The Belief and Attitude of the Drivers Toward the Usage of Cellphone while Driving; A Population-Based Survey

PubMed Central

Sedaghati Shokri, Batoul; Davoodi, Seyed Rasoul; Azimmohseni, Majid; Khoshfar, Gholamreza

2017-01-01

Objective: To presents a survey investigating differences between drivers' beliefs regarding utilizing cellphone when driving. Methods: In this population-based survey, the participants who were studied in the North of Iran, Gorgan, were categorized as main urban and rural areas. A sample of 400 drivers, 92 women and 308 men, filled out the four sections questionnaire which was based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) used for measuring the differences between the drivers' opinions (attitudinal beliefs, normative beliefs, and perceived control behavioral beliefs) about utilizing a cell phone when driving along with their age and driving purpose. Data were collected by distributing the 68- query questionnaire between the drivers. Results: The MANOVA analysis showed that important discrepancies were found between the normative, control and behavioral beliefs of cellular phone users while driving. As expected, frequent business and younger users with sturdy intention expressed more benefits of further concentration on family members and fewer obstacles that would prevent them from utilizing cellphone when driving than older and frequently personal users. Conclusion: These results indicated that the benefits of utilizing cellphone while driving are greater than its dangers. To reduce cellphone utilization when driving and increase road safety, more effort is required to lower the perceived advantages of the behavior and to outstand the risks of this hazardous driving act. PMID:29177176

Driving Behaviors in Iran: A Descriptive Study Among Drivers of Mashhad City in 2014

PubMed Central

Bazzaz, Mojtaba Mousavi; Zarifian, Ahmadreza; Emadzadeh, Maryam; Vakili, Veda

2015-01-01

Background: Driver-related behaviors are substantial causes for motor vehicle accidents. It has been estimated that about 95% of all accidents are due to driver-related dangerous behaviors and approximately 60% of accidents are directly caused by driving behaviors. The aim of this study was to assess driving behaviors and its possible related factors among drivers in Mashhad city, Iran. Method: In a cross-sectional design, a total number of 514 drivers in Mashhad, Iran Surveyed. Manchester driver behavior questionnaire with 50 questions evaluated dangerous driving behaviors in 4 categories “aggressive violations”, “ordinary violations”, “errors” and “lapses”. Results: In this study, the median age of drivers was 31. Besides, 58.2% of men mentioned having a history of driving accident. Our study indicated smoking and alcohol drinking as risk factors of having more accidents. Hookah abuse is a predictor of aggressive violations and errors. Conclusion: This is the first study to assess the relation of personal car and its market value with the likelihood of having accidents. Due to major influences of driving fines, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and addiction on violations and errors, we recommend pivotal measures to be taken by road safety practitioners regarding driving surveillance. PMID:26153202

Crash risk and aberrant driving behaviors among bus drivers: the role of personality and attitudes towards traffic safety.

PubMed

Mallia, Luca; Lazuras, Lambros; Violani, Cristiano; Lucidi, Fabio

2015-06-01

Several studies have shown that personality traits and attitudes toward traffic safety predict aberrant driving behaviors and crash involvement. However, this process has not been adequately investigated in professional drivers, such as bus drivers. The present study used a personality-attitudes model to assess whether personality traits predicted aberrant self-reported driving behaviors (driving violations, lapses, and errors) both directly and indirectly, through the effects of attitudes towards traffic safety in a large sample of bus drivers. Additionally, the relationship between aberrant self-reported driving behaviors and crash risk was also assessed. Three hundred and one bus drivers (mean age=39.1, SD=10.7 years) completed a structured and anonymous questionnaire measuring personality traits, attitudes toward traffic safety, self-reported aberrant driving behaviors (i.e., errors, lapses, and traffic violations), and accident risk in the last 12 months. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that personality traits were associated to aberrant driving behaviors both directly and indirectly. In particular altruism, excitement seeking, and normlessness directly predicted bus drivers' attitudes toward traffic safety which, in turn, were negatively associated with the three types of self-reported aberrant driving behaviors. Personality traits relevant to emotionality directly predicted bus drivers' aberrant driving behaviors, without any mediation of attitudes. Finally, only self-reported violations were related to bus drivers' accident risk. The present findings suggest that the hypothesized personality-attitudes model accounts for aberrant driving behaviors in bus drivers, and provide the empirical basis for evidence-based road safety interventions in the context of public transport. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How do attitudes, personality traits, and driver behaviors relate to pedestrian behaviors?: A Turkish case.

PubMed

Şimşekoğlu, Özlem

2015-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the role of pedestrian attitudes and personality traits (social conformity and empathy) on pedestrian behaviors in a Turkish sample. An equally important aim of the study was to examine the association between pedestrian and driver behaviors. The sample included 289 road users including pedestrians and drivers (169 females and 120 males). The participants' age ranged from 15 to 78 years (M = 32.00, SD = 13.89). Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A regression analysis showed that increased age, high level of satisfaction with traffic infrastructure and environment, safer attitudes toward pedestrian violations, and empathy were negatively related to risky pedestrian behaviors, whereas social conformity was positively related. Attitudes were the strongest predictor of pedestrian behaviors. In addition, bivariate correlation analysis showed that all dimensions of pedestrian and driver behaviors were positively correlated with each other, which indicates that a tendency to take risks remains the same regardless of the road user role (i.e., driver vs. pedestrian). Attitudes are strong predictors of pedestrian behaviors. A tendency to take risks as a pedestrian and as a driver is correlated. Results are discussed for their implications to traffic safety campaigns targeting increased pedestrian safety.

Identifying compensatory driving behavior among older adults using the situational avoidance questionnaire.

PubMed

Davis, Jessica J; Conlon, Elizabeth G

2017-12-01

Driving self-regulation is considered a means through which older drivers can compensate for perceived declines in driving skill or more general feelings of discomfort on the road. One form of driving self-regulation is situational avoidance, the purposeful avoidance of situations perceived as challenging or potentially hazardous. This study aimed to validate the Situational Avoidance Questionnaire (SAQ, Davis, Conlon, Ownsworth, & Morrissey, 2016) and identify the point on the scale at which drivers practicing compensatory avoidance behavior could be distinguished from those whose driving is unrestricted, or who are avoiding situations for other, non-compensatory reasons (e.g., time or convenience). Seventy-nine Australian drivers (M age =71.48, SD=7.16, range: 55 to 86years) completed the SAQ and were classified as a compensatory-restricted or a non-restricted driver based on a semi-structured interview designed to assess the motivations underlying avoidance behavior reported on the SAQ. Using receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) analysis, the SAQ was found to have high diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity: 85%, specificity: 82%) in correctly classifying the driver groups. Group comparisons confirmed that compensatory-restricted drivers were self-regulating their driving behavior to reduce the perceived demands of the driving task. This group had, on average, slower hazard perception reaction times, and reported greater difficulty with driving, more discomfort when driving due to difficulty with hazard perception skills, and greater changes in cognition over the past five years. The SAQ is a psychometrically sound measure of situational avoidance for drivers in baby boomer and older adult generations. Use of validated measures of driving self-regulation that distinguish between compensatory and non-compensatory behavior, such as the SAQ, will advance our understanding of the driving self-regulation construct and its potential safety benefits for older road users. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thirty-day self-reported risky driving behaviors of ADHD and non-ADHD drivers.

PubMed

Rosenbloom, Tova; Wultz, Boaz

2011-01-01

The present study aims to compare differences in reported risky driving behaviors of drivers - males and females - having and not having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), by using a checklist of driving behaviors based on the Driving Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ). Unlike the studies which employ the DBQ by asking the subjects to fill the questionnaire once, in this present study, the participants were asked to report their behaviors on a daily basis for 30 consequent days. The checklist included two factors of risky driving behavior: Violation and Faults. Thirty-eight drivers - 10 males and 9 females with ADHD, and 9 males and 10 females without ADHD (N-ADHD) as control groups - participated in the study. The results showed that the mean of the unsafe behaviors of ADHD was higher, i.e., less safe driving, compared to that of N-ADHD. However, a statistically significant effect was found only between male ADHD and male N-ADHD for the Faults. In order to check the effect of the length of the study, the 30 days duration of the research was divided into three consecutive periods. The reported driving habits of the female ADHD showed safer behaviors than those of the males. Unlike the findings of N-ADHD of both genders, which showed a tendency towards safer driving reports in the three periods, both genders of the ADHD showed higher rates of Faults, i.e., a decrease in safety driving reports, in the three periods. The findings suggest that ADHD drivers differ from the N-ADHD drivers in making driving mistakes, i.e., Faults, due to their lack of sustained attention, but not in making Violations. However, some of the results in the present study were not very strong. Possible explanations for this as well as methodological considerations are discussed, and further research is suggested. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The contribution of parents' driving behavior, family climate for road safety, and parent-targeted intervention to young male driving behavior.

PubMed

Taubman-Ben-Ari, Orit; Musicant, Oren; Lotan, Tsippy; Farah, Haneen

2014-11-01

One of the prominent issues in contemporary research on young drivers deals with the mechanisms underlying parents' influences on their offspring's driving behavior. The present study combines two sets of data: the first gathered from in-vehicle data recorders tracking the driving of parents and their teenage sons, and the second derived from self-report questionnaires completed by the young drivers. The aim was to evaluate the contribution of parents' driving behavior, participation in a parent-targeted intervention, and the teen drivers' perception of the family climate for road safety, to the driving behavior of young drivers during solo driving. The data was collected over the course of 12 months, beginning with the licensure of the teen driver, and examined a sample of 166 families who were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups (receiving different forms of feedback) or a control group (with no feedback). Findings indicate that young male drivers' risky driving events rate was positively associated with that of their parents. In addition, any type of intervention led to a lower rate of risky driving events among young drivers compared to the control group. Finally, a higher perception of parents as not committed to safety and lower perceived parental monitoring were related to a higher risky driving events rate among young drivers. The results highlight the need to consider a complex set of antecedents in parents' attitudes and behavior, as well as the family's safety atmosphere, in order to better understand young drivers' risky driving. The practical implications refer to the effective use of the family as a lever in the attempt to promote safety awareness among young drivers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

User-controlled photographic animations, photograph-based questions, and questionnaires: three Internet-based instruments for measuring drivers' risk-taking behavior.

