32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

32 CFR 636.21 - Obedience to official traffic control devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Obedience to official traffic control devices... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.21 Obedience to official traffic control devices. (a) All drivers... placed by proper authority. ...

Root symbionts: Powerful drivers of plant above- and belowground indirect defenses.

PubMed

Rasmann, Sergio; Bennett, Alison; Biere, Arjen; Karley, Alison; Guerrieri, Emilio

2017-12-01

Soil microbial mutualists of plants, including mycorrhizal fungi, non-mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, have been typically characterized for increasing nutrient acquisition and plant growth. More recently, soil microbes have also been shown to increase direct plant defense against above- and belowground herbivores. Plants, however, do not only rely on direct defenses when attacked, but they can also recruit pest antagonists such as predators and parasitoids, both above and belowground, mainly via the release of volatile organic compounds (i.e., indirect defenses). In this review, we illustrate the main features and effects of soil microbial mutualists of plants on plant indirect defenses and discuss possible applications within the framework of sustainable crop protection against root- and shoot-feeding arthropod pests. We indicate the main knowledge gaps and the future challenges to be addressed in the study and application of these multifaceted interactions. © 2017 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

32 CFR 634.26 - Traffic law enforcement principles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Traffic law enforcement principles. 634.26... ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC SUPERVISION Traffic Supervision § 634.26 Traffic law enforcement principles. (a) Traffic law enforcement should motivate drivers to operate vehicles...

32 CFR 634.26 - Traffic law enforcement principles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Traffic law enforcement principles. 634.26... ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC SUPERVISION Traffic Supervision § 634.26 Traffic law enforcement principles. (a) Traffic law enforcement should motivate drivers to operate vehicles...

Influence of professional drivers' personality traits on road traffic safety: case study.

PubMed

Živković, Snežana; Nikolić, Vesna; Markič, Mirko

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present basic elements of the research directed at identifying and determining the personality traits of professional drivers that affect safe, secure and enjoyable ride on public roads. A quantitative method has been used here, whereas data were acquired from a questionnaire based on a sample of 59 professional drivers. Determining personality traits of professional drivers that are in correlation with a safe and pleasant ride on the roads has been enabled by applying the five-factor model of personality ('Big Five') and the Personality Inventory NEO-PI. From these results it was concluded that safe operation of the vehicle in traffic involves the successful 'conduct' of oneself, which recognises the importance of certain personality traits of professional drivers for traffic safety and the need for appropriate professional selection in the case of employment of professional drivers. Research results implicate development of educational programmes aimed at achieving harmony of psychological, physical and sensory health, that is, programmes for permanent informing, educating and training professional drivers for defensive driving. The research opens the way for new research tasks that should help in creating a specific structure of curricula that can be used in a variety of transportation companies and enterprises to improve general and public safety.

Evolution of Host Defense against Multiple Enemy Populations.

PubMed

Toor, Jaspreet; Best, Alex

2016-03-01

Natural and managed populations are embedded within complex ecological communities, where they face multiple enemies. Experimental studies have shown that the evolution of host defense mechanisms to a focal enemy is impacted by the surrounding enemy community. Theoretically, the evolution of host defenses against a single enemy population, typically parasites, has been widely studied, but only recently has the impact of community interactions on host-parasite evolution been looked at. In this article, we theoretically examine the evolutionary behavior of a host population that must allocate defenses between two enemy populations, parasites and predators, with defense against one enemy constraining defense against the other. We show that in simpler models the composition of the enemy community plays the key role in determining the defense strategy of the hosts, with the hosts building up defenses against the enemy population posing a larger threat. However, this simple driver is shown to break down when there is significant recovery and reproduction from infected hosts. Additionally, we find that most host diversity is likely to occur when there is a combined high risk of infection and predation, in common with experimental studies. Our results therefore provide vital insight into the ecological feedbacks that drive the evolution of host defense against multiple enemy populations.

32 CFR 636.28 - Special rules for motorcycles/mopeds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... earphones while driving is prohibited. (h) Military personnel, civilian employees, and family member drivers of a privately or government-owned motorcycle/moped (two or three wheeled motor driven vehicles) are required to attend and complete an approved Motorcycle Defense Driving Course (MDDC) prior to operation of...

32 CFR 636.28 - Special rules for motorcycles/mopeds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... earphones while driving is prohibited. (h) Military personnel, civilian employees, and family member drivers of a privately or government-owned motorcycle/moped (two or three wheeled motor driven vehicles) are required to attend and complete an approved Motorcycle Defense Driving Course (MDDC) prior to operation of...

Defensive medicine, cost containment, and reform.

PubMed

Hermer, Laura D; Brody, Howard

2010-05-01

The role of defensive medicine in driving up health care costs is hotly contended. Physicians and health policy experts in particular tend to have sharply divergent views on the subject. Physicians argue that defensive medicine is a significant driver of health care cost inflation. Policy analysts, on the other hand, observe that malpractice reform, by itself, will probably not do much to reduce costs. We argue that both answers are incomplete. Ultimately, malpractice reform is a necessary but insufficient component of medical cost containment. The evidence suggests that defensive medicine accounts for a small but non-negligible fraction of health care costs. Yet the traditional medical malpractice reforms that many physicians desire will not assuage the various pressures that lead providers to overprescribe and overtreat. These reforms may, nevertheless, be necessary to persuade physicians to accept necessary changes in their practice patterns as part of the larger changes to the health care payment and delivery systems that cost containment requires.

Cyberspace as a Theater of Conflict: Federal Law, National Strategy and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

short period of time. When web search organizations canvas the web looking for sites to catalog, they will discover your systems and create registry... Fingerprint & DNA Databases, INTERPOL & National Law Enforcement Communication Systems, Firearms Registration Records, Drivers License, Birth

32 CFR 634.29 - Traffic accident investigation reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Traffic accident investigation reports. 634.29... accident investigation reports. (a) Accidents requiring immediate reports. The driver or owner of any vehicle involved in an accident, as described in § 634.28, on the installation, must immediately notify...

32 CFR 228.4 - Control of vehicles on protected property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Control of vehicles on protected property. 228.4... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS SECURITY PROTECTIVE FORCE § 228.4 Control of vehicles on protected property. Drivers of all vehicles entering or while on protected property shall comply with the signals and...

32 CFR 228.4 - Control of vehicles on protected property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Control of vehicles on protected property. 228.4... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS SECURITY PROTECTIVE FORCE § 228.4 Control of vehicles on protected property. Drivers of all vehicles entering or while on protected property shall comply with the signals and...

32 CFR 228.4 - Control of vehicles on protected property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Control of vehicles on protected property. 228.4... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS SECURITY PROTECTIVE FORCE § 228.4 Control of vehicles on protected property. Drivers of all vehicles entering or while on protected property shall comply with the signals and...

32 CFR 228.4 - Control of vehicles on protected property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Control of vehicles on protected property. 228.4... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS SECURITY PROTECTIVE FORCE § 228.4 Control of vehicles on protected property. Drivers of all vehicles entering or while on protected property shall comply with the signals and...

32 CFR 634.41 - Compliance with State laws.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) Commanders will coordinate with the proper civil law enforcement agency before moving Government vehicles... drivers of Government motor vehicles have— (i) Committed serious violations of civil traffic laws. (ii... 32 National Defense 4 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Compliance with State laws. 634.41 Section 634.41...

32 CFR 634.41 - Compliance with State laws.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) Commanders will coordinate with the proper civil law enforcement agency before moving Government vehicles... drivers of Government motor vehicles have— (i) Committed serious violations of civil traffic laws. (ii... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Compliance with State laws. 634.41 Section 634...

32 CFR 634.41 - Compliance with State laws.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) Commanders will coordinate with the proper civil law enforcement agency before moving Government vehicles... drivers of Government motor vehicles have— (i) Committed serious violations of civil traffic laws. (ii... 32 National Defense 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Compliance with State laws. 634.41 Section 634...

32 CFR 634.41 - Compliance with State laws.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) Commanders will coordinate with the proper civil law enforcement agency before moving Government vehicles... drivers of Government motor vehicles have— (i) Committed serious violations of civil traffic laws. (ii... 32 National Defense 4 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Compliance with State laws. 634.41 Section 634.41...

Patterns of knowledge and condom use among population groups: results from the 2005 Ethiopian behavioral surveillance surveys on HIV.

PubMed

Kassie, Getnet M; Mariam, Damen H; Tsui, Amy O

2008-12-31

Behavioral surveys help interpret the magnitude of HIV/AIDS. We analyzed indicators of knowledge on HIV/AIDS and condom use among sub populations selected for behavioral surveillance in Ethiopia. We used 2005 HIV/AIDS behavioral data from ten target groups. These were female sex workers, defense forces, police force, pastoralists, truck drivers, intercity bus drivers, road construction workers, teachers, factory workers and people in ANC catchment areas. Data from 14,524 individuals were analyzed. The majority were males (63.6%). Overall, knowledge of the three preventive methods, misconceptions and comprehensive knowledge was 57%, 75% and 18.5%, respectively. Female sex workers and the defense force showed some behavioral change in using a condom during the most recent sexual encounter and consistently used a condom with non-regular sexual partners and paying partners. Women, pastoralists and the illiterate were less likely to use condom. Misconceptions about the transmission of HIV were high and comprehensive knowledge about HIV & AIDS was low, particularly among pastoralists. Consistent condom use and condom use during the last sexual encounter were high among both female sex workers and defense force employees, both with paying and non-regular sexual partners. This might be a positive sign, though a considerable proportion in each target group did not report using a condom during sex with non-regular partners.

An Operator's Guide to Safe and Enjoyable Bicycling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Jose Dept. of Public Works, CA.

Addressed to young persons and adults, this booklet delineates the duties and rights applicable to bicyclists as drivers of vehicles. The following topics are discussed: Rules of the road, defensive bicycling techniques, the bicycle as a machine, registration and theft prevention, walking the bike, bike routes, and recreational and group rides.…

Legal Self-Defense after a Bus Crash.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Ron

1992-01-01

After a South Carolina school bus accident, involving the death of an automobile driver, the district was faced with a lawsuit. Advises school administrators not to rely on police authorities to gather all the evidence but to compile a thorough school-system accident report, written in close cooperation with a school attorney. Lists report…

32 CFR 636.24 - Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway... (CONTINUED) LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC SUPERVISION (SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.24 Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway. (a) All drivers...

75 FR 25219 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-07

... SYSTEM: Badge and vehicle control records that at a minimum include: Name, Social Security Number (SSN... SYSTEM: 10 U.S.C. 8013, Secretary of the Air Force, Powers and Duties; Department of Defense 5200.08-R... SYSTEM: STORAGE: Electronic storage media. RETRIEVABILITY: Data is retrieved by querying a driver's name...

RNase H As Gene Modifier, Driver of Evolution and Antiviral Defense.

PubMed

Moelling, Karin; Broecker, Felix; Russo, Giancarlo; Sunagawa, Shinichi

2017-01-01

Retroviral infections are 'mini-symbiotic' events supplying recipient cells with sequences for viral replication, including the reverse transcriptase (RT) and ribonuclease H (RNase H). These proteins and other viral or cellular sequences can provide novel cellular functions including immune defense mechanisms. Their high error rate renders RT-RNases H drivers of evolutionary innovation. Integrated retroviruses and the related transposable elements (TEs) have existed for at least 150 million years, constitute up to 80% of eukaryotic genomes and are also present in prokaryotes. Endogenous retroviruses regulate host genes, have provided novel genes including the syncytins that mediate maternal-fetal immune tolerance and can be experimentally rendered infectious again. The RT and the RNase H are among the most ancient and abundant protein folds. RNases H may have evolved from ribozymes, related to viroids, early in the RNA world, forming ribosomes, RNA replicases and polymerases. Basic RNA-binding peptides enhance ribozyme catalysis. RT and ribozymes or RNases H are present today in bacterial group II introns, the precedents of TEs. Thousands of unique RTs and RNases H are present in eukaryotes, bacteria, and viruses. These enzymes mediate viral and cellular replication and antiviral defense in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, splicing, R-loop resolvation, DNA repair. RNase H-like activities are also required for the activity of small regulatory RNAs. The retroviral replication components share striking similarities with the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas machinery, eukaryotic V(D)J recombination and interferon systems. Viruses supply antiviral defense tools to cellular organisms. TEs are the evolutionary origin of siRNA and miRNA genes that, through RISC, counteract detrimental activities of TEs and chromosomal instability. Moreover, piRNAs, implicated in transgenerational inheritance, suppress TEs in germ cells. Thus, virtually all known immune defense mechanisms against viruses, phages, TEs, and extracellular pathogens require RNase H-like enzymes. Analogous to the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas anti-phage defense possibly originating from TEs termed casposons, endogenized retroviruses ERVs and amplified TEs can be regarded as related forms of inheritable immunity in eukaryotes. This survey suggests that RNase H-like activities of retroviruses, TEs, and phages, have built up innate and adaptive immune systems throughout all domains of life.

Large Scale Patterns of Antimicrofouling Defenses in the Hard Coral Pocillopora verrucosa in an Environmental Gradient along the Saudi Arabian Coast of the Red Sea

PubMed Central

Wahl, Martin; Al Sofyani, Abdulmohsin; Saha, Mahasweta; Kruse, Inken; Lenz, Mark; Sawall, Yvonne

2014-01-01

Large scale patterns of ecologically relevant traits may help identify drivers of their variability and conditions beneficial or adverse to the expression of these traits. Antimicrofouling defenses in scleractinian corals regulate the establishment of the associated biofilm as well as the risks of infection. The Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast features a pronounced thermal and nutritional gradient including regions and seasons with potentially stressful conditions to corals. Assessing the patterns of antimicrofouling defenses across the Red Sea may hint at the susceptibility of corals to global change. We investigated microfouling pressure as well as the relative strength of 2 alternative antimicrofouling defenses (chemical antisettlement activity, mucus release) along the pronounced environmental gradient along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast in 2 successive years. Microfouling pressure was exceptionally low along most of the coast but sharply increased at the southernmost sites. Mucus release correlated with temperature. Chemical defense tended to anti-correlate with mucus release. As a result, the combined action of mucus release and chemical antimicrofouling defense seemed to warrant sufficient defense against microbes along the entire coast. In the future, however, we expect enhanced energetic strain on corals when warming and/or eutrophication lead to higher bacterial fouling pressure and a shift towards putatively more costly defense by mucus release. PMID:25485603

To Communicate or Not to Communicate: Factors Predicting Passengers' Intentions to Ask a Driver to Stop Text Messaging While Driving.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao

2016-01-01

Interpersonal communication is important in health campaigns. This research examined factors that are associated with passengers' intentions to communicate no texting with a texting driver in a scenario where the driver is their friend. Based on survey data collected from 546 college students, results showed that students' attitudes toward communication about no texting while driving were predicted by their utilitarian (i.e., safety), value-expressive, and ego-defensive motivations, in addition to being predicted by self-efficacy and norms. Additional results revealed that empathic concern was correlated with the value-expressive motivation and anticipated guilt. Anticipated guilt, together with attitudes, norms, and efficacy, predicted communication intentions. Results revealed that including attitude functions (motivations) in the reasoned action model could help propose and test theory-based predictions in interpersonal communication and health behaviors.

A multimodal high-value curriculum affects drivers of utilization and performance on the high-value care component of the internal medicine in-training exam.

PubMed

Chau, Tom; Loertscher, Laura

2018-01-01

Background : Teaching the practice of high-value care (HVC) is an increasingly important function of graduate medical education but best practices and long-term outcomes remain unknown. Objective : Whether a multimodal curriculum designed to address specific drivers of low-value care would affect resident attitudes, skills, and performance of HVC as tested by the Internal Medicine In-Training Exam (ITE). Methods : In 2012, we performed a baseline needs assessment among internal medicine residents at a community program regarding drivers of healthcare utilization. We then created a multimodal curriculum with online interactive worksheets, lectures, and faculty buy-in to target specific skills, knowledge, and culture deficiencies. Perceived drivers of care and performance on the Internal Medicine ITE were assessed yearly through 2016. Results : Fourteen of 27 (52%) residents completed the initial needs assessment while the curriculum was eventually seen by at least 24 of 27 (89%). The ITE was taken by every resident every year. Long-term, 3-year follow-up demonstrated persistent improvement in many drivers of utilization (patient requests, reliance on subspecialists, defensive medicine, and academic curiosity) and improvement with sustained high performance on the high-value component of the ITE. Conclusion : A multimodal curriculum targeting specific drivers of low-value care can change culture and lead to sustained improvement in the practice of HVC.

32 CFR 636.24 - Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.24 Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway. (a) All drivers will use the right side of roadways, except: (1) When passing a vehicle proceeding in the same...

32 CFR 636.24 - Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.24 Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway. (a) All drivers will use the right side of roadways, except: (1) When passing a vehicle proceeding in the same...

32 CFR 636.24 - Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.24 Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway. (a) All drivers will use the right side of roadways, except: (1) When passing a vehicle proceeding in the same...

32 CFR 636.24 - Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway... INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.24 Driving on right side of roadway; use of roadway. (a) All drivers will use the right side of roadways, except: (1) When passing a vehicle proceeding in the same...

Moving Target Techniques: Leveraging Uncertainty for Cyber Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-24

vulnerability (a flaw or bug that an attacker can exploit to penetrate or disrupt a system) to successfully compromise systems. Defenders, however...device drivers, numerous software applications, and hardware components. Within the cyberspace, this imbalance between a simple, one- bug attack...parsing code itself could have security-relevant software bugs . Dynamic  Network   Techniques in the dynamic network domain change the properties

RNase H As Gene Modifier, Driver of Evolution and Antiviral Defense

PubMed Central

Moelling, Karin; Broecker, Felix; Russo, Giancarlo; Sunagawa, Shinichi

2017-01-01

Retroviral infections are ‘mini-symbiotic’ events supplying recipient cells with sequences for viral replication, including the reverse transcriptase (RT) and ribonuclease H (RNase H). These proteins and other viral or cellular sequences can provide novel cellular functions including immune defense mechanisms. Their high error rate renders RT-RNases H drivers of evolutionary innovation. Integrated retroviruses and the related transposable elements (TEs) have existed for at least 150 million years, constitute up to 80% of eukaryotic genomes and are also present in prokaryotes. Endogenous retroviruses regulate host genes, have provided novel genes including the syncytins that mediate maternal-fetal immune tolerance and can be experimentally rendered infectious again. The RT and the RNase H are among the most ancient and abundant protein folds. RNases H may have evolved from ribozymes, related to viroids, early in the RNA world, forming ribosomes, RNA replicases and polymerases. Basic RNA-binding peptides enhance ribozyme catalysis. RT and ribozymes or RNases H are present today in bacterial group II introns, the precedents of TEs. Thousands of unique RTs and RNases H are present in eukaryotes, bacteria, and viruses. These enzymes mediate viral and cellular replication and antiviral defense in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, splicing, R-loop resolvation, DNA repair. RNase H-like activities are also required for the activity of small regulatory RNAs. The retroviral replication components share striking similarities with the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas machinery, eukaryotic V(D)J recombination and interferon systems. Viruses supply antiviral defense tools to cellular organisms. TEs are the evolutionary origin of siRNA and miRNA genes that, through RISC, counteract detrimental activities of TEs and chromosomal instability. Moreover, piRNAs, implicated in transgenerational inheritance, suppress TEs in germ cells. Thus, virtually all known immune defense mechanisms against viruses, phages, TEs, and extracellular pathogens require RNase H-like enzymes. Analogous to the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas anti-phage defense possibly originating from TEs termed casposons, endogenized retroviruses ERVs and amplified TEs can be regarded as related forms of inheritable immunity in eukaryotes. This survey suggests that RNase H-like activities of retroviruses, TEs, and phages, have built up innate and adaptive immune systems throughout all domains of life. PMID:28959243

Scaling Agile Methods for Department of Defense Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

concepts that drive the design of scaling frameworks, the contextual drivers that shape implementation, and widely known frameworks available today...Barlow probably governs some of the design choices you make. Barlow’s formula helps us understand the relationship between the outside diameter of a...encouraged to cross-train engineering staff and move away from a team structure where people focus on only one specialty, such as design

Heavy ion driven LMF design concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, E. P.

1991-08-01

The US Department of Energy has conducted a multi-year study of the requirements, designs and costs for a Laboratory Microfusion Facility (LMF). The primary purpose of the LMF would be testing of weapons physics and effects simulation using the output from microexplosions of inertial fusion pellets. It does not need a high repetition rate, efficient driver system as required by an electrical generating plant. However there would be so many features in common that the design, construction and operation of an LMF would considerably advance the application of inertial confinement fusion to energy production. The DOE study has concentrated particularly on the LMF driver, with design and component development undertaken at several national laboratories. Principally, these are LLNL (Solid State Laser), LANL (Gas Laser), and SNLA (Light Ions). Heavy Ions, although considered a possible LMF driver did not receive attention until the final stages of this study since its program management was through the Office of Energy Research rather than Defense Programs. During preparation of a summary report for the study it was decided that some account of heavy ions was needed for a complete survey of the driver candidates. A conceptual heavy ion LMF driver design was created for the DOE report which is titled LMC Phase II Design Concepts. The heavy ion driver did not receive the level of scrutiny of the other concepts and, unlike the others, no costs analysis by an independent contractor was performed. Since much of heavy ion driver design lore was brought together in this exercise it is worthwhile to make it available as an independent report. This is reproduced here as it appears in the DOE report.

Translations on USSR Military Affairs, Number 1386

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-10-16

defended; sometimes they are com- pletely bare. They must be used to penetrate boldly to the depth of the defense. When fighting for control of...stopping the fans and supercharger , turning off the electric drive of the turret, and switching on the absorbent filter air delivery system. After...the shock wave passes the mechanic-driver should turn on the supercharger , which provides delivery of decontaminated air at sur- plus pressure into

Drivers Behind Chinese Land Reclamation In The Spratlys

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

other claimant, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia , and Taiwan.”1 In a May 30, 2015, speech, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said...aimed at improving China’s capacity to deliver maritime public services, maintaining maritime safety and security, offering support to search and...disputed between China and at least one other claimant, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia , and Taiwan.”28 Ownership of the Spratly Islands

Vehicle Systems Engineering and Integration Activities - Phase 5

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-31

and Engineering. Its objective is to fundamentally change the capabilities for the design, adaptation, and manufacture of defense systems. Recent...package. The standard RISE package includes an upgraded propulsion system ( turbocharged engine and new transmission), greatly improved driver...original M113A3 and M730A2 vehicles is the turbocharged 275 hp 6V53T engine from Detroit Diesel Corporation. Replacing the earlier 212 hp M113A2

CONARC Soft Skills Training Conference.

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-04-05

videocassette) Script of video tape: (Audio portion only) USAMPS Presents DYNAMICS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR EGO DEFENSE MECHANISMS V-98 Ib I I SCENE fI Mr...prepared for distribution on request to CONARC Training Aids Agency, Fort Eustis, Virginia 23604. In order to secure said presentation a 60 minute video ...potential critical situations with which a driver may have to cope . In order to identify the specific purposes and situations which constitute a given job

Magnetic Linear Accelerator (MAGLAC) as Driver for Impact Fusion (IF)

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-07-01

qualitatively different. For example, a superconductor levitated by Meis- sner effect ("flux exculsion") would be vertically stable for z > a/2; an iron...These include, for example, 1. Further material research on superconductors under high magnetic field and high frequencies. 2. Theoretical and...DEFENSE PENTAGON IMSHJNGT0N5& 20301-7100 £?1C ^ALITY INSPECTED 4 This paper presents considerations on the design of a magnetic linear accelerator

Integrating Passive Sampling Methods into Management of Contaminated Sediment Sites: A Guide for Department of Defense Remedial Project Managers

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

concentration and toxicity to invertebrates (Kreitinger et al. 2007). Bulk contaminant sediment measurements do not reveal the differences across...feed on fish and invertebrates , while others can affect wildlife through direct contact or ingestion; regardless, both effects are influenced by and...sediment management. PAHs are risk drivers primarily because of the potential for adverse effects on benthic invertebrates and sediment-associated fish

The Wisdom of Honeybee Defenses Against Environmental Stresses

PubMed Central

Li, Guilin; Zhao, Hang; Liu, Zhenguo; Wang, Hongfang; Xu, Baohua; Guo, Xingqi

2018-01-01

As one of the predominant pollinator, honeybees provide important ecosystem service to crops and wild plants, and generate great economic benefit for humans. Unfortunately, there is clear evidence of recent catastrophic honeybee colony failure in some areas, resulting in markedly negative environmental and economic effects. It has been demonstrated that various environmental stresses, including both abiotic and biotic stresses, functioning singly or synergistically, are the potential drivers of colony collapse. Honeybees can use many defense mechanisms to decrease the damage from environmental stress to some extent. Here, we synthesize and summarize recent advances regarding the effects of environmental stress on honeybees and the wisdom of honeybees to respond to external environmental stress. Furthermore, we provide possible future research directions about the response of honeybees to various form of stressors. PMID:29765357

Management, Maintenance, and Upkeep of the Baseline COMO III Air Defense Model.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-10-20

weapon subsystems. The sensor subsystems include passive, infrared (IR), television, and a nonimaging sensor and observer, typically the vehicle driver...initially scheduled from the enter game event (DGO) and is rescheduled on a cyclic basis. When radar target detection occurs, the optical search process (DG9...one search cycle in elevation by the track radar/gunner’s optics . DG1 constantly monitors the radar surveillance search volume and when a higher

Protect and Defend: Adequacy of the Department of Defense Role Prescribed in the Federal Response to a Chemical or Biological Attack Against the Homeland

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-05-31

fermenters , centrifuges, driers, milling equipment, and safety products-- for a biological weapon is the least difficult barrier for a terrorist to...number of people with biotechnical training but also an increase in the availability of tools, supplies, and equipment such as fermenters and...108 A biological production facility would include fermenters , milling equipment, centrifuges, and drivers. This is the same equipment needed to

Trade-offs between constitutive and induced defences drive geographical and climatic clines in pine chemical defences.

PubMed

Moreira, Xoaquín; Mooney, Kailen A; Rasmann, Sergio; Petry, William K; Carrillo-Gavilán, Amparo; Zas, Rafael; Sampedro, Luis

2014-05-01

There is increasing evidence that geographic and climatic clines drive the patterns of plant defence allocation and defensive strategies. We quantified early growth rate and both constitutive and inducible chemical defences of 18 Pinaceae species in a common greenhouse environment and assessed their defensive allocation with respect to each species' range across climatic gradients spanning 31° latitude and 2300 m elevation. Constitutive defences traded-off with induced defences, and these defensive strategies were associated with growth rate such that slow-growing species invested more in constitutive defence, whereas fast-growing species invested more in inducible defence. The position of each pine species along this trade-off axis was in turn associated with geography; moving poleward and to higher elevations, growth rate and inducible defences decreased, while constitutive defence increased. These geographic patterns in plant defence were most strongly associated with variation in temperature. Climatic and geographical clines thus act as drivers of defence profiles by mediating the constraints imposed by trade-offs, and this dynamic underlays global patterns of defence allocation.

Multifunctional Role of 35 Kilodalton Hyaluronan in Promoting Defense of the Intestinal Epithelium.

PubMed

Kessler, Sean P; Obery, Dana R; Nickerson, Kourtney P; Petrey, Aaron C; McDonald, Christine; de la Motte, Carol A

2018-04-01

Intestinal epithelium plays a critical role in host defense against orally acquired pathogens. Dysregulation of this protective barrier is a primary driver of inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's and ulcerative colitis) and also infant gastrointestinal infections. Previously, our lab reported that hyaluronan (HA) isolated from human milk induces the expression of the antimicrobial peptide β-defensin in vivo and protects against Salmonella Typhimurium infection of epithelial cells in vitro. In addition, we demonstrated that commercially available 35 kDa size HA induces the expression of β-defensin, upregulates the expression of tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and attenuates murine Citrobacter rodentium infection in vivo. In this current study, we report that HA35 remains largely intact and biologically active during transit through the digestive tract where it directly induces β-defensin expression upon epithelial cell contact. We also demonstrate HA35 abrogation of murine Salmonella Typhimurium infection as well as downregulation of leaky tight junction protein claudin-2 expression. Taken together, we propose a dual role for HA in host innate immune defense at the epithelial cell surface, acting to induce antimicrobial peptide production and also block pathogen-induced leaky gut. HA35 is therefore a promising therapeutic in the defense against bacterially induced colitis in compromised adults and vulnerable newborns.

Future Short Range Ground-Based Air Defence: System Drivers, Characteristics and Architectures

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-03-01

vulnerable being on the right. Although for completeness the defended asset characteristics shown in Table 1 are based upon a conventional armoured formation...Camouflage scrimmed draped visual full/thermal EMCON 4 3 2 1 Visibility line of sight occulting/obscured non line of sight "Contact static FLOT fluid...confused mel~e Armour soft semi-hard hard defensive aids Protection Digging in open under cover dug in full o/h protection AD none AAAD CAD fully

Diagnosing Key Drivers of Job Impact and Business Results Attributable to Training at the Defense Acquisition University

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

expenditures related to training are instruction and materi - als. High levels of instructor quality are synonymous with effective learning. This positivist...Whether the materials are physical in the form of books and notes, or online, students grasp difficult concepts by reading them over and over again... materials are adequate, students often have pre-conceived notions with regards to the value of a course before it has been completed. To be accurate

Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Designs Submitted to Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Sponsored Qorvo Fabrication

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

of interest to Department of Defense applications, particularly for next-generation radar systems. Broadband, efficient, high-power MMIC amplifiers...handling capability. Figures 1 and 2 show the layouts and simulations of a simple 1-stage 3- to 6-GHz Wilkinson coupler/combiner. A 2-stage broader band...from 4 to nearly 7 GHz for the 2-stage PA design. The simple , compact broadband feedback amplifier that serves as the first-stage driver for the 2

Services Acquisition in the Department of Defense: Analysis of Operational and Performance Data to Identify Drivers of Success

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-24

improving the disclosure of CPARS program office Audit results (Black et al., 2014, pp. 48–49). Acquisition Research Program Graduate School of...improving the disclosure of CPARS program office audit results (Black et al., 2014, pp. 44–49). Recommendations Based on our conclusions, we identified...Fitzsimmons, J. A., & Fitzsimmons, M. J. (2006). Service management: Operations, strategy, and information technology (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw -Hill

Developing criteria to establish Trusted Digital Repositories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faundeen, John L.

2017-01-01

This paper details the drivers, methods, and outcomes of the U.S. Geological Survey’s quest to establish criteria by which to judge its own digital preservation resources as Trusted Digital Repositories. Drivers included recent U.S. legislation focused on data and asset management conducted by federal agencies spending $100M USD or more annually on research activities. The methods entailed seeking existing evaluation criteria from national and international organizations such as International Standards Organization (ISO), U.S. Library of Congress, and Data Seal of Approval upon which to model USGS repository evaluations. Certification, complexity, cost, and usability of existing evaluation models were key considerations. The selected evaluation method was derived to allow the repository evaluation process to be transparent, understandable, and defensible; factors that are critical for judging competing, internal units. Implementing the chosen evaluation criteria involved establishing a cross-agency, multi-disciplinary team that interfaced across the organization. 

The relationship between tort reform and medical utilization.

PubMed

Kavanagh, Kevin T; Calderon, Lindsay E; Saman, Daniel M

2014-12-01

The hidden cost of defensive medicine has been cited by policymakers as a significant driving force in the increase of our nation's health-care costs. If this hypothesis is correct, one would expect that states with higher levels of tort reform will have a decrease in Medicare utilization and that medical utilization will decrease after tort reform is enacted. State-level reimbursement data for years 1999 to 2010 (the last year available) was obtained from the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. Medical tort rankings for the 50 states were obtained from the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) and correlated with state medical utilization for the year 2010. In 3 states, Mississippi, Nevada, and Texas, data were available to make pretort and posttort reform comparisons. Data analysis between total state Medicare Reimbursements and the PRI's tort rankings showed no significant observed correlation. In 6 Medicare utilization categories (total Medicare, hospital and skilled nursing facility, physician, home health agency, hospice, and durable medical equipment), a negative trend was observed when correlated with PRI tort rankings. This trend does not support the hypothesis that defensive medicine is a major driver of health-care expenditures. Tracking expenditures in the states of Texas, Nevada, and Mississippi, before and after passage of comprehensive medical tort reform gave inconsistent results and did not demonstrate substantial or meaningful total Medicare savings. In Mississippi, there was a trend of decreased expenditures after medical tort reform was passed. However, in Texas, where 80% of the analyzed enrollees resided, there was a trend of progressive increasing expenditures after tort reform was passed. The comparison of the Dartmouth Atlas Medicare Reimbursement Data with Malpractice Reform State Rankings, which are used by the PRI, did not support the hypothesis that defensive medicine is a driver of rising health-care costs. Additionally, comparing Medicare reimbursements, premedical and postmedical tort reform, we found no consistent effect on health-care expenditures. Together, these data indicate that medical tort reform seems to have little to no effect on overall Medicare cost savings.

Saving the injured: Rescue behavior in the termite-hunting ant Megaponera analis.

PubMed

Frank, Erik Thomas; Schmitt, Thomas; Hovestadt, Thomas; Mitesser, Oliver; Stiegler, Jonas; Linsenmair, Karl Eduard

2017-04-01

Predators of highly defensive prey likely develop cost-reducing adaptations. The ant Megaponera analis is a specialized termite predator, solely raiding termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae (in this study, mostly colonies of Pseudocanthotermes sp.) at their foraging sites. The evolutionary arms race between termites and ants led to various defensive mechanisms in termites (for example, a caste specialized in fighting predators). Because M. analis incurs high injury/mortality risks when preying on termites, some risk-mitigating adaptations seem likely to have evolved. We show that a unique rescue behavior in M. analis , consisting of injured nestmates being carried back to the nest, reduces combat mortality. After a fight, injured ants are carried back by their nestmates; these ants have usually lost an extremity or have termites clinging to them and are able to recover within the nest. Injured ants that are forced experimentally to return without help, die in 32% of the cases. Behavioral experiments show that two compounds, dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide, present in the mandibular gland reservoirs, trigger the rescue behavior. A model accounting for this rescue behavior identifies the drivers favoring its evolution and estimates that rescuing enables maintenance of a 28.7% larger colony size. Our results are the first to explore experimentally the adaptive value of this form of rescue behavior focused on injured nestmates in social insects and help us to identify evolutionary drivers responsible for this type of behavior to evolve in animals.

Saving the injured: Rescue behavior in the termite-hunting ant Megaponera analis

PubMed Central

Frank, Erik Thomas; Schmitt, Thomas; Hovestadt, Thomas; Mitesser, Oliver; Stiegler, Jonas; Linsenmair, Karl Eduard

2017-01-01

Predators of highly defensive prey likely develop cost-reducing adaptations. The ant Megaponera analis is a specialized termite predator, solely raiding termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae (in this study, mostly colonies of Pseudocanthotermes sp.) at their foraging sites. The evolutionary arms race between termites and ants led to various defensive mechanisms in termites (for example, a caste specialized in fighting predators). Because M. analis incurs high injury/mortality risks when preying on termites, some risk-mitigating adaptations seem likely to have evolved. We show that a unique rescue behavior in M. analis, consisting of injured nestmates being carried back to the nest, reduces combat mortality. After a fight, injured ants are carried back by their nestmates; these ants have usually lost an extremity or have termites clinging to them and are able to recover within the nest. Injured ants that are forced experimentally to return without help, die in 32% of the cases. Behavioral experiments show that two compounds, dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide, present in the mandibular gland reservoirs, trigger the rescue behavior. A model accounting for this rescue behavior identifies the drivers favoring its evolution and estimates that rescuing enables maintenance of a 28.7% larger colony size. Our results are the first to explore experimentally the adaptive value of this form of rescue behavior focused on injured nestmates in social insects and help us to identify evolutionary drivers responsible for this type of behavior to evolve in animals. PMID:28439543

The Impact of Competition and Allelopathy on the Trade-Off between Plant Defense and Growth in Two Contrasting Tree Species

PubMed Central

Fernandez, Catherine; Monnier, Yogan; Santonja, Mathieu; Gallet, Christiane; Weston, Leslie A.; Prévosto, Bernard; Saunier, Amélie; Baldy, Virginie; Bousquet-Mélou, Anne

2016-01-01

In contrast to plant-animal interactions, the conceptual framework regarding the impact of secondary metabolites in mediating plant-plant interference is currently less well defined. Here, we address hypotheses about the role of chemically-mediated plant-plant interference (i.e., allelopathy) as a driver of Mediterranean forest dynamics. Growth and defense abilities of a pioneer (Pinus halepensis) and a late-successional (Quercus pubescens) Mediterranean forest species were evaluated under three different plant interference conditions: (i) allelopathy simulated by application of aqueous needle extracts of Pinus, (ii) resource competition created by the physical presence of a neighboring species (Pinus or Quercus), and (iii) a combination of both allelopathy and competition. After 24 months of experimentation in simulated field conditions, Quercus was more affected by plant interference treatments than was Pinus, and a hierarchical response to biotic interference (allelopathy < competition < allelopathy + competition) was observed in terms of relative impact on growth and plant defense. Both species modulated their respective metabolic profiles according to plant interference treatment and thus their inherent chemical defense status, resulting in a physiological trade-off between plant growth and production of defense metabolites. For Quercus, an increase in secondary metabolite production and a decrease in plant growth were observed in all treatments. In contrast, this trade-off in Pinus was only observed in competition and allelopathy + competition treatments. Although Pinus and Quercus expressed differential responses when subjected to a single interference condition, either allelopathy or competition, species responses were similar or positively correlated when strong interference conditions (allelopathy + competition) were imposed. PMID:27200062

Defensive Medicine in U.S. Spine Neurosurgery.

PubMed

Din, Ryan S; Yan, Sandra C; Cote, David J; Acosta, Michael A; Smith, Timothy R

2017-02-01

Observational cross-sectional survey. To compare defensive practices of U.S. spine and nonspine neurosurgeons in the context of state medical liability risk. Defensive medicine is a commonly reported and costly phenomenon in neurosurgery. Although state liability risk is thought to contribute greatly to defensive practice, variation within neurosurgical specialties has not been well explored. A validated, online survey was sent via email to 3344 members of the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. The instrument contained eight question domains: surgeon characteristics, patient characteristics, practice type, insurance type, surgeon liability profile, basic surgeon reimbursement, surgeon perceptions of medical legal environment, and the practice of defensive medicine. The overall response rate was 30.6% (n = 1026), including 499 neurosurgeons performing mainly spine procedures (48.6%). Spine neurosurgeons had a similar average practice duration as nonspine neurosurgeons (16.6 vs 16.9 years, P = 0.64) and comparable lifetime case volume (4767 vs 4,703, P = 0.71). The average annual malpractice premium for spine neurosurgeons was similar to nonspine neurosurgeons ($104,480.52 vs $101,721.76, P = 0.60). On average, spine neurosurgeons had a significantly higher rate of ordering labs, medications, referrals, procedures, and imaging solely for liability concerns compared with nonspine neurosurgeons (89.2% vs 84.6%, P = 0.031). Multivariate analysis revealed that spine neurosurgeons were roughly 3 times more likely to practice defensively compared with nonspine neurosurgeons (odds ratio, OR = 2.9, P = 0.001) when controlling for high-risk procedures (OR = 7.8, P < 0.001), annual malpractice premium (OR = 3.3, P = 0.01), percentage of patients publicly insured (OR = 1.1, P = 0.80), malpractice claims in the last 3 years (OR = 1.13, P = 0.71), and state medical-legal environment (OR = 1.3, P = 0.37). State-based medical legal environment is not a significant driver of increased defensive medicine associated with neurosurgical spine procedures. 3.

Radiation Protection Research Needs Workshop: Summary Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dewji, Shaheen A.; Davis, Jason; Hertel, Nolan E.

In order to protect humans and the environment when using ionizing radiation for the advancement and benefit of society, accurately quantifying radiation and its potential effects remains the driver for ensuring the safety and secure use of nuclear and radiological applications of technology. In the realm of radiation protection and its various applications with the nuclear fuel cycle, (nuclear) medicine, emergency response, national defense, and space exploration, the scientific and research needs to support state and federal radiation protection needs in the United States in each of these areas are still deficient.

Driving Intervention for Returning Combat Veterans.

PubMed

Classen, Sherrilene; Winter, Sandra; Monahan, Miriam; Yarney, Abraham; Link Lutz, Amanda; Platek, Kyle; Levy, Charles

2017-04-01

Increased crash incidence following deployment and veterans' reports of driving difficulty spurred traffic safety research for this population. We conducted an interim analysis on the efficacy of a simulator-based occupational therapy driving intervention (OT-DI) compared with traffic safety education (TSE) in a randomized controlled trial. During baseline and post-testing, OT-Driver Rehabilitation Specialists and one OT-Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist measured driving performance errors on a DriveSafety CDS-250 high-fidelity simulator. The intervention group ( n = 13) received three OT-DI sessions addressing driving errors and visual-search retraining. The control group ( n = 13) received three TSE sessions addressing personal factors and defensive driving. Based on Wilcoxon rank-sum analysis, the OT-DI group's errors were significantly reduced when comparing baseline with Post-Test 1 ( p < .0001) and comparing the OT-DI group with the TSE group at Post-Test 1 ( p = .01). These findings provide support for the efficacy of the OT-DI and set the stage for a future effectiveness study.

The art and science of missile defense sensor design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McComas, Brian K.

2014-06-01

A Missile Defense Sensor is a complex optical system, which sits idle for long periods of time, must work with little or no on-­board calibration, be used to find and discriminate targets, and guide the kinetic warhead to the target within minutes of launch. A short overview of the Missile Defense problem will be discussed here, as well as, the top-level performance drivers, like Noise Equivalent Irradiance (NEI), Acquisition Range, and Dynamic Range. These top-level parameters influence the choice of optical system, mechanical system, focal plane array (FPA), Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC), and cryogenic system. This paper will not only discuss the physics behind the performance of the sensor, but it will also discuss the "art" of optimizing the performance of the sensor given the top level performance parameters. Balancing the sensor sub-­systems is key to the sensor's performance in these highly stressful missions. Top-­level performance requirements impact the choice of lower level hardware and requirements. The flow down of requirements to the lower level hardware will be discussed. This flow down directly impacts the FPA, where careful selection of the detector is required. The flow down also influences the ROIC and cooling requirements. The key physics behind the detector and cryogenic system interactions will be discussed, along with the balancing of subsystem performance. Finally, the overall system balance and optimization will be discussed in the context of missile defense sensors and expected performance of the overall kinetic warhead.

Invertebrate and avian predators as drivers of chemical defensive strategies in tenthredinid sawflies

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Many insects are chemically defended against predatory vertebrates and invertebrates. Nevertheless, our understanding of the evolution and diversity of insect defenses remains limited, since most studies have focused on visual signaling of defenses against birds, thereby implicitly underestimating the impact of insectivorous insects. In the larvae of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae (Hymenoptera), which feed on various plants and show diverse lifestyles, two distinct defensive strategies are found: easy bleeding of deterrent hemolymph, and emission of volatiles by ventral glands. Here, we used phylogenetic information to identify phylogenetic correlations among various ecological and defensive traits in order to estimate the relative importance of avian versus invertebrate predation. Results The mapping of 12 ecological and defensive traits on phylogenetic trees inferred from DNA sequences reveals the discrete distribution of easy bleeding that occurs, among others, in the genus Athalia and the tribe Phymatocerini. By contrast, occurrence of ventral glands is restricted to the monophyletic subfamily Nematinae, which are never easy bleeders. Both strategies are especially effective towards insectivorous insects such as ants, while only Nematinae species are frequently brightly colored and truly gregarious. Among ten tests of phylogenetic correlation between traits, only a few are significant. None of these involves morphological traits enhancing visual signals, but easy bleeding is associated with the absence of defensive body movements and with toxins occurring in the host plant. Easy bleeding functions through a combination of attributes, which is corroborated by an independent contrasts test indicating a statistically significant negative correlation between species-level integument mechanical resistance and hemolymph feeding deterrence against ants. Conclusions Our analyses evidence a repeated occurrence of easy bleeding, and no phylogenetic correlation including specific visual signals is significant. We conclude that the evolution of chemically-based defenses in tenthredinids may have been driven by invertebrate as much as by avian predation. The clear-cut visual signaling often encountered in the Nematinae would be linked to differential trends of habitat use by prey and predators. Further studies on (prey) insect groups should include visual signals and other traits, as well as several groups of natural enemies, to better interpret their relative significance and to refine our understanding of insect chemical defenses. PMID:24041372

Effects of generalist herbivory on resistance and resource allocation by the invasive plant, Phytolacca americana.

PubMed

Huang, Wei; Ding, Jianqing

2016-04-01

Successful invasions by exotic plants are often attributed to a loss of co-evolved specialists and a re-allocation of resources from defense to growth and reproduction. However, invasive plants are rarely completely released from insect herbivory because they are frequently attacked by generalists in their introduced ranges. The novel generalist community may also affect the invasive plant's defensive strategies and resource allocation. Here, we tested this hypothesis using American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.), a species that has become invasive in China, which is native to North America. We examined resistance, tolerance, growth and reproduction of plant populations from both China and the USA when plants were exposed to natural generalist herbivores in China. We found that leaf damage was greater for invasive populations than for native populations, indicating that plants from invasive ranges had lower resistance to herbivory than those from native ranges. A regression of the percentage of leaf damage against mass showed that there was no significant difference in tolerance between invasive and native populations, even though the shoot, root, fruit and total mass were larger for invasive populations than for native populations. These results suggest that generalist herbivores are important drivers mediating the defensive strategies and resource allocation of the invasive American pokeweed. © 2015 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Defense Responses to Short-term Hypoxia and Seawater Acidification in the Thick Shell Mussel Mytilus coruscus

PubMed Central

Sui, Yanming; Liu, Yimeng; Zhao, Xin; Dupont, Sam; Hu, Menghong; Wu, Fangli; Huang, Xizhi; Li, Jiale; Lu, Weiqun; Wang, Youji

2017-01-01

The rising anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 results in the reduction of seawater pH, namely ocean acidification (OA). In East China Sea, the largest coastal hypoxic zone was observed in the world. This region is also strongly impacted by ocean acidification as receiving much nutrient from Changjiang and Qiantangjiang, and organisms can experience great short-term natural variability of DO and pH in this area. In order to evaluate the defense responses of marine mussels under this scenario, the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus were exposed to three pH/pCO2 levels (7.3/2800 μatm, 7.7/1020 μatm, 8.1/376 μatm) at two dissolved oxygen concentrations (DO, 2.0, 6.0 mg L−1) for 72 h. Results showed that byssus thread parameters, such as the number, diameter, attachment strength and plaque area were reduced by low DO, and shell-closing strength was significantly weaker under both hypoxia and low pH conditions. Expression patterns of genes related to mussel byssus protein (MBP) were affected by hypoxia. Generally, hypoxia reduced MBP1 and MBP7 expressions, but increased MBP13 expression. In conclusion, both hypoxia and low pH induced negative effects on mussel defense responses, with hypoxia being the main driver of change. In addition, significant interactive effects between pH and DO were observed on shell-closing strength. Therefore, the adverse effects induced by hypoxia on the defense of mussels may be aggravated by low pH in the natural environments. PMID:28337153

Viruses are a dominant driver of protein adaptation in mammals.

PubMed

Enard, David; Cai, Le; Gwennap, Carina; Petrov, Dmitri A

2016-05-17

Viruses interact with hundreds to thousands of proteins in mammals, yet adaptation against viruses has only been studied in a few proteins specialized in antiviral defense. Whether adaptation to viruses typically involves only specialized antiviral proteins or affects a broad array of virus-interacting proteins is unknown. Here, we analyze adaptation in ~1300 virus-interacting proteins manually curated from a set of 9900 proteins conserved in all sequenced mammalian genomes. We show that viruses (i) use the more evolutionarily constrained proteins within the cellular functions they interact with and that (ii) despite this high constraint, virus-interacting proteins account for a high proportion of all protein adaptation in humans and other mammals. Adaptation is elevated in virus-interacting proteins across all functional categories, including both immune and non-immune functions. We conservatively estimate that viruses have driven close to 30% of all adaptive amino acid changes in the part of the human proteome conserved within mammals. Our results suggest that viruses are one of the most dominant drivers of evolutionary change across mammalian and human proteomes.

Viruses are a dominant driver of protein adaptation in mammals

PubMed Central

Enard, David; Cai, Le; Gwennap, Carina; Petrov, Dmitri A

2016-01-01

Viruses interact with hundreds to thousands of proteins in mammals, yet adaptation against viruses has only been studied in a few proteins specialized in antiviral defense. Whether adaptation to viruses typically involves only specialized antiviral proteins or affects a broad array of virus-interacting proteins is unknown. Here, we analyze adaptation in ~1300 virus-interacting proteins manually curated from a set of 9900 proteins conserved in all sequenced mammalian genomes. We show that viruses (i) use the more evolutionarily constrained proteins within the cellular functions they interact with and that (ii) despite this high constraint, virus-interacting proteins account for a high proportion of all protein adaptation in humans and other mammals. Adaptation is elevated in virus-interacting proteins across all functional categories, including both immune and non-immune functions. We conservatively estimate that viruses have driven close to 30% of all adaptive amino acid changes in the part of the human proteome conserved within mammals. Our results suggest that viruses are one of the most dominant drivers of evolutionary change across mammalian and human proteomes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.12469.001 PMID:27187613

Recent advances in plant-herbivore interactions

PubMed Central

Burkepile, Deron E.; Parker, John D.

2017-01-01

Plant-herbivore interactions shape community dynamics across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. From amphipods to elephants and from algae to trees, plant-herbivore relationships are the crucial link generating animal biomass (and human societies) from mere sunlight. These interactions are, thus, pivotal to understanding the ecology and evolution of virtually any ecosystem. Here, we briefly highlight recent advances in four areas of plant-herbivore interactions: (1) plant defense theory, (2) herbivore diversity and ecosystem function, (3) predation risk aversion and herbivory, and (4) how a changing climate impacts plant-herbivore interactions. Recent advances in plant defense theory, for example, highlight how plant life history and defense traits affect and are affected by multiple drivers, including enemy pressure, resource availability, and the local plant neighborhood, resulting in trait-mediated feedback loops linking trophic interactions with ecosystem nutrient dynamics. Similarly, although the positive effect of consumer diversity on ecosystem function has long been recognized, recent advances using DNA barcoding to elucidate diet, and Global Positioning System/remote sensing to determine habitat selection and impact, have shown that herbivore communities are probably even more functionally diverse than currently realized. Moreover, although most diversity-function studies continue to emphasize plant diversity, herbivore diversity may have even stronger impacts on ecosystem multifunctionality. Recent studies also highlight the role of risk in plant-herbivore interactions, and risk-driven trophic cascades have emerged as landscape-scale patterns in a variety of ecosystems. Perhaps not surprisingly, many plant-herbivore interactions are currently being altered by climate change, which affects plant growth rates and resource allocation, expression of chemical defenses, plant phenology, and herbivore metabolism and behavior. Finally, we conclude by noting that although the field is advancing rapidly, the world is changing even more rapidly, challenging our ability to manage these pivotal links in the food chain. PMID:28232868

Repeated exposures to roadside particulate matter extracts suppresses pulmonary defense mechanisms, resulting in lipid and protein oxidative damage.

PubMed

Pardo, Michal; Porat, Ziv; Rudich, Assaf; Schauer, James J; Rudich, Yinon

2016-03-01

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) pollution in cities and urban canyons can be harmful to the exposed population. However, the underlying mechanisms that lead to health effects are not yet elucidated. It is postulated that exposure to repeated, small, environmentally relevant concentrations can affect lung homeostasis. This study examines the impact of repeated exposures to urban PM on mouse lungs with focus on inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters. Aqueous extracts from collected urban PM were administered to mice by 5 repeated intra-tracheal instillations (IT). Multiple exposures, led to an increase in cytokine levels in both bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and in the blood serum, indicating a systemic reaction. Lung mRNA levels of antioxidant/phase II detoxifying enzymes decreased by exposure to the PM extract, but not when metals were removed by chelation. Finally, disruption of lung tissue oxidant-inflammatory/defense balance was evidenced by increased levels of lipid and protein oxidation. Unlike response to a single IT exposure to the same dose and source of extract, multiple exposures result in lung oxidative damage and a systemic inflammatory reaction. These could be attributed to compromised capacity to activate the protective Nrf2 tissue defense system. It is suggested that water-soluble metals present in urban PM, potentially from break and tire wear, may constitute major drivers of the pulmonary and systemic responses to multiple exposure to urban PM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drivers of genetic diversity in secondary metabolic gene clusters within a fungal species

PubMed Central

Lind, Abigail L.; Wisecaver, Jennifer H.; Lameiras, Catarina; Wiemann, Philipp; Palmer, Jonathan M.; Keller, Nancy P.; Rodrigues, Fernando; Goldman, Gustavo H.

2017-01-01

Filamentous fungi produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites (SMs) critical for defense, virulence, and communication. The metabolic pathways that produce SMs are found in contiguous gene clusters in fungal genomes, an atypical arrangement for metabolic pathways in other eukaryotes. Comparative studies of filamentous fungal species have shown that SM gene clusters are often either highly divergent or uniquely present in one or a handful of species, hampering efforts to determine the genetic basis and evolutionary drivers of SM gene cluster divergence. Here, we examined SM variation in 66 cosmopolitan strains of a single species, the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Investigation of genome-wide within-species variation revealed 5 general types of variation in SM gene clusters: nonfunctional gene polymorphisms; gene gain and loss polymorphisms; whole cluster gain and loss polymorphisms; allelic polymorphisms, in which different alleles corresponded to distinct, nonhomologous clusters; and location polymorphisms, in which a cluster was found to differ in its genomic location across strains. These polymorphisms affect the function of representative A. fumigatus SM gene clusters, such as those involved in the production of gliotoxin, fumigaclavine, and helvolic acid as well as the function of clusters with undefined products. In addition to enabling the identification of polymorphisms, the detection of which requires extensive genome-wide synteny conservation (e.g., mobile gene clusters and nonhomologous cluster alleles), our approach also implicated multiple underlying genetic drivers, including point mutations, recombination, and genomic deletion and insertion events as well as horizontal gene transfer from distant fungi. Finally, most of the variants that we uncover within A. fumigatus have been previously hypothesized to contribute to SM gene cluster diversity across entire fungal classes and phyla. We suggest that the drivers of genetic diversity operating within a fungal species shown here are sufficient to explain SM cluster macroevolutionary patterns. PMID:29149178

Defending spaceflight: The echoes of Apollo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rovetto, R. J.

2016-12-01

This paper defends, and emphasizes the importance of, spaceflight, broadly construed to include human and unmanned spaceflight, space science, exploration and development. Within this discourse, I provide counter-replies to remarks by physicist Dr. Steven Weinberg against my previous support of human spaceflight. In this defense of peaceful spaceflight I draw upon a variety of sources. Although a focus is human spaceflight, human and unmanned modes must not be treated as an either-or opposition. Rather, each has a critical role to play in moving humanity forward as a spacefaring species. In the course of this communication, I also stress the perennial role of space agencies as science and technology-drivers, and their function to provide a stable and unified platform for space programs.

Are the metabolomic responses to folivory of closely related plant species linked to macroevolutionary and plant-folivore coevolutionary processes?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rivas-Ubach, Albert; Hódar, José A.; Sardans, Jordi

The debate whether the coevolution of plants and insects or macroevolutionary processes (phylogeny) is the main driver determining the arsenal of molecular defensive compounds of plants remains unresolved. Attacks by herbivorous insects affect not only the composition of defensive compounds in plants but the entire metabolome (the set of molecular metabolites), including defensive compounds. Metabolomes are the final products of genotypes and are directly affected by macroevolutionary processes, so closely related species should have similar metabolomic compositions and may respond in similar ways to attacks by folivores. We analyzed the elemental compositions and metabolomes of needles from Pinus pinaster, P.more » nigra and P. sylvestris to determine if these closely related Pinus species with different coevolutionary histories with the caterpillars of the processionary moth respond similarly to attacks by this lepidopteran. All pines had different metabolomes and metabolic responses to herbivorous attack. The metabolomic variation among the pine species and the responses to folivory reflected their macroevolutionary relationships, with P. pinaster having the most divergent metabolome. The concentrations of phenolic metabolites were generally not higher in the attacked trees, which had lower concentrations of terpenes, suggesting that herbivores avoid individuals with high concentrations of terpenes. Our results suggest that macroevolutionary history plays important roles in the metabolomic responses of these pine species to folivory, but plant-insect coevolution probably constrains those responses. Combinations of different evolutionary factors and trade-offs are likely responsible for the different responses of each species to folivory, which is not necessarily exclusively linked to plant-insect coevolution.« less

Physics Division progress report, January 1, 1984-September 30, 1986

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keller, W.E.

1987-10-01

This report provides brief accounts of significant progress in development activities and research results achieved by Physics Division personnel during the period January 1, 1984, through September 31, 1986. These efforts are representative of the three main areas of experimental research and development in which the Physics Division serves Los Alamos National Laboratory's and the Nation's needs in defense and basic sciences: (1) defense physics, including the development of diagnostic methods for weapons tests, weapon-related high-energy-density physics, and programs supporting the Strategic Defense Initiative; (2) laser physics and applications, especially to high-density plasmas; and (3) fundamental research in nuclear andmore » particle physics, condensed-matter physics, and biophysics. Throughout the report, emphasis is placed on the design, construction, and application of a variety of advanced, often unique, instruments and instrument systems that maintain the Division's position at the leading edge of research and development in the specific fields germane to its mission. A sampling of experimental systems of particular interest would include the relativistic electron-beam accelerator and its applications to high-energy-density plasmas; pulsed-power facilities; directed energy weapon devices such as free-electron lasers and neutral-particle-beam accelerators; high-intensity ultraviolet and x-ray beam lines at the National Synchrotron Light Source (at Brookhaven National Laboratory); the Aurora KrF ultraviolet laser system for projected use as an inertial fusion driver; antiproton physics facility at CERN; and several beam developments at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility for studying nuclear, condensed-matter, and biological physics, highlighted by progress in establishing the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center.« less

Historical comparisons reveal multiple drivers of decadal change of an ecosystem engineer at the range edge

PubMed Central

Firth, Louise B; Mieszkowska, Nova; Grant, Lisa M; Bush, Laura E; Davies, Andrew J; Frost, Matthew T; Moschella, Paula S; Burrows, Michael T; Cunningham, Paul N; Dye, Stephen R; Hawkins, Stephen J

2015-01-01

Biogenic reefs are important for habitat provision and coastal protection. Long-term datasets on the distribution and abundance of Sabellaria alveolata (L.) are available from Britain. The aim of this study was to combine historical records and contemporary data to (1) describe spatiotemporal variation in winter temperatures, (2) document short-term and long-term changes in the distribution and abundance of S. alveolata and discuss these changes in relation to extreme weather events and recent warming, and (3) assess the potential for artificial coastal defense structures to function as habitat for S. alveolata. A semi-quantitative abundance scale (ACFOR) was used to compare broadscale, long-term and interannual abundance of S. alveolata near its range edge in NW Britain. S. alveolata disappeared from the North Wales and Wirral coastlines where it had been abundant prior to the cold winter of 1962/1963. Population declines were also observed following the recent cold winters of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. Extensive surveys in 2004 and 2012 revealed that S. alveolata had recolonized locations from which it had previously disappeared. Furthermore, it had increased in abundance at many locations, possibly in response to recent warming. S. alveolata was recorded on the majority of artificial coastal defense structures surveyed, suggesting that the proliferation of artificial coastal defense structures along this stretch of coastline may have enabled S. alveolata to spread across stretches of unsuitable natural habitat. Long-term and broadscale contextual monitoring is essential for monitoring responses of organisms to climate change. Historical data and gray literature can be invaluable sources of information. Our results support the theory that Lusitanian species are responding positively to climate warming but also that short-term extreme weather events can have potentially devastating widespread and lasting effects on organisms. Furthermore, the proliferation of coastal defense structures has implications for phylogeography, population genetics, and connectivity of coastal populations. PMID:26355379

Geographical variation in colour of female threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

PubMed Central

Ingram, Travis; Bolnick, Daniel I.

2018-01-01

The ecological multifunctionality of colour often results in multiple selective pressures operating on a single trait. Most research on colour evolution focuses on males because they are the most conspicuous sex in most species. This bias can limit inferences about the ecological drivers of colour evolution. For example, little is known about population divergence in colour of female threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), which is among the most intensively-studied model vertebrates in evolution, ecology, and behaviour. In contrast, the evolution and ecology of colour in male stickleback has received considerable attention. One aspect of female colouration that is lacking previous research is non-ornamental body colour. Non-ornamental colour can play defensive and social roles, and indicate other aspects of female stickleback ecology. To remedy this knowledge gap, we measured the colour and brightness of one dorsal and one ventral lateral area on female stickleback from nine lake populations on Vancouver Island. We found that lake populations varied in overall colour brightness and dorso-ventral contrast. In addition, we found that female brightness increased with lake size, indicating potential ecological drivers of these colour differences. Our results demonstrate that there is substantial scope for future research on female colour diversification, which has been overlooked because past researchers focused on dramatic male nuptial colours. PMID:29785354

Geographical variation in colour of female threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

PubMed

French, Connor M; Ingram, Travis; Bolnick, Daniel I

2018-01-01

The ecological multifunctionality of colour often results in multiple selective pressures operating on a single trait. Most research on colour evolution focuses on males because they are the most conspicuous sex in most species. This bias can limit inferences about the ecological drivers of colour evolution. For example, little is known about population divergence in colour of female threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ), which is among the most intensively-studied model vertebrates in evolution, ecology, and behaviour. In contrast, the evolution and ecology of colour in male stickleback has received considerable attention. One aspect of female colouration that is lacking previous research is non-ornamental body colour. Non-ornamental colour can play defensive and social roles, and indicate other aspects of female stickleback ecology. To remedy this knowledge gap, we measured the colour and brightness of one dorsal and one ventral lateral area on female stickleback from nine lake populations on Vancouver Island. We found that lake populations varied in overall colour brightness and dorso-ventral contrast. In addition, we found that female brightness increased with lake size, indicating potential ecological drivers of these colour differences. Our results demonstrate that there is substantial scope for future research on female colour diversification, which has been overlooked because past researchers focused on dramatic male nuptial colours.

Disruptive laser diode source for embedded LIDAR sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canal, Celine; Laugustin, Arnaud; Kohl, Andreas; Rabot, Olivier

2017-02-01

Active imaging based on laser illumination is used in various fields such as medicine, security, defense, civil engineering and in the automotive sector. In this last domain, research and development to bring autonomous vehicles on the roads has been intensified these last years with an emphasis on lidar technology that is probably the key to achieve full automation level. Based on time-of-flight measurements, the profile of objects can be measured together with their location in various conditions, creating a 3D mapping of the environment. To be embedded on a vehicle as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), these sensors require compactness, low-cost and reliability, as it is provided by a flash lidar. An attractive candidate, especially with respect to cost reduction, for the laser source integrated in these devices is certainly laser diodes as long as they can provide sufficiently short pulses with a high energy. A recent breakthrough in laser diode and diode driver technology made by Quantel (Les Ulis, France) now allows laser emission higher than 1 mJ with pulses as short as 12 ns in a footprint of 4x5 cm2 (including both the laser diode and driver) and an electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency of the whole laser diode source higher than 25% at this level of energy. The components used for the laser source presented here can all be manufactured at low cost. In particular, instead of having several individual laser diodes positioned side by side, the laser diodes are monolithically integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The chips are then integrated directly on the driver board in a single assembly step. These laser sources emit in the range of 800-1000 nm and their emission is considered to be eye safe when taking into account the high divergence of the output beam and the aperture of possible macro lenses so that they can be used for end consumer applications. Experimental characterization of these state-of-the-art pulsed laser diode sources will be given. Future work leads will be discussed for miniaturization of the laser diode and drastic cost reduction.

