Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF)

The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF), part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is a research organization with a main focus of researching all aspects of highway design and safety. MwRSF conducts safety performance evaluations of various roadside appurtenances, developing new and innovative design concepts and technologies in the area of highway safety. Researchers at MwRSF use state-of-the-art computer software, including LS-DYNA, to simulate real-life impact events. With using computer simulation, it is possible to reduce design costs and better understand system behavior. Finite element analysis can also find critical areas of weakness in a design before physical testing occurs, thereby reducing design time and development costs. In 1998, MwRSF was selected by the Indy Racing League (IRL), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), and NASCAR to develop, test, and evaluate safety features for high-speed race tracks. With the support of IRL, IMS, and NASCAR, MwRSF developed the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) Barrier for use on high-speed oval race tracks. This system has been installed at all of NASCAR's high-speed oval track and some IRL race tracks, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 2009, MwRSF was approved for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) in the field of safety performance evaluation of highway features and vehicle testing of crash barriers for the tests identified in the Scope of Accreditation.