Project Objective

The objective of Project S31 is to provide technical support to users of the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) data. The SHRP 2 Oversight Committee has authorized two pre-implementation projects to support NDS Data Users: NDS Data Dissemination and NDS User Technical Support. Both projects will be carried out under a single contract and designated as Project S31. The essential difference between the two parts of Project S31 is that Data Dissemination is focused on general use data files and interfaces that that will support broad groups of users, whereas the NDS Technical Support activities will provide one-on-one support for individual users, such as the NDS Analysis (S08) projects, for NDS data applications that may be unique to that user’s project. Necessarily over time, there will likely be some overlap between these two activities as procedures developed for an individual user are found to have more general applicability and may migrate over to the data dissemination activities. Another general distinction is that activities under data dissemination will primarily be focused on non-identifying data or de-identified data so that general users can access them without IRB approval (once the specific format has been given IRB approval for general release). On the other hand, technical support for individual projects (particularly the S08 NDS Analysis projects) is likely to focus on all of the data and especially the restricted data to take maximum advantage of the NDS data.

The objective of activities under the Data Dissemination task is to support data dissemination by developing more accessible versions of the NDS data and the tools to support them early in the data collection period. Deliverables under this task may include reduced or de-identified files such as trip files, event files and other reduced or aggregated files developed to provide easier access to the NDS data. The emphasis will be on non-identifying data or producing de-identified data that can be widely shared with minimal or no restrictions so that general users can access it without IRB approval (once the specific format has been given IRB approval for general release). Where appropriate, roadway data will be included as it is provided by the Roadway Information Database (S04A) contractor. The project includes the production and distribution of early results from the NDS data, data documentation, webinars, workshops and other training and communication activities. Sub-tasks under this task are focused on general use data files and interfaces that will support broad groups of users.

The objective of activities under the User Technical support task is to provide technical support for users of the Naturalistic Driving Study data, including those outside the SHRP 2 contractors.  Technical support may include consulting, assistance in the preparation of specialized data files for analysis, video reduction, use of the secure data enclave to access restricted data, and other support to facilitate use of the NDS data. Sub-tasks under this task will provide one-on-one support for individual users to NDS data applications that may be unique to that user’s project. Accordingly, most sub-tasks will be unique to an individual project with the exception of the Phase I support for the NDS Analysis (S08) projects that will be funded in a single sub-task.