MULTISCALE MODEL OF CRISPR-INDUCED COEVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS: DIVERSIFICATION AT THE INTERFACE OF LAMARCK AND DARWIN

PubMed Central

Childs, Lauren M; Held, Nicole L; Young, Mark J; Whitaker, Rachel J; Weitz, Joshua S

2012-01-01

The CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) system is a recently discovered type of adaptive immune defense in bacteria and archaea that functions via directed incorporation of viral and plasmid DNA into host genomes. Here, we introduce a multiscale model of dynamic coevolution between hosts and viruses in an ecological context that incorporates CRISPR immunity principles. We analyze the model to test whether and how CRISPR immunity induces host and viral diversification and the maintenance of many coexisting strains. We show that hosts and viruses coevolve to form highly diverse communities. We observe the punctuated replacement of existent strains, such that populations have very low similarity compared over the long term. However, in the short term, we observe evolutionary dynamics consistent with both incomplete selective sweeps of novel strains (as single strains and coalitions) and the recurrence of previously rare strains. Coalitions of multiple dominant host strains are predicted to arise because host strains can have nearly identical immune phenotypes mediated by CRISPR defense albeit with different genotypes. We close by discussing how our explicit eco-evolutionary model of CRISPR immunity can help guide efforts to understand the drivers of diversity seen in microbial communities where CRISPR systems are active. PMID:22759281

The climate change and energy security nexus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

King, Marcus Dubois; Gulledge, Jay

2013-01-01

The study of the impacts of climate change on national and interna-tional security has grown as a research field, particularly in the last five years. Within this broad field, academic scholarship has concentrated primarily on whether climate change is, or may become, a driver of violent conflict. This relationship remains highly contested. However, national security policy and many non-governmental organizations have identified climate change as a threat multiplier in conflict situations. The U.S. Department of Defense and the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense have incorporated these findings into strategic planning documents such as the Quadrennial Defense Review and the Strategicmore » Defence and Security Review. In contrast to the climate-conflict nexus, our analysis found that academic scholarship on the climate change and energy security nexus is small and more disciplinarily focused. In fact, a search of social science litera-ture found few sources, with a significant percentage of these works attribut-able to a single journal. Assuming that policymakers are more likely to rely on broader social science literature than technical or scientific journals, this leaves a limited foundation. This then begged the question: what are these sources? We identified a body of grey literature on the nexus of climate change and energy security of a greater size than the body of peer-reviewed social science literature. We reviewed fifty-eight recent reports, issue briefs, and transcripts to better understand the nexus of climate change and energy security, as well as to gain insight about the questions policymakers need answered by those undertaking the research. In this article, we describe the nature of the sources reviewed, highlight possible climate change and energy security linkages found within those sources, identify emerging risks, and offer conclusions that can guide further research.« less

Why do trees die? Characterizing the drivers of background tree mortality.

PubMed

Das, Adrian J; Stephenson, Nathan L; Davis, Kristin P

2016-10-01

The drivers of background tree mortality rates-the typical low rates of tree mortality found in forests in the absence of acute stresses like drought-are central to our understanding of forest dynamics, the effects of ongoing environmental changes on forests, and the causes and consequences of geographical gradients in the nature and strength of biotic interactions. To shed light on factors contributing to background tree mortality, we analyzed detailed pathological data from 200,668 tree-years of observation and 3,729 individual tree deaths, recorded over a 13-yr period in a network of old-growth forest plots in California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. We found that: (1) Biotic mortality factors (mostly insects and pathogens) dominated (58%), particularly in larger trees (86%). Bark beetles were the most prevalent (40%), even though there were no outbreaks during the study period; in contrast, the contribution of defoliators was negligible. (2) Relative occurrences of broad classes of mortality factors (biotic, 58%; suppression, 51%; and mechanical, 25%) are similar among tree taxa, but may vary with tree size and growth rate. (3) We found little evidence of distinct groups of mortality factors that predictably occur together on trees. Our results have at least three sets of implications. First, rather than being driven by abiotic factors such as lightning or windstorms, the "ambient" or "random" background mortality that many forest models presume to be independent of tree growth rate is instead dominated by biotic agents of tree mortality, with potentially critical implications for forecasting future mortality. Mechanistic models of background mortality, even for healthy, rapidly growing trees, must therefore include the insects and pathogens that kill trees. Second, the biotic agents of tree mortality, instead of occurring in a few predictable combinations, may generally act opportunistically and with a relatively large degree of independence from one another. Finally, beyond the current emphasis on folivory and leaf defenses, studies of broad-scale gradients in the nature and strength of biotic interactions should also include biotic attacks on, and defenses of, tree stems and roots. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Why do trees die? Characterizing the drivers of background tree mortality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Das, Adrian J.; Stephenson, Nathan L.; Davis, Kristin P.

2016-01-01

The drivers of background tree mortality rates—the typical low rates of tree mortality found in forests in the absence of acute stresses like drought—are central to our understanding of forest dynamics, the effects of ongoing environmental changes on forests, and the causes and consequences of geographical gradients in the nature and strength of biotic interactions. To shed light on factors contributing to background tree mortality, we analyzed detailed pathological data from 200,668 tree-years of observation and 3,729 individual tree deaths, recorded over a 13-yr period in a network of old-growth forest plots in California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. We found that: (1) Biotic mortality factors (mostly insects and pathogens) dominated (58%), particularly in larger trees (86%). Bark beetles were the most prevalent (40%), even though there were no outbreaks during the study period; in contrast, the contribution of defoliators was negligible. (2) Relative occurrences of broad classes of mortality factors (biotic, 58%; suppression, 51%; and mechanical, 25%) are similar among tree taxa, but may vary with tree size and growth rate. (3) We found little evidence of distinct groups of mortality factors that predictably occur together on trees. Our results have at least three sets of implications. First, rather than being driven by abiotic factors such as lightning or windstorms, the “ambient” or “random” background mortality that many forest models presume to be independent of tree growth rate is instead dominated by biotic agents of tree mortality, with potentially critical implications for forecasting future mortality. Mechanistic models of background mortality, even for healthy, rapidly growing trees, must therefore include the insects and pathogens that kill trees. Second, the biotic agents of tree mortality, instead of occurring in a few predictable combinations, may generally act opportunistically and with a relatively large degree of independence from one another. Finally, beyond the current emphasis on folivory and leaf defenses, studies of broad-scale gradients in the nature and strength of biotic interactions should also include biotic attacks on, and defenses of, tree stems and roots.

Quantitative approaches in climate change ecology

PubMed Central

Brown, Christopher J; Schoeman, David S; Sydeman, William J; Brander, Keith; Buckley, Lauren B; Burrows, Michael; Duarte, Carlos M; Moore, Pippa J; Pandolfi, John M; Poloczanska, Elvira; Venables, William; Richardson, Anthony J

2011-01-01

Contemporary impacts of anthropogenic climate change on ecosystems are increasingly being recognized. Documenting the extent of these impacts requires quantitative tools for analyses of ecological observations to distinguish climate impacts in noisy data and to understand interactions between climate variability and other drivers of change. To assist the development of reliable statistical approaches, we review the marine climate change literature and provide suggestions for quantitative approaches in climate change ecology. We compiled 267 peer-reviewed articles that examined relationships between climate change and marine ecological variables. Of the articles with time series data (n = 186), 75% used statistics to test for a dependency of ecological variables on climate variables. We identified several common weaknesses in statistical approaches, including marginalizing other important non-climate drivers of change, ignoring temporal and spatial autocorrelation, averaging across spatial patterns and not reporting key metrics. We provide a list of issues that need to be addressed to make inferences more defensible, including the consideration of (i) data limitations and the comparability of data sets; (ii) alternative mechanisms for change; (iii) appropriate response variables; (iv) a suitable model for the process under study; (v) temporal autocorrelation; (vi) spatial autocorrelation and patterns; and (vii) the reporting of rates of change. While the focus of our review was marine studies, these suggestions are equally applicable to terrestrial studies. Consideration of these suggestions will help advance global knowledge of climate impacts and understanding of the processes driving ecological change.

Identifying Changes of Complex Flood Dynamics with Recurrence Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wendi, D.; Merz, B.; Marwan, N.

2016-12-01

Temporal changes in flood hazard system are known to be difficult to detect and attribute due to multiple drivers that include complex processes that are non-stationary and highly variable. These drivers, such as human-induced climate change, natural climate variability, implementation of flood defense, river training, or land use change, could impact variably on space-time scales and influence or mask each other. Flood time series may show complex behavior that vary at a range of time scales and may cluster in time. Moreover hydrological time series (i.e. discharge) are often subject to measurement errors, such as rating curve error especially in the case of extremes where observation are actually derived through extrapolation. This study focuses on the application of recurrence based data analysis techniques (recurrence plot) for understanding and quantifying spatio-temporal changes in flood hazard in Germany. The recurrence plot is known as an effective tool to visualize the dynamics of phase space trajectories i.e. constructed from a time series by using an embedding dimension and a time delay, and it is known to be effective in analyzing non-stationary and non-linear time series. Sensitivity of the common measurement errors and noise on recurrence analysis will also be analyzed and evaluated against conventional methods. The emphasis will be on the identification of characteristic recurrence properties that could associate typical dynamic to certain flood events.

Taking a Toll on Self-Renewal: TLR-Mediated Innate Immune Signaling in Stem Cells.

PubMed

Alvarado, Alvaro G; Lathia, Justin D

2016-07-01

Innate immunity has evolved as the front-line cellular defense mechanism to acutely sense and decisively respond to microenvironmental alterations. The Toll-like receptor (TLR) family activates signaling pathways in response to stimuli and is well-characterized in both resident and infiltrating immune cells during neural inflammation, injury, and degeneration. Innate immune signaling has also been observed in neural cells during development and disease, including in the stem and progenitor cells that build the brain and are responsible for its homeostasis. Recently, the activation of developmental programs in malignant brain tumors has emerged as a driver for growth via cancer stem cells. In this review we discuss how innate immune signaling interfaces with stem cell maintenance in the normal and neoplastic brain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predatory hunting and exposure to a live predator induce opposite patterns of Fos immunoreactivity in the PAG.

PubMed

Comoli, E; Ribeiro-Barbosa, E R; Canteras, Newton Sabino

2003-01-06

Considering the periaqueductal gray's (PAG) general roles in mediating motivational responses, in the present study, we compared the Fos expression pattern in the PAG induced by innate behaviors underlain by opposite motivational drivers, in rats, namely, insect predation and defensive behavior evoked by the confrontation with a live predator (a cat). Exposure to the predator was associated with a striking Fos expression in the PAG, where, at rostral levels, an intense Fos expression was found largely distributed in the dorsomedial and dorsolateral regions, whereas, at caudal levels, Fos-labeled cells tended to be mostly found in the lateral and ventrolateral columns, as well as in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Quite the opposite, insect predation was associated with increased Fos expression predominantly in the rostral two thirds of the lateral PAG, where the majority of the Fos-immunoreactive cells were found at the oculomotor nucleus levels. Remarkably, both exposure to the cat and insect predation upregulated Fos expression in the supraoculomotor region and the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus. Overall, the present results clearly suggest that the PAG activation pattern appears to reflect, at least partly, the animal's motivational status. It is well established that the PAG is critical for the expression of defensive responses, and, considering the present findings, it will be important to investigate how the PAG contributes to the expression of the predatory behavior, as well.

Imidacloprid intensifies its impact on honeybee and bumblebee cellular immune response when challenged with LPS (lippopolysacharide) of Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Walderdorff, Louise; Laval-Gilly, Philippe; Bonnefoy, Antoine; Falla-Angel, Jaïro

2018-07-01

Insect hemocytes play an important role in insects' defense against environmental stressors as they are entirely dependent on their innate immune system for pathogen defense. In recent years a dramatic decline of pollinators has been reported in many countries. The drivers of this declines appear to be associated with pathogen infections like viruses, bacteria or fungi in combination with pesticide exposure. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the impact of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, on the cellular immune response of two pollinators (Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris) during simultaneous immune activation with LPS (lipopolysaccharide) of Escherichia coli. For this purpose the phagocytosis capacity as well as the production of H 2 O 2 and NO of larval hemocytes, exposed to five different imidacloprid concentrations in vitro, was measured. All used pesticide concentrations showed a weakening effect on phagocytosis with but also without LPS activation. Imidacloprid decreased H 2 O 2 and increased NO production in honeybees. Immune activation by LPS clearly reinforced the effect of imidacloprid on the immune response of hemocytes in all three immune parameters tested. Bumblebee hemocytes appeared more sensitive to imidacloprid during phagocytosis assays while imidacloprid showed a greater impact on honeybee hemocytes during H 2 O 2 and NO production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alcohol-Impaired Driving and Perceived Risks of Legal Consequences.

PubMed

Sloan, Frank A; McCutchan, Sabrina A; Eldred, Lindsey M

2017-02-01

Driving while impaired (DWI) is a threat to public health. Codified legal sanctions are a widely implemented strategy to reduce DWI. However, it is unclear that sanctioning affects individual risk perceptions so as to deter alcohol-impaired driving. Using survey data collected from individual drivers, police, and defense attorneys specializing in DWI in 8 U.S. cities, we investigated whether risk perceptions about legal consequences for alcohol-impaired driving, both the risk of being stopped if driving while alcohol-impaired and receiving specific penalties following a DWI, deter alcohol-impaired driving. First, we analyzed how different drivers' risk perceptions about being pulled over and facing criminal sanctions related to their self-reported alcohol-impaired driving in the year following the interview at which risk perceptions were elicited. Second, using data from an experimental module in which individual's risk perceptions were randomly updated by the interview, we analyzed how each driver's beliefs about his or her own future alcohol-impaired driving responded to randomly generated increases in the apprehension probability and sanction magnitude. Higher probabilities as estimated by the individuals of being pulled over corresponded to less alcohol-impaired driving in both analyses. Conversely, there was no statistical relationship between perceptions of criminal sanctions for DWI and alcohol-impaired driving with 1 exception-a small significant negative relationship between duration of jail time following a DWI conviction and alcohol-impaired driving. Perceptions regarding the threat of being apprehended for alcohol-impaired driving were related to actual self-reported driving, while perceived sanctions following a DWI conviction for DWI generally were unrelated to either actual self-reported alcohol-impaired driving or the person's estimate of probability that he or she would drive while alcohol-impaired in the following year. Increasing certainty of apprehension by increasing police staffing and/or conducting sobriety checks is a more effective strategy for reducing alcohol-impaired driving than legislating increased penalties for DWI. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

A primer on standards setting as it applies to surgical education and credentialing.

PubMed

Cendan, Juan; Wier, Daryl; Behrns, Kevin

2013-07-01

Surgical technological advances in the past three decades have led to dramatic reductions in the morbidity associated with abdominal procedures and permanently altered the surgical practice landscape. Significant changes continue apace including surgical robotics, natural orifice-based surgery, and single-incision approaches. These disruptive technologies have on occasion been injurious to patients, and high-stakes assessment before adoption of new technologies would be reasonable. We reviewed the drivers for well-established psychometric techniques available for the standards-setting process. We present a series of examples that are relevant in the surgical domain including standards setting for knowledge and skills assessments. Defensible standards for knowledge and procedural skills will likely become part of surgical clinical practice. Understanding the methodology for determining standards should position the surgical community to assist in the process and lead within their clinical settings as standards are considered that may affect patient safety and physician credentialing.

Drivers of coastal shoreline change: case study of hon dat coast, Kien Giang, Vietnam.

PubMed

Nguyen, Hai-Hoa; McAlpine, Clive; Pullar, David; Leisz, Stephen Joseph; Galina, Gramotnev

2015-05-01

Coastal shorelines are naturally dynamic, shifting in response to coastal geomorphological processes. Globally, land use change associated with coastal urban development and growing human population pressures is accelerating coastal shoreline change. In southern Vietnam, coastal erosion currently is posing considerable risks to shoreline land use and coastal inhabitants. The aim of this paper is to quantify historical shoreline changes along the Hon Dat coast between 1995 and 2009, and to document the relationships between coastal mangrove composition, width and density, and rates of shoreline change. The generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to quantify the major biophysical and land-use factors influencing shoreline change rates. Most significant drivers of the rates of change are cutting of mangroves, the dominant mangrove genus, changes in adjacent shoreline land use, changes of shoreline land cover, and width of fringing mangroves. We suggest that a possible and inexpensive strategy for robust mangrove shoreline defense is direct mangrove planting to promote mangrove density with the presence of breakwater structures. In the shorter term, construction of coastal barriers such as fence-structured melaleuca poles in combination with mangrove restoration schemes could help retain coastal sediments and increase the elevation of the accretion zone, thereby helping to stabilize eroding fringe shorelines. It also is recommended that implementation of a system of payments for mangrove ecosystem services and the stronger regulation of mangrove cutting and unsustainable land-use change to strengthen the effectiveness of mangrove conservation programs and coastal land-use management.

Increasing Influence of Societal Response Variables in Coastal Evolution Projections (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gayes, P. T.; McCoy, C. A.; Pietrafesa, L. J.

2010-12-01

Recent efforts to project changes in coastal erosion and vulnerability of the state of South Carolina’s (SC’s) oceanfront for different scenarios of future sea level have reinforced the significance of the influence of societal modifications and response to past and anticipated coastal change in these systems. For large reaches of the SC coast human interactions have been a dominant signal driving coastal change across annual to decadal scales. Over the last 20 years, SC’s shoreline has been advanced seawards in many areas due to a combination of sustained societal commitment to beach nourishment and to a lull in atmospheric storms; reversing the long-term erosional trend of shoreline change. Adjacent areas not yet threatened or where coastal defense is unsupported economically have continued to migrate landwards. Locally, efforts focused on stabilizing the subaerial beach have not moderated long-term shoreward migration of the shoreface changing the overall morphology of the coastal boundary waves and currents are operating against. These societal effects, coupled with realistic, substative assessments of future atmospheric storm activity and sea level variability, both over scales of seasons to multi-decades, require consideration to realistically project future coastal behavior across time and spatial scales for planning and resource management. As with future climate and sea level variability effects on the shoreline, the scale and intensity of societal response is not static or precisely projected spatially and temporally into the future. With continued expansion of coastal development and erosion into previously lightly developed and defended coastal areas, societal influences should be expected to increase. Increasing cost of larger scale defenses will likely drive pressure for hardened structures to enhance ”softer” nourishment strategies. However, this strategy would further modify the ability of nature to respond to natural forces. Nourishment programs are strongly cyclic and can act in or out of phase with natural cyclic (inlet migration, sea level variability) or stochastic (storms) drivers with significant effects on coastal response and predictions of coastal behavior. Economic cycles and events may similarly moderate timing and scale of coastal defense relative to natural drivers. Societal decisions to not, enhance and or even abandon and remove existing engineering structures as future forces and costs increase, can result in a disproportional response and potentially failure of a section of coast. Some communities have expressed confidence in the ability to maintain the oceanfront shoreline against most projections of sea level rise over the next 100 years. The long-term trend in sea level change may be less important than naturally occurring regional scale, seasonal to inter-annual to multi-decadal variability in sea level; and these are complex but deterministic. There is less confidence, however, in the ability to combat passive submergence and associated flooding issues behind the immediate oceanfront. To the extent that may influence commitment to defend the oceanfront could strongly influence coastal behavior and stability in the long term.

The iron-sulfur cluster assembly network component NARFL is a key element in the cellular defense against oxidative stress.

PubMed

Corbin, Monique V; Rockx, Davy A P; Oostra, Anneke B; Joenje, Hans; Dorsman, Josephine C

2015-12-01

Aim of this study was to explore cellular changes associated with increased resistance to atmospheric oxygen using high-resolution DNA and RNA profiling combined with functional studies. Two independently selected oxygen-resistant substrains of HeLa cells (capable of proliferating at >80% O2, i.e. hyperoxia) were compared with their parental cells (adapted to growth at 20% O2, but unable to grow at >80% O2). A striking consistent alteration found to be associated with the oxygen-resistant state appeared to be an amplified and overexpressed region on chromosome 16p13.3 harboring 21 genes. The driver gene of this amplification was identified by functional studies as NARFL, which encodes a component of the cytosolic iron-sulfur cluster assembly system. In line with this result we found the cytosolic c-aconitase activity as well as the nuclear protein RTEL1, both Fe-S dependent proteins, to be protected by NARFL overexpression under hyperoxia. In addition, we observed a protective effect of NARFL against hyperoxia-induced loss of sister-chromatid cohesion. NARFL thus appeared to be a key factor in the cellular defense against hyperoxia-induced oxidative stress in human cells. Our findings suggest that new insight into age-related degenerative processes may come from studies that specifically address the involvement of iron-sulfur proteins. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistical implications of using moving violations to determine crash responsibility in young driver crashes

PubMed Central

Curry, Allison E.; Pfeiffer, Melissa R.; Myers, Rachel K.; Durbin, Dennis R.; Elliott, Michael R.

2014-01-01

Traditional methods for determining crash responsibility—most commonly moving violation citations—may not accurately characterize at-fault status among crash-involved drivers given that: (1) issuance may vary by factors that are independent of fault (e.g., driver age, gender), and (2) these methods do not capture driver behaviors that are not illegal but still indicative of fault. We examined the statistical implications of using moving violations to determine crash responsibility in young driver crashes by comparing it with a method based on crash-contributing driver actions. We selected all drivers in police-reported passenger-vehicle crashes (2010–2011) that involved a New Jersey driver <21 years old (79,485 drivers < age 21, 61,355 drivers ≥ age 21.) For each driver, crash responsibility was determined from the crash report using two alternative methods: (1) issuance of a moving violation citation; and (2) presence of a driver action (e.g., failure to yield, inattention). Overall, 18% of crash-involved drivers were issued a moving violation while 50% had a driver action. Only 32.2% of drivers with a driver action were cited for a moving violation. Further, the likelihood of being cited given the presence of a driver action was higher among certain driver subgroups—younger drivers, male drivers, and drivers in single-vehicle and more severe crashes. Specifically among young drivers, those driving at night, carrying peer passengers, and having a suspended or no license were more often cited. Conversely, fatally-injured drivers were almost never cited. We also demonstrated that using citation data may lead to statistical bias in the characterization of at-fault drivers and of quasi-induced exposure measures. Studies seeking to accurately determine crash responsibility should thoughtfully consider the potential sources of bias that may result from using legal culpability methods. For many studies, determining driver responsibility via the identification of driver actions may yield more accurate characterizations of at-fault drivers. PMID:24398139

Has dyke development in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta shifted flood hazard downstream?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Khanh Triet, Nguyen; Viet Dung, Nguyen; Fujii, Hideto; Kummu, Matti; Merz, Bruno; Apel, Heiko

2017-08-01

In the Vietnamese part of the Mekong Delta (VMD) the areas with three rice crops per year have been expanded rapidly during the last 15 years. Paddy-rice cultivation during the flood season has been made possible by implementing high-dyke flood defenses and flood control structures. However, there are widespread claims that the high-dyke system has increased water levels in downstream areas. Our study aims at resolving this issue by attributing observed changes in flood characteristics to high-dyke construction and other possible causes. Maximum water levels and duration above the flood alarm level are analysed for gradual trends and step changes at different discharge gauges. Strong and robust increasing trends of peak water levels and duration downstream of the high-dyke areas are found with a step change in 2000/2001, i.e. immediately after the disastrous flood which initiated the high-dyke development. These changes are in contrast to the negative trends detected at stations upstream of the high-dyke areas. This spatially different behaviour of changes in flood characteristics seems to support the public claims. To separate the impact of the high-dyke development from the impact of the other drivers - i.e. changes in the flood hydrograph entering the Mekong Delta, and changes in the tidal dynamics - hydraulic model simulations of the two recent large flood events in 2000 and 2011 are performed. The hydraulic model is run for a set of scenarios whereas the different drivers are interchanged. The simulations reveal that for the central VMD an increase of 9-13 cm in flood peak and 15 days in duration can be attributed to high-dyke development. However, for this area the tidal dynamics have an even larger effect in the range of 19-32 cm. However, the relative contributions of the three drivers of change vary in space across the delta. In summary, our study confirms the claims that the high-dyke development has raised the flood hazard downstream. However, it is not the only and not the most important driver of the observed changes. It has to be noted that changes in tidal levels caused by sea level rise in combination with the widely observed land subsidence and the temporal coincidence of high water levels and spring tides have even larger impacts. It is recommended to develop flood risk management strategies using the high-dyke areas as retention zones to mitigate the flood hazard downstream.

Traffic Safety Facts, 2001: Young Drivers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT), Washington, DC.

This document provides statistical information on U.S. traffic accidents involving young drivers. Data tables include: (1) driver fatalities and drivers involved in fatal crashes among drivers 15 to 20 years old, 1991-2001; (2) drivers involved in fatal crashes and driver involvement rates by age group, 2001; (3) drivers 15 to 20 years old…

Young Drivers. Traffic Safety Facts, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT), Washington, DC.

This document provides statistical information on U.S. traffic accidents involving young drivers. Data tables include: (1) driver fatalities and drivers involved in fatal crashes among drivers 15 to 20 years old, 1990-2000; (2) drivers involved in fatal crashes and driver involvement rates by age group, 2000; (3) drivers 15 to 20 years old…

[Occupational stress situation analysis of different types of train drivers].

PubMed

Zhou, Wenhui; Gu, Guizhen; Wu, Hui; Yu, Shanfa

2014-11-01

To analyze the status of occupational stress in different types of train drivers. By using cluster sampling method, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 1 339 train drivers (including 289 passenger train drivers, 637 freight trains drivers, 339 passenger shunting train drivers, and 74 high speed rail drivers) from a Railway Bureau depot. The survey included individual factors, occupational stress factors, stress response factors and stress mitigating factors. The occupational stress factors, stress response factors and mitigating factors were measured by the revised effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model questionnaires and occupational stress measurement scale. By using the method of covariance analysized the difference of occupational stress factors of all types train drivers, the method of Stepwise regression was used to analyze the effection (R(2)) of occupational stress factors and stress mitigating factors on stress response factors. Covariance analysis as covariates in age, education level, length of service and marital status showed that the scores of ERI (1.58 ± 0.05), extrinsic effort (19.88 ± 0.44), rewards (23.43 ± 0.43), intrinsic effort (17.86 ± 0.36), physical environment (5.70 ± 0.22), social support (30.51 ± 0.88) and daily tension (10.27 ± 0.38 ) of high speed rail drivers were higher than other drivers (F values were 6.06, 11.32, 7.05, 13.25, 5.20, 9.48 and 6.14 respectively, P < 0.01), but the scores of emotional balance (4.15 ± 0.31) and positive emotion (2.06 ± 0.20) were lower than other drives (P < 0.01);the scores of psychological needs (10.48 ± 0.18), emotional balance (4.88 ± 0.16) and positive emotion (2.63 ± 0.10) of passenger train drivers were higher than other drivers (F values were 4.33 and 5.50 respectively, P < 0.01). The descending rank of the effect value on occupational stress factors and mitigating factors to depressive symptoms of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.64), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0.44), passenger shunting train drivers (R(2) = 0.39), freight trains drivers (R(2) = 0.38); job satisfaction of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.68), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0.62), freight trains drivers (R(2) = 0.43), passenger shunting train drivers(R(2) = 0.38); to daily tension of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.54), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0.37), passenger shunting train drivers (R(2) = 0.33), freight trains drivers (R(2) = 0.30); emotional balance of train drivers was high speed rail drivers (R(2) = 0.47), passenger train drivers (R(2) = 0.43), passenger shunting train drivers (R(2) = 0.33), freight trains drivers(R(2) = 0.31). ERI, psychological needs, work responsibilities, job roles, work conflict, and physical environment were important occupational stress factors of train drivers; social support was pivotal mitigating factors; different train drivers had different occupational stress status, high speed rail drivers were the highest, and freight trains drivers passenger train drivers or passenger shunting train drivers were the lowest.

The Importance of Hydrological Signature and Its Recurring Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wendi, D.; Marwan, N.; Merz, B.

2017-12-01

Temporal changes in hydrology are known to be challenging to detect and attribute due to multiple drivers that include complex processes that are non-stationary and highly variable. These drivers, such as human-induced climate change, natural climate variability, implementation of flood defense, river training, and land use change, could impact variably on space-time scales and influence or mask each other. Besides, data depicting these drivers are often not available. One conventional approach of analyzing the change is based on discrete points of magnitude (e.g. the frequency of recurring extreme discharge) and often linearly quantified and hence do not reveal the potential change in the hydrological process. Moreover, discharge series are often subject to measurement errors, such as rating curve error especially in the case of flood peaks where observation are derived through extrapolation. In this study, the system dynamics inferred from the hydrological signature (i.e. the shape of hydrograph) is being emphasized. One example is to see if certain flood dynamics (instead of flood peak) in the recent years, had also occurred in the past (or rather extraordinary), and if so what is its recurring rate and if there had been a shift in its occurrence in time or seasonality (e.g. earlier snow melt dominant flood). The utilization of hydrological signature here is extended beyond those of classical hydrology such as base flow index, recession and rising limb slope, and time to peak. It is in fact all these characteristics combined i.e. from the start until the end of the hydrograph. Recurrence plot is used as a method to quantify and visualize the recurring hydrological signature through its phase space trajectories, and usually in the order of dimension above 2. Such phase space trajectories are constructed by embedding the time series into a series of variables (i.e. number of dimension) corresponding to the time delay. Since the method is rather novel in hydrological community, the study presents an overview and a guideline to the method with an application example on analyzing the change of hydrological signature and discussion of its benefits and flaws.

Systems Engineering Applied to the Development of a Wave Energy Farm.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roberts, Jesse D.; Bull, Diana L.; Costello, Ronan Patrick

A motivation for undertaking this stakeholder requirements analysis and Systems Engineering exercise is to document the requirements for successful wave energy farms to facilitate better design and better design assessments. A difficulty in wave energy technology development is the absence to date of a verifiable minimum viable product against which the merits of new products might be measured. A consequence of this absence is that technology development progress, technology value, and technology funding have largely been measured, associated with, and driven by technology readiness, measured in technology readiness levels (TRLs). Originating primarily from the space and defense industries, TRLs focusmore » on procedural implementation of technology developments of large and complex engineering projects, where cost is neither mission critical nor a key design driver. The key deficiency with the TRL approach in the context of wave energy conversion is that WEC technology development has been too focused on commercial readiness and not enough on the stakeholder requirements and particularly economic viability required for market entry.« less

Variation in Extrafloral Nectary Productivity Influences the Ant Foraging

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Extrafloral nectar is the main food source offered by plants to predatory ants in most land environments. Although many studies have demonstrated the importance of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) to plant defense against herbivores, the influence of EFNs secretory activity pattern on predatory ants remains yet not fully understood. Here, we verified the relation between the extrafloral nectar production of a plant community in Cerrado in different times of the day, and its attractiveness to ants. The extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) of seven plant species showed higher productivity overnight. Ant abundance was higher in times of large extrafloral nectar production, however, there was no positive relation between ant richness on plants and EFNs productivity. There was temporal resource partitioning among ant species, and it indicates strong resource competition. The nectar productivity varied among plant species and time of the day, and it influenced the visitation patterns of ants. Therefore, EFNs are a key ant-plant interaction driver in the studied system. PMID:28046069

Jurisdictional spillover effects of sprawl on injuries and fatalities.

PubMed

Mohamed, Rayman; Vom Hofe, Rainer; Mazumder, Sangida

2014-11-01

There is a considerable literature on the relationship between sprawl and accidents. However, these studies do not account for the spatially correlated effects of sprawl on accidents. In our analysis of 122 jurisdictions in Southeast Michigan, we use a Bayesian spatial autoregressive model to estimate how injuries and fatalities in one jurisdiction are associated with sprawl in that jurisdiction and sprawl in neighboring jurisdictions; we also correct for heteroskedasticity in the data. Using principal component analysis, we create a sprawl index from five underlying land use characteristics. Our results show that the number of injuries and fatalities in a jurisdiction increases with the magnitude of sprawl in neighboring jurisdictions. We believe that this is because more drivers per capita in sprawled jurisdictions traverse similarly sprawled neighboring jurisdictions for daily activities. Furthermore, driving habits attuned to less defensive driving in sprawled jurisdiction are transferred to similarly designed neighboring jurisdictions, contributing to accidents in the latter. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational Fatalities Among Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers in the United States, 2003–2008

PubMed Central

Chen, Guang X.; Amandus, Harlan E.; Wu, Nan

2015-01-01

Background This study provides a national profile of occupational fatalities among truck drivers and driver-sales workers. Methods Data from the 2003–2008 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries were used. Cases were extracted specifically for occupational subcategories included in the Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers occupational category: Driver/Sales Workers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, and Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers. Results In 2003–2008, the group Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers had 5,568 occupational fatalities, representing 17% of all occupational fatalities in the United States. The majority of these fatalities were in the subgroup Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (85%) and due to transportation incidents (80%). Older and male drivers had higher fatality rates than their counterparts. Conclusions Findings suggest a need for targeted interventions to reduce highway fatalities among heavy truck drivers. Better employment data are needed to separate the three occupational subcategories by worker characteristic and employment history for use in research and prevention efforts. PMID:24811905

Driving fatigue in professional drivers: a survey of truck and taxi drivers.

PubMed

Meng, Fanxing; Li, Shuling; Cao, Lingzhi; Li, Musen; Peng, Qijia; Wang, Chunhui; Zhang, Wei

2015-01-01

Fatigue among truck drivers has been studied extensively; however, less is known regarding the fatigue experience of taxi drivers in heavily populated metropolitan areas. This study aimed to compare the differences and similarities between truck and taxi driver fatigue to provide implications for the fatigue management and education of professional drivers. A sample of 274 truck drivers and 286 taxi drivers in Beijing was surveyed via a questionnaire, which included items regarding work characteristics, fatigue experience, accident information, attitude toward fatigue, and methods of counteracting fatigue. Driver fatigue was prevalent among professional drivers, and it was even more serious for taxi drivers. Taxi drivers reported more frequent fatigue experiences and were involved in more accidents. Among the contributing factors to fatigue, prolonged driving time was the most important factor identified by both driver groups. Importantly, the reason for the engagement in prolonged driving was neither due to the lack of awareness concerning the serious outcome of fatigue driving nor because of their poor detection of fatigue. The most probable reason was the optimism bias, as a result of which these professional drivers thought that fatigue was more serious for other drivers than for themselves, and they thought that they were effective in counteracting the effect of fatigue on their driving performance. Moreover, truck drivers tended to employ methods that require stopping to counteract fatigue, whereas taxi drivers preferred methods that were simultaneous with driving. Although both driver groups considered taking a nap as one of the most effective means to address fatigue, this method was not commonly used. Interestingly, these drivers were aware that the methods they frequently used were not the most effective means to counteract fatigue. This study provides knowledge on truck and taxi drivers' characteristics in fatigue experience, fatigue attitude, and fatigue countermeasures, and these findings have practical implications for the fatigue management and education of professional drivers.

National reported patterns of driver cell phone use in the United States.

PubMed

Braitman, Keli A; McCartt, Anne T

2010-12-01

To obtain detailed information on patterns of driver cell phone use, including how often drivers talk and text, the extent to which they use hands-free devices, and knowledge of and reaction to state cell phone laws. Telephone surveys were conducted with 1219 drivers in the 48 contiguous U.S. states and the District of Columbia, using random samples of landline and cell phone numbers. Forty percent of drivers reported talking on phones at least a few times per week. The percentages were highest for males (49%) and drivers ages 25-29 (66%). The percentage of drivers who reported never talking on phones was higher in states with all-driver bans on handheld phone use (44%) than in states without a ban applying to all drivers (30%). The percentage of drivers who talk on phones and always talk hands-free was higher in states with all-driver handheld phone bans (22%) than where such bans are not in effect (13%). Thirteen percent of drivers reported some texting while driving, and this percentage was highest among drivers ages 18-24 (43%). Twelve percent of drivers in states with all-driver texting bans reported texting while driving, compared with 14 percent in states with no texting ban. Among drivers ages 18-24, the percentages were 45 and 48 percent, respectively. Most drivers reported talking on phones while driving, even though earlier surveys have found that most people think this behavior should be banned. Fewer drivers overall reported texting, but the frequency of texting was higher among young drivers. Laws banning handheld phone use seem to discourage some drivers from talking on any type of phone and motivate some drivers to talk hands-free. Laws banning texting while driving have little effect on the reported frequency of texting while driving in any age group.

Examination of Supplemental Driver Training and Online Basic Driver Education

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

This report describes supplemental driver training programs and online basic driver education. It coves supplemental driver training that : focused on knowledge and skills beyond those normally found in traditional driver education delivered in the U...

76 FR 61136 - Agency Information Collection Activities; New Information Collection Request: Commercial Driver...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-03

...,'' submissions; 75 minutes for paper and 70 minutes for electronic Driver Survey and Job Descriptive Index from... paper Driver Survey and Job Descriptive Index x 75 minutes per driver / 60 minutes + 200 CMV drivers completing paper Driver Survey and Job Descriptive Index x 70 minutes per driver / 60 minutes = 26,466 hours...

77 FR 15182 - Agency Information Collection Activities; New Information Collection Request: Commercial Driver...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-14

... Descriptive Index from the Follow-Up Survey submission; and 10 minutes for the Form MCSA-5865, ``Fleet... + 800 CMV drivers completing paper Driver Survey and Job Descriptive Index x 75 minutes per driver/ 60 minutes + 200 CMV drivers completing paper Driver Survey and Job Descriptive Index x 70 minutes per driver...

Characteristics of Single Vehicle Crashes with a Teen Driver in South Carolina, 2005-2008.

PubMed

Shults, Ruth A; Bergen, Gwen; Smith, Tracy J; Cook, Larry; Kindelberger, John; West, Bethany

2017-09-22

Teens' crash risk is highest in the first years of independent driving. Circumstances surrounding fatal crashes have been widely documented, but less is known about factors related to nonfatal teen driver crashes. This study describes single vehicle nonfatal crashes involving the youngest teen drivers (15-17 years), compares these crashes to single vehicle nonfatal crashes among adult drivers (35-44 years) and examines factors related to nonfatal injury producing crashes for teen drivers. Police crash data linked to hospital inpatient and emergency department data for 2005-2008 from the South Carolina Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES) were analyzed. Nonfatal, single vehicle crashes involving passenger vehicles occurring on public roadways for teen (15-17 years) drivers were compared with those for adult (35-44 years) drivers on temporal patterns and crash risk factors per licensed driver and per vehicle miles traveled. Vehicle miles traveled by age group was estimated using data from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey. Multivariable log-linear regression analysis was conducted for teen driver crashes to determine which characteristics were related to crashes resulting in a minor/moderate injury or serious injury to at least one vehicle occupant. Compared with adult drivers, teen drivers in South Carolina had 2.5 times the single vehicle nonfatal crash rate per licensed driver and 11 times the rate per vehicle mile traveled. Teen drivers were nearly twice as likely to be speeding at the time of the crash compared with adult drivers. Teen driver crashes per licensed driver were highest during the afternoon hours of 3:00-5:59 pm and crashes per mile driven were highest during the nighttime hours of 9:00-11:59 pm. In 66% of the teen driver crashes, the driver was the only occupant. Crashes were twice as likely to result in serious injury when teen passengers were present than when the teen driver was alone. When teen drivers crashed while transporting teen passengers, the passengers were >5 times more likely to all be restrained if the teen driver was restrained. Crashes in which the teen driver was unrestrained were 80% more likely to result in minor/moderate injury and 6 times more likely to result in serious injury compared with crashes in which the teen driver was restrained. Despite the reductions in teen driver crashes associated with Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), South Carolina's teen driver crash rates remain substantially higher than those for adult drivers. Established risk factors for fatal teen driver crashes, including restraint nonuse, transporting teen passengers, and speeding also increase the risk of nonfatal injury in single vehicle crashes. As South Carolina examines strategies to further reduce teen driver crashes and associated injuries, the state could consider updating its GDL passenger restriction to either none or one passenger <21years and dropping the passenger restriction exemption for trips to and from school. Surveillance systems such as CODES that link crash data with health outcome data provide needed information to more fully understand the circumstances and consequences of teen driver nonfatal crashes and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to improve teen driver safety. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Untangling the primary drivers of pinyon monoterpene production and emissions under predicted drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trowbridge, A. M.; Adams, H. D.; Breshears, D. D.; Monson, R. K.

2012-04-01

Climate and insect herbivory have important consequences for plant function, atmospheric composition, and the functioning of ecosystems and ecological communities. Within the last decade, pinyon-juniper woodlands throughout the southwestern U.S. have suffered large-scale mortality, especially of pinyon pine, due to drought and associated insect outbreaks. While much research has focused on the primary metabolic mechanisms underlying pinyon's sensitivity to drought, there remains a gap in our knowledge concerning how the resulting shift in carbon allocation toward plant secondary compounds, particularly monoterpenes, affects atmospheric process and ecological interactions. Monoterpenes are the principal constituents of pinyon resin. Because of their large global emission rates and effect on atmospheric chemistry, particularly ozone creation, identifying controls over emissions and sensitivities to environmental change is critical for global emission models. Furthermore, monoterpenes are known to impact insect behavior and act as defense compounds against herbivores, contributing to insect population fluctuations either directly through toxicity, or indirectly by influencing parasitism susceptibility. Pinyon mortality events are thought to be exacerbated by their susceptibility to herbivores resulting from weakened secondary chemical defenses, but the impact of current and predicted drought on the chemical defense status of pinyons and subsequent atmospheric and ecological consequences remain unknown. A field study was developed to examine the impact of seasonality and climate, particularly drought, on pinyon pine physiology and chemistry in the context of tiger moth (Lophocampa ingens) herbivory in pinyon-juniper woodlands. We demonstrate the importance of geography and seasonality, particularly mid-summer drought and late summer monsoons, in driving physiology and monoterpene concentrations and emissions. Emission rates significantly decreased throughout the summer and increased with a release from drought stress. Pinyons with past herbivore damage emitted significantly higher levels of monoterepenes (P<0.05), suggesting an interactive effect between herbivory and drought. Furthermore, neither temperature nor foliar monoterpene concentrations predicted emission rates, a result most likely due to the composite physiological response to both drought and insect herbivory. To tease apart the primary drivers of monoterpene emissions under drought stress, we developed a manipulative study by transplanting pinyons into a desert environment and increasing mean annual temperature by ~4 °C. We then measured pinyon physiology and monoterpene composition and emissions under different water and temperature regimes. Similar to our previous study, we saw that monoterpene emissions decreased with water availability across our treatments (P<0.05), with a 60% decrease in emissions from well-watered to drought stressed trees. While monoterpene emission rates early in the growing season in the native habitat were correlated with foliar concentrations and temperature, they were more constrained by water availability in transplanted trees as the growing season progressed. A possible explanation for these results could be that, unlike temperate species, semi-arid trees are physiologically more sensitive to water availability; therefore, we determined specific drought stress level and water potential thresholds at which this decoupling of temperature-dependent monoterpene emissions occurs. These results have led to the development of hypotheses about the consequences of future shifts in monoterpene concentrations and emissions due to drought affecting herbivore species interactions, outbreaks, and atmospheric processes.

Drivers Are More Physically Active Than Non-Drivers in Older Adults.

PubMed

Amagasa, Shiho; Fukushima, Noritoshi; Kikuchi, Hiroyuki; Takamiya, Tomoko; Odagiri, Yuko; Oka, Koichiro; Inoue, Shigeru

2018-05-28

Car use has been identified as sedentary behavior, although it may enhance mobility, particularly in the older population. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the time spent in objectively determined sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) between older drivers and non-drivers. Four hundred and fifty Japanese older adults (74.3 ± 2.9 years) who had valid accelerometer data were included. They were asked to respond to a questionnaire and wear an accelerometer (HJA-350IT, Omron Healthcare) on their waist for 7 consecutive days in 2015. To compare activity time between drivers and non-drivers, we calculated estimated means using analysis of covariance, adjusting for sociodemographic, physical, and psychological factors and accelerometer wear time. Compared to non-drivers, drivers engaged in more light-intensity PA (LPA) (drivers: 325.0 vs. non-drivers: 289.0 min/day) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (drivers: 37.5 vs. non-drivers: 30.0 min/day) and less SB (drivers: 493.4 vs. non-drivers: 535.9 min/day) (all p < 0.05). After stratification by age, sex, and residential area, larger effect of driving on PA time was found in older-older adults, in men, and in rural residents. Older drivers were found to be more physically active than non-drivers, suggesting more access to outdoor activities or expanding social network.

Novel Low-Cost, Low-Power Miniature Thermionic Cathode Developed for Microwave/Millimeter Wave Tube and Cathode Ray Tube Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wintucky, Edwin G.

1999-01-01

A low cost, small size and mass, low heater power, durable high-performance barium dispenser thermionic cathode has been developed that offers significant advancements in the design, manufacture, and performance of the electron sources used in vacuum electronic devices--such as microwave (and millimeter wave) traveling-wave tubes (TWT's)--and in display devices such as high-brightness, high-resolution cathode ray tubes (CRT's). The lower cathode heater power and the reduced size and mass of the new cathode are expected to be especially beneficial in TWT's for deep space communications, where future missions are requiring smaller spacecraft, higher data transfer rates (higher frequencies and radiofrequency output power), and greater electrical efficiency. Also expected to benefit are TWT's for commercial and government communication satellites, for both low and geosynchronous Earth orbit, with additional benefits offered by lower cost and potentially higher cathode current loading. A particularly important TWT application is in the microwave power module (MPM), which is a hybrid microwave (or millimeter wave) amplifier consisting of a low-noise solid state driver, a vacuum power booster (small TWT), and an electronic power conditioner integrated into a single compact package. The attributes of compactness and potentially high electrical efficiency make the MPM very attractive for many commercial and government (civilian and defense) applications in communication and radar systems. The MPM is already finding application in defense electronic systems and is under development by NASA for deep space communications. However, for the MPM to become competitive and commercially successful, a major reduction in cost must be achieved.

A compact dual-wavelength fiber laser: some design aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ban, Christian; Zadravec, Dusan

2017-05-01

High performance in combination with small size, low weight and low power consumption are among the main drivers in modern defense and commercial applications of laser systems. Consequently, designers of such systems strive for innovative solutions in the field of laser technology. Ten years ago Safran Vectronix AG (hereafter Vectronix) pioneered these activities with the fielding of the first fiber laser for hand-held rangefinders. This paper will deal with the latest evolution of an eye-safe fiber laser source which can emit two wavelengths for an extended range of applications. In order to comply with high performance requirements the laser on one side has to produce high enough pulse energy and on the other side - especially due to the ever increasing requirement for compactness - to use so called single-stage amplification in combination with bending insensitive fiber solutions. Also, the ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) has to be reduced as much as possible as this light enters the eye safety equation but does not contribute in terms of range performance. All of this has to meet severe environmental requirements typical for most demanding defense applications. Additionally, the laser in its rangefinding mode has to produce a sequence of high frequency pulses in such a way that no substantial temperature effects would arise and thus impair either the pulse energy or the boresight alignment. Additionally, in this paper, a compact dual-stage dual-wavelength version of the above laser will be described, which has been developed to generate much stronger pulses for very long rangefinding applications.

Idaho Driver Education Instructional Guide. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Idaho State Dept. of Education, Boise.

This driver education instructional safety guide is organized in three sections: Driver Education; Motorcycle Education; and Driver Education for the Handicapped. The driver education section contains 10 units dealing with the following topics: parent orientation; student orientation; basic control skills; driver performance; driving regulations;…

Exposure to particles and nitrogen dioxide among taxi, bus and lorry drivers.

PubMed

Lewné, Marie; Nise, Gun; Lind, Marie-Louise; Gustavsson, Per

2006-03-01

The aims of this study have been to investigate the occurrence of systematic differences in the personal exposure to motor exhaust between different groups of taxi, bus and lorry drivers, and to study if these are influenced by the choice of exposure indicator. We used one indicator of the gaseous phase, nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), and one of the particle phase (measured by DataRAM), of the exhausts. A total of 121 drivers were included in the study: 39 taxi drivers, 42 bus drivers and 40 lorry drivers. Personal measurements were performed during one working day. Nitrogen dioxide was measured with passive diffusive samplers and particles with Data-RAM, a logging instrument using nephelometric monitoring. The instrument measures particles between 0.1 and 10 microm in size. The average exposure to NO(2) for lorry drivers was 68 microg/m(3); for bus drivers 60 microg/m(3) and for taxi drivers 48 microg/m(3). For particles the exposure was 57 microg/m(3) for lorry drivers, 44 microg/m(3) for bus drivers and 26 microg/m(3) for taxi drivers. The result remained unchanged when exposures were adjusted for variation in urban background levels of NO(2) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 microm (PM(10)). Lorry drivers experienced the highest exposure and taxi drivers the lowest with bus drivers in an intermediate position, regardless of whether NO(2) or particles were used as exposure indicator. The levels of both NO(2) and particles were higher for bus drivers in the city than for them driving in the suburbs. Using diesel or petrol as a fuel for taxis had no influence on the exposure for the drivers, indicating that the taxi drivers' exposure mainly depends on exhaust from surrounding traffic.

Drinking driver and traffic safety project. Volume 2, Probabilities for drinking drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-10-01

This is the second volume of a final report of a four-year study of drinking drivers. It includes a brief description of a prediction model developed from over 4000 cases, including drinking drivers, recidivist drinking drivers and drivers license ap...

German taxi drivers' experiences and expressions of driving anger: Are the driving anger scale and the driving anger expression inventory valid measures?

PubMed

Brandenburg, Stefan; Oehl, Michael; Seigies, Kristin

2017-11-17

The objective of this article was 2-fold: firstly, we wanted to examine whether the original Driving Anger Scale (DAS) and the original Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX) apply to German professional taxi drivers because these scales have previously been given to professional and particularly to nonprofessional drivers in different countries. Secondly, we wanted to examine possible differences in driving anger experience and expression between professional German taxi drivers and nonprofessional German drivers. We applied German versions of the DAS, the DAX, and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) to a sample of 138 professional German taxi drivers. We then compared their ratings to the ratings of a sample of 1,136 nonprofessional German drivers (Oehl and Brandenburg n.d. ). Regarding our first objective, confirmatory factor analysis shows that the model fit of the DAS is better for nonprofessional drivers than for professional drivers. The DAX applies neither to professional nor to nonprofessional German drivers properly. Consequently, we suggest modified shorter versions of both scales for professional drivers. The STAXI applies to both professional and nonprofessional drivers. With respect to our second objective, we show that professional drivers experience significantly less driving anger than nonprofessional drivers, but they express more driving anger. We conclude that the STAXI can be applied to professional German taxi drivers. In contrast, for the DAS and the DAX we found particular shorter versions for professional taxi drivers. Especially for the DAX, most statements were too strong for German drivers to agree to. They do not show behaviors related to driving anger expression as they are described in the DAX. These problems with the original American DAX items are in line with several other studies in different countries. Future investigations should examine whether (professional) drivers from further countries express their anger as proposed by the DAX. In addition, professional drivers experience less driving anger (DAS) and less general trait anger (STAXI) than nonprofessional drivers, but they report more driving anger expression (DAX) and more current general state anger (STAXI). Subsequent studies should therefore focus on different types of anger within the group of professional drivers.

Simulator training with a forward collision warning system: effects on driver-system interactions and driver trust.

PubMed

Koustanaï, Arnaud; Cavallo, Viola; Delhomme, Patricia; Mas, Arnaud

2012-10-01

The study addressed the role of familiarization on a driving simulator with a forward collision warning (FCW) and investigated its impact on driver behavior. Drivers need a good understanding of how an FCW system functions to trust it and use it properly. Theoretical and empirical data suggest that exploring the capacities and limitations of the FCW during the learning period improves operating knowledge and leads to increased driver trust in the system and better driver-system interactions.The authors tested this hypothesis by comparing groups of drivers differing in FCW familiarity. During the familiarization phase, familiarized drivers were trained on the simulator using the FCW, unfamiliarized drivers simply read an FCW manual, and control drivers had no contact with the FCW. During the test, drivers drove the simulator and had to interact with traffic; both familiarized and unfamiliarized drivers used the FCW, whereas controls did not. Simulator familiarization improved driver understanding of FCW operation. Driver-system interactions were more effective: Familiarized drivers had no collisions, longer time headways, and better reactions in most situations. Familiarization increased trust in the FCW but did not raise system acceptance. Familiarization on the simulator had a positive effect on driver-system interactions and on trust in the system. The limitations of the familiarization method are discussed in relation to the driving simulator methodology. Practicing on a driving simulator with driving-assistance systems could facilitate their use during real driving.

Comparison of visual status of Iranian military and commercial drivers.

PubMed

Ghasemi, Mohammad; Hoseini Yazdi, Seyed Hosein; Heravian, Javad; Jafarzadehpur, Ebrahim; Rezaee, Maryam

2015-04-01

There is no legal requirement for Iranian military truck drivers to undergo regular visual checkups as compared to commercial truck drivers. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of drivers' visual checkups by comparing the visual function of Iranian military and commercial truck drivers. In this comparative cross-sectional study, two hundred military and 200 commercial truck drivers were recruited and their Visual Acuity (VA), Visual Field (VF), color vision and Contrast Sensitivity (CS) were assessed and compared using the Snellen chart, confrontation screening method, D15 test and Pelli-Robson letter chart, respectively. A questionnaire regarding driving exposure and history of motor-vehicle crashes (MVCs) was also filled by drivers. Results were analyzed using an independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA (assessing difference in number of MVCs across different age groups), chi-square test and Pearson correlation at statistical significance level of P < 0.05. Mean age was 41.6 ± 9.2 for the military truck drivers and 43.4 ± 10.9 for commercial truck drivers (P > 0.05). No significant difference between military and commercial drivers was found in terms of driving experience, number of MVCs, binocular VA, frequency of color vision defects and CS scores. In contrast, the last ocular examination was significantly earlier in military drivers than commercial drivers (P < 0.001). In addition, 4% of military drivers did not meet the national standards to drive as opposed to 2% of commercial drivers. There was a significant but weak correlation between binocular VA and age (r = 0.175, P < 0.001). However, CS showed a significantly moderate correlation with age (r = -0.488, P < 0.001). The absence of legal requirement for regular eye examination in military drivers caused the incompetent drivers to be missed in contrast to commercial drivers. The need for scientific revision of VA standard for Iranian drivers is also discussed. The CS measurement in visual checkups of older drivers deserves to be investigated more thoroughly.

Critical older driver errors in a national sample of serious U.S. crashes.

PubMed

Cicchino, Jessica B; McCartt, Anne T

2015-07-01

Older drivers are at increased risk of crash involvement per mile traveled. The purpose of this study was to examine older driver errors in serious crashes to determine which errors are most prevalent. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey collected in-depth, on-scene data for a nationally representative sample of 5470 U.S. police-reported passenger vehicle crashes during 2005-2007 for which emergency medical services were dispatched. There were 620 crashes involving 647 drivers aged 70 and older, representing 250,504 crash-involved older drivers. The proportion of various critical errors made by drivers aged 70 and older were compared with those made by drivers aged 35-54. Driver error was the critical reason for 97% of crashes involving older drivers. Among older drivers who made critical errors, the most common were inadequate surveillance (33%) and misjudgment of the length of a gap between vehicles or of another vehicle's speed, illegal maneuvers, medical events, and daydreaming (6% each). Inadequate surveillance (33% vs. 22%) and gap or speed misjudgment errors (6% vs. 3%) were more prevalent among older drivers than middle-aged drivers. Seventy-one percent of older drivers' inadequate surveillance errors were due to looking and not seeing another vehicle or failing to see a traffic control rather than failing to look, compared with 40% of inadequate surveillance errors among middle-aged drivers. About two-thirds (66%) of older drivers' inadequate surveillance errors and 77% of their gap or speed misjudgment errors were made when turning left at intersections. When older drivers traveled off the edge of the road or traveled over the lane line, this was most commonly due to non-performance errors such as medical events (51% and 44%, respectively), whereas middle-aged drivers were involved in these crash types for other reasons. Gap or speed misjudgment errors and inadequate surveillance errors were significantly more prevalent among female older drivers than among female middle-aged drivers, but the prevalence of these errors did not differ significantly between older and middle-aged male drivers. These errors comprised 51% of errors among older female drivers but only 31% among older male drivers. Efforts to reduce older driver crash involvements should focus on diminishing the likelihood of the most common driver errors. Countermeasures that simplify or remove the need to make left turns across traffic such as roundabouts, protected left turn signals, and diverging diamond intersection designs could decrease the frequency of inadequate surveillance and gap or speed misjudgment errors. In the future, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications may also help protect older drivers from these errors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turning movements, vehicle offsets and ageing drivers driving behaviour at channelized and unchannelized intersections.

PubMed

Choi, Jaisung; Tay, Richard; Kim, Sangyoup; Jeong, Seungwon

2017-11-01

Ageing drivers experience a higher risk of intersection crashes because of their decrease in driving efficiency, including the decline in cognitive ability, head and neck flexibility, and visual acuity. Although several studies have been conducted to examine the factors associated with ageing driver crashes at intersections, little research has been conducted to examine the differences in the factors related to ageing drivers' turning paths and intersection geometric features. This study aims to improve the safety of ageing drivers at intersections by identifying the maneuvers that are risky for them and tracking their turning movements at selected intersections. We find that ageing drivers experience more crashes at intersections than younger drivers, especially crashes involving turning movements. Furthermore, ageing drivers experience more crashes at unchannelized intersections compared to channelized intersections. In addition, this study finds that ageing drivers exhibit greater and more inconsistent offsets during turning movements compared to those of younger drivers at both channelized and unchannelized intersections. Ageing drivers also tend to make relatively sharper or tighter turns than younger drivers. Hence, transportation engineers and road safety professionals should consider appropriate countermeasures to reduce the risks of crashes involving ageing drivers at intersections. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Negativity Bias in Dangerous Drivers.

PubMed

Chai, Jing; Qu, Weina; Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan; Ge, Yan

2016-01-01

The behavioral and cognitive characteristics of dangerous drivers differ significantly from those of safe drivers. However, differences in emotional information processing have seldom been investigated. Previous studies have revealed that drivers with higher anger/anxiety trait scores are more likely to be involved in crashes and that individuals with higher anger traits exhibit stronger negativity biases when processing emotions compared with control groups. However, researchers have not explored the relationship between emotional information processing and driving behavior. In this study, we examined the emotional information processing differences between dangerous drivers and safe drivers. Thirty-eight non-professional drivers were divided into two groups according to the penalty points that they had accrued for traffic violations: 15 drivers with 6 or more points were included in the dangerous driver group, and 23 drivers with 3 or fewer points were included in the safe driver group. The emotional Stroop task was used to measure negativity biases, and both behavioral and electroencephalograph data were recorded. The behavioral results revealed stronger negativity biases in the dangerous drivers than in the safe drivers. The bias score was correlated with self-reported dangerous driving behavior. Drivers with strong negativity biases reported having been involved in mores crashes compared with the less-biased drivers. The event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed that the dangerous drivers exhibited reduced P3 components when responding to negative stimuli, suggesting decreased inhibitory control of information that is task-irrelevant but emotionally salient. The influence of negativity bias provides one possible explanation of the effects of individual differences on dangerous driving behavior and traffic crashes.

Negativity Bias in Dangerous Drivers

PubMed Central

Chai, Jing; Qu, Weina; Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan; Ge, Yan

2016-01-01

The behavioral and cognitive characteristics of dangerous drivers differ significantly from those of safe drivers. However, differences in emotional information processing have seldom been investigated. Previous studies have revealed that drivers with higher anger/anxiety trait scores are more likely to be involved in crashes and that individuals with higher anger traits exhibit stronger negativity biases when processing emotions compared with control groups. However, researchers have not explored the relationship between emotional information processing and driving behavior. In this study, we examined the emotional information processing differences between dangerous drivers and safe drivers. Thirty-eight non-professional drivers were divided into two groups according to the penalty points that they had accrued for traffic violations: 15 drivers with 6 or more points were included in the dangerous driver group, and 23 drivers with 3 or fewer points were included in the safe driver group. The emotional Stroop task was used to measure negativity biases, and both behavioral and electroencephalograph data were recorded. The behavioral results revealed stronger negativity biases in the dangerous drivers than in the safe drivers. The bias score was correlated with self-reported dangerous driving behavior. Drivers with strong negativity biases reported having been involved in mores crashes compared with the less-biased drivers. The event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed that the dangerous drivers exhibited reduced P3 components when responding to negative stimuli, suggesting decreased inhibitory control of information that is task-irrelevant but emotionally salient. The influence of negativity bias provides one possible explanation of the effects of individual differences on dangerous driving behavior and traffic crashes. PMID:26765225

Estimating the over-involvement of suspended, revoked, and unlicensed drivers as at-fault drivers in California fatal crashes.

PubMed

Brar, Sukhvir S

2014-09-01

Quasi-induced exposure analysis was used to estimate annual fatal crash involvement rates for validly licensed, suspended or revoked (S/R), and unlicensed drivers in California from 1987 through 2009 using fatal crash data obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and crash culpability determinations from the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. Although there was some year-to-year fluctuation in the annual estimates, S/R and unlicensed drivers were over-involved as at-fault drivers in fatal crashes during every year of the 23-year time period relative to validly licensed drivers. The fatal crash involvement ratios combined across all years were 0.86 for validly licensed drivers, 2.23 for S/R drivers, and 2.34 for unlicensed drivers. Hence, compared to validly licensed drivers, the odds of being at-fault for a fatal crash were 160% higher for S/R drivers (involvement ratio=2.60) and 173% higher for unlicensed drivers (involvement ratio=2.73). The excess risks of S/R and unlicensed drivers are somewhat lower than estimates found in a prior study using the same technique, but the results nonetheless provide evidence that S/R and unlicensed drivers are much more hazardous on the road than are validly licensed drivers and emphasize the importance of using strong countermeasures-including vehicle impoundment-to reduce their high crash risk. These findings support interventions to help reduce driving among S/R and unlicensed drivers. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Acceptability and validity of older driver screening with the DrivingHealth Inventory.

PubMed

Edwards, Jerri D; Leonard, Kathleen M; Lunsman, Melissa; Dodson, Joan; Bradley, Stacy; Myers, Charlsie A; Hubble, Bridgette

2008-05-01

Research has indicated that technology can be effectively used to identify high-risk older drivers. However, adaptation of such technology has been limited. Researchers debate whether older drivers represent a safety problem as well as whether they should be screened for driving fitness. The present study examined how drivers feel regarding technological screening and mandatory state testing. The validity and acceptability of a new technological screening battery for identifying high-risk drivers, the DrivingHealth Inventory (DHI), was also evaluated. In a sample of 258 Alabama drivers aged 18-87, older drivers performed significantly worse than younger drivers on sensory, cognitive, and physical subtests of the DHI, and older drivers with a crash history performed worse than older drivers without crashes. Regardless of age, 90% of participants supported states requiring screening for older drivers' license renewal. The majority of the participants (72%) supported use of technological screening batteries such as the DHI as a driver screening tool. Considering the acceptability and potential efficacy of the DHI, it may be a useful tool in evaluating driving fitness among older adults.

Driver distraction and driver inattention: definition, relationship and taxonomy.

PubMed

Regan, Michael A; Hallett, Charlene; Gordon, Craig P

2011-09-01

There is accumulating evidence that driver distraction and driver inattention are leading causes of vehicle crashes and incidents. However, as applied psychological constructs, they have been inconsistently defined and the relationship between them remains unclear. In this paper, driver distraction and driver inattention are defined and a taxonomy is presented in which driver distraction is distinguished from other forms of driver inattention. The taxonomy and the definitions provided are intended (a) to provide a common framework for coding different forms of driver inattention as contributing factors in crashes and incidents, so that comparable estimates of their role as contributing factors can be made across different studies, and (b) to make it possible to more accurately interpret and compare, across studies, the research findings for a given form of driver inattention. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Approaches of truck drivers and non-truck drivers toward reckless on-road behavior.

PubMed

Rosenbloom, Tova; Eldror, Ehud; Shahar, Amit

2009-07-01

The purpose of the study was to compare the reported approaches of truck drivers to those of non-truck drivers toward reckless on-road behaviors. One hundred and sixty-seven adult males, including 70 non-truck drivers, completed the questionnaires voluntarily. The truck drivers were employees of a concrete manufacturing company working at various company plants throughout Israel. Seventy were professional mixer truckers and 27 were tip-truckers. The participants completed the Reckless Driving Self-Report Scale based on Taubman Ben-Ari et al. [Taubman Ben-Ari, O., Florian, V., Mikulincer, M., 1999. The impact of mortality salience on reckless driving: a test of terror management mechanisms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 76, 35-45], adapted for truck drivers for this study. It was expected that non-professional, as compared to professional (truck) drivers, would be more permissive regarding reckless driving, since driving risks are less prominent in their daily driving experience. An ANOVA performed on mean reckless-driving scores yielded significant results. The post hoc Schéffe test indicated significantly higher reckless-driving scores for automobile drivers as compared to both mixer-truck driver scores and tip-truck driver scores. In addition, the reckless-driving scores for mixer-truck drivers were significantly higher than the tip-truck driver scores. We discuss various explanations for the findings and consider possible implications for training strategies in organizations as well as for media campaigns focused on mutual safe road use of truck drivers and private vehicle drivers.

