January 2012, KNOXVILLE TN

UT Survey Finds Tennessee Drivers Feel Less Safe on Roadways Today

Four out of ten drivers feel less safe on the road than they did five years ago. That's according to a recent highway safety survey of Tennesseans conducted by the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) and the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE) at the University of Tennessee.

The biggest fear factor--distracted drivers. Survey results show that Tennesseans consider texting and emailing while driving to be as threatening as drinking while driving. Nine out of ten respondents cited the behavior as a threat to their personal safety.

"It is telling that Tennesseans now find texting and emailing while driving a threat equal in severity to drinking and driving," said Jerry Everett, CTR research director. Everett notes that while almost all respondents consider drinking and driving unacceptable, driving while texting or while drowsy are still considered risks worth taking.

While drivers may find these behaviors unsafe, it does not stop them from doing them. The survey found one out of five drivers engaged in these behaviors in the past 30 days. This research showed that inconsistencies between attitudes and behavior were common among the respondents.

See the full report:
2011 Tennessee Traffic Safety Culture Survey
Appendix 1: Data Tables
Appendix 2: Survey Instrument

Center for Transportation Research

The Center for Transportation Research (CTR) has been a nationally and internationally recognized research entity at the University of Tennessee for over 30 years. Our group has been the research venue for some of the brightest and most innovative faculty, researchers and graduate students in the nation's transportation arena.

The CTR has experienced steady growth, and today has over $10 million currently under contract, providing increased opportunities for students and researchers. Considering the breadth of our transportation system, the quality of newly graduated transportation students must be of the highest caliber. The CTR is supporting the college's responsibility to supply well-educated transportation students to the growing field of transportation professionals.

Transportation research, education and technology transfer activities will continue to be vital if we are to rebuild the nation's ageing transportation infrastructure and encourage solutions to tomorrow's transportation problems. These initiatives present new technical challenges, involve specialized personnel skills and require innovative partnerships and management approaches. The CTR strives to address these needs for the nation, our region and our community.

Background & Focus

The Center for Transportation Research was created in 1970 to foster and facilitate interdisciplinary research, public service and outreach in the field of transportation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It began full-time operations in 1972, and since then has contributed greatly to the overall research program of the university. As a research center under the auspices of UT's College of Engineering, the CTR oversees various programs associated with the educational, research, training and industrial aspects of the transportation field.

The center has three goals. The first is to conduct a program of research in transportation that is recognized for its excellence, comprehensiveness, innovation, productivity and national leadership. The second is to develop and sustain the technical expertise for high quality transportation research by the faculty and students within the various departments and colleges of UT. The CTR's third goal is to serve the transportation research, service and training needs of state and local government, business and industry in Tennessee, the southeast region and the nation.

CTR Director

On October 1, 2008 Dr. David Clarke was appointed as the CTR Director by the University of Tennessee College of Engineering. Dr. Clarke has a broad background in transportation management and systems, including extensive work related to design of railroad track and structures, railroad operations analysis, and transportation safety. Dr. Clarke is also the director of the Tennessee Transportation Assistance Program.

Dr. Clarke received his undergraduate and MS degrees in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1979 and 1982, respectively, after which he worked as a civil engineer for Bechtel Power Corporation and for Science Applications International Corporation (1982-1989). From 1990-1997, he served as CTR's Assistant Director while completing his Ph.D. in civil engineering with an emphasis in transportation. In 1997, Dr. Clarke directed the center before leaving Tennessee to accept a faculty position at Clemson University's Department of Civil Engineering. Dr. Clarke returned to UTK in 2004 as a program manager in the Center for Transportation Research and as a Research Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

cars cross bridge