en-us Tue, 5 Jun 2012 00:24:47 UTC Inmagic DB/Text WebPublisher http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR294E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCEstimates of the costs of accidents are necessary for an understanding of the existing problem and the major economic impact of road accidents. In many developing countries, the cost of road accidents has been traditionally evaluated by the human capital method. This approach, however, has the shortcoming of underestimation because it focuses only on the economic effects of the loss of life and does not account for the value of enjoyment of life forgone. In this study, the willingness-to-pay method was selected to evaluate the cost of accidents. The method was used to estimate the value that individuals would pay for reducing the risk of loss of life. In this paper, the cost of motorcycle accidents was the focus because motorcycle crashes account for the biggest portion of vehicle crashes in Thailand. A questionnaire was designed to determine the amount of money that each motorcycle user would pay to reduce the risk of loss of life from motorcycle accidents. One thousand fifteen motorcycle users in Bangkok and the surrounding areas were interviewed. The results show that the value of statistical life and the value of statistical injury are in the range of 5.5 million baht to 7.0 million baht (0.17 million to 0.21 million) and 2.6 million baht to 3.4 million baht (0.08 million to 0.10 million), respectively ($1 = 32.5 Thai baht in 2011). Age, gender, occupation, income, and helmet use are significant factors affecting motorcycle users' willingness to pay to reduce the risk of fatality. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR215E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCStudying driving behavior has been considered an important approach to identifying solutions to increase roadway level of service, reduce road-way traffic crashes, improve vehicle designs, and develop in-vehicle safety devices. The purpose of this research was to get insight into the effect of individual differences on driving behavior and traffic flow characteristics. A method of integrating driving simulators and traffic simulation was developed to investigate the effects of driving behavior on traffic flow. First, a cluster analysis was performed to classify drivers into three categories: aggressive, conservative, and moderate. Second, the driving behavior parameters of the three types of drivers were calibrated for traffic simulation models using the experimental data collected in a driving simulator. Then the effects of driving behavior on traffic flow were analyzed by traffic simulation techniques. The results show that the roadways with aggressive drivers have the highest flow rate but least traffic flow stability. Hence, to maintain roadway level of service and improve traffic safety, it is necessary to develop public training and education campaigns to reach out to aggressive drivers. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR216E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCThis paper discusses driver deceleration levels in a controlled field environment at the onset of a yellow indication on high-speed signalized intersection approaches using an in-vehicle differential Global Positioning System. The impacts of driver gender, driver age, roadway grade, mean approach speed, platooning scenarios (leading, following, or alone), and time to intersection (TTI) on driver deceleration levels were analyzed. This information is critical for the efficient and safe design of traffic signal clearance timings. The IntelliDrive initiative can gather information about the driver, subject vehicle, and surrounding traffic conditions to execute safe and customizable traffic signal indication change warnings. The results indicate that driver deceleration levels are significantly higher than the deceleration level used in the state-of-the-practice traffic signal design guidelines. The results can be used to enhance the design of yellow timings and may be integrated with the new IntelliDrive initiative to provide customizable driver warnings. The results demonstrate that driver deceleration levels are higher at shorter TTIs at the onset of yellow. Furthermore, older drivers (60 years of age or older) employ greater deceleration levels compared with younger (under 40 years old) and middle-aged (between 40 and 59 years old) drivers. A driver following another vehicle that proceeds legally through an intersection without stopping exerts higher deceleration levels than drivers driving alone on a roadway or leading another vehicle, and drivers leading a platoon of vehicles are not affected by vehicles behind them. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR217E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCquestions regarding their aberrant behaviors, safety attitudes, and safety climate perceptions. The author evaluated the questionnaire's psychometric properties (factor structure and reliability) and investigated how company car drivers could be classified into subgroups on the basis of their reported behaviors, attitudes, and safety climate perceptions. An exploratory factor analysis yielded six factors: traffic violations, attitudes toward speeding and alcohol use, law enforcement, driver ability, work pressure, and management commitment to safety. With the K-means procedure, three subgroups were identified. One subgroup reports positive attitudes across all factors. The other two subgroups share higher rates of involvement in traffic violations and riskier attitudes toward speeding and alcohol use, but the two subgroups differ in their road safety attitudes as well as in their safety climate perceptions. An understanding of the characteristics of the different subgroups of company car drivers can help inform safety countermeasures. In addition, the questionnaire may serve as a practical tool for researchers and safety officers because it covers multiple safety-related factors but remains relatively brief. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR218E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCFor decades researchers have been pointing out significant differences in the driving behavior between young and old and between male and female drivers. There are many studies concerning age and gender differences in risk perception, traffic accident involvement, traffic violations, alcohol consumption, and risky driving. However, little effort has been focused on studying the behavioral differences in overtaking maneuvers on two-lane highways. A considerable percentage of the fatal accidents on two-lane highways is directly related to overtaking maneuvers. Therefore, the main focus of this study is to understand better the overtaking behavior of different drivers classified by their age and gender. Data on the overtaking behavior of 100 drivers were collected with an interactive driving simulator. Several scenarios of two-lane rural highways with different geometric and traffic conditions were developed. The results show interesting and significant differences in the overtaking behavior of drivers depending on their age and gender. These differences are mainly in the frequency of overtaking maneuvers, overtaking time duration, following distances, critical overtaking gaps, and desired driving speeds. Geometric and traffic conditions were also found to have a significant impact on drivers' overtaking behavior. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the overtaking behavior of different groups of drivers and thus have implications for road safety intervention programs and the development of effective risk reduction strategies adapted and targeted for different age and gender groups. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR220E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCThis paper discusses road safety issues and the necessity for safety enhancements, especially on rural roads. Points of discontinuity in infrastructure consistently lead to serious accidents. The major causes of these accidents are inattentiveness and excessive speed. A possible measure to increase attention and reduce speed is installation of transversal rumble strips (TRS). The German government funded a research project to evaluate the use of these strips in the approaches to hazardous bends. The design of rumble strips was optimized on the basis of literature research and metrological preexaminations. The resulting design is expected to create a maximal impact on the driver. The effect of these optimized rumble strips on speed choice was tested by field studies. In the approaches to hazardous bends on rural roads, rumble strips were installed according to the design of the pretests. The impact on the drivers' behavior, especially on speed choice, was investigated by before-and-after analyses with radar measurements and video surveying. In addition to statistical analyses of the effect on the driving speed, detailed investigations on the impact to special driver groups and car types were performed. According to the analysis made in this research project, TRS are cost-efficient and have a positive effect on driving behavior and hence on road safety. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR222E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCQuieter cars, such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), may reduce auditory cues used by pedestrians to assess the state of nearby traffic and, as a result, their use may have an adverse impact on pedestrian safety. To document differences in the sound levels of HEVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, the authors measured the sound pressure levels in one-third octave bands of three HEVs and three corresponding ICE vehicles for the following operating conditions: idle, backing up at 5 mph, approaching at a constant speed (6, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mph), accelerating from stop, and slowing from 20 to 10 mph. Sound level results comparing the HEVs with the ICE vehicles are presented. In general, HEVs have lower sound levels than ICE vehicles for operating conditions below 20 mph; but above 20 mph, the sound from road-tire interactions dominates and the sound levels of the two vehicle types converge. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR223E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCHybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in low-speed operation may introduce a safety issue for pedestrians. This study compares the auditory detectability of HEVs and internal combustion engine vehicles among pedestrians who are legally blind. Independent travelers, with self-reported normal hearing, listened to binaural audio recordings of two HEVs and two internal combustion engine vehicles in three operating conditions and two different ambient sound levels. The operating conditions include approaching at a constant speed (6 mph), backing out at 5 mph, and slowing from 20 to 10 mph (as if to turn right). The ambient sound levels simulated a quiet rural environment and a moderately noisy suburban environment. Overall, participants took longer to detect HEVs (operated in electric mode). Vehicle type, ambient level, and operating condition had a significant effect on response time. Candidate countermeasures are discussed in terms of types of information provided (direction, rate of speed change), useful range of detection of vehicles by pedestrians, warning time, acceptability, and barriers to implementation. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR225E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCThis simulator study examined a workload manager developed by Delphi Electronics for the SAVE-IT program and the effects of several different workload mitigation strategies on driver response to a surprise forward collision hazard. The strategies included no in-vehicle task or distraction (baseline); task allowed; task interrupted; and task denied. Forty-eight test participants (24 males and 24 females) between 35 and 55 years of age were randomly assigned in groups of 12 (balanced for gender) to each of the four conditions. Each participant then drove in the Ford VIRTTEX moving-base driving simulator on simulated urban and rural roads and was asked to perform various in-vehicle tasks. During a requested in-vehicle information system task, a vehicle parked on the side of the road would suddenly enter the travel lane, and the driver's response was assessed. Braking response to this critical event indicated no significant differences in mean brake response time as a function of type of mitigation strategy or gender. However, variability in driver responses was significantly less in the task denied condition as compared with the other conditions, possibly because drivers were sensitized to an increased driving demand. Three of 12 test participants in the task interrupted condition showed relatively large brake reaction times attributable to long delays between initial foot motion and braking onset. This delay may indicate an additional delay associated with processing the task interruption and the forward collision warning event itself. Recommendations are provided for further research and for mitigation and driver alerting on the basis of a workload manager's assessment of the driving situation. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR227E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCAcceleration lanes provide access to freeways with the aim of improving traffic flow conditions and safety. Therefore, provision of an appropriate entrance ramp and acceleration lane geometry that allows the entering vehicle to accelerate to a speed closer to the main flow speed is crucial for comfortable and safe merging maneuvers. This paper presents an analysis of driver behavior on different acceleration lanes in various traffic conditions performed on an interactive driving simulator. Three different traffic volumes combined with two lengths of acceleration lane were simulated and their effects on driving performances have been studied. It has been observed that driver behavior during merging maneuvers is significantly influenced by traffic volume on the main lane and that the acceleration lane length does not show any significant effect on drivers' speed, trajectories, and accelerations. In particular, as the traffic volume increases, so does the merging length of the driver; the acceleration oscillations and the number of gaps rejected also increase. The general results show that the advanced techniques of driving simulation can disclose the relationships between road design parameters and behavioral aspects important to create safer road infrastructure. Further simulation studies are planned to confirm the findings and to strengthen and generalize the results. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR228E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCIn recent years there has been a considerable increase in the systems used to provide real-time traffic information to motorists. Examples of such systems include dynamic message signs and 511 travel information systems. However, such systems can be used to reduce congestion—one of their primary purposes—only if one can predict the route choices of drivers as a function of the information displayed. This simulator study looks at the diversion pattern that occurs when delays are reported ahead on the main route and how these diversion patterns vary as a function of delay times (for numerical delay signs), message content (for categorical delay signs), use of 511, and drivers' familiarity with the alternative route travel times across two different age groups. For numerical delay signs, the study shows that one can reliably predict the diversion frequencies at the different delays and across the different ages; then it is possible for traffic engineers to know ahead of time how likely it is for drivers to take an alternative route. For categorical delay signs, the findings indicate that drivers' knowledge of the alternative route travel time affects the choices of older versus younger or middle-aged adults differently. When the times are not known, the two groups behave differently; when the times are known, the groups behave similarly. This finding suggests that traffic engineers should try where possible to present the alternative route travel times as well as the delays on the main route. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR255E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCThe timing of traffic signals is rarely determined by the needs of bicyclists, in part because quantitative data about the timing of intersection crossing maneuvers by bicyclists have not generally been available. This study built on a video image-processing method developed and reported in a previous study to collect data at five new intersections with diverse physical characteristics and bicycling populations. The video data were processed to produce cumulative distributions of the most important descriptors of crossing behavior of bicyclists: the speeds of bicyclists who did not stop at the intersection and the start-up times and final crossing speeds of bicyclists who crossed from a standing start. The timing information relative to the traffic signal was used to recommend signal times to permit most bicyclists to cross intersections safely. The recommendations took into account differences in the bicyclist population and the physical characteristics of the intersection (such as approach grades). http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR267E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCShared lane markings (sharrows) convey the message that motorists and cyclists must share the travel way on which they are operating. The purpose of the markings