Does early training improve driving skills of young novice French drivers?

PubMed

Freydier, Chloé; Berthelon, Catherine; Bastien-Toniazzo, Mireille

2016-11-01

The aim of this research was to study drivers' performances and divided attention depending on their initial training. The performances of young novice drivers who received early training, traditionally trained drivers and more experienced drivers were compared during a dual task consisting of a simulated car-following task and a number' parity judgment task. It was expected that, due to their limited driving experience, the young novice drivers would have more difficulty in adequately distributing their attention between the two tasks. Poorer performances by novice drivers than experienced drivers were therefore expected. The results indicate that traditionally trained drivers had more difficulties in speed regulation and maintaining their position in the lane than drivers with early training and experienced drivers. Performance impairment linked to driving inexperience was also found in the secondary task. The results were interpreted regarding the attentional resources involved in driving with a secondary task and supported the positive effects of French early training. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association of driver air bags with driver fatality: a matched cohort study.

PubMed

Cummings, Peter; McKnight, Barbara; Rivara, Frederick P; Grossman, David C

2002-05-11

To estimate the association of driver air bag presence with driver fatality in road traffic crashes. Matched pair cohort study. All passenger vehicle crashes in the United States during 1990-2000 inclusive. 51 031 driver-passenger pairs in the same vehicle. Relative risk of death within 30 days of a crash. Drivers with an air bag were less likely to die than drivers without an air bag (adjusted relative risk 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.88 to 0.96)). This estimate was nearly the same whether drivers wore a seat belt (adjusted relative risk 0.93) or not (0.91). Air bags were associated with more protection for women (0.88 (0.82 to 0.93)), than for men (0.94 (0.90 to 0.99)). Drivers wearing a seat belt were less likely to die than unbelted drivers (0.35 (0.33 to 0.36)). Belted drivers with an air bag were less likely to die than unbelted drivers without an air bag (0.32 (0.30 to 0.34)). If the associations are causal the average risk of driver death was reduced 8% (95% confidence interval 4% to 12%) by an air bag. Benefit was similar for belted and unbelted drivers and was slightly greater for women. However, seat belts offered much more protection than air bags.

A joint econometric analysis of seat belt use and crash-related injury severity.

PubMed

Eluru, Naveen; Bhat, Chandra R

2007-09-01

This paper formulates a comprehensive econometric structure that recognizes two important issues in crash-related injury severity analysis. First, the impact of a factor on injury severity may be moderated by various observed and unobserved variables specific to an individual or to a crash. Second, seat belt use is likely to be endogenous to injury severity. That is, it is possible that intrinsically unsafe drivers do not wear seat belts and are the ones likely to be involved in high injury severity crashes because of their unsafe driving habits. The preceding issues are considered in the current research effort through the development of a comprehensive model of seat belt use and injury severity that takes the form of a joint correlated random coefficients binary-ordered response system. To our knowledge, this is the first instance of such a model formulation and application not only in the safety analysis literature, but in the econometrics literature in general. The empirical analysis is based on the 2003 General Estimates System (GES) data base. Several types of variables are considered to explain seat belt use and injury severity levels, including driver characteristics, vehicle characteristics, roadway design attributes, environmental factors, and crash characteristics. The results, in addition to confirming the effects of various explanatory variables, also highlight the importance of (a) considering the moderating effects of unobserved individual/crash-related factors on the determinants of injury severity and (b) seat belt use endogeneity. From a policy standpoint, the results suggest that seat belt non-users, when apprehended in the act, should perhaps be subjected to both a fine (to increase the chances that they wear seat belts) as well as mandatory enrollment in a defensive driving course (to attempt to change their aggressive driving behaviors).

Comparison of older and younger novice driver crash rates: Informing the need for extended Graduated Driver Licensing restrictions.

PubMed

Curry, Allison E; Metzger, Kristina B; Williams, Allan F; Tefft, Brian C

2017-11-01

Few previous studies have directly compared crash rates of older and younger novice drivers. To inform discussion about whether Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) policies that are applied in the US for younger novice drivers should be applied to older novice drivers, we conducted a longitudinal study to examine overall, nighttime, and multiple passenger crash rates over the initial four years of licensure differ for novice drivers licensed at different ages. Using data from the New Jersey Traffic Safety Outcomes (NJ-TSO) data warehouse, we selected all NJ drivers who obtained their initial intermediate driver's license from 2006 through 2014 and had at least one month of follow-up from the date of licensure to study end or death (n=1,034,835). Novice drivers were grouped based on age at licensure: age 17; 18-20; 21-24; and 25 or older. We estimated monthly rates for overall crashes (per 10,000 licensed drivers) as well as: late night crashes (11:01 p.m.-4:59 a.m.); early night crashes (9:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.); and multiple passenger crashes (two or more passengers). Average monthly rates were calculated for specific relevant time periods and Poisson regression models were used to compare rates: (1) between novice driver groups with the same time since licensure; (2) over the first 48 months of licensure within each novice driver group; and (3) between same-aged 21-year-old drivers with varying lengths of licensure. Although initial (three months post-licensure) overall crash rates of novice NJ drivers age 21 and older were higher than rates of same-aged experienced drivers, they were substantially lower than initial rates for 17- to 20-year-old novice drivers, who are licensed under GDL policies. Moreover, older novice drivers experience much less steep crash reductions over the first year of licensure than younger novice drivers. Nighttime crash rates among the 21- to 24-year old and aged 25 and older novice driver groups were stable over the first year of licensure. For novice drivers under age 21, early night crash rates declined rapidly over the course of licensure, while changes in late night crashes were much smaller. First-year multiple passenger crash rates were highest for drivers licensed at age 18-20, and novice driver groups experienced varying amounts of reduction in multiple passenger crashes over time. Study findings support NJ's current GDL policies for 17- to 20-year-old novice drivers and the potential for added benefits from beginning the nighttime restriction at 9:00 p.m. Conversely, there was a lack of compelling evidence for additional policies for drivers licensed at age 21-24 and no evidence to indicate a need for additional GDL policies for NJ novices aged 25 years and older. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of risk factors affecting driver injury and crash injury with drivers under the influence of alcohol (DUI) and non-DUI.

PubMed

Chen, Huiqin; Chen, Qiang; Chen, Lei; Zhang, Guanjun

2016-11-16

The objective of this research was to study risk factors that significantly influence the severity of crashes for drivers both under and not under the influence of alcohol. Ordinal logistic regression was applied to analyze a crash data set involving drivers under and not under the influence of alcohol in China from January 2011 to December 2014. Four risk factors were found to be significantly associated with the severity of driver injury, including crash partner and intersection type. Age group was found to be significantly associated with the severity of crashes involving drivers under the influence of alcohol. Crash partner, intersection type, lighting conditions, gender, and time of day were found to be significantly associated with severe driver injuries, the last of which was also significantly associated with severe crashes involving drivers not under the influence of alcohol. This study found that pedestrian involvement decreases the odds of severe driver injury when a driver is under the influence of alcohol, with a relative risk of 0.05 compared to the vehicle-to-vehicle group. The odds of severe driver injury at T-intersections were higher than those for traveling along straight roads. Age was shown to be an important factor, with drivers 50-60 years of age having higher odds of being involved in severe crashes compared to 20- to 30-year-olds when the driver was under the influence of alcohol. When the driver was not under the influence of alcohol, drivers suffered more severe injuries between midnight and early morning compared to early nighttime. The vehicle-to-motorcycle and vehicle-to-pedestrian groups experienced less severe driver injuries, and vehicle collisions with fixed objects exhibited higher odds of severe driver injury than did vehicle-to-vehicle impacts. The odds of severe driver injury at cross intersections were 0.29 compared to travel along straight roads. The odds of severe driver injury when street lighting was not available at night were 3.20 compared to daylight. The study indicated that female drivers are more likely to experience severe injury than male drivers when not under the influence of alcohol. Crashes between midnight and early morning exhibited higher odds of severe injury compared to those occurring at other times of day. The identification of risk factors and a discussion on the odds ratio between levels of the impact of the driver injury and crash severity may benefit road safety stakeholders when developing initiatives to reduce the severity of crashes.

Efficacy of side airbags in reducing driver deaths in driver-side car and SUV collisions.

PubMed

McCartt, Anne T; Kyrychenko, Sergey Y

2007-06-01

To estimate the efficacy of side airbags in preventing driver deaths in passenger vehicles struck on the driver side. Risk ratios for driver deaths per driver-side collision were computed for side airbag-equipped cars and SUVs, relative to vehicles without side airbags. Driver fatality ratios also were calculated for the same vehicles in front and rear impacts, and these were used to adjust the side crash risk ratios for differences in fatality risk unrelated to side airbags. Risk ratios were calculated separately for side airbags providing torso-only protection and side airbags with head protection; almost all head protecting airbags also had airbags protecting the torso. Car driver death risk in driver-side crashes was reduced by 37 percent for head protecting airbags and 26 percent for torso-only side airbags. Car driver death risk was reduced for older and younger drivers, males and females, and drivers of small and midsize cars, and when the striking vehicle was an SUV/pickup or a car/minivan. Death risk for drivers of SUVs was reduced by 52 percent with head protecting side airbags and by 30 percent with torso-only airbags. The effectiveness of side airbags could not be assessed for pickups and minivans due to the small number of these vehicles with airbags involved in crashes. Side airbags substantially reduce the risk of car and SUV driver death in driver-side collisions. Making side airbags with head protection available to drivers and right front passengers in all passenger vehicles could reduce the number of fatalities in motor vehicle crashes in the United States by about 2,000 each year.

Driver injury severity outcome analysis in rural interstate highway crashes: a two-level Bayesian logistic regression interpretation.

PubMed

Chen, Cong; Zhang, Guohui; Liu, Xiaoyue Cathy; Ci, Yusheng; Huang, Helai; Ma, Jianming; Chen, Yanyan; Guan, Hongzhi

2016-12-01

There is a high potential of severe injury outcomes in traffic crashes on rural interstate highways due to the significant amount of high speed traffic on these corridors. Hierarchical Bayesian models are capable of incorporating between-crash variance and within-crash correlations into traffic crash data analysis and are increasingly utilized in traffic crash severity analysis. This paper applies a hierarchical Bayesian logistic model to examine the significant factors at crash and vehicle/driver levels and their heterogeneous impacts on driver injury severity in rural interstate highway crashes. Analysis results indicate that the majority of the total variance is induced by the between-crash variance, showing the appropriateness of the utilized hierarchical modeling approach. Three crash-level variables and six vehicle/driver-level variables are found significant in predicting driver injury severities: road curve, maximum vehicle damage in a crash, number of vehicles in a crash, wet road surface, vehicle type, driver age, driver gender, driver seatbelt use and driver alcohol or drug involvement. Among these variables, road curve, functional and disabled vehicle damage in crash, single-vehicle crashes, female drivers, senior drivers, motorcycles and driver alcohol or drug involvement tend to increase the odds of drivers being incapably injured or killed in rural interstate crashes, while wet road surface, male drivers and driver seatbelt use are more likely to decrease the probability of severe driver injuries. The developed methodology and estimation results provide insightful understanding of the internal mechanism of rural interstate crashes and beneficial references for developing effective countermeasures for rural interstate crash prevention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determinants and Drivers of Infectious Disease Threat Events in Europe.

PubMed

Semenza, Jan C; Lindgren, Elisabet; Balkanyi, Laszlo; Espinosa, Laura; Almqvist, My S; Penttinen, Pasi; Rocklöv, Joacim

2016-04-01

Infectious disease threat events (IDTEs) are increasing in frequency worldwide. We analyzed underlying drivers of 116 IDTEs detected in Europe during 2008-2013 by epidemic intelligence at the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control. Seventeen drivers were identified and categorized into 3 groups: globalization and environment, sociodemographic, and public health systems. A combination of >2 drivers was responsible for most IDTEs. The driver category globalization and environment contributed to 61% of individual IDTEs, and the top 5 individual drivers of all IDTEs were travel and tourism, food and water quality, natural environment, global trade, and climate. Hierarchical cluster analysis of all drivers identified travel and tourism as a distinctly separate driver. Monitoring and modeling such disease drivers can help anticipate future IDTEs and strengthen control measures. More important, intervening directly on these underlying drivers can diminish the likelihood of the occurrence of an IDTE and reduce the associated human and economic costs.

Determinants and Drivers of Infectious Disease Threat Events in Europe

PubMed Central

Lindgren, Elisabet; Balkanyi, Laszlo; Espinosa, Laura; Almqvist, My S.; Penttinen, Pasi; Rocklöv, Joacim

2016-01-01

Infectious disease threat events (IDTEs) are increasing in frequency worldwide. We analyzed underlying drivers of 116 IDTEs detected in Europe during 2008–2013 by epidemic intelligence at the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control. Seventeen drivers were identified and categorized into 3 groups: globalization and environment, sociodemographic, and public health systems. A combination of >2 drivers was responsible for most IDTEs. The driver category globalization and environment contributed to 61% of individual IDTEs, and the top 5 individual drivers of all IDTEs were travel and tourism, food and water quality, natural environment, global trade, and climate. Hierarchical cluster analysis of all drivers identified travel and tourism as a distinctly separate driver. Monitoring and modeling such disease drivers can help anticipate future IDTEs and strengthen control measures. More important, intervening directly on these underlying drivers can diminish the likelihood of the occurrence of an IDTE and reduce the associated human and economic costs. PMID:26982104

Driver Vision Based Perception-Response Time Prediction and Assistance Model on Mountain Highway Curve.

PubMed

Li, Yi; Chen, Yuren

2016-12-30

To make driving assistance system more humanized, this study focused on the prediction and assistance of drivers' perception-response time on mountain highway curves. Field tests were conducted to collect real-time driving data and driver vision information. A driver-vision lane model quantified curve elements in drivers' vision. A multinomial log-linear model was established to predict perception-response time with traffic/road environment information, driver-vision lane model, and mechanical status (last second). A corresponding assistance model showed a positive impact on drivers' perception-response times on mountain highway curves. Model results revealed that the driver-vision lane model and visual elements did have important influence on drivers' perception-response time. Compared with roadside passive road safety infrastructure, proper visual geometry design, timely visual guidance, and visual information integrality of a curve are significant factors for drivers' perception-response time.

Association of Graduated Driver Licensing With Driver, Non-Driver, and Total Fatalities Among Adolescents.

PubMed

Zhu, Motao; Zhao, Songzhu; Long, D Leann; Curry, Allison E

2016-07-01

Graduated driver licensing systems typically require an extended learner permit phase, and create night-time driving or passenger restrictions for adolescent drivers. Restricted driving might increase the use of alternative transportation to replace driving and consequently increase crashes and injuries for passengers, bus riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists. This study examined whether graduated driver licensing increases non-driver fatalities among adolescents, and whether it reduces total traffic fatalities combining drivers and non-drivers. Longitudinal analyses were conducted using data from the 1995-2012 U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Adjusted rate ratios were estimated for being fatally injured in a crash according to: (1) presence/absence of a graduated driver licensing system; and (2) four levels of graduated driver licensing systems (absent, weak, medium, strong). Analyses were conducted in 2015. Among adolescents aged 16 years, graduated driver licensing was not associated with increased passenger fatalities (adjusted rate ratio, 0.96; 95% CI=0.90, 1.03) or pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities (adjusted rate ratio, 1.09; 95% CI=0.85, 1.39), but was associated with an 11% reduction in total traffic fatalities. Among those aged 17 years, graduated driver licensing was not associated with increased fatalities as passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists, and was not associated with reduced total traffic fatalities. In general, graduated driver licensing systems were not associated with increased fatalities as passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and bus riders. Graduated driver licensing systems were associated with reduced total fatalities of adolescents aged 16 years. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-assessed driver competence among novice drivers--a comparison of driving test candidate assessments and examiner assessments in a Dutch and Finnish sample.

PubMed

Mynttinen, Sami; Sundström, Anna; Vissers, Jan; Koivukoski, Marita; Hakuli, Kari; Keskinen, Esko

2009-01-01

This study examined novice drivers' overconfidence by comparing their self-assessed driver competence with the assessments made by driving examiners. A Finnish (n=2,739) and a Dutch sample (n=239) of drivers license candidates assessed their driver competence in six areas and took the driving test. In contrast to previous studies where drivers have assessed their skill in comparison to the average driver, a smaller proportion overestimated and a larger proportion made realistic self-assessments of their driver competence in the present study, where self-assessments were compared with examiner assessments. Between 40% and 50% of the candidates in both samples made realistic assessments and 30% to 40% overestimated their competence. The proportion of overestimation was greater in the Dutch than in the Finnish sample, which might be explained by greater possibilities for practicing self-assessment in the Finnish driver education system. Similar to other self-assessment studies that indicate that incompetence is related to overestimation, a larger proportion of candidates that failed the test overestimated their skill compared to those who passed. In contrast to other studies, males did not overestimate their skills more than females, and younger driver candidates were not more overconfident than older drivers. Although a great proportion of the candidates made a realistic assessment of their own driver competence, overestimation is still a problem that needs to be dealt with. To improve the accuracy of novice drivers' self-assessment, methods for self-assessment training should be developed and implemented in the driver licensing process.

Driver sleepiness on YouTube: A content analysis.

PubMed

Hawkins, A N; Filtness, A J

2017-02-01

Driver sleepiness is a major contributor to severe crashes and fatalities on our roads. Many people continue to drive despite being aware of feeling tired. Prevention relies heavily on education campaigns as it is difficult to police driver sleepiness. The video sharing social media site YouTube is extremely popular, particularly with at risk driver demographics. Content and popularity of uploaded videos can provide insight into the quality of publicly accessible driver sleepiness information. The purpose of this research was to answer two questions; firstly, how prevalent are driver sleepiness videos on YouTube? And secondly, what are the general characteristics of driver sleepiness videos in terms of (a) outlook on driver sleepiness, (b) tone, (c) countermeasures to driver sleepiness, and, (d) driver demographics. Using a keywords search, 442 relevant videos were found from a five year period (2nd December 2009-2nd December 2014). Tone, outlook, and countermeasure use were thematically coded. Driver demographic and video popularity data also were recorded. The majority of videos portrayed driver sleepiness as dangerous. However, videos that had an outlook towards driver sleepiness being amusing were viewed more often and had more mean per video comments and likes. Humorous videos regardless of outlook, were most popular. Most information regarding countermeasures to deal with driver sleepiness was accurate. Worryingly, 39.8% of videos with countermeasure information contained some kind of ineffective countermeasure. The use of humour to convey messages about the dangers of driver sleepiness may be a useful approach in educational interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Research in Boost Driver with EDLCs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Hirokazu

The supply used in servo systems tends to have a high voltage in order to reduce loss and improve the response of motor drives. We propose a new boost motor driver that comprises EDLCs. The proposed driver has a simple structure, wherein the EDLCs are connected in series to the supply, and comprises a charge circuit to charge the EDLCs. The proposed driver has three advantages over conventional boost drivers. The first advantage is that the driver can easily attain the stable boost voltage. The second advantage is that the driver can reduce input power peaks. In a servo system, the input power peaks become greater than the rated power in order to accelerate the motor rapidly. This implies that the equipments that supply power to servo systems must have sufficient power capacity to satisfy the power peaks. The proposed driver can suppress the increase of the power capacity of supply facilities. The third advantage is that the driver can store almost all of the regenerative energy. Conventional drivers have a braking resistor to suppress the increase in the DC link voltage. This causes a considerable reduction in the efficiency. The proposed driver is more efficient than conventional drivers. In this study, the experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed driver and showed that the drive performance of the proposed driver is the same as that of a conventional driver. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the results of the simulation of a model of the EDLC module, whose capacitance is dependent on the frequency, correspond well with the experimental results.

Licensing procedures for older drivers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

This study examined the driver licensing procedures in all 50 States as they apply to the older (65+) driver. A literature review examined reports of possible declines in older driver capabilities and the ability of a driver licensing agency to scree...

Level of neurotic disorders among drivers causing traffic accidents.

PubMed

Durić, Predrag; Filipović, Danka

2007-01-01

Different aspects of driver personality may affect traffic safety. Extended driver reaction time causes deceleration of the reflexes, which is a major cause of traffic accidents. Cornell index was used in 30 drivers responsible for traffic accidents, with the aim to measure their level of neurotic disorder and compare them with results of controls (drivers not responsible for traffic accidents). Reaction time was maesured and compared among subjects with normal results of Cornell test and those with pathological findings. Drivers causing traffic accidents showed significantly higher Cornell index scores than drivers not responsible for traffic accidents. Drivers with pathological results of Cornell index showed a significantly longer reaction time.

Safety in numbers? Investigating Australian driver behaviour, knowledge and attitudes towards cyclists.

PubMed

Johnson, Marilyn; Oxley, Jennie; Newstead, Stuart; Charlton, Judith

2014-09-01

A key tenet of the safety in numbers theory is that as the number of people cycling increases, more drivers will also be cyclists and therefore will give greater consideration to cyclists when driving. We tested this theory in relation to self-reported behaviour, attitudes and knowledge in relation to cycling. An online survey was conducted of Australian drivers (n=1984) who were also cyclists (cyclist-drivers) and drivers who did not cycle (drivers). Cyclist-drivers were 1.5 times more likely than drivers to report safe driving behaviours related to sharing the roads with cyclists (95% CI: 1.1-1.9, p<0.01). Cyclist-drivers had better knowledge of the road rules related to cycling infrastructure than drivers; however knowledge of road rules related to bike lanes was low for both groups. Drivers were more likely than cyclist-drivers to have negative attitudes (e.g. cyclists are unpredictable and repeatedly overtaking cyclists is frustrating). Findings from this study highlight the need for increased education and awareness in relation to safe driving behaviour, road rules and attitudes towards cyclists. Specific recommendations are made for approaches to improve safety for cyclists. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Safety implications of providing real-time feedback to distracted drivers.

PubMed

Donmez, Birsen; Boyle, Linda Ng; Lee, John D

2007-05-01

A driving simulator study was conducted to assess whether real-time feedback on a driver's state can influence the driver's interaction with in-vehicle information systems (IVIS). Previous studies have shown that IVIS tasks can undermine driver safety by increasing driver distraction. Thus, mitigating driver distraction using a feedback mechanism appears promising. This study was designed to test real-time feedback that alerts drivers based on their off-road eye glances. Feedback was displayed in two display locations (vehicle-centered, and IVIS-centered) to 16 young and 13 middle-aged drivers. Distraction was observed as problematic for both age groups with delayed responses to a lead vehicle-braking event as indicated by delayed accelerator releases. Significant benefits were not observed for braking and steering behavior for this experiment, but there was a significant change in drivers' interaction with IVIS. When given feedback on their distracted state, drivers looked at the in-vehicle display less frequently regardless of where feedback was displayed in the vehicle. This indicates that real-time feedback based on the driver state can positively alter driver's engagement in distracting activities, helping them attend better to the roadway.

Chinese carless young drivers' self-reported driving behavior and simulated driving performance.

PubMed

Zhang, Qian; Jiang, Zuhua; Zheng, Dongpeng; Man, Dong; Xu, Xunnan

2013-01-01

Carless young drivers refers to those drivers aged between 18 and 25 years who have a driver's license but seldom have opportunities to practice their driving skills because they do not have their own cars. Due to China's lower private car ownership, many young drivers become carless young drivers after licensure, and the safety issue associated with them has raised great concern in China. This study aims to provide initial insight into the self-reported driving behaviors and simulated driving performance of Chinese carless young drivers. Thirty-three carless young drivers and 32 young drivers with their own cars (as a comparison group) participated in this study. A modified Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) with a 4-factor structure (errors, violations, attention lapses, and memory lapses) was used to study carless young drivers' self-reported driving behaviors. A simulated driving experiment using a low-cost, fixed-base driving simulator was conducted to measure their simulated driving performance (errors, violations, attention lapses, driving maintenance, reaction time, and accidents). Self-reported DBQ outcomes showed that carless young drivers reported similar errors, more attention lapses, fewer memory lapses, and significantly fewer violation behaviors relative to young drivers with their own cars, whereas simulated driving results revealed that they committed significantly more errors, attention lapses, and violation behaviors than the comparison group. Carless young drivers had a lower ability to maintain the stability of speed and lane position, drove more cautiously approaching and passing through red traffic lights, and committed more accidents during simulated driving. A tendency to speed was not found among carless young drivers; their average speed and speeding frequency were all much lower than that of the comparison group. Lifetime mileage was the only significant predictor of carless young drivers' self-reported violations, simulated violations, speed, and reaction time, whereas no significant predictor was found for young drivers with their own cars. Carless young drivers had poorer driving performance and were more overconfident of their self-reported driving skills compared to those young drivers with greater access to vehicles. Given that the lifetime mileage positively predicted the simulated violations measure of carless young drivers, immediate interventions are needed to help them increase driving exposure and gain driving experience gradually before moving to more challenging on-road driving tasks. Supplemental materials are available for this article.

The effects of drug and alcohol consumption on driver injury severities in single-vehicle crashes.

PubMed

Behnood, Ali; Mannering, Fred L

2017-07-04

It is well known that alcohol and drugs influence driving behavior by affecting the central nervous system, awareness, vision, and perception/reaction times, but the resulting effect on driver injuries in car crashes is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting the injury severities of unimpaired, alcohol-impaired, and drug-impaired drivers. The current article applies a random parameters logit model to study the differences in injury severities among unimpaired, alcohol-impaired, and drug-impaired drivers. Using data from single-vehicle crashes in Cook County, Illinois, over a 9-year period from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2012, separate models for unimpaired, alcohol-impaired, and drug-impaired drivers were estimated. A wide range of variables potentially affecting driver injury severity was considered, including roadway and environmental conditions, driver attributes, time and location of the crash, and crash-specific factors. The estimation results show significant differences in the determinants of driver injury severities across groups of unimpaired, alcohol-impaired, and drug-impaired drivers. The findings also show that unimpaired drivers are understandably more responsive to variations in lighting, adverse weather, and road conditions, but these drivers also tend to have much more heterogeneity in their behavioral responses to these conditions, relative to impaired drivers. In addition, age and gender were found to be important determinants of injury severity, but the effects varied significantly across all drivers, particularly among alcohol-impaired drivers. The model estimation results show that statistically significant differences exist in driver injury severities among the unimpaired, alcohol-impaired, and drug-impaired driver groups considered. Specifically, we find that unimpaired drivers tend to have more heterogeneity in their injury outcomes in the presence potentially adverse weather and road surface conditions. This makes sense because one would expect unimpaired drivers to apply their full knowledge/judgment range to deal with these conditions, and the variability of this range across the driver population (with different driving experiences, etc.) should be great. In contrast, we find, for the most part, that alcohol-impaired and drug-impaired drivers have far less heterogeneity in the factors that affect injury severity, suggesting an equalizing effect resulting from the decision-impairing substance.

Detecting the high risk driver : the development of a risk questionnaire

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-01-01

This report describes the development of a driver risk questionnaire that is intended to be used for the identification of accident-prone drivers from problem drivers in general and from alcoholic drivers in particular. A self-administered questionna...

Examination of supplemental driver training and online basic driver education courses : traffic tech.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-08-01

The first six months of unsupervised driving are the most : hazardous in a novice drivers driving experience. Most : States adopted graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems : to give novice drivers experience in a protective environment, : gradual...

Using shadow page cache to improve isolated drivers performance.

PubMed

Zheng, Hao; Dong, Xiaoshe; Wang, Endong; Chen, Baoke; Zhu, Zhengdong; Liu, Chengzhe

2015-01-01

With the advantage of the reusability property of the virtualization technology, users can reuse various types and versions of existing operating systems and drivers in a virtual machine, so as to customize their application environment. In order to prevent users' virtualization environments being impacted by driver faults in virtual machine, Chariot examines the correctness of driver's write operations by the method of combining a driver's write operation capture and a driver's private access control table. However, this method needs to keep the write permission of shadow page table as read-only, so as to capture isolated driver's write operations through page faults, which adversely affect the performance of the driver. Based on delaying setting frequently used shadow pages' write permissions to read-only, this paper proposes an algorithm using shadow page cache to improve the performance of isolated drivers and carefully study the relationship between the performance of drivers and the size of shadow page cache. Experimental results show that, through the shadow page cache, the performance of isolated drivers can be greatly improved without impacting Chariot's reliability too much.

Using Shadow Page Cache to Improve Isolated Drivers Performance

PubMed Central

Dong, Xiaoshe; Wang, Endong; Chen, Baoke; Zhu, Zhengdong; Liu, Chengzhe

2015-01-01

With the advantage of the reusability property of the virtualization technology, users can reuse various types and versions of existing operating systems and drivers in a virtual machine, so as to customize their application environment. In order to prevent users' virtualization environments being impacted by driver faults in virtual machine, Chariot examines the correctness of driver's write operations by the method of combining a driver's write operation capture and a driver's private access control table. However, this method needs to keep the write permission of shadow page table as read-only, so as to capture isolated driver's write operations through page faults, which adversely affect the performance of the driver. Based on delaying setting frequently used shadow pages' write permissions to read-only, this paper proposes an algorithm using shadow page cache to improve the performance of isolated drivers and carefully study the relationship between the performance of drivers and the size of shadow page cache. Experimental results show that, through the shadow page cache, the performance of isolated drivers can be greatly improved without impacting Chariot's reliability too much. PMID:25815373

Association of driver air bags with driver fatality: a matched cohort study

PubMed Central

Cummings, Peter; McKnight, Barbara; Rivara, Frederick P; Grossman, David C

2002-01-01

Objective To estimate the association of driver air bag presence with driver fatality in road traffic crashes. Design Matched pair cohort study. Setting All passenger vehicle crashes in the United States during 1990-2000 inclusive. Subjects 51 031 driver-passenger pairs in the same vehicle. Main outcome measures Relative risk of death within 30 days of a crash. Results Drivers with an air bag were less likely to die than drivers without an air bag (adjusted relative risk 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.88 to 0.96)). This estimate was nearly the same whether drivers wore a seat belt (adjusted relative risk 0.93) or not (0.91). Air bags were associated with more protection for women (0.88 (0.82 to 0.93)), than for men (0.94 (0.90 to 0.99)). Drivers wearing a seat belt were less likely to die than unbelted drivers (0.35 (0.33 to 0.36)). Belted drivers with an air bag were less likely to die than unbelted drivers without an air bag (0.32 (0.30 to 0.34)). Conclusions If the associations are causal the average risk of driver death was reduced 8% (95% confidence interval 4% to 12%) by an air bag. Benefit was similar for belted and unbelted drivers and was slightly greater for women. However, seat belts offered much more protection than air bags. What is already known on this topicStudies have estimated that driver air bags reduce the risk of death in a road vehicle crash by 10-14%These studies disagree as to whether benefit is greater for drivers wearing a seat belt or for unbelted driversWhat this study addsHaving an air bag was associated with an 8% reduction in the risk of death, whether the driver was belted or notThe reduction in risk was greater for women (12%) than for men (6%)Seat belts provided much greater protection, with seat belt use reducing the risk of death by 65% (or by 68% in combination with an air bag) PMID:12003882

Comparison of Visual Status of Iranian Military and Commercial Drivers

PubMed Central

Ghasemi, Mohammad; Hoseini Yazdi, Seyed Hosein; Heravian, Javad; Jafarzadehpur, Ebrahim; Rezaee, Maryam

2015-01-01

Background: There is no legal requirement for Iranian military truck drivers to undergo regular visual checkups as compared to commercial truck drivers. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of drivers’ visual checkups by comparing the visual function of Iranian military and commercial truck drivers. Patients and Methods: In this comparative cross-sectional study, two hundred military and 200 commercial truck drivers were recruited and their Visual Acuity (VA), Visual Field (VF), color vision and Contrast Sensitivity (CS) were assessed and compared using the Snellen chart, confrontation screening method, D15 test and Pelli-Robson letter chart, respectively. A questionnaire regarding driving exposure and history of motor-vehicle crashes (MVCs) was also filled by drivers. Results were analyzed using an independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA (assessing difference in number of MVCs across different age groups), chi-square test and Pearson correlation at statistical significance level of P < 0.05. Results: Mean age was 41.6 ± 9.2 for the military truck drivers and 43.4 ± 10.9 for commercial truck drivers (P > 0.05). No significant difference between military and commercial drivers was found in terms of driving experience, number of MVCs, binocular VA, frequency of color vision defects and CS scores. In contrast, the last ocular examination was significantly earlier in military drivers than commercial drivers (P < 0.001). In addition, 4% of military drivers did not meet the national standards to drive as opposed to 2% of commercial drivers. There was a significant but weak correlation between binocular VA and age (r = 0.175, P < 0.001). However, CS showed a significantly moderate correlation with age (r = -0.488, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The absence of legal requirement for regular eye examination in military drivers caused the incompetent drivers to be missed in contrast to commercial drivers. The need for scientific revision of VA standard for Iranian drivers is also discussed. The CS measurement in visual checkups of older drivers deserves to be investigated more thoroughly. PMID:26023333

On an efficient and effective intelligent transportation system (ITS) safety and traffic efficiency application with corresponding driver behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekedebe, Nnanna; Yu, Wei; Lu, Chao

2015-06-01

Driver distraction could result in safety compromises attributable to distractions from in-vehicle equipment usage [1]. The effective design of driver-vehicle interfaces (DVIs) and other human-machine interfaces (HMIs) together with their usability, and accessibility while driving become important [2]. Driving distractions can be classified as: visual distractions (any activity that takes your eyes away from the road), cognitive distraction (any activity that takes your mind away from the course of driving), and manual distractions (any activity that takes your hands away from the steering wheel [2]). Besides, multitasking during driving is a distractive activity that can increase the risks of vehicular accidents. To study the driver's behaviors on the safety of transportation system, using an in-vehicle driver notification application, we examined the effects of increasing driver distraction levels on the evaluation metrics of traffic efficiency and safety by using two types of driver models: young drivers (ages 16-25 years) and middle-age drivers (ages 30-45 years). Our evaluation data demonstrates that as a drivers distraction level is increased, less heed is given to change route directives from the in-vehicle on-board unit (OBU) using textual, visual, audio, and haptic notifications. Interestingly, middle-age drivers proved more effective/resilient in mitigating the negative effects of driver distraction over young drivers [2].

Exploratory multinomial logit model-based driver injury severity analyses for teenage and adult drivers in intersection-related crashes.

PubMed

Wu, Qiong; Zhang, Guohui; Ci, Yusheng; Wu, Lina; Tarefder, Rafiqul A; Alcántara, Adélamar Dely

2016-05-18

Teenage drivers are more likely to be involved in severely incapacitating and fatal crashes compared to adult drivers. Moreover, because two thirds of urban vehicle miles traveled are on signal-controlled roadways, significant research efforts are needed to investigate intersection-related teenage driver injury severities and their contributing factors in terms of driver behavior, vehicle-infrastructure interactions, environmental characteristics, roadway geometric features, and traffic compositions. Therefore, this study aims to explore the characteristic differences between teenage and adult drivers in intersection-related crashes, identify the significant contributing attributes, and analyze their impacts on driver injury severities. Using crash data collected in New Mexico from 2010 to 2011, 2 multinomial logit regression models were developed to analyze injury severities for teenage and adult drivers, respectively. Elasticity analyses and transferability tests were conducted to better understand the quantitative impacts of these factors and the teenage driver injury severity model's generality. The results showed that although many of the same contributing factors were found to be significant in the both teenage and adult driver models, certain different attributes must be distinguished to specifically develop effective safety solutions for the 2 driver groups. The research findings are helpful to better understand teenage crash uniqueness and develop cost-effective solutions to reduce intersection-related teenage injury severities and facilitate driver injury mitigation research.

"The little squealer" or "the virtual guardian angel"? Young drivers' and their parents' perspective on using a driver monitoring technology and its implications for parent-young driver communication.

PubMed

Guttman, Nurit; Gesser-Edelsburg, Anat

2011-02-01

In-vehicle driving monitoring technologies have the potential to enable young drivers to learn from self-assessment. However, their use is largely dependent on parental involvement. A total of 79 interviews were conducted with young drivers and parents regarding this technology and its use. Most had the experience of having an in-vehicle data recorder installed in the vehicle driven by the young drivers. Parents and the young drivers expressed both appreciation as well as reservations about its potential as a means to enhance the driving safety of young drivers. A surprising finding was that some parents did not check the feedback and said they relied on the young driver to do so. Main concerns related to privacy, parent-young driver relationship, self-esteem and confidence, constructive use of the feedback data, and the limitations of the documentation that can be done by the technology. Providing parents and young drivers with a support system and tools to discuss and utilize the feedback are underscored. Challenges include addressing the invasion of young drivers' privacy and gender differences, and using the monitoring-capacity of the technology to enhance safe driving practices. Implications for programs to enhance communication and a dialogical approach between parents and young drivers are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrepancy analysis of driving performance of taxi drivers and non-professional drivers for red-light running violation and crash avoidance at intersections.

PubMed

Wu, Jiawei; Yan, Xuedong; Radwan, Essam

2016-06-01

Due to comfort, convenience, and flexibility, taxis have become increasingly more prevalent in China, especially in large cities. However, many violations and road crashes that occurred frequently were related to taxi drivers. This study aimed to investigate differences in driving performance between taxi drivers and non-professional drivers from the perspectives of red-light running violation and potential crash involvement based on a driving simulation experiment. Two typical scenarios were established in a driving simulator, which includes the red-light running violation scenario and the crash avoidance scenario. There were 49 participants, including 23 taxi drivers (14 males and 9 females) and 26 non-professional drivers (13 males and 13 females) recruited for this experiment. The driving simulation experiment results indicated that non-professional drivers paid more attention to red-light running violations in comparison to taxi drivers who had a higher probability of red-light running violation. Furthermore, it was found that taxi drivers were more inclined to turn the steering wheel in an attempt to avoid a potential collision and non-professional drivers had more abrupt deceleration behaviors when facing a potential crash. Moreover, the experiment results showed that taxi drivers had a smaller crash rate compared to non-professional drivers and had a better performance in terms of crash avoidance at the intersection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visually Impaired Drivers Who Use Bioptic Telescopes: Self-Assessed Driving Skills and Agreement With On-Road Driving Evaluation

PubMed Central

Owsley, Cynthia; McGwin, Gerald; Elgin, Jennifer; Wood, Joanne M.

2014-01-01

Purpose. To compare self-assessed driving habits and skills of licensed drivers with central visual loss who use bioptic telescopes to those of age-matched normally sighted drivers, and to examine the association between bioptic drivers' impressions of the quality of their driving and ratings by a “backseat” evaluator. Methods. Participants were licensed bioptic drivers (n = 23) and age-matched normally sighted drivers (n = 23). A questionnaire was administered addressing driving difficulty, space, quality, exposure, and, for bioptic drivers, whether the telescope was helpful in on-road situations. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were assessed. Information on ocular diagnosis, telescope characteristics, and bioptic driving experience was collected from the medical record or in interview. On-road driving performance in regular traffic conditions was rated independently by two evaluators. Results. Like normally sighted drivers, bioptic drivers reported no or little difficulty in many driving situations (e.g., left turns, rush hour), but reported more difficulty under poor visibility conditions and in unfamiliar areas (P < 0.05). Driving exposure was reduced in bioptic drivers (driving 250 miles per week on average vs. 410 miles per week for normally sighted drivers, P = 0.02), but driving space was similar to that of normally sighted drivers (P = 0.29). All but one bioptic driver used the telescope in at least one driving task, and 56% used the telescope in three or more tasks. Bioptic drivers' judgments about the quality of their driving were very similar to backseat evaluators' ratings. Conclusions. Bioptic drivers show insight into the overall quality of their driving and areas in which they experience driving difficulty. They report using the bioptic telescope while driving, contrary to previous claims that it is primarily used to pass the vision screening test at licensure. PMID:24370830

Augmented reality cues to assist older drivers with gap estimation for left-turns.

PubMed

Rusch, Michelle L; Schall, Mark C; Lee, John D; Dawson, Jeffrey D; Rizzo, Matthew

2014-10-01

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of augmented reality (AR) cues designed to assist middle-aged and older drivers with a range of UFOV impairments, judging when to make left-turns across oncoming traffic. Previous studies have shown that AR cues can help middle-aged and older drivers respond to potential roadside hazards by increasing hazard detection without interfering with other driving tasks. Intersections pose a critical challenge for cognitively impaired drivers, prone to misjudge time-to-contact with oncoming traffic. We investigated whether AR cues improve or interfere with hazard perception in left-turns across oncoming traffic for drivers with age-related cognitive decline. Sixty-four middle-aged and older drivers with a range of UFOV impairment judged when it would be safe to turn left across oncoming traffic approaching the driver from the opposite direction in a rural stop-sign controlled intersection scenario implemented in a static base driving simulator. Outcome measures used to evaluate the effectiveness of AR cueing included: Time-to-Contact (TTC), Gap Time Variation (GTV), Response Rate, and Gap Response Variation (GRV). All drivers estimated TTCs were shorter in cued than in uncued conditions. In addition, drivers responded more often in cued conditions than in uncued conditions and GRV decreased for all drivers in scenarios that contained AR cues. For both TTC and response rate, drivers also appeared to adjust their behavior to be consistent with the cues, especially drivers with the poorest UFOV scores (matching their behavior to be close to middle-aged drivers). Driver ratings indicated that cueing was not considered to be distracting. Further, various conditions of reliability (e.g., 15% miss rate) did not appear to affect performance or driver ratings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Graduated driver licensing programs and fatal crashes of 16-year-old drivers: a national evaluation.

PubMed

Chen, Li-Hui; Baker, Susan P; Li, Guohua

2006-07-01

Implementation of graduated driver licensing programs is associated with reductions in crash rates of young drivers, but graduated driver licensing programs vary in their components. The impact of programs with different components is unknown. The purpose of this work was to determine which graduated driver licensing programs are associated with the greatest reductions in fatal motor vehicle crashes involving 16-year-old drivers. We conducted a retrospective study of all 16-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes in the United States from 1994 through 2004 using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the US Census Bureau. We measured incidence rate ratios of fatal motor vehicle crashes involving 16-year-old drivers according to graduated driver licensing programs, adjusted for state and year. Compared with state quarters with no graduated driver licensing program components, reductions of 16% to 21% in fatal crash involvement rates of 16-year-old drivers occurred with programs that included > or = 3-month mandatory waiting period, nighttime driving restriction, and either > or = 30 hours of supervised driving or passenger restriction. Reductions of 18% to 21% occurred in state quarters with programs that included > or = 5 of the 7 components examined. Drivers aged 20 to 24 or 25 to 29 years did not experience significant reductions. Comprehensive graduated driver licensing programs are associated with reductions of approximately 20% in 16-year-old drivers' fatal crash involvement rates. The greatest benefit seems to be associated with programs that include age requirements and > or = 3 months of waiting before the intermediate stage, nighttime driving restriction, and either > or = 30 hours of supervised driving or passenger restriction.

AUGMENTED REALITY CUES TO ASSIST OLDER DRIVERS WITH GAP ESTIMATION FOR LEFT-TURNS

PubMed Central

Rusch, Michelle L.; Schall, Mark C.; Lee, John D.; Dawson, Jeffrey D.; Rizzo, Matthew

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of augmented reality (AR) cues designed to assist middle-aged and older drivers with a range of UFOV impairments, judging when to make left-turns across oncoming traffic. Previous studies have shown that AR cues can help middle-aged and older drivers respond to potential roadside hazards by increasing hazard detection without interfering with other driving tasks. Intersections pose a critical challenge for cognitively impaired drivers, prone to misjudge time-to-contact with oncoming traffic. We investigated whether AR cues improve or interfere with hazard perception in left-turns across oncoming traffic for drivers with age-related cognitive decline. Sixty-four middle-aged and older drivers with a range of UFOV impairment judged when it would be safe to turn left across oncoming traffic approaching the driver from the opposite direction in a rural stop-sign controlled intersection scenario implemented in a static base driving simulator. Outcome measures used to evaluate the effectiveness of AR cueing included: Time-to-Contact (TTC), Gap Time Variation (GTV), Response Rate, and Gap Response Variation (GRV). All drivers estimated TTCs were shorter in cued than in uncued conditions. In addition, drivers responded more often in cued conditions than in uncued conditions and GRV decreased for all drivers in scenarios that contained AR cues. For both TTC and response rate, drivers also appeared to adjust their behavior to be consistent with the cues, especially drivers with the poorest UFOV scores (matching their behavior to be close to middle-aged drivers). Driver ratings indicated that cueing was not considered to be distracting. Further, various conditions of reliability (e.g., 15% miss rate) did not appear to affect performance or driver ratings. PMID:24950128

Increased risk of lung cancer among male professional drivers in urban but not rural areas of Sweden.

PubMed Central

Jakobsson, R; Gustavsson, P; Lundberg, I

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To study the risk of lung cancer in different subgroups of professional drivers in urban and rural areas of Sweden. METHODS: Information on occupation and geographical region was obtained from the Swedish census of 1970 and data on the incidence of lung cancer between 1971 and 1984 from the National Swedish Cancer Registry. Professional drivers were separated into bus, taxi, and long and short distance lorry drivers. Comparisons of cumulative incidence of lung cancer were made between each particular group of drivers and gainfully employed men in the same region. RESULTS: Taxi drivers, and long and short distance lorry drivers in Stockholm County showed increased relative risks (RRs) of lung cancer with the highest risk among the short distance lorry drivers (RR 2.0, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.5 to 2.6). These categories of drivers also showed increased risks in the other two large conurbations in Sweden. In the rest of the country (mainly rural areas) there were no increased RRs for any category of driver. The RR for bus drivers was not increased in any region. After adjustment for assumed differences in smoking habits the RRs remained significantly increased for lorry drivers in Stockholm but not for other groups of drivers in other areas. However, the RRs remained numerically higher in large conurbations than in rural regions for all groups of drivers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that some factors present in the urban environment play a substantial part in the excess of lung cancer among short distance lorry drivers in urban areas of Sweden. Exposure to motor exhaust fumes may have contributed to this excess. PMID:9155780

Effectiveness evaluation of simulative workshops for newly licensed drivers.

PubMed

Rosenbloom, Tova; Eldror, Ehud

2014-02-01

The current study set to examine the effects of simulator use in driving instruction on newly licensed drivers, comparing the road safety knowledge and reported intended behavior, as well as the actual driving performance of new drivers. Participants consisted of 280 newly licensed driver, of which 140 whose drivers license training included additional simulator-based lessons, and 140 drivers whose training precluded simulator-based lessons. All drivers answered questionnaires pertaining to their intended safe driving behaviors (according to Ajzen's (2000) theory of planned behavior), and to their traffic safety knowledge. Of the initial sample, 40 drivers received actual driving performance evaluation by an expert driving instructor, as well as by in-vehicle data recorders (IVDRs). We assumed that safer drivers report safer driving intentions, demonstrate greater traffic safety knowledge, evaluated as safer drivers by the driving instructor, and display lower and stable driving parameters on the IVDRs. We hypothesized that theoretical driving studies combined with practical training on simulators will elevate the safety level of novices driving. Hierarchical regression analyses on driving intentions indicated that drivers who did not receive simulator-based lessons demonstrated safer driving intentions compared to drivers who received simulator-based lessons. This pattern possibly indicating the drivers who received simulator-based lessons felt more confident in their driving abilities compared to drivers who did not receive simulated training. No significant difference was found in traffic safety knowledge, or in the evaluation of the expert driving instructor. IDVR data comparisons indicated drivers who received simulator-based lessons braked more often and were less prone to headway events, suggesting a more responsive driving style. These findings do not point to any significant advantage or disadvantage of the current simulator-based driving training over other driving training methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technology and teen drivers.

PubMed

Lee, John D

2007-01-01

The rapid evolution of computing, communication, and sensor technology is likely to affect young drivers more than others. The distraction potential of infotainment technology stresses the same vulnerabilities that already lead young drivers to crash more frequently than other drivers. Cell phones, text messaging, MP3 players, and other nomadic devices all present a threat because young drivers may lack the spare attentional capacity for vehicle control and the ability to anticipate and manage hazards. Moreover, young drivers are likely to be the first and most aggressive users of new technology. Fortunately, emerging technology can also support safe driving. Electronic stability control, collision avoidance systems, intelligent speed adaptation, and vehicle tracking systems can all help mitigate the threats to young drivers. However, technology alone is unlikely to make young drivers safer. One promising approach to tailoring technology to teen drivers is to extend proven methods for enhancing young driver safety. The success of graduated drivers license programs (GDL) and the impressive safety benefit of supervised driving suggest ways of tailoring technology to the needs of young drivers. To anticipate the effects of technology on teen driving it may be useful to draw an analogy between the effects of passengers and the effects of technology. Technology can act as a teen passenger and undermine safety or it can act as an adult passenger and enhance safety. Rapidly developing technology may have particularly large effects on teen drivers. To maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative effects will require a broad range of industries to work together. Ideally, vehicle manufacturers would work with infotainment providers, insurance companies, and policy makers to craft new technologies so that they accommodate the needs of young drivers. Without such collaboration young drivers will face even greater challenges to their safety as new technologies emerge.

Visually impaired drivers who use bioptic telescopes: self-assessed driving skills and agreement with on-road driving evaluation.

PubMed

Owsley, Cynthia; McGwin, Gerald; Elgin, Jennifer; Wood, Joanne M

2014-01-15

To compare self-assessed driving habits and skills of licensed drivers with central visual loss who use bioptic telescopes to those of age-matched normally sighted drivers, and to examine the association between bioptic drivers' impressions of the quality of their driving and ratings by a "backseat" evaluator. Participants were licensed bioptic drivers (n = 23) and age-matched normally sighted drivers (n = 23). A questionnaire was administered addressing driving difficulty, space, quality, exposure, and, for bioptic drivers, whether the telescope was helpful in on-road situations. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were assessed. Information on ocular diagnosis, telescope characteristics, and bioptic driving experience was collected from the medical record or in interview. On-road driving performance in regular traffic conditions was rated independently by two evaluators. Like normally sighted drivers, bioptic drivers reported no or little difficulty in many driving situations (e.g., left turns, rush hour), but reported more difficulty under poor visibility conditions and in unfamiliar areas (P < 0.05). Driving exposure was reduced in bioptic drivers (driving 250 miles per week on average vs. 410 miles per week for normally sighted drivers, P = 0.02), but driving space was similar to that of normally sighted drivers (P = 0.29). All but one bioptic driver used the telescope in at least one driving task, and 56% used the telescope in three or more tasks. Bioptic drivers' judgments about the quality of their driving were very similar to backseat evaluators' ratings. Bioptic drivers show insight into the overall quality of their driving and areas in which they experience driving difficulty. They report using the bioptic telescope while driving, contrary to previous claims that it is primarily used to pass the vision screening test at licensure.

COMPARING THE IMPAIRMENT PROFILES OF OLDER DRIVERS AND NON-DRIVERS: TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FITNESS-TO-DRIVE MODEL

PubMed Central

Antin, Jonathan F.; Stanley, Laura M.; Guo, Feng

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research effort was to compare older driver and non-driver functional impairment profiles across some 60 assessment metrics in an initial effort to contribute to the development of fitness-to-drive assessment models. Of the metrics evaluated, 21 showed statistically significant differences, almost all favoring the drivers. Also, it was shown that a logistic regression model comprised of five of the assessment scores could completely and accurately separate the two groups. The results of this study imply that older drivers are far less functionally impaired than non-drivers of similar ages, and that a parsimonious model can accurately assign individuals to either group. With such models, any driver classified or diagnosed as a non-driver would be a strong candidate for further investigation and intervention. PMID:22058607

The case for driver science in motorsport: a review and recommendations.

PubMed

Potkanowicz, Edward S; Mendel, Ronald W

2013-07-01

When discussing sports and the athletes who participate in them, it has long been recognized that fitness is a prerequisite for optimal performance. The goal of training to improve fitness levels in athletes is ultimately to minimize the stress that the body experiences during competition. When it comes to the topic of racecar drivers, however, drivers and their trainers have largely been left to their own devices to figure out the stressors and the areas of specific training focus. Unfortunately, racecar drivers have battled the stereotype that they are not athletes, and with little regard for them as athletes, drivers are seldom the focus of scientific research related to their performance. Like the cars they drive, driver-athletes are complex, but from a physiological perspective. However, unlike the cars they drive, driver-athletes have not been examined, evaluated, and tweaked to the same degree. The purpose of this review is two-fold: first, by examining the available literature, to make the case for new research into the driver's role in the driver-car system (i.e. driver science) and the stresses experienced; second, to make the case for more extensive use of microtechnology in the real-time monitoring of driver-athletes. With the miniaturization of sensors and the advent of portable data storage devices, the prospect of quantifying the stresses unique to the driver are no longer as daunting, and the relative impossibility and difficulties associated with measuring the driver-athlete in real-time no longer need to be as challenging. Using microtechnology in the assessment of the driver-athlete and with a more public discussion and dissemination of information on the topic of driver science, the scientific community has the opportunity to quantify that which has been largely assumed and speculated. The current article will offer the following recommendations: first, rather than examining a singular physiological stressor, to examine the interaction of stressors; second, to examine variables/stressors that are more representative of the changing driver demographics; third, to measure drivers in real-time during actual race events; lastly, to work to develop training programs that more accurately apply to the driver and the stresses experienced. In uncovering this information, there is an opportunity to contribute to racing becoming that much safer, that much more competitive, and that much more comprehensive for the driver, the team, and the sport.

Child passengers and driver culpability in fatal crashes by driver gender.

PubMed

Maasalo, Ida; Lehtonen, Esko; Pekkanen, Jami; Summala, Heikki

2016-07-03

Studies based on accident statistics generally suggest that the presence of a passenger reduces adult drivers' accident risk. However, passengers have been reported to be a source of distraction in a remarkable portion of distraction-related crashes. Although the effect of passengers on driving performance has been studied extensively, few studies have focused on how a child passenger affects the driver.  A child in a car is a potential distractor for parents, especially for mothers of small children, who often suffer from sleep deficit. The aim of this study was to examine how the presence of child passengers of different ages is associated with a higher driver culpability, which was expected due to child-related distraction and fatigue. The analysis was based on the comprehensive data of fatal crashes studied in-depth by multidisciplinary road accident investigation teams in Finland during 1988-2012. Teams determine the primary party who had the most crucial effect on the origin of the event. We define the primary party as culpable and the others involved as nonculpable drivers. The culpability rate was defined as the percentage of culpable drivers and rates were compared for drivers with a child/teen passenger aged 0-17 years (N = 348), with an adult passenger without children (N = 324), and when driving alone (N = 579), grouped by child age and driver gender.  Drivers with specific risk-related behavior (substantial speeding, driving when intoxicated, unbelted, or without a license) were excluded from the analyses, in order to make the drivers with and without children comparable. Only drivers 26-47 years old were included, representing parents with children 0-9 years of age. Male drivers were less often culpable with 0- to 17-year-old passengers in the car than alone or with adults. This was not the case with female drivers. The gender difference in culpability was most marked with small children age 0-4 years. Female drivers' culpability rate with a 0- to 4-year-old child passenger was higher and male drivers' culpability rate was lower compared to drivers without passengers or with only adult passengers. The results indicate that female drivers are at higher risk of crashes than male drivers when driving with small children. Further research is needed to replicate this finding and to determine causal mechanisms.

49 CFR 383.23 - Commercial driver's license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES Single License Requirement § 383.23 Commercial driver's license. (a... the single license provision of § 383.21, a driver holding a commercial driver's license issued under... be considered valid commercial drivers' licenses for purposes of behind-the-wheel training on public...

23 CFR 1327.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... RECEIVING INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL DRIVER REGISTER PROBLEM DRIVER POINTER SYSTEM § 1327.3 Definitions... drivers who are, based on their records, suspected of being or known to be problem drivers. (d) Driver... personal identifying information in an inquiry compares with the personal identifying information on a...

M-CASTL 2008 synthesis report : volume 2, teen driver safety.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-05-01

Teen drivers have the highest crash rates of any age-group of drivers, with the possible : exception of the very oldest drivers. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of morbidity : and mortality among teens. Not only are teen drivers more like...

Acoustic Levitation With One Driver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, T. G.; Rudnick, I.; Elleman, D. D.; Stoneburner, J. D.

1985-01-01

Report discusses acoustic levitation in rectangular chamber using one driver mounted at corner. Placement of driver at corner enables it to couple effectively to acoustic modes along all three axes. Use of single driver reduces cost, complexity and weight of levitation system below those of three driver system.

Commercial Truck Driver Health and Safety: Exploring Distracted Driving Performance and Self-Reported Driving Skill.

PubMed

Stavrinos, Despina; Heaton, Karen; Welburn, Sharon C; McManus, Benjamin; Griffin, Russell; Fine, Philip R

2016-08-01

Reducing distracters detrimental to commercial truck driving is a critical component of improving the safety performance of commercial drivers, and makes the highways safer for all drivers. This study used a driving simulator to examine effects of cell phone, texting, and email distractions as well as self-reported driver optimism bias on the driving performance of commercial truck drivers. Results revealed that more visually demanding tasks were related to poorer driving performance. However, the cell phone task resulted in less off-the-road eye glances. Drivers reporting being "very skilled" displayed poorer driving performance than those reporting being "skilled." Onboard communication devices provide a practical, yet visually and manually demanding, solution for connecting drivers and dispatchers. Trucking company policies should minimize interaction between dispatchers and drivers when the truck is in motion. Training facilities should integrate driving simulators into the instruction of commercial drivers, targeting over-confident drivers. © 2016 The Author(s).

Effects of driver cell-phone use on driver aggression.

PubMed

McGarva, Andrew R; Ramsey, Matthew; Shear, Suzannah A

2006-04-01

Using 2 field procedures, the authors assessed impacts of cell-phone use on mild forms of driver aggression. Participants were 135 drivers traveling within a city of approximately 17,000 people in an otherwise little-populated region of western North Dakota. The authors videotaped the participants while a confederate driver in a low-status vehicle frustrated them. In Experiment 1, the confederate was traveling well under the posted speed limit. In Experiment 2, the confederate remained motionless at a stoplight that had turned green. When the confederate visibly talked on a hand-held cell phone (n = 67), male drivers exhibited their frustration by honking their horn more quickly and frequently than did drivers in no-cell-phone trials, and female drivers were more angry according to blind judgments of videotaped facial expressions that were compared with those of drivers in no-cell-phone trials (n = 68). The present results suggested that driver cell-phone use contributes to the growing crisis of roadway aggression.

A driver-adaptive stability control strategy for sport utility vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Shenjin; He, Yuping

2017-08-01

Conventional vehicle stability control (VSC) systems are designed for average drivers. For a driver with a good driving skill, the VSC systems may be redundant; for a driver with a poor driving skill, the VSC intervention may be inadequate. To increase safety of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), this paper proposes a novel driver-adaptive VSC (DAVSC) strategy based on scaling the target yaw rate commanded by the driver. The DAVSC system is adaptive to drivers' driving skills. More control effort would be exerted for drivers with poor driving skills, and vice versa. A sliding mode control (SMC)-based differential braking (DB) controller is designed using a three degrees of freedom (DOF) yaw-plane model. An eight DOF nonlinear yaw-roll model is used to simulate the SUV dynamics. Two driver models, namely longitudinal and lateral, are used to 'drive' the virtual SUV. By integrating the virtual SUV, the DB controller, and the driver models, the performance of the DAVSC system is investigated. The simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the DAVSC strategy.

Discovering potential driver genes through an integrated model of somatic mutation profiles and gene functional information.

PubMed

Xi, Jianing; Wang, Minghui; Li, Ao

2017-09-26

The accumulating availability of next-generation sequencing data offers an opportunity to pinpoint driver genes that are causally implicated in oncogenesis through computational models. Despite previous efforts made regarding this challenging problem, there is still room for improvement in the driver gene identification accuracy. In this paper, we propose a novel integrated approach called IntDriver for prioritizing driver genes. Based on a matrix factorization framework, IntDriver can effectively incorporate functional information from both the interaction network and Gene Ontology similarity, and detect driver genes mutated in different sets of patients at the same time. When evaluated through known benchmarking driver genes, the top ranked genes of our result show highly significant enrichment for the known genes. Meanwhile, IntDriver also detects some known driver genes that are not found by the other competing approaches. When measured by precision, recall and F1 score, the performances of our approach are comparable or increased in comparison to the competing approaches.

Driver performance and attention allocation in use of logo signs on freeway exit ramps.

PubMed

Zahabi, Maryam; Machado, Patricia; Lau, Mei Ying; Deng, Yulin; Pankok, Carl; Hummer, Joseph; Rasdorf, William; Kaber, David B

2017-11-01

The objective of this research was to quantify the effects of driver age, ramp signage configuration, including number of panels, logo format and sign familiarity, on driver performance and attention allocation when exiting freeways. Sixty drivers participated in a simulator study and analysis of variance models were used to assess response effects of the controlled manipulations. Results revealed elderly drivers to demonstrate worse performance and conservative control strategies as compared to middle-aged and young drivers. Elderly drivers also exhibited lower off-road fixation frequency and shorter off-road glance durations compared to middle-aged and young drivers. In general, drivers adopted a more conservative strategy when exposed to nine-panel signs as compared to six-panel signs and were more accurate in target detection when searching six-panels vs. nine and with familiar vs. unfamiliar logos. These findings provide an applicable guide for agency design of freeway ramp signage accounting for driver demographics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive characteristics of older Japanese drivers.

PubMed

Susilowati, Indri H; Yasukouchi, Akira

2012-02-29

Some causes of accidents among older drivers are: not paying attention to traffic signals; missing stop lines; and having to deal with and misjudging emergency situations. These causes of accidents reveal problems with attention and cognition. Such incidents are also related to driver perception and stress-coping mechanisms. It is important to examine the relation of stress reactions to attention and cognition as a factor influencing the causes of accidents commonly involving older drivers. Subjects were 10 young drivers (23.3 ± 3.33 years) and 25 older drivers divided into two groups (older1 [60 to 65 years] and older2 [> 65 years]). This study revealed the correlation within driver stress inventory and driver coping questionnaires parameters was observed only in older drivers. They also needed a longer response time for Trail Making Test A and B. The factors affected the attention and cognition of older drivers by age but not driving experience itself, and coping parameters such as emotion focus, reappraisal, and avoidance were not included as stress inventory parameters. Being prone to fatigue was less for younger drivers than older drivers. Because they have shorter distances, shorter drive times, and no need for expressways, older drivers also had a significantly lower risk of thrill-seeking behaviour and more patience. The intervention addressing their attention skills, aggressive feelings, and emotion focus should be considered. The technological improvements in cars will make older drivers feel safer and make driving easier which might lower the attention paid to the road, and regular driving training might be needed to assess and enhance their safety.

Cognitive characteristics of older Japanese drivers

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Some causes of accidents among older drivers are: not paying attention to traffic signals; missing stop lines; and having to deal with and misjudging emergency situations. These causes of accidents reveal problems with attention and cognition. Such incidents are also related to driver perception and stress-coping mechanisms. It is important to examine the relation of stress reactions to attention and cognition as a factor influencing the causes of accidents commonly involving older drivers. Finding Subjects were 10 young drivers (23.3 ± 3.33 years) and 25 older drivers divided into two groups (older1 [60 to 65 years] and older2 [> 65 years]). This study revealed the correlation within driver stress inventory and driver coping questionnaires parameters was observed only in older drivers. They also needed a longer response time for Trail Making Test A and B. The factors affected the attention and cognition of older drivers by age but not driving experience itself, and coping parameters such as emotion focus, reappraisal, and avoidance were not included as stress inventory parameters. Being prone to fatigue was less for younger drivers than older drivers. Because they have shorter distances, shorter drive times, and no need for expressways, older drivers also had a significantly lower risk of thrill-seeking behaviour and more patience. Conclusion The intervention addressing their attention skills, aggressive feelings, and emotion focus should be considered. The technological improvements in cars will make older drivers feel safer and make driving easier which might lower the attention paid to the road, and regular driving training might be needed to assess and enhance their safety. PMID:22738158

Sudden illness while driving a vehicle--a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers in Japan.

