In order to improve crash occurrence models to account for the influence of various contributing factors, a conditional autoregressive negative binomial (CAR-NB) model is employed to allow for overdispersion (tackl...In order to improve crash occurrence models to account for the influence of various contributing factors, a conditional autoregressive negative binomial (CAR-NB) model is employed to allow for overdispersion (tackled by the NB component), unobserved heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation (captured by the CAR process), using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and the Gibbs sampler. Statistical tests suggest that the CAR-NB model is preferred over the CAR-Poisson, NB, zero-inflated Poisson, zero-inflated NB models, due to its lower prediction errors and more robust parameter inference. The study results show that crash frequency and fatalities are positively associated with the number of lanes, curve length, annual average daily traffic (AADT) per lane, as well as rainfall. Speed limit and the distances to the nearest hospitals have negative associations with segment-based crash counts but positive associations with fatality counts, presumably as a result of worsened collision impacts at higher speed and time loss during transporting crash victims.展开更多
The reliability expression of dynamic driving behavior is derived from the driving shaping behavioural model; and then, in accordance with the combination of computer simulation and mathematical expression of driving ...The reliability expression of dynamic driving behavior is derived from the driving shaping behavioural model; and then, in accordance with the combination of computer simulation and mathematical expression of driving reliability, an approach for assessing the effect of driving erroneous actions on the dynamic performance of the driver vehicle system is presented. The analysis of driving erroneous actions in the driver vehicle system has been performed to show that the reliability during perception with variety widely could result in the incidents and/or accidents in traffic system.展开更多
To develop an equation between discrete degree of speed and traffic accident on freeway in China and give reasonable suggestions of speed management, the relation model was established between speed standard deviation...To develop an equation between discrete degree of speed and traffic accident on freeway in China and give reasonable suggestions of speed management, the relation model was established between speed standard deviation and accident rate per 100,000,000 vehicle kilometers by regression analysis. The model shows that the more discrete is the speed distribution, the higher is the accident rate, which provides theoretical gist for speed limit on freeway. It is suggested that speed limit should be set according to 85th percentile speed obtained by the relationship between 85th percentile speed and RCCs (curvature change rate of single circular curve), and different speed limits should be set for cars and trucks. Through analyzing spot speed data of eight freeways in China, regression models were established between 85th percentile speed and RCCs and 15th percentile speed and RCCs. Reasonable speed limit suggestion values are put forward through these models.展开更多
Objectives:The purpose of the study was to investigate the nursing students'levels of the knowledge,willingness,and attitudes toward first aid behavior as bystanders in road traffic accident and the related factor...Objectives:The purpose of the study was to investigate the nursing students'levels of the knowledge,willingness,and attitudes toward first aid behavior as bystanders in road traffic accident and the related factors.Methods:A total of 475 nursing students were recruited by convenience choosing in Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.The nursing students'self-efficacy,core self-evaluation,knowledge,willingness and attitudes toward first aid behavior as bystanders in traffic accidents were investigated with a self-designed questionnaire.Results:The scores of knowledge,willingness,and attitudes toward first aid behavior in traffic accident trauma were 7.51±1.93,15.54±5.03,and 7.73±1.56,respectively.Students who once gained training of first aid showed lower levels of attitude toward first aid behavior than those untrained(t=-2.345,P=0.019).It was found that self-efficacy was correlated to the knowledge(r=0.150,P<0.001),willingness(r=0.182,P<0.004)and attitudes toward behavior of the first aid(r=0.371,P<0.001)among nursing students.Core self-evaluation was correlated to knowledge(r=0.193,P<0.001)and attitudes toward behavior of the first aid(r=0.199,P<0.001).Conclusions:The first aid knowledge among nursing students was not satisfactory.The study suggested that an unsustainable short first-aid training program may bring negative effects.Countermeasures should be taken to ensure both quality and continuity of first aid training.Meanwhile,more attention should be paid to improving the self-efficacy and core self-evaluation of the nursing students.展开更多
