Research Group on Development and Advising in Traffic Safety

Description

DATS is a Research Group attached to the University Research Institute on Traffic and Road Safety (INTRAS). The research group was created in 1995 and is formed by professors and researchers of renowned prestige.

The aim of the DATS Group is focused on Consulting, Research, Development, Innovation, Training and Dissemination Projects in the fields of Transport, Traffic, Mobility and Road Safety.

It develops its projects both for administrations and institutions as well as for companies, whether public or private, national or international, in order to respond to the needs of its clients, as well as in general to solve the social problems represented by traffic accidents, poverty and environmental degradation across the world, with special attention to developing countries.

Therefore, one of the main activities is the accompaniment in the diagnosis of problems and detection of opportunities, as well as the definition of solutions and strategies to guide decision-making.

The work of the DATS Group has contributed to increase knowledge in the field. In this sense, the group has made an effort to disseminate findings through books, articles in scientific journals and/or scientific and outreaching conferences. Likewise, the group has actively participated in and with mass media with the aim of communicating and raising public awareness.

Consequently, the following services are included in its Service Charter:

Preparation/Drafting of Strategic Plans for Transport, Logistics, Sustainable Mobility, Local and Urban Planning, Road and Workplace Safety (in-itinere and in-mission accidents).
Definition, development and implementation of interventions, measures and counter-measures in the fields of Transport, Mobility and Road Safety.
Legislative, Regulatory and Normative development.
Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
Assessment and recruitment, especially of drivers, both positive and negative, including the development of instruments to achieve these goals.
Design and teaching of training and education programmes, as well as the necessary teaching tools and resources (including those based on technologies such as Virtual Reality, especially simulators, and Augmented Reality). It is aimed at scholars, professionals, technicians and users/citizens in general.
Creation of communication and advertising campaigns, including Corporate Social Marketing campaigns.
Evaluation of Plans, Programmes and interventions, including those related to legislative, regulatory and normative development (Legislative Assessment).

Goals CT

To contribute to the increase in knowledge of phenomena related to transport, mobility and road safety, through studies and audits, mainly epidemiological and behavioural, as well as the evaluation of plans, programmes and all types of interventions, both of the human factor and of roads, vehicles and enforcement.
To promote public health, through the development of plans, interventions, measures and counter-measures, aimed at the prevention of traffic accidents, with their consequent deaths and injuries, including in the workplace, as well as through the promotion of the use of soft modes of transport.
Development of Governance and Public Policy design, through the improvement of Strategic Planning, Decision-making and Normativity, carried out for local and national governments and supranational organisations, and aimed at increasing safety, environment preservation and economic development, especially in emerging countries.
Dissemination of the findings and results obtained through scientific media and mass media in general, in order to increase knowledge and promote a more sustainable and safer mobility.

Research lines

Transport and Sustainable Mobility
The research and development topics are very broad and include studies of the travel habits or needs of users of a given territory or means of transport, user satisfaction, public transport, the impact of changes in supply, soft modes, freight, logistics, last mile, fares, accessibility, inclusiveness, gender, environment, electric mobility, etc.

Likewise, and even more so in the case of Road Safety, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are the object of study and development, as well as other means of land transport, such as rail, tram and metro, as well as maritime and air transport.
Strategy and decision-making
Corresponding to its complexity and wide range, it focuses on studies and developments concerning strategy (including tactical and operational levels) and all the components involved in the decision-making process, based on normative or descriptive models (mathematical versus psychological), as well as at the individual and group level.
Traffic and Road Safety
The topics of research and development are very broad and include epidemiological studies, accident research, causes of accidents, risk factors, risk groups, vulnerable users, driver behaviour, basic psychological processes, attitudes, motivations and values underlying behaviour, the special case of offenders and repeat offenders, as well as autonomous driving.

In addition to the human factor, the subject of study includes the roads (with special attention to black spots and accident hotspots, as well as signage, which is particularly variable), vehicles, and the condition of all of them.

Management