PubMed

Horswill, M S; Coster, M E

2001-02-01

The Internet has been exploited successfully in the past as a medium for behavioral research. This paper presents a series of studies designed to assess Internet-based measures of drivers' risk-taking behavior. First, we compared responses from an Internet sample with a traditional pencil-and-paper sample using established questionnaire measures of risk taking. No significant differences were found. Second, we assessed the validity of new Internet-based instruments, involving photographs and photographic animations, that measured speed, gap acceptance, and passing. Responses were found to reflect known demographic patterns of actual behavior to some degree. Also, a roadside survey of speeds was carried out at the locations depicted in the photographic measure of speeding and, with certain exceptions, differences between the two appeared to be constant. Third, a between-subject experimental manipulation involving the photographic animation measure of gap acceptance was used to demonstrate one application of these techniques.

The impact of personality on driving safety among Chinese high-speed railway drivers.

PubMed

Guo, Ming; Wei, Wei; Liao, Ganli; Chu, Fulei

2016-07-01

This study explored the impact of personality traits on driving safety in high-speed railway drivers. A sample of high-speed railway drivers in Beijing (N=214) completed a questionnaire, including information on personality traits and background variables. The NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) was administered to characterize participants based on five personality traits: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness to Experience, and Conscientiousness. The survey data were combined with naturalistic data of accident involvement and risky driving behavior in China. Poisson regression results show that drivers with high Conscientiousness and Extraversion caused fewer accidents. Higher Conscientiousness and lower Agreeableness were related to less frequent risky driving behavior. Education level and age negatively moderated the relation between certain personality traits and driving safety. The findings suggest that personality traits should be considered when selecting and training high-speed railway drivers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Truckers drive their own assessment for obstructive sleep apnea: a collaborative approach to online self-assessment for obstructive sleep apnea.

PubMed

Smith, Ben; Phillips, Barbara A

2011-06-15

Commercial motor vehicle drivers are at an increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Medical Review Board has recommended that commercial motor vehicle drivers undergo testing for OSA if they have a positive Berlin Questionnaire or a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2). We developed an online screening tool based on the Berlin Questionnaire for anonymous use by commercial drivers to assess their risk of OSA prior to their required FMCSA physicals. We based the survey on the Berlin Sleep Questionnaire. The survey was hosted on the Truckers for a Cause Chapter of Alert Well and Keeping Energetic of the American Sleep Apnea Association (TFAC-AWAKE) organization website, and was promoted through the TFAC's XM radio, word of mouth, and trucking industry press contacts. A total of 595 individuals completed the survey. Of these, 55.9% were positive on the Berlin, 78.3% had either hypertension or obesity, 69.6% were obese, 47.6% had a BMI > 33 kg/m(2), and 20.5% reported falling asleep at stoplights. Some commercial drivers willingly assess their OSA risk anonymously online, and a majority of those who do so are obese, have positive Berlin screening questionnaires, and would be required to undergo polysomnography if recommendations made to the FMCSA became regulation. In contrast to reported behavior during actual Commercial Driver Medical Examinations physicals, some commercial drivers will report OSA symptoms if it is "safe" to do so. Sleep health professionals need expedient, non-punitive methods to keep commercial motor vehicle drivers healthy and driving and to raise drivers' awareness of the dangers of drowsy driving and unhealthy lifestyles.

Stress-related psychosocial factors at work, fatigue, and risky driving behavior in bus rapid transport (BRT) drivers.

PubMed

Useche, Sergio A; Ortiz, Viviola Gómez; Cendales, Boris E

2017-07-01

There is consistent scientific evidence that professional drivers constitute an occupational group that is highly exposed to work related stressors. Furthermore, several recent studies associate work stress and fatigue with unsafe and counterproductive work behaviors. This study examines the association between stress-related work conditions of Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) drivers and risky driving behaviors; and examines whether fatigue is a mechanism that mediates the association between the two. A sample of 524 male Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) operators were drawn from four transport companies in Bogotá, Colombia. The participants answered a survey which included an adapted version of the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) for BRT operators, as well as the Effort-Reward Imbalance and Job Content Questionnaires, the Subjective Fatigue subscale of the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS) and the Need for Recovery after Work Scale (NFR). Utilizing Structural Equation Models (SEM) it was found that risky driving behaviors in BRT operators could be predicted through job strain, effort-reward imbalance and social support at work. It was also found that fatigue and need for recovery fully mediate the associations between job strain and risky driving, and between social support and risky driving, but not the association between effort/reward imbalance (ERI) and risky driving. The results of this study suggest that a) stress related working conditions (Job Strain, Social Support and ERI) are relevant predictors of risky driving in BRT operators, and b) that fatigue is the mechanism which links another kind of stress related to working conditions (job strain and low social support) with risky driving. The mechanism by which ERI increases risky driving in BRT operators remains unexplained. This research suggests that in addition to the individual centered stress-reduction occupational programs, fatigue management interventions aimed to changing some working conditions may reduce risky driving behaviors and promote safety in the professional drivers' jobs and on the road. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceived enjoyment, concentration, intention, and speed violation behavior: Using flow theory and theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Atombo, Charles; Wu, Chaozhong; Zhang, Hui; Wemegah, Tina D

2017-10-03

Road accidents are an important public health concern, and speeding is a major contributor. Although flow theory (FLT) is a valid model for understanding behavior, currently the nature of the roles and interplay of FLT constructs within the theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework when attempting to explain the determinants of motivations for intention to speed and speeding behavior of car drivers is not yet known. The study aims to synthesize TPB and FLT in explaining drivers of advanced vehicles intentions to speed and speed violation behaviors and evaluate factors that are critical for explaining intention and behavior. The hypothesized model was validated using a sample collected from 354 fully licensed drivers of advanced vehicles, involving 278 males and 76 females on 2 occasions separated by a 3-month interval. During the first of the 2 occasions, participants completed questionnaire measures of TPB and FLT variables. Three months later, participants' speed violation behaviors were assessed. The study observed a significant positive relationship between the constructs. The proposed model accounted for 51 and 45% of the variance in intention to speed and speed violation behavior, respectively. The independent predictors of intention were enjoyment, attitude, and subjective norm. The independent predictors of speed violation behavior were enjoyment, concentration, intention, and perceived behavioral control. The findings suggest that safety interventions for preventing speed violation behaviors should be aimed at underlying beliefs influencing the speeding behaviors of drivers of advanced vehicles. Furthermore, perceived enjoyment is of equal importance to driver's intention, influencing speed violation behavior.

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.

Effects of personality on risky driving behavior and accident involvement for Chinese drivers.

PubMed

Yang, Jiaoyan; Du, Feng; Qu, Weina; Gong, Zhun; Sun, Xianghong

2013-01-01

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury-related fatalities in China and pose the most serious threat to driving safety. Driver personality is considered as an effective predictor for risky driving behavior and accident liability. Previous studies have focused on the relationship between personality and risky driving behavior, but only a few of them have explored the effects of personality variables on accident involvement. In addition, few studies have examined the effects of personality on Chinese drivers' risky driving and accident involvement. The present study aimed to examine the effects of personality variables on Chinese drivers' unsafe driving behaviors and accident involvement. Two hundred and twenty-four Chinese drivers aged 20 to 50 were required to complete questionnaires assessing their personality traits (anger, sensation-seeking, altruism, and normlessness), risky driving behaviors (aggressive violations, ordinary violations), and accident involvement (all accidents, serious accidents, at-fault accidents). Multivariate regression analyses, adjusting for gender, age, and overall mileage, were conducted to identify the personality traits related to risky driving behaviors and accident involvement. Participants' personality traits were found to be significantly correlated with both risky driving behavior and accident involvement. Specifically, the traits of anger and normlessness were effective predictors for aggressive violations. The traits of anger, sensation-seeking, normlessness, and altruism were effective predictors for ordinary violations. Moreover, altruism and normlessness were significant predictors for the total number of accidents participants had during the past 3 years. Consistent with previous studies, the present study revealed that personality traits play an important role in predicting Chinese drivers' risky driving behaviors. In addition, Chinese drivers' personality characteristics were also associated with accident involvement.

Undiagnosed attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among unionized drivers in Ghana: Public health and policy implications.

PubMed

Ulzen, Thaddeus P; Higginbotham, John C; Donnir, Gordon; Jerome, Laurence; Segal, Al

2018-05-01

Road traffic accidents (RTA) are among the leading causes of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Many males that drop out of school in Ghana, a population at risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), find employment by joining driver's unions. Moreover, the vehicles of Ghanaian unionized drivers are over-represented in fatal road accidents. Untreated ADHD has been linked with higher rates of RTAs. The objectives of this cross-sectional analysis is to determine the following among unionized drivers in Ghana: 1) the prevalence of ADHD, and 2) the association between self-reported ADHD risk and driving behavior. Data comes from participants' responses (200 unionized drivers and 171 community controls) to a 6-item ADHD Self - Report Scale (ASRS), the Driving Behavior Survey (DBS), and a culturally adapted version of the Jerome Driving Questionnaire (JDQ-GH). The self-reported prevalence of ADHD was 17.6% for the unionized drivers and 7.8% for the control group (χ 2 =7.7, df=1, p=0.006). Also, ADHD drivers endorsed that they were more likely to pay bribes to police and having worse driving behaviors across among both unionized drivers and controls. Study findings suggest that increased awareness of ADHD and possible screening of drivers for ADHD with subsequent evaluation and treatment may result in prevention of vehicle accidents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

[A KABP (knowledge, attitude, belief and behavior) study about AIDS among taxi drivers and hotel attendants in Beijing].