Objective: To study the relationship between the amount of consumed alcohol, blood alcohol concentration (BAC), and driving ability among a part of the population in Southwest China and to provide reference for the fo...Objective: To study the relationship between the amount of consumed alcohol, blood alcohol concentration (BAC), and driving ability among a part of the population in Southwest China and to provide reference for the formulation of the legal limits for safe driving. Methods: Seventy-six randomly selected volunteer drivers each had three times of alcohol intake (100 ml each time). After each drank, BAC was measured with gas chromatograph and driving ability was evaluated. The drivers were grouped according to age, weight, alcohol tolerance and driving experience respectively and changes in BAC and driving ability were analyzed. Results: Average BAC and the percentage of drivers showing impaired driving ability in the groups increased after each intake of 100 ml alcohol. BAC in Group≤60 kg was more susceptible to alcohol than that in Group>60 kg. When each drank, alcohol had greater influence on drivers who had comparatively shorter driving experience. Conclusion: Volume of consumed alcohol, BAC and driving ability have direct associations among one another and are all under the influence of various factors including individual conditions. To set an appropriate legal BAC limit for safe driving should take an overall consideration of all factors.展开更多
Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are serious social issues worldwide and driver illness is an important cause of MVAs. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a com- plex cognitive dysfunction with attention deficit, wh...Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are serious social issues worldwide and driver illness is an important cause of MVAs. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a com- plex cognitive dysfunction with attention deficit, which frequently occurs in cirrhotic patients independent of severity of liver disease. Although MHE is known as a risk factor for MVAs, the impact of diagnosis and treatment of MHE on MVA-related societal costs is largely unknown. Recently, Bajaj et al demonstrated valuable findings that the diagnosis of MHE by rapid screening using the inhibitory control test (ICT), and subsequent treatment with lactulose could substantially reduce the societal costs by preventing MVAs. Besides the ICT and lactulose, there are various diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for MHE. In this commentary, we discussed a current issue of diagnostic tools for MHE, including neuropsychological tests. We also discussed the advantages of the other therapeutic strategies for MHE, such as intake of a regular breakfast and coffee, and supplementation with zinc and branched chain amino acids, on the MVA-related societal costs.展开更多
The excavation for the municipal tunnel will disturb the soil around the tunnel,and the deformation and subsidence of the earth surface always take place,which may lead to instability and even collapse for the buildin...The excavation for the municipal tunnel will disturb the soil around the tunnel,and the deformation and subsidence of the earth surface always take place,which may lead to instability and even collapse for the building above the tunnel. At the same time the deformation and subsidence of the earth surface affect the normal use of underground municipal pipelines,and may cause the road sudden collapse,leading to significantly traffic accidents. The authors did a research by simulating for the excavation of municipal tunnel and designed the related supporting plan,and put forward some suggestions and measures for the design and construction of urban tunnel.展开更多
Before-after study with the empirical Bayes(EB)method is the state-of-the-art approach for estimating crash modification factors(CMFs).The EB method not only addresses the regression-to-the-mean bias,but also improves...Before-after study with the empirical Bayes(EB)method is the state-of-the-art approach for estimating crash modification factors(CMFs).The EB method not only addresses the regression-to-the-mean bias,but also improves accuracy.However,the performance of the CMFs derived from the EB method has never been fully investigated.This study aims to examine the accuracy of CMFs estimated with the EB method.Artificial realistic data(ARD)and real crash data are used to evaluate the CMFs.The results indicate that:1)The CMFs derived from the EB before-after method are nearly the same as the true values.2)The estimated CMF standard errors do not reflect the true values.The estimation remains at the same level regardless of the pre-assumed CMF standard error.The EB before-after study is not sensitive to the variation of CMF among sites.3)The analyses with real-world traffic and crash data with a dummy treatment indicate that the EB method tends to underestimate the standard error of the CMF.Safety researchers should recognize that the CMF variance may be biased when evaluating safety effectiveness by the EB method.It is necessary to revisit the algorithm for estimating CMF variance with the EB method.展开更多
