Industrial, Organizational, and Applied Psychology

IOA Research in Highway Safety

Since 1991, the IOA group has been involved with projects designed to reduce highway traffic crashes throughout Tennessee. Through a contractual relationship with the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office (GHSO), we have conducted extensive analyses of traffic crash trends and profiles, designed and conducted interventions aimed at reducing crashes and crash severity, developed training programs, and consulted with numerous agencies across the State with regard to their highway safety initiatives. Our efforts have resulted in substantial amounts of external funding for our group. Below is a partial list of some of our activities:

• Development of a multimedia public service campaign to reduce motor vehicle crashes among teenagers.
• Development a training program to help police officers identify impaired drivers.
• Development of an online crash database query system for Tennessee crashes.
• Investigation of the arrest context variables that predict whether an alcohol-impaired driver will be convicted.
• Development of a system for improving traffic crash reporting in law enforcement agencies.
• Development of online training programs to assist applicants for traffic safety grants submitted to the GHSO.
• Development on an online grant application system for applicants for GHSO grants.
• Analysis of the context variables associated with rural road crashes in Tennessee.
• Development and test of an intervention to reduce following too closely.
• Development and field test of a prototype scannable traffic crash report.
• Development of a strategy for evaluating applications for GHSO funding.
• Development of an online DUI offender tracking log.
• Investigation of alternative strategies for graduated licensing of young drivers.
• Investigation of affectiveness of enhanced taffic law enforcement on crime reduction.