final testing even begins.

About the Author

Gavin Jenkins, Senior Managing Editor

Senior Managing Editor

Gavin Jenkins is an award-winning journalist based in Pittsburgh. His work has appeared in The New York TimesThe Washington PostThe AtlanticVICE, Narrative.lyPrevention, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Beijing Review

In 2020, two stories he wrote for Pitt Med Magazine earned three Golden Quill Awards from the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania. “Surviving Survival” won Excellence in Corporate, Marketing and Promotional Communications – Written, Medical/Health, while “Oct. 27, 2018: Pittsburgh’s Darkest Day, and the Mass Casualty Response” won Excellence in Written Journalism, Magazines – Medical/Health, as well as the Ray Sprigle Memorial Award: Magazines, a Best in Show award.

After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2003, he covered sports for the Bedford Gazette, in Bedford, Pa., and the Martinsville Bulletin, in Martinsville, Va. In 2006, he returned to Pittsburgh to write for Trib Total Media. Based out of the Kittanning Leader Times, he worked for the Trib for two years, and then he moved to Shenzhen, China, to teach English and freelance. After two years in China, he earned an MFA in nonfiction from the University of Pittsburgh.

When he's not at work, he's usually playing with his border-collie mix, Bob.

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates