Consumer Information

Modifying a vehicle with adaptive equipment and technologies can be a complex undertaking. This brochure is an updated version of an existing piece designed to provide vital information on vehicle modification to people with disabilities and their families. Topics include how to evaluate adaptive solutions, make an informed purchase decision, locate financial assistance, take advantage of cost savings, and properly use and maintain adaptive equipment.

This bilingual brochure contains information about the facts and consequences of riding in a vehicle without seat belts.  English/Spanish.  4" x 8.5", Three color, Three (panels)

This brochure discusses how medications affect driving; driving safety; and resources.  It promotes discussion among older drivers, drivers with medical conditions, families, and doctors.  It was developed in partnership with the American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Consultant Pharmacists to assist decisions about driving safely. Two color, 3.75" x 8.5", six panels.

Please Note - This product can only be obtained by downloading it. 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/medications/index.htm

This brochure is intended to assist drivers, their family members, and health care professionals in talking about how Alzheimer's affects driving.  It will prompt discussions about planning for the time when the Alzheimer's patient will have to stop driving.  8.5" x 11", two color, six panels.

Please Note - This product can only be obtained by downloading it. 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/alzheimers/index.html

This brochure includes symptoms of arthritis, how the condition may affect driving, suggested steps drivers may take to increase their driving safety if they have this condition, and resources for drivers with arthritis. It is intended as a discussion tool between patients and their doctor. The pamphlet was developed in partnership with the Arthritis Foundation to assist in making decisions about driving ability, risk, and safety. It may be particularly relevant for older drivers seeking to maintain mobility after being

diagnosed with arthritis. 3.75"x 8.5", two color, six panels.

Please Note - This product can only be obtained by downloading it. 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/arthritis/index.htm

This brochure includes information about symptoms of the cataract vision problem, how this condition may affect driving, suggested steps drivers may take to increase their driving safety if they have this condition, and relevant resources for drivers with this condition.  This is intended to be a discussion tool between patients and their eye doctors.  The pamphlet was developed in partnership with the American Optometric Association to help drivers, especially when making decisions about ability, risk, and safety.  This may be of particular relevance to for older drivers seeking to maintain their mobility after being diagnosed with this condition.  3.5" x 8.5", three color, 6 panels.

Please Note - This product can only be obtained by downloading it. 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/cataracts/

This brochure includes information about symptoms of diabetes, how this condition may affect driving, suggested steps drivers may take to increase their driving safety if they have this condition, and relevant resources for drivers with this condition.  This is intended to be a discussion tool between patients and their doctors.  The pamphlet was developed in partnership with the American Diabetes Association to help drivers, especially when making decisions about ability, risk, and safety.  This may be particular relevant for older drivers who are seeking to maintain their mobility after being diagnosed with this condition.  3.5" x 8.5", three color, 6 panels.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/diabetes%20web/

This brochure includes information about symptoms of the glaucoma vision problem, how this condition may affect driving, suggested steps drivers may take to increase their driving safety if they have this condition, and relevant resources for drivers with this condition.  This is intended to be a discussion tool between patients and their eye doctors.  The pamphlet was developed in partnership with the American Optometric Association to help drivers, especially when making decisions about ability, risk, and safety.  This may be particular relevant for older drivers who are seeking to maintain their mobility after being diagnosed with this condition.  3.5" x 8.5", three color, 6 panels.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Driving_glaucoma/

This brochure discusses how a stroke may affect driving, suggested steps drivers may take to increase their driving safety if had a stroke, and information resources for families and for drivers who have had a stroke.  It is intended as a discussion tool among stroke victims, their doctors and families.  The brochure was developed in partnership with the American Stroke Association to assist in making decisions about driving ability, risk and safety.  3.75" x 8.5", two color, six panels.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Stroke/index.html

This brochure includes symptoms of seizures, how driving may be affected for individuals who have had seizures, suggested steps drivers may take in consultation with their doctors to increase their driving safety if they have had a seizure, and information resources for drivers who have had a seizure. It is intended as a discussion tool among individuals who have had a seizure and their doctor. The pamphlet was developed in partnership with The Epilepsy Foundation to assist in making decisions about driving ability, risk and safety. It may be particularly relevant for older drivers seeking to maintain mobility after having had a seizure. 3.75"x 8.5", black and white, six panels.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Seizures%20Web/