PubMed

Hitosugi, Masahito; Gomei, Sayaka; Okubo, Takao; Tokudome, Shogo

2012-01-01

We performed a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers to clarify the background of incidents of sudden illness while driving. The analysis used reports submitted by employers to the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism regarding commercial drivers who had been ordered to stop driving owing to health problems. Of 211 cases with an average work history of 15.2 years, there were 88 bus drivers, 70 taxi drivers, and 53 truck drivers, 36.0% of who had died as a result of their disease. Among taxi and truck drivers, more than 70% of incidents were due to cardiac, aortic, and cerebrovascular disease. More than 80% of these were unable to avoid traffic accidents caused by sudden illness. However, among bus drivers, cardiac, aortic, and cerebrovascular disease accounted for only 23.5% of incidents, and accidents were avoided in more than half of the cases. The duration between starting work and the incident time was significantly shorter among bus drivers [mean 3.3 hours, standard deviation (SD) 3.1] than taxi (7.7 hours, SD 5.8) and truck (7.2 hours, SD 6.3) drivers (P<0.01). The difference between the sudden illness rates of taxi and truck drivers and those of bus drivers is due to both reporting bias and differences in the awareness needed to prevent disabling events while driving. As a precaution, physicians should advise commercial drivers to stop driving as soon as they detect slight discomfort. To prevent accidents, more assertive health promotion aimed at professional drivers is needed.

Multiple logistic regression model of signalling practices of drivers on urban highways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puan, Othman Che; Ibrahim, Muttaka Na'iya; Zakaria, Rozana

2015-05-01

Giving signal is a way of informing other road users, especially to the conflicting drivers, the intention of a driver to change his/her movement course. Other users are exposed to hazard situation and risks of accident if the driver who changes his/her course failed to give signal as required. This paper describes the application of logistic regression model for the analysis of driver's signalling practices on multilane highways based on possible factors affecting driver's decision such as driver's gender, vehicle's type, vehicle's speed and traffic flow intensity. Data pertaining to the analysis of such factors were collected manually. More than 2000 drivers who have performed a lane changing manoeuvre while driving on two sections of multilane highways were observed. Finding from the study shows that relatively a large proportion of drivers failed to give any signals when changing lane. The result of the analysis indicates that although the proportion of the drivers who failed to provide signal prior to lane changing manoeuvre is high, the degree of compliances of the female drivers is better than the male drivers. A binary logistic model was developed to represent the probability of a driver to provide signal indication prior to lane changing manoeuvre. The model indicates that driver's gender, type of vehicle's driven, speed of vehicle and traffic volume influence the driver's decision to provide a signal indication prior to a lane changing manoeuvre on a multilane urban highway. In terms of types of vehicles driven, about 97% of motorcyclists failed to comply with the signal indication requirement. The proportion of non-compliance drivers under stable traffic flow conditions is much higher than when the flow is relatively heavy. This is consistent with the data which indicates a high degree of non-compliances when the average speed of the traffic stream is relatively high.

Taxi 'sugar daddies' and taxi queens: male taxi driver attitudes regarding transactional relationships in the Western Cape, South Africa.

PubMed

Potgieter, Cheryl; Strebel, Anna; Shefer, Tamara; Wagner, Claire

2012-11-01

Media reports are emerging on the phenomenon of young girls who travel with older mini-bus taxi drivers, and who are thought to have sex with the drivers in exchange for gifts and money. The extent to which such relationships might facilitate unsafe sexual practices and increased risks for both the men and the young women, often referred to as taxi queens, remains an important question in the light of the current challenges of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. However, very little research has been undertaken on this issue, especially regarding the perceptions and experiences of taxi drivers. Thus this paper aims to provide some preliminary findings on taxi drivers' attitudes and beliefs about taxi queens and their relationships with taxi drivers. A 22-item questionnaire was administered to 223 male taxi drivers in two regions in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Taxi drivers in this study largely saw the relationship between taxi drivers and the young girls who ride with them as providing status for both the girls and drivers, and there seemed to be recognition of the transactional nature of the relationship between taxi drivers and taxi queens. The stigmatisation of young girls who ride with taxi drivers was evident. Drivers had knowledge and awareness of the risks of unsafe sex and supported condom use, although there appeared to be some uncertainty and confusion about the likelihood of HIV infection between drivers and girls. While taxi drivers recognised the role of alcohol in relationships with young girls, they seemed to deny that the abuse of drugs was common. The study highlights a number of key areas that need to be explored with men in the taxi industry, in order to address risk behaviours for both taxi drivers and the girls who ride with them.

Preliminary evaluation of the North Carolina graduated driver licensing system : effects on young driver crashes

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-07-01

In December 1997, North Carolina became the second state to enact a comprehensive Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system. The purpose of the GSL is to reduce young driver crashes by introducing beginning drivers to the full range of driving experien...

Driver Education Saves Gas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Automobile Association, Falls Church, VA. Traffic Engineering and Safety Dept.

The argument that driver education should be dropped because driver education cars use gas is shortsighted. High school driver education is an excellent vehicle for teaching concepts of energy conservation. A small investment in fuel now can result in major savings of gasoline over a student's lifetime. In addition good driver education courses…

49 CFR 391.41 - Physical qualifications for drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Physical qualifications for drivers. 391.41... QUALIFICATIONS OF DRIVERS AND LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV) DRIVER INSTRUCTORS Physical Qualifications and Examinations § 391.41 Physical qualifications for drivers. (a)(1)(i) A person subject to this part must not...

49 CFR 391.41 - Physical qualifications for drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Physical qualifications for drivers. 391.41... QUALIFICATIONS OF DRIVERS AND LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV) DRIVER INSTRUCTORS Physical Qualifications and Examinations § 391.41 Physical qualifications for drivers. (a)(1)(i) A person subject to this part must not...

49 CFR 391.41 - Physical qualifications for drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Physical qualifications for drivers. 391.41... QUALIFICATIONS OF DRIVERS AND LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV) DRIVER INSTRUCTORS Physical Qualifications and Examinations § 391.41 Physical qualifications for drivers. (a)(1)(i) A person subject to this part must not...

49 CFR 391.41 - Physical qualifications for drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Physical qualifications for drivers. 391.41... QUALIFICATIONS OF DRIVERS AND LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV) DRIVER INSTRUCTORS Physical Qualifications and Examinations § 391.41 Physical qualifications for drivers. (a)(1)(i) A person subject to this part must not...

Improving Driver Performance. A Curriculum for Licensed Drivers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility, Washington, DC.

Curriculum material presented in this manual is for use in the development of an instructional program for drivers who either want or need to improve their driving performance. Three principal units are included: man and highway transportation, driver performance, and factors influencing driver behavior. Each unit is further divided into episodes…

49 CFR 391.61 - Drivers who were regularly employed before January 1, 1971.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... (Continued) FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS QUALIFICATIONS OF DRIVERS AND LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV) DRIVER INSTRUCTORS...), and § 391.33 (relating to road tests) do not apply to a driver who has been a single-employer driver...

49 CFR 391.61 - Drivers who were regularly employed before January 1, 1971.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (Continued) FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS QUALIFICATIONS OF DRIVERS AND LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV) DRIVER INSTRUCTORS...), and § 391.33 (relating to road tests) do not apply to a driver who has been a single-employer driver...

Characteristics of Two Groups of Angry Drivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deffenbacher, Jerry L.; Filetti, Linda B.; Richards, Tracy L.; Lynch, Rebekah S.; Oetting, Eugene R.

2003-01-01

High anger drivers acknowledging problems with driving anger and interest in counseling (high anger/problem [HP] drivers) were compared with high and low anger drivers not acknowledging problems with driving anger and seeking counseling (high and low/nonproblem [HNP and LNP, respectively] drivers). High anger groups reported more anger while…

Safe Driving Knowledge Dissemination and Testing Techniques. Volume II: Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKnight, James; Green, Molly A.

In order to determine the effectiveness of improved information dissemination and assessment techniques in reducing highway accidents, a set of seven targeted driver license manuals and tests were developed for the following groups of drivers: new drivers, youthful drivers, renewal applicants, older drivers, traffic violators, accident repeaters,…

Safe Driving Knowledge Dissemination and Testing Techniques. Volume 1: General Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKnight, James; Green, Molly A.

In order to determine the effectiveness of improved information dissemination and assessment techniques in reducing highway accidents, a set of seven targeted driver license manuals and tests were developed for the following groups of drivers: new drivers, youthful drivers, renewal applicants, older drivers, traffic violators, accident repeaters,…

Survival pattern of first accident among commercial drivers in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

PubMed

Nanga, Salifu; Odai, Nii Afotey; Lotsi, Anani

2017-06-01

In this study, the average accident risk of commercial drivers in the Greater Accra region of Ghana and its associated risks were examined based on a survey data collected using paper-based questionnaires from 204 commercial drivers from the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The Cox Proportional Hazards Model was used for multivariate analysis while the Kaplan-Meier (KM) Model was used to study the survival patterns of the commercial drivers. The study revealed that the median survival time for an accident to happen is 2.50 years. Good roads provided a better chance of survival than bad roads and experienced drivers have a better chance of survival than the inexperienced drivers. Age of driver, alcohol usage of driver, marital status, condition of road and duration of driver's license were found to be related to the risk of accident. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Static Anthropometric Characteristics of Bangladeshi Vehicle Driver: A Case Study

PubMed Central

Sarker, E.

2016-01-01

Background. Inappropriate design of sitting furniture and working equipment causes the serious musculoskeletal injuries and various pains as well as reducing working efficiency. Uncomfortable sitting posture in prolonged driving in Bangladesh is an issue to be solved immediately. Therefore, anthropometric databank of user population is significantly essential for the suitable dimensional design for avoiding these remarkable problems. Methods. This study analyses the anthropometric data of the Bangladeshi male vehicle driver aged between 30 and 60 years. A total of 210 Bangladeshi healthy drivers are considered for 15 anthropometric measurements and compared with the similar anthropometrics of other nationalities. Results. The mean stature and sitting height erect of Bangladeshi driver are 1645 mm and 843 mm, respectively. The mean of body mass index (BMI) of the drivers is 26.09 kg/m2, which indicates that the drivers are overweight. The mean stature of Bangladeshi driver is 17 mm shorter than the driver of Korea and 115 mm shorter than the driver of Iran. Conclusion. There are substantial differences between the body dimensions of Bangladeshi driver and similar dimensions of other countries. In comparison, Bangladeshi driver is found to be the shortest compared with the sample of other nationalities. PMID:27579216

The strength of graduated drivers license programs and fatalities among teen drivers and passengers.

PubMed

Morrisey, Michael A; Grabowski, David C; Dee, Thomas S; Campbell, Christine

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of differentially stringent graduated drivers license programs on teen driver fatalities, day-time and night-time teen driver fatalities, fatalities of teen drivers with passengers present, and fatalities among teen passengers. The study uses 1992-2002 data on motor vehicle fatalities among 15-17-year-old drivers from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System to identify the effects of "good", "fair", and "marginal" GDL programs based upon designations by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Analysis is conducted using conditional negative binomial regressions with fixed effects. "Good" programs reduce total fatalities among young drivers by 19.4% (c.i. -33.0%, -5.9%). "Fair" programs reduce night-time young driver fatalities by 12.6% (c.i. -23.9%, -1.2%), but have no effect on day-time fatalities. "Marginal" programs had no statistically meaningful effect on driver fatalities. All three types of programs reduced teen passenger fatalities, but the effects of limitations on the number of passengers appear to have had only minimal effects in reducing fatalities among young drivers themselves. Stronger GDL programs are more effective than weaker programs in reducing teenage motor vehicle fatalities.

Regulating danger on the highways: hours of service regulations.

PubMed

Mansfield, Daniel; Kryger, Meir

2015-12-01

Current hours of service regulations governing commercial truck drivers in place in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the European Union are summarized and compared to facilitate the assessment of the effectiveness of such provisions in preventing fatigue and drowsiness among truck drivers. Current hours of service provisions governing commercial truck drivers were derived from governmental sources. The commercial truck driver hours of service provisions in the United States, Canada, and the European Union permit drivers to work 14 hours and those of Australia permit drivers to work 12 hours a day on a regular basis. The regulations do not state what a driver may do with time off. They are consistent with a driver being able to drive after 24 hours without sleep. They do not take into account circadian rhythm by linking driving or rest to time of day. Current hours of service regulations governing commercial truck drivers leave gaps--permitting drivers to work long hours on a regular basis, permitting driving after no sleep for 24 hours, and failing to take into account the importance of circadian rhythm, endangering the public safety and the truck drivers themselves. Copyright © 2015 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Artefacts of questionnaire-based psychological testing of drivers].

PubMed

Łuczak, Anna; Tarnowski, Adam

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to draw attention to a significant role of social approval variable in the qustionnaire-based diagnosis of drivers' psychological aptitude. Three questionnaires were used: Formal Characteristics of Behavior - Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R(S) and Impulsiveness Questionnaire (Impulsiveness, Venturesomeness, Empathy - IVE). Three groups of drivers were analyzed: professional "without crashes" (N = 46), nonprofessional "without crashes" (N = 75), and nonprofessional "with crashes" (N = 75). Nonprofessional drivers "without crashes" significantly stood up against other drivers. Their personality profile, indicating a significantly utmost perseveration, emotional reactivity, neuroticism, impulsiveness and the lowest endurance did not fit in to the requirements to be met by drivers. The driver safety profile was characteristic of professional drivers (the lowest level of perseveration, impulsiveness and neuroticism and the highest level of endurance). Similar profile occurred among nonprofessional drivers--the offenders of road crashes. Compared to the nonprofessional "without crashes" group, professional drivers and offenders of road crashes were also characterized by a significantly higher score on the Lie scale, determining the need for social approval. This is likely to result from the study procedure according to which the result of professional drivers testing had an impact on a possible continuity of their job and that of nonprofessional drivers "with crashes" decided about possible recovery of the driving license. The variable of social approval can be a significant artifact in the study of psychological drivers' testing and reduce the reliability of the results of questionnaire methods.

Risks older drivers face themselves and threats they pose to other road users.

PubMed

Evans, L

2000-04-01

Although there is an ever increasing literature on older drivers, there is no comprehensive up-to-date presentation of how older drivers are impacted by traffic safety, and how they impact the road safety of others. This paper uses 1994-1996 US data to determine how many rates related to traffic safety depend on the age and sex of road users (fatalities, fatalities per licensed driver, etc.) Threats drivers pose to other road users are estimated by driver involvement in pedestrian fatality crashes. It is found that renewing the licence of a 70-year-old male driver for another year poses, on average, 40% less threat to other road users than renewing the license of a 40-year-old male driver. The fatality risks drivers themselves face generally increase as they age, with the increased risk of death in the same severity crash being a major contributor. If this factor is removed, crash risks for 70-year-old male drivers are not materially higher than for 40-year-old male drivers; for female drivers they are. Most driver rates increase substantially by age 80, in many cases to values higher than those for 20-year-olds. Given that a death occurs, the probability that it is a traffic fatality declines steeply with age, from well over 20% for late teens through mid twenties, to under one per cent at age 65, and under half a per cent at age 80.

Minimum Required Attention: A Human-Centered Approach to Driver Inattention.

PubMed

Kircher, Katja; Ahlstrom, Christer

2017-05-01

To propose a driver attention theory based on the notion of driving as a satisficing and partially self-paced task and, within this framework, present a definition for driver inattention. Many definitions of driver inattention and distraction have been proposed, but they are difficult to operationalize, and they are either unreasonably strict and inflexible or suffer from hindsight bias. Existing definitions of driver distraction are reviewed and their shortcomings identified. We then present the minimum required attention (MiRA) theory to overcome these shortcomings. Suggestions on how to operationalize MiRA are also presented. MiRA describes which role the attention of the driver plays in the shared "situation awareness of the traffic system." A driver is considered attentive when sampling sufficient information to meet the demands of the system, namely, that he or she fulfills the preconditions to be able to form and maintain a good enough mental representation of the situation. A driver should only be considered inattentive when information sampling is not sufficient, regardless of whether the driver is concurrently executing an additional task or not. The MiRA theory builds on well-established driver attention theories. It goes beyond available driver distraction definitions by first defining what a driver needs to be attentive to, being free from hindsight bias, and allowing the driver to adapt to the current demands of the traffic situation through satisficing and self-pacing. MiRA has the potential to provide the stepping stone for unbiased and operationalizable inattention detection and classification.

Does assisted driving behavior lead to safety-critical encounters with unequipped vehicles' drivers?

PubMed

Preuk, Katharina; Stemmler, Eric; Schießl, Caroline; Jipp, Meike

2016-10-01

With Intelligent Transport Systems (e.g., traffic light assistance systems) assisted drivers are able to show driving behavior in anticipation of upcoming traffic situations. In the years to come, the penetration rate of such systems will be low. Therefore, the majority of vehicles will not be equipped with these systems. Unequipped vehicles' drivers may not expect the driving behavior of assisted drivers. However, drivers' predictions and expectations can play a significant role in their reaction times. Thus, safety issues could arise when unequipped vehicles' drivers encounter driving behavior of assisted drivers. This is why we tested how unequipped vehicles' drivers (N=60) interpreted and reacted to the driving behavior of an assisted driver. We used a multi-driver simulator with three drivers. The three drivers were driving in a line. The lead driver in the line was a confederate who was followed by two unequipped vehicles' drivers. We varied the equipment of the confederate with an Intelligent Transport System: The confederate was equipped either with or without a traffic light assistance system. The traffic light assistance system provided a start-up maneuver before a light turned green. Therefore, the assisted confederate seemed to show unusual deceleration behavior by coming to a halt at an unusual distance from the stop line at the red traffic light. The unusual distance was varied as we tested a moderate (4m distance from the stop line) and an extreme (10m distance from the stop line) parameterization of the system. Our results showed that the extreme parametrization resulted in shorter minimal time-to-collision of the unequipped vehicles' drivers. One rear-end crash was observed. These results provided initial evidence that safety issues can arise when unequipped vehicles' drivers encounter assisted driving behavior. We recommend that future research identifies counteractions to prevent these safety issues. Moreover, we recommend that system developers discuss the best parameterizations of their systems to ensure benefits but also the safety in encounters with unequipped vehicles' drivers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Sleepiness and Accidental Risk in 36140 Regularly Registered Highway Drivers

PubMed Central

Philip, Pierre; Micoulaud-Franchi, Jean-Arthur; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Taillard, Jacques; Canel, Annick; Sagaspe, Patricia; Bioulac, Stéphanie

2015-01-01

Background Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a frequent neurodevelopmental disorder that increases accidental risk. Recent studies show that some patients with ADHD can also suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness but there are no data assessing the role of sleepiness in road safety in patients with ADHD. We conducted an epidemiological study to explore sleep complaints, inattention and driving risks among automobile drivers. Methods and Findings From August to September 2014, 491186 regular highway users were invited to participate in an Internet survey on driving habits. 36140 drivers answered a questionnaire exploring driving risks, sleep complaints, sleepiness at the wheel, ADHD symptoms (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) and distraction at the wheel. 1.7% of all drivers reported inattention-related driving accidents and 0.3% sleep-related driving accidents in the previous year. 1543 drivers (4.3%) reported ADHD symptoms and were more likely to report accidents than drivers without ADHD symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.24, [1.03–1.51], p < .021). 14.2% of drivers with ADHD symptoms reported severe excessive daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale >15) versus 3.2% of drivers without ADHD symptoms and 20.5% reported severe sleepiness at the wheel versus 7.3%. Drivers with ADHD symptoms reported significantly more sleep-related (adjusted OR = 1.4, [1.21–1.60], p < .0001) and inattention-related (adjusted OR = 1.9, [1.71–2.14], p<0001) near misses than drivers without ADHD symptoms. The fraction of near-misses attributable to severe sleepiness at the wheel was 4.24% for drivers without ADHD symptoms versus 10,35% for drivers with ADHD symptoms. Conclusion Our study shows that drivers with ADHD symptoms have more accidents and a higher level of sleepiness at the wheel than drivers without ADHD symptoms. Drivers with ADHD symptoms report more sleep-related and inattention-related near misses, thus confirming the clinical importance of exploring both attentional deficits and sleepiness at the wheel in these drivers. Road safety campaigns should be improved to better inform drivers of these accidental risks. PMID:26376078

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Sleepiness and Accidental Risk in 36140 Regularly Registered Highway Drivers.

PubMed

Philip, Pierre; Micoulaud-Franchi, Jean-Arthur; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Taillard, Jacques; Canel, Annick; Sagaspe, Patricia; Bioulac, Stéphanie

2015-01-01

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a frequent neurodevelopmental disorder that increases accidental risk. Recent studies show that some patients with ADHD can also suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness but there are no data assessing the role of sleepiness in road safety in patients with ADHD. We conducted an epidemiological study to explore sleep complaints, inattention and driving risks among automobile drivers. From August to September 2014, 491186 regular highway users were invited to participate in an Internet survey on driving habits. 36140 drivers answered a questionnaire exploring driving risks, sleep complaints, sleepiness at the wheel, ADHD symptoms (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) and distraction at the wheel. 1.7% of all drivers reported inattention-related driving accidents and 0.3% sleep-related driving accidents in the previous year. 1543 drivers (4.3%) reported ADHD symptoms and were more likely to report accidents than drivers without ADHD symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.24, [1.03-1.51], p < .021). 14.2% of drivers with ADHD symptoms reported severe excessive daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale >15) versus 3.2% of drivers without ADHD symptoms and 20.5% reported severe sleepiness at the wheel versus 7.3%. Drivers with ADHD symptoms reported significantly more sleep-related (adjusted OR = 1.4, [1.21-1.60], p < .0001) and inattention-related (adjusted OR = 1.9, [1.71-2.14], p<0001) near misses than drivers without ADHD symptoms. The fraction of near-misses attributable to severe sleepiness at the wheel was 4.24% for drivers without ADHD symptoms versus 10,35% for drivers with ADHD symptoms. Our study shows that drivers with ADHD symptoms have more accidents and a higher level of sleepiness at the wheel than drivers without ADHD symptoms. Drivers with ADHD symptoms report more sleep-related and inattention-related near misses, thus confirming the clinical importance of exploring both attentional deficits and sleepiness at the wheel in these drivers. Road safety campaigns should be improved to better inform drivers of these accidental risks.

Identifying driver characteristics influencing overtaking crashes.

PubMed

Mohaymany, Afshin Shariat; Kashani, Ali Tavakoli; Ranjbari, Andishe

2010-08-01

To identify the most important driver characteristics influencing crash-causing overtaking maneuvers on 2-lane, 2-way rural roads of Iran. Based on the crash data for rural roads of Iran over 3 years from 2006 to 2008, the classification and regression tree (CART) method combined with the quasi-induced exposure concept was applied for 4 independent variables and one target variable of "driver status" with 2 classes of at fault and not at fault. The independent variables were vehicle type, driver's age, driving license, and driving experience of the driver-the latter 2 driver characteristics are relatively new in traffic safety studies. According to the data set, 16,809 drivers were involved in 2-lane, 2-way rural roads overtaking crashes. The analysis revealed that drivers who are younger than 28 years old, whose driving license is type 2--a common driving license that is for driving with passenger car and light vehicles--and whose driving experience is less than 2 years are most probably responsible for overtaking crashes. It was indicated that vehicle type is the most important factor associated with drivers being responsible for the crashes. The results also revealed that younger drivers (18-28 years) are most likely to be at fault in overtaking crashes. Therefore, enforcement and education should be more concentrated on this age group. Due to the incompliant nature of this group, changing the type and amount of traffic fines is essential for more preventing objectives. The research also found 2 relatively new factors of driving license and driving experience to have considerable effects on drivers being at fault, such that type 2 licensed drivers are more responsible compared to type 1 (a driving license for driving with all motor vehicles, which has some age and experience requirements) licensed drivers or drivers with a special license (a driving license with special vehicle types). Moreover, drivers with less than 2 years' driving experience are more responsible for these kind of crashes; thus prohibiting new drivers from driving on rural roads for new drivers seems substantial.

The effect of feedback on attitudes toward cellular phone use while driving: a comparison between novice and experienced drivers.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Zhang, Wei; Reimer, Bryan; Lavallière, Martin; Lesch, Mary F; Horrey, William J; Wu, Su

2010-10-01

To assess and compare the effectiveness of a simulation-based approach to change drivers' attitudes toward cellular phone use while driving for younger novice and older experienced drivers. Thirty young novice drivers were tested on a driving simulator in this study. Their performance in dealing with driving tasks was measured for a single task and dual tasks (driving while using a cellular phone) and compared to 30 older experienced drivers tested previously in another study. Half of the younger drivers received video-based feedback regarding their performance in the two conditions, with an emphasis on the contribution of dual-tasking to degraded performance. The other half did not receive any performance feedback. Drivers' perceptions and attitudes toward cellular phone use while driving were investigated by a questionnaire before, immediately after, and again one month following the simulation-based testing for both groups of drivers (feedback; no feedback). All drivers (including the novice and experienced) reported willingness to engage in driving and talking on a cellular phone in some situations. The simulated driving test showed that a secondary cellular phone task significantly degraded driving performance for both the novice and the experienced drivers. The feedback treatment group (both the novice and the experienced) showed significant attitude change toward cellular phone use while driving (toward being less favorable), whereas the control group had no attitude change. At the one-month follow-up, the benefit of feedback was sustained more so in the experienced driver group than the novice driver group, although both groups still benefited relative to the control conditions. Simulation-based feedback training is promising for short-term education in novice drivers but may be more effective in the long-term for drivers with higher levels of experience. Drivers with more experience appear to have a greater, more sustained benefit from the training than novices. Additional research is needed to better tailor this education method toward novice drivers. Simulation-based participative education approach through feedback needs to be better tailored toward novice drivers.

Asleep at the automated wheel-Sleepiness and fatigue during highly automated driving.

PubMed

Vogelpohl, Tobias; Kühn, Matthias; Hummel, Thomas; Vollrath, Mark

2018-03-20

Due to the lack of active involvement in the driving situation and due to monotonous driving environments drivers with automation may be prone to become fatigued faster than manual drivers (e.g. Schömig et al., 2015). However, little is known about the progression of fatigue during automated driving and its effects on the ability to take back manual control after a take-over request. In this driving simulator study with Nö=ö60 drivers we used a three factorial 2ö×ö2ö×ö12 mixed design to analyze the progression (12ö×ö5ömin; within subjects) of driver fatigue in drivers with automation compared to manual drivers (between subjects). Driver fatigue was induced as either mainly sleep related or mainly task related fatigue (between subjects). Additionally, we investigated the drivers' reactions to a take-over request in a critical driving scenario to gain insights into the ability of fatigued drivers to regain manual control and situation awareness after automated driving. Drivers in the automated driving condition exhibited facial indicators of fatigue after 15 to 35ömin of driving. Manual drivers only showed similar indicators of fatigue if they suffered from a lack of sleep and then only after a longer period of driving (approx. 40ömin). Several drivers in the automated condition closed their eyes for extended periods of time. In the driving with automation condition mean automation deactivation times after a take-over request were slower for a certain percentage (about 30%) of the drivers with a lack of sleep (Mö=ö3.2; SDö=ö2.1ös) compared to the reaction times after a long drive (Mö=ö2.4; SDö=ö0.9ös). Drivers with automation also took longer than manual drivers to first glance at the speed display after a take-over request and were more likely to stay behind a braking lead vehicle instead of overtaking it. Drivers are unable to stay alert during extended periods of automated driving without non-driving related tasks. Fatigued drivers could pose a serious hazard in complex take-over situations where situation awareness is required to prepare for threats. Driver fatigue monitoring or controllable distraction through non-driving tasks could be necessary to ensure alertness and availability during highly automated driving. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Major weapon system environmental life-cycle cost estimating for Conservation, Cleanup, Compliance and Pollution Prevention (C3P2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammond, Wesley; Thurston, Marland; Hood, Christopher

1995-01-01

The Titan 4 Space Launch Vehicle Program is one of many major weapon system programs that have modified acquisition plans and operational procedures to meet new, stringent environmental rules and regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) mandate to reduce the use of ozone depleting chemicals (ODC's) is just one of the regulatory changes that has affected the program. In the last few years, public environmental awareness, coupled with stricter environmental regulations, has created the need for DOD to produce environmental life-cycle cost estimates (ELCCE) for every major weapon system acquisition program. The environmental impact of the weapon system must be assessed and budgeted, considering all costs, from cradle to grave. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has proposed that organizations consider Conservation, Cleanup, Compliance and Pollution Prevention (C(sup 3)P(sup 2)) issues associated with each acquisition program to assess life-cycle impacts and costs. The Air Force selected the Titan 4 system as the pilot program for estimating life-cycle environmental costs. The estimating task required participants to develop an ELCCE methodology, collect data to test the methodology and produce a credible cost estimate within the DOD C(sup 3)P(sup 2) definition. The estimating methodology included using the Program Office weapon system description and work breakdown structure together with operational site and manufacturing plant visits to identify environmental cost drivers. The results of the Titan IV ELCCE process are discussed and expanded to demonstrate how they can be applied to satisfy any life-cycle environmental cost estimating requirement.

Compliance with driver's license laws and illegal licensing among commercial bus drivers in Lagos, Nigeria: policy implications and evidence for action.

PubMed

Okafor, I P; Odeyemi, K A; Dolapo, D C; Adegbola, A A

2014-09-01

To determine the level of compliance with driver's license laws among commercial bus drivers in Lagos, Nigeria. Two intercity motor parks were selected by simple random sampling and all consenting minibus drivers participated in the study. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were also conducted with selected officials in the driver training and licensing authorities. Compliance with the minimum age for driving was high (93.6%), so also was having driving test prior to driver's license procurement (83.3%). Formal driver training and VA testing were very low, (26.1% and 32.9% respectively) Overall, only 9.3% of them were found to have fulfilled all the pre-license obligations before obtaining their first driver's license. The odds of a driver with a secondary education having formal driver training is 3.33 times higher than those with no education (OR 3.33, 95% CI 1.01-11.35). Drivers who were 60 years or older were 3.62 times more likely to be compliant than those who were between 20-29 years (OR 3.62, 95% CI 0.56-29.19). For the 98.3% of them who possessed valid licenses, 52.3% of them obtained them illegally. All the key officials saw RTIs as a serious public health problem but faced several challenges in the course of their work. Overall compliance with pre-license regulations was very poor. There is need for a review and strict enforcement of driver's license laws to improve compliance. Also vital are fostering inter-sectoral collaboration and improvement in the operations of all establishments involved in driver training and license procurement in Nigeria.

Using event-triggered naturalistic data to examine the prevalence of teen driver distractions in rear-end crashes.

PubMed

Carney, Cher; Harland, Karisa K; McGehee, Daniel V

2016-06-01

While teen driver distraction is cited as a leading cause of crashes, especially rear-end crashes, little information is available regarding its true prevalence. The majority of distraction studies rely on data derived from police reports, which provide limited information regarding driver distraction. This study examined over 400 teen driver rear-end crashes captured by in-vehicle event recorders. A secondary data analysis was conducted, paying specific attention to driver behaviors, eyes-off-road time, and response times to lead-vehicle braking. Among teens in moderate to severe rear-end crashes, over 75% of drivers were observed engaging in a potentially distracting behavior. The most frequently seen driver behaviors were cell phone use, attending to a location outside the vehicle, and attending to passengers. Drivers using a cell phone had a significantly longer response time than drivers not engaged in any behaviors, while those attending to passengers did not. Additionally, in about 50% of the rear-end crashes where the driver was operating/looking at a phone (e.g., texting), the driver showed no driver response (i.e., braking or steering input) before impact, compared to 10% of crashes where the driver was attending to a passenger. The high frequency of attending to passengers and use of a cell phone leading up to a crash, compounded with the associated risks, underlines the importance of continued investigation in these areas. Parents and teens must be educated regarding the frequency of and the potential effects of distractions. Additional enforcement may be necessary if Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs are to be effective. Systems that alert distracted teens could also be especially helpful in reducing rear-end collisions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

On the road again after traumatic brain injury: driver safety and behaviour following on-road assessment and rehabilitation.

PubMed

Ross, Pamela; Ponsford, Jennie L; Di Stefano, Marilyn; Charlton, Judith; Spitz, Gershon

2016-01-01

To examine pre- and post-injury self-reported driver behaviour and safety in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who returned to driving after occupational therapy driver assessment and on-road rehabilitation. A self-report questionnaire, administered at an average of 4.5 years after completing an on-road driver assessment, documenting pre- and post-injury crash rates, near-crashes, frequency of driving, distances driven, driving conditions avoided and navigation skills, was completed by 106 participants, who had either passed the initial driver assessment (pass group n = 74), or required driver rehabilitation, prior to subsequent assessments (rehabilitation group n = 32). No significant difference was found between pre- and post-injury crash rates. Compared to pre-injury, 36.8% of drivers reported limiting driving time, 40.6% drove more slowly, 41.5% reported greater difficulty with navigating and 20.0% reported more near-crashes. The rehabilitation group (with greater injury severity) was significantly more likely to drive less frequently, shorter distances, avoid: driving with passengers, busy traffic, night and freeway driving than the pass group. Many drivers with moderate/severe TBI who completed a driver assessment and rehabilitation program at least 3 months post-injury, reported modifying their driving behaviour, and did not report more crashes compared to pre-injury. On-road driver training and training in navigation may be important interventions in driver rehabilitation programs. Driver assessment and on-road retraining are important aspects of rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury. Many drivers with moderate/severe TBI, reported modifying their driving behaviour to compensate for ongoing impairment and continued to drive safely in the longer term. Navigational difficulties were commonly experienced following TBI, suggesting that training in navigation may be an important aspect of driver rehabilitation.

Knowledge of commercial bus drivers about road safety measures in Lagos, Nigeria.

PubMed

Okafor Ifeoma, P; Odeyemi Kofoworola, A; Dolapo Duro, C

2013-01-01

Road traffic injuries have persisted as a serious public health problem and much of the health burden is in developing countries. Over-speeding, poor enforcement of traffic regulations and commuter buses have been highly implicated in road traffic injuries in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine drivers' knowledge of selected road safety measures, i.e. the pre-requisites for driver's license, road signs and speed limits. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Lagos, Nigeria. Simple random sampling was used to select the two motor parks used for the study and all the consenting commercial minibus drivers operating within the parks (407) were included in the study. Data was collected with a pre-tested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed with epi-info statistical software. Two hundred and sixty-one (64.1%) of them knew that Visual Acuity test should be done before obtaining driver's license and 53.8% knew the correct minimum age for obtaining driver's license. Only 1% of the drivers had correct knowledge of the driver's license authorities in Nigeria. The drivers had poor knowledge of road signs (59.0%) and poor knowledge of maximum speed limits (100%). The oldest, least educated and least experienced drivers had the poorest level of knowledge. The drivers demonstrated poor knowledge of road safety measures. There is need for driver education to improve their knowledge.

The impact of driver age on lost life years for other road users in France: A population based study of crash-involved road users.

PubMed

Lafont, Sylviane; Amoros, Emmanuelle; Gadegbeku, Blandine; Chiron, Mireille; Laumon, Bernard

2008-01-01

One of the concerns in road safety is the threat older drivers may pose to other road users. Using the rate of lost life years, the present study provides a public health approach to quantify this potential threat. A total of 1570686 motorised vehicle drivers or motorcycle riders and 652246 non-drivers, i.e. vehicle passengers, pedestrians and cyclists involved in injury crashes in France between 1996 and 2004, were included in a population based cross-sectional study. Fatality rates and rate of lost life years for each crash-involved driver age class were calculated for the drivers themselves and for other road users. The study has shown a significant reduction in the rate of lost life years for crash-involved other road users (whether passengers, pedestrians, cyclists or opposing drivers) as driver age increases. Other road users lost half as many years of life when involved in crashes with drivers aged over 85 than with drivers under 65 (1.26 and 2.32 per 100 expected remaining life years, respectively). Our findings suggest that among road users involved in injury crashes, older drivers are less dangerous for the other road users. By attributing other road users' lost life years to each driver age, this study represents a new contribution to the debate about ageing and road safety.

Naturalistic distraction and driving safety in older drivers.

PubMed

Aksan, Nazan; Dawson, Jeffrey D; Emerson, Jamie L; Yu, Lixi; Uc, Ergun Y; Anderson, Steven W; Rizzo, Matthew

2013-08-01

In this study, we aimed to quantify and compare performance of middle-aged and older drivers during a naturalistic distraction paradigm (visual search for roadside targets) and to predict older drivers performance given functioning in visual, motor, and cognitive domains. Distracted driving can imperil healthy adults and may disproportionally affect the safety of older drivers with visual, motor, and cognitive decline. A total of 203 drivers, 120 healthy older (61 men and 59 women, ages 65 years and older) and 83 middle-aged drivers (38 men and 45 women, ages 40 to 64 years), participated in an on-road test in an instrumented vehicle. Outcome measures included performance in roadside target identification (traffic signs and restaurants) and concurrent driver safety. Differences in visual, motor, and cognitive functioning served as predictors. Older drivers identified fewer landmarks and drove slower but committed more safety errors than did middle-aged drivers. Greater familiarity with local roads benefited performance of middle-aged but not older drivers.Visual cognition predicted both traffic sign identification and safety errors, and executive function predicted traffic sign identification over and above vision. Older adults are susceptible to driving safety errors while distracted by common secondary visual search tasks that are inherent to driving. The findings underscore that age-related cognitive decline affects older drivers' management of driving tasks at multiple levels and can help inform the design of on-road tests and interventions for older drivers.

Teaching Driver Education Technology to Novice Drivers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Anthony

A cybernetic unit in driver education was developed to help grade 10 students develop the skills needed to acquire and process driver education information and prepare for the driving phase of driver education in grade 11. Students used a simulator to engage in a series of scenarios designed to promote development of social, behavioral, and mental…

49 CFR 391.23 - Investigation and inquiries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... paragraph from all previous employers of the applicant that employed the driver to operate a CMV within the... CMV. (2) Exception. For drivers required to have a commercial driver's license under part 383 of this... information before allowing the driver to operate a CMV: (A) The type of operation the driver self-certified...

49 CFR 391.23 - Investigation and inquiries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... paragraph from all previous employers of the applicant that employed the driver to operate a CMV within the... CMV. (2) Exception. For drivers required to have a commercial driver's license under part 383 of this... information before allowing the driver to operate a CMV: (A) The type of operation the driver self-certified...

49 CFR 391.23 - Investigation and inquiries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... paragraph from all previous employers of the applicant that employed the driver to operate a CMV within the... CMV. (2) Exception. For drivers required to have a commercial driver's license under part 383 of this... information before allowing the driver to operate a CMV: (A) The type of operation the driver self-certified...

Driver License, Permit, and State ID, Division of Motor Vehicles,

Science.gov Websites

Licenses (for Ages 16-18) Commercial Driver's Learner's Permit Duplicating a Lost, Damaged, or Missing License Renewing Your Driver's License (all) College Students Outside Alaska Online Renewal Non-Commercial License Commercial Driver License (CDL) How to get your Commercial Driver's Learner's Permit How to get

78 FR 76392 - Hours of Service of Drivers: Application for Exemption; David Muresan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

...-0047] Hours of Service of Drivers: Application for Exemption; David Muresan AGENCY: Federal Motor... of service (HOS) rules. Mr. Muresan is a long-haul truck driver who teams with a second driver in... co-driver be permitted to operate under HOS rules that he has designed. He believes that his...

76 FR 26681 - Hours of Service of Drivers

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-09

.... Jovanis, J.P., Wu, K.F., and Chen, C., ``Hours of Service and Driver Fatigue--Driver Characteristics... 2010. Sando, T., Mtoi, E., and Moses, R., ``Potential Causes Of Driver Fatigue: A Study On Transit Bus..., 390, and 395 [Docket No. FMCSA-2004-19608] RIN 2126-AB26 Hours of Service of Drivers AGENCY: Federal...

Driver behaviour profiles for road safety analysis.

PubMed

Ellison, Adrian B; Greaves, Stephen P; Bliemer, Michiel C J

2015-03-01

Driver behaviour is a contributing factor in over 90 percent of road crashes. As a consequence, there is significant benefit in identifying drivers who engage in unsafe driving practices. Driver behaviour profiles (DBPs) are introduced here as an approach for evaluating driver behaviour as a function of the risk of a casualty crash. They employ data collected using global positioning system (GPS) devices, supplemented with spatiotemporal information. These profiles are comprised of common risk scores that can be used to compare drivers between each other and across time and space. The paper details the development of these DBPs and demonstrates their use as an input into modelling the factors that influence driver behaviour. The results show that even having controlled for the influence of the road environment, these factors remain the strongest predictors of driver behaviour suggesting different spatiotemporal environments elicit a variety of psychological responses in drivers. The approach and outcomes will be of interest to insurance companies in enhancing the risk-profiling of drivers with on-road driving and government through assessing the impacts of behaviour-change interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

X3 expansion tube driver gas spectroscopy and temperature measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parekh, V.; Gildfind, D.; Lewis, S.; James, C.

2018-07-01

The University of Queensland's X3 facility is a large, free-piston driven expansion tube used for super-orbital and high Mach number scramjet aerothermodynamic studies. During recent development of new scramjet test flow conditions, experimentally measured shock speeds were found to be significantly lower than that predicted by initial driver performance calculations. These calculations were based on ideal, isentropic compression of the driver gas and indicated that loss mechanisms, not accounted for in the preliminary analysis, were significant. The critical determinant of shock speed is peak driver gas sound speed, which for a given gas composition depends on the peak driver gas temperature. This temperature may be inaccurately estimated if an incorrect fill temperature is assumed, or if heat losses during driver gas compression are significant but not accounted for. For this study, the ideal predicted peak temperature was 3750 K, without accounting for losses. However, a much lower driver temperature of 2400 K is suggested based on measured experimental shock speeds. This study aimed to measure initial and peak driver gas temperatures for a representative X3 operating condition. Examination of the transient temperatures of the driver gas and compression tube steel wall during the initial fill process showed that once the filling process was complete, the steady-state driver gas temperature closely matched the tube wall temperature. Therefore, while assuming the gas is initially at the ambient laboratory temperature is not a significant source of error, it can be entirely mitigated by simply monitoring tube wall temperature. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to determine the driver gas spectra after diaphragm rupture; the driver gas emission spectrum exhibited a significant continuum radiation component, with prominent spectral lines attributed to contamination of the gas. A graybody approximation of the continuum suggested a peak driver gas temperature of 3200 K; uncertainty associated with the blackbody curve fit is ±100 K. However, work is required to quantify additional sources of uncertainty due to the graybody assumption and the presence of contaminant particles in the driver gas; these are potentially significant. The estimate of the driver gas temperature suggests that driver heat losses are not the dominant contributor to the lower-than-expected shock speeds for X3. Since both the driver temperature and pressure have been measured, investigation of total pressure losses during driver gas expansion across the diaphragm and driver-to-driven tube area change (currently not accounted for) is recommended for future studies as the likely mechanism for the observed performance gap.

X3 expansion tube driver gas spectroscopy and temperature measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parekh, V.; Gildfind, D.; Lewis, S.; James, C.

2017-11-01

The University of Queensland's X3 facility is a large, free-piston driven expansion tube used for super-orbital and high Mach number scramjet aerothermodynamic studies. During recent development of new scramjet test flow conditions, experimentally measured shock speeds were found to be significantly lower than that predicted by initial driver performance calculations. These calculations were based on ideal, isentropic compression of the driver gas and indicated that loss mechanisms, not accounted for in the preliminary analysis, were significant. The critical determinant of shock speed is peak driver gas sound speed, which for a given gas composition depends on the peak driver gas temperature. This temperature may be inaccurately estimated if an incorrect fill temperature is assumed, or if heat losses during driver gas compression are significant but not accounted for. For this study, the ideal predicted peak temperature was 3750 K, without accounting for losses. However, a much lower driver temperature of 2400 K is suggested based on measured experimental shock speeds. This study aimed to measure initial and peak driver gas temperatures for a representative X3 operating condition. Examination of the transient temperatures of the driver gas and compression tube steel wall during the initial fill process showed that once the filling process was complete, the steady-state driver gas temperature closely matched the tube wall temperature. Therefore, while assuming the gas is initially at the ambient laboratory temperature is not a significant source of error, it can be entirely mitigated by simply monitoring tube wall temperature. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to determine the driver gas spectra after diaphragm rupture; the driver gas emission spectrum exhibited a significant continuum radiation component, with prominent spectral lines attributed to contamination of the gas. A graybody approximation of the continuum suggested a peak driver gas temperature of 3200 K; uncertainty associated with the blackbody curve fit is ±100 K. However, work is required to quantify additional sources of uncertainty due to the graybody assumption and the presence of contaminant particles in the driver gas; these are potentially significant. The estimate of the driver gas temperature suggests that driver heat losses are not the dominant contributor to the lower-than-expected shock speeds for X3. Since both the driver temperature and pressure have been measured, investigation of total pressure losses during driver gas expansion across the diaphragm and driver-to-driven tube area change (currently not accounted for) is recommended for future studies as the likely mechanism for the observed performance gap.

Considering the effects of ambient particulate matter on the lung function of motorcycle taxi drivers in Bangkok, Thailand.

PubMed

Arphorn, Sara; Ishimaru, Tomohiro; Hara, Kunio; Mahasandana, Suwisa

2018-02-01

The motorcycle taxi drivers of Bangkok have been heavily exposed to high concentrations of PM 10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm), and the impact of this on their lungs has been neither documented nor studied. This study examines the association between exposure to PM 10 and lung function decline among motorcycle taxi drivers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bangkok between two groups: a subject group of motorcycle taxi drivers and control group of enclosed vehicle taxi drivers. The findings of the Thailand Pollution Control Department were used to estimate the annual ambient PM 10 concentration levels in the metropolis. Pulmonary functions of motorcycle taxi drivers and enclosed vehicle taxi drivers were measured and compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to estimate the effects of PM 10 exposure on the lung function of motorcycle taxi drivers. A total of 1283 motorcycle taxi drivers and 600 taxi drivers were investigated. The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 sec/forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC) of the motorcycle taxi drivers was significantly lower than that of the taxi drivers (P < 0.001). The mean FEV 1 /FVC of motorcycle taxi drivers exposed to ≥50 µg/m 3 PM 10 was statistically lower (-2.82%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.54% to -1.09%) and the mean % vital capacity (%VC) of those exposed to 40-49.9 µg/m 3 PM 10 was statistically lower than that of motorcycle taxi drivers exposed to <30 µg/m 3 PM 10 (-3.33%; 95% CI: -5.79% to -0.87%). Motorcycle taxi drivers were directly exposed to air pollution in their working environment. As a result, their lung function might decrease more than that of enclosed vehicle taxi drivers. With the possible exposure to ≥50 µg/m 3 PM 10 , the vehicular emission standards should be vigorously enforced. Further investigation is warranted to clarify the effect of lung dysfunction on the work and lifestyle of motorcycle taxi drivers. Motorcycle taxi drivers are directly exposed to air pollution in their work environment; therefore, their lung function might decrease more than that of enclosed vehicle taxi drivers, especially when exposed to ≥50 µg/m 3 PM 10 . World Health Organization (WHO) vehicular emission standards should be recognized and eventually enforced.

Presence of psychoactive substances in injured Belgian drivers.

PubMed

Legrand, Sara-Ann; Silverans, Peter; de Paepe, Peter; Buylaert, Walter; Verstraete, Alain G

2013-01-01

To estimate the percentage of drivers involved in a traffic crash in Belgium who have alcohol and drugs in their blood. Blood samples of the drivers injured in a traffic crash and admitted to the emergency departments of 5 hospitals in Belgium between January 2008 and May 2010 were analyzed for ethanol (with an enzymatic method) and 22 other psychoactive substances (with ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). One thousand seventy-eight drivers were included in the study. Alcohol (≥0.1 g/L) was the most common substance (26.2%). A large majority of the drivers (64%) who were positive for alcohol had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) ≥1.3 g/L (legal limit in Belgium: 0.5 g/L). These high BACs were most frequent among male injured drivers. Cannabis was the most prevalent illicit drug (5.3%) and benzodiazepines (5.3%) were the most prevalent medicinal drugs. Approximately 1 percent of the drivers were positive for cocaine and amphetamines. No drivers tested positive for illicit opioids. Medicinal drugs were more likely to be found among female drivers and drivers older than 35 years, and alcohol and illicit drugs were more likely to be found among male drivers and drivers younger than 35 years. A high percentage of the injured drivers were positive for a psychoactive substance at the time of injury. Alcohol was the most common substance, with 80 percent of the positive drivers having a BAC ≥0.5 g/L. Compared to a roadside survey in the same area, drivers/riders with high BACs and combinations of drugs were overrepresented. Efforts should be made to increase alcohol and drug enforcement. The introduction of a categorization and labeling system might reduce driving under the influence of medicinal drugs by informing health care professionals and patients.

Motor vehicle accident or driver suicide? Identifying cases of failed driver suicide in the trauma setting.

PubMed

Henderson, Antony F; Joseph, Anthony P

2012-01-01

Many authors have suggested that some road traffic crashes are disguised suicide attempts. A case report and literature review is used to explore this claim and to examine the frequency and risk factors associated with driver suicide. The author concludes the methodological difficulty of establishing the driver's intent of suicide accounts for an under-estimation of the frequency of this event and that many cases of driver suicide go unrecognised. Familiarity with the risk factors associated with driver suicide may assist in the identification of cases of failed driver suicide and referral to psychiatric services. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are drivers with CVD more at risk for motor vehicle crashes? Study of men aged 45 to 70.

PubMed Central

Guibert, R.; Potvin, L.; Ciampi, A.; Loiselle, J.; Philibert, L.; Franco, E. D.

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether male drivers aged 45 to 70 years suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD) are more likely to be involved in motor vehicle crashes (MVC) that are reported to the police. DESIGN: Population-based case-control study. SETTING: Data on drivers' ages and medical conditions were compiled from the Societé de l'assurance automobile du Québec's (SAAQ) computerized files. A questionnaire was mailed to all subjects to collect additional information on annual distances driven and various driving behaviours. PARTICIPANTS: Age-stratified population-based random sample. Subjects were 2504 drivers involved in MVCs during a 6-month period; controls were 2520 drivers not involved in crashes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of drivers with CVD involved in MVCs. RESULTS: Response rate to the questionnaire was 35.5%. Analysis of the SAAQ files' entire sample of 5024 drivers showed that drivers suffering from CVD were less likely to be involved in MVCs (odds ratio [OR] 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67 to 0.99) than drivers without CVD. Although the estimate of risk remains unchanged when adjusted for age, it becomes statistically insignificant. It also remains unchanged and statistically insignificant when adjusted for yearly distance driven and driver behaviour, as shown by responses to the questionnaire. Drivers suffering from CVD drove significantly less each year (8900 km) than drivers without medical conditions (13,000 km). CONCLUSION: This study shows no increased risk of motor vehicle crashes for drivers suffering from CVD. PMID:9585850

Psychological reactions of drivers to railway suicide.

PubMed

Tranah, T; Farmer, R D

1994-02-01

Around 90 London Underground train drivers experience a person jumping or falling in front of their train each year. The majority of these incidents are suicides or attempted suicides. 76 drivers were interviewed in order to assess the range of responses to these incidents. The following psychometric instruments were used: Present State Examination (PSE9); Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Interview; General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28); Impact of Events Scale (IES); Post-Traumatic Symptom Scale; Recent Difficulties/Events scale; Perceived Stress Scale and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). When interviewed 1 month after the incident 13 (17.11%) drivers presented with PTSD. Diagnoses other than PTSD e.g. neurotic depression and phobic state were present in 24 (31.58%) drivers (including 12 of the 13 PTSD cases who had one additional diagnosis). On the basis of diagnoses three groups were identified: Group 1 drivers had PTSD and in most cases an additional PSE9 diagnosis; Group 2 drivers had a PSE9 diagnosis only; Group 3 drivers were not cases. 56 drivers were again interviewed 6 months after the incident to assess duration of caseness and/or symptoms and to identify any cases of delayed onset. Two drivers were still cases at 6 months (neurotic depression and phobic state), no driver presented with PTSD at 6 months. At 6 months there was a significant drop in symptom scores compared with measures taken at 1 month. These results suggest that although approximately one-third of drivers suffered a severe psychological reaction following a railway suicide, when interviewed again 6 months after the incident most drivers reported a marked reduction in symptoms.

Driver behavior analysis for right-turn drivers at signalized intersections using SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study data.

PubMed

Wu, Jianqing; Xu, Hao

2017-12-01

Understanding driver behavior is important for traffic safety and operation, especially at intersections where different traffic movements conflict. While most driver-behavior studies are based on simulation, this paper documents the analysis of driver-behavior at signalized intersections with the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) data. This study analyzes the different influencing factors on the operation (speed control) and observation of right-turn drivers. A total of 300 NDS trips at six signalized intersections were used, including the NDS time-series sensor data, the forward videos and driver face videos. Different factors of drivers, vehicles, roads and environments were studied for their influence on driver behavior. An influencing index function was developed and the index was calculated for each influencing factor to quantitatively describe its influencing level. The influencing index was applied to prioritize the factors, which facilitates development and selection of safety countermeasures to improve intersection safety. Drivers' speed control was analyzed under different conditions with consideration of the prioritized influencing factors. Vehicle type, traffic signal status, conflicting traffic, conflicting pedestrian and driver age group were identified as the five major influencing factors on driver observation. This research revealed that drivers have high acceleration and low observation frequency under Right-Turn-On-Red (RTOR), which constituted potential danger for other roadway users, especially for pedestrians. As speed has a direct influence on crash rates and severities, the revealed speed patterns of the different situations also benefit selection of safety countermeasures at signalized intersections. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Graduated driver license compliant teens involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes.

PubMed

Pressley, Joyce C; Addison, Diane; Dawson, Patrick; Nelson, Sharifa S

2015-09-01

Significant reductions in motor vehicle injury mortality have been reported for teen drivers after passage of graduated driver licensing (GDL), seat belt, and no tolerance alcohol and drug laws. Despite this, teen drivers remain a vulnerable population with elevated fatal crash involvement. This study examines driver, vehicle, and crash characteristics of GDL-compliant, belted, and unimpaired teen drivers with the goal of identifying areas where further improvements might be realized. The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for 2007 to 2009 was used to examine and classify driver violations/errors in compliant teen drivers (n = 1,571) of passenger vehicles involved in a fatal collision. Teens driving unbelted, non-GDL compliant, or impaired by alcohol or drugs were excluded. Statistical analysis used χ, Fisher's exact and multivariable logistic regression. Odds ratios are reported with 95% confidence intervals. Significance was defined as p < 0.05. Nearly one third (n = 1,571) of teen drivers involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash were GDL compliant, unimpaired, and belted. The majority held an intermediate GDL license (90.6%). Crash-related factors were identified for 63.1% of fatal crashes. Age- and sex-adjusted odds identified overcorrecting, speeding, lane errors, school morning crashes, distractions, and driving on slippery surfaces as having increased odds of fatality for the teen driver as well as newer vehicle models and heavier vehicle weight as protective. Among compliant drivers, weekday crashes before and after school and committing a driving violation at the time of crash were associated with increased risk of driver death and higher incidence of incapacitating injury in surviving drivers. Therapeutic study, level V.

SynCardia Portable Freedom Driver: A Single-Center Experience With 11 Patients.

PubMed

Shah, Nilay R; Jaroszewski, Dawn E; Ashfaq, Awais; Schroedl, Lucas A; Staley, Linda L; Pajaro, Octavio E; Kasirajan, Vigneshwar; Arabia, Francisco A

2015-01-01

The portable Freedom Drive (SynCardia Inc, Tucson, AZ USA) for total artificial heart (TAH-t) support was approved for an investigational device exemption study in March 2010. We review our center's experience with the portable driver. A retrospective review was conducted of patients who underwent TAH-t implantation and transfer to portable driver from September 2008 to June 2012, with follow-up through December 2012. A total of 30 patients underwent TAH-t implantation during this time period, with 11 patients successfully transferred to the Freedom Driver. Transfer to Freedom Driver after TAH-t implant was a median of 46 days (range, 225-86 days). Ninety-one percent (10) of 11 patients transferred to Freedom Driver were bridged to transplantation. One patient died on support. Five (45.5%) of 11 patients were discharged home and 5 (45.5%) remained in-patient on the portable driver before transplantation. Four patients (80%) successfully discharged home required at least 1 hospital readmission (range, 1-5 admissions per patient). Six patients (55%) transferred to the portable driver required a return to a main driver console. Two patients were temporarily maintained on the main driver then returned to the Freedom Driver for bridge to transplantation. Patients with TAH-t can be considered for transfer to the portable Freedom Driver while awaiting transplantation. Issues that complicated this patient population included inadequate social support, hemodynamic instability, and concurrent morbidities. The potential benefits of the portable driver are currently undergoing assessment. These may include increased mobility and improved quality of life, opportunity for discharge home, and decreased overall medical costs.

Circuits of cancer drivers revealed by convergent misregulation of transcription factor targets across tumor types.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Perez, Abel

2016-01-20

Large tumor genome sequencing projects have now uncovered a few hundred genes involved in the onset of tumorigenesis, or drivers, in some two dozen malignancies. One of the main challenges emerging from this catalog of drivers is how to make sense of their heterogeneity in most cancer types. This is key not only to understand how carcinogenesis appears and develops in these malignancies to be able to early diagnose them, but also to open up the possibility to employ therapeutic strategies targeting a driver protein to counteract the alteration of another connected driver. Here, I focus on driver transcription factors and their connection to tumorigensis in several tumor types through the alteration of the expression of their targets. First, I explore their involvement in tumorigenesis as mutational drivers in 28 different tumor types. Then, I collect a list of downstream targets of the all driver transcription factors (TFs), and identify which of them exhibit a differential expression upon alterations of driver transcription factors. I identify the subset of targets of each TF most likely mediating the tumorigenic effect of their driver alterations in each tumor type, and explore their overlap. Furthermore, I am able to identify other driver genes that cause tumorigenesis through the alteration of very similar sets of targets. I thus uncover these circuits of connected drivers which cause tumorigenesis through the perturbation of overlapping cellular pathways in a pan-cancer manner across 15 malignancies. The systematic detection of these circuits may be key to propose novel therapeutic strategies indirectly targeting driver alterations in tumors.

Changing drivers' minds: the evaluation of an advanced driver coaching system.

PubMed

Stanton, N A; Walker, G H; Young, M S; Kazi, T; Salmon, P M

2007-08-01

This paper reports on the study of an advanced driver coaching system. The study distinguishes between different types of post-licensure programmes in order to explore a system based on a model of identifying and responding to hazards, called 'information, position, speed, gear and acceleration' (IPSGA). Previous literature has been sceptical about the benefits of advanced driver education; thus, the current study was designed to control for the effects of coaching drivers in the 'IPSGA' system (the treatment group) against the effects of being accompanied (control group 1), as well as the mere effects of time (control group 2). Measures were taken before the driver coaching began (as a baseline measure) and again after 8 weeks (to see if any changes had occurred). These measures included driver knowledge via a post-drive interview, observations of driving skill and driver attitude using a locus of control scale. The results suggest that advanced driver coaching using the IPSGA system had a beneficial effect on all of these measures. Drivers in the coaching condition improved their situation awareness, driving skills and reduced attributions of external locus of control. The study lends support to the case for one-to-one individualized driver coaching using a systematic model of driving.

Availability of driver's license master lists for use in government-sponsored public health research.

PubMed

Walsh, Matthew C; Trentham-Dietz, Amy; Palta, Mari

2011-06-15

Although the percentage of US drivers with valid driver's licenses varies from state to state, it has historically been high enough to constitute a useful sampling frame for many public health purposes. Over the past decade, states have had to restrict access to this information to comply with the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721-2725). In 2009 and 2010, the authors conducted a survey of all 50 states on the availability of master lists of licensed drivers to be used to contact citizens of each state for research purposes. A hypothetical situation requiring driver's license data was sent to each state's responsible government agency for review. In addition, the authors collected data on opt-out mechanisms available to drivers, costs to researchers, and additional state privacy policies pertaining to driver's license files. A total of 42 states (84%) responded; 16 (32%) states allowed access to data, 4 (8%) states were unable to respond to the hypothetical situation, and 22 (44%) states denied access to data. A total of 74,697,574 records were available from the 16 states providing driver's license data. Although the Driver's Privacy Protection Act has restricted access to data on licensed drivers, these data are still an available resource in many states.

Availability of Driver's License Master Lists for Use in Government-Sponsored Public Health Research

PubMed Central

Walsh, Matthew C.; Trentham-Dietz, Amy; Palta, Mari

2011-01-01

Although the percentage of US drivers with valid driver's licenses varies from state to state, it has historically been high enough to constitute a useful sampling frame for many public health purposes. Over the past decade, states have had to restrict access to this information to comply with the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721–2725). In 2009 and 2010, the authors conducted a survey of all 50 states on the availability of master lists of licensed drivers to be used to contact citizens of each state for research purposes. A hypothetical situation requiring driver's license data was sent to each state's responsible government agency for review. In addition, the authors collected data on opt-out mechanisms available to drivers, costs to researchers, and additional state privacy policies pertaining to driver's license files. A total of 42 states (84%) responded; 16 (32%) states allowed access to data, 4 (8%) states were unable to respond to the hypothetical situation, and 22 (44%) states denied access to data. A total of 74,697,574 records were available from the 16 states providing driver's license data. Although the Driver's Privacy Protection Act has restricted access to data on licensed drivers, these data are still an available resource in many states. PMID:21571870

Association between reported sleep need and sleepiness at the wheel: comparative study on French highways between 1996 and 2011

PubMed Central

Quera-Salva, M A; Sauvagnac-Quera, R; Sagaspe, P; Taillard, J; Contrand, B; Micoulaud, J A; Lagarde, E; Barbot, F; Philip, P

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate the evolution over 15 years of sleep schedules, sleepiness at the wheel and driving risk among highway drivers. Methods Comparative survey including questions on usual sleep schedules and before the trip, sleepiness at the wheel, the Epworth sleepiness scale, Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire (BNSQ) and a travel questionnaire. Results 80% of drivers stopped by the highway patrol agreed to participate in both studies with a total of 3545 drivers in 2011 and 2196 drivers in 1996 interviewed. After standardisation based on sex, age and mean annual driving distance, drivers in 2011 reported shorter sleep time on week days (p<0.0001), and week-ends (p<0.0001) and shorter optimal sleep time (p<0.0001) compared to 1996 drivers. There were more drivers sleepy at the wheel in 2011 than in 1996 (p<0.0001) and 2.5 times more drivers in 2011 than in 1996 had an Epworth sleepiness score >15 indicating severe sleepiness. Conclusions Even if drivers in 2011 reported good sleep hygiene prior to a highway journey, drivers have reduced their mean weekly sleep duration over 15 years and have a higher risk of sleepiness at the wheel. Sleep hygiene for automobile drivers remains an important concept to address. PMID:28003284

Influence of driver nationality on the risk of causing vehicle collisions in Spain.

PubMed

Lardelli Claret, P; Luna del Castillo, J D; Jiménez Moleón, J J; Bueno Cavanillas, A; García Martín, M; Gálvez Vargas, R

2002-05-01

To estimate the association between driver nationality and the risk of causing a collision between vehicles in motion. Retrospective, matched by collision, case-control study. Collisions that occurred in Spain during the period from 1990 to 1999 were studied. Responsible (case) and non-responsible (control) drivers identified in the databases of the Dirección General de Tráfico (General Traffic Directorate) who were involved in a collisions between two or more four wheeled vehicles in motion, in which only one of the drivers had committed a traffic violation. Crude odds ratios (ORs) for the effect of driver nationality on the risk of causing a collision were significantly higher for foreign drivers than for Spanish drivers, and ranged from a minimum of 1.19 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.29) for Portuguese drivers to a maximum of 2.06 (1.88 to 2.27) for British drivers. Corresponding adjusted ORs were slightly lower, but were still significantly higher than 1 for all nationalities except Italian, Belgian, and American (USA). Adjusted ORs were usually higher for collisions that occurred in urban areas than on open roads. Authorities responsible for traffic safety, and drivers in general, should consider foreign drivers in Spain at particularly high risk for causing collisions, especially in urban areas.

