2024 D.C. QUALITY INITIATIVE CONFERENCE
IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION THROUGH INNOVATION
DCQI's mission is to provide the District's Transportation industry a forum that fosters innovation, networking and continuous coordinated quality improvements to ensure a safe, efficient and environmentally sensitive transportation system that meets the need of all transportation stakeholders.
​​For the Research and Analysis Session, HUTRC Director, Dr. Nadir Yilmaz and Research Engineer Babin Manandhar presented their following research topics at the conference:​
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EXAMINATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Nadir Yilmaz, ​
Professor/Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Director, Howard University Transportation Research Center
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INFLUENCE OF PAVEMENT CONDITIONS ON COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES
Mr. Babin Manandhar
Research Enginer, Howard University Transportation Research Center
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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) defines Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs) as trucks over 10,000 lbs, vehicles transporting 9+ people, or those with hazardous materials placards. CMVs make up 15% of DC traffic, and in 2020, truck and bus crashes accounted for nearly 8% of all crashes. FMCSA found that roadway conditions caused 20% of heavy truck crashes. Using the International Roughness Index (IRI) and Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to measure road quality, the study analyzed how these conditions affect CMV crash severity through logistic regression and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The research showed road conditions significantly impact crash severity, with ANN models achieving up to 60% accuracy. These insights highlight the importance of road quality in CMV safety and the value of machine learning in analyzing crash factors.
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