Neither the local site nor the project sponsor are liable for the expenses incurred in any accident you may have. Appropriate automobile insurance is strongly recommended to cover these types of expenses.
In the event of a crash, you are NOT responsible for damage to the data acquisition equipment in the vehicle.
Participants in a study are considered volunteers, regardless of whether they receive payment for their participation. By law, workers compensation does not apply to volunteers; therefore, the participants are responsible for their own medical insurance for bodily injury. Appropriate health insurance is strongly recommended to cover these types of expenses.
If you should become injured, you should seek medical treatment as you normally would.
You are free to withdraw at any time without penalty. If you choose to withdraw, you will be compensated as described in the compensation section of the applicable Informed Consent document. If you choose to end your participation in the study earlier than originally planned, we will need to schedule a time to remove the instrumentation from your vehicle.
Yes, this research has been reviewed and approved by several Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) including the IRB from the National Academies.
Information gathered during the study will be used in research (both now and in the future) aimed at investigating underlying causes of highway crashes and congestion and identifying countermeasures that will improve highway safety.
No, we use automotive grade fasteners and we use existing mounting holes to minimize any damage to your vehicle. So it should be returned to you in the same condition that you brought it to us in today. A possible exception could occur if you do not currently have a front license plate holder on your vehicle. A suitable manufacturer-specific front license plate holder will be provided.
We install radars, not radar detectors, so it’s perfectly legal. This radar is simply a sensor used to determine the distance between your car and vehicles or other object in front of your car during later data analysis.
Because the DAS includes cameras, you should avoid driving your vehicle into any areas where cameras are restricted including international border crossings, certain military installations, or other restricted areas. There is the potential that you could be detained or arrested if you inadvertently drive into a secure facility. To help minimize this risk, you can show authorities a letter we will provide you that you should always keep in the glove compartment. It will explain the vehicle’s role in the study while still maintaining your privacy and confidentiality.
In short, no. Apart from driving, one of the risks of participation is that the camera system may capture the events leading up to a crash. If law enforcement or other officials question you about the equipment, you can show them a letter we will give you that you should always keep in your glove compartment. It will explain your vehicle’s role in the study while still maintaining your privacy and confidentiality. To help us further protect the privacy of your data, something called a Certificate of Confidentiality has been obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With this certificate, we can’t be forced, even under subpoena, to disclose to anyone information that may identify you. Identifying information includes things like your name and contact information, video of your face, and GPS location information which may identify your home, work, or school locations. However, if you let it be known that you are in the study, the certificate may not apply. So you should also take responsibility for protecting the fact that you are a participant in this study. Do not post or disclose your participation on any public forum including websites, Facebook, newspapers, radio and television. Protect your role in the study the same way that you protect other personal and private information. If you do not keep confidential your role in the study, there is a risk that some of the data collected during the study, including your personally identifying information, may be used against you in a court case or other legal proceeding.