$1.75 Million Grant for Texas Tech Road Safety Project

Texas Tech University has gotten some love from the U.S. Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in the form of a $1.75 million grant. Why? Because researchers in the college of engineering are working on a massive project aimed at preventing accidents and keeping the roads safer for drivers and pedestrians.

Texas Tech Road Safety Project

Researchers Hongchao Liu and Changzhi Li  from the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering expressed the need for creating safer traffic conditions across the state. One major motivator for them was the fact that, since 2014, pedestrian deaths nationwide have risen by 50%.

In addition to this, TxDOT reported that a total of 772 pedestrians lost their lives on Texas roads in 2024, and failing to yield the right-of-way was a major factor, especially in West Texas.

Liu and Li decided to take action, piloting a real-time warning and data collection system to address pedestrian-involved crashes. The method in which this is done is through technology called light detection and ranging (LiDAR).

The $1.75 million grant from TxDOT will go straight to their research.

What Will the Research Look Like?

The team will spend the next four years collecting data on driver and pedestrian behavior and near-miss accidents by comparing results with and without LiDAR technology. They then will install devices at crosswalks, refining the system accordingly when needed.

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Lubbock happens to be the perfect testing zone since it reflects examples of both rural and semi-rural environments. In fact, since 2016, pedestrian-involved crashes in Lubbock increased by over 40%. Failure-to-yield crashes saw a 22% increase as well.

Liu and Li noticed that the most common crash areas were U.S. Routes 84, 62, and 70. South Loop 289, I-27, and 82nd Street were also on the list.

What Do the Devices Do?

The LiDAR devices can be easily installed at crosswalks in Lubbock County and 14 other nearby counties. Data will be collected every tenth of a second and will trigger the second a crash is suspected, allowing for real-time warnings.

These warnings come in the form of flashing lights that drivers will see and know to slow down due to upcoming pedestrians or hazards.

So, keep an eye out for these new devices as you drive around Lubbock and the South Plains. You never know, the flashing lights could just save a life.