PILOT RESULTS ON FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS IN OLDER DRIVERS

PubMed Central

Lester, Benjamin D.; Sager, Lauren N.; Dawson, Jeffrey; Hacker, Sarah D.; Aksan, Nazan; Rizzo, Matthew; Kitazaki, Satoshi

2016-01-01

Summary Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have largely been developed with a “one-size-fits-all” approach. This approach neglects the large inter-individual variability in perceptual and cognitive abilities that affect aging ADAS users. We investigated the effectiveness of a forward collision warning (FCW) with fixed response parameters in young and older drivers with differing levels of cognitive functioning. Drivers responded to a pedestrian stepping into the driver’s path on a simulated urban road. Behavioral metrics included response times (RT) for pedal controls and two indices of risk penetration (e.g., maximum deceleration and minimum time-to-collision (TTC)). Older drivers showed significantly slower responses at several time points compared to younger drivers. The FCW facilitated response times (RTs) for older and younger drivers. However, older drivers still showed smaller safety gains compared to younger drivers at accelerator pedal release and initial brake application when the FCW was active. No significant differences in risk metrics were observed within the condition studied. The results demonstrate older drivers likely differ from younger drivers using a FCW with a fixed parameter set. Finally, we briefly discuss how future research should examine predictive relationships between domains of cognitive functioning and ADAS responses to develop parameter sets to fit the individual. PMID:27135061

20 CFR 404.1008 - Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. (a) General... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. 404.1008 Section 404.1008...

20 CFR 404.1008 - Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. (a) General... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. 404.1008 Section 404.1008...

20 CFR 404.1008 - Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. (a) General... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. 404.1008 Section 404.1008...

20 CFR 404.1008 - Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. (a) General... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. 404.1008 Section 404.1008...

20 CFR 404.1008 - Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. (a) General... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Agent-driver or commission-driver, full-time life insurance salesman, home worker, or traveling or city salesman. 404.1008 Section 404.1008...

A predictive control framework for torque-based steering assistance to improve safety in highway driving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ercan, Ziya; Carvalho, Ashwin; Tseng, H. Eric; Gökaşan, Metin; Borrelli, Francesco

2018-05-01

Haptic shared control framework opens up new perspectives on the design and implementation of the driver steering assistance systems which provide torque feedback to the driver in order to improve safety. While designing such a system, it is important to account for the human-machine interactions since the driver feels the feedback torque through the hand wheel. The controller should consider the driver's impact on the steering dynamics to achieve a better performance in terms of driver's acceptance and comfort. In this paper we present a predictive control framework which uses a model of driver-in-the-loop steering dynamics to optimise the torque intervention with respect to the driver's neuromuscular response. We first validate the system in simulations to compare the performance of the controller in nominal and model mismatch cases. Then we implement the controller in a test vehicle and perform experiments with a human driver. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed system in avoiding hazardous situations under different driver behaviours.

Survival in fatal road crashes: body mass index, gender, and safety belt use.

PubMed

Sivak, Michael; Schoettle, Brandon; Rupp, Jonathan

2010-02-01

This study evaluated the associations of body mass index (BMI), gender, and use of safety belts with the survival of drivers involved in fatal road crashes. The census data of all U.S. fatal crashes that did not involve pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists were examined for an 11-year period. If involved in a crash with one or more fatalities, the odds of female drivers being among the fatalities are 1.28 times higher than those of male drivers, and the odds of unbelted drivers being among the fatalities are 5.43 times higher than those of belted drivers. The relationship of survivability to BMI depends on the gender and safety belt use of the driver. For male drivers, increased BMI appears beneficial when safety belts are used but detrimental when not used. For belted female drivers, normal BMI is associated with the lowest odds of being killed, and both increased and decreased BMIs increase the odds. For unbelted female drivers, no reliable trends were present among the BMI categories.

CIHR Candrive Cohort Comparison with Canadian Household Population Holding Valid Driver's Licenses.

PubMed

Gagnon, Sylvain; Marshall, Shawn; Kadulina, Yara; Stinchcombe, Arne; Bédard, Michel; Gélinas, Isabelle; Man-Son-Hing, Malcolm; Mazer, Barbara; Naglie, Gary; Porter, Michelle M; Rapoport, Mark; Tuokko, Holly; Vrkljan, Brenda

2016-06-01

We investigated whether convenience sampling is a suitable method to generate a sample of older drivers representative of the older-Canadian driver population. Using equivalence testing, we compared a large convenience sample of older drivers (Candrive II prospective cohort study) to a similarly aged population of older Canadian drivers. The Candrive sample consists of 928 community-dwelling older drivers from seven metropolitan areas of Canada. The population data was obtained from the Canadian Community Health Survey - Healthy Aging (CCHS-HA), which is a representative sample of older Canadians. The data for drivers aged 70 and older were extracted from the CCHS-HA database, for a total of 3,899 older Canadian drivers. Two samples were demonstrated as equivalent on socio-demographic, health, and driving variables that we compared, but not on driving frequency. We conclude that convenience sampling used in the Candrive study created a fairly representative sample of Canadian older drivers, with a few exceptions.

Driver steering dynamics measured in car simulator under a range of visibility and roadmaking conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, R. W.; Mcruer, D. T.

1977-01-01

A simulation experiment was conducted to determine the effect of reduced visibility on driver lateral (steering) control. The simulator included a real car cab and a single lane road image projected on a screen six feet in front of the driver. Simulated equations of motion controlled apparent car lane position in response to driver steering actions, wind gusts, and road curvature. Six drivers experienced a range of visibility conditions at various speeds with assorted roadmaking configurations (mark and gap lengths). Driver describing functions were measured and detailed parametric model fits were determined. A pursuit model employing a road curvature feedforward was very effective in explaining driver behavior in following randomly curving roads. Sampled-data concepts were also effective in explaining the combined effects of reduced visibility and intermittent road markings on the driver's dynamic time delay. The results indicate the relative importance of various perceptual variables as the visual input to the driver's steering control process is changed.

Screening Commercial Vehicle Drivers for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Tools, Barriers, and Recommendations.

PubMed

Evans, Kelly A; Yap, Tracey; Turner, Barbara

2017-10-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by a cessation of breathing during sleep, leading to poor sleep patterns and daytime somnolence. Daytime somnolence is of particular concern for commercial vehicle drivers, whose crash risk increases 50% with untreated OSA. The process of diagnosing and treating OSA in commercial drivers begins with effective and consistent screening. Therefore, the researchers screened drivers with both the STOP-Bang Questionnaire and the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Evaluation Worksheet (OSAEW) and compared the two tools. Drivers screening positive on the STOP-Bang Questionnaire, OSAEW, and both questionnaires were 28%, 23%, and 13%, respectively. Sleep study referrals were made for 50 drivers; 12 drivers were scheduled for sleep tests within 3 months. Health care provider referral rates for drivers screening at high risk (37%) and commercial driver monitoring rates (24%) were both low. Recommendations to improve OSA screening and testing practices include Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-mandated screening and referral guidelines, employee-facilitated sleep testing, and OSA awareness campaigns.

Modeling of Driver Steering Operations in Lateral Wind Disturbances toward Driver Assistance System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurata, Yoshinori; Wada, Takahiro; Kamiji, Norimasa; Doi, Shun'ichi

Disturbances decrease vehicle stability and increase driver's mental and physical workload. Especially unexpected disturbances such as lateral winds have severe effect on vehicle stability and driver's workload. This study aims at building a driver model of steering operations in lateral wind toward developing effective driver assistance system. First, the relationship between the driver's lateral motion and its reactive quick steering behavior is investigated using driving simulator with lateral 1dof motion. In the experiments, four different wind patterns are displayed by the simulator. As the results, strong correlation was found between the driver's head lateral jerk by the lateral disturbance and the angular acceleration of the steering wheel. Then, we build a mathematical model of driver's steering model from lateral disturbance input to steering torque of the reactive quick feed-forward steering based on the experimental results. Finally, validity of the proposed model is shown by comparing the steering torque of experimental results and that of simulation results.

Air pollution impedes plant-to-plant communication, but what is the signal?

PubMed

Blande, James D; Li, Tao; Holopainen, Jarmo K

2011-07-01

Since the first reports that undamaged plants gain defensive benefits following exposure to damaged neighbors, the idea that plants may signal to each other has attracted much interest. There has also been substantial debate concerning the ecological significance of the process and the evolutionary drivers. Part of this debate has centered on the distance over which signaling between plants occurs in nature. In a recent study we showed that an ozone concentration of 80 ppb, commonly encountered in nature, significantly reduces the distance over which plant-plant signaling occurs in lima bean. We went on to show that degradation of herbivore-induced plant volatiles by ozone is the likely mechanism for this. The key question remaining from our work was that if ozone is degrading the signal in transit between plants, which chemicals are responsible for transmitting the signal in purer air? Here we present the results of a small scale experiment testing the role of the two most significant herbivore-induced terpenes and discuss our results in terms of other reported functions for these chemicals in plant-plant signaling.

Differential expression pattern of Vago in bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), induced by virulent and avirulent virus infections.

PubMed

Niu, Jinzhi; Meeus, Ivan; Smagghe, Guy

2016-09-29

Viruses are one of the main drivers of the decline of domesticated and wild bees but the mechanisms of antiviral immunity in pollinators are poorly understood. Recent work has suggested that next to the small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway other immune-related pathways play a role in the defense of the bee hosts against viral infection. In addition, Vago plays a role in the cross-talk between the innate immune pathways in Culex mosquito cells. Here we describe the Vago orthologue in bumblebees of Bombus terrestris, and investigated its role upon the infection of two different bee viruses, the virulent Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) and the avirulent slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV). Our results showed that BtVago was downregulated upon the infection of IAPV that killed all bumblebees, but not with SBPV where the workers survived the virus infection. Thus, for the first time, Vago/Vago-like expression appears to be associated with the virulence of virus and may act as a modulator of antiviral immunity.

The Nova Upgrade Facility for ICF ignition and gain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowdermilk, W. H.; Campbell, E. M.; Hunt, J. T.; Murray, J. R.; Storm, E.; Tobin, M. T.; Trenholme, J. B.

1992-01-01

Research on Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) is motivated by its potential defense and civilian applications, including ultimately the generation of electric power. The U.S. ICF Program was reviewed recently by the National Academy of Science (NAS) and the Fusion Policy Advisory Committee (FPAC). Both committees issued final reports in 1991 which recommended that first priority in the ICF program be placed on demonstrating fusion ignition and modest gain (G less than 10). The U.S. Department of Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have proposed an upgrade of the existing Nova Laser Facility at LLNL to accomplish these goals. Both the NAS and FPAC have endorsed the upgrade of Nova as the optimal path to achieving ignition and gain. Results from Nova Upgrade Experiments will be used to define requirements for driver and target technology both for future high-yield military applications, such as the Laboratory Microfusion Facility (LMF) proposed by the Department of Energy, and for high-gain energy applications leading to an ICF engineering test facility. The central role and modifications which Nova Upgrade would play in the national ICF strategy are described.

Predictors of intrinsic motivation behind seatbelt use in a country where current use is low.

PubMed

Milder, Caitlin M; Gupta, Shivam; Ozkan, Türker; Hoe, Connie; Lajunen, Timo

2013-12-01

Seatbelt use is a major determinant of a driver's safety on the road. In Turkey and other middle-income countries, seatbelt use is lower than in high-income countries and contributes to the higher burden of road traffic injuries. Assessing factors behind drivers' motivations to wear seatbelts can help determine appropriate interventions for specific subpopulations. To analyze the factors predictive of whether drivers who wear seatbelts in Afyonkarahisar and Ankara, Turkey do so because they believe seatbelts can save their lives. As part of the monitoring and evaluation of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Road Safety Programme, 817 drivers were randomly recruited in Afyonkarahisar and Ankara, Turkey, to participate in roadside interviews. Logistic regression was run on data from 408 drivers who claimed they always wore seatbelts. Predictors were driver's city, driver's age group (30 and younger, 31 to 40, and over 40 years), whether at least one passenger was in the car, and an interaction term between age group and whether passengers were in the car. The outcome variable of interest was whether drivers wore seatbelts because they believed seatbelts can save their lives, referred to in this paper as "selection of Reason 3." The odds of selecting Reason 3 were 2.45 (95% CI: 1.40-4.31) times higher in Ankara than in Afyonkarahisar, 2.52 (95% CI: 1.38-4.60) and 3.65 (95% CI: 1.92-6.95) times higher for drivers aged 31-40 and drivers over the age of 40 than for drivers 30 years of age and younger, respectively, and 5.89 (95% CI: 2.02-17.23), 7.22 (95% CI: 1.61-32.42), and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.32-2.19) times higher for drivers traveling with passengers who were 30 years of age and younger, between 31 and 40, and over 40 than for drivers traveling without passengers in these age groups, respectively. Drivers with passengers had higher odds of selecting Reason 3, especially younger drivers who are more likely to succumb to peer pressure. Older drivers had higher odds of selecting Reason 3. Peer groups and peer education campaigns may have an impact. Education interventions combined with extrinsic campaigns can be aimed at younger drivers to increase and maintain adherence in the population. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of DroDeASys (Drowsy Detection and Alarming System)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juvale, Hrishikesh B.; Mahajan, Anant S.; Bhagwat, Ashwin A.; Badiger, Vishal T.; Bhutkar, Ganesh D.; Dhabe, Priyadarshan S.; Dhore, Manikrao L.

The paper discusses the Drowsy Detection & Alarming System that has been developed, using a non-intrusive approach. The system is basically developed to detect drivers dozing at the wheel at night time driving. The system uses a small infra-red night vision camera that points directly towards the driver`s face and monitors the driver`s eyes in order to detect fatigue. In such a case when fatigue is detected, a warning signal is issued to alert the driver. This paper discusses the algorithms that have been used to detect drowsiness. The decision whether the driver is dozing or not is taken depending on whether the eyes are open for a specific number of frames. If the eyes are found to be closed for a certain number of consecutive frames then the driver is alerted with an alarm.

Fatigue and voluntary utilization of automation in simulated driving.

PubMed

Neubauer, Catherine; Matthews, Gerald; Langheim, Lisa; Saxby, Dyani

2012-10-01

A driving simulator was used to assess the impact on fatigue, stress, and workload of full vehicle automation that was initiated by the driver. Previous studies have shown that mandatory use of full automation induces a state of "passive fatigue" associated with loss of alertness. By contrast, voluntary use of automation may enhance the driver's perceptions of control and ability to manage fatigue. Participants were assigned to one of two experimental conditions, automation optional (AO) and nonautomation (NA), and then performed a 35 min, monotonous simulated drive. In the last 5 min, automation was unavailable and drivers were required to respond to an emergency event. Subjective state and workload were evaluated before and after the drive. Making automation available to the driver failed to alleviate fatigue and stress states induced by driving in monotonous conditions. Drivers who were fatigued prior to the drive were more likely to choose to use automation, but automation use increased distress, especially in fatigue-prone drivers. Drivers in the AO condition were slower to initiate steering responses to the emergency event, suggesting optional automation may be distracting. Optional, driver-controlled automation appears to pose the same dangers to task engagement and alertness as externally initiated automation. Drivers of automated vehicles may be vulnerable to fatigue that persists when normal vehicle control is restored. It is important to evaluate automated systems' impact on driver fatigue, to seek design solutions to the issue of maintaining driver engagement, and to address the vulnerabilities of fatigue-prone drivers.

Adult correlates of early behavioral maladjustment: a study of injured drivers.

PubMed

Ryb, Gabriel; Dischinger, Patricia; Smith, Gordon; Soderstrom, Carl

2008-10-01

To establish whether a history of school suspension (HSS) predicts adult driver behavior. 323 injured drivers were interviewed as part of a study of psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUD) and injury. Drivers with a HSS were compared to those without HSS in relation to demographics, SES, PSUD, risky behaviors, trauma history and driving history using student's t test and chi-square. Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to adjust for demographics, SES and PSUD. HSS drivers represented 31% of the population and were younger, more likely to be male and had higher rates of alcohol and drug dependence than drivers without HSS. Educational achievement was worse for drivers with HSS. Drivers with HSS were more likely to have a history of prior vehicular trauma and assault. Seat-belt non-use, drinking and driving, riding with drunk driver, binge drinking, driving fast for the thrill, license suspension and drinking and driving convictions were more common among drivers with HSS. In multiple logistic regression models adjusting for demographics and SES, HSS revealed higher odds ratios for the same outcomes. After adding PSUD to the models HSS remained significant only for seat belt non use, binge drinking and previous assault history. HSS is associated with risky behaviors, repeated vehicular injury, and poor driver history. The association with driver history, however, disappears when PSUD are included in the models. The association of HSS (a marker of early behavioral maladjustment) with behavioral risks suggests that undiagnosed psychopathology may be linked to injury recidivism.

Motor vehicle driver injury and socioeconomic status: a cohort study with prospective and retrospective driver injuries.

PubMed

Whitlock, G; Norton, R; Clark, T; Pledger, M; Jackson, R; MacMahon, S

2003-07-01

To investigate the association between motor vehicle driver injury and socioeconomic status. Cohort study with prospective and retrospective outcomes. New Zealand. 10 525 adults (volunteer sample of a multi-industry workforce, n=8008; and a random sample of urban electoral rolls, n=2517). Motor vehicle driver injury resulting in admission of the driver to hospital or the driver's death, or both, during the period 1988-98; hospitalisation and mortality data were obtained by record linkage to national health databases. After adjustment for age and sex, driver injury risk was inversely associated with both occupational status (p for linear trend <0.0001) and educational level (p for linear trend =0.007). Participants in the lowest approximate quartile of occupational status were four times as likely (HR 4.17, 95% CI 2.31 to 7.55) to have experienced a driver injury during follow up as participants in the highest approximate quartile. Participants who had been to secondary school for less than two years were twice as likely (HR 2.26, 95% CI 1.34 to 3.81) to have experienced a driver injury as those who had been to university or polytechnic. There was little evidence that driver injury risk was associated with neighbourhood income (p for linear trend =0.12) CONCLUSIONS: Occupational status and educational level seem to be important determinants of driver injury risk. Driver injury countermeasures should be targeted to people in low status occupations, as well as to people with comparatively little formal education.

Free-piston driver performance characterisation using experimental shock speeds through helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gildfind, D. E.; James, C. M.; Morgan, R. G.

2015-03-01

Tuned free-piston driver operation involves configuring the driver to produce a relatively steady blast of driver gas over the critical time scales of the experiment. For the purposes of flow condition development and parametric studies, it is useful to establish some average working values of the driver pressure and temperature for a given driver operating condition. However, in practise, these averaged values need to produce sufficiently accurate estimates of performance. In this study, two tuned driver conditions in the X2 expansion tube have been used to generate shock waves through a helium test gas. The measured shock speeds have then been used to calculate the effective driver gas pressure and temperature after diaphragm rupture. Since the driver gas is typically helium, or a mixture of helium and argon, and the test gas is also helium, ideal gas assumptions can be made without significant loss of accuracy. The technique is applicable to tuned free-piston drivers with a simple area change, as well as those using orifice plates. It is shown that this technique can be quickly used to establish average working driver gas properties which produce very good estimates of actual driven shock speed, across a wide range of operating conditions. The use of orifice plates to control piston dynamics at high driver gas sound speeds is also discussed in the paper, and a simple technique for calculating the restriction required to modify an established safe condition for use with lighter gases, such as pure helium, is presented.

Naturalistic distraction and driving safety in older drivers

PubMed Central

Aksan, Nazan; Dawson, Jeffrey D.; Emerson, Jamie L.; Yu, Lixi; Uc, Ergun Y.; Anderson, Steven W.; Rizzo, Matthew

2013-01-01

Objective This study aimed to quantify and compare performance of middle-aged and older drivers during a naturalistic distraction paradigm (visual search for roadside targets) and predict older driver performance given functioning in visual, motor, and cognitive domains. Background Distracted driving can imperil healthy adults and may disproportionally affect the safety of older drivers with visual, motor, and cognitive decline. Methods Two hundred and three drivers, 120 healthy older (61 men and 59 women, ages 65 years or greater) and 83 middle-aged drivers (38 men and 45 women, ages 40–64 years), participated in an on-road test in an instrumented vehicle. Outcome measures included performance in roadside target identification (traffic signs and restaurants) and concurrent driver safety. Differences in visual, motor, and cognitive functioning served as predictors. Results Older drivers identified fewer landmarks and drove slower but committed more safety errors than middle-aged drivers. Greater familiarity with local roads benefited performance of middle-aged but not older drivers. Visual cognition predicted both traffic sign identification and safety errors while executive function predicted traffic sign identification over and above vision. Conclusion Older adults are susceptible to driving safety errors while distracted by common secondary visual search tasks that are inherent to driving. The findings underscore that age-related cognitive decline affects older driver management of driving tasks at multiple levels, and can help inform the design of on-road tests and interventions for older drivers. PMID:23964422

Comparison of the effects of two legal blood alcohol limits: the presence of alcohol in traffic accidents according to category of driver in Izmir, Turkey.

PubMed

Karakus, Akan; İdiz, Nuri; Dalgiç, Mustafa; Uluçay, Tarik; Sincar, Yasemin

2015-01-01

Under existing Turkish road traffic law, there are 2 different blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits allowed for drivers in 2013: zero blood alcohol and ≤0.50 g/L. All public transport, taxi, commercial, and official vehicle drivers must maintain a zero blood alcohol concentration while driving. Private vehicle drivers must maintain a BAC of 0.50 g/L or lower. The aim of the recent study was to evaluate the effect of these 2 legal blood alcohol limits on nonfatal traffic accidents that occurred due to the driver being under the influence of alcohol. This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the blood alcohol concentration of 224 drivers in nonfatal road accidents between June 2010 and July 2011 using headspace gas chromatography at the Izmir Forensic Medicine Group Presidency, Turkey. All cases evaluated by the toxicology department were entered into a database. We used descriptive statistics, χ(2) test, and independent sampling test to analyze the data. The total number of drivers involved in nonfatal traffic accidents was 224; 191 were private vehicle drivers and 33 were public transport, taxi, commercial, and official vehicle drivers. In the present study, alcohol was detected in the blood of about 27.2% (n = 61) of the 224 drivers. Sixty (31.4%) private vehicle drivers involved in nonfatal traffic accidents tested positive for alcohol. BAC values were also above the legal limit (0.50 g/L) in 27.7% (n = 53) of private vehicle drivers. However, the BAC was above the legal limit in only 3% (n = 1) of public transport, commercial, and official vehicle drivers involved in nonfatal traffic accidents. These results showed that private vehicle drivers subject to a BAC limit of ≤0.50 g/L were significantly associated with an increased risk of nonfatal accident involvement than drivers subject to a zero BAC limit (odds ratio [OR] = 12.29, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64-92.22; Fisher's exact test, P <.001). Mean BAC in private vehicle drivers subject to a 0.50 g/L level (52.60 mg/dl ± 94.84) was significantly higher than that of drivers subject to a zero alcohol level (10.76 mg/dl ± 61.80; t = 2.44, P <.001). In light of our results, lowering the BAC limit for private vehicle drivers may reduce the level of driving under the influence of alcohol. A change in the law will decrease the rates of alcohol-related road accidents in Turkey.

78 FR 76757 - Regulatory Guidance on Hours of Service of Drivers Rest Break Requirement; Drivers Who Become...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-19

... days as ``short haul'' drivers exempt from the break rule, but who occasionally exceed the short haul distance or time limits. Such drivers are then subject to the break requirement and must prepare a record-of-duty-status (RODS) for the day. The intent of the break rule would be satisfied if drivers in...

The impact of raising the minimum drinking age on driver fatalities.

PubMed

MacKinnon, D P; Woodward, J A

1986-12-01

Time series analysis was used to obtain statistical tests of the impact of raising the drinking age on monthly driver fatalities in Illinois, Michigan, and Massachusetts. A control series design permitted comparison between younger drivers (21 or less years) and older drivers (25 and older) within states where the minimum drinking age was raised. Since the two groups share the same driving conditions, it was important to demonstrate that any reduction in fatalities was limited to the young age group within which the drinking age change occurred. In addition, control states were selected to permit a comparison between driver fatalities of the young age group (21 or less) in states with the law change and young drivers in states without the law change. Significant immediate reductions in fatalities among 21 and younger drivers in Illinois and Michigan were observed after these states raised their minimum drinking age. No significant reductions in any control series were observed. A linear decrease in young driver fatalities was observed after the drinking age was raised in Massachusetts. There was also a significant linear decrease in young driver fatalities in the Connecticut control series, perhaps due to increasing awareness among young drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving.

Factors associated with self-reported driver sleepiness and incidents in city bus drivers

PubMed Central

ANUND, Anna; IHLSTRÖM, Jonas; FORS, Carina; KECKLUND, Göran; FILTNESS, Ashleigh

2016-01-01

Driver fatigue has received increased attention during recent years and is now considered to be a major contributor to approximately 15–30% of all crashes. However, little is known about fatigue in city bus drivers. It is hypothesized that city bus drivers suffer from sleepiness, which is due to a combination of working conditions, lack of health and reduced sleep quantity and quality. The overall aim with the current study is to investigate if severe driver sleepiness, as indicated by subjective reports of having to fight sleep while driving, is a problem for city based bus drivers in Sweden and if so, to identify the determinants related to working conditions, health and sleep which contribute towards this. The results indicate that driver sleepiness is a problem for city bus drivers, with 19% having to fight to stay awake while driving the bus 2–3 times each week or more and nearly half experiencing this at least 2–4 times per month. In conclusion, severe sleepiness, as indicated by having to fight sleep during driving, was common among the city bus drivers. Severe sleepiness correlated with fatigue related safety risks, such as near crashes. PMID:27098307

Factors associated with self-reported driver sleepiness and incidents in city bus drivers.

PubMed

Anund, Anna; Ihlström, Jonas; Fors, Carina; Kecklund, Göran; Filtness, Ashleigh

2016-08-05

Driver fatigue has received increased attention during recent years and is now considered to be a major contributor to approximately 15-30% of all crashes. However, little is known about fatigue in city bus drivers. It is hypothesized that city bus drivers suffer from sleepiness, which is due to a combination of working conditions, lack of health and reduced sleep quantity and quality. The overall aim with the current study is to investigate if severe driver sleepiness, as indicated by subjective reports of having to fight sleep while driving, is a problem for city based bus drivers in Sweden and if so, to identify the determinants related to working conditions, health and sleep which contribute towards this. The results indicate that driver sleepiness is a problem for city bus drivers, with 19% having to fight to stay awake while driving the bus 2-3 times each week or more and nearly half experiencing this at least 2-4 times per month. In conclusion, severe sleepiness, as indicated by having to fight sleep during driving, was common among the city bus drivers. Severe sleepiness correlated with fatigue related safety risks, such as near crashes.

Occupational exposure to whole body vibration-train drivers.

PubMed

Birlik, Gülin

2009-01-01

Whole body vibration exposure of the train drivers working for State Railway Lines is assessed by referring to ISO standard 2631 -1 and EU directive 2002/44/EC. The vibration measurements were done in the cabins of suburban and intercity train drivers. Suburban train driver performs his job usually in standing posture. Whereas intercity train driver works generally in seated (bending forward) posture and exposed to longer periods of continuous vibration, compared to suburban train drivers. The mean accelerations, a, along lateral, y, and vertical, z, directions measured on the driver seat (on the cabin floor) of the intercity (suburban) train were 1.4a (y) = 0.55 (0.28) m/s(2) and a (z) = 0.65 (0.23) m/s(2). Daily exposure action values suggested in EU directive are exceeded in case of intercity train drivers and their exposure falls within the health caution zone of ISO 2631-1. Intercity train drivers are therefore under the risk of having spinal disorders. A health surveillance plan requiring every five years the reassessment of the state of the spinal system of train drivers is suggested. As an early preventive measure, extended work day or more than one shift in a day is advised to be discouraged.

To call or not to call--that is the question (while driving).

PubMed

Tractinsky, Noam; Ram, Efrat Soffer; Shinar, David

2013-07-01

We studied whether decisions to engage in cell phone conversation while driving and the consequences of such decisions are related to the driver's age, to the road conditions (demands of the driving task), and to the driver's role in initiating the phone call (i.e. the driver as caller vs. as receiver). Two experiments were performed in a driving simulator in which driver age, road conditions and phone conversation, as a secondary task, were manipulated. Engagement in cell phone conversations, performance in the driving and the conversation tasks, and subjective effort assessment were recorded. In general, drivers were more willing to accept incoming calls than to initiate calls. In addition, older and younger drivers were more susceptible to the deleterious effects of phone conversations while driving than middle aged/experienced drivers. While older drivers were aware of this susceptibility by showing sensitivity to road conditions before deciding whether to engage in a call or not, young drivers showed no such sensitivity. The results can guide the development of young driver training programs and point at the need to develop context-aware management systems of in-vehicle cell phone conversations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing drivers' response during automated driver support system failures with non-driving tasks.

PubMed

Shen, Sijun; Neyens, David M

2017-06-01

With the increase in automated driver support systems, drivers are shifting from operating their vehicles to supervising their automation. As a result, it is important to understand how drivers interact with these automated systems and evaluate their effect on driver responses to safety critical events. This study aimed to identify how drivers responded when experiencing a safety critical event in automated vehicles while also engaged in non-driving tasks. In total 48 participants were included in this driving simulator study with two levels of automated driving: (a) driving with no automation and (b) driving with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane keeping (LK) systems engaged; and also two levels of a non-driving task (a) watching a movie or (b) no non-driving task. In addition to driving performance measures, non-driving task performance and the mean glance duration for the non-driving task were compared between the two levels of automated driving. Drivers using the automated systems responded worse than those manually driving in terms of reaction time, lane departure duration, and maximum steering wheel angle to an induced lane departure event. These results also found that non-driving tasks further impaired driver responses to a safety critical event in the automated system condition. In the automated driving condition, driver responses to the safety critical events were slower, especially when engaged in a non-driving task. Traditional driver performance variables may not necessarily effectively and accurately evaluate driver responses to events when supervising autonomous vehicle systems. Thus, it is important to develop and use appropriate variables to quantify drivers' performance under these conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Alcohol and drug involvement in motorcycle driver injuries in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil: Analysis of crash culpability and other associated factors.

PubMed

de Carvalho, Heraclito Barbosa; Andreuccetti, Gabriel; Rezende, Marcelo Rosa; Bernini, Celso; Silva, Jorge Santos; Leyton, Vilma; D'Andréa Greve, Julia Maria

2016-05-01

Earlier studies have already identified that a greater proportion of injured drivers are under the effects of illicit drugs than alcohol in Brazil, but the crash risk attributable to each substance is still unknown. Injured motorcycle drivers who were involved in traffic accidents in the West Zone of the city of Sao Paulo were recruited for a cross-sectional study based on crash culpability analysis. Alcohol and drug positivity among drivers was evaluated according to their responsibility for the crash. Culpability ratios were generated based on the proportion of drivers who were deemed culpable in relation to those considered not culpable according to the use of drugs and alcohol. Of the 273 drivers recruited, 10.6% tested positive for alcohol. Among those who were also tested for drugs (n=232), 20.3% had consumed either alcohol and/or other drugs, 15.5% of whom were positive only for drugs other than alcohol, specifically cannabis and cocaine. Drivers who tested positive for alcohol were significantly less likely to possess a valid driver's license and to report driving professionally, whereas those who had consumed only drugs were more likely to drive professionally. The culpability ratio estimated for alcohol-positive drivers was three times higher than that for alcohol-free drivers, showing a superior ratio than drivers who had consumed only drugs other than alcohol, who presented a 1.7 times higher culpability ratio than drug-free drivers. Substance use was overrepresented among culpable motorcycle drivers, with alcohol showing a greater contribution to crash culpability than other drugs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of age on crash risk associated with driver distraction.

PubMed

Guo, Feng; Klauer, Sheila G; Fang, Youjia; Hankey, Jonathan M; Antin, Jonathan F; Perez, Miguel A; Lee, Suzanne E; Dingus, Thomas A

2017-02-01

Driver distraction is a major contributing factor to crashes, which are the leading cause of death for the US population under 35 years of age. The prevalence of secondary-task engagement and its impacts on distraction and crashes may vary substantially by driver age. Driving performance and behaviour data were collected continuously using multiple cameras and sensors in situ for 3542 participant drivers recruited for up to 3 years for the Second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study. Secondary-task engagement at the onset of crashes and during normal driving segments was identified from videos. A case-cohort approach was used to estimate the crash odds ratios associated with, and the prevalence of, secondary tasks for four age groups: 16-20, 21-29, 30-64 and 65-98 years of age. Only severe crashes (property damage and higher severity) were included in the analysis. Secondary-task-induced distraction posed a consistently higher threat for drivers younger than 30 and above 65 when compared with middle-aged drivers, although senior drivers engaged in secondary tasks much less frequently than their younger counterparts. Secondary tasks with high visual-manual demand (e.g. visual-manual tasks performed on cell phones) affected drivers of all ages. Certain secondary tasks, such as operation of in-vehicle devices and talking/singing, increased the risk for only certain age groups. Teenaged, young adult drivers and senior drivers are more adversely impacted by secondary-task engagement than middle-aged drivers. Visual-manual distractions impact drivers of all ages, whereas cognitive distraction may have a larger impact on young drivers. © The Author 2016; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association

An examination of the environmental, driver and vehicle factors associated with the serious and fatal crashes of older rural drivers.

PubMed

Thompson, J P; Baldock, M R J; Mathias, J L; Wundersitz, L N

2013-01-01

Motor vehicle crashes involving rural drivers aged 75 years and over are more than twice as likely to result in a serious or fatal injury as those involving their urban counterparts. The current study examined some of the reasons for this using a database of police-reported crashes (2004-2008) to identify the environmental (lighting, road and weather conditions, road layout, road surface, speed limit), driver (driver error, crash type), and vehicle (vehicle age) factors that are associated with the crashes of older rural drivers. It also determined whether these same factors are associated with an increased likelihood of serious or fatal injury in younger drivers for whom frailty does not contribute to the resulting injury severity. A number of environmental (i.e., undivided, unsealed, curved and inclined roads, and areas with a speed limit of 100km/h or greater) and driver (i.e., collision with a fixed object and rolling over) factors were more frequent in the crashes of older rural drivers and additionally associated with increased injury severity in younger drivers. Moreover, when these environmental factors were entered into a logistic regression model to predict whether older drivers who were involved in crashes did or did not sustain a serious or fatal injury, it was found that each factor independently increased the likelihood of a serious or fatal injury. Changes, such as the provision of divided and sealed roads, greater protection from fixed roadside objects, and reduced speed limits, appear to be indicated in order to improve the safety of the rural driving environment for drivers of all ages. Additionally, older rural drivers should be encouraged to reduce their exposure to these risky circumstances. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational health risks and intervention strategies for US taxi drivers.

PubMed

Murray, Kate E; Buul, Abdimalik; Aden, Rasheed; Cavanaugh, Alyson M; Kidane, Luwam; Hussein, Mikaiil; Eastman, Amelia; Checkoway, Harvey

2017-12-02

Research has shown that taxi drivers are at risk for numerous health concerns, such as low back and leg pain, linked to their highly sedentary occupation, long work hours and stressors related to the job (e.g. low income, safety threats). The goal of this study was to explore occupational health risks and opportunities for health interventions with taxi drivers using community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods. A mixed methods approach included first a convenience sample of 19 East African taxi drivers participating in focus group discussions. Second, a convenience sample of 75 current taxi drivers (M age = 45.7 years) and 25 non-driver comparison participants (M age = 40.3 years) were recruited to complete a structured self-reported questionnaire and objective measures of health. Health education was provided alongside the research to address common health concerns and to ensure mutual benefit and an action orientation. The focus groups described numerous health concerns that drivers attributed to their occupation, including chronic pain, sleep deprivation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease and eye problems, as the most common. Participants offered ideas for health interventions that include workplace reform and driver education. Quantitative data indicate that 44% of drivers reported their health as 'fair' or 'poor'. Drivers were more likely to report musculoskeletal pain, less sleep, more fatigue and less physical activity as compared to non-drivers. The majority of drivers reported financial and job dissatisfaction. The research provides data to inform targeted health interventions that support the health and safety of taxi drivers. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Driver training interests of a Spanish sample of young drivers and its relationship with their self-assessment skills concerning risky driving behavior.

PubMed

Molina, J Gabriel; Sanmartín, Jaime; Keskinen, Esko

2013-03-01

Poor driving self-assessment skills (e.g., over-confidence) have been pointed out as an important explanatory factor behind young drivers' accident involvement. This paper explores (1) what young drivers miss in their training as drivers in order to analyze whether an assessment of one's own driving skills plays an important role in their desire to improve as drivers, and (2) how these training interests are related to an estimate of their self-assessment skills concerning risky driving behavior. For this purpose, a study was conducted using a survey with a blocked sampling design of novice drivers. The survey solicited respondents' self-report about (1) the contents of training courses that they feel would improve their driving, (2) their risky driving behavior, and (3) their likelihood of being involved in a risky driving situation. From the initial sample invited to participate, of nearly 1300 people, we finally obtained complete data from 321 young Spanish drivers. Two main results were apparent from our data analysis: (1) the novice drivers were mainly interested in improving their ability to recognize their strengths and weaknesses as drivers (i.e., self-assessment skills); (2) a significant relationship was found between novice drivers' interests and their current self-assessment skills concerning risky driving behavior. Specifically, there was greater general interest expressed in post-license training by the under-confident self-assessors than the over-confident ones. These results provide a relevant input which should be taken into account when designing driver training programs for novice drivers. Moreover, the relationship between their training interests and their risky driving self-assessment skills introduces an additional factor to be considered in the implementation of these training programs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elderly driver retraining

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-09-01

This report documents a study of the traffic safety problems associated with elderly drivers. For the purposes of this study, "elderly drivers" are defined as drivers aged 55 years or older. The study involved five major activities. First, research w...

Bus driver fatigue and stress issues study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-02-01

Fatigue-related issues associated with motorcoach drivers differ from the issues faced by truck drivers because of the distinct nature of their jobs. For example, truck and motorcoach drivers deal with different vehicular operating characteristics, n...

Parent attitudes toward integrating parent involvement into teenage driver education courses.

PubMed

Hartos, Jessica; Huff, David C

2008-01-01

The widespread adoption of graduated driver licensing (GDL) policies has effectively reduced crash risk for young drivers; however, parents must support, reinforce, and enforce GDL for it to be effective, and research indicates that parents need better information and instruction for adhering to GDL requirements, conducting supervised practice driving, and restricting independent teenage driving. Because teenagers in most states must take driver education to enter the licensing process prior to age 18, integrating parent involvement into driver education may be an effective way to inform and instruct parents on a large scale about teen driver safety. This study assessed parent attitudes (overall and by rural status, minority status, and income level) toward integrating parent involvement into teenage driver education classes. In this study, 321 parents of teenagers enrolled in driver education classes across the state of Montana completed surveys about current involvement in driver education and attitudes toward required involvement. The results indicated that parents were not very involved currently in their teenagers' driver education classes, but 76% reported that parents should be required to be involved. If involvement were required, parents would prefer having written materials sent home, access to information over the Internet, or discussions in person with the instructor; far fewer would prefer to attend classes or behind-the-wheel driving instruction. There were few differences in parent attitudes by rural or minority status but many by income level. Compared to higher income parents, lower income parents were more likely to endorse required parent involvement in teenage driver education classes and to want parent information from driver education about many teen driving issues. That the majority of parents are open to required involvement in their teenagers' driver education classes is promising because doing so could better prepare parents to understand and adhere to GDL policies, supervise teenagers' practice driving, and manage teen independent driving, all of which could further increase teen driver safety.

The effect of varying levels of vehicle automation on drivers' lane changing behaviour.

PubMed

Madigan, Ruth; Louw, Tyron; Merat, Natasha

2018-01-01

Much of the Human Factors research into vehicle automation has focused on driver responses to critical scenarios where a crash might occur. However, there is less knowledge about the effects of vehicle automation on drivers' behaviour during non-critical take-over situations, such as driver-initiated lane-changing or overtaking. The current driving simulator study, conducted as part of the EC-funded AdaptIVe project, addresses this issue. It uses a within-subjects design to compare drivers' lane-changing behaviour in conventional manual driving, partially automated driving (PAD) and conditionally automated driving (CAD). In PAD, drivers were required to re-take control from an automated driving system in order to overtake a slow moving vehicle, while in CAD, the driver used the indicator lever to initiate a system-performed overtaking manoeuvre. Results showed that while drivers' acceptance of both the PAD and CAD systems was high, they generally preferred CAD. A comparison of overtaking positions showed that drivers initiated overtaking manoeuvres slightly later in PAD than in manual driving or CAD. In addition, when compared to conventional driving, drivers had higher deviations in lane positioning and speed, along with higher lateral accelerations during lane changes following PAD. These results indicate that even in situations which are not time-critical, drivers' vehicle control after automation is degraded compared to conventional driving.

Exploring the relationship between alcohol and the driver characteristics in motor vehicle accidents.

PubMed

Abdel-Aty, M A; Abdelwahab, H T

2000-07-01

This study examines the differences in alcohol-related accident involvement among different driver groups in the state of Florida. The driver characteristics considered in this study are: age, gender, race, and residency of the driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or alcohol and drugs. The main objective of this study is to test whether there are associations between the different driver characteristics and alcohol involvement in traffic accidents, and to identify the high-risk group within each driver factor. This would improve our understanding of the relationship between alcohol involvement, accidents, and the four aforementioned driver factors. It would also enable us to better design educational and awareness programs targeting specific groups in the population to reduce drinking and driving in the state. The relationship between alcohol-related accident involvement and the driver factors are investigated using general descriptive statistics, conditional probabilities and log-linear models. The results showed that the 25-34 age group experience the highest rate of alcohol/drug involvement in accidents. The rates decline with the increase in the age of the drivers. The results also indicated that there are significant relationships between the driver characteristics and alcohol/drug involvement in accidents. Male, white, and in-state drivers were also more involved in alcohol/drugs-related traffic accidents.

Evaluation of a program to enhance young drivers' safety in Israel.

PubMed

Toledo, Tomer; Lotan, Tsippy; Taubman-Ben-Ari, Orit; Grimberg, Einat

2012-03-01

Young drivers in Israel, as in other parts of the world, are involved in car crashes more than any other age group. The graduated driver licensing system in Israel requires that all new drivers be accompanied by an experienced driver whenever they drive for the first 3 months after obtaining a driving license. In an effort to make the accompanied driving phase more effective, a novel program which targets both young drivers and their parents was initiated in 2005. The program administers a personal meeting with the young driver and the accompanying parent scheduled for the beginning of the accompanied driving phase. In this meeting guidance is given regarding best practices for undertaking the accompanied driving, as well as tips for dealing with in-vehicle parent-teen dynamics. Through 2008, almost 130,000 families of young drivers have participated in the program. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, injury crash records of the young drivers who participated in the program were compared with those of all other young drivers that were licensed at the same time period. The results obtained indicate statistically significant lower crash records for young drivers that participated in the program. Limitations of the evaluation related to self-selection biases are discussed, and practical implications are suggested. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of driver nationality on the risk of causing vehicle collisions in Spain

PubMed Central

Lardelli, C; Luna, D; Jimenez, M; Bueno, C; Garcia, M; Galvez, V

2002-01-01

Study objective: To estimate the association between driver nationality and the risk of causing a collision between vehicles in motion. Design: Retrospective, matched by collision, case-control study. Setting: Collisions that occurred in Spain during the period from 1990 to 1999 were studied. Participants: Responsible (case) and non-responsible (control) drivers identified in the databases of the Dirección General de Tráfico (General Traffic Directorate) who were involved in a collisions between two or more four wheeled vehicles in motion, in which only one of the drivers had committed a traffic violation. Main results: Crude odds ratios (ORs) for the effect of driver nationality on the risk of causing a collision were significantly higher for foreign drivers than for Spanish drivers, and ranged from a minimum of 1.19 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.29) for Portuguese drivers to a maximum of 2.06 (1.88 to 2.27) for British drivers. Corresponding adjusted ORs were slightly lower, but were still significantly higher than 1 for all nationalities except Italian, Belgian, and American (USA). Adjusted ORs were usually higher for collisions that occurred in urban areas than on open roads. Conclusions: Authorities responsible for traffic safety, and drivers in general, should consider foreign drivers in Spain at particularly high risk for causing collisions, especially in urban areas. PMID:11964439

Effects of fog, driver experience and gender on driving behavior on S-curved road segments.

PubMed

Li, Xiaomeng; Yan, Xuedong; Wong, S C

2015-04-01

Driving on curved roads has been recognized as a significant safety issue for many years. However, driver behavior and the interactions among variables that affect driver performance on curves is complicated and not well understood. Previous studies have investigated various factors that influence driver performance on right- or left-turn curves, but have paid little attention to the effects of foggy weather, driver experience and gender on driver performance on complex curves. A driving simulator experiment was conducted in this study to evaluate the relationships between driving behavior on a continuous S-curve and foggy weather, driver experience and gender. The process of negotiating a curve was divided into three stages consisting of a straight segment, the transition from the straight segment to the S-curve and the S-curve. The experimental results indicated that drivers tended to drive more cautiously in heavy fog, but the driving risk was still increased, especially in the transition stage from the straight segment to the S-curve. The non-professional (NP) drivers were less sensitive to the impending change in the road geometry, and less skilled in both longitudinal and lateral vehicle control than the professional drivers. The NP female drivers in particular were found to be the most vulnerable group in S-curve driving. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical characteristics of experienced and junior open-wheel car drivers.

PubMed

Raschner, Christian; Platzer, Hans-Peter; Patterson, Carson

2013-01-01

Despite the popularity of open-wheel car racing, scientific literature about the physical characteristics of competitive race car drivers is scarce. The purpose of this study was to compare selected fitness parameters of experienced and junior open-wheel race car drivers. The experienced drivers consisted of five Formula One, two GP2 and two Formula 3 drivers, and the nine junior drivers drove in the Formula Master, Koenig, BMW and Renault series. The following fitness parameters were tested: multiple reactions, multiple anticipation, postural stability, isometric upper body strength, isometric leg extension strength, isometric grip strength, cyclic foot speed and jump height. The group differences were calculated using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Because of the multiple testing strategy used, the statistical significance was Bonferroni corrected and set at P < 0.004. Significant differences between the experienced and junior drivers were found only for the jump height parameter (P = 0.002). The experienced drivers tended to perform better in leg strength (P = 0.009), cyclic foot speed (P = 0.024) and grip strength (P = 0.058). None of the other variables differed between the groups. The results suggested that the experienced drivers were significantly more powerful than the junior drivers: they tended to be quicker and stronger (18% to 25%) but without statistical significance. The experienced drivers demonstrated excellent strength and power compared with other high-performance athletes.

The relation between driving experience and recognition of road signs relative to their locations.

PubMed

Borowsky, Avinoam; Shinar, David; Parmet, Yisrael

2008-04-01

Examine how driving experience and expectations affect the ability of experienced drivers to identify traffic signs--specifically, no right turn (NRT) and no left turn (NLT) at intersections. Failure to heed signs is a frequent cause of accidents, and the authors focused on the contributions of experience and expectancy to sign identification. Inexperienced and experienced drivers were connected to an eye tracker system and briefly exposed to various traffic scenes. Some of the pictures included an NRT sign at the expected location (on the right), and some included the same sign at an unexpected location (on the left). The same procedure was used with an NLT traffic sign. Experienced drivers identified traffic signs better than inexperienced drivers did when the signs were posted at the expected location but identified them worse than did inexperienced drivers when they were at unexpected locations. With experience, drivers' expectations regarding the expected location of traffic signs become so strong that violating these expectancies results in more identification errors among experienced drivers than among inexperienced drivers. To optimize experienced drivers' traffic sign identification, signs must be located in accordance with drivers' expectations--specifically, on the right side of the road. When signs are misplaced, crashes can be caused by inappropriate placement rather than inappropriate driving. Highway designers should ensure that their design conforms to standards that shape experienced drivers' expectations.

Data and methods for studying commercial motor vehicle driver fatigue, highway safety and long-term driver health.

PubMed

Stern, Hal S; Blower, Daniel; Cohen, Michael L; Czeisler, Charles A; Dinges, David F; Greenhouse, Joel B; Guo, Feng; Hanowski, Richard J; Hartenbaum, Natalie P; Krueger, Gerald P; Mallis, Melissa M; Pain, Richard F; Rizzo, Matthew; Sinha, Esha; Small, Dylan S; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Wegman, David H

2018-03-09

This article summarizes the recommendations on data and methodology issues for studying commercial motor vehicle driver fatigue of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine study. A framework is provided that identifies the various factors affecting driver fatigue and relating driver fatigue to crash risk and long-term driver health. The relevant factors include characteristics of the driver, vehicle, carrier and environment. Limitations of existing data are considered and potential sources of additional data described. Statistical methods that can be used to improve understanding of the relevant relationships from observational data are also described. The recommendations for enhanced data collection and the use of modern statistical methods for causal inference have the potential to enhance our understanding of the relationship of fatigue to highway safety and to long-term driver health. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Substance use and social, health and safety-related factors among fatally injured drivers.

PubMed

Karjalainen, Karoliina; Blencowe, Tom; Lillsunde, Pirjo

2012-03-01

The aim of this study was to examine different socio-demographic, health and safety-related factors, and psychoactive substance use among fatally injured drivers in road traffic accidents in Finland during 2006-2008. An accident information register maintained by the Traffic Safety Committee of Insurance Companies (VALT) of the Finnish Motor Insurers' Centre was used as basic data, and the basic data were complemented with further toxicological analytical information retrieved from autopsy reports from the Department of Forensic Medicine, Helsinki University. The data included all the drivers (n=556) who were driving a motor vehicle and who died in a road traffic accident in Finland during 2006-2008. Of all the 556 fatally injured drivers 43% (n=238) had psychoactive substance findings. 51% (n=121) of substance positive drivers had a finding for alcohol only, the rest had a finding for one or more illicit/medicinal drugs impairing driving ability, and possibly also alcohol. Fatally injured drivers with alcohol findings were significantly younger (mean age 34 years) than sober drivers (mean age 44 years) or drivers with findings for drugs (mean age 45 years). Socio-demographic background did not differ substantially among drunken/drugged and sober drivers, although drivers with alcohol findings had a slightly lower education and socioeconomic position. Previous substance abuse problems were highly prevalent among drivers with substance findings and mental or both mental and physical health problems were more common among drivers with drug findings. The non-use of safety equipment and driving at a high speed were more common among fatally injured drivers with substance findings. Substance abuse and mental health problems, as well as reckless driving behavior were more pronounced among fatally injured drivers with substance findings when compared to sober drivers. Thus, prevention and early intervention concerning substance abuse, mental health problems and DUI are essential. Improved traffic safety cannot be achieved by means of traffic policy only, but integration with other policies, such as health and social policy should be strengthened. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is take-over time all that matters? The impact of visual-cognitive load on driver take-over quality after conditionally automated driving.

PubMed

Zeeb, Kathrin; Buchner, Axel; Schrauf, Michael

2016-07-01

Currently, development of conditionally automated driving systems which control both lateral and longitudinal vehicle guidance is attracting a great deal of attention. The driver no longer needs to constantly monitor the roadway, but must still be able to resume vehicle control if necessary. The relaxed attention requirement might encourage engagement in non-driving related secondary tasks, and the resulting effect on driver take-over is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine how engagement in three different naturalistic secondary tasks (writing an email, reading a news text, watching a video clip) impacted take-over performance. A driving simulator study was conducted and data from a total of 79 participants (mean age 40 years, 35 females) were used to examine response times and take-over quality. Drivers had to resume vehicle control in four different non-critical scenarios while engaging in secondary tasks. A control group did not perform any secondary tasks. There was no influence of the drivers' engagement in secondary tasks on the time required to return their hands to the steering wheel, and there seemed to be only little if any influence on the time the drivers needed to intervene in vehicle control. Take-over quality, however, deteriorated for distracted drivers, with drivers reading a news text and drivers watching a video deviating on average approximately 8-9cm more from the lane center. These findings seem to indicate that establishing motor readiness may be carried out almost reflexively, but cognitive processing of the situation is impaired by driver distraction. This, in turn, appears to determine take-over quality. The present findings emphasize the importance to consider both response times and take-over quality for a comprehensive understanding of factors that influence driver take-over. Furthermore, a training effect in response times was found to be moderated by the drivers' prior experience with driver assistance systems. This shows that besides driver distraction, driver-related factors influencing take-over performance exist. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Child Passenger Deaths Involving Alcohol-Impaired Drivers

PubMed Central

Quinlan, Kyran; Shults, Ruth A.; Rudd, Rose A.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Approximately 1 in 5 child passenger deaths in the United States involves an alcohol-impaired driver, most commonly the child’s own driver. The objective of this study was to document recent trends and state-specific rates of these deaths. METHODS A descriptive analysis of 2001–2010 Fatality Analysis Reporting System data for child passengers aged <15 years killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Driver impairment was defined as a blood alcohol concentration of ≥0.08 g/dL. RESULTS During 2001–2010, 2344 children <15 years were killed in crashes involving at least 1 alcohol-impaired driver. Of these children, 1515 (65%) were riding with an impaired driver. Annual deaths among children riding with an alcohol-impaired driver decreased by 41% over the decade. Among the 37 states included in the state-level analysis, Texas (272) and California (135) had the most children killed while riding with an impaired driver and South Dakota (0.98) and New Mexico (0.86) had the highest annualized child passenger death rates (per 100 000 children). Most (61%) child passengers of impaired drivers were unrestrained at the time of the crash. One-third of the impaired drivers did not have a valid driver’s license. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol-impaired driving remains a substantial threat to the safety of child passengers in the United States, and typically involves children being driven by impaired drivers. This risk varies meaningfully among states. To make further progress, states and communities could consider increased use of effective interventions and efforts aimed specifically at protecting child passengers from impaired drivers. PMID:24799550

Motor vehicle driver injury and socioeconomic status: a cohort study with prospective and retrospective driver injuries

PubMed Central

Whitlock, G; Norton, R; Clark, T; Pledger, M; Jackson, R; MacMahon, S

2003-01-01

Study objective: To investigate the association between motor vehicle driver injury and socioeconomic status. Design: Cohort study with prospective and retrospective outcomes. Setting: New Zealand. Participants: 10 525 adults (volunteer sample of a multi-industry workforce, n=8008; and a random sample of urban electoral rolls, n=2517). Outcome measure: Motor vehicle driver injury resulting in admission of the driver to hospital or the driver's death, or both, during the period 1988–98; hospitalisation and mortality data were obtained by record linkage to national health databases. Main results: After adjustment for age and sex, driver injury risk was inversely associated with both occupational status (p for linear trend <0.0001) and educational level (p for linear trend =0.007). Participants in the lowest approximate quartile of occupational status were four times as likely (HR 4.17, 95% CI 2.31 to 7.55) to have experienced a driver injury during follow up as participants in the highest approximate quartile. Participants who had been to secondary school for less than two years were twice as likely (HR 2.26, 95% CI 1.34 to 3.81) to have experienced a driver injury as those who had been to university or polytechnic. There was little evidence that driver injury risk was associated with neighbourhood income (p for linear trend =0.12) Conclusions: Occupational status and educational level seem to be important determinants of driver injury risk. Driver injury countermeasures should be targeted to people in low status occupations, as well as to people with comparatively little formal education. PMID:12821697

Pattern of seat belt use by drivers in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In Trinidad and Tobago, the law on the mandatory use of seat belts was passed in 1995, but this law is hardly enforced. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and predictors of seat belt use by motor vehicle drivers in the country. Findings A cross-sectional study of 959 motor vehicle drivers using a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis included Pearson Chi square test and multinomial logistic regression analysis in order to determine the possible predictors of seat belt use by the drivers in Trinidad and Tobago. A majority of the drivers sometimes (51.8%) or always (31.6%) use a seat belt. About 16.7%, 29% and 54.2% of the drivers perceived that the other drivers use their seat belts more frequently, with the same frequency and less frequently respectively compared to themselves. The main reason for not using seat belt by the drivers was given as frequent stops (40.7%) and the main motivation to use seat belt by the drivers was given as stiffer penalties for non-compliance with the seat belt law (44.5%). The predictors of seat belt use were male driver, no formal or lower level of education, driving for less than 10 years, and the perception that the other drivers use seat belts with the same or higher frequency compared to the respondents. Conclusion Only a small proportion of the drivers in Trinidad and Tobago always use a seat belt when driving. There is the need to enforce the seat belt legislation in the country. PMID:21679410

Trends in the crash involvement of older drivers in Australia.

PubMed

Thompson, James P; Baldock, Matthew R J; Dutschke, Jeffrey K

2018-05-03

Research from the USA and Great Britain indicates that the number of fatal crashes (as well as the rates of crashes of all levels of injury and property damage) involving older drivers declined between approximately 1997 and 2010 despite increases in the number of older drivers on the road and in their driving exposure. Differing results have been found in Australian research with the number of older driver fatalities having been steady and even slightly increasing between 2004 and 2013. The present study further examined trends in the crash involvement of older drivers in Australia to determine whether their involvement has been increasing or decreasing, and how this compares to trends for younger aged drivers. Crash, injury, population and licensure data were examined by age group for the years 2003-2012. There were increases in the population and licensure of drivers aged 65 years and older, while the total crashes, serious injuries, and fatalities remained steady for drivers aged 65-84 and increased for the oldest group (85+) between 2003 and 2012. Increasing trends were also found for drivers 85 and older for rates of serious or fatal injuries per head of population and per licensed driver. Population and licensure among younger age groups also increased but their crash numbers and crash rates remained steady or declined. The stable or slightly increasing fatal crash involvement of older drivers in Australia contrasts with the declining trends in the USA and Great Britain. Therefore, greater attention should be given to the road safety of older drivers in Australia. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A cross "ethnical" comparison of the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) in an economically fast developing country.

PubMed

Bener, Abdulbari; Verjee, Mohamud; Dafeeah, Elnour E; Yousafzai, Mohammad T; Mari, Sundus; Hassib, Ahmed; Al-Khatib, Hamza; Choi, Min Kyung; Nema, Noor; Ozkan, Türker; Lajunen, Timo

2013-05-12

The aim of this study was to compare the driving behaviours of four ethnic groups and to investigate the relationship between violations, errors and lapses of DBQ and accident involvement in Qatar. The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) was used to measure the aberrant driving behaviours leading to accidents. Of 2400 drivers approached, 1824 drivers agreed to participate (76%) and completed the driver behaviour questionnaire and background information. The study revealed that the majority of the Qatari (35.9%) and Jordanian drivers (37.5%) were below 30 years of age, whereas Filipino (42.3%) and Indian subcontinent (34.1%) drivers were in the age group of 30-39 years. Qatari drivers (52%) were involved in most accidents, followed by Jordanians (48.3%). The most common type of collision was a head on collision, which was similar in all four ethnic groups. The Qatari drivers scored higher on almost all items of violations, errors and lapses compared to other ethnic groups, while Filipino drivers were lower on all the items. The most common violation was the same in all four ethnic groups "Disregard the speed limits on a motorway". The most common error item observed was "Queing to turn right/left on to a main road". "Forget where you left your car" and "Hit something when reversing" were the two lapses identified in factor analysis. The present study identified that Qatari drivers scored higher on most of the items of violations, errors and lapses of DBQ compared to other countries, whereas Filipino drivers scored lower in DBQ items.

Advancing the integration of spatial data to map human and natural drivers on coral reefs

PubMed Central

Gove, Jamison M.; Walecka, Hilary R.; Donovan, Mary K.; Williams, Gareth J.; Jouffray, Jean-Baptiste; Crowder, Larry B.; Erickson, Ashley; Falinski, Kim; Friedlander, Alan M.; Kappel, Carrie V.; Kittinger, John N.; McCoy, Kaylyn; Norström, Albert; Nyström, Magnus; Oleson, Kirsten L. L.; Stamoulis, Kostantinos A.; White, Crow; Selkoe, Kimberly A.

2018-01-01

A major challenge for coral reef conservation and management is understanding how a wide range of interacting human and natural drivers cumulatively impact and shape these ecosystems. Despite the importance of understanding these interactions, a methodological framework to synthesize spatially explicit data of such drivers is lacking. To fill this gap, we established a transferable data synthesis methodology to integrate spatial data on environmental and anthropogenic drivers of coral reefs, and applied this methodology to a case study location–the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Environmental drivers were derived from time series (2002–2013) of climatological ranges and anomalies of remotely sensed sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, irradiance, and wave power. Anthropogenic drivers were characterized using empirically derived and modeled datasets of spatial fisheries catch, sedimentation, nutrient input, new development, habitat modification, and invasive species. Within our case study system, resulting driver maps showed high spatial heterogeneity across the MHI, with anthropogenic drivers generally greatest and most widespread on O‘ahu, where 70% of the state’s population resides, while sedimentation and nutrients were dominant in less populated islands. Together, the spatial integration of environmental and anthropogenic driver data described here provides a first-ever synthetic approach to visualize how the drivers of coral reef state vary in space and demonstrates a methodological framework for implementation of this approach in other regions of the world. By quantifying and synthesizing spatial drivers of change on coral reefs, we provide an avenue for further research to understand how drivers determine reef diversity and resilience, which can ultimately inform policies to protect coral reefs. PMID:29494613

Assessing Chinese coach drivers' fitness to drive: The development of a toolkit based on cognition measurements.

PubMed

Wang, Huarong; Mo, Xian; Wang, Ying; Liu, Ruixue; Qiu, Peiyu; Dai, Jiajun

2016-10-01

Road traffic accidents resulting in group deaths and injuries are often related to coach drivers' inappropriate operations and behaviors. Thus, the evaluation of coach drivers' fitness to drive is an important measure for improving the safety of public transportation. Previous related research focused on drivers' age and health condition. Comprehensive studies about commercial drivers' cognitive capacities are limited. This study developed a toolkit consisting of nine cognition measurements across driver perception/sensation, attention, and reaction. A total of 1413 licensed coach drivers in Jiangsu Province, China were investigated and tested. Results indicated that drivers with accident history within three years performed overwhelmingly worse (p<0.001) on dark adaptation, dynamic visual acuity, depth perception, attention concentration, attention span, and significantly worse (p<0.05) on reaction to complex tasks compared with drivers with clear accident records. These findings supported that in the assessment of fitness to drive, cognitive capacities are sensitive to the detection of drivers with accident proneness. We first developed a simple evaluation model based on the percentile distribution of all single measurements, which defined the normal range of "fit-to-drive" by eliminating a 5% tail of each measurement. A comprehensive evaluation model was later constructed based on the kernel principal component analysis, in which the eliminated 5% tail was calculated from on integrated index. Methods to categorizing qualified, good, and excellent coach drivers and criteria for evaluating and training Chinese coach drivers' fitness to drive were also proposed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Driving while black: a comparison of the beliefs, concerns, and behaviors of black and white Maryland drivers.

PubMed

Debnam, Katrina J; Beck, Kenneth H

2011-12-01

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests that given the changing demographics of the United States it is important to examine motor vehicle statistics by race and ethnicity. The current study sought to explore differences in traffic safety concerns and driving behaviors between black and white drivers. An annual, anonymous, random-digit-dial telephone survey was used to collect data between 2003 and 2009 from Maryland drivers. Drivers (N = 5503) were assessed regarding their driving behaviors and perceived risk of receiving a traffic violation. Results showed that black drivers perceived a greater likelihood of being stopped for driving under the influence (DUI), for not wearing a seat belt and for speeding than white drivers. These differences were found among drivers with or without a history of being ticketed. Black drivers were also more likely to report a variety of risky driving behaviors than white drivers. However, black drivers were not more likely to report receiving a ticket or citation in the last month after controlling for demographic factors, risky driving behaviors, and geographic region of the state, where traffic enforcement may vary. Findings indicate that black drivers are not more likely to be ticketed, despite perceptual biases that may exist among some drivers. These differences appear to be explained by demographic as well as regional factors. These results highlight the need for more research to understand the potential differences in driving behaviors between racial and ethnic groups. More research is also needed to develop countermeasures for racial and ethnic groups most at risk for motor vehicle violations and crashes.

