Human Behavior, Safety & The Fork in the Road Edmunds’ Safety Conference May 24, 2011 THEODORE & ASSOCIATES LLC Chris P. Theodore President

 The Good:  Exercise Free Will  Self-Preservation  Intelligent Problem Solvers The Bad:  We’re Human, and make mistakes  We don’t like to be Inconvenienced  We often don’t accept responsibility for our actions Human Behavior Can Change  Example: Seat Belt Usage Human Behavior THEODORE & ASSOCIATES LLC

 Assist Drivers in Avoiding Accidents  ABS, Traction Control  Stability Control  Crash Warning and Mitigation  Car-to-Car, Car-to-Infrastructure Communications Protecting Drivers, Passengers and Pedestrians in the Event of an Accident  Restraint Systems  Airbags, Airbelts  Crash Structure Safety: Our Responsibilities THEODORE & ASSOCIATES LLC

 “When you come to a fork in the road…take it!” Yogi Berra  Sometimes, to move forward, we must retrace our steps and take a different fork in the road  As human behavior changes, we need to revisit our past decisions to see if there is a better way  This means that we need to revisit some regulations and safety technologies The Fork in the Road THEODORE & ASSOCIATES LLC

 With 85%-plus seatbelt usage, should we continue to protect unbelted occupants to the detriment of some belted occupants?  Should all states ban cell phones, including hands-free ones, and texting while driving?  How about we end the debate on the cause of rollover injuries and insist passengers be restrained always?  With 85% of child seats incorrectly installed, isn’t it time to revisit the LATCH standard and child seat solutions?  Shouldn’t regulations and designs for booster seats reflect real world conditions? Some Rhetorical Questions: THEODORE & ASSOCIATES LLC

 Hopefully, I’ve provided some topics for our panel discussion  It’s time to take a look at the fork in the road and make sure we’re on the right path – be it technical or regulatory Thank You! Chris P. Theodore President Web: THEODORE & ASSOCIATES LLC