Automotive Safety Engineering

Dr. Jonas Bärgman, a researcher and associate professor at Chalmers University of Technology, leads the Safety Evaluation research group in the Division of Vehicle Safety. His multifaceted research focuses on understanding how driver behavior, vehicles (including intelligent systems and automation), and environmental factors affect traffic safety in the pre-crash phase. Bärgman's work spans from quantifying driver comfort zones to developing quantitative models of critical situation behavior and applying counterfactual simulation methods for safety evaluation. Utilizing a range of research tools, including naturalistic driving data and various experimental setups, he contributes significantly to crash causation understanding and safety impact assessment of new technologies. As an educator, Bärgman serves as examiner for the Vehicle and Traffic Safety masters course, lectures on Active Safety, and instructs in Road Traffic Safety in Automotive Engineering. His involvement in ISO further underscores his commitment to advancing vehicle safety standards, making him a key figure in bridging academic research with practical applications in the automotive industry.

Professor Mats Svensson, a renowned expert in Injury Prevention and Vehicle Safety at Chalmers University of Technology, brings over 30 years of experience to his field. Specializing in neck injury biomechanics, Svensson's work encompasses animal testing, dummy development, and seat design. His contributions to EU projects like Whiplash 2 and ADSEAT, along with his leadership in EEVC Working Groups, have significantly advanced vehicle safety research. Recognized with the Håkan Frisinger award in 2016, Svensson currently serves as the Director of Transport Safety at Chalmers and Profile Director of Traffic Safety at the SAFER Centre. His research spans from microscopic injury mechanisms to whole-body responses during violent mechanical loads, contributing to the development of advanced crash test dummies and computer models. As an instructor of "Road Traffic Safety in Automotive Engineering," Svensson continues to shape the next generation of automotive safety experts, bridging cutting-edge research with practical applications in vehicle design and injury prevention.

Dr. Giulio Bianchi Piccinini, an Assistant Professor in the Accident Prevention Group within the Division of Vehicle Safety at Chalmers University of Technology, specializes in understanding crash causation mechanisms and modeling driver behavior. His research contributes significantly to the field of vehicle safety by investigating factors leading to accidents and developing predictive models of driver behavior. Piccinini's expertise is evident through his involvement in numerous European and Swedish funded projects, including INTERACTION, D3COS, DESERVE, BBSChina, EFrame, and QUADRAE. Having completed his PhD as part of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network ADAPTATION, he brings a strong academic foundation to his work. As an instructor of the "Road Traffic Safety in Automotive Engineering" course at Chalmers, Dr. Piccinini plays a crucial role in educating future automotive engineers about traffic safety, bridging his research insights with practical applications in accident prevention strategies.

András Bálint serves as a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, specializing in transportation safety and crash data analysis. His research portfolio includes significant contributions to understanding vehicle crashes, particularly focusing on heavy goods vehicles, driver behavior, and safety systems. His expertise spans statistical analysis of crash data, model building, and project leadership, as evidenced by his involvement in major research initiatives like the SAFE-UP (Proactive Safety Systems and Tools) project. His publication record includes influential works on driver multitasking, vehicle crash risk comparisons between EU and US vehicles, and innovative approaches to studying health consequences of road crashes. His research has advanced the field of traffic safety through the development of novel methodologies for crash analysis and injury prediction, while his collaborative work extends across international boundaries, contributing to both academic understanding and practical applications in vehicle safety.

Marco Dozza serves as a Full Professor in Active Safety and Road-user Behavior in the Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences at Chalmers University of Technology, where he leads the Crash Analysis and Prevention (CAP) group in the Vehicle Safety Division. His research portfolio spans road-user behavior modeling, active safety development, human-automation interaction, and cycling safety, combining cognitive science, neuroscience, engineering, and human factors approaches. After earning his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Bologna in collaboration with Oregon Health and Science University, he gained industry experience as a System Developer at Volvo Technology. Since 2009, he has been an examiner for the Active Safety course in the Master's Programme for Automotive Engineering and teaches "Micromobility for a sustainable future" within TRACKS. His work has garnered significant academic impact with over 4,800 citations, particularly in areas such as naturalistic driving studies, cycling safety, and driver behavior analysis. As a leader at the SAFER Vehicle and Traffic Safety Center, he directs multiple projects advancing traffic safety through innovative research methodologies and applications.

Robert Thomson serves as a Professor in the Division of Vehicle Safety at Chalmers University of Technology, where he has established himself as a leading expert in road safety research since beginning his career with the UBC Accident Research Team in Vancouver in 1988. His research encompasses comprehensive analysis of vehicle crashes through multiple methodologies, including crash testing, accident analysis, numerical modeling, and vehicle test data analysis. His recent work includes developing innovative truck front designs to reduce fatal crashes and leading research on crash compatibility between vehicles. As a highly cited researcher with over 1,300 citations and an h-index of 21, his contributions span various aspects of road safety, from structural interaction in vehicle crashes to roadside barrier safety. His current work involves collaboration with the Swedish Transport Administration and automotive industry partners to develop new safety standards, particularly focusing on improving survival rates in car-truck collisions through innovative design solutions