Driving Behavior among Different Groups of Iranian Drivers Based on Driver Coping Styles

PubMed Central

Lotfi, Saeid; Yazdanirad, Saeid; Pourabdiyan, Siyamak; Hassanzadeh, Akbar; Lotfi, Aliakbar

2017-01-01

Background: This study aimed to assess driving behavior of Iranian drivers based on their coping styles (problem-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoiding). Methods: This study was conducted on 610 drivers divided into four different groups. The drivers’ behaviors and coping styles were evaluated using driver behavior questionnaire (DBQ) and coping inventory for stressful situations. Results: The results showed a significant difference among the three coping styles regarding the mean scores of DBQ dimensions (P < 0.001). In addition, the emotion-oriented drivers obtained higher mean scores compared to those with other coping styles. Conclusions: It can be concluded that emotion-oriented drivers were more susceptible to crashes compared to those with problem-solving and avoidance coping styles. PMID:28757929

Jerky driving--An indicator of accident proneness?

PubMed

Bagdadi, Omar; Várhelyi, András

2011-07-01

This study uses continuously logged driving data from 166 private cars to derive the level of jerks caused by the drivers during everyday driving. The number of critical jerks found in the data is analysed and compared with the self-reported accident involvement of the drivers. The results show that the expected number of accidents for a driver increases with the number of critical jerks caused by the driver. Jerk analyses make it possible to identify safety critical driving behaviour or "accident prone" drivers. They also facilitate the development of safety measures such as active safety systems or advanced driver assistance systems, ADAS, which could be adapted for specific groups of drivers or specific risky driving behaviour. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early driver fatigue detection from electroencephalography signals using artificial neural networks.

PubMed

King, L M; Nguyen, H T; Lal, S K L

2006-01-01

This paper describes a driver fatigue detection system using an artificial neural network (ANN). Using electroencephalogram (EEG) data sampled from 20 professional truck drivers and 35 non professional drivers, the time domain data are processed into alpha, beta, delta and theta bands and then presented to the neural network to detect the onset of driver fatigue. The neural network uses a training optimization technique called the magnified gradient function (MGF). This technique reduces the time required for training by modifying the standard back propagation (SBP) algorithm. The MGF is shown to classify professional driver fatigue with 81.49% accuracy (80.53% sensitivity, 82.44% specificity) and non-professional driver fatigue with 83.06% accuracy (84.04% sensitivity and 82.08% specificity).

The Safety Performance of Passenger Carrier Drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

This paper examines the safety performance of passenger carrier drivers. Special emphasis is given to the motorcoach segment. A model that investigates the contribution of driver factors on the number of State-reportable crashes in which the driver w...

Parent-taught driver education in Texas : a comparative evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-04-01

An evaluation of the Parent-Taught Driver Education (PTDE) program in Texas was conducted using three different research techniques: (1) focus groups with driver education instructors, teen drivers, and their parents; (2) statewide mail survey of you...

Model driver screening and evaluation program. Volume 2, Maryland pilot older driver study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-05-01

This research project studied the feasibility as well as the scientific validity and utility of performing functional capacity screening with older drivers. A Model Program was described encompassing procedures to detect functionally impaired drivers...

Research notes : study recommends changes to Oregon's driver improvement program.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-05-01

The purpose of the Oregon Department of Transportation-Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) Driver Improvement Program (DIP) is to improve traffic safety by temporarily restricting unsafe drivers or removing them from Oregons highways through t...

Older drivers' "high per-mile crash involvement": the implications for licensing authorities.

PubMed

Eberhard, John

2008-08-01

Determine what role motor vehicle administrators have in dealing with older drivers based on their crash risk and mobility needs. This article reviews both the recent crash, injury, and exposure trends from the National Household Travel Survey and other sources to help motor vehicle administrators set priorities in meeting the safety and mobility needs of older persons. Older drivers have a higher crash risk per mile driven. The "risk" of dying in a crash is more likely attributable to the frailty of older drivers than the risks associated with the functional limitations that accompany aging. The research literature indicates that older drivers are not a risk to other road user age groups but primarily to themselves. Furthermore, recent fatality data indicate that the death rates for older persons, particularly those over 80 years of age, have been declining over the last 10 years. These results differ from recent fatality trend projections that predicted a significant increase in traffic fatalities associated with an aging driver population. Drivers over 80 are more likely to have a crash on a per licensed driver basis. There is new evidence, however, that only older drivers who drive infrequently are at increased risk. These drivers drive relatively short distances on local streets with complex traffic situations. Most of these drivers are also likely to be experiencing multiple functional limitations. Since those who stop driving reduce their mobility by over one half, motor vehicle administrators need to work more closely with the state departments of aging and transportation providers to help ensure mobility options for those who can no longer drive. Older driver motor vehicle crashes are not a significant threat to other road users in vehicles or as pedestrians. It is the older drivers and their vehicle occupants who are at higher risk of dying when in a crash. Current evidence is that the drivers who pose the greatest risks are the teenage grandchildren of this older generation. Therefore, motor vehicle administrators can support their stand against increasing the licensing requirements of older drivers. When dealing with the older driver population they need to weigh the consequences of having someone stop driving and assist other responsible agencies in fostering sustained mobility for those who stop driving.

Driving cessation and increased depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Ragland, David R; Satariano, William A; MacLeod, Kara E

2005-03-01

To understand the consequences of driving cessation in older adults, the authors evaluated depression in former drivers compared with active drivers. Depression (as assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale), driving status, sociodemographic factors, health status, and cognitive function were evaluated for a cohort of 1953 residents of Sonoma County, California, aged 55 years and older, as part of a community-based study of aging and physical performance. The authors re-interviewed 1772 participants who were active drivers at baseline 3 years later. At baseline, former drivers reported higher levels of depression than did active drivers even after the authors controlled for age, sex, education, health, and marital status. In a longitudinal analysis, drivers who stopped driving during the 3-year interval (i.e., former drivers) reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than did those who remained active drivers, after the authors controlled for changes in health status and cognitive function. Increased depression for former drivers was substantially higher in men than in women. With increasing age, many older adults reduce and then stop driving. Increased depression may be among the consequences associated with driving reduction or cessation.

A preliminary investigation of trunk and wrist kinematics when using drivers with different shaft properties.

PubMed

Joyce, Christopher; Burnett, Angus; Cochrane, Jodie; Reyes, Alvaro

2016-01-01

It is unknown whether skilled golfers will modify their kinematics when using drivers of different shaft properties. This study aimed to firstly determine if golf swing kinematics and swing parameters and related launch conditions differed when using modified drivers, then secondly, determine which kinematics were associated with clubhead speed. Twenty high level amateur male golfers (M ± SD: handicap = 1.9 ± 1.9 score) had their three-dimensional (3D) trunk and wrist kinematics collected for two driver trials. Swing parameters and related launch conditions were collected using a launch monitor. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant (p ≤ 0.003) between driver differences; specifically, faster trunk axial rotation velocity and an early wrist release for the low kick point driver. Launch angle was shown to be 2° lower for the high kick point driver. Regression models for both drivers explained a significant amount of variance (60-67%) in clubhead speed. Wrist kinematics were most associated with clubhead speed, indicating the importance of the wrists in producing clubhead speed regardless of driver shaft properties.

Steering disturbance rejection using a physics-based neuromusculoskeletal driver model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehrabi, Naser; Sharif Razavian, Reza; McPhee, John

2015-10-01

The aim of this work is to develop a comprehensive yet practical driver model to be used in studying driver-vehicle interactions. Drivers interact with their vehicle and the road through the steering wheel. This interaction forms a closed-loop coupled human-machine system, which influences the driver's steering feel and control performance. A hierarchical approach is proposed here to capture the complexity of the driver's neuromuscular dynamics and the central nervous system in the coordination of the driver's upper extremity activities, especially in the presence of external disturbance. The proposed motor control framework has three layers: the first (or the path planning) plans a desired vehicle trajectory and the required steering angles to perform the desired trajectory; the second (or the musculoskeletal controller) actuates the musculoskeletal arm to rotate the steering wheel accordingly; and the final layer ensures the precision control and disturbance rejection of the motor control units. The physics-based driver model presented here can also provide insights into vehicle control in relaxed and tensed driving conditions, which are simulated by adjusting the driver model parameters such as cognition delay and muscle co-contraction dynamics.

Drivers within natural drinking groups: an exploration of role selection, motivation, and group influence on driver sobriety.

PubMed

Lange, James E; Johnson, Mark B; Reed, Mark B

2006-01-01

Young people consume alcohol almost exclusively in social contexts, but natural drinking group dynamics are poorly understood. Our research focuses on the drivers' role within natural drinking groups. We conducted breath-test surveys of existing groups of young people at the US/Mexico border crossing before they headed to Tijuana bars, and surveyed them again upon their return. Results indicated an individual's perception of other group member's drinking plans predicts drinking intentions to a greater degree for passengers than drivers. Additionally, drivers who anticipated heavy drinking among other group members returned to the United States with BACs nearly identical to drivers who reported that other group members would not drink at all. This suggests drivers were resistant to normative pressures to drink. Evidence that group-dynamic variables may impact drinking behavior underscores the importance of systematic exploration of natural drinking groups. Furthermore, the knowledge gleaned from studying the dynamics and decision making processes of natural drinking groups could be used to design intervention designed to increase designated driver use and to reduce drinking among designated drivers.

Machine learning methods for locating re-entrant drivers from electrograms in a model of atrial fibrillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGillivray, Max Falkenberg; Cheng, William; Peters, Nicholas S.; Christensen, Kim

2018-04-01

Mapping resolution has recently been identified as a key limitation in successfully locating the drivers of atrial fibrillation (AF). Using a simple cellular automata model of AF, we demonstrate a method by which re-entrant drivers can be located quickly and accurately using a collection of indirect electrogram measurements. The method proposed employs simple, out-of-the-box machine learning algorithms to correlate characteristic electrogram gradients with the displacement of an electrogram recording from a re-entrant driver. Such a method is less sensitive to local fluctuations in electrical activity. As a result, the method successfully locates 95.4% of drivers in tissues containing a single driver, and 95.1% (92.6%) for the first (second) driver in tissues containing two drivers of AF. Additionally, we demonstrate how the technique can be applied to tissues with an arbitrary number of drivers. In its current form, the techniques presented are not refined enough for a clinical setting. However, the methods proposed offer a promising path for future investigations aimed at improving targeted ablation for AF.

[Reliability and validity of Driving Anger Scale in professional drivers in China].

PubMed

Li, Z; Yang, Y M; Zhang, C; Li, Y; Hu, J; Gao, L W; Zhou, Y X; Zhang, X J

2017-11-10

Objective: To assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Driving Anger Scale (DAS) in professional drivers in China and provide a scientific basis for the application of the scale in drivers in China. Methods: Professional drivers, including taxi drivers, bus drivers, truck drivers and school bus drivers, were selected to complete the questionnaire. Cronbach's α and split-half reliability were calculated to evaluate the reliability of DAS, and content, contract, discriminant and convergent validity were performed to measure the validity of the scale. Results: The overall Cronbach's α of DAS was 0.934 and the split-half reliability was 0.874. The correlation coefficient of each subscale with the total scale was 0.639-0.922. The simplified version of DAS supported a presupposed six-factor structure, explaining 56.371% of the total variance revealed by exploratory factor analysis. The DAS had good convergent and discriminant validity, with the success rate of calibration experiment of 100%. Conclusion: DAS has a good reliability and validity in professional drivers in China, and the use of DAS is worth promoting in divers.

Driving Performance among Bioptic Telescope Users with Low Vision Two Years after Obtaining Their Driver's License: A Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Claude; Lachance, Jean-Paul; Deaudelin, Isabelle

2012-01-01

This study sought to compare road safety of new drivers with low vision who have followed a specific pilot bioptic training program with other groups of drivers all matched for age and driving experience. A quasi-experimental design was used two years after drivers obtained their license. Drivers were classified in the experimental group (n = 10,…

Driver-centred vehicle automation: using network analysis for agent-based modelling of the driver in highly automated driving systems.

PubMed

Banks, Victoria A; Stanton, Neville A

2016-11-01

To the average driver, the concept of automation in driving infers that they can become completely 'hands and feet free'. This is a common misconception, however, one that has been shown through the application of Network Analysis to new Cruise Assist technologies that may feature on our roads by 2020. Through the adoption of a Systems Theoretic approach, this paper introduces the concept of driver-initiated automation which reflects the role of the driver in highly automated driving systems. Using a combination of traditional task analysis and the application of quantitative network metrics, this agent-based modelling paper shows how the role of the driver remains an integral part of the driving system implicating the need for designers to ensure they are provided with the tools necessary to remain actively in-the-loop despite giving increasing opportunities to delegate their control to the automated subsystems. Practitioner Summary: This paper describes and analyses a driver-initiated command and control system of automation using representations afforded by task and social networks to understand how drivers remain actively involved in the task. A network analysis of different driver commands suggests that such a strategy does maintain the driver in the control loop.

Understanding the health of lorry drivers in context: A critical discourse analysis.

PubMed

Caddick, Nick; Varela-Mato, Veronica; Nimmo, Myra A; Clemes, Stacey; Yates, Tom; King, James A

2017-01-01

This article moves beyond previous attempts to understand health problems in the lives of professional lorry drivers by placing the study of drivers' health in a wider social and cultural context. A combination of methods including focus groups, interviews and observations were used to collect data from a group of 24 lorry drivers working at a large transport company in the United Kingdom. Employing a critical discourse analysis, we identified the dominant discourses and subject positions shaping the formation of drivers' health and lifestyle choices. This analysis was systematically combined with an exploration of the gendered ways in which an almost exclusively male workforce talked about health. Findings revealed that drivers were constituted within a neoliberal economic discourse, which is reflective of the broader social structure, and which partly restricted drivers' opportunities for healthy living. Concurrently, drivers adopted the subject position of 'average man' as a way of defending their personal and masculine status in regards to health and to justify jettisoning approaches to healthy living that were deemed too extreme or irrational in the face of the constraints of their working lives. Suggestions for driver health promotion include refocusing on the social and cultural - rather than individual - underpinnings of driver health issues and a move away from moralistic approaches to health promotion.

Driving comfort, enjoyment and acceptance of automated driving - effects of drivers' age and driving style familiarity.

PubMed

Hartwich, Franziska; Beggiato, Matthias; Krems, Josef F

2018-02-23

Automated driving has the potential to improve the safety and efficiency of future traffic and to extend elderly peoples' driving life, provided it is perceived as comfortable and joyful and is accepted by drivers. Driving comfort could be enhanced by familiar automated driving styles based on drivers' manual driving styles. In a two-stage driving simulator study, effects of driving automation and driving style familiarity on driving comfort, enjoyment and system acceptance were examined. Twenty younger and 20 older drivers performed a manual and four automated drives of different driving style familiarity. Acceptance, comfort and enjoyment were assessed after driving with standardised questionnaires, discomfort during driving via handset control. Automation increased both age groups' comfort, but decreased younger drivers' enjoyment. Younger drivers showed higher comfort, enjoyment and acceptance with familiar automated driving styles, whereas older drivers preferred unfamiliar, automated driving styles tending to be faster than their age-affected manual driving styles. Practitioner Summary: Automated driving needs to be comfortable and enjoyable to be accepted by drivers, which could be enhanced by driving style individualisation. This approach was evaluated in a two-stage driving simulator study for different age groups. Younger drivers preferred familiar driving styles, whereas older drivers preferred driving styles unaffected by age.

Evaluation of insight training of ambulance drivers in Sweden using DART, a new e-learning tool.

PubMed

Albertsson, Pontus; Sundström, Anna

2011-12-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether a new e-learning tool for insight training of ambulance drivers can have an effect on drivers' driving behaviors, perceived driving competence, competence to assess risks, self-reflection, and safety attitudes. A quasi-experimental study design, with participants nonrandomly assigned into a control and intervention group, was used. The intervention group participated in the insight-training course and the control group did not. Both groups completed a self- and peer assessment online questionnaire before and after the training. The main finding is that the ambulance drivers assessed themselves through the instruments after the training, with the e-learning tool Driver Access Recording Tool (DART), as safer drivers in the areas of speed adaptation, closing up, and overtaking. In the answers from the group-based evaluation, the ambulance drivers responded that they were more reflective/analytical, had increased their risk awareness, and had changed their driving behaviors. After insight training, the ambulance drivers in this study assessed themselves as safer drivers in several important areas, including speed adaptation, closing up, and overtaking. In future training of ambulance drivers there should be more focus on insight training instead of previous training focusing on maneuvering capabilities.

Driver's views and behaviors about safety in China--what do they NOT know about driving?

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Huang, Yueng-Hsiang; Roetting, Matthias; Wang, Ying; Wei, Hua

2006-01-01

Driving safety has become an extremely severe problem in China due to rapid motorization. Unless more effective measures are taken, the fatality risk and the total fatalities due to road traffic accidents are expected to continue to increase. Therefore, focus group discussions were conducted to explore driver attitudes and safe driver characteristics. The results were then compared with a similar study conducted with US drivers. Although similarities were found, differences were of more importance. The Chinese drivers concentrate more on driving skills and capabilities, whereas the US drivers concentrate more on practical safe driving guidelines. Then direct field observations were conducted for the Chinese drivers to empirically investigate the issues discovered. The use of safety belts, running lights, headlights, and turn signals were observed to investigate the drivers' behaviors. Results show that the safety belt use ratio is about 64%, running light use is nearly zero during rainy and snowy weather, headlights use after sunset is substantially delayed, and only about 40% of drivers use turn signals to indicate their intention to change lanes. These findings indicate that the authorities need to take appropriate countermeasures to change the views of the Chinese drivers regarding driving safety and their unsafe driving behaviors. Improvement of training content and methods as well as police enforcement would be recommended.

Fighting against a shortage of truck drivers in logistics: Measures that employers can take to promote drivers' work ability and health.

PubMed

Staats, Ulrike; Lohaus, Daniela; Christmann, Alina; Woitschek, Michèle

2017-01-01

For several years, the transportation industry has been concerned about a severe shortage of professional truck drivers. Studies investigating the reasons found that poor working conditions and stresses and strains resulting from physiological and psychological job demands have had a negative impact on drivers' health and ability to work. Nevertheless, until now, most employers have refrained from offering measures to support the work ability and well-being of drivers, mainly due to financial pressures in the industry. The present study was aimed at designing adequate and affordable measures to support drivers' health. With reference to the Work Ability Index and the house of work ability (Ilmarinen & Tuomi, 2004), 56 truck drivers participated in guided interviews about their working conditions and health-related problems as well as their attitudes, experiences, and desires with respect to being offered supportive measures by their employers. The measures derived are specific and realizable and expected to be widely accepted by professional drivers. They are designed to elicit a positive attitude in the drivers toward exercising and to help them overcome related psychological barriers. The implementation of the recommended measures can be expected to support drivers' work ability and help reduce the frictional costs of their employers.

Prevalence of and factors associated with distraction among public transit bus drivers

PubMed Central

Griffin, Russell; Huisingh, Carrie; McGwin, Gerald

2015-01-01

Objective Recent research has suggested that driver distraction is a major cause of driving performance impairment and motor vehicle collisions. Research on the topic has focused on passenger vehicles, with studies suggesting that drivers may be distracted nearly 33% of the time spent driving. To date, no study has examined the prevalence of distraction specifically among public transit bus drivers. Methods Over a three-month period, trained investigators observed and recorded distraction behaviors of bus drivers. Distraction prevalence was compared by route characteristics (e.g., geographic area, travel speed) using chi-square test. A general estimating equation logistic regression was used to estimate p-values for distraction prevalence by driver demographics. Results Overall, there was a 39% prevalence of distraction. The most prevalent distractions were due to interactions with another passenger. Distractions were more prevalent among drivers <30 years of age or ≥50 years of age, on city streets or highways (relative to residential streets), and when there were more than 20 passengers. Distractions were the least prevalent in suburban areas, with the highest prevalence observed in city centers and rural areas. Conclusions Driver distraction is a common problem for public transit bus drivers, mainly due to other passengers. Drivers should be educated on the hazards of distracted driving and on ways to avoid distraction. PMID:24433192

Investigating the impact of static roadside advertising on drivers' situation awareness.

PubMed

Young, Kristie L; Stephens, Amanda N; Logan, David B; Lenné, Michael G

2017-04-01

Roadside advertising has the potential to create a crash risk for drivers as it may distract attention from driving at critical times. In an on-road instrumented vehicle study, we examined if and how static advertising billboards affect drivers' situation awareness across different driving environments. Nineteen fully licensed drivers drove an instrumented vehicle around a 38 km urban test route comprising freeway, busy urban retail and arterial road sections. The route contained a number of static billboards. Drivers provided continuous verbal protocols throughout the drive. Results indicated that the structure and content of drivers' situation awareness was not appreciably affected by the billboards in any of the road environments examined. Drivers focused their attention on the billboards when driving demand was low, such as when driving on the freeway with light to moderate traffic, in lower speed zones, or when stationary. However, when drivers were required to perform a manoeuvre or driving demands increased, drivers directed less attention to the billboards and focussed their awareness on the immediate driving task. This suggests that drivers can, at least under some conditions, effectively self-regulate their attention to billboards when required to focus on the immediate traffic or driving situation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cell phone users, reported crash risk, unsafe driving behaviors and dispositions: a survey of motorists in Maryland.

PubMed

Beck, Kenneth H; Yan, Fang; Wang, Min Qi

2007-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to identify risky driving behaviors and dispositions that distinguish drivers who use a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle from non-cell phone using drivers. Annual telephone surveys were used to identify drivers who reported using a cell phone while driving in the last month (n=1803) and were compared to those who said they did not use cell phones while driving (n=1578). Cell phone using drivers were more likely to report driving while drowsy, going 20 mph over the speed limit, driving aggressively, running a stop sign or red light, and driving after having had several drinks. They were also more likely to have had a prior history of citation and crash involvement than non-cell phone using drivers. Cell phone using drivers also reported they were less careful and more in a hurry when they drive than non-cell phone using drivers. Cell phone using drivers report engaging in many behaviors that place them at risk for a traffic crash, independent of the specific driving impairments that cell phone usage may produce. Strategies that combine coordinated and sustained enforcement activities along with widespread public awareness campaigns hold promise as effective countermeasures for these drivers, who resemble aggressive drivers in many respects.

Baselines For Land-Use Change In The Tropics: Application ToAvoided Deforestation Projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Sandra; Hall, Myrna; Andrasko, Ken

2007-06-01

Although forest conservation activities particularly in thetropics offer significant potential for mitigating carbon emissions,these types of activities have faced obstacles in the policy arena causedby the difficulty in determining key elements of the project cycle,particularly the baseline. A baseline for forest conservation has twomain components: the projected land-use change and the correspondingcarbon stocks in the applicable pools such as vegetation, detritus,products and soil, with land-use change being the most difficult toaddress analytically. In this paper we focus on developing and comparingthree models, ranging from relatively simple extrapolations of pasttrends in land use based on simple drivers such as population growthmore » tomore complex extrapolations of past trends using spatially explicitmodels of land-use change driven by biophysical and socioeconomicfactors. The three models of the latter category used in the analysis atregional scale are The Forest Area Change (FAC) model, the Land Use andCarbon Sequestration (LUCS) model, and the Geographical Modeling (GEOMOD)model. The models were used to project deforestation in six tropicalregions that featured different ecological and socioeconomic conditions,population dynamics, and uses of the land: (1) northern Belize; (2) SantaCruz State, Bolivia; (3) Parana State in Brazil; (4) Campeche, Mexico;(5) Chiapas, Mexico; and (6) Michoacan, Mexico. A comparison of all modeloutputs across all six regions shows that each model produced quitedifferent deforestation baseline. In general, the simplest FAC model,applied at the national administrative-unit scale, projected the highestamount of forest loss (four out of six) and the LUCS model the leastamount of loss (four out of five). Based on simulations of GEOMOD, wefound that readily observable physical and biological factors as well asdistance to areas of past disturbance were each about twice as importantas either sociological/demographic or economic/infrastructure factors(less observable) in explaining empirical land-use patterns. We proposefrom the lessons learned, a methodology comprised of three main steps andsix tasks can be used to begin developing credible baselines. We alsopropose that the baselines be projected over a 10-year period because,although projections beyond 10 years are feasible, they are likely to beunrealistic for policy purposes. In the first step, an historic land-usechange and deforestation estimate is made by determining the analyticdomain (size of the region relative to the size of proposed project),obtaining historic data, analyzing candidate historic baseline drivers,and identifying three to four major drivers. In the second step, abaseline of where deforestation is likely to occur --a potential land-usechange (PLUC) map is produced using a spatial model such as GEOMOD thatuses the key drivers from step one. Then rates of deforestation areprojected over a 10-year baseline period using any of the three models.Using the PLUC maps, projected rates of deforestation, and carbon stockestimates, baselineprojections are developed that can be used for projectGHG accounting and crediting purposes: The final step proposes that, atagreed interval (eg, +10 years), the baseline assumptions about baselinedrivers be re-assessed. This step reviews the viability of the 10-yearbaseline in light of changes in one or more key baseline drivers (e.g.,new roads, new communities, new protected area, etc.). The potentialland-use change map and estimates of rates of deforestation could beredone at the agreed interval, allowing the rates and changes in spatialdrivers to be incorporated into a defense of the existing baseline, orderivation of a new baseline projection.« less

Cell phone use and traffic crash risk: a culpability analysis.

PubMed

Asbridge, Mark; Brubacher, Jeff R; Chan, Herbert

2013-02-01

The use of a cell phone or communication device while driving is illegal in many jurisdictions, yet evidence evaluating the crash risk associated with cell phone use in naturalistic settings is limited. This article aims to determine whether cell phone use while driving increases motor vehicle crash culpability. Method Drivers involved in crashes where police reported cell phone use (n = 312) and propensity matched drivers (age, sex, suspect alcohol/drug impairment, crash type, date, time of day, geographical location) without cell phone use (n = 936) were drawn from Insurance Corporation of British Columbia Traffic Accident System data. A standardized scoring tool, modified to account for Canadian driving conditions, was used to determine crash culpability from police reports on all drivers from the crashes. The association between crash culpability and cell phone use was determined, with additional subgroup analyses based on crash severity, driver characteristics and type of licence. A comparison of crashes with vs without cell phones revealed an odds ratio of 1.70 (95% confidence interval 1.22-2.36; P = 0.002). This association was consistent after adjustment for matching variables and other covariates. Subgroup analyses demonstrated an association for male drivers, unimpaired drivers, injured and non-injured drivers, and for drivers aged between 26 and 65 years. Crash culpability was found to be significantly associated with cell phone use by drivers, increasing the odds of a culpable crash by 70% compared with drivers who did not use a cell phone. This increased risk was particularly high for middle-aged drivers.

Fatigue in Younger and Older Drivers: Effectiveness of an Alertness-Maintaining Task.

PubMed

Song, Woojin; Woon, Fu L; Doong, Alice; Persad, Carol; Tijerina, Louis; Pandit, Pooja; Cline, Carol; Giordani, Bruno

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an alertness-maintaining task (AMT) in older, fatigued drivers. Fatigue during driving increases crash risk, and previous research suggests that alertness and driving in younger adults may be improved using a secondary AMT during boring, fatigue-eliciting drives. However, the potential impact of an AMT on driving has not been investigated in older drivers whose ability to complete dual tasks has been shown to decline and therefore may be negatively affected with an AMT in driving. Younger ( n = 29) and older drivers ( n = 39) participated in a 50-minute simulated drive designed to induce fatigue, followed by four 10-minute sessions alternating between driving with and without an AMT. Younger drivers were significantly more affected by fatigue on driving performance than were older drivers but benefitted significantly from the AMT. Older drivers did not demonstrate increased driver errors with fatigue, and driving did not deteriorate significantly during participation in the AMT condition, although their speed was significantly more variable with the AMT. Consistent with earlier research, an AMT applied during fatiguing driving is effective in improving alertness and reducing driving errors in younger drivers. Importantly, older drivers were relatively unaffected by fatigue, and use of an AMT did not detrimentally affect their driving performance. These results support the potential use of an AMT as a new automotive technology to improve fatigue and promote driver safety, though the benefits of such technology may differ between different age groups.

Association between reported sleep need and sleepiness at the wheel: comparative study on French highways between 1996 and 2011.

PubMed

Quera-Salva, M A; Hartley, S; Sauvagnac-Quera, R; Sagaspe, P; Taillard, J; Contrand, B; Micoulaud, J A; Lagarde, E; Barbot, F; Philip, P

2016-12-21

To investigate the evolution over 15 years of sleep schedules, sleepiness at the wheel and driving risk among highway drivers. Comparative survey including questions on usual sleep schedules and before the trip, sleepiness at the wheel, the Epworth sleepiness scale, Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire (BNSQ) and a travel questionnaire. 80% of drivers stopped by the highway patrol agreed to participate in both studies with a total of 3545 drivers in 2011 and 2196 drivers in 1996 interviewed. After standardisation based on sex, age and mean annual driving distance, drivers in 2011 reported shorter sleep time on week days (p<0.0001), and week-ends (p<0.0001) and shorter optimal sleep time (p<0.0001) compared to 1996 drivers. There were more drivers sleepy at the wheel in 2011 than in 1996 (p<0.0001) and 2.5 times more drivers in 2011 than in 1996 had an Epworth sleepiness score >15 indicating severe sleepiness. Even if drivers in 2011 reported good sleep hygiene prior to a highway journey, drivers have reduced their mean weekly sleep duration over 15 years and have a higher risk of sleepiness at the wheel. Sleep hygiene for automobile drivers remains an important concept to address. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Time-to-contact estimation errors among older drivers with useful field of view impairments.

PubMed

Rusch, Michelle L; Schall, Mark C; Lee, John D; Dawson, Jeffrey D; Edwards, Samantha V; Rizzo, Matthew

2016-10-01

Previous research indicates that useful field of view (UFOV) decline affects older driver performance. In particular, elderly drivers have difficulty estimating oncoming vehicle time-to-contact (TTC). The objective of this study was to evaluate how UFOV impairments affect TTC estimates in elderly drivers deciding when to make a left turn across oncoming traffic. TTC estimates were obtained from 64 middle-aged (n=17, age=46±6years) and older (n=37, age=75±6years) licensed drivers with a range of UFOV abilities using interactive scenarios in a fixed-base driving simulator. Each driver was situated in an intersection to turn left across oncoming traffic approaching and disappearing at differing distances (1.5, 3, or 5s) and speeds (45, 55, or 65mph). Drivers judged when each oncoming vehicle would collide with them if they were to turn left. Findings showed that TTC estimates across all drivers, on average, were most accurate for oncoming vehicles travelling at the highest velocities and least accurate for those travelling at the slowest velocities. Drivers with the worst UFOV scores had the least accurate TTC estimates, especially for slower oncoming vehicles. Results suggest age-related UFOV decline impairs older driver judgment of TTC with oncoming vehicles in safety-critical left-turn situations. Our results are compatible with national statistics on older driver crash proclivity at intersections. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 391.15 - Disqualification of drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... driver. (e) Disqualification for violation of prohibition of texting while driving a commercial motor.... (2) Duration. Disqualification for violation of prohibition of texting while driving a commercial... § 391.15 Disqualification of drivers. (a) General. A driver who is disqualified shall not drive a...

49 CFR 391.15 - Disqualification of drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... driver. (e) Disqualification for violation of prohibition of texting while driving a commercial motor.... (2) Duration. Disqualification for violation of prohibition of texting while driving a commercial... § 391.15 Disqualification of drivers. (a) General. A driver who is disqualified shall not drive a...

49 CFR 391.15 - Disqualification of drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... driver. (e) Disqualification for violation of prohibition of texting while driving a commercial motor.... (2) Duration. Disqualification for violation of prohibition of texting while driving a commercial... § 391.15 Disqualification of drivers. (a) General. A driver who is disqualified shall not drive a...

49 CFR 391.15 - Disqualification of drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... driver. (e) Disqualification for violation of prohibition of texting while driving a commercial motor.... (2) Duration. Disqualification for violation of prohibition of texting while driving a commercial... § 391.15 Disqualification of drivers. (a) General. A driver who is disqualified shall not drive a...

Effect of freeway level of service and driver education on truck driver stress : phase 1.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-08-01

This research primarily deals with truck driver stress and its nature, stressors, and their mutual relationship. During the : study, the different demands of driving that are related to roads, vehicle, traffic conditions, driver predisposition to : s...

Older drivers, the age factor in traffic safety

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1989-02-01

The report presents an overview of the traffic safety problem in relation to the age of the driver. Emphasis is placed on the older drivers. Crash involvement rates are developed for each age group of drivers based on their estimated annual travel. T...

A comparison of drug use in driver fatalities and similarly exposed drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-07-01

Author's abstract: Crash information, urine, blood and bile samples from 900 fatally injured drivers were collected by medical examiners in 22 areas of the country. Randomly selected living drivers were interviewed at times and places of recent fatal...

Determination of characteristics of fatally injured drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-12-01

The objective of this study was to identify driver characteristics that can be used to predict driver risk of fatal crashes. The study had 3 components: (1) Comparisons were made among drivers who were killed in single-vehicle crashes or were at faul...

Testing and evaluation of graduated driver license marker : summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

The objective of this project was to assist New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in determining the feasibility of a removable visual marker for Graduated Drivers License (GDL) drivers. The NJ Teen Driver Safety Study Commission issued a report to the...

Opportunities for career advancement found to be very important to truckload drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-02-01

This study was conducted to determine what contributes and detracts from job satisfaction for drivers as a means of addressing the driver turnover/retention issue. One factor is that drivers' perception : of the opportunities for advancement within t...

Driving Behaviour Profile of Drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

PubMed

Chee, Derserri Y; Lee, Hoe C; Patomella, Ann-Helen; Falkmer, Torbjörn

2017-09-01

The symptomatology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can make driving risky, but little is known about the on-road driving behaviour of individuals with ASD. This study assessed and compared the on-road driving performance of drivers with and without ASD, and explored how the symptomatology of ASD hinders or facilitates on-road driving performance. Sixteen drivers with ASD and 21 typically-developed drivers participated in the study. Drivers with ASD underperformed in vehicle manoeuvring, especially at left-turns, right-turns and pedestrian crossings. However, drivers with ASD outperformed the TD group in aspects related to rule-following such as using the indicator at roundabouts and checking for cross-traffic when approaching intersections. Drivers with ASD in the current study presented with a range of capabilities and weaknesses during driving.

Transcending as a driver of development.

PubMed

Travis, Frederick

2016-06-01

This paper draws from three different bodies of research to discuss the hypothesis that age-appropriate experiences enhance brain and cognitive development throughout the life span. These age-appropriate experiences could be considered as the drivers of development at each age, including drivers to foster development beyond adult abstract thinking, as described in Piaget's formal operational stage. We explore how a nurturing caregiver is the driver in the first 2 years of life, how language learning is the driver from 3 to 10 years, and how problem solving is the driver in the teenage years. To develop beyond adult rational thinking, we suggest that the driver is transcending thought, which can result when practicing meditations in the automatic self-transcending category, such as Transcendental Meditation. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

High current, high bandwidth laser diode current driver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Copeland, David J.; Zimmerman, Robert K., Jr.

1991-01-01

A laser diode current driver has been developed for free space laser communications. The driver provides 300 mA peak modulation current and exhibits an optical risetime of less than 400 ps. The current and optical pulses are well behaved and show minimal ringing. The driver is well suited for QPPM modulation at data rates up to 440 Mbit/s. Much previous work has championed current steering circuits; in contrast, the present driver is a single-ended on/off switch. This results in twice the power efficiency as a current steering driver. The driver electrical efficiency for QPPM data is 34 percent. The high speed switch is realized with a Ku-band GaAsFET transistor, with a suitable pre-drive circuit, on a hybrid microcircuit adjacent to the laser diode.

Can Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder Use Virtual Reality Driving Simulation Training to Evaluate and Improve Driving Performance? An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Cox, Daniel J; Brown, Timothy; Ross, Veerle; Moncrief, Matthew; Schmitt, Rose; Gaffney, Gary; Reeve, Ron

2017-08-01

Investigate how novice drivers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) differ from experienced drivers and whether virtual reality driving simulation training (VRDST) improves ASD driving performance. 51 novice ASD drivers (mean age 17.96 years, 78% male) were randomized to routine training (RT) or one of three types of VRDST (8-12 sessions). All participants followed DMV behind-the-wheel training guidelines for earning a driver's license. Participants were assessed pre- and post-training for driving-specific executive function (EF) abilities and tactical driving skills. ASD drivers showed worse baseline EF and driving skills than experienced drivers. At post-assessment, VRDST significantly improved driving and EF performance over RT. This study demonstrated feasibility and potential efficacy of VRDST for novice ASD drivers.

What determines the take-over time? An integrated model approach of driver take-over after automated driving.

PubMed

Zeeb, Kathrin; Buchner, Axel; Schrauf, Michael

2015-05-01

In recent years the automation level of driver assistance systems has increased continuously. One of the major challenges for highly automated driving is to ensure a safe driver take-over of the vehicle guidance. This must be ensured especially when the driver is engaged in non-driving related secondary tasks. For this purpose it is essential to find indicators of the driver's readiness to take over and to gain more knowledge about the take-over process in general. A simulator study was conducted to explore how drivers' allocation of visual attention during highly automated driving influences a take-over action in response to an emergency situation. Therefore we recorded drivers' gaze behavior during automated driving while simultaneously engaging in a visually demanding secondary task, and measured their reaction times in a take-over situation. According to their gaze behavior the drivers were categorized into "high", "medium" and "low-risk". The gaze parameters were found to be suitable for predicting the readiness to take-over the vehicle, in such a way that high-risk drivers reacted late and more often inappropriately in the take-over situation. However, there was no difference among the driver groups in the time required by the drivers to establish motor readiness to intervene after the take-over request. An integrated model approach of driver behavior in emergency take-over situations during automated driving is presented. It is argued that primarily cognitive and not motor processes determine the take-over time. Given this, insights can be derived for further research and the development of automated systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[An intercept survey on the status of driving after alcohol drinking among motor vehicle drivers in 6 counties of Zhejiang, China].

PubMed

Zhao, Ming; Zhang, Xin-wei; Song, Xiao-chun; Bao, Ping; Zhou, Peng; Zou, Yun

2012-12-01

To investigate the status of driving after drinking alcohol among motor vehicle drivers and to provide evidence for the development of specific interventions. A 7-day intercept survey on driving after alcohol drinking, having drinking habit or driving after getting drunk, among motor vehicle drivers, was conducted in 6 counties of Zhejiang province, 2010. 16 467 motor vehicle drivers were included in the survey. Rates of driving after drinking alcohol [blood alcohol concentration (BAC) > 0 mg/100 ml], having habit of drinking alcohol (20 mg/100 ml ≤ BAC < 80 mg/100 ml) and driving after being drunk (BAC ≥ 80 mg/100 ml), were 1.82%, 1.03% and 0.27% respectively. Rates of driving after drinking alcohol, having habit of drink alcohol and driving and drunk-driving among the drivers from urban areas were significantly higher than those of drivers from rural areas, and those rates of male drivers were significantly higher than female drivers as well. 60.20% of drivers after drinking alcohol, were 35 to 49 year-olds, and the three above said rates all increased along with age. The highest above said three rates were observed at 23:00 PM and 1:00 AM. Compared with other motor vehicle drivers, motorcyclists possessed the highest rates of the three items, as 9.27%, 5.01% and 1.57% respectively. Driving after drinking alcohol among motor vehicle drivers still prevailed in Zhejiang, especially between 23:00 PM and 1:00 AM. Drivers from the cities, being male or motorcyclists were among the high-risk populations that called for special attention to be paid in the future, including law enforcement and health promotion to fight against the problem.

Driver-related risk factors in commercial motorcycle (okada) crashes in Benin City, Nigeria.

PubMed

Iribhogbe, Pius Ehiawaguan; Odai, Emeka Danielson

2009-01-01

There has been global concern regarding road traffic injuries. Motorcyclists constitute a high proportion of fatalities in road traffic crashes. Commercial motorcyclists (Okadas) constitute a unique group in this regard. The purpose of this study was to evaluate driver-related risk factors in Okada accidents in Benin City, Nigeria. This was a prospective study. Interviewers administered questionnaires which were used to assess Okada drivers during a two-month period (November-December 2006). A total of 996 Okada drivers were interviewed, 995 males and one female. Their ages ranged from 16-80 years with a mean age of 36.4 +/-2.4 years. In the majority of cases, the maximum educational level achieved was primary or secondary. The majority of Okada drivers (82.8%) took to the Okada business as a last resort. Driver's licenses for Okada operation were possessed by 73.5% of drivers, but only 27.2% had taken a road test before being given a license. No form of training on the use of Okadas was received by 45% of drivers before they commenced operations. Crash helmets were owned by 56.4%, but they did not use them on a regular basis. Inconvenience was the reason provided for poor compliance by 52.7% of drivers. Regular intake of alcohol was present in 39.8% of drivers. Okada drivers are mainly young males with a low level of education who are ill-prepared and ill-equipped for the road. This is a recipe for traffic crash-related injuries and fatal motorcycle crashes. There is an urgent need for job creation, better licensing procedures, road safety education, national legislation, and enforcement of crash helmet laws as well as alcohol breath tests for Okada drivers in Nigeria.

Analysis of naturalistic driving videos of fleet services drivers to estimate driver error and potentially distracting behaviors as risk factors for rear-end versus angle crashes.

PubMed

Harland, Karisa K; Carney, Cher; McGehee, Daniel

2016-07-03

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and odds of fleet driver errors and potentially distracting behaviors just prior to rear-end versus angle crashes. Analysis of naturalistic driving videos among fleet services drivers for errors and potentially distracting behaviors occurring in the 6 s before crash impact. Categorical variables were examined using the Pearson's chi-square test, and continuous variables, such as eyes-off-road time, were compared using the Student's t-test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of a driver error or potentially distracting behavior being present in the seconds before rear-end versus angle crashes. Of the 229 crashes analyzed, 101 (44%) were rear-end and 128 (56%) were angle crashes. Driver age, gender, and presence of passengers did not differ significantly by crash type. Over 95% of rear-end crashes involved inadequate surveillance compared to only 52% of angle crashes (P < .0001). Almost 65% of rear-end crashes involved a potentially distracting driver behavior, whereas less than 40% of angle crashes involved these behaviors (P < .01). On average, drivers spent 4.4 s with their eyes off the road while operating or manipulating their cell phone. Drivers in rear-end crashes were at 3.06 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.73-5.44) times adjusted higher odds of being potentially distracted than those in angle crashes. Fleet driver driving errors and potentially distracting behaviors are frequent. This analysis provides data to inform safe driving interventions for fleet services drivers. Further research is needed in effective interventions to reduce the likelihood of drivers' distracting behaviors and errors that may potentially reducing crashes.

A Cross “Ethnical” Comparison of the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) in an Economically Fast Developing Country

PubMed Central

Bener, Abdulbari; Verjee, Mohamud; Dafeeah, Elnour E.; Yousafzai, Mohammad T.; Mari, Sundus; Hassib, Ahmed; Al-Khatib, Hamza; Choi, Min Kyung; Nema, Noor; Özkan, Türker; Lajunen, Timo

2013-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the driving behaviours of four ethnic groups and to investigate the relationship between violations, errors and lapses of DBQ and accident involvement in Qatar. Subjects and Methods: The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) was used to measure the aberrant driving behaviours leading to accidents. Of 2400 drivers approached, 1824 drivers agreed to participate (76%) and completed the driver behaviour questionnaire and background information. Results: The study revealed that the majority of the Qatari (35.9%) and Jordanian drivers (37.5%) were below 30 years of age, whereas Filipino (42.3%) and Indian subcontinent (34.1%) drivers were in the age group of 30-39 years. Qatari drivers (52%) were involved in most accidents, followed by Jordanians (48.3%). The most common type of collision was a head on collision, which was similar in all four ethnic groups. The Qatari drivers scored higher on almost all items of violations, errors and lapses compared to other ethnic groups, while Filipino drivers were lower on all the items. The most common violation was the same in all four ethnic groups “Disregard the speed limits on a motorway”. The most common error item observed was “Queing to turn right/left on to a main road”. “Forget where you left your car” and “Hit something when reversing” were the two lapses identified in factor analysis. Conclusion: The present study identified that Qatari drivers scored higher on most of the items of violations, errors and lapses of DBQ compared to other countries, whereas Filipino drivers scored lower in DBQ items. PMID:23777732

55+ Drivers: Needs and Problems of Older Drivers: Survey Results and Recommendations. Proceedings of the Older Driver Colloquium (Orlando, Florida, February 4-7, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malfetti, James L., Ed.

These proceedings include 11 background papers that were presented by a panel of authorities in traffic safety and/or gerontology who were professionally concerned with older drivers and pedestrians. Papers focus on the needs and problems of older drivers and on what can and should be done to deal with them. Recommendations to improve safety for…

Using naturalistic driving study data to investigate the impact of driver distraction on driver's brake reaction time in freeway rear-end events in car-following situation.

PubMed

Gao, Jingru; Davis, Gary A

2017-12-01

The rear-end crash is one of the most common freeway crash types, and driver distraction is often cited as a leading cause of rear-end crashes. Previous research indicates that driver distraction could have negative effects on driving performance, but the specific association between driver distraction and crash risk is still not fully revealed. This study sought to understand the mechanism by which driver distraction, defined as secondary task distraction, could influence crash risk, as indicated by a driver's reaction time, in freeway car-following situations. A statistical analysis, exploring the causal model structure regarding drivers' distraction impacts on reaction times, was conducted. Distraction duration, distraction scenario, and secondary task type were chosen as distraction-related factors. Besides, exogenous factors including weather, visual obstruction, lighting condition, traffic density, and intersection presence and endogenous factors including driver age and gender were considered. There was an association between driver distraction and reaction time in the sample freeway rear-end events from SHRP 2 NDS database. Distraction duration, the distracted status when a leader braked, and secondary task type were related to reaction time, while all other factors showed no significant effect on reaction time. The analysis showed that driver distraction duration is the primary direct cause of the increase in reaction time, with other factors having indirect effects mediated by distraction duration. Longer distraction duration, the distracted status when a leader braked, and engaging in auditory-visual-manual secondary task tended to result in longer reaction times. Given drivers will be distracted occasionally, countermeasures which shorten distraction duration or avoid distraction presence while a leader vehicle brakes are worth considering. This study helps better understand the mechanism of freeway rear-end events in car-following situations, and provides a methodology that can be adopted to study the association between driver behavior and driving features. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Night Time Driving Safety Using Vision-Based Classification Techniques.

PubMed

Chien, Jong-Chih; Chen, Yong-Sheng; Lee, Jiann-Der

2017-09-24

The risks involved in nighttime driving include drowsy drivers and dangerous vehicles. Prominent among the more dangerous vehicles around at night are the larger vehicles which are usually moving faster at night on a highway. In addition, the risk level of driving around larger vehicles rises significantly when the driver's attention becomes distracted, even for a short period of time. For the purpose of alerting the driver and elevating his or her safety, in this paper we propose two components for any modern vision-based Advanced Drivers Assistance System (ADAS). These two components work separately for the single purpose of alerting the driver in dangerous situations. The purpose of the first component is to ascertain that the driver would be in a sufficiently wakeful state to receive and process warnings; this is the driver drowsiness detection component. The driver drowsiness detection component uses infrared images of the driver to analyze his eyes' movements using a MSR plus a simple heuristic. This component issues alerts to the driver when the driver's eyes show distraction and are closed for a longer than usual duration. Experimental results show that this component can detect closed eyes with an accuracy of 94.26% on average, which is comparable to previous results using more sophisticated methods. The purpose of the second component is to alert the driver when the driver's vehicle is moving around larger vehicles at dusk or night time. The large vehicle detection component accepts images from a regular video driving recorder as input. A bi-level system of classifiers, which included a novel MSR-enhanced KAZE-base Bag-of-Features classifier, is proposed to avoid false negatives. In both components, we propose an improved version of the Multi-Scale Retinex (MSR) algorithm to augment the contrast of the input. Several experiments were performed to test the effects of the MSR and each classifier, and the results are presented in experimental results section of this paper.

Transportation needs of the older driver : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-01-01

A growing percentage of all drivers are aged 55 and older. The findings of a number of safety studies have also fostered national interest in older driver issues. The needs and problems of Virginia drivers age 55 and older were identified in 10 focus...

Driver medical review practices across the United States : traffic tech.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

There were 38.4 million licensed older drivers in 2014a 31% : increase from 10 years earlier (2005). Furthermore, older drivers as : a percentage of all licensed drivers increased from 15% in 2005 to : 18% in 2014 (National Center for Statistics a...

The influence of highly automated driving on the self-perception of drivers in the context of Conduct-by-Wire.

PubMed

Kauer, Michaela; Franz, Benjamin; Maier, Alexander; Bruder, Ralph

2015-01-01

Today, new driving paradigms are being introduced that aim to reduce the number of standalone driver assistance systems by combining these into one overarching system. This is done to reduce the demands on drivers but often leads to a higher degree of automation. Feasibility and driver behaviour are often the subject of studies, but this is contrasted by a lack of research into the influence of highly automated driving on the self-perception of drivers. This article begins to close this gap by investigating the influences of one highly automated driving concept--Conduct-by-Wire--on the self-perception of drivers via a combined driving simulator and interview study. The aim of this work is to identify changes in the role concept of drivers indicated by highly automated driving, to evaluate these changes from the drivers' point of view and to give suggestions of possible improvements to the design of highly automated vehicles.

Effects of major-road vehicle speed and driver age and gender on left-turn gap acceptance.

PubMed

Yan, Xuedong; Radwan, Essam; Guo, Dahai

2007-07-01

Because the driver's gap-acceptance maneuver is a complex and risky driving behavior, it is a highly concerned topic for traffic safety and operation. Previous studies have mainly focused on the driver's gap acceptance decision itself but did not pay attention to the maneuver process and driving behaviors. Using a driving simulator experiment for left-turn gap acceptance at a stop-controlled intersection, this study evaluated the effects of major traffic speed and driver age and gender on gap acceptance behaviors. The experiment results illustrate relationships among drivers' left-turn gap decision, driver's acceleration rate, steering action, and the influence of the gap-acceptance maneuver on the vehicles in the major traffic stream. The experiment results identified an association between high crash risk and high traffic speed at stop-controlled intersections. The older drivers, especially older female drivers, displayed a conservative driving attitude as a compensation for reduced driving ability, but also showed to be the most vulnerable group for the relatively complex driving maneuvers.

The influence of Driving Status on Transportation Challenges Experienced by Older Adults.

PubMed

Weeks, Lori E; Stadnyk, Robin; Begley, Lorraine; MacDonald, Dany J

2015-06-01

We explored the severity, number, and reasons for transportation challenges experienced by older adult drivers, nondrivers who live with a driver, and nondrivers who do not live with a driver. A random sample of 1,670 Atlantic Canadian community-dwelling older adults completed a mailed survey. Drivers comprised 80% of the participants. Just more than one fifth of participants experienced at least occasional transportation challenges. Two thirds of nondrivers who lived with a driver reported having no transportation challenges. Almost half of the nondrivers who did not live with a driver indicated never experiencing transportation challenges, and 84% of drivers had no transportation challenges. Nondrivers who did not live with a driver experienced greater frequency and severity of transportation challenges. This research contributes to our understanding of the characteristics of older adults with different driving statuses and their transportation challenges, which can contribute to providing appropriate transportation supports for older adults in the future. © The Author(s) 2013.

Drinking and Driving in the United States: Comparing Results from the 2007 and 1996 National Roadside Surveys

PubMed Central

Kelley-Baker, Tara; Lacey, John H.; Voas, Robert B.; Romano, Eduardo; Yao, Jie; Berning, Amy

2013-01-01

Objectives The objectives of this study were to (a) use data from the 2007 National Roadside Survey (NRS) to determine the characteristics of weekend nighttime drivers with positive blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) on U.S. roads in 2007; (b) determine the relationship of the driving environment and trip characteristics associated with drinking drivers; and (c) compare the findings for the 2007 NRS with those for the 1996 NRS. Methods Like the 1996 NRS, the 2007 NRS used a stratified random national roadside survey sample of the contiguous 48 states and collected nighttime data on Fridays and Saturdays between 10 PM and 3 AM. Officers directed 8,384 drivers into off-road parking areas where our research team asked them to participate in the survey. Results Of those approached, 7,159 (85.4%) provided a breath test. Results revealed that 12% of the nighttime drivers had positive BACs, and of those, 2% were higher than the .08 BAC illegal limit in the United States. Since the 1996 NRS, we found significant reductions in the percentage of BAC-positive drivers across different demographic groups. Age was among the most significant factors associated with a weekend driver having a positive BAC. The probability that a driver would be drinking peaked in the 21- to 25-year-old age group. Male drivers were more likely than female drivers to be drinking, and Asian and Hispanic drivers were less likely than White drivers to be drinking. Drinking drivers were more likely to be driving short distances (5 or fewer miles), late at night (between 1 and 3 AM), and to be coming from a bar or restaurant. Finally, 26% of the drivers who reported that they would drive less than 5 miles on the night of the survey had positive BACs, compared to only 16% who indicated they would drive between 6 and 20 miles and 10% who planned to drive more than 20 miles. Conclusions The 2007 NRS provides another benchmark in the four-decade record of drinking drivers on American roads and provides a basis for measuring progress in combating driving under the influence during the coming decade. PMID:23343019

Risky behavior of drivers of motorized two wheeled vehicles in India.

PubMed

Dandona, Rakhi; Kumar, G Anil; Dandona, Lalit

2006-01-01

Motorized two-wheeled vehicles (MTV) account for a large proportion of road traffic in India and the riders of these vehicles have a high risk of road traffic injuries. We report on the availability of drivers licenses, use of a helmet, driver behavior, and condition of vehicles for MTV drivers in Hyderabad, a city in India Drivers of a MTV aged >16 years were interviewed at petrol filling stations There were 4,183 MTV drivers who participated in the study. Four hundred sixty one (11%; 95% CI 9.7-12.3%) drivers had not obtained a drivers license and 798 (21.4%) had obtained a license without taking the mandatory driving test. Two thousand nine hundred twenty (69.8%; 95% CI 67.9-71.7%) drivers reported no/very occasional use of a helmet, the significant predictors of which included that those driving borrowed a MTV (odds ratio 7.90; 95% CI 3.40-18.40) or driving moped/scooterette/scooter as compared with motorcycle (3.32; 2.76-3.98), lower education (3.10; 2.66-3.61), age >45 years (2.41; 1.63-3.57), and males (1.57; 1.16-2.13). Two thousand five hundred and eight (59.9%) drivers reported committing a traffic law violation at least once within the last 3 months. Overall, 1,222 (29.2%) drivers reported ever being caught by traffic police for a traffic law violation with data on violations available for 1,205 of these drivers, of whom 680 (56.4%) paid a fine, 310 (25.7%) paid by bribe, and 215 (17.8%) made no payment. The proportion of those who did not make payment for committed violation was significantly higher among females (46.8%) than males (16.3%). Two thousand fifty two (49%) of all MTVs had no rearview mirror These data suggest the need to enact and enforce policy interventions for improving the drivers license system, mandatory use of a helmet, effective traffic law enforcement, and ensuring good vehicle condition to reduce the risk factors that potentially contribute to mortality and morbidity in road traffic crashes in MTV drivers in Indian cities.

Alcohol, psychoactive substances and non-fatal road traffic accidents - a case-control study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The prevalence of alcohol and other psychoactive substances is high in biological specimens from injured drivers, while the prevalence of these psychoactive substances in samples from drivers in normal traffic is low. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of alcohol and psychoactive substances in drivers admitted to hospital for treatment of injuries after road traffic accidents with that in drivers in normal traffic, and calculate risk estimates for the substances, and combinations of substances found in both groups. Methods Injured drivers were recruited in the hospital emergency department and drivers in normal conditions were taken from the hospital catchment area in roadside tests of moving traffic. Substances found in blood samples from injured drivers and oral fluid samples from drivers in moving traffic were compared using equivalent cut off concentrations, and risk estimates were calculated using logistic regression analyses. Results In 21.9% of the injured drivers, substances were found: most commonly alcohol (11.5%) and stimulants eg. cocaine or amphetamines (9.4%). This compares to 3.2% of drivers in normal traffic where the most commonly found substances were z-hypnotics (0.9%) and benzodiazepines (0.8%). The greatest increase in risk of being injured was for alcohol combined with any other substance (OR: 231.9, 95% CI: 33.3- 1615.4, p < 0.001), for more than three psychoactive substances (OR: 38.9, 95% CI: 8.2- 185.0, p < 0.001) and for alcohol alone (OR: 36.1, 95% CI: 13.2- 98.6, p < 0.001). Single use of non-alcohol substances was not associated with increased accident risk. Conclusion The prevalence of psychoactive substances was higher among injured drivers than drivers in normal moving traffic. The risk of accident is greatly increased among drivers who tested positive for alcohol, in particular, those who had also ingested one or more psychoactive substances. Various preventive measures should be considered to curb the prevalence of driving under the influence of psychoactive substances as these drivers constitute a significant risk for other road users as well as themselves. PMID:22943663

The problem of suspended and revoked drivers who avoid detection at checkpoints.

PubMed

Parrish, Kelly E; Masten, Scott V

2015-01-01

Although driver license suspension and revocation have been shown to improve traffic safety, suspended or revoked (SR) drivers who continue to drive-which appears to be the majority-are about 3 times more likely to be involved in crashes and to cause a fatal crash. In California and many other U.S. states, drivers are typically mailed notices requesting that they surrender their licenses when they are SR for reasons other than driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), yet they frequently do not comply. Typical procedures at DUI checkpoints in California and other U.S. states include inspecting driver licenses and checking for signs of intoxication during brief contacts with law enforcement officers. Hence, these checkpoints are in fact DUI/license checkpoints in California and many other states. The purpose of this study was to estimate the extent to which SR drivers avoid being detected at DUI/license checkpoints for SR driving, because they illegally retained possession of their license cards. Law enforcement officers used electronic license card readers at DUI/license checkpoints in Sacramento, California, to record data for 13,705 drivers. The SR status of all contacted drivers was determined after the checkpoints and compared to law enforcement citation records from the checkpoints. Although only 3% of the drivers contacted at the checkpoints were SR, about 41% of SR drivers were able to pass through undetected because they presented license cards that they illegally retained. Drivers SR for DUI-related reasons were more likely to be detected, whereas those SR for failure to provide proof of financial responsibility (insurance) were less likely to be detected. The fact that many SR drivers are able to pass through DUI/license checkpoints undetected weakens both the specific and general impacts of checkpoints for deterring SR driving and may diminish the effectiveness of suspension and revocation actions for reducing the crash risk posed by problem drivers. Using license card readers that can quickly identify SR drivers in real time during routine traffic stops and at DUI/license checkpoints warrants further consideration.

Effects of automobile steering characteristics on driver/vehicle system performance in discrete maneuvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, R. H.; Mcruer, D. T.

1975-01-01

A series of discrete maneuver tasks were used to evaluate the effects of steering gain and directional mode dynamic parameters on driver/vehicle responses. The importance and ranking of these parameters were evaluated through changes in subjective driver ratings and performance measures obtained from transient maneuvers such as a double lane change, an emergency lane change, and an unexpected obstacle. The unexpected obstacle maneuver proved more sensitive to individual driver differences than to vehicle differences. Results were based on full scale tests with an experienced test driver evaluating many different dynamic configurations plus seventeen ordinary drivers evaluating six key configurations.

Assessment of suturing in the vertical plane shows the efficacy of the multi-degree-of-freedom needle driver for neonatal laparoscopy.

PubMed

Takazawa, Shinya; Ishimaru, Tetsuya; Fujii, Masahiro; Harada, Kanako; Sugita, Naohiko; Mitsuishi, Mamoru; Iwanaka, Tadashi

2013-11-01

We have developed a thin needle driver with multiple degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) for neonatal laparoscopic surgery. The tip of this needle driver has three DOFs for grasp, deflection and rotation. Our aim was to evaluate the performance of the multi-DOF needle driver in vertical plane suturing. Six pediatric surgeons performed four directional suturing tasks in the vertical plane using the multi-DOF needle driver and a conventional one. Assessed parameters were the accuracy of insertion and exit, the depth of suture, the inclination angle of the needle and the force applied on the model. In left and right direction sutures, the inclination angle of the needle with the multi-DOF needle driver was significantly smaller than that with the conventional one (p = 0.014, 0.042, respectively). In left and right direction sutures, the force for pulling the model with the multi-DOF needle driver was smaller than that with the conventional one (p = 0.036, 0.010, respectively). This study showed that multi-directional suturing on a vertical plane using the multi-DOF needle driver had better needle trajectories and was less invasive as compared to a conventional needle driver.

Automobile driver fatalities in frontal impacts: air bags compared with manual belts.

PubMed Central

Zador, P L; Ciccone, M A

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVES. The effectiveness of air bags was estimated in this study by comparing driver fatalities in frontal crashes with driver fatalities in nonfrontal crashes, for cars with air bags and manual belts and cars with manual belts only. METHODS. Fatal Accident Reporting System data for drivers fatally injured during 1985 to 1991 in 1985 to 1991 model year cars that were equipped with air bags in or before model year 1991 were analyzed. RESULTS. Driver fatalities in frontal crashes in air bag cars were 28% lower than those in comparable cars with manual belts only. This percentage was used for estimating the overall fatality reduction in air bag cars. The reduction was greater in large cars (50%) than in midsize cars (19%) or in small cars (14%). Air bags reduced driver fatalities in frontal crashes involving ejection by about 9%. Fatalities in frontal crashes among drivers who were reportedly using manual belts at the time of the crash were reduced by about 15%. The comparable reduction among drivers who were reportedly not using manual belts was 31%. CONCLUSION. It was estimated that air bags reduced the total number of all driver fatalities by about 19%. PMID:8484445

Driver-initiated distractions: examining strategic adaptation for in-vehicle task initiation.

PubMed

Horrey, William J; Lesch, Mary F

2009-01-01

Today, drivers are faced with many in-vehicle activities that are potentially distracting. In many cases, they are not passive recipients of these tasks; rather, drivers decide whether or not (or how) to perform them. In this study, we examined whether drivers, given knowledge of the upcoming road demands, would strategically delay performing in-vehicle activities until demands were reduced. Twenty drivers drove an instrumented van around a closed track that was divided into sections of varying demands and difficulty. Drivers were asked to perform one of four in-vehicle tasks (e.g., phone conversation; read a text message; find an address; pick up an object on the floor); however, they were free to decide when to initiate these tasks, provided they finish them before a given deadline. Although drivers were fully aware of the relative demands of the road, they did not tend to strategically postpone tasks--a finding that was consistent across the different tasks (p >.05). Rather, drivers tended to initiate tasks regardless of the current driving conditions. This strategy frequently led to driving errors. Given the control that drivers have over many in-vehicle distractions, interventions that focus on strategic decisions and planning may have merit.

Initial Results of Accelerated Stress Testing on Single-Channel and Multichannel Drivers: Solid-State Lighting Technology Area

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

This report is the first in a series of studies on accelerated stress testing (AST) of drivers used for SSL luminaires, such as downlights, troffers, and streetlights. A representative group of two-stage commercial driver products was exposed to an AST environment consisting of 75°C and 75% relative humidity (7575). These drivers were a mix of single-channel drivers (i.e., a single output current for one LED primary) and multichannel drivers (i.e., separate output currents for multiple LED primaries). This AST environment was chosen because previous testing on downlights with integrated drivers demonstrated that 38% of the sample population failed in lessmore » than 2,500 hours of testing using this method. In addition to AST test results, the performance of an SSL downlight product incorporating an integrated, multichannel driver during extended room temperature operational life (RTOL) testing is also reported. A battery of measurements was used to evaluate these products during accelerated testing, including full electrical characterization (i.e., power consumption, PF, total harmonic distortion [THD], and inrush current) and photometric characterization of external LED loads attached to the drivers (i.e., flicker performance and lumen maintenance).« less

Kin-Driver: a database of driver mutations in protein kinases.

