A new partnership between Arizona’s public universities and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is aiming to reduce crashes involving inexperienced drivers through a research project funded by an Arizona Board of Regents’ grant.
Led by Arizona State University assistant professor Shiva Pooladvand, the two-year project will use advanced driving simulators and wearable-sensing technologies—such as brain and eye-tracking sensors—to better understand how new drivers react under different road conditions.
The study will also include interviews and surveys with inexperienced drivers to identify risk factors and inform targeted training programs.
“Inexperienced drivers—whether teens or adults—present real safety concerns,” said Jennifer Toth, ADOT Director, in a statement. “This research will help us design data-driven solutions that get everyone home safely.”
Drivers under 25 are involved in nearly one in five fatal crashes and almost a quarter of injury crashes statewide, according to ADOT. The project’s findings could influence driver licensing, manuals and safety policy.
The research team includes experts from Arizona’s three public universities and will work in coordination with ADOT throughout the study. Officials say the project highlights the mission of the Arizona Transportation Institute and the broader effort to use applied research to improve public safety.
Source: Arizona Board of Regents, Havasunews.com
