Skip to page content

Surface Transportation

Commentary

Fatal Crash Shouldn't Kill Self-Driving Cars

The first known fatality in an autonomous vehicle occurred on May 7 and raises important questions. It does not, however, mean that self-driving cars are less safe than human drivers or that development of the technology should be stopped.

Jul 16, 2016
News Release

Autonomous Vehicles Cannot Be Test-Driven Enough Miles to Demonstrate Their Safety; Alternative Testing Methods Needed

Under even the most-aggressive test driving assumptions, it would take existing fleets of autonomous vehicles tens and even hundreds of years to log sufficient miles to adequately assess the safety of the vehicles when compared to human-driven vehicles.

Apr 12, 2016
Report

Test-Driving Alone Cannot Demonstrate the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles

In order to advance autonomous vehicles into daily use, alternative testing methods must be developed to supplement on-the-road testing. Alternative methods might include accelerated testing, virtual testing and simulators, mathematical modeling, scenario testing, and pilot studies.

Apr 12, 2016
Journal Article

Trade-off Across Privacy, Security and Surveillance in the Case of Metro Travel in Europe

Focusing on train/metro travel we investigate whether Europeans perceive similar security and privacy issues as have been raised in recent discussions about surveillance.

Apr 6, 2016
Journal Article

Understanding the Potential of Variable Tolling to Smooth Congestion on Downstream Facilities: Applications of a Joint Time-of-Day and Route Choice Model

The aim of this research was to understand the conditions under which time-varying tolls could be used to effectively smooth congestion on a downstream, untolled roadway.

Apr 6, 2016
Commentary

A New Tool to Assess the Costs and Effectiveness of Traffic Crash Interventions

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in the U.S. An online tool can help policymakers understand the available evidence-based interventions that can help prevent crash injuries and deaths, what they will cost, and how effective they will be in their state.

Apr 4, 2016
Report

Autonomous Vehicle Technology: A Guide for Policymakers

Autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to significantly improve social welfare. This report addresses the numerous legislative, regulatory, and liability issues this technology will raise.

Mar 22, 2016
Commentary

With Driverless Cars, How Safe Is Safe Enough?

Before driverless cars can be deployed, a fundamental question remains: How safe is safe enough? Waiting for autonomous vehicles to operate perfectly misses opportunities to save lives by keeping far-from-perfect human drivers behind the wheel.

Feb 1, 2016
Periodical

RAND Review: January-February 2016

This issue highlights RAND research findings on the effectiveness of correctional education in U.S. prisons; an exploration of how emerging technologies present an ongoing challenge to the criminal-justice community; and more.

Jan 11, 2016
News Release

National Approach to Traffic Safety Interventions Proves Most Cost Effective

A new tool can help lawmakers make cost-effective decisions to improve traffic safety and public health. Boosting traffic safety funding by 10 percent and allocating the funds to states where it is most needed would save 1,320 lives and prevent more than 225,000 injuries annually.

Dec 14, 2015
Tool

Costs and Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Motor Vehicle–Related Injuries and Deaths: Project Report and Online-Tool Documentation

This report documents production of an online tool to help assess costs and effectiveness of implementing up to 14 interventions and select those most effective in reducing death and injury from motor vehicle crashes for a given budget.

Dec 14, 2015
Research Brief

How to Get the Biggest Impact from an Increase in Spending on Traffic Safety

According to analysis with a free new tool, allocating increased federal traffic safety funding by cost-effectiveness ratios rather than equally among states would save more than double the number of lives and prevent almost five times the injuries.

Dec 14, 2015
Research Brief

A New Tool to Help Decisionmakers Select Interventions to Reduce Traffic Crash Deaths and Injuries

This brief describes an interactive tool that can help statedecisionmakers choose policies that are effective in reducing motor vehicle accidents in their states and appropriate to state budgets, saving lives and reducing economic and societal loss.

Dec 14, 2015
Research Brief

Should Traffic Crash Interventions Be Selected Nationally or State by State?

According to analysis using a new, free tool, a national allocation of funds for traffic crash prevention might cost less than allocating according to state-by-state needs, but it might save significantly fewer lives and reduce far fewer injuries.

Dec 14, 2015
Research Brief

Which Behavioral Interventions Are Most Cost-Effective in Reducing Drunk Driving?

Different states have different needs when it comes to drunk driving interventions. Given limited budgets, how can policymakers know which available policies would reduce the most drunk driving-related deaths for their implementation dollars?

Dec 14, 2015
Report

Using Cost-Effectiveness Analysis to Prioritize Spending on Traffic Safety

In deciding how to allocate funds targeting traffic safety, policymakers must determine the appropriate trade-off between cost-effectiveness and equity among states. A new tool helps determine the most cost-effective interventions to reduce motor vehicle crash-related injuries and deaths.

Dec 14, 2015
Report

Evaluating the Impact of Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) on Fatigue and the Implications for Driver Safety

Summarizes findings from a review of the literature on whole-body vibration (WBV) and fatigue, in addition to looking at study designs and methodology for providing more rigorous investigations of the impact of WBV on fatigue and driver safety.

Oct 22, 2015
Report

STM3 2011 base: Model parameters and overview

This report summarises the parameters and the key features of the demand models used in the 2011 base version of the Sydney Strategic Travel Model (STM).

Oct 8, 2015
Journal Article

Automobility in Brazil, Russia, India, and China: Quo Vadis?

Toward which levels of automobility are the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) headed?

Oct 5, 2015
Report

STM3 2011 base frequency, mode-destination and car ownership models

The report documents work to update version 3 of the Sydney Strategic Model (STM3) to work with a 2011 base year instead of a 2006 base year.

Sep 28, 2015

Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next

RAND Topic:
Surface Transportation

Research conducted by