Toyota and Honda share details on vehicle crash research, community education and support efforts

After spending years studying how the human body absorbs the force of vehicle crashes, a new Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) principal scientist shares his perspective from the center of crash safety research.

Zhaonan Sun is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s master’s program in injury biomechanics and human body modeling, where he studied under his future colleague, Jason Kerrigan, who is director of UVA’s Center for Applied Biomechanics and a long-time CSRC collaborator.

“He spent the time to understand the background,” said Kerrigan of Sun’s graduate research in a Toyota press release. “He went and really tried to make the project successful, and he made it sing. I was sad to see him go, but I’m really glad he found his way back, this time on the Toyota side.”

For Sun, moving from the lab to Toyota revealed something he hadn’t been able to see before.

“I wouldn’t say the work at the university is the tip of the iceberg. I would say it’s half of the iceberg,” he said. “And now it’s great to see the other half — how we leverage the results to talk to our regulators, rating agencies, and safety stakeholders to reduce the number of fatalities on the road.” 

Toyota and CSRC note that Sun’s path from UVA to Toyota is, in many ways, the story of CSRC itself.

“When Toyota launched CSRC in 2011, the company posited that investing in safety research in clinical, laboratory, and university settings could pay greater dividends than keeping the work in-house,” the release states. “Now, more than 100 completed studies later, their work is only accelerating.

On Tuesday, CSRC announced 10 new safety research projects in collaboration with seven universities and private-sector organizations including UVA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, and Purdue University.

The projects range from how adaptive interfaces can increase driver adoption of advanced safety systems to new methods for detecting pedestrians and cyclists to how speeding risk varies by road type and the gap between a driver’s speed and posted limits.

“CSRC was built on the idea that the best safety research happens when you invest in relationships over time, with the best institutions, the best researchers, and a shared commitment to publishing what you find,” said Jeff Makarewicz, TMNA Group Vice President, R&D, in the release. “Each of these 10 new projects reflects that approach, building up research capabilities and institutional knowledge.”

CSRC Senior Manager Jason Hallman said he sees these 10 new projects as a continuation of what he calls a “1+1 = 3 relationship.” In short, Toyota’s engineering knowledge, related government and safety research activity, and academic expertise combine into something no one could produce alone, the release states.

“The work we undertake now will build and shape the safety features drivers can benefit from for decades to come,” Hallman said. “Every project we select is a strategic investment in that future: in even safer vehicles, enhanced engineering tools, and results we hope the industry and policymakers can build on.”

At the heart of much of this work is the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS), a virtual human body model developed by Toyota that researchers use to simulate crashes in a digital environment with unprecedented levels of detail, according to the release.

“Although they have their own limitations, computational models can run far more simulations and can predict nearly 100 injury types simultaneously,” the release states.

“Sun, who works across multiple university collaborations at CSRC, sits at the center of that process — coordinating between university researchers, Toyota engineers, and safety stakeholders to put the findings to work. That sense of purpose extends to the researchers CSRC has helped train over 15 years, many of whom have gone on to positions in government, academia, and across the automotive industry, and in a few cases, like Sun, to Toyota itself.”

Sun added, “It’s very exciting to have my fingerprint on the future of vehicle safety.”

“Using human body models and doing virtual testing is a professional passion of mine,” he said. “I’m excited to see where the future leads with these new projects and how we can help to better protect everyone on the road.”

Details on each of the 10 new projects are provided here.

Recent Honda philanthropy and research 

On Wednesday, Honda shared new details about its work alongside the Honda USA Foundation to educate and support U.S. communities near its company operations sites.

“Honda and the Honda USA Foundation are committed to supporting programs that make people’s lives better,” said Marcos Frommer, department lead of Corporate Social Responsibility at American Honda Motor Co., Inc., in a press release. “Whether it’s helping families meet essential needs or expanding access to mobility, our funding contributes to initiatives that strengthen communities nationwide.”

In this funding cycle, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation provided more than $15.2 million to 271 nonprofit and school-led programs, which is expected to positively impact more than 45 million people, the release states.

Honda corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions are made to programs aligned with five strategic pillars: education, environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.

Education

Honda supports education programs that it believes spark creativity and innovation in industry-relevant fields, including:

• • Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) Aerospace Manufacturing Engineer Program in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina prepares students for roles in advanced aerospace manufacturing and production design. Funding from Honda will support equipment purchases and help secure additional faculty to welcome the program’s first class of high school students.
  • Rosie Explores Manufacturing is a nationwide STEM education program. Honda funding helps foster the future manufacturing workforce by introducing elementary and middle school students to hands-on experiences, equipping them to succeed in the AI-driven manufacturing environments of the future.

Environment

Honda supports programs that help reduce and prevent carbon emissions, generate clean energy and conserve vital resources, such as water and electricity, aimed at improving the quality of life for communities nationwide, including:

• • The Circle East District initiative is revitalizing a distressed, historic neighborhood in East Cleveland through sustainable commercial and residential redevelopment, home repairs, infrastructure and streetscape improvements. With support from Honda, rooftop solar panels will be installed on five existing owner-occupied residences, helping ensure more equitable energy costs for new and existing residents.
  • The Kingman Rangers job training initiative, in Washington, D.C., prepares out-of-work adults for entry-level jobs in the green sector while beautifying the Kingman and Heritage Islands, home to rare ecosystems, including tidal freshwater wetlands and tidal swamp forests. Funding from Honda will support ongoing preservation efforts and educate community members about the importance of environmental stewardship.

Traffic Safety

Building on its “Safety for Everyone” approach, Honda supports programs that it believes promote safe driving, biking, and pedestrian practices through awareness campaigns and education, including:

• • The In One Instant Program equips teens with vital skills to stay safe as drivers, passengers, bicyclists, skaters and pedestrians. Support from Honda will help fund videos, learning guides and hands-on activities that educate young drivers about the consequences of distracted, reckless and impaired driving.
  • The ThinkFirst for Safer Roads for Parents of Teen Drivers addresses a leading cause of traumatic injury and death among young people: motor vehicle crashes. Honda funding will support the development and expansion of evidence-based programming to reduce preventable injuries and save lives through education and sustained behavior change.

Mobility

The Honda USA Foundation supports programs that it believes remove barriers to mobility and expand access and opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Funding helps support mobility modifications, therapeutic and adaptive services, and comprehensive care support services, including:

• • EmpowHer Camp in New York provides girls with disabilities ages 13-18 with the opportunity to experience adventure, independence and personal growth in an accessible wilderness environment. The Honda USA Foundation grant will support adaptive outdoor activities that build confidence and independence, as well as educational programming that teaches practical life and leadership skills, including public speaking, self-advocacy and teamwork.
  • Guide Dogs for the Blind Orientation and Mobility Immersion (OMI) Program offers training in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) and daily living skills to those who are blind or visually impaired to improve their mobility and independence. Funding will support classes held by O&M specialists to ensure that those with little or no vision have the mobility skills they need to live fulfilling, independent lives.

Community

Honda invests in community partners that it believes provide umbrella food security and social services to address critical needs in the communities where Honda associates live and work, including:

• • Through its partnership with Feeding America, Honda will support local partner food banks that aim to end food insecurity and make access to healthy food easier.
  • Honda will partner with local United Way locations to advance health, enhance financial stability, and address societal needs for local communities.

A full list of organizations receiving funding is available here.