PubMed

Zhang, X; Luo, B; Zhang, K

1994-12-01

This article reports the KABP study on 448 taxi drivers and 556 hotel attendants in Beijing for the first time in China. A self-administered questionnaire was used to investigate knowledge, attitude, belief and practice (KABP) about AIDS. In terms of knowledge, 23.8% of hotel attendants and 36.8% of taxi drivers did not know that contact with blood could transmit HIV. Thirtyfive percent of hotel attendants and 42.2% of taxi drivers did not believe that intravenous drug users were at high risk. Some drivers (13.6%) and hotel attendants (3.4%) reported having multiple sexual partners. Forty-one point nine percent of taxi drivers and 16.6% of hotel attendants preferred the idea of multiple sexual partners. Among hotel attendants, a negative association was found between knowledge about AIDS and multiple sexual behavior (P < 0.01). Regarding attitude toward condom use, 56.2% of taxi drivers and 47.8% of hotel attendants who have had a sexual experience thought that condom use interfered with sexual pleasure. Seventy-six point eight percent of taxi drivers and 79.8% of hotel attendants believed that they could change their behaviors in order to minimize the chances of getting HIV. This study indicates that HIV education is important in reducing the number of sexual partners and promoting the use of safe sex practices like condom use. Furthermore, as reported by the study population, education can change behavior.

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.

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.

Transportation behaviors in Shiraz, Iran.

PubMed

Vakili, Veda; Danaei, Mina; Askarian, Mehrdad; Palenik, Charles John; Abdollahifard, Gholamreza

2012-01-01

Motor vehicle accidents can occur as a result of improper driver behavior. There needs to be a comprehensive collection of information concerning driver behavior and its predisposing factors. Study participants (500 males and 500 females ≥18 years old) living in Shiraz, Iran, were selected using a multistage sampling methodology. Data came from questionnaires completed using a face-to-face interview process. Independent variables such as age, gender, marital status, occupation, educational level, socioeconomic status (SES), and history of smoking and stress levels were compared to the dependent variables using a private automobile, public transportation, or motorcycle, wearing a seat belts, wearing safety helmets, and obeying the speed limit. Statistical significance was set at a P value of .05 or less. In general, female, better educated persons, and those with higher SES reported better driving behaviors. Better drivers also did not use tobacco or hookah. Compliance with driving safety factors was disappointing 49.8 percent always wore a seat belt, 22.4 percent always wore a safety helmet (29.4% never wore a helmet), and 49.4 percent always observed the speed limit. There is a need to improve driver safety compliance in Shiraz, Iran. One factor that can be addressed concerns regulation of male drivers, especially among lower SES groups.

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.

Risky driving behavior and road traffic crashes among young Asian Australian drivers: findings from the DRIVE study.

PubMed

Boufous, Soufiane; Ivers, Rebecca; Senserrick, Teresa; Norton, Robyn; Stevenson, Mark; Chen, Huei-Yang; Lam, Lawrence T

2010-06-01

To examine differences in risky driving behavior and likelihood of traffic crash according to the country of birth of recently licensed young drivers. The groups examined include those born in Australia, those born in Asia, and those born in other countries. The DRIVE study is a prospective cohort study of drivers aged 17-24 years holding their first-year provisional driver license in New South Wales, Australia. Information obtained from 20,822 participants who completed a baseline questionnaire was linked to police-reported traffic crashes. Self-reported risky driving behaviors and police-reported traffic crashes in young drivers. Young drivers who were born in Asian countries were less likely to report engaging in risky driving behaviors than their Australian-born counterparts. The proportion of participants reporting a high level of risky driving was 31.5 percent (95% confidence intervale [CI], 30.8-32.1) among Australian-born drivers compared to 25.6 percent (95% CI, 23.1-28.2) among Asian-born drivers and 30.4 percent (95% CI, 28.4-32.5) among those born in other regions. Asian-born participants had half the risk of a crash as a driver than their Australian-born counterparts (relative risk [RR] 0.55; 95% CI, 0.41-0.75) after adjusting for a number of demographic factors and driving and risk-taking behaviors. The comparative risk was even lower among those aged 17 years (RR 0.29; 95% CI, 0.29-0.75). Risk estimates for people born in other regions did not differ to those for Australian-born respondents. The study highlights the lower level of risky driving and significantly reduced crash risk for Australian drivers born in Asian countries relative to those born locally. Further research is needed to examine factors underlying this reduced risk and the impact of the length of residence in the host country.

Reliability and validity of aggressive driving measures in China.

PubMed

Li, Fengzhi; Li, Changji; Long, Yunfang; Zhan, Chenglie; Hennessy, Dwight

2004-12-01

The present research was designed to examine the psychometric properties of Chinese versions of the Self Report Driver Behavior Aggression and Assertiveness subscales, the Driving Vengeance Questionnaire, and the Violent Driving Questionnaire. Study 1 found that the all scales demonstrated good internal consistency, with alphas ranging from .76 to .87 and that assertive driving was related to demerit points received over the past 12 months while driver aggression and violence were linked to collisions over the past 12 months. Study 2 found that the scales exhibited reasonable test-retest reliability, with correlations ranging from .82 to .89. Finally, Study 3 showed that each scale was predicted by other dangerous driving attitudes and behaviors, similar to the original versions. The consistency between the translated and original scales, the implications for use in a Chinese sample, and the uniformity of actions in the traffic environment across cultures are discussed.

The Role of Interaction Patterns with Hybrid Electric Vehicle Eco-Features for Drivers' Eco-Driving Performance.

PubMed

Arend, Matthias G; Franke, Thomas

2017-03-01

The objective of the present research was to understand drivers' interaction patterns with hybrid electric vehicles' (HEV) eco-features (electric propulsion, regenerative braking, neutral mode) and their relationship to fuel efficiency and driver characteristics (technical system knowledge, eco-driving motivation). Eco-driving (driving behaviors performed to achieve higher fuel efficiency) has the potential to reduce CO 2 emissions caused by road vehicles. Eco-driving in HEVs is particularly challenging due to the systems' dynamic energy flows. As a result, drivers are likely to show diverse eco-driving behaviors, depending on factors like knowledge and motivation. The eco-features represent an interface for the control of the systems' energy flows. A sample of 121 HEV drivers who had constantly logged their fuel consumption prior to the study participated in an online questionnaire. Drivers' interaction patterns with the eco-features were related to fuel efficiency. A common factor was identified in an exploratory factor analysis, characterizing the intensity of actively dealing with electric energy, which was also related to fuel efficiency. Driver characteristics were not related to this factor, yet they were significant predictors of fuel efficiency. From the perspective of user-energy interaction, the relationship of the aggregated factor to fuel efficiency emphasizes the central role of drivers' perception of and interaction with energy conversions in determining HEV eco-driving success. To arrive at an in-depth understanding of drivers' eco-driving behaviors that can guide interface design, authors of future research should be concerned with the psychological processes that underlie drivers' interaction patterns with eco-features.

The role of personality traits and driving experience in self-reported risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese drivers.

PubMed

Tao, Da; Zhang, Rui; Qu, Xingda

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of personality traits and driving experience in the prediction of risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese population. A convenience sample of drivers (n=511; mean (SD) age=34.2 (8.8) years) completed a self-report questionnaire that was designed based on validated scales for measuring personality traits, risky driving behaviors and self-reported accident risk. Results from structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that the data fit well with our theoretical model. While showing no direct effects on accident risk, personality traits had direct effects on risky driving behaviors, and yielded indirect effects on accident risk mediated by risky driving behaviors. Both driving experience and risky driving behaviors directly predicted accident risk and accounted for 15% of its variance. There was little gender difference in personality traits, risky driving behaviors and accident risk. The findings emphasized the importance of personality traits and driving experience in the understanding of risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese drivers and provided new insight into the design of evidence-based driving education and accident prevention interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risky Teen Driving in a Rural Southern State.

PubMed

Monroe, Kathy; Hardwick, William; Lawson, Victoria; Nichols, Elizabeth; Nichols, Michele; King, William D

2017-05-01

Alabama is one of the five US states with the highest teen driving mortality. We recruited teen drivers to participate in a questionnaire regarding high-risk driving behaviors. Teens were recruited from a large county school system to participate in a voluntary anonymous survey. Questions were taken in part from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Descriptive statistics and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. A total of 1023 teen drivers participated (46% boys, 47% African American, 39% white, 6% Latino, and 7% other). In all, 526 students (52%) reported inconsistent seat belt use. Half of the teens surveyed reported using a cellular telephone while driving within the past 30 days (51%); 10% admitted to driving after drinking alcoholic beverages in the past 30 days, with 23% saying they had ridden with a driver who had been drinking. High-risk teen driving behaviors were reported by many of the participants in our study. The majority of teens surveyed do not routinely wear seatbelts. Common misperceptions still exist regarding seatbelts and should be a focus of future education. Future research should focus on parental behaviors and correcting misperceptions of young drivers.

The relationship between personalities and self-report positive driving behavior in a Chinese sample

PubMed Central

Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan

2018-01-01

Driving behaviors play an important role in accident involvement. Concretely speaking, aberrant driving behaviors would cause more accidents, and oppositely positive driving behaviors would promote to build safety traffic environment. The main goals of this study were to explore the positive driving behavior and its relationship with personality in a Chinese sample. A total of 421 licensed drivers (286 male and 135 female) from Beijing, China completed the Positive Driver Behavior Scale (PDBS), the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) on a voluntary and anonymous basis. The results showed that the Chinese version of the PDBS has both reliability and validity and that the PDBS was significantly correlated with the BFI. Specifically, the PDBS was negatively correlated with neuroticism (r = -0.38) and positively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience (the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.36 to 0.55). In contrast with previous research, age was negatively correlated with the PDBS (r = -0.38) in our sample, which may have resulted from less driving experience or a lack of available cognitive resources. PMID:29324823

The relationship between personalities and self-report positive driving behavior in a Chinese sample.

