Our Mission

We aim to make roads safer by researching the connection between humans and vehicles. We are home to the National Advanced Driving Simulator, and we now have a new name for our broader institute: the Driving Safety Research Institute.

News

drowsy driving research in the National Advanced Driving Simulator

UI researcher studies effects of taking breaks, caffeine on drowsy drivers

Monday, July 7, 2025
Drivers who feel drowsy could benefit from taking breaks, but the gains in driving performance appear to be temporary, according to a new study led by John Gaspar, director of human factors research.
vehicles in traffic

CBS2 News: Avoiding car crashes this July 4 weekend

Monday, July 7, 2025
Tim Brown, director of drugged driving research, explains to CBS2 News why alcohol and cannabis consumption can be a fatal combination ahead of the 4th of July holiday.
Hiroyuki Sugiyama, professor of mechanical engineering, University of Iowa

UI's driving simulation expertise featured at NASA Ames Research Center meeting

Thursday, May 1, 2025
The University of Iowa’s longstanding leadership in driving simulation research was on full display last week at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California. NASA hosted a major workshop on “Lunar Autonomy Mobility” for the South Pole Pathfinder/Rover project, where the University of Iowa was represented by current and former faculty, researchers, and alumni.
distracted driver using a cell phone about to hit a pedestrian

Podcast: Safety Behind the Wheel

Friday, April 25, 2025
Podcast host Peggy Smedley and Dan McGehee, director of the Driving Safety Research Institute, discuss distracted driving research, physiological changes that happen with smartphones, and the most dangerous type of distraction.
Omar Ahmad portrait in front of National Advanced Driving Simulator

Ahmad honored with prestigious Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award

Monday, March 3, 2025
Omar Ahmad, deputy director of DSRI, will be awarded the prestigious 2025 Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award for his exceptional leadership, dedication, and contributions to the University of Iowa, the state, and the broader research community.
2024 Driving Safety Research Institute Year in Review cover photo

2024: A Year in Review

Friday, December 20, 2024
The Driving Safety Research Institute works with students from across the country, and learn about their research on assessing driver monitoring systems, understanding of advanced driver assistance systems, connected simulation, and new features to miniSim in our 2024 Year in Review.
Automated shuttle bus on rural Iowa road

ADS for Rural America

Learn more about our Automated Driving Systems (ADS) for Rural America project, which drove a partially-automated shuttle bus through Iowa City, Hills, Riverside, and Kalona, Iowa. 

NADS-1 bay, 3D globe image

Tour our tech

Take a 360 degree virtual tour of our facility, and learn more about our technology and expertise.