Center for Transportation Safety

Behavioral Research Group

Katie Womack, Program Manager
979-845-5153
k-womack@tamu.edu

Photo for visual interest. Two women examine the back of a child safety seat. In the background are other people and vehicles.The mission of the Behavioral Research Group is to advance the expert and public understanding of social and behavioral issues important to transportation through the use of social science research methods. The group addresses a wide range of safety issues that contribute significantly to the unacceptably high death and injury rates on our highways, including misuse and the lack of use of safety belts and child safety seats. Studies typically investigate or evaluate by assessing public opinion, knowledge, and preferences, or by observation of behavior. Researchers excel in the application of an array of survey techniques including personal interviews, written questionnaires, telephone interviews, focus groups, and unobtrusive observation. Recent studies include measurements of compliance with safety inspection and vehicle registration requirements in Texas (using direct observation), a survey of Texas vehicle owners to assess a proposed new design of the vehicle registration sticker (using intercept interviews), an evaluation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's standardized child passenger safety training program (using questionnaires, direct observation, telephone interviews, and focus groups), and multiple surveys of occupant restraint use and motorcycle helmet use focusing on various occupants (using direct observation). The group is committed to making its research findings accessible, applicable, and available to a wide range of organizations and individuals.

Research Staff

Primary Researchers

Burleson, Whitney, Research Assistant
Cavness, Rod, Traffic Surveyor
Cox, Brian, Assistant Research Specialist
Dobrovolsky, David, Research Associate
Guidry, Mike, Research Associate
Holley, Jessica, Student Worker I
Rodriguez, Irene, Assistant Research Specialist
Schrank, Stacey, Assistant Research Scientist
Thom, Katherine, Traffic Surveyor
Turner, Patricia, Associate Research Scientist
Womack, Katie, Senior Research Scientist

Expertise

Researchers in the Behavioral Research Group have expertise in the following areas:

  • Educational curriculum assessment
  • Field research
  • Interviews and focus groups
  • Observational surveys
  • Qualitative and quantitative data analysis
  • Social and behavioral data collection
  • Strategic and program planning
  • Technical assistance
  • Telephone and mail surveys
  • Training/educational materials development
  • Crash data analysis

Research Areas

Sponsors

  • Federal Highway Administration
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • Oklahoma Regional Community Policing Institute
  • Preusser Research Group
  • Texas Department of Transportation
  • Texas Department of Public Safety
  • Southwest University Transportation Center
  • University of North Carolina
  • SAFE, Inc.