Driving Safety Research Institute

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.

About Us

Participate

Participate in one of our studies, or join our registry to get notified about new studies.

Rose Schmitt and John Gaspar in NADS-1 control room

Our Research

We partner with researchers around the world to study the connection between humans and vehicles.

The 24-foot NADS-1 simulator is on a six-legged base that rotates up to 330° and moves across the 64-foot square bay floor to simulate driving motions such as accelerating, lane changing, and skidding. There are 23 brakes on the large crossbeam that spans the room, while 42 hydrostatic bearings ride on a thin film of oil across smooth metal belts.

Our Tech

Simulators and Vehicles miniSim

News

O’Neal receives NICHD award to further study teen driving safety

Friday, May 21, 2021

Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth O'Neal, a postdoctoral research scholar at the National Advanced Driving Simulator and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, for receiving a K99/R00 Award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Case study: Automated Driving Systems for Rural America

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Hexagon | AutonomouStuff

Our tech partners Hexagon | AutonomouStuff in Morton, Illinois, have been busy with the final software integration and testing of our new automated vehicle, set to hit Iowa rural roads this summer.

Iowa State Patrol focus on bad driving habits with enforcement project, say distracted driving plays a role

Thursday, April 29, 2021

KCRG TV9 News

KCRG TV9 News reports on the rise in distracted driving, what law enforcement has seen, and the research being done on distracted driving at the University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator.

Expert says driver distraction is becoming more dangerous in Iowa

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

KWWL

NADS Director Dan McGehee talks with KWWL on the dangers of distracted driving, especially on Iowa's unforgiving roads.

NADS researchers work to understand driver distraction and make roads safer

Thursday, April 22, 2021

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. 3,142 people were killed from distracted driving in 2019 – a 10% increase from 2018. NADS researchers work to reverse that trend.

What Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Means For Iowa

Monday, April 5, 2021

Iowa Public Radio

NADS Director Dan McGehee appeared on Iowa Public Radio's River to River, toward the end of the hour talking about next generation transportation.

Project update: Equipment installed on new research vehicle

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

The Transit shuttle bus for the University of Iowa's ADS for Rural America project has been equipped with automated driving technology by Illinois-based AutonomouStuff.

Autonomous Lingo in the Repair Space

Friday, March 5, 2021

ADAPT Automotive

Advertising campaigns have been overestimating vehicle’s capabilities since the 1960s, but with today’s technology, hyperbolic language has the power to be dangerous. NADS Director Dan McGehee explains.

Iowa Magazine video: ADS for Rural America

Video: Automated Driving Systems for Rural America

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

University of Iowa Center for Advancement

How do people in rural areas who can’t drive get where they need to go? Decades down the road, “AVs could allow these people to continue to live independently,” says Omar Ahmad.