PubMed

Shen, Biying; Qu, Weina; Ge, Yan; Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan

2018-01-01

Driving behaviors play an important role in accident involvement. Concretely speaking, aberrant driving behaviors would cause more accidents, and oppositely positive driving behaviors would promote to build safety traffic environment. The main goals of this study were to explore the positive driving behavior and its relationship with personality in a Chinese sample. A total of 421 licensed drivers (286 male and 135 female) from Beijing, China completed the Positive Driver Behavior Scale (PDBS), the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) on a voluntary and anonymous basis. The results showed that the Chinese version of the PDBS has both reliability and validity and that the PDBS was significantly correlated with the BFI. Specifically, the PDBS was negatively correlated with neuroticism (r = -0.38) and positively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience (the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.36 to 0.55). In contrast with previous research, age was negatively correlated with the PDBS (r = -0.38) in our sample, which may have resulted from less driving experience or a lack of available cognitive resources.

Self-assessed driving behaviors associated with age among middle-aged and older adults in Japan.

PubMed

Arai, Asuna; Arai, Yumiko

2015-01-01

With the increasing number of older drivers, road traffic safety is an urgent public health issue. It is not easy for older drivers or their relatives to detect early signs of dangerous driving behaviors. We examine the types of driving behavior that increase in frequency with age. We surveyed people aged 40 and over among the general public in Japan using a self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic factors, driving status, frequency of driving, 12-items on physical symptoms possibly related to driving performance, and 28-items on driving behaviors. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) of occurrence of each of the 28 driving behaviors for a 5-year increase in age. Significant associations with a 5-year increase in age after adjusting for confounding factors were found for the following directly unsafe driving behaviors: (1) little or no sign of attempts to avoid dangerous situations (OR for a 5-year increase in age=1.38, 95% CI: 1.18-1.63); (2) lack of attention to other people and cars (1.33, 1.12-1.60); (3) improper maneuvering around curves (1.33, 1.09-1.65); and (4) improper or no turn signals (1.33, 1.06-1.69). Information about these driving behaviors should be given to drivers and their stakeholders and used to caution participants when implementing educational programs for older drivers. Self-assessment of driving ability in older drivers provides useful information to raise awareness of their driving performance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Difficulties in emotion regulation and risky driving among Lithuanian drivers.

PubMed

Šeibokaitė, Laura; Endriulaitienė, Auksė; Sullman, Mark J M; Markšaitytė, Rasa; Žardeckaitė-Matulaitienė, Kristina

2017-10-03

Risky driving is a common cause of traffic accidents and injuries. However, there is no clear evidence of how difficulties in emotion regulation contribute to risky driving behavior, particularly in small post-Soviet countries. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and self-reported risky driving behavior in a sample of Lithuanian drivers. A total of 246 nonprofessional Lithuanian drivers participated in a cross-sectional survey. Difficulties in emotion regulation were assessed using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz and Roemer 2004), and risky driving behavior was assessed using the Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ; Lajunen et al. 2004). Males scored higher than females in aggressive violations and ordinary violations. Females scored higher for the nonacceptance of emotional responses, whereas males had more difficulties with emotional awareness than females. More difficulties in emotion regulation were positively correlated with driving errors, lapses, aggressive violations, and ordinary violations for both males and females. Structural equation modeling showed that difficulties in emotion regulation explained aggressive and ordinary violations more clearly than lapses and errors. When controlling for interactions among the distinct regulation difficulties, difficulties with impulse control and difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior predicted risky driving. Furthermore, nonacceptance of emotional responses and limited access to emotion regulation strategies were related to less violations and more driving errors. Emotion regulation difficulties were associated with the self-reported risky driving behaviors of Lithuanian drivers. This provides useful hints for improving driver training programs in order to prevent traffic injuries.

Drinking and driving in southeastern Brazil: results from a roadside survey study.

PubMed

Campos, Valdir Ribeiro; de Souza E Silva, Rebeca; Duailibi, Sérgio; Laranjeira, Ronaldo; Palacios, Ester Nakamura; Grube, Joel W; Pinsky, Ilana

2013-01-01

The objective of this study is to present data from a roadside survey study on drinking and driving and alcohol consumption in southeastern Brazil. A cross-sectional roadside survey study using a questionnaire and breathalyzer data is the method used to determine the prevalence of drinking and driving and to examine whether socio-demographic characteristics and drivers' behavior, attitude and alcohol consumption predicted positive blood alcohol content (BAC). The data were gathered from 2005 to 2007 through roadside surveys conducted on high volume public roads in four cities in southeastern Brazil. A total of 4182 randomly selected drivers took part in the research. Of these drivers, 3488 (83.4%) completed the questionnaire and agreed to take a breath test. Overall, 24.6% of drivers had a detectable blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and 15.9% had a BAC above the legal limit (0.6g/l) at the time of the study. Logistic regression controlling for locale (city), sex, age and marital status was used to predict whether each driver would present a positive breath test. Socio-demographic characteristics, driving behaviors and attitudes, and alcohol consumption patterns were included as predictors. These analyses indicated that those who believed drinking and driving was a serious offense were about two-thirds as likely to have a positive breath test, and that drivers reporting a pattern of regular alcohol use were three times as likely to have a positive breath test. These findings indicate that drinking and driving is relatively common in Brazil, and that it occurs considerably more frequently than similar surveys suggest, is the case in other countries. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the safety implications of young drivers' behavior, attitudes and perceptions.

PubMed

Hassan, Hany M; Abdel-Aty, Mohamed A

2013-01-01

The present study aims at identifying and quantifying significant factors (i.e., demographic, aberrant driving behavior) associated with young drivers' involvement in at-fault crashes or traffic citations at the ages of 16-17 (while having the Operational License) and 18-24 years old (while having the Full License). A second objective was to investigate the main reason(s) for involvement in risky driving behavior by young drivers. The data used for the analyses were obtained from a self-reported questionnaire survey carried out among 680 young drivers in Central Florida. To achieve these goals, the structural equation modeling approach was adopted. The results revealed that aggressive violations, in-vehicle distractions and demographic characteristics were the significant factors affecting young drivers' involvement in at-fault crashes or traffic violations at the age of 16-17. However, in-vehicle distractions, attitudes toward speeding and demographic characteristics were the significant factors affecting young drivers' crash risk at 18-24. Additionally, the majority of participants reported that "running late" is the main reason for taking risk while driving (i.e., speeding, accept short gaps, or drive so close to the car in front) followed by "racing other cars". Additionally, "exceed speed limits" was the main reason for receiving traffic citations at 16-17 and 18-24 age groups. Practical suggestions on how to reduce crash risk and promote safe driving among young drivers are also discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential Impact of Personality Traits on Distracted Driving Behaviors in Teens and Older Adults

PubMed Central

Parr, Morgan N.; Ross, Lesley A.; McManus, Benjamin; Bishop, Haley J.; Wittig, Shannon M. O.; Stavrinos, Despina

2016-01-01

Objective To determine the impact of personality on distracted driving behaviors. Method Participants included 120 drivers (48 teens, 72 older adults) who completed the 45-item Big Five Personality questionnaire assessing self-reported personality factors and the Questionnaire Assessing Distracted Driving (QUADD) assessing the frequency of distracted driving behaviors. Associations for all five personality traits with each outcome (e.g. number of times texting on the phone, talking on the phone, and interacting with the phone while driving) were analyzed separately for teens and older adults using negative binomial or Poisson regressions that controlled for age, gender and education. Results In teens, higher levels of openness and conscientiousness were predictive of greater reported texting frequency and interacting with a phone while driving, while lower levels of agreeableness was predictive of fewer reported instances of texting and interacting with a phone while driving. In older adults, greater extraversion was predictive of greater reported talking on and interacting with a phone while driving. Other personality factors were not significantly associated with distracted driving behaviors. Conclusions Personality traits may be important predictors of distracted driving behaviors, though specific traits associated with distracted driving may vary across age groups. The relationship between personality and distracted driving behaviors provides a unique opportunity to target drivers who are more likely to engage in distracted driving behavior, thereby increasing the effectiveness of educational campaigns and improving driving safety. PMID:27054484

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.

Personality, Driving Behavior and Mental Disorders Factors as Predictors of Road Traffic Accidents Based on Logistic Regression.

PubMed

Alavi, Seyyed Salman; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Souri, Hamid; Mohammadi Kalhori, Soroush; Jannatifard, Fereshteh; Sepahbodi, Ghazal

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of variables such as personality traits, driving behavior and mental illness on road traffic accidents among the drivers with accidents and those without road crash. In this cohort study, 800 bus and truck drivers were recruited. Participants were selected among drivers who referred to Imam Sajjad Hospital (Tehran, Iran) during 2013-2015. The Manchester driving behavior questionnaire (MDBQ), big five personality test (NEO personality inventory) and semi-structured interview (schizophrenia and affective disorders scale) were used. After two years, we surveyed all accidents due to human factors that involved the recruited drivers. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software by performing the descriptive statistics, t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis methods. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. In terms of controlling the effective and demographic variables, the findings revealed significant differences between the two groups of drivers that were and were not involved in road accidents. In addition, it was found that depression and anxiety could increase the odds ratio (OR) of road accidents by 2.4- and 2.7-folds, respectively (P=0.04, P=0.004). It is noteworthy to mention that neuroticism alone can increase the odds of road accidents by 1.1-fold (P=0.009), but other personality factors did not have a significant effect on the equation. The results revealed that some mental disorders affect the incidence of road collisions. Considering the importance and sensitivity of driving behavior, it is necessary to evaluate multiple psychological factors influencing drivers before and after receiving or renewing their driver's license.

Parents' and peers' contribution to risky driving of male teen drivers.

