March 10, 2008

More than 300 people will learn the answer to that question during the 13th annual Michigan Traffic Safety Summit, Tuesday-Thursday, at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. C. Raymond Bingham, Ph.D., will discuss novice teen driver research being conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) as part of Tuesday's opening general sessions.

Also Tuesday morning, Anthony R. Kane, Ph.D., of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, plans to project what the future may hold for traffic safety, including impacts of the economy, demographics, technology, global issues, and other trends.

The following day, UMTRI Director Peter Sweatman, Ph.D., will cover the wealth of traffic safety research underway at the Institute. And Thursday, participants will learn why everyone needs sleep ? especially drivers ? when Mark Rosekind, Ph.D., of Alertness Solutions of California, shares his insights into how loss of sleep impacts health and safety.

"Information on cutting edge traffic safety issues is paramount to further reducing traffic deaths and injuries," said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director. "As we learn more about emerging issues, we can develop programs and policies to ensure the safety of our roadway users."

Other sessions will detail:

• a unique program involving the University of Michigan Medical School, General Motors and OnStar to improve emergency care following a serious traffic crash;
• how Saginaw County law enforcement went to a wireless system for reports;
• efforts to improve pedestrian safety in Chicago, Michigan State University and Detroit;
• how to increase road worker visibility to reduce crashes; and
• changes in driver education and how these are improving training

The summit, sponsored by OHSP, will feature five general sessions and 28 workshops. Sessions begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Summit expenses are being offset by registration and exhibitor fees as well as federal traffic safety funds.