This brochure includes symptoms of Parkinson's, how the condition may affect driving, suggested steps drivers may take to increase their driving safety if they have this condition, and resources for drivers with Parkinson's. It is intended as a discussion tool between patients and their doctor. The pamphlet was developed in partnership with the National Parkinson Foundation and the American Parkinson Disease Association to assist in making decisions about driving ability, risk, and safety. It may be particularly relevant for older drivers seeking to maintain mobility after being diagnosed with Parkinson's. 3.75"x 8.5", two color, six panels.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Parkinsons%20Web/

This brochure discusses how sleep apnea may affect driving, suggested steps drivers may take to increase their driving safety if they have this condition, and information resources for drivers with sleep apnea.  It is intended as a discussion tool among people with this condition, their doctors and family members.  The pamphlet was developed in partnership with the National Sleep Foundation to assist in making decisions about driving ability, risk, and safety.  It may be particularly relevant for older drivers seeking to maintain mobility after being diagnosed with sleep apnea.  3.75" x 8.5", black and white, six pages.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/olddrive/sleep%20apnea/images/apnea2005.pdf

The guidelines are intended for anyone developing Spanish-language materials to ensure that they are culturally and linguistically relevant to the intended audience.  The guidelines are the result a year-long study which included a review of current Spanish-language traffic safety materials from a variety of sources; surveys of experts in Spanish language and culture on the accuracy and relevance of the materials; focus groups; and an expert panel that provided guidance in both traffic safety programs and the Hispanic culture.  The guidelines were tested through the development of a Spanish-language pedestrian safety brochure to ensure their appropriateness in product development and their ease of use as a communications tool.

This document is intended for any organization that wants to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate traffic safety material for the Hispanic community.

This product is for download only.

This brief summary depicts a portrait of NHTSA Management Review (MR) oversight during fiscal year (FY) 2011. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) was signed into law July 6, 2012, and the NHTSA Interim Final Rule (IFR) was published on January 23, 2013. Given the new statute and implementing regulation, NHTSA intends to revise and update oversight procedures and policies, including the MR summary report.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/whatsup/SAFETEAweb/pages/811822.pdf

The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify and review current driver education and training programs in use nationally andinternationally; (2) identify best teaching practices for teenagers; (3) examine the optimal sequencing for the presentation of safe driving skills in the classroom and behind-the-wheel training; and (4) assess whether a new approach to driver education would be beneficial.

These objectives were accomplished using a survey of the driver education rules and practices in the 50 States performed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and Driver Education and Training Administrators (DETA); literature reviews of research on teen crashes, the best teaching methodologies for teenagers, and injury prevention strategies for teens; and an expert panel analysis that compared current teaching practices with identified best practices, combining driver training with graduated driver licensing
(GDL) systems.
 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811543.pdf

This circular presents ideas from the Transportation Research Board's Committee on Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Transportation on the research needed to continue to reduce impaired driving.  Because funds for research are scarce, the TRB Committee undertook to develop ideas of the research community on what is needed and on relative priorities among these research needs.  Three colors, 8.5" x 11", 147 pages.

Drowsy driving is a significant contributor to death and injury crashes on our Nation’s highways, accounting for more than 80,000 crashes and 850 fatalities per year. The successful detection of drowsiness is a crucial step in implementing mitigation strategies to reduce the cost to society of drowsy driving. Building upon prior research in detecting impairment from alcohol and distraction, the goal of this research was to determine the extent to which alcohol impairment algorithms could detect drowsiness and distinguish it from alcohol impairment. Data were collected from seventy-two participants during daytime (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.), early night (10 p.m. – 2 a.m.), and late night (2 a.m. - 6 a.m.) sessions to provide data for algorithm testing and refinement. Driving data indicated a complex relationship between driving performance and conditions associated with drowsiness: compared to daytime session, driving performance improved during the early night session, before degrading during the late night session. This non-linear relationship between continuous time awake, subjective assessments of drowsiness and driving performance has the potential to complicate the early detection of drowsiness. Drowsiness, as indicated by unintended lane departures, occurred in all sessions and demonstrated a transient nature. Algorithms based on lane position and steering wheel data, which can be obtained inexpensively, were best at predicting drowsiness related lane departures. Alcohol detection algorithms were not successful in detecting drowsiness but could be retrained to do so. Rather than one algorithm being generalized to detect multiple impairments, these results indicate that specialized algorithms might co-exist and allow one to detect and differentiate alcohol and drowsy-impaired driving. These findings provide a better understanding of the relationship between impairment from alcohol and drowsiness and lay the foundation for detecting and differentiating among impairment from alcohol, drowsiness, fatigue and drugs.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2014/811886-Assess_veh-based_sensors_4_drowsy-driving_detection.pdf

