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Dean Sicking
Born (1957-10-15) October 15, 1957 (age 67)
Muenster, Texas, U.S[citation needed]
Alma materTexas A&M University
Known forInvention of the SAFER barrier, the first energy absorbing guardrail terminal, and other highway and racing safety advancements
AwardsNational Medal of Technology and Innovation (2005)

Pioneering and Innovation Award from Autosport Awards (2004)
Ken Stonex Award (2011)
National Academy of Inventors Charter Fellow (2012)

NASCAR Hall of Fame Landmark Award (2025)

Dean L. Sicking (born October 15, 1957) is an American inventor and safety researcher.

Early life and education

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Born in Muenster, Texas, Sicking received his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Masters of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M.[1]

Career

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Inventions

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Sicking holds 30 patents,[2] the five most significant of which are: the first energy absorbing guardrail terminal,[3] the first crash cushion without sacrificial energy absorbents,[4] the first guardrail capable of containing large SUV's,[5] a trailer mounted impact attenuator,[6] and NASCAR's Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier.[7] These technologies have revolutionized their respective markets. They have been adopted around the globe and produced major reductions in the number of serious injuries and fatalities along highways and race tracks.

Sicking has been principal or co-principal investigator on research projects with total extramural funding in excess of $30 million. He has authored or co-authored more than 200 technical reports, more than 70 refereed journal papers and 7 books.[8]

Energy absorbing guardrail terminals

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Sicking has designed impact energy management systems, specifically focusing on crashworthy safety systems. He has developed numerous "next generation" designs that have significantly reduced the risk of injury and fatality to motorists, from highway drivers to NASCAR racers. His first was the ET-2000,[3] the first energy absorbing guardrail terminal – a device that sits over the end of a guardrail, flattening the guardrail when it is hit by a vehicle. The first study of the device showed that out of 400 crashes, there were three injuries and no fatalities — reducing the risk by a factor of 10.[9]

SAFER barrier

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Following Dale Earnhardt's fatal wreck in 2001, NASCAR commissioned Sicking to determine the specific cause of Earnhardt's worst injuries. Sicking use video footage to analyze and reconstruct the crash, as well as NASCAR's worst crashes over the 10 years prior.[10] Ultimately, the investigation contributed to the development of Sicking's invention, the SAFER barrier,[7] an energy management system that reduces the impact felt by the driver by flexing and absorbing energy. Prior to the barrier, NASCAR and IndyCar averaged approximately 1.5 driver fatalities yearly. Since the SAFER barrier's implementation in 2004, no fatalities or serious injuries associated with SAFER Barrier's impact have occurred. In fact, the only remotely serious injury sustained has been a broken sternum. The magnitude of the impact of Sicking's technologies is best illustrated by driver comments about the SAFER barrier.[11]

Performance standards

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Sicking was second author of the Standards for Roadside Safety adopted in 1993 and principal author of the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware, adopted by the Federal Highway Administration in 2010.[12]

Sports safety research

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Sicking designed a helmet that is more flexible and can decouple head rotation from helmet rotation, thus reducing peak G's on the head.[13]

Awards and positions

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Sicking was elected a Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors,[14] and President George W. Bush awarded him the 2005 National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI).[15] The NMTI is the highest honor that the United States can bestow on a citizen whose technologies have made a positive contribution to the welfare of the nation. Sicking's efforts have also won him the first-awarded Pioneering and Innovation Award in the history of Auto sport magazine, in 2004, for his work on the SAFER barrier.[16] He has also received the 2011 Ken Stonex Award, presented by the Transportation Research Board Committee on Roadside Safety Design, in recognition of a lifetime of achievement in crashworthiness design.[17] The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame awarded Sicking the 2005 Vision Award[18] for his contributions to racing safety, and individual raceways have honored him with their awards, including NASCAR's 2003 Bill France Junior Award for Excellence.[19] Pocono Raceway's 2004 Bill France Award of Excellence,[20] Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Herb Porter Award in 2004,[21] and the 2002 Motorsports Engineering Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Specialty Equipment Market Association.[22] Sicking was also awarded with the Landmark Award as part of the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class for the work on the SAFER barrier and saving the lives of countless drivers across many racing series.[23]

Sicking is Associate Vice President for Commercialization and Product Development at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.[24] He formerly served as Director of the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, during which time he developed the SAFER barrier.[25][26]

