What do I do?
My research aims to improve roadway safety, mobility, and well-being across the lifespan.
I specialize in the use of mixed methods approaches
and the evaluation of technological and psychosocial interventions.
What kind of training will help young drivers stay safe on the road?
What could make teens less likely to use their phones while driving?
How do we keep older adults safely driving longer?
How can we support older adults navigating driving retirement?
Why do drivers speed and what might get that to change?
How do people feel about using automated safety cameras to reduce speeding?
My mixed methods approach
Integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, my research can provide an comprehensive and nuanced picture of the problem and inspire new solutions.
Dr. Colleen Peterson completed her PhD in epidemiology within the social behavioral track at the University of Minnesota. Before UMTRI, she was a postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation in the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. She led with the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group study, which informed national Transportation Security Officer education and training documents for dementia-specific security screening best practices. For her work on automated speed enforcement, she was honored with the Excellence in Transportation Research and Education Award from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies and was invited to serve as an expert on the Minneapolis Automated Enforcement Study Technical Advisory Committee.