THE BLUEPRINT FOR ENDING DISTRACTED DRIVING lays out a plan for building on the progress we’ve made to date—and arms safety partners, advocates, and the Nation’s future leaders with clear, forward-thinking strategies.

http://www.distraction.gov/download/campaign-materials/8747-811629-060712-v5-Opt1-Web-tag.pdf 

The goal of this Task Order was to assess the proposed test conditions used for evaluating life cycle durability of high-pressure hydrogen fuel containers. The key test conditions evaluated were representative high and low cycling temperatures, static hold time at high pressure, and the number of pneumatic hydrogen cycles required to reveal poor durability performance of high-pressure hydrogen fuel containers. The results of this Task Order provide data for NHTSA’s assessment and consideration as it evaluates the safety performance of compressed hydrogen fuel systems and the need for enhancement of appropriate FMVSS. In addition, the results of this Task Order provide data to assist in resolving several open issues and concerns in the pneumatic test sequence of the 2009 edition of the Expected-Service Performance Verification Test procedure in the SAE Technical Information Report (TIR) 2579 for Fuel Systems in Fuel Cell and Other Hydrogen Vehicles.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crashworthiness/Alternative%20Energy%20Vehicle%20Systems%20Safety%20Research/811832.pdf

The U.S. Department of Transportation is conducting research to accelerate the widespread adoption of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology in commercial vehicles such as heavy trucks and buses. The widespread deployment of V2V safety is dependent on understanding the effectiveness of safety applications. The objective of this study was to determine the high-level performance requirements for potential V2V safety applications that are appropriate for commercial vehicles. This objective was accomplished via a 9-month project that involved reviewing literature covering collision avoidance systems currently available on heavy commercial vehicles, interviewing commercial vehicle industry representatives (manufacturers, suppliers, and fleet operators) to determine suitable crash avoidance technologies for the V2V communication, and identifying and developing high-level performance requirements for the selected commercial vehicle safety applications.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2013/811772.pdf

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible for reducing vehicle-related fatalities and injuries on our Nation’s highways. This digest reports the status of State laws that are concerned with distracted driving offenses. Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in while operating a motor vehicle. Such activities have the potential to distract the person from the primary task of safe driving and increase the risk of crashing. Of special concern is the use of electronic entertainment and communication devices, particularly cell phones. This digest contains comprehensive information on critical distracted driving laws for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811770.pdf

An experiment was conducted to assess the distraction potential of secondary tasks performed using in-vehicle systems (radio tuning, destination entry) and portable phones (10-digit dialing, selecting contacts, text messaging) while driving.
One hundred participants, ages 25-64, completed a single session in which they drove a low-fidelity (PC-based) simulator while performing the secondary tasks. The phone tasks were performed with two smart phones, one with a touch screen interface (iPhone) and one with a hard button interface (Blackberry). The Dynamic Following and Detection (DFD) driving protocol, which combines car-following with target detection, in which drivers responded to simple visual targets presented in the simulated roadway display, was used. Each combination of primary (driving) and secondary task was performed during a single 3-minute drive. Driving performance metrics included: lane position variability, car-following delay, target-detection accuracy and target detection
response time.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2011/811510.pdf

This is the second of two 1992 reports in response to a congressional mandate to study the alcohol concentration at which a driver should be considered under the influence.  This final report integrates the information developed in all phases of the project and presents relevant findings, conclusions and recommendations. Black and white, 8.5" x 11", 31 pages.

Drowsy driving is a serious problem that leads tothousands of automobile crashes each year. Thisreport, sponsored by the National Center onSleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) of the Na-tional Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of theNational Institutes of Health, and the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA), is designed to provide direction to anNCSDR/NHTSA educational campaign tocombat drowsy driving. The report presents theresults of a literature review and opinions of theExpert Panel on Driver Fatigue and Sleepinessregarding key issues involved in the problem.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/808707.pdf

