The IUP Institute for Rural Health & Safety began in the early 1980s. The mission is to bring together university personnel from various disciplines and professional backgrounds to assist transportation organizations in solving problems related to traffic safety, while maintaining the values of good transportation. Applying university resources toward traffic improvement, the IUP Highway Safety Center is a liaison between university personnel and state and local officials; business, industrial, and professional interests; and other groups and individuals. The Center's program encompasses activity in five major areas:
• Research, surveys, and studies;
• Education (teaching);
• Training and conferences;
• Field and extension services; and
• Traffic safety communications and information exchange
Within these areas, the Highway Safety Center offers the following:
• Increase awareness of traffic safety issues in the counties of Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, and Jefferson;
• First-responder, emergency medical technician, paramedic, and CPR training;
• Driver improvement programs for police officers, ambulance personnel, and the public;
• Undergraduate and graduate courses in driver education;
• Industrial fire brigade and emergency response team training; and
• Driver improvement programs for private fleets.