PubMed

Taubman - Ben-Ari, Orit; Kaplan, Sigal; Lotan, Tsippy; Prato, Carlo Giacomo

2015-05-01

The current study joins efforts devoted to understanding the associations of parents' personality, attitude, and behavior, and to evaluating the added contribution of peers to the driving behavior of young drivers during their solo driving. The study combines data gathered using in-vehicle data recorders from actual driving of parents and their male teen driver with data collected from self-report questionnaires completed by the young drivers. The sample consists of 121 families, who participated in the study for 12 months, beginning with the licensure of the teen driver. The current examination concentrates on the last 3 months of this first year of driving. The experimental design was based on a random control assignment into three treatment groups (with different forms of feedback) and a control group (with no feedback). Findings indicate that the parents' (especially the fathers') sensation seeking, anxiety, and aggression, as well as their risky driving events rate were positively associated with higher risky driving of the young driver. In addition, parents' involvement in the intervention, either by feedback or by training, led to lower risky driving events rate of young drivers compared to the control group. Finally, higher cohesion and adaptability mitigated parents' model for risky driving, and peers norms' of risky driving were associated with higher risk by the teen drivers. We conclude by claiming that there is an unequivocal need to look at a full and complex set of antecedents in parents' personality, attitudes, and behavior, together with the contribution of peers to the young drivers' reckless driving, and address the practical implications for road safety. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

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.

Relationships between thrill seeking, speeding attitudes, and driving violations among a sample of motorsports spectators and drivers.

PubMed

Yıldırım-Yenier, Zümrüt; Vingilis, Evelyn; Wiesenthal, David L; Mann, Robert E; Seeley, Jane

2016-01-01

Motor racing includes high speed driving and risky maneuvers and can result in negative outcomes for both spectators and drivers. Interest in motorsports is also associated with risky driving attitudes and behaviors on public roads as well as with individual difference variables, such as sensation seeking. However, whether the links between motorsports involvement and risky driving tendencies differ for spectators and drivers has remained mainly unexamined. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between thrill seeking, attitudes toward speeding, and self-reported driving violations among a sample of motorsports spectators and drivers. A web-based survey was conducted and sampled 408 members and visitors of car club and racing websites in Ontario, Canada. The questionnaire included measures of (i) motorsports involvement, (ii) thrill seeking (Driver Thrill Seeking Scale), (iii) attitudes (Attitudes toward Speed Limits on Roadways and Competitive Attitudes toward Driving Scale); (iv) self-reported driving violations (adapted from Driver Behaviour Questionnaire), and (v) background variables. Path analysis was performed to test the relationships among the variables. For both spectators and drivers, thrill seeking directly predicted driving violations; competitive attitudes toward driving further mediated this relationship. Attitudes toward speed limits, however, mediated the relationship between thrill seeking and violations only for drivers. We observed significant relationships among individual difference measures, motorsports involvement, speeding attitudes and violations that may inform road safety interventions, including differences in the relationships among thrill seeking, speeding attitudes, and violations for motorsports spectators and drivers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vehicle ownership and other predictors of teenagers risky driving behavior: Evidence from a naturalistic driving study.

PubMed

Gershon, Pnina; Ehsani, Johnathon; Zhu, Chunming; O'Brien, Fearghal; Klauer, Sheila; Dingus, Tom; Simons-Morton, Bruce

2018-06-08

Risky driving behavior may contribute to the high crash risk among teenage drivers. The current naturalistic driving study assessed predictors for teenagers' kinematic risky driving (KRD) behavior and the interdependencies between them. The private vehicles of 81 novice teenage drivers were equipped with data acquisition system that recorded driving kinematics, miles driven, and video recordings of the driver, passengers and the driving environment. Psychosocial measures were collected using questionnaires administered at licensure. Poisson regression analyses and model selection were used to assess factors associated with teens' risky driving behavior and the interactions between them. Driving own vs shared vehicle, driving during the day vs at night, and driving alone vs with passengers were significantly associated with higher KRD rates (Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of 1.60, 1.41, and 1.28, respectively). Teenagers reporting higher vs lower levels of parental trust had significantly lower KRD rates (IRR = 0.58). KRD rates were 88% higher among teenagers driving with a passenger in their own vehicle compared to teenagers driving with a passenger in a shared vehicle. Similarly, KRD rates during the day were 74% higher among teenagers driving their own vehicle compared to those driving a shared vehicle. Novice teenagers' risky driving behavior varied according to driver attributes and contextual aspects of the driving environment. As such, examining teenagers' risky driving behavior should take into account multiple contributing factors and their interactions. The variability in risky driving according to the driving context can inform the development of targeted interventions to reduce the crash risk of novice teenage drivers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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...

Invulnerability and the intention to drink and drive: an application of the theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Chan, Daphne C N; Wu, Anise M S; Hung, Eva P W

2010-11-01

The present study aims at an examination, based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), of the psychological antecedents of young Chinese people's intentions to drive after drinking. One hundred and twenty-four licensed drivers (aged from 19 to 35 years) successfully completed an online questionnaire. Using path analysis, we found the most proximal predictors of intention to be attitudes and perceived behavioral control, whereas invulnerability as well as subjective norms indirectly influenced intention by promoting favorable attitudes toward and greater perceived behavioral control over driving after alcohol use. The total explained variances in the intention to drink and drive reached 79%. The present findings highlight irrational beliefs of invulnerability and the three TPB components as potentially valid targets for prevention and intervention efforts against drinking and driving among young Chinese drivers. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motorcycle safety among motorcycle taxi drivers and nonoccupational motorcyclists in developing countries: A case study of Maoming, South China.

PubMed

Wu, Connor Y H; Loo, Becky P Y

2016-01-01

An increasing number of motorcycle taxis have been involved in traffic crashes in many developing countries. This study examines the characteristics of both motorcycle taxi drivers and nonoccupational motorcyclists, investigates the risks they pose to road safety, and provides recommendations to minimize their risks. Based on the data collected from a questionnaire survey of 867 motorcycle taxi drivers and 2,029 nonoccupational motorcyclists in Maoming, South China, comparisons were made to analyze differences of personal attributes, attitudes toward road safety, and self-reported behavior of the 2 groups. Results of the chi-square tests show that not only motorcycle taxi drivers but also nonoccupational motorcyclists in Maoming held poor attitudes toward road safety and both groups reported unsafe driving behavior. There is much room for improving local road safety education among all motorcyclists in Maoming. Yet, motorcycle taxi drivers were more likely to pose road safety risks than nonoccupational motorcyclists under some circumstances, such as speeding late at night or early in the morning, not requiring passengers to wear helmets, and running a red light. The results of the binary logistic regression model show that possessing a vehicle license for a motorcycle or not was the common significant predictor for unsafe driving behavior of motorcycle taxi drivers and nonoccupational motorcyclists. Therefore, enforcement against all motorcyclists not showing vehicle licenses for their motorcycles should be stepped up. Motorcycle safety is largely poor in Maoming. Therefore, efforts to improve motorcycle safety should be strengthened by targeting not only motorcycle taxi drivers but also nonoccupational motorcyclists.

Should I Text or Call Here? A Situation-Based Analysis of Drivers' Perceived Likelihood of Engaging in Mobile Phone Multitasking.

PubMed

Oviedo-Trespalacios, Oscar; Haque, Md Mazharul; King, Mark; Washington, Simon

2018-05-29

This study investigated how situational characteristics typically encountered in the transport system influence drivers' perceived likelihood of engaging in mobile phone multitasking. The impacts of mobile phone tasks, perceived environmental complexity/risk, and drivers' individual differences were evaluated as relevant individual predictors within the behavioral adaptation framework. An innovative questionnaire, which includes randomized textual and visual scenarios, was administered to collect data from a sample of 447 drivers in South East Queensland-Australia (66% females; n = 296). The likelihood of engaging in a mobile phone task across various scenarios was modeled by a random parameters ordered probit model. Results indicated that drivers who are female, are frequent users of phones for texting/answering calls, have less favorable attitudes towards safety, and are highly disinhibited were more likely to report stronger intentions of engaging in mobile phone multitasking. However, more years with a valid driving license, self-efficacy toward self-regulation in demanding traffic conditions and police enforcement, texting tasks, and demanding traffic conditions were negatively related to self-reported likelihood of mobile phone multitasking. The unobserved heterogeneity warned of riskier groups among female drivers and participants who need a lot of convincing to believe that multitasking while driving is dangerous. This research concludes that behavioral adaptation theory is a robust framework explaining self-regulation of distracted drivers. © 2018 Society for Risk Analysis.

Differential impact of personality traits on distracted driving behaviors in teens and older adults.

PubMed

Parr, Morgan N; Ross, Lesley A; McManus, Benjamin; Bishop, Haley J; Wittig, Shannon M O; Stavrinos, Despina

2016-07-01

To determine the impact of personality on distracted driving behaviors. Participants included 120 drivers (48 teens, 72 older adults) who completed the 45-item Big Five Personality questionnaire assessing self-reported personality factors and the Questionnaire Assessing Distracted Driving (QUADD) assessing the frequency of distracted driving behaviors. Associations for all five personality traits with each outcome (e.g., number of times texting on the phone, talking on the phone, and interacting with the phone while driving) were analyzed separately for teens and older adults using negative binomial or Poisson regressions that controlled for age, gender and education. In teens, higher levels of openness and conscientiousness were predictive of greater reported texting frequency and interacting with a phone while driving, while lower levels of agreeableness was predictive of fewer reported instances of texting and interacting with a phone while driving. In older adults, greater extraversion was predictive of greater reported talking on and interacting with a phone while driving. Other personality factors were not significantly associated with distracted driving behaviors. Personality traits may be important predictors of distracted driving behaviors, though specific traits associated with distracted driving may vary across age groups. The relationship between personality and distracted driving behaviors provides a unique opportunity to target drivers who are more likely to engage in distracted driving behavior, thereby increasing the effectiveness of educational campaigns and improving driving safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Personality, Driving Behavior and Mental Disorders Factors as Predictors of Road Traffic Accidents Based on Logistic Regression

PubMed Central

Alavi, Seyyed Salman; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Souri, Hamid; Mohammadi Kalhori, Soroush; Jannatifard, Fereshteh; Sepahbodi, Ghazal

