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

Black screen with text "Are you interested in driving research?"

Student Overview: National Advanced Driving Simulator

Monday, August 1, 2022
Are you interested in driving research? The National Advanced Driving Simulator has a variety of opportunities for students from different disciplines.
Dan McGehee and Christopher Rundus at graduation ceremony

Q&A with 2022 Ph.D. Alum Christopher R. M. Rundus

Monday, July 18, 2022
Recent Industrial and Systems Engineering Ph.D. student Christopher R.M. Rundus had his choice of careers when he graduated from the University of Iowa. Learn more about his time at the university and his future plans.
Hexagon's Sri Mushty, one of the autonomous software specialists working on our automated vehicle

ADS for Rural America update: July 2022

Tuesday, July 12, 2022
We recently started Phase 3 (of 6) of our project, with the help of one of our tech partners, Hexagon | AutonomouStuff. See also how our co-pilot display works.
image of Dr. Daniel McGehee on a blue screen

PAVE Panel "Digital Infrastructure in Highly Automated Driving" with Dr. Dan McGehee

Thursday, June 30, 2022
Check out the recording of last week's PAVE Panel "Digital Infrastructure in Highly Automated Driving" with Dr. Dan McGehee, director of the National Advanced Driving Simulator.
Vehicle dashboard with extensive Apple CarPlay screens

Apple Embraces the Ever-Expanding Dashboard Touchscreen

Thursday, June 16, 2022
Infotainment systems are often used to provide drivers with a less distracting alternative to the smartphone. However, there are still many safety concerns in regard to these systems, and there is little research that focuses on distraction and infotainment systems directly. This WIRED article featuring Dr. Daniel McGehee takes a look at the future of infotainment systems, specifically the next generation of CarPlay.
gray and blue screen with white text "surviving bad"

Cannabis Impaired Driving

Thursday, June 16, 2022
Cannabis Impaired Driving. Timothy Brown, Ph.D. Dr. Tim Brown, the Director of Drugged Driving Research at the University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator joins us to talk about Cannabis and Drugged Driving, and the results are scary.
gray and blue screen with white text "surviving bad"

The Science of Distracted Driving

Thursday, June 16, 2022
The Science of Distracted Driving with Dr. Daniel McGehee – National Advanced Driving Simulator. Professor Daniel McGehee from the National Advanced Driving Simulator at the University of Iowa joins us to talk about the science of distracted driving, multi-tasking, and safety.
Woman stepping out of a grey car

Can CBD Impact Your Driving Ability? What We Know

Thursday, June 2, 2022
Millions of Americans regularly use CBD but little is known about the impacts of CBD on driving ability. This Healthline article, with comments from Tim Brown, director of drugged driving research at the National Advanced Driving Simulator, gives insight into driving ability and CBD use.
Blue screen with text " You are still the most important part of driving"

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) vs. Automation

Thursday, May 19, 2022
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are becoming more common in everyday vehicles. Watch our quick video to learn about the differences between ADAS and automation and your responsibilities as a driver.
Daniel McGehee, PhD

Congrats to McGehee on his tenure

Monday, May 9, 2022
Congratulations to NADS Director Daniel McGehee, PhD, as he has recently been promoted and tenured as part of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
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.