References

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  1. ^ "UAB Dean Sicking Faculty Profile". University of Alabama, Burmingham website. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  2. ^ ""Patents by Inventor Dean L. Sicking"". Justia Patents. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  3. ^ a b Faller, R.K., D.L. Sicking, et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,410,320, High Impact Energy Absorbing Vehicle Barrier System, August 12, 2008, Licensed to Motor SportsTechnologies, Inc., (MST), Indianapolis, Indiana.
  4. ^ Reid, J.D., J.R. Rohde, D.L. Sicking, Single Sided Crash Cushion System, U.S. Patent No. 7,147,088, December 12, 2006, Licensed to Road Systems, Inc., Big Spring, Texas.
  5. ^ Sicking, D.L. and B.G. Pfeifer, U.S. Patent No. 7,111,827, Energy Absorption System, September 26, 2006, Licensed to Interstate Steel Inc., Big Spring, Texas.
  6. ^ Reid, J.D., J.R. Rohde, and D.L. Sicking, U.S. Patent No. 6,668,989, Trailer Mounted Bursting Energy Absorption System, December 30, 2003. Licensed to Road Systems Inc., Big Spring, Texas.
  7. ^ a b Faller, R.K., D.L. Sicking, et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,926,461 High Impact Energy Absorbing Vehicle Barrier System, August 9, 2005, Licensed to Motor Sports Technologies, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.
  8. ^ Sicking, Dean L., "Curriculum Vitae: Dean L. Sicking, Ph.D., P.E." Archived 2016-09-13 at the Wayback Machine, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Accessed May 8, 2016.
  9. ^ Martin, Grant. "Street Smarts: Saving Lives on the Highway", UAB Magazine, Spring, 2013. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  10. ^ Sicking, Dean; Ried, John; Benedict, James; Raddin, James. "Official Accident Report: Car No. 3" (PDF). autopsyfiles.org. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  11. ^ "About Us" Archived 2016-09-07 at the Wayback Machine, Midwestern Roadside Safety Facility – University of Nebraska. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  12. ^ "NCHRP 22-14(02)". TRB:Transportation Research Board. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  13. ^ Blount, Terry. "Famed Engineering Turns Eye to Football" ESPN. December 18, 2012. Accessed May 18, 2016.
    - Solomon, Jon. "Top Auto Racing Safety Engineer Takes a Crack at Safer Football Helmets", CBS Sports, March 6, 2015. Accessed May 18, 2016.
    - James, Chris and Lewis, Nicholas A. "Could UAB's Concussion Research Save UAB Blazer Football?", Underdog Dynasty, March 25, 2015. Accessed May 18, 2016.
    - Phillips, Ryan. "UAB Researcher Works to Develop Safer Football Helmets", Birmingham Business Journal, November 19, 2015. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  14. ^ "NAI Fellows" Archived 2013-01-28 at the Wayback Machine, National Academy of Inventors: Honoring Academic Invention. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  15. ^ "The National Medal of Technology and Innovation 2005 Laureates", United States Patent and Trademark Office. 2005. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  16. ^ "IMS President Tony George Presented First Autosport Pioneering and Innovation Award", AftermarketNews, December 7, 2004. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  17. ^ "Kenneth A. Stonex Award"[permanent dead link], Transportation Review Board Committee AFB20. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  18. ^ "Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductees" Archived 2016-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Motorsport.com. January 14, 2005. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  19. ^ Smith, Marty. "Getting to the Heart of the Soft Wall", ESPN. July 4, 2014. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  20. ^ "Track/Race News", Jayski's Silly Season Site, May 6, 2004. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  21. ^ "IRL: HPD's Clarke, Ilmor's Ray receive Herb Porter Award" Archived 2016-09-19 at the Wayback Machine,Motorsport.com, May 22, 2006. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  22. ^ "SAFER Barrier", IndyCar.com. Accessed May 18, 2016.
  23. ^ "Dr. Dean Sicking | Class of 2025 Landmark Award Winner for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR". Nascar Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  24. ^ Eberle, Mellisa. "Advanced Safety Education and Research - Dean Sicking". UAB. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  25. ^ "MwRSF - About Us". mwrsf.unl.edu. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  26. ^ "Drivers can thank Dean Sicking for safety improvements that save lives". USA Today Sports. May 1, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
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