2017-01-01

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of variables such as personality traits, driving behavior and mental illness on road traffic accidents among the drivers with accidents and those without road crash. Methods: In this cohort study, 800 bus and truck drivers were recruited. Participants were selected among drivers who referred to Imam Sajjad Hospital (Tehran, Iran) during 2013-2015. The Manchester driving behavior questionnaire (MDBQ), big five personality test (NEO personality inventory) and semi-structured interview (schizophrenia and affective disorders scale) were used. After two years, we surveyed all accidents due to human factors that involved the recruited drivers. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software by performing the descriptive statistics, t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis methods. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: In terms of controlling the effective and demographic variables, the findings revealed significant differences between the two groups of drivers that were and were not involved in road accidents. In addition, it was found that depression and anxiety could increase the odds ratio (OR) of road accidents by 2.4- and 2.7-folds, respectively (P=0.04, P=0.004). It is noteworthy to mention that neuroticism alone can increase the odds of road accidents by 1.1-fold (P=0.009), but other personality factors did not have a significant effect on the equation. Conclusion: The results revealed that some mental disorders affect the incidence of road collisions. Considering the importance and sensitivity of driving behavior, it is necessary to evaluate multiple psychological factors influencing drivers before and after receiving or renewing their driver’s license. PMID:28293047

Prediction of Chinese Drivers' Intentions to Park Illegally in Emergency Lanes: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

PubMed

Zheng, Yubing; Ma, Yang; Guo, Lixin; Cheng, Jianchuan; Zhang, Yunlong

2018-06-21

Illegal parking in emergency lanes (paved highway shoulders) is becoming a serious road safety issue in China. The aim of this study was: 1) to examine the utility of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) extended with descriptive norm, past behavior, facilitating and deterring circumstances, sensation seeking and invulnerability in predicting Chinese drivers' intentions in illegal emergency lane parking; 2) to investigate whether respondents' demographic characteristics would impact their views towards the behavior and predictive patterns of intentions; 3) to identify significant predictors of intentions. In this cross-sectional study, eligible respondents were all qualified Chinese drivers. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect data including demographic information, descriptive norm, past behavior, facilitating and deterring circumstances, sensation seeking and scenario-based invulnerability combined with TPB constructs. Descriptive statistics, MANOVAs and a series of hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted in SPSS. A total of 435 qualified drivers (234 males and 201 females) with a mean age of 35.2 years (S.D.=10.3) were included in analysis. The descriptive analysis showed that most participants reported weak intentions (M = 2.35) to park illegally in emergency lanes with negative attitude (M = 3.19), low perceived support (M = 2.91) and high control (M = 5.08) over the behavior. The model succeeded in explaining 64% of the variance in intentions for the whole sample, and principal TPB components accounted for 21% of variance in intentions after demographic variables were controlled. MANOVAs revealed that significant differences of respondents' opinions towards illegal emergency lane parking were only found between better-educated drivers (with college education background) and less-educated ones. Separate regression analyses revealed that predictive pattern of better-educated participants also differed significantly from that of less-educated ones. The study revealed that perceived behavioral control, past behavior, facilitating circumstance and invulnerability emerged as consistently significant predictors of Chinese drivers' intentions to park illegally in emergency lanes. Findings of this study may have some practical implications in developing multi-faced interventions or education process for illegal emergency lane parking in China.

Poor mental health status and aggression are associated with poor driving behavior among male traffic offenders

PubMed Central

Abdoli, Nasrin; Farnia, Vahid; Delavar, Ali; Esmaeili, Alirez; Dortaj, Fariborz; Farrokhi, Noorali; Karami, Majid; Shakeri, Jalal; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2015-01-01

Background In Iran, traffic accidents and deaths from traffic accidents are among the highest in the world, and generally driver behavior rather than either technical failures or environmental conditions are responsible for traffic accidents. In the present study, we explored the extent to which aggressive traits, health status, and sociodemographic variables explain driving behavior among Iranian male traffic offenders. Method A total of 443 male driving offenders (mean age: M =31.40 years, standard deviation =9.56) from Kermanshah (Iran) took part in the study. Participants completed a questionnaire booklet covering sociodemographic variables, traits of aggression, health status, and driving behavior. Results Poor health status, such as symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and social dysfunction, and also higher levels of trait aggression explained poor driving behavior. Multiple regressions indicated that poor health status, but not aggression, independently predicted poor driving behavior. Conclusion Results suggest that health status concerns are associated with poor driving behavior. Prevention and intervention might therefore focus on drivers reporting poor mental health status. PMID:26316753

The impact of in-vehicle cell-phone use on accidents or near-accidents among college students.

PubMed

Seo, Dong-Chul; Torabi, Mohammad R

2004-01-01

With in-vehicle use of cell phones rapidly increasing, the safety of young drivers, who represent 14% of licensed drivers but 26% of drivers involved in fatal crashes, may be disproportionately threatened. The authors used a questionnaire to examine the association between in-vehicle cell-phone use and accidents or near-accidents among 1,291 conveniently recruited college students in 4 states. Of the 1,185 respondents who were drivers, 87% had a cell phone, and 86% of the cell-phone owners reported talking while driving at least occasionally. Of the 762 reported accidents or near-accidents, 21% (n = 159) involved at least 1 of the drivers talking while driving. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses showed that the frequency, not the duration, of drivers talking while driving was related to experiencing accidents or near-accidents. Differences between drivers who used cell phones and nonusers in unsafe driving behaviors and attitudes were also examined, and target groups for intervention efforts against talking on a cell phone while driving are suggested.

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.

Leptospirosis in American Samoa 2010: Epidemiology, Environmental Drivers, and the Management of Emergence

PubMed Central

Lau, Colleen L.; Dobson, Annette J.; Smythe, Lee D.; Fearnley, Emily J.; Skelly, Chris; Clements, Archie C. A.; Craig, Scott B.; Fuimaono, Saipale D.; Weinstein, Philip

2012-01-01

Leptospirosis has recently been reported as an emerging disease worldwide, and a seroprevalence study was undertaken in American Samoa to better understand the drivers of transmission. Antibodies indicative of previous exposure to leptospirosis were found in 15.5% of 807 participants, predominantly against three serovars that were not previously known to occur in American Samoa. Questionnaires and geographic information systems data were used to assess behavioral factors and environmental determinants of disease transmission, and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with infection. Many statistically significant factors were consistent with previous studies, but we also showed a significant association with living at lower altitudes (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–2.28), and having higher numbers of piggeries around the home (OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.52–4.40). Our findings support a multifaceted approach to combating the emergence of leptospirosis, including modification of individual behavior, but importantly also managing the evolving environmental drivers of risk. PMID:22302868

Longitudinal study of self-imposed driving restrictions and deficit awareness in patients with Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Cotrell, V; Wild, K

1999-01-01

Thirty-five patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), including 19 who were still driving, were evaluated for level of awareness and driving status. There was no significant correlation between driving status and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Only the attention subscore of the awareness questionnaire yielded a statistically significant difference between drivers and nondrivers. Follow-up of the patients who were still driving was conducted 12-18 months later. All but 4 patients had stopped driving. Caregivers responded to a questionnaire assessing the patient's driving behaviors since the onset of AD. There was no correlation between MMSE and driving status. In 7 of 10 cases, caregivers or patients made the decision that the patient should stop driving. However, caregivers reported long periods between the caregiver's perception that the patient should stop driving and actual cessation (0.5-48 months). Results suggest that AD patients do restrict several areas of their driving voluntarily and that a failure to do so may be associated with an awareness deficit. In particular, a deficit of awareness for attention was significantly associated with an absence of restricted driving behaviors such as avoiding unfamiliar routes. Awareness of a deficit that is related to driving performance may be critical to restricted driving behavior, and this change in behavior may enable the patient to prolong his or her status as a driver.

Convenience food products. Drivers for consumption.

PubMed

Brunner, Thomas A; van der Horst, Klazine; Siegrist, Michael

2010-12-01

Convenience is one of the big trends in the food business. The demand for convenience food products is steadily increasing; therefore, understanding convenience food consumption is an important issue. Despite being vital properties of convenience food, saving time and effort have not been very successful constructs for predicting convenience food consumption. To examine a wide range of possible drivers for convenience food consumption, the present study uses a convenience food frequency questionnaire that asks about consumption behavior. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire was sent out to a representative sample of people in German-speaking Switzerland and yielded N = 918 complete datasets from persons mainly responsible for buying and preparing food in the household. The various convenience food products could be categorized into four groups, which we labeled as highly processed food items, moderately processed food items, single components, and salads. Fifteen drivers were found to have a significant impact either on total convenience consumption or on one of the identified categories. Strong predictors were age, concern about naturalness, nutrition knowledge, and cooking skills. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Deviance and Health Risk Behaviors Among Young-Adults Undergraduate Students.

PubMed

Korn, Liat; Bonny-Noach, Hagit

2018-01-02

Deviant and health risk behaviors among young-adults are associated with many adverse outcomes. This study aims to evaluate a broad variety of behaviors by gender differences and their contribution to predicting cannabis use in undergraduate students. This research is based on a structured, self-reported anonymous questionnaire distributed to 1,432 young adult undergraduate students at an Israeli University, 533 males and 899 females (mean age 27.4; SD 6.01). The findings demonstrate a significant proportion of sampled young adults reported to be involved in deviant and health risk behaviors and that all risky behaviors were more frequently significant in males than in females. Among drivers 72% reported speeding, 60% reported failure to keep distance, 44% reported being involved at a car accident as a driver, 40% reported not stopping at a stop sign, and quarter reported driving after drinking alcohol. These findings also expand how certain risk behaviors contribute to predicting cannabis use. The relatively high prevalence of some of these risky behaviors among normative young adults suggests that risky behaviors are considered as normative behavior for this group, especially among man, and therefore, policymakers need to consider prevention and harm reduction interventions relevant to this risk group.

