Science-Based Road Safety Research

1. Science-Based Road Safety Research Describe and value science-based road safety research and its application as fundamental to achieving further improvements in road safety.

2. Major Topics • Traditional Methods • Engineering and Public Health Science-based Methods • Quality Data and Data Systems • Data Driven Approaches to Road Safety • The Importance of Professional Support for Science-based Approaches

3. Safety Research Goal Think about it … The goal of safety research is to illuminate ways to reduce the negative externalities associated with motor vehicle related crashes such as fatalities, injuries, property damage, and congestion.

4. Methods of Decision Making Think about it … • Expert Opinion • Conventional Wisdom • Collective Experience • Scientific Method

5. Weaknesses of Other Methods • Crashes Vary Randomly • Hunches are Often Incorrect • Inability to Process Data • Counter-productive Recommendations

6. Weaknesses of Traditional Methods Think about it …

7. Weaknesses of Traditional Methods Think about it …

8. Why Science? In short, the justification for basic research in all fields lies in the knowledge-generating utility of scientific discoveries and in the well-founded anticipation—but not guarantee—that some of those discoveries will in the long run prove to be of great practical benefit.

9. Five Characteristics of Science Think about it … • Public Scrutiny • Willing to Do without Answers • Doubt Is Unpleasant; Certainty Is Absurd • Willing to Question the Obvious • Ability to Test among Competing Answers

10. Steps in the Scientific Process Think about it … • Review the Literature. • Postulate Relationships or Theories. • Generate Testable Research Hypotheses. • Design a Study. • Collect Data. • Apply Appropriate Statistical Methods and/or Models. • Correctly Interpret Results.

11. Observational Study Limitation • Lack of Experiments • Weaknesses in Observational Studies • Occupant protection • Non-crashes • Speeding • Commercial vehicles

12. Data Quality and Limitations The government is very keen on amassing statistics – they collect them, add them, raise them to the nth power take the cube root and prepare wonderful diagrams. But what you must never forget is that every one of those figures in the first instance comes from the village watchman, who just puts down what he damn well pleases. Sir Josiah Stamp (1929) Traffic Safety and Human Behavior, David Shinar

13. Applied Technologies • Reporting Crashes • Responding to Crashes • Collecting Victim and Crash Information • Managing and Storing Crash Information • Linking Crash Records with Hospital Records • Analyzing Crashes • Disseminating Crash Information to Stakeholder Agencies • Educating Safety Professionals

14. Data Driven Success Think about it …

15. Prerequisites for Safety Support • Mission • Champions • Resources

16. Review • Traditional Methods • Engineering and Public Health Science-based Methods • Quality Data and Data Systems • Data Driven Approaches to Road Safety • The Importance of Professional Support for Science-based Approaches