The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of reducing driving fatigue with magnitopuncture stimuli on Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points using heart rate (HR), reaction time (RT) testing, critical ...The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of reducing driving fatigue with magnitopuncture stimuli on Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points using heart rate (HR), reaction time (RT) testing, critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) and subjective evaluation. Twenty healthy subjects were randomly divided into two groups: A-group (study group) and B-group (control group). All subjects were required to be well rested before the experiment. The subjects were engaged in high speed driving at a constant vehicle velocity of 80 km/h continuously for three hours on a test course simulating an expressway. During the driving magnitopunctures were applied to the Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points for the A-group when the subject performed the task for two and half hours, and for the B-group magnitopunctures were applied to non-acupuncture points at the same time session. In this study RT exbited a significant delay in B-group (P<0.01) but no found in A-group after the driving task. CFF and subjective evaluation also exhibited significant differences between the two groups after the driving task (P<0.05). The findings showed that magnitopuncture stimuli on Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points could reduce the effects of driving fatigue.展开更多
Regarding the postulate of traffic infrastructure and vehicles, much attention should be given to the effect of road conditions on accidents. With large numbers of traffic accidents on Shenda Freeway, Liaoning Provinc...Regarding the postulate of traffic infrastructure and vehicles, much attention should be given to the effect of road conditions on accidents. With large numbers of traffic accidents on Shenda Freeway, Liaoning Province, Harbin City and others in P. R. China, parameters and the effect of accidents caused by horizontal alignment, vertical alignment, cross section and intersection are studied systematically The disciplinary analysis of these effects are presented in this paper. The viewpoint is acknowledged that high sub grade and steep slopes are against traffic safety, which is common and ignored in high-usage highways in China. Design parameters of the current design criteria and the corresponding countermeasures are suggested for safety on our highways.展开更多
Approximately 15,000-17,000 thousand people die worldwide in traffic accidents as a consequence of all types of injuries. This study has a descriptive nature. It is based on data obtained from archives including the t...Approximately 15,000-17,000 thousand people die worldwide in traffic accidents as a consequence of all types of injuries. This study has a descriptive nature. It is based on data obtained from archives including the treatment database of the Emergency Center. The period January 2009 to December 2012 has been considered for this research. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of fatal road traffic accidents in Pristine, Kosovo, and describe their determinants. The number of injured in traffic accidents who have sought emergency medical assistance in the Emergency Center from January 2009 to December 2012 is increasing significantly. It is concluded that except reasons mentioned above and among others, there also are the following factors: enormous increase of number of persons equipped with driving license, driving speeds above limits which are considered to be the primary cause of the road traffic accidents. These findings can serve as a basis for health care professionals and policymakers to create preventive measures for traffic accidents.展开更多
This paper investigates the traffic accidents' trends and causes in Dubai. For this purpose, the traffic accident statistics for years 2003 to 2012 are used to examine the trends of different types of accidents and t...This paper investigates the traffic accidents' trends and causes in Dubai. For this purpose, the traffic accident statistics for years 2003 to 2012 are used to examine the trends of different types of accidents and the causes of these accidents. Also, the paper determines the most common types of accidents over the study period and identifies some of the causes for these accidents. Furthermore, the paper shows the impact of the new traffic law amendments, which were issued in 2008, on the accident rates and trends. The results showed that the implementation of the traffic law amendments did not have major impact in year 2008. However, there was a significant effect of these amendments in the following years. Also, lack of awareness of traffic laws and regulations in Dubai has been proven to be one of the major causes of accidents. Finally, the paper provides some recommendations to reduce the traffic accident rates, in order to achieve the Dubai Police Department 2020 strategic goal to have zero fatalities.展开更多
