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Meet James Fell, AAAM member and Senior Research Consultant at James C Fell Consulting LLC. Get to know James in his own words.  

How long have you been a member of AAAM?  

I’ve been a member since 1970, so more than 55 years.  

What inspired you to join AAAM?  

Discussions with Don Huelke back when he was President of AAAM inspired me to join.  

What are your main areas of interest in the field of Automotive Medicine?  

My main areas of interest include research on impaired driving, evaluating countermeasures to reduce impaired driving, and driver behavior research. 

How do you think the field is changing, and what trends do you see coming up on the horizon?  

Technology has substantially changed the field of auto safety.  Passive safety systems, crash avoidance technologies, and automated vehicles will eventually take over our highways. 

What advice would you give to someone interested in this field?  

We still have a long way to go to reduce traffic fatalities; search the literature, select an area in need of research or enhancement, and dig in! 

What’s one thing — either field-related or not — you learned in the last month?  

I recently learned that we have finally leveled off on traffic fatalities after increases during the COVID years. Now is the time to advocate for safety strategies that are effective. 

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?  

I'm from Buffalo, NY, and a big Buffalo Bills fan, so you know I have been through heart-wrenching defeats. But I keep plugging along. Go Bills! 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your colleagues?  

There is so much more progress we need to make in auto safety. Stick with your expertise and help us make that progress! 

James Fell recently published Driving Change: The Impact of Highway Safety Research and Effective Policy, which traces Fell’s decades of work in highway safety, from early studies on crash causation to research and policy efforts to reduce alcohol-related fatalities. The book traces the evolution of Fell’s research and its role in shaping modern approaches to traffic safety, enforcement, and public policy. By pairing each chapter with his original research, Fell offers invaluable insights into how safety research saves lives and advances the field of automotive medicine.

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