Validation of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II for Hispanic male truck drivers in the Southwest.

PubMed

Mullins, Iris L; O'Day, Trish; Kan, Tsz Yin

2013-08-01

The aims of the study were to validate the English and Spanish Versions of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) with Hispanic male truck drivers and to determine if there were any differences in drivers' responses based on driving responsibility. The methods included a descriptive correlation design, the HPLP II (English and Spanish versions), and a demographic questionnaire. Fifty-two Hispanic drivers participated in the study. There were no significant differences in long haul and short haul drivers' responses to the HPLP II. Cronbach's alpha for the Spanish version was .97 and the subscales alphas ranged from .74 to .94. The English version alpha was .92 and the subscales ranged from .68 to .84. Findings suggest the subscales of Health Responsibility, Physical Activities, Nutrition, and Spirituality Growth on the HPLP II Spanish and English versions may not adequately assess health-promoting behaviors and cultural influences for the Hispanic male population in the southwestern border region.

Designing feedback to mitigate teen distracted driving: A social norms approach.

PubMed

Merrikhpour, Maryam; Donmez, Birsen

2017-07-01

The purpose of this research is to investigate teens' perceived social norms and whether providing normative information can reduce distracted driving behaviors among them. Parents are among the most important social referents for teens; they have significant influences on teens' driving behaviors, including distracted driving which significantly contributes to teens' crash risks. Social norms interventions have been successfully applied in various domains including driving; however, this approach is yet to be explored for mitigating driver distraction among teens. Forty teens completed a driving simulator experiment while performing a self-paced visual-manual secondary task in four between-subject conditions: a) social norms feedback that provided a report at the end of each drive on teens' distracted driving behavior, comparing their distraction engagement to their parent's, b) post-drive feedback that provided just the report on teens' distracted driving behavior without information on their parents, c) real-time feedback in the form of auditory warnings based on eyes of road-time, and d) no feedback as control. Questionnaires were administered to collect data on these teens' and their parents' self-reported engagement in driver distractions and the associated social norms. Social norms and real-time feedback conditions resulted in significantly smaller average off-road glance duration, rate of long (>2s) off-road glances, and standard deviation of lane position compared to no feedback. Further, social norms feedback decreased brake response time and percentage of time not looking at the road compared to no feedback. No major effect was observed for post-drive feedback. Questionnaire results suggest that teens appeared to overestimate parental norms, but no effect of feedback was found on their perceptions. Feedback systems that leverage social norms can help mitigate driver distraction among teens. Overall, both social norms and real-time feedback induced positive driving behaviors, with social norms feedback outperforming real-time feedback. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Professional experience and traffic accidents/near-miss accidents among truck drivers.

PubMed

Girotto, Edmarlon; Andrade, Selma Maffei de; González, Alberto Durán; Mesas, Arthur Eumann

2016-10-01

To investigate the relationship between the time working as a truck driver and the report of involvement in traffic accidents or near-miss accidents. A cross-sectional study was performed with truck drivers transporting products from the Brazilian grain harvest to the Port of Paranaguá, Paraná, Brazil. The drivers were interviewed regarding sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, behavior in traffic and involvement in accidents or near-miss accidents in the previous 12 months. Subsequently, the participants answered a self-applied questionnaire on substance use. The time of professional experience as drivers was categorized in tertiles. Statistical analyses were performed through the construction of models adjusted by multinomial regression to assess the relationship between the length of experience as a truck driver and the involvement in accidents or near-miss accidents. This study included 665 male drivers with an average age of 42.2 (±11.1) years. Among them, 7.2% and 41.7% of the drivers reported involvement in accidents and near-miss accidents, respectively. In fully adjusted analysis, the 3rd tertile of professional experience (>22years) was shown to be inversely associated with involvement in accidents (odds ratio [OR] 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.52) and near-miss accidents (OR 0.17; 95% CI 0.05-0.53). The 2nd tertile of professional experience (11-22 years) was inversely associated with involvement in accidents (OR 0.63; 95% CI 0.40-0.98). An evident relationship was observed between longer professional experience and a reduction in reporting involvement in accidents and near-miss accidents, regardless of age, substance use, working conditions and behavior in traffic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The American Medical Association Older Driver Curriculum for health professionals: changes in trainee confidence, attitudes, and practice behavior.

PubMed

Meuser, Thomas M; Carr, David B; Irmiter, Cheryl; Schwartzberg, Joanne G; Ulfarsson, Gudmundur F

2010-01-01

Few gerontology and geriatrics professionals receive training in driver fitness evaluation, state reporting of unfit drivers, or transportation mobility planning yet are often asked to address these concerns in the provision of care to older adults. The American Medical Association (AMA) developed an evidence-based, multi-media Curriculum to promote basic competences. This study evaluated reported changes in practice behaviors 3 months posttraining in 693 professionals trained via the AMA approach. Eight Teaching Teams, designated and trained by AMA staff, offered 22 training sessions across the United States in 2006 to 2007. Trainees (67% female; mean age 46) completed a pretest questionnaire and a posttest administered by mail. Physicians were the largest professional group (32%). Although many trainees acknowledged having conversations with patients about driving at pretest, few endorsed utilizing specific techniques recommended by the AMA prior to this training. The posttest response rate was 34% (n = 235). Significant improvements in reported attitudes, confidence, and practices were found across measured items. In particular, posttest data indicated new adoption of in-office screening techniques, chart documentation of driver safety concerns, and transportation alternative planning strategies. Findings suggest that a well-designed, one-time continuing education intervention can enhance health professional confidence and clinical practice concerning driver fitness evaluation and mobility planning. Targeted dissemination of this Curriculum (in-person and online) will allow more to benefit in the future.

Teen driving behaviors in a rural southern state.

PubMed

Irons, Elizabeth; Nichols, Michele; King, William D; Crew, Marie; Monroe, Kathy

2014-12-01

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Alabama ranks fourth in the United States for teen crash fatalities. We sought to describe risky driving behaviors among teens in the rural areas of the state's most populous county. A questionnaire was adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Each of the schools in Jefferson County, Alabama, participated in 2009 and 2010. Surveys were anonymous and data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet. Inclusion criteria were age 15 years and older. A total of 1399 surveys met inclusion criteria. A total of 52% of respondents were boys; 64% were white, 29% were African American, and 3% were Hispanic. Respondents were 15 (38%), 16 (36%), 17 (21%), and 18 (5%) years old. When asked about behaviors during driving in the last 30 days, 41% reported texting and 11% reported driving after drinking. Teens reported being a passenger in a car with the driver texting (67%) or after the driver had been drinking (27%) in the last 30 days. Overall, 58% reported not wearing a seatbelt; 13% reported driving after using drugs; 60% reported routinely exceeding the speed limit; 80% reported having discussed safe driving with a parent, but only 16% with their doctor; 25% had signed a safe driving contract; and 63% had taken a driving class. Many risky behaviors were identified for both teen drivers and passengers. A concerning number of teens are not receiving safe driving educational messages from parents, doctors, or driver's education classes. Some interventions have been instituted; however, more outreach efforts should be made to focus on strengthening driving laws and educating parents and teens.

Effects of different blood alcohol concentrations and post-alcohol impairment on driving behavior and task performance.

PubMed

Liu, Yung-Ching; Ho, Chin Heng

2010-08-01

A study using simulator methodology was conducted to investigate the effects of (1) different blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0, 0.05, 0.08, and 0.10 percent and (2) post-alcohol impairment (where BAC approximately 0%) on driving behavior and subsidiary cognitive task performance. Two driving sessions were investigated, that is, drunk driving and post-alcohol driving, with each requiring approximately 20 min of driving. In addition to driving safely, participants were instructed to perform the critical flicker fusion (CFF) test and completed the NASA-TLX mental workload questionnaire. Eight licensed drivers (6 males, 2 females) participated in this 2 (road complexities) x 2 (simulated driving sessions) x 4 (levels of BAC) within-subjects experiment. The study revealed that higher BAC levels were associated with lower performing driving behavior. The driver's mental workload reached the highest values in the post-alcohol session. In terms of tasks involving divided attention, the traffic sign distance estimation showed significant deterioration with increased BAC levels. The relationship between drunk-driving behavior and alcohol dosage was supported in this study. Noticeably, no significant difference was found between drunk driving and post-alcohol driving, indicating that even in the post-alcohol situation, the impairment still remained significant enough to jeopardize traffic safety as much as it does in the case of drunk driving. In real-life situations, adopting a rest-time strategy to avoid post-alcohol impairment effects may not be the most appropriate solution by drivers; rather, drivers should be given some tests to verify the probability of post-alcohol effects on driving.

Self-reported and observed risky driving behaviors among frequent and infrequent cell phone users.

PubMed

Zhao, Nan; Reimer, Bryan; Mehler, Bruce; D'Ambrosio, Lisa A; Coughlin, Joseph F

2013-12-01

The apparently higher crash risk among individuals who use cell phones while driving may be due both to the direct interference of cell phone use with the driving task and tendencies to engage in risky driving behaviors independent of cell phone use. Measurements of actual highway driving performance, self-reported aberrant driving behaviors as measured by the Manchester Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), and attitudes toward speeding, passing behaviors and relative concern about being involved in a crash were assessed. Individuals who reported frequently using cell phones while driving were found to drive faster, change lanes more frequently, spend more time in the left lane, and engage in more instances of hard braking and high acceleration events. They also scored higher in self-reported driving violations on the DBQ and reported more positive attitudes toward speeding and passing than drivers who did not report using a cell phone regularly while driving. These results indicate that a greater reported frequency of cell phone use while driving is associated with a broader pattern of behaviors that are likely to increase the overall risk of crash involvement. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-report measures of distractibility as correlates of simulated driving performance.