The quantitative detector of driver fatigue presents appropriate warnings and helps to prevent traffic accidents.The aim of this study was to quantifiably evaluate driver mental fatigue using the power spectral analys...The quantitative detector of driver fatigue presents appropriate warnings and helps to prevent traffic accidents.The aim of this study was to quantifiably evaluate driver mental fatigue using the power spectral analysis of the blood pressure variability (BPV) and subjective evaluation. In this experiment twenty healthy male subjects were required to perform a driving simulator task for 3-hours. The physiological variables for evaluating driver mental fatigue were spectral values of blood pressure variability (BPV)including very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF),high frequency (HF). As a result, LF, HF and LF/HF showed high correlations with driver mental fatigue but not found in VLF. The findings represent a possible utility of BPV spectral analysis in quantitatively evaluating driver mental fatigue.展开更多
The regular occurrence and the high costs of flooding to both road agencies and communities is a strong impetus to investigate the methodologies applied to evaluating flood immunity road projects. Very little literatu...The regular occurrence and the high costs of flooding to both road agencies and communities is a strong impetus to investigate the methodologies applied to evaluating flood immunity road projects. Very little literature exists on methods of evaluating the benefits of improving flood immunity through better road infrastructure. This paper attempts to address some of the numerous issues hindering the accurate evaluation of flood immunity road projects. The methodologies presented in this paper are designed to evaluate benefits that are not normally included or not fully considered in evaluations; such benefits include reduced flood related road accidents, costs of not travelling during the closure period and additional costs from unanticipated flood events. A key focus of the paper is the consideration of the evaluation of improved flood immunity from a network perspective rather than the typical approach of evaluating flood immunity projects in isolation to each other. The application of the proposed methodologies is demonstrated with a hypothetical example of a typical rural network subjected to regular flooding. The results of the analysis, conducted using the proposed methodologies, reveals that the currently applied methodologies account for less than half the likely value of benefits of a package of projects that will prevent the complete isolation of communities during serious flood events.展开更多
Traffic accidents caused the most accidental deaths at work in Malaysia. The SOCSO (Social Security Organization) reported that the number of deaths due to commuting accidents was 760, nearly two times more than dea...Traffic accidents caused the most accidental deaths at work in Malaysia. The SOCSO (Social Security Organization) reported that the number of deaths due to commuting accidents was 760, nearly two times more than deaths caused by accidents that happened at the workplace (471 deaths). The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of socio-demographic background and the risk exposure of the drivers during their work commuting trips. The study was based on compensation claims to SOCSO where data were extracted from "Form 21" provided by SOCSO. A total of 377 respondents were selected through systematic random sampling method from a list of SOCSO claimants. It was found that majority of the traffic accidents (83%) involved males and most of them (92.2%) were on motorcycles. Male drivers have an average driving experience of 10.7 years and 8.6 years for females. The estimation of the travelled distance for the sample from home to the workplace is 0.65-131 km. Mean accident occurrence time was 23 rain whilst mean distance was 11.6 km. The multiple regression analysis showed that the accident distance was affected by the age of driver, actual travel distance, travel objective and speed.展开更多
基金The National Science Foundation by Changjiang Scholarship of Ministry of Education of China(No.BCS-0527508)the Joint Research Fund for Overseas Natural Science of China(No.51250110075)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(No.SBK200910046)the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(No.0901005C)
文摘In order to improve crash occurrence models to account for the influence of various contributing factors, a conditional autoregressive negative binomial (CAR-NB) model is employed to allow for overdispersion (tackled by the NB component), unobserved heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation (captured by the CAR process), using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and the Gibbs sampler. Statistical tests suggest that the CAR-NB model is preferred over the CAR-Poisson, NB, zero-inflated Poisson, zero-inflated NB models, due to its lower prediction errors and more robust parameter inference. The study results show that crash frequency and fatalities are positively associated with the number of lanes, curve length, annual average daily traffic (AADT) per lane, as well as rainfall. Speed limit and the distances to the nearest hospitals have negative associations with segment-based crash counts but positive associations with fatality counts, presumably as a result of worsened collision impacts at higher speed and time loss during transporting crash victims.
