Southeastern Transportation Center
Special Topics in Highway Safety

Dr. Stephen H. Richards, is the Director of the University of Tennessee Transportation Center and an Associate Professor in the University's Civil Engineering Department. He has over 20 years experience in highway safety research and education, and has authored over 80 publications on highway safety, traffic engineering, and highway design. Dr. Richards is a registered engineer in Tennessee and Texas, and is active in several professional organizations including ITE, ASCE, ITS, and TRB. Currently he is chair of TRB's Committee on Traffic Safety in Construction and Maintenance Operations, and a memeber of TB's Committee's on vehicle technology, traffic control devices, and rail highway grade crossing safety.

This course offers an overview and examination of safety principles applicable to planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of highway transportation systems, as well as to transit and other commercial vehicle operations. Applications of current highway standards, tarffic control stategies, and commercial vehicle operations procedures on safety will be critically examined throughout this course.

Methods for determining and quantifying safety problems, and evaluating the effectiveness of remedial actions will be reviewed.

Implications for enhancing safety through application of advanced technologies and such as those comprising Intelligent Transportation Systems will also be investigated during this course.

Students are expected to identify key issues and to perform some analysis or experimentation ot verify relevant research finding.

A topical reading list (for specific subjects to be covered in this seminar) and general materials on highway safety will be provided to class participants.

Highway Safety Course Syllabus

Session 1.
Overview of Safety in the United States. 		Session 11.
Information Systems--Signs, Signals, Markings.
Session 2.
History & Evaluation of Highway Safety in the United States. 		Session 12.
The Application of Advanced Communications Technology to Driver Information Requirements.
Session 3.
Databases & Analysis Tools Needed to Identify Safety Problems. 		Session 13.
Special Groups: Younger and Older Drivers, Handicapped Persons and Non-Motorized Travelers, and Motorcyclists.
Session 4.
Methodologies for Evaluating Program & Project Effectiveness. 		Session 14.
Commercial Vehicle Operations & Operators.
Session 5.
Reducing & Preventing Traffic Accidents. 		Session 15.
Transit Safety & Security; Interfaces of Automobile Travel With Other Transport Modes.
Session 6.
Designing Safer Roads. Part I. 		Session 16.
Minimization of Occupant Injuries & Vehicle Damage During Crashes--Part I.
Session 7.
Designing Safer Roads. Part II. 		Session 17.
Minimization of Occupant Injuries & Vehicle Damage During Crashes--Part II.
Session 8.
Safe Traffic Movement During Road Maintenance. 		Session 18.
Post Crash Events--Reducing Trauma & Correcting Black/Grey Spots.
Session 9.
Coping with Adverse Environmental Conditions. 		Session 19.
The Social-Political Environment & Safety-Laws, Public Information, and Applications of Advanced Technologies.
Session 10.
Traffic Management & Safety.

This course has been sponsored by the Southeastern Transportation Center. For more information, please contact Dr. Stephen H. Richards or DeAnna Flinchum at 423/974-5255.

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