is to create improved conditions for bicycling by clarifying where cyclists are expected to ride and reminding motorists to expect cyclists on the road. A before-after evaluation was conducted to compare how cyclists and motorists operated on a street with parallel parking in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with no markings versus with sharrows placed 10 ft (3.05 m) from the curb. This evaluation, which was part of a broader FHWA study on sharrows, was intended to help determine whether an alternative to the 11-ft (3.4-m) spacing recommended in the 2009 version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices would be effective. Operational and safety measures for bicyclists and motorists were examined. Overall, safety effects appeared to be associated with the installation of the sharrows placed 10 ft (3.05 m) from the curb. Perhaps the most important effect was the 14-in. (36-cm) increase in spacing between motor vehicles in the travel lane and parked motor vehicles when no bicycles were present. This effect increased the operating space for bicyclists. Many variables related to the interaction of bicycles and motor vehicles also showed positive operational and safety effects. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR268E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCRoad facilities in urban areas are a major source of injury for nonmotorized road users despite the benefits of nonmotorized transportation. In particular, large Canadian cities such as Montreal face serious problems with pedestrian and cyclist safety. To address these problems, funds are continually allocated through different safety improvement programs such as reduction of speed limits, improvement of intersections, and increased traffic enforcement. However, few analytical tools help to identify and quantify the benefits of countermeasures (e.g., roadway design, speed management strategies, or land use policies) in reducing accident frequency and severity. Injury severity models were developed to determine the effects of road design, built environment, speed limits, and other factors (e.g., vehicle characteristics and movement type) on injury severity levels of pedestrians and cyclists involved in collisions with motor vehicles. Sources of data included police reports describing vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-cyclist collisions, as well as information on land use, transit network, and road design attributes from the city of Montreal. The impacts of road design, land use, built environment, and other strategies on the injury severity levels of vulnerable road users were investigated. Factors such as darkness, vehicle movement, whether an accident occurred at an intersection, vehicle type, and land use mix affected the severity of pedestrian injuries from collisions. For cyclists, however, only vehicle movement and whether the accident occurred at a signalized intersection had significant effects on the severity of the injury. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR307E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR308E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR354E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCSix tasks were conducted with younger (ages 21-35), middle-aged (ages 50-64), and older (ages 65 and up) drivers and pedestrians. Task 1 evaluated effective word order for message signs, showing that decision making efficiency for standard orders for Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) and Portable Changeable Message Signs (PCMS) did not differ significantly from experimental orders, though some trends favored experimental orders. Task 2 assessed the role of headlight beam setting on sign perception, showing that fluorescent sheeting was only superior to standard sheeting under low beam conditions. Task 3 assessed the efficacy of supplemental pedestal traffic signals, showing no advantage in driver stopping behavior for pedestal-active conditions. Task 4 evaluated the effectiveness of internally illuminated overhead street signs using standard sheeting compared to highly reflective sheeting. Legibility distance was improved for standard sheeting (vs. reflective) only in middle-aged drivers and marginally for older drivers. Task 5 evaluated the effectiveness of pedestrian crossing buttons using different forms of feedback. An observational study showed a trend (not statistically significant) for an advantage in compliance with traffic signals when enhanced feedback buttons were used at Tallahassee intersections compared to no-feedback buttons. An experimental field study showed better confidence that a button was pressed with enhanced feedback only in middle-aged and older pedestrians. Compliance was related to intersection characteristics - higher for high traffic and longer intersections - and was greatest for middle-aged pedestrians. Task 6 assessed the efficacy of character size for two dynamic message signs, one with 16.8 and one with 18 inch characters, finding that legibility was greater for the 16.8 inch character display, though it had 3 times brighter pixels. