Vehicle Infrastructure Interaction

Utilizing theoretical analysis and modeling in combination with real-world testing, NTRCI’s research teams investigate issues with today’s commercial vehicles and their interactions with infrastructure. The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has established four major safety areas of concern for vehicle accidents most likely to cause injuries and fatalities: lane changes, running-off the road, rear-end clearance, and intersections. Key areas that NTRCI has engaged in this area are the vehicles crashworthiness with infrastructure, road to tire interactions, and visibility of identification on road surfaces.  We have created comprehensive models of single unit trucks and combination vehicles (tractor trailers) for use by US DOT and state DOTs in the design of better roadside safety barriers.

Advanced Photonics Technology for Transportation Safety and Security

This projects focuses on two technology areas related to heavy vehicle safety and improved performance: use of long-persistence phosphors (LPPs) in highway and road striping, and inclusion of ultraviolet illumination to headlight configurations (specifically, ultraviolet light-emitting diodes [UV LEDs]) to improve visibility. more...

Assessment of Friction-Based Pavement Methods and Regulations

Pavement surface characteristics play a major role in the safe and satisfactory travel of millions of U.S. roadway users. Tire/road friction will ensure that traction is available for safe vehicle handling (braking, cornering, lateral maneuvering and acceleration). Pavement distress or irregularities may contribute to tire damage and/or reduced vehicle control. more...

Commercial Vehicle Secure Network for Safety and Mobility Applications

We propose to develop an integrated high-performance, robust and secure vehicular network for supporting heavy vehicles safety and mobility applications. The integrated network system supports vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and in-vehicle communications based on DSRC (dedicated short-range communications) radio, so that safety and mobility data of heavy vehicles can be transmitted and shared among vehicles and with road-side base stations. more...

Enhanced Finite Element Analysis Crash Model of Tractor-Trailers

In recent decades, the highway community, including the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC), and state Departments of Transportation have supported and conducted extensive full-scale passenger car-barrier crash tests to better understand crash performance of guardrails and barriers and to improve their design and to reduce the likelihood of vehicle-infrastructure crash fatalities and injuries. more...

Heavy Vehicle Infrastructure Asset Interaction and Collision

This research was performed to update and enhance the kinematic and structural accuracy of the National Crash Analysis Center's Ford F800 single-unit truck Finite Element (SUT FE) model. The research evaluated the model's ability to accurately simulate interaction with roadside safety hardware and to identify areas of possible improvements. The research also aimed to establish a methodology for validation and verification of the finite element models used in roadside hardware analysis so that it could be applied to other vehicle finite element models currently under development. more...

Traffic Signal Safety

This project will develop new traffic signal control logic to improve the safety of heavy vehicles on high speed approaches to signalized intersections using wireless communication between a heavy vehicle and a roadside traffic signal controller. The project will build on the Trusted TruckTM onboard computer system using the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) concept for deployment of communication technology between vehicles and roadside infrastructure. This technology for heavy vehicles can also be migrated to emergency responders more...

Truck Tire Anti-Splash Safety Technology

Michelin has developed a new socially responsible technology for Truck tires named Antisplash (U.S. Patent No. 6,460,584 B1) and is introducing it to the North American market on the 275/80R22.5 XZA2 Antisplash long haul steer tire. The primary advantage of this development is the significant reduction in the splash height/trajectory of water projected by a steer tire when the vehicle passes through accumulations on the highway/road surface. more...