文摘The reliability expression of dynamic driving behavior is derived from the driving shaping behavioural model; and then, in accordance with the combination of computer simulation and mathematical expression of driving reliability, an approach for assessing the effect of driving erroneous actions on the dynamic performance of the driver vehicle system is presented. The analysis of driving erroneous actions in the driver vehicle system has been performed to show that the reliability during perception with variety widely could result in the incidents and/or accidents in traffic system.
基金Special Research Fund for Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China(Grant No.20030213030)
文摘To develop an equation between discrete degree of speed and traffic accident on freeway in China and give reasonable suggestions of speed management, the relation model was established between speed standard deviation and accident rate per 100,000,000 vehicle kilometers by regression analysis. The model shows that the more discrete is the speed distribution, the higher is the accident rate, which provides theoretical gist for speed limit on freeway. It is suggested that speed limit should be set according to 85th percentile speed obtained by the relationship between 85th percentile speed and RCCs (curvature change rate of single circular curve), and different speed limits should be set for cars and trucks. Through analyzing spot speed data of eight freeways in China, regression models were established between 85th percentile speed and RCCs and 15th percentile speed and RCCs. Reasonable speed limit suggestion values are put forward through these models.
基金The study was supported by the Key Cultivated Academic Construction Project of State Administrative Bureau for prophylactic medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine(No.2012[170])Tianjin College Students'Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program(No.201510063040)
文摘Objectives:The purpose of the study was to investigate the nursing students'levels of the knowledge,willingness,and attitudes toward first aid behavior as bystanders in road traffic accident and the related factors.Methods:A total of 475 nursing students were recruited by convenience choosing in Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.The nursing students'self-efficacy,core self-evaluation,knowledge,willingness and attitudes toward first aid behavior as bystanders in traffic accidents were investigated with a self-designed questionnaire.Results:The scores of knowledge,willingness,and attitudes toward first aid behavior in traffic accident trauma were 7.51±1.93,15.54±5.03,and 7.73±1.56,respectively.Students who once gained training of first aid showed lower levels of attitude toward first aid behavior than those untrained(t=-2.345,P=0.019).It was found that self-efficacy was correlated to the knowledge(r=0.150,P<0.001),willingness(r=0.182,P<0.004)and attitudes toward behavior of the first aid(r=0.371,P<0.001)among nursing students.Core self-evaluation was correlated to knowledge(r=0.193,P<0.001)and attitudes toward behavior of the first aid(r=0.199,P<0.001).Conclusions:The first aid knowledge among nursing students was not satisfactory.The study suggested that an unsustainable short first-aid training program may bring negative effects.Countermeasures should be taken to ensure both quality and continuity of first aid training.Meanwhile,more attention should be paid to improving the self-efficacy and core self-evaluation of the nursing students.
文摘Objective: To study the relationship between the amount of consumed alcohol, blood alcohol concentration (BAC), and driving ability among a part of the population in Southwest China and to provide reference for the formulation of the legal limits for safe driving. Methods: Seventy-six randomly selected volunteer drivers each had three times of alcohol intake (100 ml each time). After each drank, BAC was measured with gas chromatograph and driving ability was evaluated. The drivers were grouped according to age, weight, alcohol tolerance and driving experience respectively and changes in BAC and driving ability were analyzed. Results: Average BAC and the percentage of drivers showing impaired driving ability in the groups increased after each intake of 100 ml alcohol. BAC in Group≤60 kg was more susceptible to alcohol than that in Group>60 kg. When each drank, alcohol had greater influence on drivers who had comparatively shorter driving experience. Conclusion: Volume of consumed alcohol, BAC and driving ability have direct associations among one another and are all under the influence of various factors including individual conditions. To set an appropriate legal BAC limit for safe driving should take an overall consideration of all factors.