PubMed

Simonetti, Franco L; Tornador, Cristian; Nabau-Moretó, Nuria; Molina-Vila, Miguel A; Marino-Buslje, Cristina

2014-01-01

Somatic mutations in protein kinases (PKs) are frequent driver events in many human tumors, while germ-line mutations are associated with hereditary diseases. Here we present Kin-driver, the first database that compiles driver mutations in PKs with experimental evidence demonstrating their functional role. Kin-driver is a manual expert-curated database that pays special attention to activating mutations (AMs) and can serve as a validation set to develop new generation tools focused on the prediction of gain-of-function driver mutations. It also offers an easy and intuitive environment to facilitate the visualization and analysis of mutations in PKs. Because all mutations are mapped onto a multiple sequence alignment, analogue positions between kinases can be identified and tentative new mutations can be proposed for studying by transferring annotation. Finally, our database can also be of use to clinical and translational laboratories, helping them to identify uncommon AMs that can correlate with response to new antitumor drugs. The website was developed using PHP and JavaScript, which are supported by all major browsers; the database was built using MySQL server. Kin-driver is available at: http://kin-driver.leloir.org.ar/ © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Association between New Jersey's Graduated Driver Licensing decal provision and crash rates of young drivers with learners' permits.

PubMed

Curry, Allison E; Pfeiffer, Melissa R; Elliott, Michael R; Durbin, Dennis R

2015-12-01

New Jersey (NJ) implemented the first-in-the-US Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) decal provision in May 2010 for young drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses. Previous analyses found an association between the provision and crash reduction among intermediate drivers. The aim of this study is to examine the association between NJ's provision and GDL citation and crash rates among drivers aged <21 years with learner's permits. We estimated monthly per-driver rates from January 2006 through June 2012. Negative binomial modeling compared pre and post decal crash rates adjusted for gender, age, calendar month, and gas price. The monthly GDL citation rate was two per 10,000 drivers in the predecal and postdecal periods. Crashes were rare and rates declined similarly pre and post decal (adjusted rate ratio of postdecal vs predecal slope: 1.04 (0.97 to 1.12)). NJ's GDL decal provision was not associated with a change in citation or crash rates among young NJ drivers with learner's permits. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Greater cerebellar gray matter volume in car drivers: an exploratory voxel-based morphometry study

PubMed Central

Sakai, Hiroyuki; Ando, Takafumi; Sadato, Norihiro; Uchiyama, Yuji

2017-01-01

Previous functional neuroimaging studies have identified multiple brain areas associated with distinct aspects of car driving in simulated traffic environments. Few studies, however, have examined brain morphology associated with everyday car-driving experience in real traffic. Thus, the aim of the current study was to identify gray matter volume differences between drivers and non-drivers. We collected T1-weighted structural brain images from 73 healthy young adults (36 drivers and 37 non-drivers). We performed a whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis to examine between-group differences in regional gray matter volume. Compared with non-drivers, drivers showed significantly greater gray matter volume in the left cerebellar hemisphere, which has been associated with cognitive rather than motor functioning. In contrast, we found no brain areas with significantly greater gray matter volume in non-drivers compared with drivers. Our findings indicate that experience with everyday car driving in real traffic is associated with greater gray matter volume in the left cerebellar hemisphere. This brain area may be involved in abilities that are critical for driving a car, but are not commonly or frequently used during other daily activities. PMID:28417971

Exploring the impact of signal types and adjacent vehicles on drivers' choices after the onset of yellow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Ji; Chen, Qun; Luo, Dandan; Wu, Yuli; Liang, Zuli

2018-06-01

Drivers' choices at signalized intersections may be made in great uncertainty after the onset of yellow, which creates potential hazards for road safety. These choices are analyzed and modeled based on field observations at three comparable signalized intersections in Changsha, China. The results show that intersections without monitoring devices widen the indecision zone, which can increase the risk of rear-end collisions and the uncertainty of drivers' decision-making. In addition, drivers are more likely to stop during the yellow interval at intersections equipped with a green signal countdown device (GSCD) than at those with a green signal flashing device (GSFD). Subsequently, according to the results of a binary logistic regression model (BLRM), drivers' decision making at the onset of the yellow indication is greatly influenced by the vehicle's spot speed, the distance to the stop line, and signal and monitoring devices. The presence of an adjacent vehicle with a short space headway can particularly motivate the following driver to make a go-decision after the first driver chooses to pass the intersection. However, a stop-decision by a driver in an adjacent lane can also prompt the following driver to stop.

Lane-changing model with dynamic consideration of driver's propensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoyuan; Wang, Jianqiang; Zhang, Jinglei; Ban, Xuegang Jeff

2015-07-01

Lane-changing is the driver's selection result of the satisfaction degree in different lane driving conditions. There are many different factors influencing lane-changing behavior, such as diversity, randomicity and difficulty of measurement. So it is hard to accurately reflect the uncertainty of drivers' lane-changing behavior. As a result, the research of lane-changing models is behind that of car-following models. Driver's propensity is her/his emotion state or the corresponding preference of a decision or action toward the real objective traffic situations under the influence of various dynamic factors. It represents the psychological characteristics of the driver in the process of vehicle operation and movement. It is an important factor to influence lane-changing. In this paper, dynamic recognition of driver's propensity is considered during simulation based on its time-varying discipline and the analysis of the driver's psycho-physic characteristics. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is used to quantify the hierarchy of driver's dynamic lane-changing decision-making process, especially the influence of the propensity. The model is validated using real data. Test results show that the developed lane-changing model with the dynamic consideration of a driver's time-varying propensity and the AHP method are feasible and with improved accuracy.

Skills of novices early trained or traditionaly trained versus experienced drivers confronted to simulated urban accidents' scenarios.

PubMed

Berthelon, Catherine; Damm, Loïc

2012-01-01

In order to prevent the over-representation of young drivers in car crashes, France instated an early driver training from the age of 16, but the positive effects of this opportunity have not yet been proven. Three groups of male drivers (12 subjects each) were confronted with some prototypical accident scenarios introduced in a simulated urban circuit. The first and second groups were composed of young drivers having less than one month of driving licence; twelve have had a traditional learning course, and twelve had followed, in addition to the initial course, an early driver training under the supervision of an adult. The third group was composed of experienced drivers. Strategies of the three groups were analyzed through their response time, speed and maneuvers. No difference appeared across groups regarding obstacle detection. But traditionally-trained drivers' position control was more conservative than the two others groups, which were more likely to involve efficient evasive action. The exposure gained during early training could thus increase the development of visuo-motor coordination and involve better skills in case of difficult situations. Others accidents' scenarios could be used to confront young drivers with difficult situations not commonly encountered in natural driving.

Greater cerebellar gray matter volume in car drivers: an exploratory voxel-based morphometry study.

PubMed

Sakai, Hiroyuki; Ando, Takafumi; Sadato, Norihiro; Uchiyama, Yuji

2017-04-18

Previous functional neuroimaging studies have identified multiple brain areas associated with distinct aspects of car driving in simulated traffic environments. Few studies, however, have examined brain morphology associated with everyday car-driving experience in real traffic. Thus, the aim of the current study was to identify gray matter volume differences between drivers and non-drivers. We collected T1-weighted structural brain images from 73 healthy young adults (36 drivers and 37 non-drivers). We performed a whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis to examine between-group differences in regional gray matter volume. Compared with non-drivers, drivers showed significantly greater gray matter volume in the left cerebellar hemisphere, which has been associated with cognitive rather than motor functioning. In contrast, we found no brain areas with significantly greater gray matter volume in non-drivers compared with drivers. Our findings indicate that experience with everyday car driving in real traffic is associated with greater gray matter volume in the left cerebellar hemisphere. This brain area may be involved in abilities that are critical for driving a car, but are not commonly or frequently used during other daily activities.

Truck drivers' opinion on road safety in Tanzania--a questionnaire study.

PubMed

Kircher, Katja; Andersson, Jan

2013-01-01

Even though the traffic fatality risk (fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants) in Tanzania is quite low, the fatality rate (fatalities per 10,000 vehicles) is one of the highest in the world. With increasing vehicle density this means that the number of people dying in traffic will increase dramatically in the near future. Therefore, it is important to implement measures to increase traffic safety as soon as possible, and in order to be able to do this in an efficient way, it is important to investigate where the main problems lie. Within the European Union (EU) project ASSET-Road a questionnaire study on road safety was conducted with 250 truck drivers in Tanzania. The study was done to increase the knowledge about the situation of the Tanzanian truckers, who are the most frequent road users in the country. The drivers were interviewed in 3 different towns in southern Tanzania, and participation was voluntary. The questionnaire treated demographics, the state of the drivers' vehicles, the frequency of breakdowns, and the maintenance of the vehicles. Further questions concerned driver behavior, crash involvement, crash risk, and crash mitigation. The drivers who participated in the study were predominantly male and their average age was 36 years. Truck drivers reported driving 10.6 h without a break on average, with several drivers reporting that they had to drive 24 h without rest. Around 40 percent of the trucks did not have any seat belts installed, with a larger share of older trucks lacking belts. Most of the drivers who had seat belts reported using them, however. Almost 40 percent of the drivers reported being involved in at least one crash, and 45 percent of those drivers had experienced fatal crashes. This underlines that the crash frequency per vehicle is very high, and the results are often severe, especially when heavy vehicles are involved. When asked what the 3 most common crash causations were, driver-related causes were named frequently. Drivers were said to be reckless, and further crash causations named were drunkenness, inattention, and sleepiness. One of the most frequently mentioned crash mitigation strategies was driver education, followed by improvement of the roads and the vehicles. The results indicate that countermeasures should be implemented in an integrated fashion, taking into account aspects such as driver, vehicle, infrastructure, legislature, and other road users.

Is it reliable to assess visual attention of drivers affected by Parkinson's disease from the backseat?—a simulator study

PubMed Central

Lee, Hoe C.; Yanting Chee, Derserri; Selander, Helena; Falkmer, Torbjorn

2012-01-01

Background Current methods of determining licence retainment or cancellation is through on-road driving tests. Previous research has shown that occupational therapists frequently assess drivers’ visual attention while sitting in the back seat on the opposite side of the driver. Since the eyes of the driver are not always visible, assessment by eye contact becomes problematic. Such procedural drawbacks may challenge validity and reliability of the visual attention assessments. In terms of correctly classified attention, the aim of the study was to establish the accuracy and the inter-rater reliability of driving assessments of visual attention from the back seat. Furthermore, by establishing eye contact between the assessor and the driver through an additional mirror on the wind screen, the present study aimed to establish how much such an intervention would enhance the accuracy of the visual attention assessment. Methods Two drivers with Parkinson's disease (PD) and six control drivers drove a fixed route in a driving simulator while wearing a head mounted eye tracker. The eye tracker data showed where the foveal visual attention actually was directed. These data were time stamped and compared with the simultaneous manual scoring of the visual attention of the drivers. In four of the drivers, one with Parkinson's disease, a mirror on the windscreen was set up to arrange for eye contact between the driver and the assessor. Inter-rater reliability was performed with one of the Parkinson drivers driving, but without the mirror. Results Without mirror, the overall accuracy was 56% when assessing the three control drivers and with mirror 83%. However, for the PD driver without mirror the accuracy was 94%, whereas for the PD driver with a mirror the accuracy was 90%. With respect to the inter-rater reliability, a 73% agreement was found. Conclusion If the final outcome of a driving assessment is dependent on the subcategory of a protocol assessing visual attention, we suggest the use of an additional mirror to establish eye contact between the assessor and the driver. The clinicians’ observations on-road should not be a standalone assessment in driving assessments. Instead, eye trackers should be employed for further analyses and correlation in cases where there is doubt about a driver's attention. PMID:22461850

The Feasibility of Voluntary Ignition Interlocks as a Prevention Strategy for Young Drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-01

Young drivers in the United States are at greater risk for alcohol-related crash deaths than any other age group of drivers in the general population. Though efforts have been made to reduce drinking and driving among young drivers (especially teens)...

78 FR 76590 - Physical Qualification of Drivers; Standards; Changes to Vision Exemption Program Criteria

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-18

... No. FMCSA-2013-0097] Physical Qualification of Drivers; Standards; Changes to Vision Exemption... CMV drivers for duty, the Agency established a number of physical qualifications for drivers under 49... provisions of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, including physical qualification standards...

Profiles in driver distraction : effects of cell phone conversations on younger and older drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-01

Synopsis Younger and older drivers conversing on a hands-free cell phone were found to have slower responses to random braking by the vehicle ahead. Cell phone use slowed the younger drivers responses to an extent that they were equivalent t...

Traffic safety issues in North Dakota : phase II : driver knowledge, attitude, behavior and beliefs : focus group : young male drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-10-01

Traffic safety is a widespread social concern. Tackling the problem requires understanding the people : who are driving. This includes information about driver behavior, but also about perceptions these drivers : hold regarding their driving. North D...

An Analysis of Young Driver Crash Types and the Associated Lifetime Care Cost in Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

Buckis, Samantha; Lenné, Mike G; Fitzharris, Michael

2015-01-01

The elevated crash involvement rate of young drivers is well documented. Given the higher crash risk of young drivers and the need for innovative policy and programs, it remains important to fully understand the type of crashes young drivers are involved in, and knowledge of the lifetime care cost of crashes can support effective policy development. The aim of this article is to document the number and type of young driver crashes, as well as the associated lifetime care cost over a 9-year period (2005-2013) in Victoria, Australia. In Victoria, Australia, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has legislated responsibility for road safety and the care of persons injured in road crashes, irrespective of fault. TAC claims data for the period 2005-2013 were used to document the number and type of young driver crashes. Lifetime care costs (past and future payment liabilities) were calculated by Taylor Fry actuarial consultancy. License and population data were used to define the crash involvement rate of young drivers. Over the 9-year period, 16,817 claims were lodged to the TAC by drivers 18-25 years of age following a crash. There were 646 fewer drivers aged 18-25 killed and injured in 2013, compared to 2005, representing an unadjusted change of -28.7% (-29.8% males; -28.4% females). The total lifetime care cost of young drivers killed and injured in Victoria for the period 2005-2013 was estimated to be AU$634 million (US$493 million). Differences between males and females, single- and multivehicle crashes, and fatalities and injuries were found to be statistically significant. Run-off-road crashes and crashes from opposing direction were overrepresented in the lifetime care costs for young driver claimants. Twenty-eight injured drivers were classified as high-severity claims. These 28 claimants require additional long-term care, which was estimated to be AU$219 million; of these 28, 24 were male (85.7%). The long-term care costs for these 28 drivers (0.16%) accounts for 34.5% of the total lifetime care cost of all 18- to 25-year-old injured drivers. By using no-fault lifetime care costs that account for medical and like expenses, rehabilitation, and social reintegration costs, a more accurate understanding of the cost of young driver crashes can be determined. Application of these costs to specific crash types highlights new priorities and opportunities for developing programs to reduce young driver crashes.

An Evaluation of Graduated Driver Licensing Effects on Fatal Crash Involvements of Young Drivers in the United States

PubMed Central

Fell, James C.; Jones, Kristina; Romano, Eduardo; Voas, Robert

2013-01-01

Objective Graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems are designed to reduce the high crash risk of young novice drivers. Almost all states in the United States have some form of a three-phased GDL system with various restrictions in the intermediate phase. Studies of the effects of GDL in various states show significant reductions in fatal crash involvements of 16- and 17-year-old drivers; however, only a few national studies of GDL effects have been published. The objective of this national panel study was to evaluate the effect of GDL laws on the fatal crash involvements of novice drivers while controlling for possible confounding factors not accounted for in prior studies. Methods The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) was used to examine 16- and 17-year-old driver involvement in fatal crashes (where GDL laws are applied) relative to two young driver age groups (19-20, 21-25) where GDL would not be expected to have an effect. Dates when various GDL laws were adopted in the states between 1990 and 2007 were coded from a variety of sources. Covariates in the longitudinal panel regression analyses conducted included four laws that could have an effect on 16- and 17-year-old drivers: primary enforcement seat belt laws, zero-tolerance (ZT) alcohol laws for drivers younger than age 21, lowering the blood alcohol concentration limit for driving to .08, and so-called “use and lose” laws where drivers aged 20 and younger lose their licenses for underage drinking violations. Results The adoption of a GDL law of average strength was associated with a significant decrease in fatal crash involvements of 16- and 17-year-old drivers relative to fatal crash involvements of one of the two comparison groups. GDL laws rated as “good” showed stronger relationships to fatal crash reductions, and laws rated as “less than good” showed no reductions in crash involvements relative to the older driver comparison groups. Conclusions States that adopt a basic GDL law can expect a decrease of 8 to 14% in the proportion of 16- and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes (relative to 21- to 25-year-old drivers), depending upon their other existing laws that affect novice drivers, such as those used in these analyses. This finding is consistent with recent national studies that used different outcome measures and covariates. The results of this study provide additional support for states to adopt, maintain, and upgrade GDL systems to reduce youthful traffic crash fatalities. PMID:21972851

Effective cues for accelerating young drivers' time to transfer control following a period of conditional automation.

PubMed

Wright, Timothy J; Agrawal, Ravi; Samuel, Siby; Wang, Yuhua; Zilberstein, Shlomo; Fisher, Donald L

2018-07-01

During conditional automated driving, a transition from the automated driving suite to manual control requires the driver to take over control at a moment's notice. Thus, it is critical that a driver be made situationally aware as quickly as possible in those conditions where he or she may not be paying full attention. Recent research suggests that specific cues about upcoming hazards (e.g., "crosswalk ahead") can increase the drivers' situation awareness during these safety-critical take-over situations when compared with a general cue ("take over control"). The current study examines whether this increased situation awareness which occurs as a result of more specific cues translates into improved hazard mitigation performance within the same limited time window. Fifty-seven drivers were randomly assigned to one of five between-subjects conditions (one control condition and four experimental auditory cue conditions) that varied in the specificity of information provided about an upcoming hazard. The four experimental conditions included a period of conditional automated driving where the driver was engaged in a driving-irrelevant task and looked away from the forward roadway prior to a take-over request. Drivers in the fifth condition had no cue and drove manually throughout. The same six simulator scenarios were used in all five conditions to evaluate how well the driver mitigated a hazard. The average velocity, standard deviation of velocity, and average absolute acceleration were recorded along with the glance behaviors of drivers. In general, during the 4s prior to a latent hazard (following the alerting cues in the automated driving conditions), the more likely a driver was to glance towards a latent hazard, the more likely the driver was to reduce his or her speed. Moreover, analyses focusing solely on hazard mitigation behavior revealed patterns that mirrored the glance behavior results. Specifically, drivers that were presented with cues that described the environments in which hazards were likely to occur were more likely to demonstrate vehicle behaviors that were consistent with speed reductions (lower velocity, higher speed variability, and higher absolute acceleration) than were drivers who were presented general cues or cues about the identity of the upcoming hazards. Even in as little as 4s prior to a potential hazard, cues that inform the driver of the environment in which the hazard is likely to occur increase the likelihood that the driver mitigates the crash compared with drivers who are provided general information or threat identity information. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Driver seat belt use indicates decreased risk for child passengers in a motor vehicle crash.

PubMed

Olsen, Cody S; Cook, Lawrence J; Keenan, Heather T; Olson, Lenora M

2010-03-01

We examined the association between driver restraint use and child emergency department (ED) evaluation following a motor vehicle crash (MVC). This cohort study included child passengers aged 0-12 years riding with an adult driver aged 21 years or older involved in a MVC in Utah from 1999 to 2004. The 6 years of Utah MVC records were probabilistically linked to statewide Utah ED records. We estimated the relative risk of ED evaluation following a MVC for children riding with restrained versus unrestrained drivers. Generalized estimating equations were used to calculate relative risks adjusted for child, driver, and crash characteristics. Six percent (6%) of children riding with restrained adult drivers were evaluated in the ED compared to twenty-two percent (22%) of children riding with unrestrained adult drivers following a MVC (relative risk 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.26-0.32). After adjusting for child, vehicle, and crash characteristics, the relative risk of child ED evaluation associated with driver restraint remained significant (relative risk 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.72-0.94). Driver restraint use was associated with child restraint use, less alcohol/drug involvement, and lower relative risk of severe collision types (head-on, rollover). Driver seat belt use is associated with decreased risk of ED evaluation for child passengers in the event of a MVC. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategies for obtaining long constant-pressure test times in shock tubes

DOE PAGES

Campbell, Matthew Frederick; Parise, T.; Tulgestke, A. M.; ...

2015-09-22

Several techniques have been developed for obtaining long, constant-pressure test times in reflected shock wave experiments in a shock tube, including the use of driver inserts, driver gas tailoring, helium gas diaphragm interfaces, driver extensions, and staged driver gas filling. Here, we detail these techniques, including discussion on the most recent strategy, staged driver gas filling. Experiments indicate that this staged filling strategy increases available test time by roughly 20 % relative to single-stage filling of tailored driver gas mixtures, while simultaneously reducing the helium required per shock by up to 85 %. This filling scheme involves firstly mixing amore » tailored helium–nitrogen mixture in the driver section as in conventional driver filling and, secondly, backfilling a low-speed-of-sound gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide from a port close to the end cap of the driver section. Using this staged driver gas filling, in addition to the other techniques listed above, post-reflected shock test times of up to 0.102 s (102 ms) at 524 K and 1.6 atm have been obtained. Spectroscopically based temperature measurements in non-reactive mixtures have confirmed that temperature and pressure conditions remain constant throughout the length of these long test duration trials. Finally, these strategies have been used to measure low-temperature n-heptane ignition delay times.« less

Young drivers' perception of adult and child pedestrians in potential street-crossing situations.

PubMed

Ābele, Līva; Haustein, Sonja; Møller, Mette

2018-04-03

Despite overall improvements in road traffic safety, pedestrian accidents continue to be a serious public health problem. Due to lack of experience, limited cognitive and motoric skills, and smaller size, children have a higher injury risk as pedestrians than adults. To what extent drivers adjust their driving behaviour to children's higher vulnerability is largely unknown. To determine whether young male drivers' behaviour and scanning pattern differs when approaching a child and an adult pedestrian in a potential street-crossing situation, sixty-five young (18-24) male drivers' speed, lateral position and eye movements were recorded in a driving simulator. Results showed that fewer drivers responded by slowing down and that drivers had a higher driving speed when approaching a child pedestrian, although the time of the first fixation on both types of pedestrians was the same. However, drivers drove farther away from a child than an adult pedestrian. Additionally, fewer drivers who did not slow down fixated on the speedometer while approaching the child pedestrian. The results show that young drivers behave differently when approaching a child and an adult pedestrian, though not in a way that appropriately accounts for the limitations of a child pedestrian. A better understanding of how drivers respond to different types of pedestrians and why could contribute to the development of pedestrian detection and emergency braking systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Occupational risk factors and perceptions of air pollution by motorcycle taxi drivers in Cotonou, Benin].

PubMed

Lawin, Hervé; Ayi Fanou, Lucie; Hinson, Vikkey; Tollo, Brice; Fayomi, Benjamin; Ouendo, Edgard-Marius

Motorcycle taxis occupy a major place in urban transport. Motorcycle taxi drivers are exposed to occupational risk factors (ORF) including air pollution. The objective of this study was to evaluate these ORF among motorcycle taxi drivers and their perceptions of air pollution. This mixed study was conducted on motorcycle taxi drivers in Cotonou. The qualitative study was based on focus groups concerning 16 items from the Participatory Occupational Risk Screening Guide (DEPARIS) until saturation and after triangulation of data. The quantitative study consisted of administering a questionnaire addressing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, cardiopulmonary diseases, and perception of air -pollution risk factors among 397 Cotonou motorcycle taxi drivers. Drivers perceived poor road conditions, effort and handling, and lack of social security as unsatisfactory ORF. Their mean age was 40.95 ± 8.75 years and 45.84% had primary -education. They had been working as motorcycle taxi drivers for an average of 134.95 ± 101.53 months with an average income of FCFA 3138 ± 1238. These occupational factors were significantly associated with cardiopulmonary disorders, observed in 63.2% of drivers. Less than 1/3 of drivers felt that air pollution affected their personal health. Motorcycle taxi drivers have a poor perception of ORF and the severity of exposure to air pollution in this occupation. There is a need to take action to promote the health of this population.

Car drivers' perceptions of electronic stability control (ESC) systems.

PubMed

Vadeby, Anna; Wiklund, Mats; Forward, Sonja

2011-05-01

As a way to reduce the number of car crashes different in-car safety devices are being introduced. In this paper one such application is being investigated, namely the electronic stability control system (ESC). The study used a survey method, including 2000 private car drivers (1000 driving a car with ESC and 1000 driving a car without ESC). The main objective was to investigate the effect of ESC on driver behaviour. Results show that drivers report that they drive even more carelessly when they believe that they have ESC, than when they do not. Men are more risk prone than women and young drivers more than older drivers. Using the theory of planned behaviour the results show that attitude, subjective norm and perceived control explain between 62% and 67% of driver's variation of intentions to take risks. When descriptive norm was added to the model a small but statistically significant increase was found. The study also shows that more than 35% erroneously believe that their car is equipped with an ESC system. These findings may suggest that driver behaviour could reduce the positive effect ESC has on accidents. It also shows that drivers who purchase a new car are not well informed about what kind of safety devices the car is equipped with. These findings highlight the need for more targeted information to drivers. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HEARING IMPAIRMENT AND HYPERTENSION AMONG LONG DISTANCE BUS DRIVERS

PubMed Central

Abdelmoneim, Ismail

2003-01-01

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of possible hearing impairment and hypertension in long distance bus drivers compared to the city bus drivers in Abha city. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 62 long distance bus drivers and 46 city bus drivers from October 2001 to March 2002. A specially-designed questionnaire was administered to the drivers to explore some of their socioeconomic backgrounds. A pure tone air conduction audiometry and blood pressure measurements were performed. Results: Long distance bus drivers’ workload is significantly higher than that of city drivers (total weekly hours 64.0±14.3 compared to 46.7±5.5). Hearing impairment was significantly more among long distance drivers in the frequencies of 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz especially in the left ear even after age corrections. The prevalence of mild hearing loss and hypertension were also higher among the long distance drivers (19.4% vs 4.5% and 38.7% vs 13% respectively). Conclusion and recommendations: This study showed more hearing affection and a higher prevalence of hypertension among long distance bus drivers than their counterparts operating in the city. Their hearing acuity should be tested before they start work and regularly afterwards. The stresses and strains of the job should be further studied and relieved; and regular health checks including blood pressure monitoring are to be instituted. PMID:23012034

The influence of sensitivity to reward and punishment, propensity for sensation seeking, depression, and anxiety on the risky behaviour of novice drivers: a path model.

PubMed

Scott-Parker, Bridie; Watson, Barry; King, Mark J; Hyde, Melissa K

2012-05-01

Young novice drivers are significantly more likely to be killed or injured in car crashes than older, experienced drivers. Graduated driver licensing (GDL), which allows the novice to gain driving experience under less-risky circumstances, has resulted in reduced crash incidence; however, the driver's psychological traits are ignored. This paper explores the relationships between gender, age, anxiety, depression, sensitivity to reward and punishment, sensation-seeking propensity, and risky driving. Participants were 761 young drivers aged 17-24 (M=19.00, SD=1.56) with a Provisional (intermediate) driver's licence who completed an online survey comprising socio-demographic questions, the Impulsive Sensation Seeking Scale, Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale, the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire, and the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale. Path analysis revealed depression, reward sensitivity, and sensation-seeking propensity predicted the self-reported risky behaviour of the young novice drivers. Gender was a moderator; and the anxiety level of female drivers also influenced their risky driving. Interventions do not directly consider the role of rewards and sensation seeking, or the young person's mental health. An approach that does take these variables into account may contribute to improved road safety outcomes for both young and older road users. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Correlation between driving errors and vigilance level: influence of the driver's age.

PubMed

Campagne, Aurelie; Pebayle, Thierry; Muzet, Alain

2004-01-01

During long and monotonous driving at night, most drivers progressively show signs of visual fatigue and loss of vigilance. Their capacity to maintain adequate driving performance usually is affected and varies with the age of the driver. The main question is to know, on one hand, if occurrence of fatigue and drowsiness is accompanied by a modification in the driving performance of the driver and, on the other hand, if this relationship partially depends on the driver's age. Forty-six male drivers, divided into three age categories: 20-30, 40-50, and 60-70 years, performed a 350-km motorway driving session at night on a driving simulator. Driving errors were measured in terms of number of running-off-the-road incidents (RORI) and large speed deviations. The evolution of physiological vigilance level was evaluated using electroencephalography (EEG) recording. In older drivers, in comparison with young and middle-aged drivers, the degradation of driving performance was correlated to the evolution of lower frequency waking EEG (i.e., theta). Contrary to young and middle-aged drivers, the deterioration of the vigilance level attested by EEG correlated with the increase in gravity of all studied driving errors in older drivers. Thus, depending on the age category considered, only part of the driving errors would constitute a relevant indication as for the occurrence of a state of low arousal.

Evaluation of key driver categories influencing sustainable waste management development with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP): Serbia example.

PubMed

Tot, Bojana; Srđević, Bojan; Vujić, Bogdana; Russo, Mário Augusto Tavares; Vujić, Goran

2016-08-01

The problems of waste management have become increasingly complex in recent decades. The increasing amount of generated waste, adopted legislation in the field of waste management, administrative issues, economic impacts and social awareness are important drivers in achieving a sustainable waste management system. However, in practice, there are many other drivers that are often mutually in conflict. The purpose of this research is to define the precise driver and their corresponding sub-drivers, which are relevant for developing a waste management system and, on the basis of their importance, to determine which has the predominant influence on the slow development of a waste management system at the national and regional level, within the Republic of Serbia and similar countries of southeast Europe. This research presents two levels of decision making: the first is a pair-wise comparison of the drivers in relation to the goal and the second is a pair-wise comparison of the sub-drivers in relation to the driver and in relation to the goal. Results of performed analyses on the waste management drivers were integrated via the decision-making process supported by an analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The final results of this research shows that the Institutional-Administrative driver is the most important for developing a sustainable waste management system. © The Author(s) 2016.

Background music as a risk factor for distraction among young-novice drivers.

PubMed

Brodsky, Warren; Slor, Zack

2013-10-01

There are countless beliefs about the power of music during driving. The last thing one would think about is: how safe is it to listen or sing to music? Unfortunately, collisions linked to music devices have been known for some time; adjusting the radio controls, swapping tape-cassettes and compact-discs, or searching through MP3 files, are all forms of distraction that can result in a near-crash or crash. While the decrement of vehicular performance can also occur from capacity interference to central attention, whether or not music listening is a contributing factor to distraction is relatively unknown. The current study explored the effects of driver-preferred music on driver behavior. 85 young-novice drivers completed six trips in an instrumented Learners Vehicle. The study found that all participants committed at-least 3 driver deficiencies; 27 needed a verbal warning/command and 17 required a steering or braking intervention to prevent an accident. While there were elevated positive moods and enjoyment for trips with driver-preferred music, this background also produced the most frequent severe driver miscalculations and inaccuracies, violations, and aggressive driving. However, trips with music structurally designed to generate moderate levels of perceptual complexity, improved driver behavior and increased driver safety. The study is the first within-subjects on-road high-dose double-exposure clinical-trial investigation of musical stimuli on driver behavior. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of anger, impulsivity, sensation seeking and driver attitudes on risky driving behaviour among post-graduate university students in Durban, South Africa.

PubMed

Bachoo, Shaneel; Bhagwanjee, Anil; Govender, Kaymarlin

2013-06-01

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) constitute a serious global health risk, and evidence suggests that young drivers are significantly overrepresented among those injured or killed in RTAs. This study explores the role of anger, impulsivity, sensation seeking and driver attitudes as correlates for risky driving practices among drivers, drawing comparisons between age and gender. The study used a cross-sectional survey design, with a sample of 306 post-graduate university students from two universities in Durban, South Africa, who completed the self-administered questionnaire. The results indicate that drivers with higher driver anger, sensation seeking, urgency, and with a lack of premeditation and perseverance in daily activities were statistically more likely to report riskier driving acts. Males reported significantly more acts of risky driving behaviour (RDB) than females. Driver attitudes significantly predicted self-reported acts of RDB on most indicators. Older drivers (25 years and older) had safer driver attitudes and a lower sense of sensation seeking and urgency in life. Interventions targeting young drivers, which focus on impeding the manifestation of anger, impulsivity and sensation seeking are recommended. Also, the empirical support for the attitude-behaviour hypothesis evidenced in this study vindicates the development or continuation of interventions that focus on this dynamic. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the useful field of view a good predictor of at-fault crash risk in elderly Japanese drivers?

PubMed

Sakai, Hiroyuki; Uchiyama, Yuji; Takahara, Miwa; Doi, Shun'ichi; Kubota, Fumiko; Yoshimura, Takayoshi; Tachibana, Atsumichi; Kurahashi, Tetsuo

2015-05-01

Although age-related decline in the useful field of view (UFOV) is well recognized as a risk factor for at-fault crash involvement in elderly drivers, there is still room to study its applicability to elderly Japanese drivers. In the current study, we thus examined the relationship between UFOV and at-fault crash history in an elderly Japanese population. We also explored whether potential factors that create awareness of reduced driving fitness could be a trigger for the self-regulation of driving in elderly drivers. We measured UFOV and at-fault crash history from 151 community-dwelling Japanese aged 60 years or older, and compared UFOV of at-fault crash-free and crash-involved drivers. We also measured self-evaluated driving style using a questionnaire. UFOV in crash-involved drivers was significantly lower than that in crash-free drivers. No significant difference was found in self-evaluated driving style between crash-free and crash-involved drivers. In addition, there was no significant association between UFOV and self-evaluated driving style. The present study showed that UFOV is a good predictor of at-fault crash risk in elderly Japanese drivers. Furthermore, our data imply that it might be difficult for elderly drivers to adopt appropriate driving strategies commensurate with their current driving competence. © 2014 Japan Geriatrics Society.

The impact of distraction mitigation strategies on driving performance.

PubMed

Donmez, Birsen; Boyle, Linda Ng; Lee, John D

2006-01-01

An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of distraction mitigation strategies on drivers' performance and productivity while engaged in an in-vehicle information system task. Previous studies show that in-vehicle tasks undermine driver safety and there is a need to mitigate driver distraction. An advising strategy that alerts drivers to potential dangers and a locking strategy that prevents the driver from continuing the distracting task were presented to 16 middle-aged and 12 older drivers in a driving simulator in two modes (auditory, visual) and two road conditions (curves, braking events). Distraction was a problem for both age groups. Visual distractions were more detrimental than auditory ones for curve negotiation, as depicted by more erratic steering, F (6, 155) = 26.76, p < .05. Drivers did brake more abruptly under auditory distractions, but this effect was mitigated by both the advising, t (155) = 8.37, p < .05, and locking strategies, t (155) = 8.49, p < .05. The locking strategy also resulted in longer minimum time to collision for middle-aged drivers engaged in visual distractions, F (6, 138) = 2.43, p < .05. Adaptive interfaces can reduce abrupt braking on curve entries resulting from auditory distractions and can also improve the braking response for distracted drivers. These strategies can be incorporated into existing in-vehicle systems, thus mitigating the effects of distraction and improving driver performance.

Characteristics of fatal road crashes involving unlicensed drivers or riders: Implications for countermeasures.

PubMed

Sagberg, Fridulv

2018-08-01

Drivers or riders without a valid license are involved in 10% of fatal road crashes in Norway. This was shown by an analysis of data from all fatal crashes in the period 2005-2014. A literature review shows that unlicensed drivers have a considerably increased crash risk. Such crashes could be prevented by electronic driver authentication, i.e., a technical system for checking that a driver or rider has legal access to a vehicle before driving is permitted. This can be done by requiring the driver/rider to identify themselves with a national identity number and a unique code or biometric information before driving may commence. The vehicle thereafter verifies license availability and vehicle access by communication with a central register. In more than 80% of fatal crashes with unlicensed drivers/riders, speeding and/or drug influence contributed to the crash. This means that a majority of crashes with unlicensed drivers alternatively could be prevented by already available systems, such as alcolock and speed limit dependent speed adapters. These systems will have a wider influence, by preventing crashes also among licensed drivers. Mandatory implementation of alcolock, speed limiter, and electronic driver authentication in all motorized vehicles is estimated to prevent up to 28% of fatal road crashes, depending on effectiveness of the systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Motion Cues on Driver-Vehicle Performance in a Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Repa, B. S.; Leucht, P. M.; Wierwille, W. W.

1981-01-01

Four different motion base configurations were studied on driving simulator. Differently responding vehicles were simulated on each motion configurations and the effects of the vehicle characteristics on driver vehicle system performance, driver control activity, and driver opinion ratings of vehicle performance during driving are compared for different motion configurations. Data show that: (1)) the effects of changes in vehicle characteristics on the different objective and subjective measures of driver vehicle performance are not disguised by the lack of physical motion; (2) fixed base simulator can be used to draw inferences despite the lack of motion; (3) the presence of motion tends to reduce path keeping errors and driver control activity; (4) roll and yaw motions are recommended because of their marked influence on driver vehicle performance (5) the importance of motion increases as the driving maneuvers become more extreme.

Real-time driver fatigue detection based on face alignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Huanhuan; Zhang, Guiying; Zhao, Yong; Zhou, Yi

2017-07-01

The performance and robustness of fatigue detection largely decrease if the driver with glasses. To address this issue, this paper proposes a practical driver fatigue detection method based on face alignment at 3000 FPS algorithm. Firstly, the eye regions of the driver are localized by exploiting 6 landmarks surrounding each eye. Secondly, the HOG features of the extracted eye regions are calculated and put into SVM classifier to recognize the eye state. Finally, the value of PERCLOS is calculated to determine whether the driver is drowsy or not. An alarm will be generated if the eye is closed for a specified period of time. The accuracy and real-time on testing videos with different drivers demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is robust and obtain better accuracy for driver fatigue detection compared with some previous method.

Seat Integrated and Conventional Restraints: A Study of Crash Injury/Fatality Rates in Rollovers

PubMed Central

Padmanaban, Jeya; Burnett, Roger A.

2008-01-01

This study used police-reported motor vehicle crash data from eleven states to determine ejection, fatality, and fatal/serious injury risks for belted drivers in vehicles with conventional seatbelts compared to belted drivers in vehicles with seat integrated restraint systems (SIRS). Risks were compared for 11,159 belted drivers involved in single- or multiple-vehicle rollover crashes. Simple driver ejection (partial and complete), fatality, and injury rates were derived, and logistic regression analyses were used to determine relative contribution of factors (including event calendar year, vehicle age, driver age/gender/alcohol use) that significantly influence the likelihood of fatality and fatal/serious injury to belted drivers in rollovers. Results show no statistically significant difference in driver ejection, fatality, or fatal/serious injury rates between vehicles with conventional belts and vehicles with SIRS. PMID:19026243

U.S. truck driver anthropometric study and multivariate anthropometric models for cab designs.

PubMed

Guan, Jinhua; Hsiao, Hongwei; Bradtmiller, Bruce; Kau, Tsui-Ying; Reed, Matthew R; Jahns, Steven K; Loczi, Josef; Hardee, H Lenora; Piamonte, Dominic Paul T

2012-10-01

This study presents data from a large-scale anthropometric study of U.S. truck drivers and the multivariate anthropometric models developed for the design of next-generation truck cabs. Up-to-date anthropometric information of the U.S. truck driver population is needed for the design of safe and ergonomically efficient truck cabs. We collected 35 anthropometric dimensions for 1,950 truck drivers (1,779 males and 171 females) across the continental United States using a sampling plan designed to capture the appropriate ethnic, gender, and age distributions of the truck driver population. Truck drivers are heavier than the U.S.general population, with a difference in mean body weight of 13.5 kg for males and 15.4 kg for females. They are also different in physique from the U.S. general population. In addition, the current truck drivers are heavier and different in physique compared to their counterparts of 25 to 30 years ago. The data obtained in this study provide more accurate anthropometric information for cab designs than do the current U.S. general population data or truck driver data collected 25 to 30 years ago. Multivariate anthropometric models, spanning 95% of the current truck driver population on the basis of a set of 12 anthropometric measurements, have been developed to facilitate future cab designs. The up-to-date truck driver anthropometric data and multivariate anthropometric models will benefit the design of future truck cabs which, in turn, will help promote the safety and health of the U.S. truck drivers.

Survey of health and licensing policies for taxi drivers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia: a perspective from evidence on older drivers.

PubMed

Chan, M L; Gustafsson, L; Liddle, J

2010-12-01

With an ageing population, policy makers need to balance active ageing needs with older driver safety. In 2009, a survey of licensing policies for taxi drivers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia was undertaken for an evidence-based review of policies. Licensing requirements collected using semi-structured questionnaires were compared descriptively and with evidence from licensing policies on older drivers. All the regions used medical certifications with vision screening. The frequency of medical certification varied according to the renewal cycle and age. Medical guidelines on fitness to drive were available in Australia and Singapore. Legislation for self-reporting of medical conditions by drivers existed in Australia and Hong Kong. Legislation for reporting at-risk drivers by doctors was limited to two Australian states. There were differences in the minimum age and driving experience criteria, the use of practical training, written and English tests, age-based screening, mandatory retirement age, refresher courses, off- and on-road tests. Medical screening for at-risk drivers remains crucial. Age-based mandatory retirement policy at 73 years in Singapore is contrary to evidence-based practice. The lack of legislation for self-reporting of illness by drivers, the high minimum age criteria and therapy driving assessments for healthy taxi drivers are also unique to Singapore. There was stricter age-based relicensing from the age of 65 years in some Australian states and in Singapore. Continuing education for doctors, multi-tier screening for at-risk drivers and licensing policy changes are indicated.

49 CFR 384.213 - State penalties for drivers of CMVs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false State penalties for drivers of CMVs. 384.213 Section 384.213 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL MOTOR... § 384.213 State penalties for drivers of CMVs. The State must impose on drivers of CMVs appropriate...

49 CFR 384.213 - State penalties for drivers of CMVs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false State penalties for drivers of CMVs. 384.213 Section 384.213 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL MOTOR... § 384.213 State penalties for drivers of CMVs. The State must impose on drivers of CMVs appropriate...

49 CFR 384.213 - State penalties for drivers of CMVs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false State penalties for drivers of CMVs. 384.213 Section 384.213 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL MOTOR... § 384.213 State penalties for drivers of CMVs. The State must impose on drivers of CMVs appropriate...

49 CFR 384.213 - State penalties for drivers of CMVs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false State penalties for drivers of CMVs. 384.213 Section 384.213 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL MOTOR... § 384.213 State penalties for drivers of CMVs. The State must impose on drivers of CMVs appropriate...

49 CFR 384.213 - State penalties for drivers of CMVs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false State penalties for drivers of CMVs. 384.213 Section 384.213 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL MOTOR... § 384.213 State penalties for drivers of CMVs. The State must impose on drivers of CMVs appropriate...

49 CFR 604.8 - Leasing FTA funded equipment and drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Leasing FTA funded equipment and drivers. 604.8... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CHARTER SERVICE Exceptions § 604.8 Leasing FTA funded equipment and drivers. (a) A recipient may lease its FTA-funded equipment and drivers to registered charter providers...

75 FR 75539 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently-Approved Information Collection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-03

... Request: Training Certification for Drivers of Longer Combination Vehicles AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier..., ``Training Certification for Drivers of Longer Combination Vehicles.'' This ICR is necessary because the training certificates drivers are required to present to prospective employers serve as proof the drivers...

Licensing and Other Controls of the Drinking Driver.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waller, Patricia F.

Driver licensing, the only state program with the opportunity for routine personal contact with every driver, has unmatched potential for both general and specific countermeasures to the problem of drunk driving. General countermeasures apply to large groups of drivers prior to the occurrence of any infraction. They may be considered basically…

Driving Behaviors in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Brian P.; Nicholls, Elizabeth G.; Patrick, Kristina E.; Brinckman, Danielle D.; Schultheis, Maria T.

2014-01-01

This pilot study investigated driving history and driving behaviors between adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as compared to non-ASD adult drivers. Seventy-eight licensed drivers with ASD and 94 non-ASD comparison participants completed the Driver Behavior Questionnaire. Drivers with ASD endorsed significantly lower ratings of…

49 CFR 391.53 - Driver investigation history file.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Driver investigation history file. 391.53 Section... Driver investigation history file. (a) After October 29, 2004, each motor carrier must maintain records relating to the investigation into the safety performance history of a new or prospective driver pursuant...

49 CFR 391.53 - Driver investigation history file.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Driver investigation history file. 391.53 Section... Driver investigation history file. (a) After October 29, 2004, each motor carrier must maintain records relating to the investigation into the safety performance history of a new or prospective driver pursuant...

49 CFR 391.53 - Driver investigation history file.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Driver investigation history file. 391.53 Section... Driver investigation history file. (a) After October 29, 2004, each motor carrier must maintain records relating to the investigation into the safety performance history of a new or prospective driver pursuant...

49 CFR 391.53 - Driver investigation history file.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Driver investigation history file. 391.53 Section... Driver investigation history file. (a) After October 29, 2004, each motor carrier must maintain records relating to the investigation into the safety performance history of a new or prospective driver pursuant...

Traffic safety facts 1999 : young drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-01-01

There were 187.2 million licensed drivers in the United States in 1999. Young drivers, between 15 and 20 years old, accounted for 6.8% (12.7 million) of the total, a 1.2% decrease from the 12.8 million young drivers in 1989. In 1999, 8,175 15- to 20-...

49 CFR 391.53 - Driver investigation history file.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Driver investigation history file. 391.53 Section... Driver investigation history file. (a) After October 29, 2004, each motor carrier must maintain records relating to the investigation into the safety performance history of a new or prospective driver pursuant...

Teenaged Drivers and Fatal Crash Responsibility. Preliminary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Allan F.; Karpf, Ronald S.

According to data obtained for the year 1978 from the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) and from state governments under contract to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teenaged drivers (especially males) have much higher rates of fatal crash involvement than older drivers. In addition, teenaged drivers are more likely than…

Older Driver and Passenger Collaboration for Wayfinding in Unfamiliar Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryden, Kelly Jane; Charlton, Judith; Oxley, Jennifer; Lowndes, Georgia

2014-01-01

Passenger collaboration offers a potential compensatory strategy to assist older drivers who have difficulty driving in unfamiliar areas (wayfinding). This article describes a survey of 194 healthy, community-dwelling older drivers and their regular passengers to investigate how passengers assist drivers, and to identify the characteristics of…

78 FR 54723 - Information Collection Activities: Submission for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-05

... (NHTSA) proposes to collect information from older adult licensed drivers about their driver license... . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Control Number: 2127-New. Title: Older Driver Compliance with Licensing Restrictions. Form No.: NHTSA Form 1186. Type of Review: Regular. Respondents: Drivers age 70 and older who...

Incentivizing truck retrofitting in port drayage : a study of drivers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-02-01

Using data from detailed surveys of truck drivers, the wages and working conditions of drivers involved in port drayage were : analyzed. Focus as on drivers' willingness to pay for retrofitting and their preferences regarding different truck replacem...

On the efficiency of driver state monitoring systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dementienko, V. V.; Dorokhov, V. B.; Gerus, S. V.; Markov, A. G.; Shakhnarovich, V. M.

2007-06-01

Statistical data on road traffic and the results of laboratory studies are used to construct a mathematical model of a driver-driver state monitor-automobile-traffic system. In terms of the model, the probability of an accident resulting from the drowsy state of the driver is determined both in the absence and presence of a monitor. The model takes into account the efficiency and safety level provided by different monitoring systems, as well as psychological factors associated with the excessive reliance of drivers upon monitoring.

Impacts of the driver's bounded rationality on the traffic running cost under the car-following model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Tie-Qiao; Luo, Xiao-Feng; Liu, Kai

2016-09-01

The driver's bounded rationality has significant influences on the micro driving behavior and researchers proposed some traffic flow models with the driver's bounded rationality. However, little effort has been made to explore the effects of the driver's bounded rationality on the trip cost. In this paper, we use our recently proposed car-following model to study the effects of the driver's bounded rationality on his running cost and the system's total cost under three traffic running costs. The numerical results show that considering the driver's bounded rationality will enhance his each running cost and the system's total cost under the three traffic running costs.

Effects of automobile steering characteristics on driver vehicle system dynamics in regulation tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcruer, D. T.; Klein, R.

1975-01-01

A regulation task which subjected the automobile to a random gust disturbance which is countered by driver control action is used to study the effects of various automobile steering characteristics on the driver/vehicle system. The experiments used a variable stability automobile specially configured to permit insertion of the simulated gust disturbance and the measurement of the driver/vehicle system characteristics. Driver/vehicle system dynamics were measured and interpreted as an effective open loop system describing function. Objective measures of system bandwidth, stability, and time delays were deduced and compared. These objective measures were supplemented by driver ratings. A tentative optimum range of vehicle dynamics for the directional regulation task was established.

Driver behavior profiling: An investigation with different smartphone sensors and machine learning

PubMed Central

Ferreira, Jair; Carvalho, Eduardo; Ferreira, Bruno V.; de Souza, Cleidson; Suhara, Yoshihiko; Pentland, Alex

2017-01-01

Driver behavior impacts traffic safety, fuel/energy consumption and gas emissions. Driver behavior profiling tries to understand and positively impact driver behavior. Usually driver behavior profiling tasks involve automated collection of driving data and application of computer models to generate a classification that characterizes the driver aggressiveness profile. Different sensors and classification methods have been employed in this task, however, low-cost solutions and high performance are still research targets. This paper presents an investigation with different Android smartphone sensors, and classification algorithms in order to assess which sensor/method assembly enables classification with higher performance. The results show that specific combinations of sensors and intelligent methods allow classification performance improvement. PMID:28394925

[Automobile Traffic Accident Death Case Analysis of Characteristics of Driver Injury].

PubMed

Du, Y L; Zhang, W L

2017-02-01

To distinguish the injury characteristic changes on the drivers between the injuries of drivers and passengers in traffic accidents, and to provide scientific evidence for confirming the identity of driver in traffic accidents. Data of 126 automobile traffic accident death cases in the reclamation areas of Heilongjiang province from 2006-2014 were retrospectively studied. The injury characteristics on the drivers of automobile traffic accident death cases were analyzed and the forensic identification problem in the injuries of drivers and passengers were discussed. Injuries were frequently observed on driver's neck, chest and abdomen. The characteristic injuries caused by auto parts were also found, which appeared at the places of passenger's head, face and limbs contacted with automobile. Such characteristic injuries were not found at other places. The location and type of injury are associated with the identity of the deceased. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

[Persistent amphetamine consumption by truck drivers in São Paulo State, Brazil, despite the ban on production, prescription, and use].

PubMed

Oliveira, Lúcio Garcia de; Endo, Ligia Goes; Sinagawa, Daniele Mayumi; Yonamine, Maurício; Munoz, Daniel Romero; Leyton, Vilma

2013-09-01

Amphetamine use by truck drivers for occupational purposes is widely known. The production and consumption of amphetamines was banned by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) in October 2011. This study analyzes persistent amphetamine use by truck drivers since the ban was implemented. A convenience sample of 427 truck drivers was taken along highways in São Paulo State in 2012. Participants were asked to answer a structured questionnaire and provide a urine sample to screen for recent amphetamine consumption through toxicological analysis. Among the interviewed drivers, 7% had used some illicit drug recently and 2.7% had used amphetamines. Amphetamines are still consumed by truck drivers despite the risks and the recent ban. The authorities should thus monitor the possession and use of amphetamines by drivers in order to effectively enforce the ban.

Microcontroller based driver alertness detection systems to detect drowsiness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adenin, Hasibah; Zahari, Rahimi; Lim, Tiong Hoo

2018-04-01

The advancement of embedded system for detecting and preventing drowsiness in a vehicle is a major challenge for road traffic accident systems. To prevent drowsiness while driving, it is necessary to have an alert system that can detect a decline in driver concentration and send a signal to the driver. Studies have shown that traffc accidents usually occur when the driver is distracted while driving. In this paper, we have reviewed a number of detection systems to monitor the concentration of a car driver and propose a portable Driver Alertness Detection System (DADS) to determine the level of concentration of the driver based on pixelated coloration detection technique using facial recognition. A portable camera will be placed at the front visor to capture facial expression and the eye activities. We evaluate DADS using 26 participants and have achieved 100% detection rate with good lighting condition and a low detection rate at night.

Obstructive sleep apnea among commercial motor vehicle drivers: using evidence-based practice to identify risk factors.

PubMed

Olszewski, Kimberly; Wolf, Debra

2013-11-01

Commercial motor vehicle driving is a hazardous occupation, having the third highest fatality rate among common U.S. jobs. Among the estimated 14 million U.S. commercial motor vehicle drivers, the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea is reported to be 17% to 28%. Despite the identified increased prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea among commercial motor vehicle drivers, federal law does not require that they be screened for obstructive sleep apnea. This article presents an evidence-based practice change project; the authors developed, implemented, and evaluated a screening program to identify commercial motor vehicle drivers' risk for obstructive sleep apnea during commercial driver medical examinations. The results of this practice change indicated screening for obstructive sleep apnea during the commercial driver medical examination led to improved identification of obstructive sleep apnea risk among commercial motor vehicle drivers and should be a clinical standard in occupational health clinics. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Driver's mental workload prediction model based on physiological indices.

PubMed

Yan, Shengyuan; Tran, Cong Chi; Wei, Yingying; Habiyaremye, Jean Luc

2017-09-15

Developing an early warning model to predict the driver's mental workload (MWL) is critical and helpful, especially for new or less experienced drivers. The present study aims to investigate the correlation between new drivers' MWL and their work performance, regarding the number of errors. Additionally, the group method of data handling is used to establish the driver's MWL predictive model based on subjective rating (NASA task load index [NASA-TLX]) and six physiological indices. The results indicate that the NASA-TLX and the number of errors are positively correlated, and the predictive model shows the validity of the proposed model with an R 2 value of 0.745. The proposed model is expected to provide a reference value for the new drivers of their MWL by providing the physiological indices, and the driving lesson plans can be proposed to sustain an appropriate MWL as well as improve the driver's work performance.

Handling properties of diverse automobiles and correlation with full scale response data. [driver/vehicle response to aerodynamic disturbances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoh, R. H.; Weir, D. H.

1973-01-01

Driver/vehicle response and performance of a variety of vehicles in the presence of aerodynamic disturbances are discussed. Steering control is emphasized. The vehicles include full size station wagon, sedan, compact sedan, van, pickup truck/camper, and wagon towing trailer. Driver/vehicle analyses are used to estimate response and performance. These estimates are correlated with full scale data with test drivers and the results are used to refine the driver/vehicle models, control structure, and loop closure criteria. The analyses and data indicate that the driver adjusts his steering control properties (when he can) to achieve roughly the same level of performance despite vehicle variations. For the more disturbance susceptible vehicles, such as the van, the driver tightens up his control. Other vehicles have handling dynamics which cause him to loosen his control response, even though performance degrades.

NDAS Hardware Translation Layer Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nazaretian, Ryan N.; Holladay, Wendy T.

2011-01-01

The NASA Data Acquisition System (NDAS) project is aimed to replace all DAS software for NASA s Rocket Testing Facilities. There must be a software-hardware translation layer so the software can properly talk to the hardware. Since the hardware from each test stand varies, drivers for each stand have to be made. These drivers will act more like plugins for the software. If the software is being used in E3, then the software should point to the E3 driver package. If the software is being used at B2, then the software should point to the B2 driver package. The driver packages should also be filled with hardware drivers that are universal to the DAS system. For example, since A1, A2, and B2 all use the Preston 8300AU signal conditioners, then the driver for those three stands should be the same and updated collectively.

Identification of elderly drivers whose crash involvement risks are alleviated by passenger presence.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Yoshinori; Park, Kaechang

2014-01-01

It is essential to find measures to compensate for the decline in elderly drivers' driving ability in order to meet their mobility needs and ensure their safety when driving. Although it has been well documented that elderly drivers' risks of crash involvement are alleviated by the presence of passengers, few studies have investigated whether the protective effect of passengers is influenced by driver characteristics including the degree of cognitive impairment. This study aimed to identify subgroups of elderly drivers whose crash involvement risks are more effectively alleviated by passenger presence. After dividing elderly drivers into three levels of cognitive impairment, as measured by the Short-Memory Questionnaire, and two gender groups, the present study found that only male drivers in the middle cognitive level benefited from passenger presence. The effectiveness of passenger presence may be more successfully achieved by proper selection of the appropriate range of cognitive decline and gender.

The Behavioral Economics of Drunk Driving

PubMed Central

Sloan, Frank A.; Eldred, Lindsey; Xu, Yanzhi

2014-01-01

This study investigates whether drinker-drivers attributes are associated with imperfect rationality or irrationality. Using data from eight U.S. cities, we determine whether drinker-drivers differ from other drinkers in cognitive ability, ignorance of driving while intoxicated (DWI) laws, have higher rates of time preference, are time inconsistent, and lack self-control on other measures. We find that drinker-drivers are relatively knowledgeable about DWI laws and do not differ on two of three study measures of cognitive ability from other drinkers. Drinker-drivers are less prone to plan events involving drinking, e.g., selecting a designated driver in advance of drinking, and are more impulsive. Furthermore, we find evidence in support of hyperbolic discounting. In particular, relative to non-drinker-drivers, the difference between short- and long-term discount rates is much higher for drinker-drivers than for other drinkers. Implications of our findings for public policy, including incapacitation, treatment, and educational interventions, are discussed. PMID:24603444

Solid state light source driver establishing buck or boost operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palmer, Fred

A solid state light source driver circuit that operates in either a buck convertor or a boost convertor configuration is provided. The driver circuit includes a controller, a boost switch circuit and a buck switch circuit, each coupled to the controller, and a feedback circuit, coupled to the light source. The feedback circuit provides feedback to the controller, representing a DC output of the driver circuit. The controller controls the boost switch circuit and the buck switch circuit in response to the feedback signal, to regulate current to the light source. The controller places the driver circuit in its boostmore » converter configuration when the DC output is less than a rectified AC voltage coupled to the driver circuit at an input node. The controller places the driver circuit in its buck converter configuration when the DC output is greater than the rectified AC voltage at the input node.« less

The use of commercial advertising on large scale electronic billboards for highways and their relation to driver safety and driver distraction, literature review.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-07-01

The potential for driver distraction on highways is a major safety concern for state : departments of transportation (DOTs). In the current technological climate, drivers have : the potential to be distracted by cell phones, mp3 players and other med...

Oklahoma Curriculum Guide for Teaching Driver Education to the Handicapped.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1973

This booklet is intended to aid driver education instructors and supervisors to develop a program of driver education for physically or mentally handicapped persons. The guide is organized in five sections. The first section introduces the concept of driver education for the handicapped, and relates its history, philosophy, objectives for a…

A bill to establish driver education curriculum for teenage drivers and to provide grants to States and tribal governments to carry out driver education training for licensed teenage drivers.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY

2009-09-30

Senate - 09/30/2009 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

The Dual Participants: A High Risk Drinking Driver Target Group.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kline, Michael V.; And Others

1988-01-01

Studied dual participants (N=2,525), multiple offender drinking driver program participants who also attend non-drinking driver alcohol treatment programs. Findings support need for drinking driver programs to be aware of high risk dual participants and for alcohol-related treatment programs to provide drinking and driving education to all dual…

Mandatory Driver Training and Road Safety: The Quebec Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potvin, Louise; And Others

1988-01-01

1983 legislation making driver training courses mandatory for any person in Quebec seeking a first driver's license had no effect on the risk of accident or the mortality/morbidity rate for newly licensed drivers over 18. However, since 1983 more women under 18 are becoming licensed, and their risks may be increased. (Author/BJV)

Lower back pain and absenteeism among professional public transport drivers.

PubMed

Kresal, Friderika; Roblek, Vasja; Jerman, Andrej; Meško, Maja

2015-01-01

Drivers in public transport are subjected to lower back pain. The reason for the pain is associated with the characteristics of the physical position imposed on the worker while performing the job. Lower back pain is the main cause of absenteeism among drivers. The present study includes 145 public transport drivers employed as professional drivers for an average of 14.14 years. Analysis of the data obtained in the study includes the basic descriptive statistics, χ(2) test and multiple regression analysis. Analysis of the incidence of lower back pain showed that the majority of our sample population suffered from pain in the lower back. We found that there are no statistically significant differences between the groups formed by the length of service as a professional driver and incidence of lower back pain; we were also interested in whether or not the risk factors of lower back pain affects the absenteeism of city bus drivers. Analysis of the data has shown that the risk factors of pain in the lower part of the spine do affect the absenteeism of city bus drivers.

In the line of duty: a study of ambulance drivers during the 2010 conflict in Kashmir.

PubMed

Dhar, Shabir Ahmed; Dar, Tahir Ahmed; Wani, Sharief Ahmed; Hussain, Shahid; Dar, Reyaz Ahmed; Wani, Zaid Ahmed; Aazad, Shah; Yaqoob, Suhail; Mansoor, Imtiyaz; Ali, Murtaza Fazal; Ahmed, Muzaffar; Mumtaz, Imran; Azhar, Idrees

2012-08-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the problems faced by ambulance drivers working in a conflict zone. This study was conducted on ambulance drivers working for the four major hospitals in Kashmir, India. The drivers were interviewed and asked a series of 30 work-related questions. The individual interviews were conducted over a three-month period in the valley of Kashmir that was affected by continuous violence, strict curfew, and strikes. A total of 35 ambulance drivers were interviewed. Drivers worked an average of 60 h/wk, and they drove an average of 160 km/d. Twenty-nine (83%) of the drivers experienced >1 threat of physical harm; 18 (54%) experienced physical assaults; and 31 (89%) reported evidence of psychological morbidity associated with their jobs. The atmosphere of conflict on the streets of Kashmir impacted the ambulance drivers adversely, both physically as well as mentally. The stress faced by these professionals in conflict zones during their duty hours should be recognized, and corrective measures must be put in place.

Automated Driving System Architecture to Ensure Safe Delegation of Driving Authority

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

YUN, Sunkil; NISHIMURA, Hidekazu

2016-09-01

In this paper, the architecture of an automated driving system (ADS) is proposed to ensure safe delegation of driving authority between the ADS and a driver. Limitations of the ADS functions may activate delegation of driving authority to a driver. However, it leads to severe consequences in emergency situations where a driver may be drowsy or distracted. To address these issues, first, the concept model for the ADS in the situation for delegation of driving authority is described taking the driver's behaviour and state into account. Second, the behaviour / state of a driver and functional flow / state of ADS and the interactions between them are modelled to understand the context where the ADS requests to delegate the driving authority to a driver. Finally, the proposed architecture of the ADS is verified under the simulations based on the emergency braking scenarios. In the verification process using simulation, we have derived the necessary condition for safe delegation of driving authority is that the ADS should assist s driver even after delegating driving authority to a driver who has not enough capability to regain control of the driving task.

Road characteristics and driver fatigue: a simulator study.

PubMed

Oron-Gilad, Tal; Ronen, Adi

2007-09-01

Two experiments examined the influence of road characteristics on driver fatigue in a prolonged simulator drive. In experiment one, ten military truck drivers drove a mixed route, with straight, winding, and straight highway segments. In experiment two, 16 additional drivers drove either a straight, a winding, or a mixed route. Fatigue symptoms were assessed using performance, subjective, and psychophysiological measures (HRV). We hypothesized that drivers adopt different fatigue-coping strategies relative to the demands of the drive. Thus, on straight roads drivers are more likely to loosen their driving demands by either increasing their driving speed and/or not maintaining the lane position, as the road is tolerant to both strategies, whereas on winding roads, drivers are more likely to increase their speed but not their lane positioning. Our results confirm that decremental changes in driving performance varied among road types. In the straight road components, we found decrements in the quality of lane maintaining (experiment one) and steering quality (experiments one and two) and longitudinal speed (experiment two). In the winding road, we found that drivers increased their driving speed over time (experiments one and two).

Drivers' and non-drivers' performance in a change detection task with static driving scenes: is there a benefit of experience?