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR002E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR003E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR004E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR005E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR011E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR026E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR029E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR030E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR031E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR032E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR034E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR035E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR037E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR042E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR083E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR085E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR092E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR093E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR094E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR095E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR098E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR101E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR105E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR109E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR125E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR126E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR127E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR130E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR142E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR143E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR144E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR145E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTC http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR178E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCRoad safety education campaigns had been widely used in many jurisdictions to raise public awareness of traffic safety issues, modify drivers’ behaviors and improve safety. Despite their prevalence, relatively few studies had been conducted to examine their efficacies and few messages were designed using behavior change theories. This study evaluated a pre-existing intersection safety poster using several constructs from well-established psychology, health and communications models, including perceived severity of threat shown, response efficacy, self-efficacy, cost and benefit of preventive strategies, realism and credibility. These constructs were found to be positively correlated with self-reported changes in behavioral intentions. As an illustration on the applicability of these constructs in future designs, a new poster was developed in an effort to strengthen these constructs and the efficacy of the new poster in changing drivers’ self-reported driving intentions. The new poster was found to perform better than the pre-existing poster in changing drivers’ intention to drive more safely at intersections. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR323E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCThe aim of the study is to determine incidences of driving under the influence of substance use (alcohol and drug) among fatally injured drivers due to road traffic crashes. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted based on post-mortem files retrieved from the Department of Forensic Science, Kuala Lumpur Hospital. A total of 710 fatal road traffic deaths were registered at the department for the period of 2006 to 2009. Out of these, 670 (94.4 per cent) were eligible for data collection as their post-mortem reports had been completed and not classified as “sensitive cases”. Out of 670 cases, 505 cases had toxicology results attached and eligible for substance use analysis. The cases were then further classified into driver and non-driver groups. Of 505 cases, 391 (76.8 per cent) were classified under the driver group, and hence, eligible for detailed analysis of driving under the influence of substance use. This study found that driving under the influence of alcohol and drug among group of drivers involved in fatal crashes is very alarming. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR327E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCPedestrians are vulnerable in traffic. Children and people older than 75 in particular, have a high casualty rate. A relatively large number of crashes involving older people occur close to pedestrian crossings. Cars are the most frequent crash opponents in crashes with pedestrians. Infrastructural measures (such as the construction of 30 km/h zones and safe pedestrian crossings), vehicle measures (such as pedestrian-friendly car fronts and the implementation of speed-limiting devices), and behavioural measures (such as improving information and education), can increase the road safety of pedestrians. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR339E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCIn an ongoing study with the AAA Foundation, a sizeable dataset of video data on teen drivers was collected during the provisional licensing stage of GDL. This in-vehicle data provided a unique opportunity to study distracted driver behaviors and potentially distracting conditions among young, beginning drivers. For the present analysis, we sampled and coded video data with the specific purpose of studying the nature and prevalence of distracted driving among teenagers. The study addressed a number of questions: 1. Which distracted driver behaviors are most common among teenage drivers? 2. Do males and females differ in how often they engage in distracted behaviors, or the kinds of distractions they experience? 3. Do distracted driver behaviors vary based on the number of passengers and the characteristics of those passengers (e.g., teens vs. adults vs. young siblings)? 4. Are distracted driver behaviors more common during certain times of day or week (e.g., weekday vs. weekend), and do these behaviors bear any relation to the amount of traffic or other characteristics of the driving environment? 5. Do drivers who engage in distracted behaviors spend more time looking away from the roadway than drivers who are not distracted? 