Responsible media reporting on rail suicide and trespass incidents can inform the public and help those in need. However, media reporting of such events can also lead to copycat incidents. A new report illuminates common reporting practices that could increase suicide contagion on the rail system. Read the study’s key findings and recommendations.
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How Traditional Aviation Testing Can Inform Unmanned Aerial Technologies
June 6, 2017
In his award-winning paper, U.S. DOT Volpe Center engineer Seamus McGovern applied traditional flight testing techniques and principles for aircraft designs to fixed-wing and rotary-style drone designs.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Chao’s Volpe Center Homecoming
May 8, 2017
Continuing her long history with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao returned to learn how Volpe provides innovative multimodal expertise for partners at U.S. DOT, other government agencies, and the private sector. Secretary Chao first visited Volpe as Deputy Secretary of Transportation in 1990 when the center was renamed for John A. Volpe, the former Massachusetts governor and second Transportation Secretary.
Experts Reveal Safety Impact of Following Distances between Heavy Trucks in Automated Platoons
April 27, 2017
Grouping heavy trucks in the same lane with short following distances—known as platooning—can increase road capacity, improve safety, and save fuel. A team of advanced vehicle technology experts at Volpe conducted a first-of-its-kind study of truck following behavior using naturalistic driving data.
Measuring Traffic Performance through Innovative Low-Cost Solutions
April 24, 2017
Capturing travel data on commercial motor vehicles (CMV) is an essential component of improving and maintaining roadway safety. Through U.S. DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research program, one small business is addressing the limitations of current CMV data collection technologies with a new low-cost, low-maintenance device that eliminates the need for drivers to stop for inspections or pull over at weigh stations.
How a Decades-Long Partnership Led to Safer Waterways around the World
April 19, 2017
U.S. DOT Volpe Center Director Anne Aylward recently contributed an article to Seaway Compass, the newsletter of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. In this newsletter, Aylward discusses the decades-long partnership between the Seaway and Volpe that has made waterways around the world safer and more efficient for marine traffic.
A Look at the Proposals Set to Receive $1.9M in U.S. DOT SBIR Awards
March 29, 2017
Fourteen U.S. small businesses will receive up to $150,000 each through U.S. DOT’s SBIR program to conduct six months of Phase I concept development. Read on for a brief look at the winning proposals and the small businesses that submitted them.
Awardees Announced for U.S. DOT’s SBIR FY17.1 Solicitation
March 28, 2017
On March 21, the U.S. DOT SBIR program announced 15 recommendations for awards for SBIR’s fiscal year 17.1 solicitation. The awarded small businesses competed in a field that included 106 proposals for 9 research topics. The selected small businesses are conducting important research, leading to new technologies in addressing some of U.S. DOT’s most pressing challenges.
Integrating Space Vehicle Operations into the National Airspace System
March 28, 2017
Commercial space vehicle operators are becoming more common in the national airspace, and the number of orbital and sub-orbital passenger space flights is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. Volpe supports the FAA’s NextGen Space Vehicle Operations program to help reduce the impact of commercial space vehicles on air traffic, while also maintaining a high level of safety.
Safer and More Reliable Automotive Electronic Control Systems
March 27, 2017
The rapid evolution of electronic control and connectivity in motor vehicles has multiplied challenges for vehicle safety assurance. NHTSA turned to Volpe’s nationally recognized advanced vehicle technology team to assess the safety and reliability of emerging electronic control systems.