An experiment was conducted to compare the effectiveness of head restraints modified to increase the likelihood of eliciting uninstructed adjustments from a non-use to a deployed position among naïve users.  Fifty-nine participants aged 18-46 years experienced one of three head restraint conditions.  The first condition consisted of an unmodified, original equipment (OE) second- row head restraint from a 2009 Ford Flex, which was compliant to specifications in the United Nations’ Global Technical Regulation (GTR) No. 7 intended to provide distinct physical cues to alert occupants to the need to adjust the head restraint.   The second condition consisted of an OE head restraint modified to be longer vertically, which also met the GTR specifications.  Lastly, a thicker head restraint producing a torso angle change of 10 degrees from the seat back (10 degrees), one of multiple compliance options allowed in FMVSS No. 202, was examined.
 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crashworthiness/head%20restraints/811514.pdf

The final report, “Evaluation of a Prototype Safer Teen Car,” describes the methods, findings, and recommendations by the University of Minnesota on the practicality and benefits of a system that can provide real-time driver feedback to teen drivers. A prototype Safer Teen Car (STC) system was developed and served as the basis for a field evaluation and as a demonstration unit for stakeholder groups.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811784.pdf

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Under the TREAD Act, NHTSA was assigned the task of revising and updating the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for tires. This effort included research to support a possible update or replacement of the tire strength test contained in the FMVSS Nos. 109 and 119. The tire strength test was designed in the 1960s to evaluate the strength of the reinforcing materials in bias-ply tires and their resistance to road hazards. In this test, a steel plunger is forced perpendicular to the tread of a mounted and inflated tire until the tire ruptures (with the resulting air loss), or the plunger is stopped by reaching the rim. The plunger penetration distance and the force test points are then used to calculate an average breaking energy that must exceed the required “minimum breaking energy.” For modern radial tires, which have flexible sidewalls and high-strength steel belt packages, the vast majority of plunger strength tests “bottom-out” on the rim before rupturing the tire.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Vehicle%20Research%20&%20Test%20Center%20(VRTC)/ca/Tires/811797.pdf

This report supplements the proposed NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines for Visual-Manual Interfaces with explanatory information and examples about the definition of a task. It is intended to assist those using these Guidelines. The contents of this report are the opinions of contractor personnel; they are not necessarily official NHTSA policy. This report is believed to be consistent with NHTSA’s proposal of February 24, 2012. The material provided herein is offered to facilitate a common and shared understanding of the definitions needed for consistent and rigorous testing of tasks that may be performed using electronic devices that are within the scope of the NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines.

Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 90 - 33 amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR ) as specified: Contract Financing (FAR Case 94 - 764); Special Contracting Methods ( FAR Case 94 - 710); Task and Delivery order contracts (FAR Case 94 - 711); Fraud Remedies (FAR Case 94 - 765); and Assignment of Claims (FAR 94 -761).  Black and white, 8.5" x 11", 66 pages.

Fender Bender Physics brings you SciLinks, a new project that blends
the two main delivery systems for curriculum—books and telecommunications—
into a dynamic new educational tool for all children, their
parents, and their teachers. This effort, called SciLinks, links specific
science content with instructionally rich Internet resources. SciLinks
represents an enormous opportunity to create new pathways for learners,
new opportunities for professional growth among teachers, and
new modes of engagement for parents.

http://www.nsta.org/pdfs/store/pb144x2web.pdf

This guide reviews evidence relevant to the reduction of injuries to motor vehicle occupants by increasing child safety seat use, increasing seat belt use, and reducing alcohol-impaired driving.  This Community Guide provides a blueprint for advocates to follow in order to galvanize necessary policy change.  It recommends a menu of policies for use in the communities that choose to place priority on laws and programs most likely to save lives and prevent injuries. Three color, 8" x 10.75", 90 pages.

Each State should have a program for periodic inspection of all registered vehicles to reduce the number of vehicles with existing or potential conditions that may contribute to crashes or increase the severity of crashes that do occur, and should require the owner to correct such conditions.

This product is for download only.

This analysis examines how the age of the vehicle at the time of the crash and the vehicle’s model year are correlated with the injury outcome of the driver of a passenger vehicle involved in a fatal crash. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to model the relationship between injury outcome (fatally injured versus survived) of the driver and the independent variables vehicle age (0–3 years, 4–7, 8–11, 12–14, 15–17, and 18+) and vehicle model year (MY 2008–2012, MY 2003–2007, MY 1998–2002, MY 1993–1997, and MY 1985–1992) while accounting for many other crash factors. Based on criteria described in the Data and Methodology section, 117,957 fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers and 133,869 surviving passenger vehicle drivers are examined using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for 2005 to 2011.

