My Writings
Highway Safety Design and Consulting Services
There are over six million highway vehicle crashes on U.S. roads and streets annually, resulting in three million injuries and over 40,000 deaths. Scientific Inquiry Inc. performs highways safety research, develops improved safety apparatuses such as guardrails, bridge rails, break away structures, and crash cushions. As Texas Transportation Institute's first Manager of Intellectual Property, Don L. Ivey has been influential in the invention, design, and marketing of products such as AD-IV, Steel Reinforced Break Away Timber Utility Poles, ADIEM (Soft Concrete Crash Cushions), Recently he has been involved with several states concerning their use of cable median barriers and more conventional median barriers. and Low Profile Concrete Barriers
These safety structures are marketed nationally.
It has been estimated that these devices have prevented more than 200 deaths and saved more than one billion in societal costs.
Expert Testimony
During the past 30 years, Don Ivey has advised defense attorneys or
attorney generals in the following states in the defense of tort claims.
| Arizona | Alabama |
| New Mexico | Georgia |
| California | Florida |
| Utah | Louisiana |
| Nevada | Texas |
| Nebraska | North Carolina |
| Ohio | Virginia |
| Michigan | Kansas |
| New York | Missouri |
Latest Works
Don L. Ivey, through Texas Transportation Institute and Texas A & M University, has authored over 100 publications and peer reviewed reports during his 40 year career in highways safety research. These reports encompass the subjects of handling and stability of automobiles and tractor semi-trailers, tire pavement friction, hydroplaning, collision dynamics, roadside safety and safety structures (guardrails, bridge rails, break away structures and crash cushions).
His most recent contributions include leading the task groups for Transportation Research Board (TRB) that have authored State of the Art Report (SOAR) No. 9 "Utilities and Roadside Safety" and a complete revision of SOAR No. 1 "The Influence of Roadway Surface Discontinuities on Safety". The revision will be SOAR No. 10.
This reports includes chapters titled:
- Accident Data Relationships
- Roughness, Holes and Bumps: Positive Effects of Roadside Strips
- Pavement Edges
- Friction Variations
- Water Accumulations
- Surface Containments and Small and Large Vehicles
Advanced Dynamic Impact Extension Module 350 (ADIEM 350)
Purpose: The ADIEM 350 is an end treatment for concrete barrier.
Description: The system is 30 feet long and consists of 10 lightweight concrete modules on an inclined base.
Functionality: An inclined base provides a track for placement of the modules and provides redirection for side impacts for roughly half the length. The energy of an impact is dissipated as the concrete modules are crushed.
Recent Topics
Expanding the safety performance of guardrail end treatments
"Nine percent more collisions can be accommodated if design speed is raised from 30 mph to 35," says Don Ivey, TTI safety engineer and inventor of one of the side-hit adaptations called CPSI. "Tests of four combinations of guardrail end treatments with side-hit modifications show conclusively we can economically improve side-hit safety," says Ivey. "Nine percent more collisions can be accommodated if design speed is raised from 30 mph to 35," says Don Ivey, TTI safety engineer and inventor of one of the side-hit adaptations called CPSI. "Tests of four combinations of guardrail end treatments with side-hit modifications show conclusively we can economically improve side-hit safety," says Ivey.
Chat with ME Live
Scientific Inquiry Inc.
1421 Fawn Lake Dr.
Bryan, TX 77808
337-824-1494 (Office)
337-739-5946 (Mobile)
Fax: 337-824-5986
Email: donivey@bellsouth.net
Research
Safer roadsides through better utility pole placement, protection, construction
Where do utility companies fit in? "Look at the statistics," says Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) engineer Don Ivey. "The U.S. has over 88 million utility poles on highway rights-of-way. Over 1,100 people are killed and another 65,000 are seriously injured each year in collisions associated with utility poles."