6. Are distracted driver behaviors associated with serious incidents such as near collisions, or events involving hard braking or swerving? http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR343E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCAlthough overall traffic fatality rates have fallen to record lows in recent years, older drivers still make up a disproportionately high share of those involved in fatal traffic crashes. Roadway safety improvements designed to make it easier for older drivers to navigate traffic are becoming increasingly important, as the largest generation in American history grapples with the effects of aging while trying to maintain a level of mobility that matches its active lifestyle. This report explores mobility and safety issues for older Americans and presents a set of recommendations for implementing a transportation system that can better serve the safety and mobility needs of older Americans and the population at large. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR353E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCThe thesis focuses on drivers’ reactions to unexpected situations in an urban environment and the effects of event urgency and mental workload. Two large driving simulator experiments were conducted, consisting of many consecutive urban intersections that were similar with respect to layout and road user behaviour. The setup suggested that all intersections were similar. However, after these expectations had been established, drivers were confronted with an unexpected and safety-critical event, such as a suddenly breaking lead vehicle. Participants’ mental workload was increased for certain groups during parts of the experiment using a serial subtraction task. Drivers showed reduced attention to driving in a dual-task situation, resulting in an automatic, habitual driving style and being less responsive to mildly urgent situations. Drivers with increased mental workload only changed their driving style when the situation was highly safety-critical, and their cautionary response lasted shorter than in normal drivers. However, the effect of the most safety-critical event was stronger in mentally loaded drivers than in regular drivers. While drivers with an easy subtraction task generally performed well on this task, they drove less cautiously than non-loaded drivers. Conversely, highly loaded drivers made many mistakes on a difficult subtraction task but simultaneously drove more cautiously. This indicates that drivers prioritize safe driving over secondary task performance when the combined task demands are too difficult to handle. However, since their primary task performance was nevertheless affected, conducting a secondary task (such as using a mobile phone) may have severe consequences for safe driving. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR358E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCThis study was a randomized control intervention to measure the effectiveness of a cellular phone control device that communicates with the vehicles of teen drivers to deny them access to their phone while driving for the purpose of reducing distraction-related negative driving events. Investigators developed and manufactured working samples of the patent-pending cell phone disabling device from the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC). The intention was to provide 100 of the devices to families with a newly licensed teen driver. Half of the devices were to be distributed in an urban area (Houston) and the other half in a rural area (Brenham). The 50 participating families and teenagers in each group were to be compared to 50 of their peers (newly licensed teen drivers) who did not receive and install the cell phone disabling device. In total, there were to be 200 teen drivers participating in the project with 100 participants per group: 50 with the device and 50 without the device. Following unforeseen development cost issues and dramatic changes in the target cellular phone market, the HSC device was abandoned for a commercial device already on the market. The comparison with this device was conducted using pre- and post-surveys of parents regarding driving records of teens in both the control and treatment groups. Due to technology problems, dramatic dropout rates (54 per cent at 12 months), and low initial participation rates, results were limited to conclusions related to the strong resistance of this market to cell phone inhibiting devices and the challenges associated with implementing them on a large scale. http://114.111.144.247/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=QUERY&TN=inroads&QY=find+RC+=+1205AR359E Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 UTCThis report links data from multiple sources to present a more comprehensive profile of the person, crash and licensing characteristics of a group of road users involved in a casualty crash as a result of alcohol impairment. Participants were drawn from data collected for those active road users who were admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital as a result of crash involvement over the three year period between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2010. An objective alcohol reading was known for 1204 of the 1490 cases in the study. Acute alcohol intoxication was found to be a contributing factor to crash causation in 274 of these 1204 cases, constituting 22.76 per cent of this group. Impairment as the result of alcohol was found across all road user types but was particularly noted amongst pedestrians (55.8 per cent of pedestrians that were tested) and drivers (24.3 per cent of drivers that were tested). An established diagnosis of alcohol dependence at the time of crash involvement was identified for 146 of the 1490 participants in this study, constituting 9.8 per cent of all participants. Indigenous Australians were identified as a vulnerable group found to be at an increased risk of being involved in a crash as the result of alcohol impairment. More than 40 per cent of those participants identified as being alcohol impaired in this study were found to have incurred at least one previous infringement that involved driving with an alcohol level above 0.05gm/100ml and were twice as likely to have had at least one period of licence disqualification when compared with those road users who were not found to be impaired.