gradPSYCH - September 2011 - (Page 31)

CLASS ACT Lloyd Wolf A team of human factors students could revolutionize how we drive in bad weather. BY JAMIE CHAMBERLIN gradPSYCH staff low down.” “Use caution.” Drivers know these are words to live by during rain, sleet or snow. But such rules of thumb aren’t always helpful when you’re on the road, says Erik Nelson, a graduate student in the human factors and applied cognition program at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Most drivers aren’t sure how much they should reduce their speed when roads are wet, and speed limits — which are set for ideal driving conditions — offer little guidance. The amount of precipitation on a road can also change from minute to minute, quickly creating hazardous conditions. “There are a lot of crashes that occur after it has stopped raining and roads are still wet because people get this false sense of security,” says Nelson. To give drivers more specific guidance in bad weather, Nelson and four other George Mason University human factors students invented a speedometer that offers constantly updated speed recommendations using information from windshield wipers, temperature gauges and wheel traction sensors. Their “Speed Limits for Inclement Conditions,” or SLIC, was a North American finalist chosen to compete in the international student design competition at the 2009 Enhanced Safety of Vehicles conference. Now, its creators are patenting their idea and hope that in the not-too-distant future the tool will be a standard car feature. “SLIC is very well-timed,” says Chris Monk, PhD, of the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Safety, Research and Development and the group’s former adviser. “It’s consistent with a lot of activity that’s going on now in the area of intelligent transportation to try to give drivers more information and feedback about their performance.” gradPSYCH • September 2011 • 31 “S 

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of gradPSYCH - September 2011

GradPSYCH - September 2011
Contents
Interns: Be sure to track your hours
Students often notice but only sometimes blow the whistle on peers’ ethical violations
Psychology student spearheads coming-out project
Internship application costs rise
Odd Jobs
Media Picks
Chair’s Corner
Research Roundup
Matters to a Degree
The new academic job market
Applier beware
Does TV accurately portray psychology?
Safer travels
How to handle a tough audience
Free Money for Education
Meet your new advocates
Bulletin Board
Jobs, internships, postdocs and other opportunities
The Back Page

gradPSYCH - September 2011

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