Research will try to find ways to save highway lives

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The Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program (BTSCRP), with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will research ways to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-crash costs associated with unsafe behaviors.

The BTSCRP will be managed by NHTSA and the Governors Highway Safety Association and will be executed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB).

TRB will gather a panel of experts to provide guidance to BTSCRP.

“Traffic safety has long been one of TRB’s highest priorities,” TRB Executive Director Neil Pedersen said. “The vast majority of traffic crashes result from human error, so a research program that focuses on human behavior is critical. We look forward to working closely with GHSA and NHTSA in finding new ways to reduce crashes related to behavioral issues.”

BTSCRP has been funded by Congress since fiscal year 2014 through the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century bill. It was previously called the National Cooperative Research and Evaluation Program and received its current name this year for fiscal year 2018.

Funding for the program was set at $2.5 million by Congress.

The program researches a variety of road-safety issues, including the impact of marijuana legalization, motorcycle-crash risks, and law enforcement.