[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 180 (Friday, December 11, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING 50 YEARS OF UNC HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH CENTER EFFORTS TO 
                             IMPROVE SAFETY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID E. PRICE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 11, 2015

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 
50th anniversary of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Highway 
Safety Research Center. The Center's mission is to improve the safety, 
security, access and efficiency of all surface transportation modes by 
conducting interdisciplinary research and disseminating information. 
Located on the UNC campus at Chapel Hill, which is in my district, the 
Center is overseen by the Vice President for Research for the North 
Carolina University System and the Vice Chancellor for Research and 
Economic Development on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.
   The UNC Highway Safety Research Center was formed by the North 
Carolina State Legislature in 1965 at a time when the public was 
calling for enhanced highway and vehicle safety and injury prevention. 
Established during former Governor Dan K. Moore's tenure, the Center 
began operations in 1966 under the direction of Dr. B.J. Campbell. I'd 
like to recognize the Center's current leadership, including David 
Harkey, Director of the Highway Safety Research Center; Lauren 
Marchetti, Director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School; 
Charles Zegeer, Director of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information 
Center; and Robert Foss, Director of the Center for the Study of Young 
Drivers.
   The Center's cross-discipline research--from social and behavioral 
sciences to engineering and planning--addresses the diverse challenges 
we face in building safer roads and highways. Research topics include 
animal-vehicle crash information, bicycle & pedestrian safety and 
access, child passenger safety, distracted and drowsy driving, 
motorcycle safety, occupant protection, the safety of older and younger 
drivers, school travel, traffic operations, and roadway design.
   Over its 50-year history, the Center has worked with various partner 
agencies in North Carolina on identifying road safety challenges, 
developing and implementing strategies, and evaluating the 
effectiveness of programs and interventions. Partners in North Carolina 
include the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the 
Governor's Highway Safety Program, the State Highway Patrol, and many 
others. In recent years, the Center worked closely with NCDOT to train 
State professionals on the concept of complete streets, develop and 
implement the `Watch for Me' pedestrian and bicycle safety program, and 
develop the 2014 Strategic Highway Safety Plan.
   The nationally renowned investigators at the center have also 
translated their results into programs and policies that have been 
implemented in North Carolina, saving countless lives and injuries. The 
Center's staff has also trained thousands of safety professionals, and 
have served as a resource for the public and the media on how to 
communicate safety messages and provide an impartial voice on timely 
road safety topics.
   For 50 years, the Highway Safety Research Center has been a leading 
research institute that has helped shape the field of transportation 
safety. We are fortunate that this world-class highway safety research 
center calls North Carolina home. Again, I want to congratulate the 
Center on celebrating 50 years of service to the cause of highway 
safety and road users everywhere. I look forward to their continued 
work over the coming decades.

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