Speaker

Nicole Chen

Title

How to Integrate Econometric and AI Models for Traffic Safety and Human Factors Research?

Abstract

Road traffic injuries are predicted to rank as the fifth leading cause of death in 2030. Every day, over 3500 people die on the roads, which amounts to nearly 1.3 million preventable deaths and 50 million non-fatal injuries. Individuals, their families, and nations as a whole suffer considerable economic losses as a result of traffic injuries. The traditional approach to understanding traffic safety relies on crash data, which is reactive and has fundamental ethical and practical problems. A more effective approach to safety management requires evaluating the safety of locations over short time periods (e.g. minutes) to dynamically change the traffic environment and optimize safety in real-time. There are considerable opportunities for new technologies, such as connected and autonomous vehicles and advanced sensing and edge computing. A large amount of data also helps us better understand road user behaviour through AI. Moreover, human factors will remain crucial in the future of mobility systems. We need more advanced research on the safety of mixed traffic in the transition period and smart interaction between AV and vulnerable road users. Integrating econometric and artificial intelligence models is imperative in order to prepare for the future of road safety.

Bio

Dr. Tiantian Chen is an assistant professor at the Cho Chun Shik Graduate School of Mobility at KAIST. She received her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2021. She specializes in traffic safety, human factors, human-centered design, driving simulation, travel behavior, transport policy, and applications of statistical methods. She has over 20 journal publications in prestigious transportation & safety journals such as Transportation Research Part A, C, E, F, Transport Policy, Analytic Methods in Accident Research, and Accident Analysis & Prevention. She is now an Editor of the Case Studies on Transport Policy, and guest editor for the Special Issues in the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, Multimodal Transportation, and Research in Transport Business and Management. Due to her expertise, she is also a member of the IEEE Emerging Transportation Technology Testing (ET3) Technical Committee. Additionally, she holds the positions of International Committee Chair at the Korean Society of Transportation (KST) and Chair of the Departmental Internationalization Committee. Her guidance and mentorship led her PhD student to secure the esteemed Best Paper (First Prize) at the 27th International Conference of the Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies (HKSTS). Moreover, she was awarded the International Category Award Winner at the 2023 KAIST Q-Day (School level). In 2024, she was awarded the EWON Chair Assistant Professorship.

Language

English