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811825.pdf

This report presents the methodology and results of the independent evaluation of a prototype integrated crash warning system forlight vehicles as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems initiative of the United States Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation System program. The system integrates rear-end crash, curve-speed warning, lane change crash, and lane departure warning functions. The goals of the independent evaluation are to assess the safety impact, gauge driver
acceptance, and characterize the capability of the integrated safety system. The evaluation is based on naturalistic driving data collected from a field operational test using 108 subjects who drove 16 passenger vehicles equipped with a prototype integrated safety system and a data
acquisition system. The test subjects accumulated over 213,000 miles during a 12-month period throughout parts of southeast Michigan. For each driver, the test period was divided into a 12 day baseline condition with the system disabled and a 28 day treatment condition with the system enabled to compare the effect of the system on driving performance. The results of the analysis suggest that driving with the integrated safety system improves driver behavior and increases driver safety, that drivers feel that the system provides a safety benefit, and that the system alerts had a high degree of accuracy. This report delineates the methodology of the different analyses and discusses their results.
 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2011/811516.pdf

Under the TREAD Act, NHTSA was assigned the task of revising and updating the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for tires. Part of this effort included research to support a possible update or replacement of the FMVSS No. 109 Tubeless Tire Bead Unseating Resistance test. In the current FMVSS test, a profiled metal “block” is located perpendicular to the sidewall of a mounted and inflated tire, then force is applied until the bead component (region where the tire meets the rim) unseats with the resulting air loss or the specified minimum force value is achieved. The objective of the test is to evaluate the ability of the tubeless tire’s bead to remain seated on the rim and retain tire inflation pressure when the tire is subjected to high lateral forces such as during severe turning maneuvers, curb scrubbing, or negotiating deep ruts in the roadway. Since introduction of the FMVSS No. 109 in 1967, there has been a steady introduction of larger wheel diameters and smaller tire sidewall aspect ratios. For tires with rim codes above 18 (e.g., P345/30R18), the bead unseating blocks in the current Federal standard can contact the rim or slide down the tread during tests (especially for low aspect ratio tires). To account for these issues, an ASTM task group working to develop a new standard test method for bead unseat testing (ASTM F2663-07a) proposed using the original FMVSS No. 109 equipment and two larger-radius bead-unseating blocks with a new method for positioning the block on the tire sidewall.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Vehicle%20Research%20&%20Test%20Center%20(VRTC)/ca/Tires/811735.pdf

This is Volume II of a three-volume report. It contains the results of a study that examined the speeding behavior of drivers in their own vehicles over the course of three to four weeks of naturalistic driving in urban (Seattle, WA) and rural (College Station, TX) settings. The purpose of this research was to (1) identify the reasons why drivers speed, (2) model the relative roles of situational, demographic, and personality factors in predicting travel speeds, (3) classify speeders, and (4) identify interventions/countermeasures and strategies for reducing speeding behaviors. Data collected from 164 drivers included 1-Hz recordings of vehicle position and speed using GPS receivers, responses to a battery of a personal inventory questionnaires, and daily driving logs that captured trip-specific situational factors. Vehicle speed and position data were combined with road network data containing validated posted speed information to identify speeding episodes. The descriptive analysis of speeding data provided evidence for different types of speeding behaviors among individual drivers including: (1) infrequent or incidental speeding, which may be unintentional, (2) trip-specific situational speeding, (3) taking many trips with a small amount of speeding per trip (i.e., casual speeding), and (4) habitual or chronic speeding. Regression models were developed to identify predictors of “any” speeding (logistic regression) and amount of speeding (linear regressions). Significant predictors included demographic variables such as age and gender, situational factors such as time-of-day and day-of-week, and key personal inventory factors such as attitudes towards reckless driving. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted with a subset of study participants who were classified as “speeders” and “non-speeders” to identify key attitudes and beliefs towards speeding and the effectiveness of potential countermeasures.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811818.pdf

