Studying the Moments Before Collisions to Help Prevent Them

"Researchers have equipped more than 3,100 cars nationwide with a slew of sensors and tools designed to capture a bounty of data about driving and behavior," writes Ryan Holeywell. "The data will capture everything happening inside a car prior to a collision and help explain how and why people get into accidents -- and just as important, how they can be avoided."

The Naturalistic Driving Study, which is being administered by the Transportation Research Board and led by Virginia Tech University, couldn't come at a more opportune time, as auto fatalities rose last year after seven consecutive years of declines. 

"Researchers are also collecting detailed roadway data in the six communities where driver data is being gathered: Bloomington, Ind.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Tampa, Fla.; Central Pennsylvania; and Seattle," adds Holeywell. "The idea is to marry the two sets of data to get information not just on how humans interact with vehicles, but on how the condition and shape of roadways influence their behavior."