Shan Bao, PhD 

Passive & Active Safety Systems 

Proper use of seatbelts is one of the most effective means for preventing crash-related injuries and fatalities among motor-vehicle drivers and passengers. However, it still remains a challenge to increase seatbelt-use rates in certain driver groups, and particularly among young drivers. My research in this domain has two parts. One is to data mine existing naturalistic-driving datasets to explore driver decision-making in seatbelt use—that is, to understand when and why some drivers choose not to use seatbelts. The second is to conduct human-factors studies to evaluate whether and how advanced occupant-protection systems (e.g., seatbelt interlocks) can increase seatbelt use and effectiveness in reducing crash-related injuries, especially for part-time seatbelt users.

As there are two types of safety systems available in current vehicle designs: passive and active. In addition to passive safety systems, driver assist (DA) technologies are becoming more main-stream in the modern vehicle fleet. DA or active safety systems are designed to help drivers avoid or mitigate crashes, whereas, passive safety systems are designed to reduce occupant injury risks during crashes. My colleagues and I have demonstrated the potential for further reducing occupant injury risk in frontal crashes by the integration of a passive safety system with a DA feature.