Impact of COVID-19 on Safety Performance for Motorcycles: Pre-and during-Pandemic Conditions

Florida has the highest number of motorcycle fatalities in the United States and contains the second largest population of registered motorcycles. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the roads, traffic, and driving behavior in the continental United States. Motorcycle crashes decreased during the COVID-19 years (2020 and 2021) while the fatality rates increased. The purpose of this study is to 1) investigate motorcycle crashes before and during the Pandemic period to understand the impacts on motorcycle safety and contributing factors to the crash severity levels;2) develop the crash predictive model for different degrees of severity in motorcycle crashes in Florida. Florida statewide crash data were collected. T tests have been conducted to compare the contributing factors between two periods. The injury severities are significantly different among all five levels between those during normal period and the Pandemic period. A crash predictive model has been developed to determine the facts to injury severity levels for motorcycle crashes. A total of eight variables are found to significantly increase the injury severity levels for motorcycle crashes during the Pandemic period.

South Aeronautic Power Machinery Company and South Brand Motorcycles

A backbone enterprise under the ChinaAviation Industry Corporation,theSouth Aeronautic Power MachineryCompany is well known for its South brandmotorcycles.The SAPMC is the coreenterprise of the China South Aviation PowerMachinery Group,which is among China’sfirst 56 large-scale enterprise groups approvedby the State Council.In 1994,the

Modeling and Evaluation of the Impact of Motorcycles Mobility on Vehicular Traffic

Traffic simulation can help to evaluate the impact of different mobility behaviors on the traffic flow from safety, efficiency, and environmental views. The objective of this paper is to extend the SUMO (Simulation of Urban Mobility) road traffic simulator to model and evaluate the impact of motorcycles mobility on vehicular traffic. First, we go through diverse mobility aspects and models for motorcycles in SUMO. Later, we opt for the most suitable mobility models of motorcycles. Finally, the impact of motorcycle mobility on different kinds of vehicles is investigated in terms of environment, fuel consumption, velocity and travel time. The result of modeling and evaluation shows that based on the mobility model of the motorcycle, vehicular traffic flow can be enhanced or deteriorated.

Emissions and noise mitigation through use of electric motorcycles

Gasoline-powered motorcycles contribute disproportionately to traffic noise and emissions,so motorcycle electrification merits investigation.Recent advances in battery efficiency allow electric motorcycles(EMCs)to join electric cars and bicycles as a viable consumer option.This study quantifies noise and emissions using both simulations and experimental data,examines the factors that make motorcycles big offender and uses popular EMC makes and models to estimate the costs and benefits of electrification in the USA.Motorcycles produce more CO,CH4,NOx,HC and particulate matter per vehicle-mile travelled than passenger vehicles.Due to limited regulation of motorcycles and weak enforcement,the perceived noise level of motorcycles exceeds that of most other vehicles,being roughly double those of automobiles at speeds of over 30 mph and surpassing even those of medium trucks and buses at speeds of over 50 mph,at which point motorcycles exceeds the 80 dBA US standard limit.Electrification can resolve such issues,although range limitations and high prices are presently a barrier to widespread adoption.In order to realize these environmental benefits,it is important that electrification occurs with a corresponding shift away from coal as an energy source.Stricter emission regulations and stronger enforcement of existing prohibitions on certain forms of customization could also reduce the outlier status of gasoline-powered motorcycles.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Using Helmets in Children amongst Parents to Prevent Head Injuries: A Cross-Sectional Study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objectives: The primary objective was to characterize the range of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of Helmet use in children amongst parents to prevent head injuries and death. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, done by online survey using a snowball sampling technique, the number of included responses were 386 parents (Male and female) living in Riyadh Aged 21 - 60 years old or above. Results: The study showed that there is a difference in Parents’ belief in the importance of helmet use while riding a Bicycle vs Motorcycle/Quad bike and that was affected by parents’ education level, almost all the people who answered the survey (76.7%) agree that it is important for their children to wear a helmet when riding both a Bicycle and a Motorcycle or Quadbike with a cumulative percentage of (93.8%). And almost all agreed on multiple approaches to help increase helmet use be it by forcing rental shops to give out helmets, forcing sellers to recommend the use of helmets, increasing awareness campaigns, and imposing fines for not wearing helmets. Conclusions: This study is the first to explore Family helmet use while riding Bicycles and Motorcycles/Quad bikes. Although Parent’s belief in the importance of helmet use for their children was high, it is clear that the level of practice is low. With that the risk of head injuries might be high, our findings suggest that safety interventions for increasing pediatric helmet use are needed to increase helmet use and reduce the risk of head injury and hospitalization.