文摘Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are serious social issues worldwide and driver illness is an important cause of MVAs. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a com- plex cognitive dysfunction with attention deficit, which frequently occurs in cirrhotic patients independent of severity of liver disease. Although MHE is known as a risk factor for MVAs, the impact of diagnosis and treatment of MHE on MVA-related societal costs is largely unknown. Recently, Bajaj et al demonstrated valuable findings that the diagnosis of MHE by rapid screening using the inhibitory control test (ICT), and subsequent treatment with lactulose could substantially reduce the societal costs by preventing MVAs. Besides the ICT and lactulose, there are various diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for MHE. In this commentary, we discussed a current issue of diagnostic tools for MHE, including neuropsychological tests. We also discussed the advantages of the other therapeutic strategies for MHE, such as intake of a regular breakfast and coffee, and supplementation with zinc and branched chain amino acids, on the MVA-related societal costs.
文摘The excavation for the municipal tunnel will disturb the soil around the tunnel,and the deformation and subsidence of the earth surface always take place,which may lead to instability and even collapse for the building above the tunnel. At the same time the deformation and subsidence of the earth surface affect the normal use of underground municipal pipelines,and may cause the road sudden collapse,leading to significantly traffic accidents. The authors did a research by simulating for the excavation of municipal tunnel and designed the related supporting plan,and put forward some suggestions and measures for the design and construction of urban tunnel.
基金Project(51978082)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(19B022)supported by the Outstanding Youth Foundation of Hunan Education Department,ChinaProject(2019QJCZ056)supported by the Young Teacher Development Foundation of Changsha University of Science&Technology,China。
文摘Before-after study with the empirical Bayes(EB)method is the state-of-the-art approach for estimating crash modification factors(CMFs).The EB method not only addresses the regression-to-the-mean bias,but also improves accuracy.However,the performance of the CMFs derived from the EB method has never been fully investigated.This study aims to examine the accuracy of CMFs estimated with the EB method.Artificial realistic data(ARD)and real crash data are used to evaluate the CMFs.The results indicate that:1)The CMFs derived from the EB before-after method are nearly the same as the true values.2)The estimated CMF standard errors do not reflect the true values.The estimation remains at the same level regardless of the pre-assumed CMF standard error.The EB before-after study is not sensitive to the variation of CMF among sites.3)The analyses with real-world traffic and crash data with a dummy treatment indicate that the EB method tends to underestimate the standard error of the CMF.Safety researchers should recognize that the CMF variance may be biased when evaluating safety effectiveness by the EB method.It is necessary to revisit the algorithm for estimating CMF variance with the EB method.
文摘The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of reducing driving fatigue with magnitopuncture stimuli on Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points using heart rate (HR), reaction time (RT) testing, critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) and subjective evaluation. Twenty healthy subjects were randomly divided into two groups: A-group (study group) and B-group (control group). All subjects were required to be well rested before the experiment. The subjects were engaged in high speed driving at a constant vehicle velocity of 80 km/h continuously for three hours on a test course simulating an expressway. During the driving magnitopunctures were applied to the Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points for the A-group when the subject performed the task for two and half hours, and for the B-group magnitopunctures were applied to non-acupuncture points at the same time session. In this study RT exbited a significant delay in B-group (P<0.01) but no found in A-group after the driving task. CFF and subjective evaluation also exhibited significant differences between the two groups after the driving task (P<0.05). The findings showed that magnitopuncture stimuli on Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points could reduce the effects of driving fatigue.
文摘Regarding the postulate of traffic infrastructure and vehicles, much attention should be given to the effect of road conditions on accidents. With large numbers of traffic accidents on Shenda Freeway, Liaoning Province, Harbin City and others in P. R. China, parameters and the effect of accidents caused by horizontal alignment, vertical alignment, cross section and intersection are studied systematically The disciplinary analysis of these effects are presented in this paper. The viewpoint is acknowledged that high sub grade and steep slopes are against traffic safety, which is common and ignored in high-usage highways in China. Design parameters of the current design criteria and the corresponding countermeasures are suggested for safety on our highways.
