The road safety environment is being rapidly transformed by unprecedented advances in information and technology. This progress has fueled innovation in both research and real world applications. Access to big data gathered using simulators, online applications and naturalistic driving studies create new insight into road user behaviour and the ways that it can be effectively influenced. Predictive analytics also inspires novel prevention strategies to target problems earlier in their development and avoid the most profound costs in the form of fatalities and injuries. These progressive approaches are also informing our work at TIRF in several areas. Young drivers have long been a source of interest and concern for our organization. For more than three decades, TIRF has played a leading role in programs to improve young driver safety, and the development and evaluation of graduated driver licensing (GDL) and driver education programs have been a core focus. More recently, TIRF has explored novel approaches to better understand the behaviour of young drivers through the use of simulators and invehicle monitoring devices, and investigated new strategies to better protect our most vulnerable population on the road. In 2014, this work culminated in the development of a comprehensive GDL Framework funded by the National Safety Council (NSC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It builds on the very best evidence regarding GDL programs, and further augments this foundation by integrating the strongest and most promising research related to driver education, licence testing and in-vehicle technologies. This Framework represents the next generation of young driver programs, and work is already underway to implement it in cooperation with practitioners. These advances also inspired work, in partnership with Highway Safety Services, Inc. that acknowledges that driver education programs are increasingly delivered online instead of in a traditional classroom setting. To ensure that these new delivery systems continue to be evidence-based, TIRF is working with a cross-section of informed stakeholders to develop standards for online driver education programs. Impaired driving also continues to be a significant contributor to road crashes and a priority topic at TIRF. While there is a growing array of countermeasures and strategies that have been implemented in most jurisdictions, they have been challenged by the consolidation of the data generated by them to see the bigger picture in terms of progress. To close this gap, TIRF, in partnership with its DWI Working Group, conducted a comprehensive review and synthesis of a broad range of indicators associated with impaired driving systems in eight states to identify the best indicators of progress. This work resulted in the development of the DWI Dashboard which is a free resource that states can utilize to track their progress in reducing deaths and injuries due to impaired driving. The high level of engagement by participating states speaks to the importance of this work. TIRF also focused its attention on two important issues that have long-been a concern but have been inconsistently addressed. Off-road vehicles have been a recognized contributor to fatalities and injuries, often involving children, for two decades. In 2014, TIRF conducted a comprehensive analysis of available data in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada that resulted in a peer-reviewed publication that contributes to our understanding of this issue. In addition, TIRF pursued the development of a web-based resource centre on wildlife vehicle collisions that will be launched in 2015. This work was spurred by TIRF’s investigation of this issue that revealed a considerable knowledge gap. Finally, in recognition of Canada’s aging population, TIRF completed a meta-analysis of cognitive screening tools, on behalf of the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), to identify viable tools to strengthen the delivery of driver licensing programs. Following the identification of two evidence-based tools, TIRF also worked with MTO to help implement these tools and better protect road users in Ontario. TIRF also made strides internationally in 2014 in two important areas. First, it was contracted by another road safety research institute to help strengthen its approach to knowledge transfer (KT) and integrate KT practices across organizational processes at all levels using TIRF’s own KT model. Second, TIRF partnered with the Arab Road Safety Organization to adapt its Brain on The Memorandum of Understanding that structures this partnership was signed in late November at an international road safety conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Most notably, each year TIRF devotes it attention to providing charitable services that benefit all Canadians as well as its diverse stakeholders nationally and internationally. In 2014 TIRF undertook a range of activities in this regard including partnering with grassroots organizations and local communities to share knowledge, authoring book chapters and delivering research to practitioners, participating in peer-reviews of road safety research, and providing input into the activities of other road safety stakeholders. In sum, TIRF had another productive year and continued to deliver solid value to Canadians which is evident in the work it produced. This could not have been possible without dedicated staff who contributed their ideas, expertise and networks that facilitated this work. Moreover, the continued support of our Board of Directors and their guidance on important issues, including our partnership with TIRF USA, Inc. has supplied an important resource in the form of experience and expertise in relevant professional fields. This has strengthened TIRF and helped ensure its continued evolution as a professional and highlycompetitive research institute that succeeds in its mission to improve road safety and better protect Canadians from fatalities and injuries. (Author/publisher)
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