Unusual Brain Trauma Injury

Unusual head trauma is rare with various mechanisms of occurrence. The injuries can be similar to those of road accidents but sometimes with significant complexities. The objective was to determine the frequency of this pathology in our practice, describe the different mechanisms and report the craniocerebral lesions caused by this type of trauma. Materials and Method: This was a descriptive study with retrospective collection spread over a period of 3 years. After selecting the files, the patients and/or their companions were contacted by telephone to inquire about them and then returned to the consultation for reassessment. Disease history and information were obtained from patients’ medical records. Result: The frequency of this pathology was 1.78% and his incidence was 0.4 cases per month. The average age of the patients was 13.47 years. All the victims were male. 41.17% of patients were in school. The mechanisms of trauma were the hoof blow 47.1%, the horn blow 29.4% and the stone blow 11.7% respectively. 23.5% of patients were confused and 11.7% children were in coma. One patient presented an anisocoria. The motor deficit was present in 5 cases. CT-scan made it possible to highlight a skull depressing fracture 58.8% and confirm a craniocerebral wound in 35.3%. The average time between patient admission to hospital and completion of surgery was 24.5 hours. The surgery had consisted of the trimming of cranio-cerebral wounds, exploration, duroplasty and lifting of skull depressing fracture. After 15 months of follow-up, the evolution was favorable in 53.3%, the morbidity was 33.4% and the mortality 17.6%. Conclusion: These are rare but serious conditions because they are fatal and disabling. An early and multidisciplinary management can hope to have a good favorable.

Evaluating the emission status of light-duty gasoline vehicles and motorcycles in Macao with real-world remote sensing measurement

Roadside remote sensing measurement was used to explore the real-world emission status of light duty gasoline vehicles （LDGVs） and motorcycles in Macao. Both fuel-based and distance-based emission factors were derived using the mass balance method. The emission concentration profile of LDGVs illustrated the benefits of tightening emission standards at the source country or region of import. The distance-based emission factors for CO, HC and NOx of LDGVs registered before 2000 were 8.00, 1.04 and 1.36 g/km, respectively. The distance-based emission factors for CO, HC and NOx of LDGVs registered in or after 2000 were 1.16, 0.15 and 0.18 g/km, respectively. The fuel-based CO emission factors of light duty motorcycles （LDMCs） and heavy duty motorcycles （HDMCs） registered before 2000 were about 10 times higher than those of LDGVs of the same age group. As the emissions of LDGVs decreased more quickly after 2000, the gap widens for newer vehicles. The distance-based HC emission factors of LDMCs and HDMCs registered before 2000 were 4.81 and 2.91 g/km, respectively. The distance-based HC emission factors of LDMCs and HDMCs registered in or after 2000 were 3.52 and 0.93 g/km, respectively. The poor emission performance of motorcycles and their larger share in the traffic flow will cause them to be the major contributor to traffic CO and HC emissions. LDMCs, especially two-stroke models, should be the priority for vehicle emission control efforts in Macao.

BTEX pollution caused by motorcycles in the megacity of HoChiMinh

Monitoring of benzene, toluene and xylenes （BTEX） was conducted along with traffic counts at 17 roadside sites in urban areas of HoChiMinh. Toluene was the most abundant substance, followed by p,m-xylenes, benzene, o-xylene and ethylbenzene. The maximum observed hour-average benzene concentration was 254 μg/m3 . Motorcycles contributed to 91% of the traffic fleet. High correlations among BTEX species, between BTEX concentrations and the volume of on-road motorcycles, and between inter-species ratios in air and in gasoline indicate the motorcycle-exhaust origin of BTEX species. Daily concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p,m-xylenes and o-xylene were 56, 121, 21, 64 and 23 μg/m 3 , respectively. p,m-xylenes possess the highest ozone formation potential among the BTEX family.

