AnnuAl RepoRt - University of Alabama at Birmingham

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UAB UTC Sponsored Scientist Helps Japanese Implement Accident Crash Notification System This past May, UAB UTC funded researcher, Dr. Jeff Crandall, traveled to Toyko, Japan to present research findings and recommendations at a Joint Symposium entitled “What is the Best Way to Implement an Accident Crash Notification System (ACNS) in Japan?” Dr. Crandall’s presentation, Predicting Occupant Injury Risk: A Framework for Automatic Injury Notification Systems, described his UAB UTC sponsored research project and results, Potential Improvements in Medical Treatment and EMS through Real-time Injury Assessment of Occupants Involved in Crashes. Dr. Crandall’s presentation was enthusiastically received and spurred a productive panel discussion among experts from Japan, Europe, South Korea, the United States and other countries. Dr. Jeff Crandall Nancy and Neal Wade Professor of Engineering and Applied Science, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor & Director, Center for Applied Biomechanics University of Virginia The Tokyo Joint Symposium was organized by the Japanese Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Japan Society of Automotive Engineers, the Japan Automobile Research Institute, the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis and the General Insurance of Association of Japan. Dr. Jeff Crandall at the Symposium (third presenter from the left) 40 UAB UTC Leaders Named to Birmingham’s Blue Ribbon Transportation Advisory Panel Birmingham’s Mayor, the Honorable William Bell, is committed to providing safe, effective transportation for residents and to enhancing Birmingham’s livability through viable transportation solutions. To help him obtain these goals, Mayor Bell has established the Blue Ribbon Transportation Advisory Panel. This group is an information gathering and advisory committee made up of transit advocates, business leaders, financial experts and now, significantly, representatives from the health care delivery research community. The panel is charged with providing the Mayor with best practices-related information, research findings and offering recommendations for possible ways to improve the various transportation modalities about which Birmingham proper and the greater Birmingham area must be concerned. The goal is for this panel to offer realistic solutions to existing problems that will lead to measurable reductions in travel times, improved transit services leading to increased transit usage, etc., in a manner that will maximize Birmingham’s limited transportation funds and resources. (L to R) Mr. Jeffrey Foster, Dr. Despina Stavrinos, Mayor William Bell, and Dr. Russ Fine. uab utc annual report 2009-2010 In May of this year, UAB UTC leaders, Dr. Russ Fine, Director and Mr. Jeff Foster, Associate Director were honored to be invited to represent the UAB UTC as members of the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Transportation Advisory Panel. Mayor Bell, recognizing transportation as a public health issue and praising the UAB UTC’s past and present work in that area The Mayor has charged this panel with examining all aspects of the Birmingham Transportation Network. The Blue Ribbon Commission is to review findings from around the country to determine best practices for the City on a wide variety of topics such as evaluating the timing of lights to mitigate gridlock to the use of transit vehicles in a mass evacuation or mass arrival scenario (as with Katrina). The UAB UTC is well equipped to provide such a service to the City. “To be asked by Mayor William Bell to serve on this important panel speaks volume about the work we are doing here at the UAB UTC. Our Center is uniquely capable to aid the panel in addressing many of the important transportation-related challenges our City faces.” – Russ Fine on behalf of himself, Jeff Foster and all those affiliated with the UAB UTC.
UAB UTC Provides Distracted Driving Technical Guidance for Alabamians The UTC has provided technical assistance and guidance to a citizen-driven, grass roots, anti-texting while driving movement known as Alabamians Against Distracted Driving. That group has partnered with the state’s largest ABC Television affiliate, ABC 33/40, which broadcasts throughout north and north-central Alabama in an effort to spread its educational messages. In the Sunday, August 8, 2010 edition of The Birmingham News, a front page story about distracted driving appeared. The UAB UTC’s lead distracted driving researcher, Dr. Despina Stavrinos, was a primary information source for the journalist responsible for the story. Additionally, Mrs. Dee Fine, wife of UAB UTC Director Dr. Russ Fine, who established Alabamians Against Distracted Driving was also interviewed for the article. distracted driving include the critical technical advisory role the UTC subsequently assumed after the previously described field demonstration. The UAB UTC provided the Birmingham Mayor and City Councilors with scientific data about distracted driving. This resulted in the Birmingham Alabama City Council passing, without opposition, a new ordinance banning texting while driving for all city workers as well as all other licensed drivers. A recent front page news story appeared in the UAB campus newspaper with a headline reading “UAB P.D. to enforce city’s ban on texting.” The entire story may be viewed, online at http://images.main.uab.edu/uabreporter/080910color.pdf . Our distracted driving-related educational and community service activities have provided much needed data and direction to several municipalities throughout the Greater Birmingham Region, as well as elsewhere in Alabama, that have lead to the adoption of the local ordinances banning texting while driving. Among these of which we are most proud is the City of Birmingham, whose texting ban includes the UAB Campus. In addition, to increase awareness among elected Birmingham officials, the UTC helped organize and sponsor a distracted driving performance demonstration in which Birmingham Mayor William Bell was a highprofile participant. Another, closely related, example of recent UAB UTC driven initiatives that are resulting in significantly heightened awareness of the hazards and risks associated with Birmingham Mayor William Bell navigating obstacles while distracted Drivers engage in potentiallydistracting secondary tasks during more than half of the time spent driving. D n’t text & Drive Alabamians Against Distracted Driving 205.934.7845 Technology Transfer Program 41
Page 1 and 2: Annual Report Traffic Safety & Inju
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Director’s Note
Page 5 and 6: ecause of two exceptional transport
Page 7 and 8: From 2004 to 2008, seat belts saved
Page 9 and 10: Center Staff university of alabama
Page 11 and 12: Office of the Director / Principal
Page 13 and 14: The Advisory Board The UAB UTC’s
Page 15 and 16: First Student Earns Certificate in
Page 17 and 18: In the United States, motor vehicle
Page 19 and 20: “Together, the UAB UTC and the TR
Page 21 and 22: UAB UTC’s First Minority Enrichme
Page 23 and 24: In 2008 there were an estimated 10,
Page 25 and 26: D2 - Project 1: Capacity Building,
Page 27 and 28: Urban Sprawl Associated with Increa
Page 29 and 30: Traffic Congestion Increases EMS Re
Page 31 and 32: First Wave of UAB UTC Distracted Dr
Page 33 and 34: Products, Technologies, and Researc
Page 35 and 36: Secretary Ray LaHood, United States
Page 37 and 38: Presentations Bose D, Crandall J, T
Page 39 and 40: TRIP ® Lab Students Present Resear
Page 41: effort to address and resolve press
Page 45 and 46: “The University of Alabama at Bir
Page 47 and 48: UTC Leadership and Special Guests 1
Page 49 and 50: PANEL 2: Public Awareness and Educa
Page 51 and 52: UAB UTC Featured in RITA Spotlight
Page 53 and 54: UAB UTC Welcomes New UTC Scientist
Page 55 and 56: UAB UTC Exploring Partnership with
Page 57 and 58: Workforce Development in Real Time:
Page 59 and 60: funding, sources & expenditures 200

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