This is Volume III of a three-volume report. The report contains the results of a study that examined the speeding behavior of drivers in their own vehicles over the course of three to four weeks of naturalistic driving in urban (Seattle, WA) and rural (College Station, TX) settings. The purpose of this research was to (1) identify the reasons why drivers speed, (2) model the relative roles of situational, demographic, and personality factors in predicting travel speeds, (3) classify speeders, and (4) identify interventions/countermeasures and strategies for reducing speeding behaviors. Data collected from 164 drivers included 1-Hz recordings of vehicle position and speed using GPS receivers, responses to a battery of a personal inventory questionnaires, and daily driving logs that captured trip-specific situational factors. Vehicle speed and position data were combined with road network data containing validated posted speed information to identify speeding episodes. The descriptive analysis of speeding data provided evidence for different types of speeding behaviors among individual drivers including: (1) infrequent or incidental speeding, which may be unintentional (2) trip-specific situational speeding, (3) taking many trips with a small amount of speeding per trip (i.e., casual speeding), and (4) habitual or chronic speeding. Regression models were developed to identify predictors of “any” speeding (logistic regression) and amount of speeding (linear regressions). Significant predictors included demographic variables such as age and gender, situational factors such as time-of-day and day-of-week, and key personal inventory factors such as attitudes towards reckless driving. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted with a subset of study participants who were classified as “speeders” and “non-speeders” to identify key attitudes and beliefs towards speeding and the effectiveness of potential countermeasures.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811819.pdf

This report presents the findings on distracted driving (including cell phone use) and drowsy driving.  The data comes from a pair of studies undertaken by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to better understand drivers' behaviors and attitudes regarding speeding, unsafe driving, distracted and drowsy driving.  This report, Volume 1: Findings National Highway Survey of Distracted and Drway Driving gives respondent's behaviors and attitudes on distracted and drowsy driving.  8.5" x 11", three color, 61 pages.

As a result of the TREAD Act of 2000, NHTSA initiated an effort to develop a laboratory-based accelerated service life test for light vehicle tires (often referred to as a “tire aging test”). It is believed that if such a test method was successful, then light vehicle tires could eventually be required to meet standards that would make them more resistant to operational degradation and possibly reduce their failure rate during normal highway service. The first phase of test development examined how six tire models changed during service by measuring their roadwheel performance levels and material properties after varying lengths of service and accumulated mileages in Phoenix, Arizona. This report documents the second phase of test development in which new tires of the models collected from service in Phoenix were subjected to one of three laboratory aging test methods and compared to the results of the service-aged tires. Two of the laboratory tire aging methods evaluated were combined roadwheel aging and durability tests that were fully developed when provided by tire manufacturers for evaluation. The third was a tire oven aging method undergoing development by a vehicle manufacturer that would significantly accelerate the degradation of the tire materials prior to a structural evaluation, such as a post-oven roadwheel durability test.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Vehicle%20Research%20&%20Test%20Center%20(VRTC)/811885_TireAgingTestDevelopmentProjectPhase2EvalLab.pdf

There were two parts to this work: (1) tire aging testing of 10 tire models using oven aging plus a stepped-up-load test, and (2) tire aging testing of 20 tire models using oven aging plus the FMVSS No.139 endurance and low pressure tests During the first part of this research, 10 tire models were subjected to a 2-hour break-in on a 1.707 m roadwheel at 80 km/h, then inflated with a mixture of 50 percent nitrogen gas and 50 percent oxygen gas (50%N2/50%O2) and aged in a circulating air oven for 3 or 5 weeks at 65°C. The fill gas was vented and refreshed weekly to maintain a sufficient supply of oxygen gas in the tire cavity to support oxidative aging. Physical properties of the critical belt edge region of the aged tires were measured and the percentage change from the new tire properties was compared to the percentage change seen in tires retrieved from service in Phoenix. All of the measured physical properties changed in the same direction as the tires from Phoenix service. Oven aging from 3 to 5 weeks at 65°C produced percentage changes in properties similar to those found in tires with 3 to 6 years of service in Phoenix.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Vehicle%20Research%20&%20Test%20Center%20(VRTC)/ca/capubs/811780.pdf

This report summarizes the first year of activities for the Objective Tests for Forward Looking Pedestrian Crash Avoidance/Mitigation (PCAM) Systems Project. The principal activities described in the report include the definition of pedestrian crash scenarios, identification of requirements for test equipment and pedestrian mannequins, and test equipment fabrication. Coordination activities with other PCAM-related programs in the European Union are also summarized in the report. The project was initiated in May 2011 and is scheduled to conclude in June 2013.

