Research

The National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence (NSTSCE) at VTTI was established by the Federal Public Transportation Act of 2005 to develop and disseminate advanced transportation safety techniques and innovations in both rural and urban communities.

NSTSCE enhances safety for all road users by conducting research focused on defining potential problems in transportation safety and developing and evaluating surface transportation technology, policy, and techniques. In line with this mission statement, NSTSCE research focus on seven major goals:

• Impairment
• Perception and Decision-making
• Roadway Infrastructure
• Devices and Techniques
• Data Mining and Analysis
• Driver-related Challenges
• Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Mobility

NSTSCE's efforts are guided by a diverse group of stakeholders that includes federal-level governmental organizations, state government, an academic research institute, and private-sector entities. Each stakeholder annually contributes $200,000 to the center and guides the research portfolio to address key surface transportation issues. The stakeholder group collectively reviews individual project proposals from VTTI, selects proposals to be addressed by VTTI researchers, allocates resources to the selected projects, and offers guidance and direction on selected projects. NSTSCE thus provides valuable funding for important safety research in support of safety goals broader than those of any individual stakeholder.

If you are interested in learning more about NSTSCE or becoming a stakeholder, contact Jon Hankey at jhankey@vtti.vt.edu.

NSTSCE Stakeholders