Transport Safety Research Centre
About us
The objectives of the Transport Safety Research Centre are to reduce traffic casualties and mitigate the broader impact of transport on society by conducting world-leading basic and applied research.
Previously called the Vehicle Safety Research Centre it was renamed in 2010 to reflect the greater diversity of its research in the field of traffic safety and transport technologies.
The TSRC is a multi-disciplinary team conducting research into all aspects of road and vehicle safety and road user behaviour. With a team of over 35 staff and post-graduate researchers the Centre bases its research on real-world accident studies, naturalistic studies of driver behaviour and statistical analysis of accident, health and mobility data.
We conduct research on behalf of Government and Industry and our work impacts directly on the road and vehicle safety policies and the performance requirements of new vehicles. In 2007 The Centre was recognised by the award to the University of the Queens Anniversary Prize.
What we do
We conduct research into the causes of road accidents and injuries, we measure the effectiveness of safety and mobility technologies and we provide the evidence base for policy development.
Our research is both applied and basic and is published widely as reports and papers - we strive for research excellence. The results of our work are used by governments to improve road safety policies and by industry to improve transport products and services.
The Centre was formed in 1982 in order to study vehicle crashworthiness and car occupant protection conducting in-depth crash investigations and injury analyses. Accident investigation has continued uninterrupted since then and the team is now responsible for all UK in-depth accident research.
Over this time the research has broadened and the Centre now conducts a wide range of research into the performance of vehicle safety systems, the relationship between highway characteristics and accident causation, the impacts of accidents on health and the influences of road user behaviour.
The TSRC has developed new naturalistic methods to observer driver behaviour which are now used to examine driver risks in normal driving as well as the functionality and impact of driver support systems. We use controlled fleet trials to evaluate the impact and user acceptance of new intelligent transport technologies and new vehicle propulsion systems.
Resources
The TSRC has a unique set of safety data and experimental facilities that provide a powerful basis for a wide range of research studies.
Working with international partners we are able to access a wide range of national accident datasets while accident datasets directly available within the Centre include:
In-depth accident data
- UK accident causation data (1999 - 2010)
- UK crashworthiness data (1983 - 2010)
- EU accident causation data (2004 - 2007)
- EU fatal accident data (2005 - 2006)
- EU crashworthiness data (2002 - 2004)
Macroscopic accident data
- EU CARE accident data
- UK national accident data (1990 - 2008)
Experimental facilities
Working with international partners we can also access a wide range of experimental resources including an instrumented proving ground, driving simulators, and other equipment.
Directly available for research studies is our own instrumented car that records many aspects of driving and vehicle operation, and is equipped with interior and exterior video recording, driver position and gaze behaviour monitoring as well as vehicle systems monitoring.
In-depth accident investigations are enhanced by the use of laser scanning equipment to record scene and crashed vehicle information for subsequent measurement and analysis.
Research collaborations
The TSRC has a team of skilled researchers able to conduct a wide range of research studies. Nevertheless many areas of research require specific combinations of research capabilities that can only be assembled from the resources of several organisations.
Much of the research undertaken within the Centre is collaborative and the team routinely works with partners in Australia, Brazil and India as well as the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Greece, Belgium and other EU countries.
The research team can bring a wide range of research groups from across Loughborough University to participate in new projects. It works closely with the User Centred Design Research Group and other groups within the Design School as well as the Departments of:
- Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
- Computer Science
- Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering
- Transport Studies Group (Civil and Building Engineering)
The Centre can assemble research consortia to conduct a very wide range of studies, typical arrangements include contracting or sub-contracting basis while many studies are conducted within the EU Framework Programmes.