The Safety Program Design and Management Division at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center designs, modernizes, and supports the implementation and regulatory oversight of surface transportation operational safety programs.

Our multidisciplinary team partners with federal, state, and local agencies to translate evidence into action by turning data and human-centered research into practical tools, policies, and training that prevent crashes and save lives.

Our Capabilities

Safety Program Research, Analysis, Design, and Implementation

• Conduct applied research and analysis to inform the initial design, ongoing development, modernization, and continuous improvement of safety programs and regulatory approaches
• Help agencies implement new rulemakings and policies through documentation updates, communications, and targeted training materials
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve objective, quantitative measures that track attainment of agency safety goals and strategic objectives

Risk Identification and Prioritization

• Develop, implement, and refine data-driven algorithms and tools to assess the safety status of interstate motor carriers and commercial drivers—identifying and prioritizing unsafe carriers for state and federal programs
• Apply these methods to special-focus groups (new entrants, foreign carriers, hazardous materials, and passenger carriers) and adapt similar prioritization approaches to other modes

Regulatory Oversight and Rulemaking Impact Support

• Support oversight of transit and motor carrier safety enforcement by managing special directives and similar requirements and delivering communication and training on federal requirements
• Provide technical expertise by reviewing corrective action plans and other submittals from regulated entities
• Support the formulation and impact assessment of new rulemakings and evaluate the effectiveness of enforcement and rule changes

Program Evaluation and Business Process Improvement

• Design and implement methods, models, and effectiveness frameworks to measure program outcomes across transit safety oversight, motor carrier compliance reviews, roadside inspections, and traffic enforcement
• Provide objective assessments of program effectiveness and develop innovative information resources to support surface transportation safety programs
• Reengineer business processes and develop tools that increase program efficiency, improve data flow, and strengthen alignment between operational practice and policy objectives
• Use program effectiveness analysis to guide efficient allocation of enforcement and oversight resources and to design approaches that increase compliance with transit and motor carrier safety regulations

Information Systems and Human Factors

• Modernize and enhance IT systems that support federal safety programs and improve data accessibility and performance
• Develop and maintain information resources that leverage emerging technologies to convert data into actionable knowledge

Meet Our Team

View selected staff biographies.

Dianne Gunther

Chief

Dianne Gunther has been at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center since 2016, and during that time she both led and contributed to multidisciplinary teams to design and support the implementation of surface transportation operational safety programs. She previously led the team supporting the proposed enhancements to FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System, as well as the FMCSA’s Level VIII Inspection Operational Test team, which tests electronic, in-motion commercial motor vehicle inspections. Prior to her work at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center, Gunther worked as a safety specialist for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and a civil engineer at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) and a Master of Science in Transportation from MIT (Cambridge, MA).

David G. Madsen

Principal Technical Advisor for Motor Carrier Safety

David Madsen serves as part of our team of principal technical advisors who work across the Center to identify emerging transportation technologies, conduct analyses and assessments on topics of national significance, and explore new opportunities in response to evolving national concerns.

Madsen serves as principal technical advisor for motor carrier safety in the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Safety Program Design and Management Division.

Read David Madsen's full bio.