‘Safety Sunday @ TRB’ Jump-starts National Safe Systems Discussion, Networking

‘Safety Sunday @ TRB’ event attracted more than 100 attendees.

The Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety and the Southeastern Transportation Center co-hosted an inaugural Safe Systems-themed networking reception on Sunday, January 7, 2018, in conjunction with the TRB Annual Meeting in Washington DC.

Approximately 130 professionals interested in connecting about safe roadway systems – including transportation and public health researchers, staff and students from several US Department of Transportation University Transportation Centers, government and NGO representatives, industry leaders and young professionals – attended the event, which featured lively roundtable discussions centered on the following safety-related topics:

  • Envisioning Safe Systems in the US
  • Connecting transportation and health partners
  • Improving safety data
  • Designing and planning for safer roadways
  • Protecting vulnerable road users
  • Advancing automation and technology

Dr. Laura Sandt, CSCRS Director, welcomes ‘Safety Sunday @ TRB’ attendees.

Drs. Laura Sandt,  Director, and Stephen H. Richards, Southeastern Transportation Center Director, welcomed attendees and issued a charge to not only consider the conversation topics at hand but also to envision new, multidisciplinary research collaboration opportunities for a systems approach to transportation safety in the US.

“We were pleased to have so many students, researchers and representatives from government and private industry join our first-ever Safety Sunday event,” said Dr. Sandt.       “[The success of the event] speaks to the volume of interest in safety and systems thinking. I hope the conversations sparked opportunities for collaboration, and that we can continue the tradition at future TRB annual meetings.”

CSCRS Associate Directors Asad Khattak and Michael Clamann deep in discussion about automated technology.

Dr. Richards added: “Given our common safety themes, the STC teamed up with CSCRS to co-host a very special event. ‘Safety Sunday @ TRB’ provided a forum for transportation safety professionals, with diverse interests and affiliations, the opportunity to network and share ideas concerning key safety issues. It featured a novel format – conceived by CSCRS – which encouraged participants to circulate among several ‘conversation stations’ in a relaxed and cordial setting, with each station targeting a different safety-related topic. The turnout for the event was great, and feedback from attendees was very positive.”

Attendees had the chance to make connections with several USDOT UTCs, like the Center for Advanced Transportation Mobility.

CSCRS is exploring hosting another networking event at the 2019 TRB Annual Meeting.

This event was supported in part by the Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety, www.roadsafety.unc.edu, a U.S. Department of Transportation National University Transportation Center promoting safety.

 

 

Browse other CSCRS professional development activities and education activities here www.roadsafety.unc.edu/profdev and here www.roadsafety.unc.edu/education.