Safe-D: Safety through Disruption

Fueled by the inevitable changes in our transportation system, the Safety through Disruption (Safe-D) University Transportation Center (UTC) endeavors to maximize the potential safety benefits of disruptive technologies through targeted research that addresses the most pressing transportation safety questions.

News


Virginia Tech Transportation Institute researchers to deploy smart work zone in Wise, Virginia

Daniel Burdisso and Will Vaughan

Designed to protect roadside workers and motorists, the work zone system creates a boundary and alerts workers when they approach its edge, keeping them safe from potential hazards.

Alexandria Rossi-Alvarez named University Transportation Center Student of the Year

Alexandria Rossi-Alvarez

Alexandria “Alli” Rossi-Alvarez, a doctoral student in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech conducting research at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), has been named a University Transportation Center (UTC) Student of the Year. She is a primary investigator on the Safe-D project Allusion 2.

Driving Forces: Erem Memisyazici

Erem Memisyazici

Erem Memisyazici brought a wealth of knowledge to his position as a senior research specialist in VTTI’s Division of Vehicle, Driver, & System Safety due to his 10 years of data reduction experience. In his current role, Erem is involved in data collection on various studies, both on the Virginia Smart Roads and in Northern Virginia. He provides assistance in many areas, whether it relates to projects under the Safe-D University Transportation Center or graphic design renderings for developing technologies.

Safe-D Project featured in USDOT RD&T UTC Video Forum on Artificial Intelligence in Transportation

Traffic Monitoring: Virginia Beach, VA

USDOT’s University Transportation Centers (UTC) program as part of the Office of Research, Development and Technology, in collaboration with the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS/JPO), presented a series of video forums focused on emerging technologies and research in transportation.

Texas A&M University Achieves Federal Designation As Hispanic Serving Institution

Texas A&M University has been designated an eligible institution by the U.S. Department of Education to be a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

CIITR’s Jason Wu Applies LiDAR Sensors to Safety, Traffic Monitoring

TTI researchers collect data for LiDAR research on The Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS Campus.

Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers in the Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research (CIITR) are currently implementing a pilot roadside LiDAR-based traffic monitoring system at international ports of entry (POEs).

About


Fueled by the inevitable changes in our transportation system, the Safety through Disruption (Safe-D) University Transportation Center (UTC) endeavors to maximize the potential safety benefits of disruptive technologies through targeted research that addresses the most pressing transportation safety questions. With the outstanding leadership of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute in a mentoring collaboration with the new transportation research group at San Diego State University, a Hispanic-serving institute known for educating the transportation workforce, our geographically balanced consortium encompasses the largest collection of transportation safety researchers in the nation and provides unparalleled expertise, facilities, and resources to conduct impactful research towards our long-term vision. The Safe-D Center will focus its efforts in three key areas: (1) cutting-edge research by leading transportation safety experts and their students; (2) education and workforce development with programs for all levels from grade school through college to continuing education for professionals; and (3) fully supported technology transfer including practitioner training partnerships, social networking, commercialization, and intellectual property management.

Mission

The mission of Safe-D is to proactively promote safety through a data-driven collaboration among the nation’s brightest researchers.

Vision

The vision of Safe-D is a nation with a systemically safe transportation system.

Theme Areas

  • Connected Vehicles
  • Automated Vehicles
  • Transportation as a Service
  • Big Data Analytics

Director

The Safe-D consortium was assembled by the Director, Dr. Zachary Doerzaph, with the expressed intent to make significant progress toward a nation with systemically safe travel through research, education and workforce development, and technology transfer efforts.

Partner with Us


To effectively usher in the next generation of transformative technologies in transportation, the Safe-D UTC believes that it is critical to partner with industry representatives, university faculty, and young students in all Center activities. Accordingly, the Safe-D UTC is seeking partners for targeted research and development activities, educational and workforce development programs, and technology transfer efforts aimed at commercialization and deployment.