|
About the CenTIR > History
CenTIR I (1998 - 2007)
The Center for Transportation Injury Research (CenTIR) was established in 1998 by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which directed that a grant be provided “…to establish and maintain a center for transportation injury research at the Calspan University of Buffalo Research Center, affiliated with the State University of New York at Buffalo." This first grant was funded through September 30, 2007.
Organization of CenTIR I
The CenTIR I was established as a cooperative research program led by CUBRC (a not-for-profit research organization in Buffalo, NY), in collaboration with the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Erie County Medical Center (a Level 1 Trauma Center), the Schools of Medicine and Engineering at the University at Buffalo, and General Dynamics's Buffalo facility (formerly Veridian, formerly Calspan).
Mission & Goals
Initially, the CenTIR was organized under FHWA’s Technology Deployment Initiatives and Partnerships Program (TDIPP). One of the goals of TDIPP was to “reduce the human costs of run-off-the-road crashes and trauma related injuries.” In this regard, TDIPP specifically called for “developing and deploying technologies that enhance post event services, such as emergency vehicle response or specific medical action (which) can mitigate the degree of resulting trauma”. The CenTIR focused on this goal in defining its mission which was to:
- Perform interdisciplinary, systems-oriented research to reduce the occurrence, severity and consequences of crash related injuries.
A NHTSA report observed the enormous toll America faces each year from death and injury on our roadways. It estimated that the economic impact of U.S. motor vehicle crashes in the year 2000 was $230.6 billion, including:
- $61.0 billion in lost workplace productivity
- $20.2 billion in lost household productivity
- $59.0 billion in property damage
- $32.6 billion in medical costs
- $25.6 billion in travel delay costs
In light of the statistics above, the CenTIR established the goal of identifying and researching innovative technologies and systems that held promise for reducing crash-related fatalities, injuries and their associated costs. In addition to technology-related activities, the CenTIR staff initiated various research studies to better understand and characterize the nature of the crash as well as the post crash emergency response. Studies were initiated in automated crash detection, injury severity prediction, development of ‘smart’ dispatch and triage aids, prehospital care data collection and prehospital and Emergency Department (ED) diagnostic tools.
Technical Accomplishments
The CenTIR performed three types of technical activity during the course of the CenTIR I program. Please click on each of the activity types to learn more.
Partnerships & Collaborators
The CenTIR has established public/private partnerships and collaborations to advance the deployment of technologies that will potentially save lives and reduce disabilities. CenTIR projects and collaborations with industry, state & local governments, the medical community and university partners have broadened the understanding of new opportunities to improve safety. Examples of these partners and the associated projects are listed below:
Ford Motor Co / Greater HarrisCounty 9-1-1 / Intrado / Cross Country Group
Supported the design and fabrication of in-vehicle Advanced ACN systems (AACN) & vehicle interface cables. This equipment was provided to Ford Motor Co. for installation in approximately 200 Greater Harris County police vehicles. Supported the design & use of an end-to-end system enabling vehicle generated crash message to be integrated into the ‘native’ Harris County 9-1-1 PSAP system display.
Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS)
Developed a national air medical services data base to provide the information necessary for the development of tools to enable rapid notification of local air medical services in the event of an ACN crash.
Johns Hopkins University
Performed full scale ambulance crash tests to study vehicle crash worthiness & guide safety improvements for patients and EMS personnel in the rear compartment.
Univ of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins Univ & American Trauma Society
Collaborated on a national “Access to Trauma Care” study to examine where timely access to a trauma center (by ground or air ambulance) was possible and where populations had no timely access.
NYS Department of Health / Erie County Department of Health
Evaluated use of electronic prehospital data collection tools for surveillance & detection of possible bio-terrorist events.
Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse NY
Provided support for the NYS 9-1-1 Call Locator Partnerships program.
Ford Motor Company
Supported integration of ACN and digital cameras with other in-vehicle sensors to evaluate the ability of these sensors to provide accurate estimates of crash and injury severity.
MNDOT / FHWA / GM OnStar
Supported deployment & test of a national data routing capability for ACN messages.
Alaska Injury Prevention Center (AIPC)
Created GIS database of Alaska’s current emergency response system. Supported evaluation of measured cellular signal strength along Alaska Highway System to identify ways to improve emergency response to car crashes in remote areas.
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham Regional EMS System (BREMSS) & GM OnStar
Supported delivery of OnStar ACN data to BREMSS Trauma Communication Center and integration of patient data collected at the scene. Also established a research database with crash timelines and analysis and visualization tools.
University of Rochester / Medical College of Wisconsin
Supported a study to evaluate the ability of EMS prehospital care providers to accurately evaluate mechanism of injury criteria in the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Field Triage Guidelines.
Grand Rounds
To support initial development of the CenTIR’s research portfolio, a series of seminars were held during the first two years of the CenTIR program
- James Hedlund, Ph.D. "Drunk Driving: Research, Politics, and Medical Staff Reporting."
Highway Safety North (presented April 6, 2001)
- Loring Rue, M.D. "In Pursuit of the Golden Hour in Alabama."
University of Alabama at Birmingham (presented January 1, 2001)
- Gene Cayten. M.D. "Trauma System Evaluation in New York State."
Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center (presented December 1, 2000)
- Joseph Mollendorf, Ph.D. "Assistive Device Design."
State University of New York at Buffalo (presented November 3, 2000)
- Ayub Ommaya, M.D. "Towards Quantitative Diagnosis of Head Injury in MVC."
Center for Integrative Neuroscience & George Washington University (presented October 6, 2000)
- Matt Bevan, Ph.D. "Occupant Sensing for Safer Airbags."
Johns Hopkins University (presented September 8, 2000)
- James Reidy, M.D. "Ocular Injury Secondary to Airbag Deployment."
Director of Cornea Service, Department of Ophthalmology SUNY at Buffalo (presented August 4, 2000)
- Brian O'Neill. "Current Issues in Highway Safety."
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (presented July 7, 2000)
- Kennerly Digges, Ph.D. "Using Crash Data to Predict Injury."
George Washington University (presented June 2, 2000)
- Nadine R. Levick, M.D. "Ambulance Transport and the Automotive Safety Paradigm: Crashworthiness for 911?" Johns Hopkins University (presented May 5, 2000)
- John M. Violanti, Ph.D. "Wireless Phones and Safe Driving."
State University of New York at Buffalo & Rochester Institute of Technology (presented April 7, 2000)
- Paul Cunningham, M.D. "Rural Trauma: Is Mortality Preventable?"
East Carolina University School of Medicine (presented March 3, 2000)
- Rolf Eppinger, Ph.D. "Advanced Anthropometric Dummy Development and Injury Criteria."
NHTSA (presented February 4, 2000)
- John Siegel, MD, FACS, FCCM. "Factors Influencing Patterns of Injuries and Outcomes in Sedan Versus Sedan Crashes Compared to Sport Utility, Van, or Pickup Truck Versus Sedan Crashes."
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School (presented January 7, 2000
|
P.O. Box 400