Kimberly Vachal, director of the Rural Transportation Safety and Security Center, was selected to present "Improving Roadway Safety Programs Through University-Agency Partnerships" at the University Transportation Center's Spotlight Conference in November. The event is hosted by the Transportation Research Board and sponsored by the Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

Vachal will travel to Washington, D.C., to present two posters based on safety-focused research reports. One poster is based on research from "Implementing Traffic Safety Evaluations to Enhance Roadway Safety," which addresses the importance of roadway safety and the challenges local governments with limited resources face. Traffic Safety Evaluations, which are effective, proactive tools that identify roadway safety issues, were conducted in conjunction with Barnes County, N.D.

A second poster Vachal will present is based on the report, "Identifying Factors That Predict Teen Driver Crashes." The research was conducted in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Transportation and North Dakota Safety Council to develop a strategy for intervening in driver behavior to ultimately change behavior and reduce the number of crashes.

The Rural Transportation Safety and Security Center operates in conjunction with the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute to promote and enhance the region's transportation safety and security through research, education and outreach.

The University Transportation Center's Spotlight Conference focuses on university-transportation agency partnerships for safety and the role these partnerships can play in helping develop the analytical and workforce expertise needed to support new roadway safety analysis, research, programs and cultural tools.