In April 2003, the U. S. General Accounting Office (the name was changed a year later to Government Accountability Office) issued a Report to Congress titled, “Better Guidance Could  Improve Oversight of State Highway Safety Programs” (GAO-03-474).  In April 2004, the National  Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave Regional Administrators an oversight process. 
One component of the process was the Special Management Review (SMR) The SMR is conducted in a State that consistently demonstrates performance worse than the national average and progress less than half of that recorded by the Nation as a whole.  The SMR is one component of NHTSA’s oversight and quality assurance program conducted by its Office of Regional Operations and Program Delivery (ROPD).  It was codified in the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-
LU).
 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/whatsup/SAFETEAweb/MRElements/811520.pdf

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The aim of this project was to provide data supporting the development of NHTSA’s proposed Visual-Manual Driver Distraction Guidelines’ text entry and text reading specification. The purpose of the study was to examine the two test protocols recommended in the proposed NHTSA Guidelines: the driving simulator and occlusion goggle protocols, under different conditions of text type, text length, and ambient text conditions. In the driving simulator, the total eyes off road time (TSOT) measures the number of seconds drivers eyes left the road to complete the text entry and text reading tasks. Similarly, the total shutter open time (TSOT) measures the total time the participants could view the display through the occlusion goggles.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2013/811820.pdf

This study investigated the effects of distraction from the use of three types of cell phones: (1) hand-held (HH), (2) portable handsfree (PHF), and (3) integrated hands-free (IHF). Through a naturalistic driving study (NDS), 204 drivers were continuously recorded for an average of 31 days. Only drivers who reported talking on a cell phone while driving at least once per day were recruited. A key feature was that drivers provided their cell phone records for analysis, making this the first NDS to date to combine call and text records with continuous naturalistic driving data.

Results show that drivers talked on a cell phone 10.6 percent of the time the vehicle was in operation (28% of all calls and 10% of all text messages occurred while the vehicle was being operated). Talking on a cell phone, of any type, while driving was not associated with an increased safety-critical event (SCE) risk. SCEs comprised crashes, near-crashes, and crash-relevant conflicts. Visual-manual (VM) subtasks performed on an HH cell phone, however, were associated with an increased SCE risk. HH cell phone use in general was thus found to be associated with an increased SCE risk. In contrast, PHF and IHF cell phone use, absent of any VM HH cell phone subtasks, were not found to be associated with an increased SCE risk. However, VM HH cell phone subtasks were frequently observed during hands-free cell phone use. Driver performance when using a cell phone was also investigated through a within-subject comparison. VM HH cell phone subtasks were found to significantly increase the percentage of time drivers took their eyes off the forward roadway, while talking on an HH cell phone significantly decreased the percentage of time drivers took their eyes off the forward roadway. The effects of cell phone use on vehicle control were less pronounced.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2013/811757.pdf

This flyer incorporates a safety checklist, and other essential information about tire safety.  3.5" x 9", four color, 2 sides.

This booklet presents some of the basic information about factors to consider and equipment needed to ensure an individual's safety and the safety of passengers, as well as the safety of other people on the road, when towing a trailer.  4" x 9", full color, 24 pages.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Cars/problems/Equipment/towing/index.htm

This report documents the research activities and presents the results of a study conducted by NHTSA to evaluate the accuracy of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) battery to assist officers in making arrest decisions and to discriminate blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) below .10 g/dL.  The results of this study provide clear evidence of the validity of the SFST battery to discriminate at .08 g/dL BAC, using a slightly modified scoring procedure.  Black and white, 8.5" x 11", 34 pages.

Motor vehicles are the primary mode of transportation for most Americans, and often an indispensible part of their lives. They are used for a myriad of reasons, including going to work, school and the grocery store. But what would happen if that vehicle suddenly disappeared? Many would find it difficult, if not impossible, to take care of even the simplest everyday errands.

The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) establishes, implements and enforces vehicle antitheft regulations. NHTSA has set the standard to help consumers and vehicle owners address the vehicle theft problem for more than 25 years.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/communications/pdf/VehicleTheftPrevention.pdf

This video provides suggestions for shift workers on how to stay alert when driving home from work, and how to avoid drowsy driving. Ten tips to improve the sleep environment at home are also presented, so that shift workers can get good sleep, and be more productive at work and at home. Color. Total running time: 7:31 minutes.

About two-thirds (68%) of young drivers 18 to 20 are willing to answer incoming phone calls on some, most, or  all  driving  trips,  and  most  continue  to  drive,  at slightly higher rates than older drivers.

Young drivers 18 to 20 have the highest incidence of self- reported crash or near-crash experiences  compared to all other age groups and the highest incidence of phone involvement at the time of the crash or near-crash.
 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811611.pdf