PubMed

Zhao, Nan; Chen, Wenfeng; Xuan, Yuming; Mehler, Bruce; Reimer, Bryan; Fu, Xiaolan

2014-01-01

The 'looked-but-failed-to-see' phenomenon is crucial to driving safety. Previous research utilising change detection tasks related to driving has reported inconsistent effects of driver experience on the ability to detect changes in static driving scenes. Reviewing these conflicting results, we suggest that drivers' increased ability to detect changes will only appear when the task requires a pattern of visual attention distribution typical of actual driving. By adding a distant fixation point on the road image, we developed a modified change blindness paradigm and measured detection performance of drivers and non-drivers. Drivers performed better than non-drivers only in scenes with a fixation point. Furthermore, experience effect interacted with the location of the change and the relevance of the change to driving. These results suggest that learning associated with driving experience reflects increased skill in the efficient distribution of visual attention across both the central focus area and peripheral objects. This article provides an explanation for the previously conflicting reports of driving experience effects in change detection tasks. We observed a measurable benefit of experience in static driving scenes, using a modified change blindness paradigm. These results have translational opportunities for picture-based training and testing tools to improve driver skill.

Do Circadian Preferences Influence the Sleep Patterns of Night Shift Drivers?

PubMed Central

Narciso, Fernanda V.; Esteves, Andrea M.; Oliveira e Silva, Luciana; Bittencourt, Lia R.A.; Silva, Rogerio S.; Pires, Maria Laura N.; Tufik, Sergio; de Mello, Marco Tulio

2013-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of individual circadian preferences of drivers with fixed night work schedules on sleep patterns. Subjects and Methods A total of 123 professional drivers, 32 indifferent preference drivers and 91 morning preference drivers of an intermunicipality and interstate bus transportation company were evaluated. All drivers underwent polysomnographic recordings after their shifts. Furthermore, they filled out a questionnaire that contained sociodemographic and health questions. The Horne and Östberg questionnaire was used to assess the subjects' morningness-eveningness preference. Results The mean age was 42.54 ± 6.98 years and 82 (66.66%) of the drivers had worked for ≥15 years. A significant effect on rapid eye movement (REM) was observed in the morning preference drivers. They showed an increased sleep latency and an REM sleep percentage of 5% of the total REM time. This reveals a significant effect on sleep architecture associated with work time. Conclusion The drivers reported that morning preference had a significant effect on their sleep pattern indicating less REM sleep and longer REM sleep latency in the morning preference group. Thus, it is important to evaluate interactions between individual aspects of health and other parameters, such as sleep quality and work organizational factors, to promote night shift workers' health and well-being. PMID:23988815

Insomnia is associated with road accidents. Further evidence from a study on truck drivers.

PubMed

Garbarino, Sergio; Magnavita, Nicola; Guglielmi, Ottavia; Maestri, Michelangelo; Dini, Guglielmo; Bersi, Francesca Maria; Toletone, Alessandra; Chiorri, Carlo; Durando, Paolo

2017-01-01

Sleep-related problems are known risk factors for road accidents. However, very few studies have investigated the role played by insomnia and its components, and no data are available for a population of occupational drivers at risk, such as the truck driver category. To measure the prevalence and impact of insomnia on motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) and near-miss accidents (NMAs) in 949 truck drivers. Cross-sectional survey. Insomnia affected 27.5% of the sample. Compared to other drivers, in the 3 years prior to the study, truck drivers with insomnia had reported a significantly higher number of MVAs; they had also reported a greater number of NMAs in the previous 6 months. After correction for the presence of obstructive sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, short sleep duration, and other concurrent diseases, insomniac truck drivers had an almost two-fold risk of driving accidents (OR: 1.82, CI 95%:1.33-2.49) and a more than three-fold increased risk of near-miss accidents (OR: 3.35, CI95%:2.06-5.45) compared to non-insomniac drivers. Insomnia emerged as an independent risk factor for MVAs and NMAs. We strongly advise screening commercial drivers for signs and symptoms of insomnia in order to improve health and safety on the road.

Discovery of cancer common and specific driver gene sets

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract Cancer is known as a disease mainly caused by gene alterations. Discovery of mutated driver pathways or gene sets is becoming an important step to understand molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis. However, systematically investigating commonalities and specificities of driver gene sets among multiple cancer types is still a great challenge, but this investigation will undoubtedly benefit deciphering cancers and will be helpful for personalized therapy and precision medicine in cancer treatment. In this study, we propose two optimization models to de novo discover common driver gene sets among multiple cancer types (ComMDP) and specific driver gene sets of one certain or multiple cancer types to other cancers (SpeMDP), respectively. We first apply ComMDP and SpeMDP to simulated data to validate their efficiency. Then, we further apply these methods to 12 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and obtain several biologically meaningful driver pathways. As examples, we construct a common cancer pathway model for BRCA and OV, infer a complex driver pathway model for BRCA carcinogenesis based on common driver gene sets of BRCA with eight cancer types, and investigate specific driver pathways of the liquid cancer lymphoblastic acute myeloid leukemia (LAML) versus other solid cancer types. In these processes more candidate cancer genes are also found. PMID:28168295

Do circadian preferences influence the sleep patterns of night shift drivers?

PubMed

Narciso, Fernanda V; Esteves, Andrea M; Oliveira e Silva, Luciana; Bittencourt, Lia R A; Silva, Rogerio S; Pires, Maria Laura N; Tufik, Sergio; de Mello, Marco Tulio

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of individual circadian preferences of drivers with fixed night work schedules on sleep patterns. A total of 123 professional drivers, 32 indifferent preference drivers and 91 morning preference drivers of an intermunicipality and interstate bus transportation company were evaluated. All drivers underwent polysomnographic recordings after their shifts. Furthermore, they filled out a questionnaire that contained sociodemographic and health questions. The Horne and Östberg questionnaire was used to assess the subjects' morningness-eveningness preference. The mean age was 42.54 ± 6.98 years and 82 (66.66%) of the drivers had worked for ≥15 years. A significant effect on rapid eye movement (REM) was observed in the morning preference drivers. They showed an increased sleep latency and an REM sleep percentage of 5% of the total REM time. This reveals a significant effect on sleep architecture associated with work time. The drivers reported that morning preference had a significant effect on their sleep pattern indicating less REM sleep and longer REM sleep latency in the morning preference group. Thus, it is important to evaluate interactions between individual aspects of health and other parameters, such as sleep quality and work organizational factors, to promote night shift workers' health and well-being. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Observed and projected drivers of emerging infectious diseases in Europe.

PubMed

Semenza, Jan C; Rocklöv, Joacim; Penttinen, Pasi; Lindgren, Elisabet

2016-10-01

Emerging infectious diseases are of international concern because of the potential for, and impact of, pandemics; however, they are difficult to predict. To identify the drivers of disease emergence, we analyzed infectious disease threat events (IDTEs) detected through epidemic intelligence collected at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) between 2008 and 2013, and compared the observed results with a 2008 ECDC foresight study of projected drivers of future IDTEs in Europe. Among 10 categories of IDTEs, foodborne and waterborne IDTEs were the most common, vaccine-preventable IDTEs caused the highest number of cases, and airborne IDTEs caused the most deaths. Observed drivers for each IDTE were sorted into three main groups: globalization and environmental drivers contributed to 61% of all IDTEs, public health system drivers contributed to 21%, and social and demographic drivers to 18%. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that four of the top five drivers for observed IDTEs were in the globalization and environment group. In the observational study, the globalization and environment group was related to all IDTE categories, but only to five of eight categories in the foresight study. Directly targeting these drivers with public health interventions may diminish the chances of IDTE occurrence from the outset. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

Modeling of driver's collision avoidance maneuver based on controller switching model.

PubMed

Kim, Jong-Hae; Hayakawa, Soichiro; Suzuki, Tatsuya; Hayashi, Koji; Okuma, Shigeru; Tsuchida, Nuio; Shimizu, Masayuki; Kido, Shigeyuki

2005-12-01

This paper presents a modeling strategy of human driving behavior based on the controller switching model focusing on the driver's collision avoidance maneuver. The driving data are collected by using the three-dimensional (3-D) driving simulator based on the CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE), which provides stereoscopic immersive virtual environment. In our modeling, the control scenario of the human driver, that is, the mapping from the driver's sensory information to the operation of the driver such as acceleration, braking, and steering, is expressed by Piecewise Polynomial (PWP) model. Since the PWP model includes both continuous behaviors given by polynomials and discrete logical conditions, it can be regarded as a class of Hybrid Dynamical System (HDS). The identification problem for the PWP model is formulated as the Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) by transforming the switching conditions into binary variables. From the obtained results, it is found that the driver appropriately switches the "control law" according to the sensory information. In addition, the driving characteristics of the beginner driver and the expert driver are compared and discussed. These results enable us to capture not only the physical meaning of the driving skill but the decision-making aspect (switching conditions) in the driver's collision avoidance maneuver as well.

SBCDDB: Sleeping Beauty Cancer Driver Database for gene discovery in mouse models of human cancers

PubMed Central

Mann, Michael B

2018-01-01

Abstract Large-scale oncogenomic studies have identified few frequently mutated cancer drivers and hundreds of infrequently mutated drivers. Defining the biological context for rare driving events is fundamentally important to increasing our understanding of the druggable pathways in cancer. Sleeping Beauty (SB) insertional mutagenesis is a powerful gene discovery tool used to model human cancers in mice. Our lab and others have published a number of studies that identify cancer drivers from these models using various statistical and computational approaches. Here, we have integrated SB data from primary tumor models into an analysis and reporting framework, the Sleeping Beauty Cancer Driver DataBase (SBCDDB, http://sbcddb.moffitt.org), which identifies drivers in individual tumors or tumor populations. Unique to this effort, the SBCDDB utilizes a single, scalable, statistical analysis method that enables data to be grouped by different biological properties. This allows for SB drivers to be evaluated (and re-evaluated) under different contexts. The SBCDDB provides visual representations highlighting the spatial attributes of transposon mutagenesis and couples this functionality with analysis of gene sets, enabling users to interrogate relationships between drivers. The SBCDDB is a powerful resource for comparative oncogenomic analyses with human cancer genomics datasets for driver prioritization. PMID:29059366

Drivers` activities and information needs in an automated highway system. Working paper, August 1995-May 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levitan, L.; Bloomfield, J.

1996-10-01

In most visions of the AHS--including that of the National Automated Highway System Consortium--it has been assumed that when a vehicle was under automated control, the driver would be allowed to engage in any of a variety of activities not related to driving (e.g, working, reading, sleeping). The objective of the first study reported here--one of the noncommuter studies--was to determine what drivers do when traveling under automated control, and whether the age of and/gender or the driver and/or the intrastring gap have an influence on those activities. One the objectives of the commuter experiment--of relevance for this report--was tomore » determine whether what drivers do when traveling under automated control changes as a function of experience with the AHS (i.e., across trials). As conceptualization of the AHS proceeds, the details of the interface between the driver and the in-vehicle system will become more important. One part of that interface will be information supplied by the AHS to the driver, perhaps about such things as traffic conditions ahead predicted trip time to the driver`s selected exit, and so on. To maximize the utility of that information, it is important to determine what it is that drivers would like to know when traveling under automated control. The objective of the third study reported here--the second of the five noncommuter experiments--was to provide a first investigation of that issue.« less

Novice drivers' individual trajectories of driver behavior over the first three years of driving.

PubMed

Roman, Gabriela D; Poulter, Damian; Barker, Edward; McKenna, Frank P; Rowe, Richard

2015-09-01

Identifying the changes in driving behavior that underlie the decrease in crash risk over the first few months of driving is key to efforts to reduce injury and fatality risk in novice drivers. This study represented a secondary data analysis of 1148 drivers who participated in the UK Cohort II study. The Driver Behavior Questionnaire was completed at 6 months and 1, 2 and 3 years after licensure. Linear latent growth models indicated significant increases across development in all four dimensions of aberrant driving behavior under scrutiny: aggressive violations, ordinary violations, errors and slips. Unconditional and conditional latent growth class analyses showed that the observed heterogeneity in individual trajectories was explained by the presence of multiple homogeneous groups of drivers, each exhibiting specific trajectories of aberrant driver behavior. Initial levels of aberrant driver behavior were important in identifying sub-groups of drivers. All classes showed positive slopes; there was no evidence of a group of drivers whose aberrant behavior decreased over time that might explain the decrease in crash involvement observed over this period. Male gender and younger age predicted membership of trajectories with higher levels of aberrant behavior. These findings highlight the importance of early intervention for improving road safety. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding the behavioral underpinnings of the decrease in crash involvement observed in the early months of driving. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Health assessment of taxi drivers in the city of Tshwane.

PubMed

Ramukumba, Tendani S; Mathikhi, Makwena S

2016-11-30

Taxi driving seems to be a strenuous occupation. There was evidence-based paucity of literature on health assessment of taxi drivers. Meanwhile taxi drivers of South Africa were burdened by communicable and non-communicable diseases including high-level exposure to injuries and criminal attacks. Health assessment of this cohort group enables mitigation to engage in appropriation of relevant interventions related to the occupational needs of taxi drivers. The objective of the study was to conduct health assessment of taxi drivers in the city of Tshwane to identify health risk factors. An exploratory, descriptive and quantitative survey was conducted and anthropometric measurements of blood pressure, body mass index and waist circumference were monitored and recorded on a convenience sample of 69 taxi drivers in Tshwane Municipality. Consent was sought from individual taxi drivers who participated in the study, while taxi rank queue marshals assisted with smooth running of the process. Data were gathered using a questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using statistical STATA II with the assistance of a statistician. The study found that taxi drivers were obese, hypertensive, had type II diabetes-related risk factors, including unhealthy life style practices. The results indicate that the general health of taxi drivers impacts their occupation. The findings implicate that the health status of taxi operators in Tshwane was a serious concern and urgent concerted effort is needed to engage in lifestyle modification of taxi drivers. The need for health promotion and formalised occupational health services was recommended.

Association between older driver characteristics, on-road driving test performance, and crash liability.

PubMed

Keall, Michael D; Frith, William J

2004-06-01

From May 1999, a new system for licensing older drivers was introduced in New Zealand. It included a practical on-road driving test with expanded scope, to be completed every two years from the time the driver turns 80. The relationship between crashes and test performance needed to be studied to inform the debate regarding the testing system. The population studied was all drivers who entered this licensing system during its first three years of operation. They were defined as crash involved if they were involved in an injury crash during the two years following their first licensure under the new system. Logistic regression was used to describe the risk of crash involvement in terms of driving test performance and other driver characteristics. Each driving test failure was associated with a 33% increase in the odds of crash involvement (95% CI 14% to 55%), controlling for age, gender, minor traffic violations, and whether the older driver lived with another licensed driver or not. Minor traffic violations in the two years following the driving test were associated with twice the odds of crash involvement. These results suggest that the new on-road driving test does identify older driver behaviors or limitations that are related to crash liability. It is anticipated that the results presented here will provide essential information for discussing older driver licensing systems, whose impact will grow in importance as the population of drivers ages.

Age-Related Differences in Vehicle Control and Eye Movement Patterns at Intersections: Older and Middle-Aged Drivers

PubMed Central

Yamani, Yusuke; Horrey, William J.; Liang, Yulan; Fisher, Donald L.

2016-01-01

Older drivers are at increased risk of intersection crashes. Previous work found that older drivers execute less frequent glances for detecting potential threats at intersections than middle-aged drivers. Yet, earlier work has also shown that an active training program doubled the frequency of these glances among older drivers, suggesting that these effects are not necessarily due to age-related functional declines. In light of findings, the current study sought to explore the ability of older drivers to coordinate their head and eye movements while simultaneously steering the vehicle as well as their glance behavior at intersections. In a driving simulator, older (M = 76 yrs) and middle-aged (M = 58 yrs) drivers completed different driving tasks: (1) travelling straight on a highway while scanning for peripheral information (a visual search task) and (2) navigating intersections with areas potential hazard. The results replicate that the older drivers did not execute glances for potential threats to the sides when turning at intersections as frequently as the middle-aged drivers. Furthermore, the results demonstrate costs of performing two concurrent tasks, highway driving and visual search task on the side displays: the older drivers performed more poorly on the visual search task and needed to correct their steering positions more compared to the middle-aged counterparts. The findings are consistent with the predictions and discussed in terms of a decoupling hypothesis, providing an account for the effects of the active training program. PMID:27736887

Effectiveness of Taxicab Security Equipment in Reducing Driver Homicide Rates

PubMed Central

Menéndez, Cammie K.C.; Amandus, Harlan E.; Damadi, Parisa; Wu, Nan; Konda, Srinivas; Hendricks, Scott A.

2015-01-01

Background Taxicab drivers historically have had one of the highest work-related homicide rates of any occupation. In 2010 the taxicab driver homicide rate was 7.4 per 100,000 drivers, compared to the overall rate of 0.37 per 100,000 workers. Purpose Evaluate the effectiveness of taxicab security cameras and partitions on citywide taxicab driver homicide rates. Methods Taxicab driver homicide rates were compared in 26 major cities in the U.S. licensing taxicabs with security cameras (n=8); bullet-resistant partitions (n=7); and cities where taxicabs were not equipped with either security cameras or partitions (n=11). News clippings of taxicab driver homicides and the number of licensed taxicabs by city were used to construct taxicab driver homicide rates spanning 15 years (1996–2010). Generalized estimating equations were constructed to model the Poisson-distributed homicide rates on city-specific safety equipment installation status, controlling for city homicide rate and the concurrent decline of homicide rates over time. Data were analyzed in 2012. Results Cities with cameras experienced a threefold reduction in taxicab driver homicides compared with control cities (RR=0.27; 95% CI=0.12, 0.61; p=0.002). There was no difference in homicide rates for cities with partitions compared with control cities (RR=1.15; 95% CI=0.80, 1.64; p=0.575). Conclusions Municipal ordinances and company policies mandating security cameras appear to be highly effective in reducing taxicab driver deaths due to workplace violence. PMID:23790983

Individualized assessment of driving fitness for older individuals with health, disability, and age-related concerns.

PubMed

Wheatley, Carol J; Di Stefano, Marilyn

2008-08-01

Driver licensing agencies are faced with an increasing population of drivers who are seeking to maintain driving privileges whilst coping with functional changes associated with health, disability, or aging-related issues. Some of these changes impact upon the motor, sensory, and cognitive capacities essential for safe motor vehicle operation. The driver assessment process, as provided by occupational therapists and other professionals trained in the techniques of driver rehabilitation, can provide objective data to identify driver strengths and limitations and options available to increase mobility independence via consideration of adaptive mobility equipment, vehicle choice, driver training, or alternative transportation if necessary. This article provides an overview of the driver rehabilitation specialist's assessment and training process, with an analysis of the key issues related to this form of assessment and the need for further research. The basic driver rehabilitation process is outlined including examples of common deficits, assessment considerations, and intervention approaches. The clinical and on-road assessment procedures are described, with illustrations of the reasoning process that leads to a determination of the person's overall driving competence and rehabilitation recommendations. A review of the literature is provided that examines the currently available documentation that supports this assessment and rehabilitation process. The article concludes with a review of current literature that examines the claim that detailed clinical and on-road assessment, as provided by driver rehabilitation specialists, is currently the best method for assisting drivers with complex health, disability, or aging-related issues to resume or retain driving privileges.

Look who's talking! A roadside survey of drivers' cell phone use.

PubMed

Young, Kristie L; Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Lenné, Michael G

2010-12-01

The objective of this study was to quantify Melbourne drivers' rates of handheld and hands-free phone use and the driver, vehicle, site, and time characteristics associated with phone use. Additionally, this study sought to examine any change in the prevalence of handheld cell phone use by Melbourne drivers between 2006 and 2009. Observational survey of vehicle drivers at various times of the day and week at 3 sites across metropolitan Melbourne during May 2009. A total of 195 (3.4%) of the 5813 drivers observed were using handheld phones and 81 (1.4%) were using hands-free phones. This represents a significant increase in handheld phone usage rates compared to those found in an earlier study conducted in Melbourne in 2006. Cell phone use was associated with a range of driver, vehicle, site, and time characteristics. Handheld phone users were predominately young or middle-aged drivers who drove cars or 4-wheel-drive vehicles (4WDs), and this activity was more likely to occur in the late afternoon. Use of hands-free phones did not differ significantly across gender, age group, vehicle type, observation site, or time of day; however, use of hands-free phones was higher on weekdays compared to weekends. Despite legislation being in place, drivers' handheld cell phone use is still a major road safety concern, particularly for young and middle-aged drivers. The effectiveness of other strategies for decreasing handheld usage rates, including increased surveillance and tougher penalties, need to be ascertained.

Fatal drink-driving accidents of young adult and middle-aged males--a risky driving style or risky lifestyle?

PubMed

Laapotti, Sirkku; Keskinen, Esko

2008-01-01

A range of situational and lifestyle-related factors in drink-driving fatal accidents were studied involving young adult and middle-aged male drivers in Finland. Fatal drink-driving accidents were compared to fatal accidents in which the driver had been sober. The study included all 18-to 59-year-old male drivers' fatal car and van accidents investigated by the Road Accident Investigation Teams in Finland between 2000 and 2002 (n = 366 accidents). The variables describing the situation included the time of the accident, the road condition, the speed, possession of a valid licence, seat-belt usage, and the presence of passengers. The study found that among young adult males most of the studied situational factors bore no relation to the state of the driver (sober or drink driver). Only the time of day, seat-belt, usage, and possession of a valid licence were related to the state of the driver. Among middle-aged male drivers, drink-driving and sober driving accidents differed more clearly. Further, when the social situation in the car was examined, it was found that accidents of sober and drink drivers differed from each other within the group of middle-aged drivers but not within the group of young adult drivers. Heavy alcohol usage was found to characterize the lifestyle of the studied middle-aged drink drivers. It was concluded that for young adult males drink-driving was a part of a more general risky driving style. Among middle-aged males drink-driving was more related to a risky lifestyle with drinking problems. Possible countermeasures are discussed with regard to drink-driving among young adult and middle-aged males.

Obstacles to engaging in young driver licensing: Perspectives of parents.

PubMed

Naz, Sehana; Scott-Parker, Bridie

2017-02-01

Young novice drivers remain at greater risk of injury and death despite a wealth of interventions including graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs. The key to implementing safer practices inherent in GDL appears to lie with optimising the role of parents. This qualitative research explored the parent's perspectives of obstacles to engaging in the driver licensing process within a GDL program. Parents also shared advice on what they found helpful, and where relevant, recommended changes in the process to enable safer practices for young drivers. Twenty-three parents (aged 35-60 years, M=49.52, SD=8.01, 11 males) participated in semi-structured interviews regarding licensing experiences with their young driver children. The young drivers included learner (n=11), provisional (restricted/intermediate) (n=9) and open (unrestricted/full) licence drivers (n=3), ranging from 16 to 24 years (M=18.04, SD=2.21, 13 males). Content analysis revealed that most obstacles were encountered at the learner licensing phase, with the parent-reported difficult temperament of the learner driver the most prominent. Unsurprisingly, advice to other parents to be patient and remain calm featured heavily during the same phase. Anxiety from not having control of the vehicle was another obstacle at the learner phase, translating to anxieties for child safety in the early stages of provisional driving. Recommendations for the current GDL included more rigorous road rule testing, with general support for the program, professional driver training at learner and provisional stages facilitated parental engagement through the licensing phases. The findings overwhelmingly suggest a need for parents to be educated regarding their importance in, and of, the driver licensing process, and the efficacy of their instruction, content and practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mandatory Physician Reporting of At-Risk Drivers: The Older Driver Example.

PubMed

Agimi, Yll; Albert, Steven M; Youk, Ada O; Documet, Patricia I; Steiner, Claudia A

2018-05-08

In a number of states, physicians are mandated by state law to report at-risk drivers to licensing authorities. Often these patients are older adult drivers who may exhibit unsafe driving behaviors, have functional/cognitive impairments, or are diagnosed with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and/or seizure disorders. The hypothesis that mandatory physician reporting laws reduce the rate of crash-related hospitalizations among older adult drivers was tested. Using retrospective data (2004-2009), this study identified 176,066 older driver crash-related hospitalizations, from the State Inpatient Databases. Three age-specific negative binomial generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate the effect of physician reporting laws on state's incidence rate of crash-related hospitalizations among older drivers. No evidence was found for an independent association between mandatory physician reporting laws and a lower crash hospitalization rate among any of the age groups examined. The main predictor of interest, mandatory physician reporting, failed to explain any significant variation in crash hospitalization rates, when adjusting for other state-specific laws and characteristics. Vision testing at in-person license renewal was a significant predictor of lower crash hospitalization rate, ranging from incidence rate ratio of 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.62-0.94) among 60- to 64-year olds to 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.67-0.97) among 80- to 84-year olds. Physician reporting laws and age-based licensing requirements are often at odds with older driver's need to maintain independence. This study examines this balance and finds no evidence of the benefits of mandatory physician reporting requirements on driver crash hospitalizations, suggesting that physician mandates do not yet yield significant older driver safety benefits, possibly to the detriment of older driver's well-being and independence.

The reaction times of drivers aged 20 to 80 during a divided attention driving.

PubMed

Svetina, Matija

2016-11-16

Many studies addressing age-related changes in driving performance focus on comparing young vs. older drivers, which might lead to the biased conclusion that driving performance decreases only after the age of 65. The main aim of the study was to show that changes in driving performance are progressive throughout the adult years. A sample of 351 drivers aged 20 to 80 was assessed for their reaction times while driving between road cones. The drivers were exposed to 2 conditions varying according to task complexity. In single task conditions, the drivers performed a full stopping maneuver at a given signal; in dual task conditions, the drivers were distracted before the signal for stopping maneuver was triggered. Reaction times were compared across conditions and age groups. The results showed that both reaction times and variability of driving performance increased progressively between the ages of 20 and 80. The increase in both reaction times and variability was greater in the complex task condition. The high-performing quarter of elderly drivers performed equally well or better than younger drivers did. The data clearly supported the claim that driving performance changes steadily across age groups: both mean reaction time and interindividual variability progressively increase with age. In addition, a significant group of older drivers was identified who did not show the expected age-related decrease in performance. The findings have important implications, suggesting that in relation to driving, aging is a progressive phenomenon and may lead to variety of driving performance; age-related studies of driving performance should put more emphasis on investigating changes across the whole driver age range rather than only comparing younger and older drivers.

Assessing sleepiness and sleep disorders in Australian long-distance commercial vehicle drivers: self-report versus an "at home" monitoring device.

PubMed

Sharwood, Lisa N; Elkington, Jane; Stevenson, Mark; Grunstein, Ronald R; Meuleners, Lynn; Ivers, Rebecca Q; Haworth, Narelle; Norton, Robyn; Wong, Keith K

2012-04-01

As obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with a higher risk of motor vehicle crashes, there is increasing regulatory interest in the identification of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers with this condition. This study aimed to determine the relationship between subjective versus objective assessment of OSA in CMV drivers. Cross-sectional survey. Heavy vehicle truck stops located across the road network of 2 large Australian states. A random sample of long distance commercial vehicle drivers (n = 517). None. Drivers were interviewed regarding their driving experience, personal health, shift schedules, payments, and various questions on sleep and tiredness in order to describe their sleep health across a range of variables. In addition, home recordings using a flow monitor were used during one night of sleep. Only 4.4% of drivers reported a previous diagnosis of sleep apnea, while our at home diagnostic test found a further 41% of long-distance heavy vehicle drivers likely to have sleep apnea. The multivariable apnea prediction index, based on self-report measures, showed poor agreement with the home-monitor detected sleep apnea (AUC 0.58, 95%CI = 0.49-0.62), and only 12% of drivers reported daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale score > 10). Thirty-six percent of drivers were overweight and a further 50% obese; 49% of drivers were cigarette smokers. Sleep apnea remains a significant and unrecognized problem in CMV drivers, who we found to have multiple health risks. Objective testing for this sleep disorder needs to be considered, as symptom reports and self-identification appear insufficient to accurately identify those at risk.

Evaluation of Traffic Accident Risk in In-City Bus Drivers: The Use of Berlin Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Ekren, Pervin Korkmaz; Uysal, Funda Elmas; Başoğlu, Özen K.

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVES Traffic accidents associated with high mortality rate may produce serious problems especially in highways. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with a high risk for traffic accidents due to excessive daytime sleepiness even in in-city drivers. In the present study, it was aimed to evaluate the rate of OSA symptoms and to identify risk factors associated with traffic accidents in in-city bus drivers. MATERIAL AND METHODS A self-administered questionnaire including demographic and anthropometric features, sleep and work schedules, Berlin questionnaire, Epworth sleepiness score (ESS), and history of traffic accidents was used. RESULTS The questionnaire was conducted for 1400 male bus drivers (mean age, 38.0±6.4 y, body mass index, 27.8±3.9 kg/m2). A total of 1058 (75.6%) drivers had one or more accidents while driving bus. According to the Berlin questionnaire, 176 (12.6%) drivers were found to have high OSA risk and the accident rate was 83.0% in high-risk group, whereas 74.5% of low-risk drivers had accidents (p=0.043). The drivers with a history of traffic accident were older (p=0.030), had higher ESS (p=0.019), and were more in the high-risk OSA group according to the Berlin questionnaire (p=0.015). In multivariate linear regression analysis, traffic accident was associated with only Berlin questionnaire (p=0.015). CONCLUSION The present results support that city bus drivers with high OSA risk according to Berlin questionnaire have increased accident rates. Therefore, we suggest using Berlin questionnaire for screening sleep apnea not only in highway drivers but also in in-city bus drivers. PMID:29755810

Driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms in cataract patients awaiting surgery: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Cataract is an extremely common visual condition of ageing. Evidence suggests that visual impairment influences driving patterns and self-regulatory behavior among older drivers. However, little is known about the psychological effects of driver self-regulation among older drivers. Therefore, this study aimed to describe driver self-regulation practices among older bilateral cataract patients and to determine the association between self-regulation and depressive symptoms. Methods Ninety-nine older drivers with bilateral cataract were assessed the week before first eye cataract surgery. Driver self-regulation was measured via the Driving Habits Questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Visual, demographic and cognitive data were also collected. Differences between self-regulators and non self-regulators were described and linear regression modeling used to determine the association between driver self-regulation and depressive symptoms score. Results Among cataract patients, 48% reported self-regulating their driving to avoid at least one challenging situation. The situations most commonly avoided were driving at night (40%), on the freeway (12%), in the rain (9%) and parallel parking (8%). Self-regulators had significantly poorer contrast sensitivity in their worse eye than non self-regulators (p = 0.027). Driver self-regulation was significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms after controlling for potential confounding factors (p = 0.002). Conclusions Driver self-regulation was associated with increased depressive symptoms among cataract patients. Further research should investigate this association among the general older population. Self-regulation programs aimed at older drivers may need to incorporate mental health elements to counteract unintended psychological effects. PMID:24016307

The impact of high-risk drivers and benefits of limiting their driving degree of freedom.

PubMed

Habtemichael, Filmon G; de Picado-Santos, Luis

2013-11-01

The perception of drivers regarding risk-taking behaviour is widely varied. High-risk drivers are the segment of drivers who are disproportionately represented in the majority of crashes. This study examines the typologies of drivers in risk-taking behaviour, the common high-risk driving errors (speeding, close following, abrupt lane-changing and impaired driving), their safety consequences and the technological (ITS) devices for their detection and correction. Limiting the driving degree of freedom of high-risk drivers is proposed and its benefits on safety as well as traffic operations are quantified using VISSIM microscopic traffic simulation at various proportions of high-risk drivers; namely, 4%, 8% and 12%. Assessment of the safety benefits was carried out by using the technique of simulated vehicle conflicts which was validated against historic crashes, and reduction in travel time was used to quantify the operational benefits. The findings imply that limiting the freedom of high-risk drivers resulted in a reduction of crashes by 12%, 21% and 27% in congested traffic conditions; 9%, 13% and 18% in lightly congested traffic conditions as well as 9%, 10% and 17% in non-congested traffic conditions for high-risk drivers in proportions of 4%, 8% and 12% respectively. Moreover, the surrogate safety measures indicated that there was a reduction in crash severity levels. The operational benefits amounted to savings of nearly 1% in travel time for all the proportions of high-risk drivers considered. The study concluded that limiting the freedom of high-risk drivers has safety and operational benefits; though there could be social, legal and institutional concerns for its practical implementation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Traffic Accident Risk in In-City Bus Drivers: The Use of Berlin Questionnaire.

PubMed

Taşbakan, Mehmet Sezai; Ekren, Pervin Korkmaz; Uysal, Funda Elmas; Başoğlu, Özen K

2018-04-01

Traffic accidents associated with high mortality rate may produce serious problems especially in highways. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with a high risk for traffic accidents due to excessive daytime sleepiness even in in-city drivers. In the present study, it was aimed to evaluate the rate of OSA symptoms and to identify risk factors associated with traffic accidents in in-city bus drivers. A self-administered questionnaire including demographic and anthropometric features, sleep and work schedules, Berlin questionnaire, Epworth sleepiness score (ESS), and history of traffic accidents was used. The questionnaire was conducted for 1400 male bus drivers (mean age, 38.0±6.4 y, body mass index, 27.8±3.9 kg/m 2 ). A total of 1058 (75.6%) drivers had one or more accidents while driving bus. According to the Berlin questionnaire, 176 (12.6%) drivers were found to have high OSA risk and the accident rate was 83.0% in high-risk group, whereas 74.5% of low-risk drivers had accidents (p=0.043). The drivers with a history of traffic accident were older (p=0.030), had higher ESS (p=0.019), and were more in the high-risk OSA group according to the Berlin questionnaire (p=0.015). In multivariate linear regression analysis, traffic accident was associated with only Berlin questionnaire (p=0.015). The present results support that city bus drivers with high OSA risk according to Berlin questionnaire have increased accident rates. Therefore, we suggest using Berlin questionnaire for screening sleep apnea not only in highway drivers but also in in-city bus drivers.

Obesity and Non-fatal Motor Vehicle Crash Injuries: Sex Difference Effects

PubMed Central

Ma, Xiaoguang; Laud, Purushottam W.; Pintar, Frank; Kim, Jong-Eun; Shih, Alan; Shen, Wei; Heymsfield, Steven B.; Allison, David B.; Zhu, Shankuan

2010-01-01

Background Obesity and motor vehicle crash (MVC) injuries are two parallel epidemics in the United States. An important unanswered question is if there are sex differences in the associations between the presence of obesity and non-fatal MVC injuries. Objectives To further understand the association between obesity and non-fatal motor vehicle crash injuries, particularly the sex differences in these relations. Methods We examined this question by analyzing data from the 2003 to 2007 National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS CDS). A total of 10, 962 drivers who were aged 18 years or older and who survived frontal collision crashes were eligible for study. Results Male drivers experienced a lower rate of overall non-fatal MVC injuries than did female drivers (38.1% vs. 52.2%) but a higher rate of severe injuries (0.7% vs. 0.2%). After adjusting for change in velocity (ΔV) during the crashes, obese male drivers showed a much higher risk [logistic coefficients of BMI for moderate, serious, and severe injury are 0.0766, 0.1470, and 0.1792, respectively; all p<0.05] of non-fatal injuries than did non-obese male drivers and these risks increased with injury severity. Non-fatal injury risks were not found to be increased in obese female drivers. The association between obesity and risk of non-fatal injury was much stronger for male drivers than for female drivers. Conclusion The higher risk of non-fatal MVC injuries in obese male drivers might result from their different body shape and fat distribution compared with obese female drivers. Our findings should be considered for obesity reduction, traffic safety evaluation and vehicle design for obese male drivers and provide testable hypotheses for future studies. PMID:21224830

Obesity and non-fatal motor vehicle crash injuries: sex difference effects.

PubMed

Ma, X; Laud, P W; Pintar, F; Kim, J-E; Shih, A; Shen, W; Heymsfield, S B; Allison, D B; Zhu, S

2011-09-01

Obesity and motor vehicle crash (MVC) injuries are two parallel epidemics in the United States. An important unanswered question is whether there are sex differences in the associations between the presence of obesity and non-fatal MVC injuries. To further understand the association between obesity and non-fatal MVC injuries, particularly the sex differences in these relations. We examined this question by analyzing data from the 2003 to 2007 National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS CDS). A total of 10,962 drivers who were aged 18 years or older and who survived frontal collision crashes were eligible for the study. Male drivers experienced a lower rate of overall non-fatal MVC injuries than did female drivers (38.1 versus 52.2%), but experienced a higher rate of severe injuries (0.7 versus 0.2%). After adjusting for change in velocity (ΔV) during the crashes, obese male drivers showed a much higher risk (logistic coefficients of body mass index (BMI) for moderate, serious and severe injury are 0.0766, 0.1470 and 0.1792, respectively; all P<0.05) of non-fatal injuries than did non-obese male drivers and these risks increased with injury severity. Non-fatal injury risks were not found to be increased in obese female drivers. The association between obesity and risk of non-fatal injury was much stronger for male drivers than for female drivers. The higher risk of non-fatal MVC injuries in obese male drivers might result from their different body shape and fat distribution compared with obese female drivers. Our findings should be considered for obesity reduction, traffic safety evaluation and vehicle design for obese male drivers and provide testable hypotheses for future studies.

Differences in state drug testing and reporting by driver type in U.S. fatal traffic crashes.

PubMed

Slater, Megan E; Castle, I-Jen P; Logan, Barry K; Hingson, Ralph W

2016-07-01

Driving under the influence of drugs, including marijuana, has become more prevalent in recent years despite local, state, and federal efforts to prevent such increases. The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) is the primary source of drugged driving data for fatal crashes in the United States but lacks the completeness required to calculate unbiased estimates of drug use among drivers involved in fatal crashes. This article uses the 2013 FARS dataset to present differences in state drug testing rates by driver type, driver fault type, and state-level factors; discusses limitations related to analysis and interpretation of drugged driving data; and offers suggestions for improvements that may enable appropriate use of FARS drug testing data in the future. Results showed that state drug testing rates were highest among drivers who died at the scene of the crash (median=70.8%) and drivers who died and were at fault in the crash (median=64.4%). The lowest testing rates were seen among surviving drivers who were not transported to a hospital (median=14.0%) and surviving drivers who were not at fault in the crash (median=10.0%). Drug testing rates differed by state blood alcohol content (BAC) testing rate across all driver types and driver fault types, and in general, states that tested a higher percentage of drivers for BAC had higher drug testing rates. Testing rates might be increased through standardization and mandatory testing policies. FARS data users should continue to be cautious about the limitations of using currently available data to quantify drugged driving. More efforts are needed to improve drug testing and reporting practices, and more research is warranted to establish drug concentration levels at which driving skills become impaired. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can vehicle longitudinal jerk be used to identify aggressive drivers? An examination using naturalistic driving data.

PubMed

Feng, Fred; Bao, Shan; Sayer, James R; Flannagan, Carol; Manser, Michael; Wunderlich, Robert

2017-07-01

This paper investigated the characteristics of vehicle longitudinal jerk (change rate of acceleration with respect to time) by using vehicle sensor data from an existing naturalistic driving study. The main objective was to examine whether vehicle jerk contains useful information that could be potentially used to identify aggressive drivers. Initial investigation showed that there are unique characteristics of vehicle jerk in drivers' gas and brake pedal operations. Thus two jerk-based metrics were examined: (1) driver's frequency of using large positive jerk when pressing the gas pedal, and (2) driver's frequency of using large negative jerk when pressing the brake pedal. To validate the performance of the two metrics, drivers were firstly divided into an aggressive group and a normal group using three classification methods (1) traveling at excessive speed (speeding), (2) following too closely to a front vehicle (tailgating), and (3) their association with crashes or near-crashes in the dataset. The results show that those aggressive drivers defined using any of the three methods above were associated with significantly higher values of the two jerk-based metrics. Between the two metrics the frequency of using large negative jerk seems to have better performance in identifying aggressive drivers. A sensitivity analysis shows the findings were largely consistent with varying parameters in the analysis. The potential applications of this work include developing quantitative surrogate safety measures to identify aggressive drivers and aggressive driving, which could be potentially used to, for example, provide real-time or post-ride performance feedback to the drivers, or warn the surrounding drivers or vehicles using the connected vehicle technologies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of external non-driving factors, payment type and waiting and queuing on fatigue in long distance trucking.

PubMed

Williamson, Ann; Friswell, Rena

2013-09-01

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of external influences on long distance trucking, in particular, incentive-based remuneration systems and the need to wait or queue to load or unload on driver experiences of fatigue. Long distance truck drivers (n=475) were recruited at truck rest stops on the major transport corridors within New South Wales, Australia and asked to complete a survey by self-administration or interview. The survey covered demographics, usual working arrangements, details of the last trip and safety outcomes including fatigue experiences. On average drivers' last trip was over 2000 km and took 21.5 h to complete with an additional 6h of non-driving work. Incentive payments were associated with longer working hours, greater distances driven and higher fatigue for more drivers. Drivers required to wait in queues did significantly more non-driving work and experienced fatigue more often than those who did not. Drivers who were not paid to wait did the longest trips with average weekly hours above the legal working hours limits, had the highest levels of fatigue and the highest levels of interference by work with family life. In contrast, drivers who were paid to wait did significantly less work with shorter usual hours and shorter last trips. Multivariate analysis showed that incentive-based payment and unpaid waiting in queues were significant predictors of driver fatigue. The findings suggest that mandating payment of drivers for non-driving work including waiting would reduce the amount of non-driving work required for drivers and reduce weekly hours of work. In turn this would reduce driver fatigue and safety risk as well as enhancing the efficiency of the long distance road transport industry. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visual impairment and road traffic accidents among drivers in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia.

PubMed

Biza, Mohamed; Mossie, Andualem; Woldemichael, Kifle; Gelaw, Yeshigeta

2013-04-01

Vision play a vital role in driving where good and efficient visual functioning of the driver is essential. Any significant loss of visual function will diminish a driver's ability to operate a motor vehicle safely and will thus contribute to road traffic injury. However, there is little evidence indicating that defects of vision alone cause road traffic accidents. To determine the impact of visual impairment and other factors on road traffic accident among vehicle drivers. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 249 sampled drivers in Southwest Ethiopia. A pretested interviewer led questionnaire was used for interview and vision tests were done using Snellen's acuity chart and Ishihara pseudo-isochromatic plates. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 16.0. The mean age of drivers was 33.6 years (SD +/- 10.3). The relative frequency of self reported road traffic accident was 15.3%. The prevalence of uncorrected binocular visual impairment was 1.6% and there was a significant association between visual impairment and road traffic accident (P < 0.05). Uncorrected refractive error was seen in 7.6% and 8.8% of drivers in the right and left eyes respectively, and 3.2% of them had vision less than what is required to obtain driving license (visual acuity of 6/12). None of the drivers with refractive errors were wearing appropriate corrections. Color vision impairment was seen in 1.6% of the drivers. A significant proportion (9.6%) of the drivers did not have eye exam for their driving license. Uncorrected binocular visual impairment was strongly associated with road traffic accident. There is need for consistent inspection and screening, strict rules and regulations of licensing and health education for drivers to minimize road traffic accident.

Using trip diaries to mitigate route risk and risky driving behavior among older drivers.

PubMed

Payyanadan, Rashmi P; Maus, Adam; Sanchez, Fabrizzio A; Lee, John D; Miossi, Lillian; Abera, Amsale; Melvin, Jacob; Wang, Xufan

2017-09-01

To reduce exposure to risky and challenging driving situations and prolong mobility and independence, older drivers self-regulate their driving behavior. But self-regulation can be challenging because it depends on drivers' ability to assess their limitations. Studies using self-reports, survey data, and hazard and risk perception tests have shown that driving behavior feedback can help older drivers assess their limitations and adjust their driving behavior. But only limited work has been conducted in developing feedback technology interventions tailored to meet the information needs of older drivers, and the impact these interventions have in helping older drivers self-monitor their driving behavior and risk outcomes. The vehicles of 33 drivers 65 years and older were instrumented with OBD2 devices. Older drivers were provided access to customized web-based Trip Diaries that delivered post-trip feedback of the routes driven, low-risk route alternatives, and frequency of their risky driving behaviors. Data were recorded over four months, with baseline driving behavior collected for one month. Generalized linear mixed effects regression models assessed the effects of post-trip feedback on the route risk and driving behaviors of older drivers. Results showed that post-trip feedback reduced the estimated route risk of older drivers by 2.9% per week, and reduced their speeding frequency on average by 0.9% per week. Overall, the Trip Diary feedback reduced the expected crash rate from 1 in 6172 trips to 1 in 7173 trips, and the expected speeding frequency from 46% to 39%. Thus providing older drivers with tailored feedback of their driving behavior and crash risk could help them appropriately self-regulate their driving behavior, and improve their crash risk outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The prevalence of distraction among passenger vehicle drivers: a roadside observational approach.

PubMed

Huisingh, Carrie; Griffin, Russell; McGwin, Gerald

2015-01-01

Distracted driving contributes to a large proportion of motor vehicle crashes, yet little is known about the prevalence of distracted driving and the specific types of distracting behaviors. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of driver distraction using a roadside observational study design. A cross-sectional survey involving direct roadside observation was conducted at 11 selected intersections. Trained investigators observed a sample of passenger vehicles and recorded distraction-related behaviors, driver characteristics, and contextual factors such as vehicle speed and traffic flow. Of the 3,265 drivers observed, the prevalence of distracted driving was 32.7%. Among those involved in a distracting activity, the most frequently observed distractions included interacting with another passenger (53.2%, where passengers were present), talking on the phone (31.4%), external-vehicle distractions (20.4%), and texting/dialing a phone (16.6%). The prevalence of talking on the phone was higher among females than males (38.6% vs. 24.3%), whereas external vehicle distractions were higher among males than females (25.8% vs. 24.3%). Drivers <30 years were observed being engaged in any distracting activity, interacting with other passengers, and texting/dialing more frequently than drivers aged 30-50 and >50 years. Drivers were engaged in distracting behaviors more frequently when the car was stopped. When using similar methodology, roadside observational studies generate comparable prevalence estimates of driver distraction as naturalistic driving studies. Driver distraction is a common problem among passenger vehicle drivers. Despite the increased awareness on the dangers of texting and cell phone use while driving, these specific activities were 2 of the most frequently observed distractions. There is a continued need for road safety education about the dangers of distracted driving, especially for younger drivers.

How to identify the key factors that affect driver perception of accident risk. A comparison between Italian and Spanish driver behavior.

PubMed

de Oña, Juan; de Oña, Rocio; Eboli, Laura; Forciniti, Carmen; Mazzulla, Gabriella

2014-12-01

Road crashes can be caused by different factors, including infrastructure, vehicles, and human variables. Many research studies have focused solely on identifying the key factors that cause road crashes. From these studies, it emerged that human factors have the most relevant impact on accident severity. More specifically, accident severity depends on several factors related directly to the driver, i.e., driving experience, driver's socio-economic characteristics, and driving behavior and attitudes. In this paper, we investigate driver behaviors and attitudes while driving and specifically focus on different methods for identifying the factors that most affect the driver's perception of accident risk. To this end, we designed and conducted a survey in two different European contexts: the city of Cosenza, which is located in the south of Italy, and the city of Granada, which is located in the south of Spain. Samples of drivers were contacted for their opinions on certain aspects of driving rules and attitudes while driving, and different types of questions were addressed to the drivers to assess their judgments of these aspects. Consequently, different methods of data analysis were applied to determine the aspects that heavily influence driver perception of accident risk. An experiment based on the stated preferences (SP) was carried out with the drivers, and the SP data were analyzed using an ordered probit (OP) model. Interesting findings emerged from different analyses of the data and from the comparisons among the data collected in the two different territorial contexts. We found that both Italian and Spanish drivers consider driving in an altered psychophysical state and violating the overtaking rules to be the most risky behaviors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of gender, organized athletics, and video gaming on driving skills in novice drivers.

PubMed

Wayne, Nancy L; Miller, Gregory A

2018-01-01

Given that novice drivers tend to be young, and teenagers and young adult drivers are involved in the greatest number of accidents, it is important that we understand what factors impact the driving skills of this population of drivers. The primary aim of the present study was to understand the impact of gender, organized athletics, and video gaming on driving skills of novice drivers under real-world driving conditions. Novice driving students having less than five hours driving experience previous to a normal driving lesson were evaluated on their self-confidence (self-reported) prior to the lesson and driving skill evaluated by their instructor during the course of the lesson. Information was collected about gender, age, whether or not the students were involved in organized athletics, and the extent of their video game playing. There was no impact of gender or extent of video game playing on driving skills. Females were significantly less self-confident with driving than males, but this did not translate to gender differences in driving skills. Being involved in organized athletics-either currently or in the past-significantly enhanced driving skills in both females and males. Finally, novice drivers' age was negatively correlated with driving skills. That is, younger novice drivers (especially males) had better driving skills than older novice drivers. This is counter to popular belief that young drivers lack technical driving skills because they have less experience behind the wheel. Based on the results of the current study, we hypothesize that the relatively high accident rate of younger drivers (especially male drivers) is most likely due to inattention to safety considerations rather than lack of technical driving ability.

Driver drowsiness detection using multimodal sensor fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreeva, Elena O.; Aarabi, Parham; Philiastides, Marios G.; Mohajer, Keyvan; Emami, Majid

2004-04-01

This paper proposes a multi-modal sensor fusion algorithm for the estimation of driver drowsiness. Driver sleepiness is believed to be responsible for more than 30% of passenger car accidents and for 4% of all accident fatalities. In commercial vehicles, drowsiness is blamed for 58% of single truck accidents and 31% of commercial truck driver fatalities. This work proposes an innovative automatic sleep-onset detection system. Using multiple sensors, the driver"s body is studied as a mechanical structure of springs and dampeners. The sleep-detection system consists of highly sensitive triple-axial accelerometers to monitor the driver"s upper body in 3-D. The subject is modeled as a linear time-variant (LTV) system. An LMS adaptive filter estimation algorithm generates the transfer function (i.e. weight coefficients) for this LTV system. Separate coefficients are generated for the awake and asleep states of the subject. These coefficients are then used to train a neural network. Once trained, the neural network classifies the condition of the driver as either awake or asleep. The system has been tested on a total of 8 subjects. The tests were conducted on sleep-deprived individuals for the sleep state and on fully awake individuals for the awake state. When trained and tested on the same subject, the system detected sleep and awake states of the driver with a success rate of 95%. When the system was trained on three subjects and then retested on a fourth "unseen" subject, the classification rate dropped to 90%. Furthermore, it was attempted to correlate driver posture and sleepiness by observing how car vibrations propagate through a person"s body. Eight additional subjects were studied for this purpose. The results obtained in this experiment proved inconclusive which was attributed to significant differences in the individual habitual postures.

Identifying mismatches between institutional perceptions of water-related risk drivers and water management strategies in three river basin areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Räsänen, Aleksi; Juhola, Sirkku; Monge Monge, Adrián; Käkönen, Mira; Kanninen, Markku; Nygren, Anja

2017-07-01

Water-related risks and vulnerabilities are driven by variety of stressors, including climate and land use change, as well as changes in socio-economic positions and political landscapes. Hence, water governance, which addresses risks and vulnerabilities, should target multiple stressors. We analyze the institutional perceptions of the drivers and strategies for managing water-related risks and vulnerabilities in three regionally important river basin areas located in Finland, Mexico, and Laos. Our analysis is based on data gathered through participatory workshops and complemented by qualitative content analysis of relevant policy documents. The identified drivers and proposed risk reduction strategies showed the multidimensionality and context-specificity of water-related risks and vulnerabilities across study areas. Most of the identified drivers were seen to increase risks, but some of the drivers were positive trends, and drivers also included also policy instruments that can both increase or decrease risks. Nevertheless, all perceived drivers were not addressed with suggested risk reduction strategies. In particular, most of the risk reduction strategies were incremental adjustments, although many of the drivers classified as most important were large-scale trends, such as climate change, land use changes and increase in foreign investments. We argue that there is a scale mismatch between the identified drivers and suggested strategies, which questions the opportunity to manage the drivers by single-scale incremental adjustments. Our study suggests that for more sustainable risk and vulnerability reduction, the root causes of water-related risks and vulnerabilities should be addressed through adaptive multi-scale governance that carefully considers the context-specificity and the multidimensionality of the associated drivers and stressors.

Gender differences in perceptions and self-reported driving behaviors among teenagers.

PubMed

Barr, Gavin C; Kane, Kathleen E; Barraco, Robert D; Rayburg, Timarie; Demers, Lauren; Kraus, Chadd K; Greenberg, Marna Rayl; Rupp, Valerie A; Hamilton, Kimberly M; Kane, Bryan G

2015-03-01

The Centers for Disease Control reports that motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of injury and death among U.S. teenagers, and disproportionately affect males. Among preventable causes of MVCs involving teenage drivers, distracted driving continues to be a serious public health problem. To describe gender differences in teenage drivers' self-perceptions of safe driving behaviors, and self-reported risk behaviors and distractions while driving. We prospectively surveyed teenage drivers from four high schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Gender comparisons were made between self-reported perceptions and self-reported driving behaviors. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared testing were used in data analyses; significance was set at p < 0.05. Seven hundred fifty-six high school teenage drivers completed surveys. Males (52%) and females (48%) were equally distributed; 32% of males reported that they were extremely safe drivers, whereas only 18% of females reported that they were extremely safe drivers (p < 0.001). Significantly more females (91%) compared to males (77%) reported always wearing their seatbelts (p < 0.001). Female drivers were more likely than male drivers to self-report that they always make their passengers wear a seat belt (76% vs. 63%, p < 0.001). A higher proportion of males reported using their cell phones while driving, compared to females (68% vs. 56%, p = 0.004), and 42% of males reported texting while driving, compared to 34% of females (p = 0.037). Teenage male drivers perceive themselves to be safe drivers, but report engaging in more distracted driving and risky behaviors compared to females. These results suggest that there is an opportunity for gender-specific educational and injury prevention programs for teen drivers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Driver anger on the information superhighway: A content analysis of online complaints of offensive driver behaviour.

PubMed

Wickens, Christine M; Wiesenthal, David L; Hall, Ashley; Roseborough, James E W

2013-03-01

In recent years, several websites have been developed allowing drivers to post their complaints about other motorists online. These websites allow drivers to describe the nature of the offensive behaviour and to identify the offending motorist by vehicle type, colour, and license plate number. Some websites also ask drivers to list the location where the event took place and the exact date and time of the offence. The current study was a content analysis of complaints posted to RoadRagers.com between 1999 and 2007 (N=5624). The purpose of the study was to: (1) assess the research value of this novel data source; (2) demonstrate the value of content analysis to the study of driver behaviour; (3) further validate an existing coding scheme; (4) determine whether this new data source would replicate previous research findings regarding the most frequent types of driver complaints and temporal distribution of these reports; (5) provide recommendations for improved driver training and public safety initiatives based on these data. A coding scheme that was originally developed for an assessment of complaints submitted to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) (Wickens et al., 2005) was revised to accommodate the new dataset. The inter-rater reliability of the revised coding scheme as applied to the website complaints was very good (kappa=.85). The most frequently reported improper driver behaviours were cutting/weaving, speeding, perceived displays of hostility, and tailgating. Reports were most frequent on weekdays and during the morning and afternoon rush hour. The current study replicated several findings from the analysis of reports to the OPP, but possible differences in the sample and data collection method also produced some differences in findings. The value of content analysis to driver behaviour research and of driver complaint websites as a data source was demonstrated. Implications for driver safety initiatives and future research will be discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Equine road user safety: public attitudes, understandings and beliefs from a qualitative study in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Chapman, Catherine; Musselwhite, Charles B A

2011-11-01

Horse riders represent a significant group of vulnerable road user and are involved in a number of accidents and near misses on the road. Despite this horse riders have received little attention both in terms of academic research and transport policy. Based on literature on vulnerable road user safety, including attitudes to road user safety and behaviour of drivers and their relationship with cyclists and motorcyclists, this paper examines the attitudes and reported behaviour of drivers and horse riders. A total of 46 participants took part in six focus groups divided into four groups of drivers with little or no horse riding experience and two groups of frequent horse riders. Each group investigated five key topic areas stemming from the literature review on vulnerable road users including hazard perception, risk perception, emotion, attitudes to sharing the road and empathy. It was found that drivers and horse riders are not always aware of the same hazards in the road and that this may lead drivers to under-estimate the risk when encountering horses. Drivers often had good intentions to overtake horses safely, but were unaware of how vulnerable passing very wide and slow made them feel until they had begun the manoeuvre and hence quickly reduced such feelings either by speeding up or cutting in too soon. However, other than this, drivers had good skills when encountering horses. But these skills could be impeded by frustration when encountering a slow moving horse which was further compounded by a feeling, mainly by younger drivers, that horse riding was for leisure and as such should not get in the way of necessary work journeys. There is a need for drivers to be more aware of the potential hazards a horse rider faces on the road and these could be achieved through inducing empathy amongst drivers for horse riders, creating nudges for drivers in the environment and better education for drivers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Counterfactual simulations applied to SHRP2 crashes: The effect of driver behavior models on safety benefit estimations of intelligent safety systems.

PubMed

Bärgman, Jonas; Boda, Christian-Nils; Dozza, Marco

2017-05-01

As the development and deployment of in-vehicle intelligent safety systems (ISS) for crash avoidance and mitigation have rapidly increased in the last decades, the need to evaluate their prospective safety benefits before introduction has never been higher. Counterfactual simulations using relevant mathematical models (for vehicle dynamics, sensors, the environment, ISS algorithms, and models of driver behavior) have been identified as having high potential. However, although most of these models are relatively mature, models of driver behavior in the critical seconds before a crash are still relatively immature. There are also large conceptual differences between different driver models. The objective of this paper is, firstly, to demonstrate the importance of the choice of driver model when counterfactual simulations are used to evaluate two ISS: Forward collision warning (FCW), and autonomous emergency braking (AEB). Secondly, the paper demonstrates how counterfactual simulations can be used to perform sensitivity analyses on parameter settings, both for driver behavior and ISS algorithms. Finally, the paper evaluates the effect of the choice of glance distribution in the driver behavior model on the safety benefit estimation. The paper uses pre-crash kinematics and driver behavior from 34 rear-end crashes from the SHRP2 naturalistic driving study for the demonstrations. The results for FCW show a large difference in the percent of avoided crashes between conceptually different models of driver behavior, while differences were small for conceptually similar models. As expected, the choice of model of driver behavior did not affect AEB benefit much. Based on our results, researchers and others who aim to evaluate ISS with the driver in the loop through counterfactual simulations should be sure to make deliberate and well-grounded choices of driver models: the choice of model matters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk of thoracic injury from direct steering wheel impact in frontal crashes.

PubMed

Chen, Rong; Gabler, Hampton C

2014-06-01

The combination of airbag and seat belt is considered to be the most effective vehicle safety system. However, despite the widespread availability of airbags and a belt use rate of more than 85%, US drivers involved in crashes continue to be at risk of serious thoracic injury. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of steering wheel deformation on driver injury risk in frontal automobile crash. The analysis is based on cases extracted from the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System database for case years 1993 to 2011. The approach was to compare the adjusted odds of frontal crash injury experienced by drivers in vehicles with and without steering wheel deformation. Among frontal crash cases with belted drivers, observable steering wheel deformation occurred in less than 4% of all cases but accounted for 30% of belted drivers with serious (Abbreviated Injury Scale [AIS] score, 3+) thoracic injuries. Similarly, steering wheel deformation occurred in approximately 13% of unbelted drivers but accounted for 60% of unbelted drivers with serious thoracic injuries. Belted drivers in frontal crashes with steering wheel deformation were found to have two times greater odds of serious thoracic injury. Unbelted drivers were found to have four times greater odds of serious thoracic injury in crashes with steering wheel deformation. In frontal crashes, steering wheel deformation was more likely to occur in unbelted drivers than belted drivers, as well as higher severity crashes and with heavier drivers. The results of the present study show that airbag deployment and seat belt restraint do not completely eliminate the possibility of steering wheel contact. Even with the most advanced restraint systems, there remains an opportunity for further reduction in thoracic injury by continued enhancement to the seat belt and airbag systems. Furthermore, the results showed that steering wheel deformation is an indicator of potential serious thoracic injury and can be useful to prehospital personnel in improving the diagnosis of serious injuries. Prognostic study, level III.

Validation of selected temperament and personality questionnaires for diagnosing drivers' aptitude for safe driving. A Polish study.

PubMed

Łuczak, Anna; Tarnowski, Adam

2014-09-01

This paper presents the results of a study aimed at validating psychological questionnaires evaluating temperamental and personality features. It discusses their usefulness in diagnosing drivers' aptitude for safe driving and working as professional drivers. Three psychological questionnaires were validated: the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour - Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Revised and Short Scale (EPQ-R (S)) and the Impulsiveness Questionnaire (IVE). Three groups of drivers (n=246) aged 19-75 participated in the study. Group I (professional drivers; n=96) and Group II (nonprofessional drivers; n=75) had never been involved in road crashes, whereas Group III (nonprofessional drivers; n=75) were offenders involved in fatal injury road crashes. Criterion-related validity, Cronbach's alpha and Guttman split-half reliability coefficient were in assessing the psychometric properties of the questionnaires. There were some significant differences between Groups II and III for most traits. However, contrary to expectations, higher Emotional Reactivity, Perseveration and lower Endurance as well as higher Neuroticism, Impulsiveness and Venturesomeness were determined for Group II than for Group III. Additionally, the temperament and personality profile of Group II turned out to be less fitted to the profile of safe drivers than that of Group III, whose profile was actually similar to that of Group I. This seems to result from a high tendency for a positive self-presentation among Group I and Group III (a significantly higher result on the Lie scale in comparison with Group II). The results suggest that if psychological tests are to decide on whether a person may be a professional driver or may drive vehicles, the three questionnaires (FCB-TI, EPQ-R(S) and IVE) do not provide a valid diagnosis of professional drivers' aptitude because of drivers' high tendency for positive self-presentation. However, they can be used in job counselling and in screening high-risk drivers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associations of distraction involvement and age with driver injury severities.

PubMed

Donmez, Birsen; Liu, Zishu

2015-02-01

This paper investigates the associations between the severity of injuries sustained by a driver who is involved in a two-vehicle crash, the existence and type of driver distraction as well as driver's age. Few studies investigated distraction as it relates to injury severity. Moreover, these studies did not consider driver age which is a significant factor related to driving behavior and the ability to respond in a crash situation. An ordered logit model was built to predict injury severity sustained by drivers using data from the U.S. National Automotive Sampling System's General Estimates System (2003 to 2008). Various factors (e.g., weather, gender, and speeding) were statistically controlled for, but the main focus was on the interaction of driver age and distraction type. The trends observed for young and mid-age drivers were similar. For these age groups, dialing or texting on the cell phone, passengers, and in-vehicle sources resulted in an increase in a likelihood of more severe injuries. Talking on the cell phone had a similar effect for younger drivers but was not significant for mid-age drivers. Inattention and distractions outside the vehicle decreased the odds of severe injuries. For older drivers, the highest odds of severe injuries were observed with dialing or texting on a cell phone, followed by in-vehicle sources and talking on the cell phone. All these sources were associated with an increased likelihood of injury severity. Similar to young and mid-age drivers, distractions outside the vehicle decreased the odds of severe injuries. Other distraction types did not have a significant effect for the older age group. The results support previous literature and extend our understanding of crash injury severity. The findings have implications for policy making and the design of distraction mitigation systems. Copyright © 2014 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward best practice in Human Machine Interface design for older drivers: A review of current design guidelines.

PubMed

Young, K L; Koppel, S; Charlton, J L

2017-09-01

Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the driving population. While there is a strong emphasis for older people to maintain their mobility, the safety of older drivers is a serious community concern. Frailty and declines in a range of age-related sensory, cognitive, and physical impairments can place older drivers at an increased risk of crash-related injuries and death. A number of studies have indicated that in-vehicle technologies such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and In-Vehicle Information Systems (IVIS) may provide assistance to older drivers. However, these technologies will only benefit older drivers if their design is congruent with the complex needs and diverse abilities of this driving cohort. The design of ADAS and IVIS is largely informed by automotive Human Machine Interface (HMI) guidelines. However, it is unclear to what extent the declining sensory, cognitive and physical capabilities of older drivers are addressed in the current guidelines. This paper provides a review of key current design guidelines for IVIS and ADAS with respect to the extent they address age-related changes in functional capacities. The review revealed that most of the HMI guidelines do not address design issues related to older driver impairments. In fact, in many guidelines driver age and sensory cognitive and physical impairments are not mentioned at all and where reference is made, it is typically very broad. Prescriptive advice on how to actually design a system so that it addresses the needs and limitations of older drivers is not provided. In order for older drivers to reap the full benefits that in-vehicle technology can afford, it is critical that further work establish how older driver limitations and capabilities can be supported by the system design process, including their inclusion into HMI design guidelines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.