文摘Approximately 15,000-17,000 thousand people die worldwide in traffic accidents as a consequence of all types of injuries. This study has a descriptive nature. It is based on data obtained from archives including the treatment database of the Emergency Center. The period January 2009 to December 2012 has been considered for this research. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of fatal road traffic accidents in Pristine, Kosovo, and describe their determinants. The number of injured in traffic accidents who have sought emergency medical assistance in the Emergency Center from January 2009 to December 2012 is increasing significantly. It is concluded that except reasons mentioned above and among others, there also are the following factors: enormous increase of number of persons equipped with driving license, driving speeds above limits which are considered to be the primary cause of the road traffic accidents. These findings can serve as a basis for health care professionals and policymakers to create preventive measures for traffic accidents.
文摘This paper investigates the traffic accidents' trends and causes in Dubai. For this purpose, the traffic accident statistics for years 2003 to 2012 are used to examine the trends of different types of accidents and the causes of these accidents. Also, the paper determines the most common types of accidents over the study period and identifies some of the causes for these accidents. Furthermore, the paper shows the impact of the new traffic law amendments, which were issued in 2008, on the accident rates and trends. The results showed that the implementation of the traffic law amendments did not have major impact in year 2008. However, there was a significant effect of these amendments in the following years. Also, lack of awareness of traffic laws and regulations in Dubai has been proven to be one of the major causes of accidents. Finally, the paper provides some recommendations to reduce the traffic accident rates, in order to achieve the Dubai Police Department 2020 strategic goal to have zero fatalities.
文摘The quantitative detector of driver fatigue presents appropriate warnings and helps to prevent traffic accidents.The aim of this study was to quantifiably evaluate driver mental fatigue using the power spectral analysis of the blood pressure variability (BPV) and subjective evaluation. In this experiment twenty healthy male subjects were required to perform a driving simulator task for 3-hours. The physiological variables for evaluating driver mental fatigue were spectral values of blood pressure variability (BPV)including very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF),high frequency (HF). As a result, LF, HF and LF/HF showed high correlations with driver mental fatigue but not found in VLF. The findings represent a possible utility of BPV spectral analysis in quantitatively evaluating driver mental fatigue.
文摘The regular occurrence and the high costs of flooding to both road agencies and communities is a strong impetus to investigate the methodologies applied to evaluating flood immunity road projects. Very little literature exists on methods of evaluating the benefits of improving flood immunity through better road infrastructure. This paper attempts to address some of the numerous issues hindering the accurate evaluation of flood immunity road projects. The methodologies presented in this paper are designed to evaluate benefits that are not normally included or not fully considered in evaluations; such benefits include reduced flood related road accidents, costs of not travelling during the closure period and additional costs from unanticipated flood events. A key focus of the paper is the consideration of the evaluation of improved flood immunity from a network perspective rather than the typical approach of evaluating flood immunity projects in isolation to each other. The application of the proposed methodologies is demonstrated with a hypothetical example of a typical rural network subjected to regular flooding. The results of the analysis, conducted using the proposed methodologies, reveals that the currently applied methodologies account for less than half the likely value of benefits of a package of projects that will prevent the complete isolation of communities during serious flood events.
文摘Traffic accidents caused the most accidental deaths at work in Malaysia. The SOCSO (Social Security Organization) reported that the number of deaths due to commuting accidents was 760, nearly two times more than deaths caused by accidents that happened at the workplace (471 deaths). The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of socio-demographic background and the risk exposure of the drivers during their work commuting trips. The study was based on compensation claims to SOCSO where data were extracted from "Form 21" provided by SOCSO. A total of 377 respondents were selected through systematic random sampling method from a list of SOCSO claimants. It was found that majority of the traffic accidents (83%) involved males and most of them (92.2%) were on motorcycles. Male drivers have an average driving experience of 10.7 years and 8.6 years for females. The estimation of the travelled distance for the sample from home to the workplace is 0.65-131 km. Mean accident occurrence time was 23 rain whilst mean distance was 11.6 km. The multiple regression analysis showed that the accident distance was affected by the age of driver, actual travel distance, travel objective and speed.