Montana State’s Western Transportation Institute project wins research award

BOZEMAN - The Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University recently completed a project deemed "high-value" by the Research Advisory Committee Region 4 of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials with its 2024 High Value Research award in the supplemental category of Safety, Security and Emergencies.

The Montana Department of Transportation nominated its research project, "Effectiveness of Highway Safety Public Education at Montana Motor Vehicle Registration Stations by Streaming a Variety of Safety Content" as a "high-value" research project. The project was completed in cooperation with WTI and focused on the effectiveness of video content to raise drivers' awareness to their actions affecting road safety and the benefits of proven road safety countermeasures such as roundabouts and rumble strips installed by public transportation agencies. WTI, with cooperation from MDT, chose the content for the videos, which were displayed on television monitors at select licensing and vehicle registration stations across the state. WTI researchers surveyed people who had watched the videos in waiting rooms to gauge their recall of the content and messaging.

Each year, the Research Advisory Committee of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials invites state transportation departments to identify and document recently completed "high-value" projects. This initiative sparks competition among the 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, as they determine the highest impact research in each region. The process also allows regions to gain insight into what their counterparts view as high-value research.

"On behalf of the WTI research team involved in this project, we are honored by MDT's nomination and the resulting selection for recognition by the state DOTs in Region 4," said Kelvin Wang, WTI director. "Our relationship with MDT is important to MSU and provides great value to the traveling public as we work together to keep people safe on Montana's roadways."

WTI is one of the nation's largest transportation institutes focused on rural transportation issues, and it has twice been designated as a National University Transportation Center by the U.S. Department of Transportation. WTI is housed in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering and has conducted research at local, state and federal levels in 35 states and 22 countries.