About SAFE
SAFE’s roots date back more than 25 years
Established in 1997, our founders and engineers bring together over 100 years of combined experience in the fields of automotive engineering and safety analysis. Our engineers are knowledgeable about government safety regulations and test requirements, and we have studied thousands of real-world crashes. Across decades of research and analysis, SAFE has developed specialized test equipment to allow for the evaluation of a wide range of automotive safety systems under the complex dynamics that they are subjected to in real-world crashes.
SAFE’s facilities near Santa Barbara, CA (90 minutes north of Los Angeles) includes a dynamic crash testing laboratory, numerous component test fixtures, vehicle storage, inspection bay, and a machine shop for mechanical fabrication and disassembly. With our wide range of in-house expertise, SAFE can offer expert insight into any transportation safety related issue.
Brian Herbst
Senior Engineer and President, SAFE Laboratories, LLC
Steven E. Meyer
Senior Engineer and Principal, SAFE, LLC
Steve Forrest
Partner
Jack Bish
Senior Engineer and President, SAFE Laboratories, LLC
Key Areas of Expertise:
Designing, performing, and analyzing automotive destructive and non-destructive tests evaluating automotive safety devices, automotive structural components and crashworthiness systems
Researching, designing, implementing, and testing alternative automotive safety systems
Researching and authoring automotive safety technical publications
Analysis of Automotive Injury Accidents
Automobile Safety Research & Design
Occupant Kinematics
Injury Mechanism and Mitigation
Structural Design Analysis
Advanced Computer Modeling
“Partnering with SAFE Laboratories transformed how we approach crash testing. Their expansive facility, from the crash lab to the precision machine shop, ensured our high-speed rollover tests were executed flawlessly—and safely. The team’s dedication to regulatory standards and innovative methods gave us invaluable confidence in our safety validations.”
“SAFE Laboratories delivers unmatched depth in forensic automotive analysis. Their expertise in seat back strength testing and advanced instrumentation helped us uncover critical insights in a high-stakes case. Their meticulous work not only advanced the investigation but also sharpened our preventive strategies moving forward.”
“As a researcher, collaborating with SAFE was a game-changer. The facility’s scope—crash facilities, extensive storage, machining capabilities—combined with their deep regulatory knowledge and technical precision, allowed us to conduct comprehensive automotive safety studies with accuracy and efficiency unmatched in the region.”