Governors Highway Safety Association
The States' Voice on Highway Safety

Dr. Saeed Barbat, Executive Technical Lead for Safety, Policy, and Vehicle Analytical Tools at Ford Motor Company, was selected for a Peter. K. O’Rourke Special Achievement Award in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to roadway safety and vehicle crash protection. Over a 35-year career in automotive safety, Dr. Barbat has led pioneering work in crashworthiness, occupant protection, biomechanics, vehicle compatibility, integrated safety systems, virtual testing, and advanced restraint technologies, including the world-first rear seat inflatable belt.

His innovations have helped improve real-world crash outcomes, support global safety standards, reduce development costs through virtual certification, and advance lifesaving technologies for conventional, electric, and autonomous vehicles. A member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of SAE, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Dr. Barbat holds 145 patents, has authored 75 technical papers, and is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in vehicle and roadway safety.