• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
UMTRI – University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
  • Contact
  • Give

Search

  • About
    • Mission, Vision and Values
    • History
    • Visit
    • Connect with UMTRI
    • News and Information
  • Research
    • Expertise
      • Connected and Automated Research
      • Crash and Driving Data Analysis
      • Driver Behavior
      • Human Computational Modeling
      • Legislation and Safety Programs
      • Injury Biomechanics and Ergonomics
      • Occupant Restraint Systems
      • Vulnerable Road Users and Occupants
      • Traffic Modeling
    • Groups
      • Engineering Systems
      • Biosciences
      • CMISST
      • Human Factors
      • Behavioral Sciences
    • Services
    • Projects
      • Pedestrian safety
      • Human shape modeling
      • Aging Drivers (LongROAD)
      • Michigan Traffic Crash Facts
      • Center for Connected and Automated Transportation
      • Evaluation of Motion Sickness
      • Connected vehicle testing
      • Safety technology opportunities (UTMOST)
      • Wheelchair tiedown system
    • Facilities and Labs
  • Education
    • Experiential Learning
      • Master Student Projects
      • Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP)
    • Courses
      • Foundations of Mobility
      • Academic Courses
      • Short Courses
    • Patricia F. Waller Scholarship
  • People
  • Opportunities
    • Partners
    • Students
    • Employment
    • Participate in Research
    • Donations
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Contact
    • Give

History

home_outline/About/History
  • Mission, Vision and Values
  • History
  • Connect with UMTRI
  • Visit
  • News and Information

UMTRI was founded in 1965 with a $10M grant from Ford, GM, and the Automobile Manufacturers Association. At that time over 50,000 people were dying in traffic events annual in the U.S. alone. Originally called the Highway Safety Research Institute, its founding mission was to analyze the elements of the complex and dynamic system of people, automotive vehicles and the environments in which they operate, and to develop practical and effective solutions to urgent problems of highway safety within that system. 

From the beginning, researchers were encouraged to be bold, courageous, and seek collaborations across the university.  Robert Hess, UMTRI’s founding director once said “you find the very best people to lead in each discipline and then you get out of their way.” 

In July 2019, UMTRI joined forces with the Michigan Engineering, one of the nation’s premier engineering colleges. This merger forged two key players in advanced transportation and mobility research, to more effectively move the sector into the 21st century in ways that are safe, equitable, and efficient. This moved has allowed us to bring together complementary strengths, combining expertise in transportation technology, biosciences, human factors and data science, as well as the social and behavioral sciences.  This merger also gives UMTRI researchers greater access to a wide range of engineering resources including labs, faculty and in particular, students.

Historical group photo including Paul Fancher
Historical photo of Paul Fancher
Paul Fancher looking at a table
Paul Fancher working
Historical photo of Paul Fancher
Historical car crash
Historical car braking
Historical testing using optometric technology
Historical car barrier
historical biomedical research
historical research
Cole
historical research on taillights
historical taillight research
historical research of car seats
historical testing of eye mark driving
Dr.Hess
historical headlights
historical light fixtures
historical fixture research
historical Researcher Roberts
Historical seatbelt law
historical Fancher reading
historical fixture making
historical researching testing an anthropomorphic device
Historical VIPs
Early research at UMTRI

Footer

  • Contact
  • Give
  • UM Engineering Home
  • Strategic Vision
  • Graduate and Professional
  • Undergraduate
  • U-M Engineering Research News

© 2021 The Regents of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA

Privacy Policy | Non-Discrimination Policy | Campus Safety