United States

In the wake of new government data showing that road safety is improving, automakers urged consumers to continue exercising safe driving habits and become more knowledgeable on all the safety features available in today's automobiles. The U.S. Department of Transportation issued data documenting that the fatality rate on the nation's highways in 2003 was the "lowest since record keeping began 29 years ago" (see http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ for more information).

"Motor vehicle safety is among our highest priorities, and our automakers have equipped today's cars and light trucks with more safety features than ever before," said Robert Strassburger, Vice President, Safety and Harmonization, Alliance. "Consumers are doing their part, too, by buckling up and practicing safe driving habits."

Since the early days of the automobile, automakers have designed and incorporated a succession of safety features, including all-steel bodies, traction control, energy-absorbing steering columns, headlamps that see around corners, emergency notification systems. A new report, entitled "Obsessed with Safety: Creating a Cocoon of Safety," provides more examples of safety advancements (see http://autoalliance.org/archives/000149.html ).

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The Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure Program is a federal initiative for ITS data collection, integration and distribution. It was designed to encourage heavily congested metropolitan areas to ultilize intelligent transportation systems by offering federal money for system implementation.

Portions of the program were initiated in 1998 under TEA-21, but passage of SAFETEA-LU has expanded ITIP to include the Transportation Technology Innovation and Demonstration Program (TTID). This program will further advance the depoloyment of intelligent transportation technology by aiding local transportation analysis and planning activities while simultaneously supporting national monitoring of traffic congestion levels.

- Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan is a global growth consulting company which offers industry research and market strategies. One focus area is the Automotive and Transportation Group. Frost & sullivan covers the whole automotive chain, with specialization in OEM, aftermarket, emerging technologies and service.

- US Department of Transportation http://www.dot.gov/

- State Transportation Web Sites http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/webstate.htm

- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) NHTSA is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. This is accomplished by setting and enforcing safety performance standards for motor vehicle equipment, and through grants to state and local governments to enable them to conduct effective local highway safety programs. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/

- National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) s responsible for providing a wide range of analytical and statistical support to NHTSA and the highway safety community at large, in the general areas of: Human, vehicle, environmental, and roadway characteristics, as they relate to crash frequency and injuries. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/

- The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) collects data, performs analysis, and reports to ensure the most cost-effective use of transportation-monitoring resources. http://www.bts.gov/

- The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) an international individual member educational and scientific association. ITE members are traffic engineers, transportation planners and other professionals who are responsible for meeting society's needs for safe and efficient surface transportation through planning, designing, implementing, operating and maintaining surface transportation systems worldwide. http://www.ite.org/

- The Institute of Transportation Studies at University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading centres for transportation research, education and scholarship. http://www.its.berkeley.edu/

- CARE Research & Development Laboratory (CRDL) uses leading edge technologies to offer products and specialized software development services in a variety of areas, particularly traffic safety and law enforcement. http://care.cs.ua.edu/

- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute are independent, non-profit, research and communications organizations funded by auto insurers and dedicated to reducing highway crash deaths, injuries, and property losses. http://www.highwaysafety.org/

- ITS America American organisation of industries and authorities working on developing ITS activities in the US. http://www.itsa.org/whatitsa.html

- University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) Transportation Safety Analysis Division brings together three groups that analyze transportation safety based on the actual highway experience, creating an important complement to the lab-based research carried out in other divisions. http://www.umtri.umich.edu/

- US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Provides national leadership and advocacy in the development and implementation of strategies and programs to continuously reduce the number and severity of highway crashes on the Nation's highways, streets, facilities and intermodal connections. http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/

- Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) provides FHWA and the world highway community with the most advanced research and development related to new highway technologies. The research focuses on providing solutions to complex technical problems through the development of more economical, environmentally sensitive designs; more efficient, quality controlled constructions practices; and more durable materials. http://www.tfhrc.gov/

- The University of North Carolina, Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC) http://www.hsrc.unc.edu/

- George Mason University, Transportation Policy Operations and Logistics Center (TPOL) conducts a balanced program of sponsored research, independent research, and education. TPOL has maintained an active sponsored research program in intelligent transportation systems (ITS). TPOL manages the National ITS Implementation Research Center. http://www.gmupolicy.net/transport2003/

- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is widely recognized as an international leader in the field of transportation and logistics. Furthermore, MIT has established a program in Intelligent Transportation Systems on campus. http://web.mit.edu/ctl/www/

- The Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) is a University of California organized research unit established to foster research, education, and training in the field of transportation, including research in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems. http://www.its.uci.edu/

- Intelligent Transportation Systems, University of Washington. The ITS research program actively collaborates with government and industry, making it a regional resource for advanced answers to transportation issues. http://www.ivhs.washington.edu/

- Center for Urban Transportation Studies (CUTS), University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Among the issues studied at the center are urban mass transit, transportation management, land use, travel forecasting, alternative futures, technology transfer etc. http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CUTS/

- Transportation Research Center (TRC) University of Nevada, Las Vegas The mission of the TRC is to promote and conduct transportation research, educational, and outreach activities. http://www.trc.unlv.edu/

- The Alliance for Transportation Research Institute (ATR) the University of New Mexico. The ATR Institute is engaged in progressive, cutting-edge research initiatives that will serve to boldly define the future of transportation. http://www.unm.edu/~atr/

- The Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE), North Carolina State University. ITRE conducts research, education, and technical assistance projects on a wide variety of surface transportation issues. These projects include extensive work with municipal and state departments of transportation throughout the nation. http://itre.ncsu.edu/

- The Center for Transportation Analysis (CTA) in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) develops integrated inter-modal transportation solutions through innovative and cost-effective research and development. CTA’s activities encompass e.g. transportation safety. http://cta.ornl.gov/cta/