Enhancing Urban Mobility: Exploring the Potential of Exclusive Motorcycle Lane Using VISSIM

The proliferation of Mobility on Demand (MOD) services has ushered in a surge of ridesharing platforms, catalyzing the emergence of micro mobility solutions like motorcycle sharing. Consequently, motorcycles have witnessed unprecedented growth over recent decades. This proliferation, while offering convenience, has introduced challenges such as diminished road capacity, and compromised safety. This study advocates for the implementation of exclusive motorcycle lanes to mitigate the ensuing disorderliness using VISSIM microsimulation platform. Empirical data from a key corridor in Dhaka is harnessed to calibrate and simulate network performance scenarios—pre- and post-implementation of dedicated motorcycle lanes. The outcomes of our simulation experiments exhibit the implementation of dedicated motorcycle lanes leads to a reduction in vehicular throughput but improvement the flow of motorcycles. In addition, Surrogate Safety Measures (SSMs) demonstrate the safety improvements through implementation of the treatment.

Scrotal Trauma in a Motorcycle Accident Leading to a Partial Orchidectomy: Case Report

Scrotal trauma in motorcycle accidents (STMA) is a rare entity in the literature. In general, trauma to the genitals is not life-threatening. However, STMA can cause rupture of the testis with consequences that can lead to alteration of sexuality and reproduction. We present an STMA case managed in a rural hospital where various types of injuries arise from motorcycle accidents. A 20-year-old man without any previous pathology presented in our hospital with a swollen painful scrotum. One week prior to presentation, the patient with a speeding motorbike drove over a speed bump, and the frame of his motorcycle broke into two halves, violently striking his genitals and causing scrotal trauma. After examination and investigation, patient has consented to scrotal exploration which was carried out. A partial left orchidectomy was performed and the right testicle was healthy. The evolution was favorable and the patient was discharged on the 5th postoperative day. Prognosis at 6 months was good. It is possible that genital trauma related to motorcycle accidents will become more frequent in the future. This underscores the importance of educating motorcyclists to respect the Highway Code;and making practitioners aware of the risk of serious injury in the event of acute scrotal trauma.

Urban Accessibility in Motorcycle Dependent Cities - Case Study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Motorcycle dependent cities have specific characteristics in terms of urban accessibility.A rapid increase in the number of motorcycles and other private motorized modes make transport problems more serious and cause severe capacity problems for the infrastructure systems in these cities.Therefore,it is necessary to optimize the development of different modes to meet travel demand and to ensure accessibility in all urban areas.This paper aims to explore accessibility conditions in Ho Chi Minh City,a typical motorcycle dependent city in Vietnam.Understanding of accessibility could be the key element for urban planning in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and motorcycle dependent cities in general.Then,management measures for motorcycles and competitive modes will be proposed to improve the accessibility conditions and thus support sustainable urban transport development for motorcycle dependent cities.

Blunt Abdominal Trauma in a Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria

Background: Road traffic injury remains a major source of blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). Road traffic injury and other forms of trauma have become a major health problem throughout the world especially in low and middle-income countries. In a previous study (2005-2007), abdominal trauma constituted 79 (4.8%) of trauma cases;BAT, 40 (53%) and penetrating abdominal trauma (PAT), 39 (47%). Effective policies on road safety should be developed based on local research and not on adapted models. We present this study to highlight the possible effect of legislation on the ban of the use of motorcycles on blunt abdominal trauma. Methods: Patients that presented to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar with BAT from 2008-2010 were prospectively studied based on a questionnaire following the legislation prohibiting the use of motorcycles. Results: A total of 12,083 patients presented during the study period, trauma patients totaled 4942 (41%), of this, 48 (1%) suffered abdominal trauma: BAT 19 (40%), penetrating abdominal trauma (PAT) 29 (60%). The age range of the patients was from 5 to 48 years (mean 26.6 years) with a M:F = 5.3:1. Road traffic accident (RTA) 17 (90%) [Motorvehicle 7 (37%), motorcycles 10 (53%)] was the commonest cause of trauma. The spleen was the commonest injured organ 14 (74%). Conclusion: Road traffic injury constitutes a public health challenge and the hallmark is prevention. Legislation prohibiting the use of motorcycles may have been responsible for the reduction in BAT.

Road Accidents in Urban and Rural Areas

Motorcycles transport commonly known as(Boda boda)in Tanzania has been growing up in the recently years in both urban and rural areas.Since motorcycles transport being authorized to carry passengers in the Tanzania it has been associated with many accidents resulting to large number of deaths and injuries in the country.Most of the Road Traffic Injuries victims are passengers,motorcyclists and pedestrians.Males are over represented in all causes.Most of the deceased were 18-29 years old.The major social-economic benefit of this study was to found out the main causes and measures of reducing the number of accidents associated with motorcycle transport service in both urban and rural areas.