PubMed

Kass, Steven J; Beede, Kristen E; Vodanovich, Stephen J

2010-05-01

The present study investigated the relationship between self-reported measures pertaining to attention difficulties and simulated driving performance while distracted. Thirty-six licensed drivers participated in a simulator driving task while engaged in a cell phone conversation. The participants completed questionnaires assessing their tendency toward boredom, cognitive failures, and behaviors associated with attention deficit and hyperactivity. Scores on these measures were significantly correlated with various driving outcomes (e.g., speed, lane maintenance, reaction time). Significant relationships were also found between one aspect of boredom proneness (i.e., inability to generate interest or concentrate) and self-reports of past driving behavior (moving violations). The current study may aid in the understanding of how individual differences in driver distractibility may contribute to unsafe driving behaviors and accident involvement. Additionally, such measures may assist in the identification of individuals at risk for committing driving errors due to being easily distracted. The benefits and limitations of conducting and interpreting simulation research are discussed. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The prevalence of and factors associated with tobacco smoking behavior among long-distance drivers in Lagos, Nigeria.

PubMed

Ozoh, Obianuju B; Akanbi, Maxwell O; Amadi, Casmir E; Vollmer, William; Bruce, Nigel

2017-09-01

Factors associated with tobacco smoking are useful in designing tobacco control programs. To estimate the prevalence of and factors associated with tobacco smoking among long-distance drivers. This was a cross-sectional study. Stratified cluster sampling approach was used to select drivers based on if they received annual health screening (AHS) or not (non AHS). We used a structured questionnaire to obtain information and weighted the resulting observations to derive population based estimates. Association between tobacco smoking and socio-demographic factors was explored in multivariate models. 414 male drivers, mean age 43.6 (standard error 0.6) years. Population weighted prevalence of current smoking was 18.9% (95% CI: 14.3-23.4) of all drivers, 6.5% (95% CI: 2.6-10.4) of AHS drivers and 19.5 (95% CI: 14.7-24.2) of non AHS drivers (p<0.001). In multivariate models, having close friends that smoked (OR= 6.36, 95% CI= 2.49 - 16.20) cargo driving (OR= 2.58, 95% CI= 1.29 - 5.15) and lower education levels (OR for post-secondary education vs. primary education or less= 0.17, 95% CI= 0.04 - 0.81) were associated with current smoking. Prevalence of tobacco smoking is higher among non AHS compared to AHS drivers. Having close friends that smoked, cargo driving, and lower education levels were associated with current smoking.

Influences of motorcycle rider and driver characteristics and road environment on red light running behavior at signalized intersections.

PubMed

Jensupakarn, Auearree; Kanitpong, Kunnawee

2018-04-01

In Thailand, red light running is considered as one of the most dangerous behaviors at intersection. Red light running (RLR) behavior is the failure to obey the traffic control signal. However, motorcycle riders and car drivers who are running through red lights could be influenced by human factors or road environment at intersection. RLR could be advertent or inadvertent behavior influenced by many factors. Little research study has been done to evaluate the contributing factors influencing the red-light violation behavior. This study aims to determine the factors influencing the red light running behavior including human characteristics, physical condition of intersection, traffic signal operation, and traffic condition. A total of 92 intersections were observed in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Chonburi, the major provinces in each region of Thailand. In addition, the socio-economic characteristics of red light runners were obtained from self-reported questionnaire survey. The Binary Logistic Regression and the Multiple Linear Regression models were used to determine the characteristics of red light runners and the factors influencing rates of red light running respectively. The results from this study can help to understand the characteristics of red light runners and factors affecting them to run red lights. For motorcycle riders and car drivers, age, gender, occupation, driving license, helmet/seatbelt use, and the probability to be penalized when running the red light significantly affect RLR behavior. In addition, the results indicated that vehicle travelling direction, time of day, existence of turning lane, number of lanes, lane width, intersection sight distance, type of traffic signal pole, type of traffic signal operation, length of yellow time interval, approaching speed, distance from intersection warning sign to stop line, and pavement roughness significantly affect RLR rates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safety climate and the distracted driving experiences of truck drivers.

PubMed

Swedler, David I; Pollack, Keshia M; Agnew, Jacqueline

2015-07-01

For truck drivers, distracted driving is a workplace behavior that increases occupational injury risk. We propose safety climate as an appropriate lens through which researchers can examine occupational distracted driving. Using a mixed methods study design, we surveyed truck drivers using the Safety Climate Questionnaire (SCQ) complemented by semi-structured interviews of experts on distracted driving and truck safety. Safety climate was assessed by using the entire SCQ as an overall climate score, followed by factor analysis that identified the following safety climate factors: Communications and Procedures; Management Commitment; and Work Pressure. In multivariate regression, the overall safety climate scale was associated with having ever experienced a crash and/or distraction-involved swerving. Interview participants described how these SCQ constructs could affect occupational distracted driving. To reduce distraction-related crashes in their organizations, management can adhere to safe policies and procedures, invest in engineering controls, and develop safer communication procedures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aggression, emotional self-regulation, attentional bias, and cognitive inhibition predict risky driving behavior.

PubMed

Sani, Susan Raouf Hadadi; Tabibi, Zahra; Fadardi, Javad Salehi; Stavrinos, Despina

2017-12-01

The present study explored whether aggression, emotional regulation, cognitive inhibition, and attentional bias towards emotional stimuli were related to risky driving behavior (driving errors, and driving violations). A total of 117 applicants for taxi driver positions (89% male, M age=36.59years, SD=9.39, age range 24-62years) participated in the study. Measures included the Ahwaz Aggression Inventory, the Difficulties in emotion regulation Questionnaire, the emotional Stroop task, the Go/No-go task, and the Driving Behavior Questionnaire. Correlation and regression analyses showed that aggression and emotional regulation predicted risky driving behavior. Difficulties in emotion regulation, the obstinacy and revengeful component of aggression, attentional bias toward emotional stimuli, and cognitive inhibition predicted driving errors. Aggression was the only significant predictive factor for driving violations. In conclusion, aggression and difficulties in regulating emotions may exacerbate risky driving behaviors. Deficits in cognitive inhibition and attentional bias toward negative emotional stimuli can increase driving errors. Predisposition to aggression has strong effect on making one vulnerable to violation of traffic rules and crashes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire: a North American analysis.

PubMed

Cordazzo, Sheila T D; Scialfa, Charles T; Bubric, Katherine; Ross, Rachel Jones

2014-09-01

The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ), originally developed in Britain by Reason et al. [Reason, J., Manstead, A., Stradling, S., Baxter, J., & Campbell, K. (1990). Errors and violations on the road: A real distinction? Ergonomics, 33, 1315-1332] is one of the most widely used instruments for measuring driver behaviors linked to collision risk. The goals of the study were to adapt the DBQ for a North American driving population, assess the component structure of the items, and to determine whether scores on the DBQ could predict self-reported traffic collisions. Of the original Reason et al. items, our data indicate a two-component solution involving errors and violations. Evidence for a Lapses component was not found. The 20 items most closely resembling those of Parker et al. [Parker, D., Reason, J. T., Manstead, A. S. R., & Stradling, S. G. (1995). Driving errors, driving violations and accident involvement. Ergonomics, 38, 1036-1048] yielded a solution with 3 orthogonal components that reflect errors, lapses, and violations. Although violations and Lapses were positively and significantly correlated with self-reported collision involvement, the classification accuracy of the resulting models was quite poor. A North American DBQ has the same component structure as reported previously, but has limited ability to predict self-reported collisions. Copyright © 2014 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The theory of planned behavior, materialism, and aggressive driving.

PubMed

Efrat, Kalanit; Shoham, Aviv

2013-10-01

Aggressive driving is a growing problem worldwide. Previous research has provided us with some insights into the characteristics of drivers prone to aggressiveness on the road and into the external conditions triggering such behavior. Little is known, however, about the personality traits of aggressive drivers. The present study proposes planned behavior and materialism as predictors of aggressive driving behavior. Data was gathered using a questionnaire-based survey of 220 individuals from twelve large industrial organizations in Israel. Our hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Our results indicate that while planned behavior is a good predictor of the intention to behave aggressively, it has no impact on the tendency to behave aggressively. Materialism, however, was found to be a significant indicator of aggressive driving behavior. Our study is based on a self-reported survey, therefore might suffer from several issues concerning the willingness to answer truthfully. Furthermore, the sampling group might be seen as somewhat biased due to the relatively high income/education levels of the respondents. While both issues, aggressive driving and the theory of planned behavior, have been studied previously, the linkage between the two as well as the ability of materialism to predict aggressive behavior received little attention previously. The present study encompasses these constructs providing new insights into the linkage between them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The ability of drivers to give first aid--testing by questionnaire].

PubMed

Goniewicz, M

1998-01-01

Road accidents have become a serious social problem. The scale and complexity of this problem shows clearly that there is a necessity to improve citizens' ability to give first aid which is especially essential in the case of drivers. Thus special training how to give first aid at the accident place seems to be of the primary importance. The objective of this paper is to: 1) identify to what extent the drivers of motor vehicles are prepared to provide first aid for casualties of the road accidents, 2) evaluate the training system of teaching motorists how to give first aid before professional help arrives, 3) identify drivers' views on possibilities of decreasing the number of fatal casualties of the road accidents. The questionnaire was given to 560 employees of local government institutions in the city of Lublin either professional or non-professional drivers. The direct method and anonymous questionnaire were used. The results of the questionnaire revealed clearly that very few drivers are well-prepared to give proper first aid at the accident site. No matter what sex, education or driving experience, the drivers have not got enough skills to give first aid and the effect is enhanced by various psychological barriers. The questioned drivers shared the opinion that first aid training is badly run. The drivers stressed bad quality of the training and the fact that it is impossible to acquire practical skills that may be required in the case of emergency. Drivers' views on possibilities of decreasing the number of fatal casualties of the road accidents included, among others, the following propositions: in addition to the driving licence exam first aid exam should be compulsory severe enforcement and execution of the law which regulates the mandatory first aid giving.

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

Smoking motivators are different among cigarette and waterpipe smokers: The results of ITUPP.

PubMed

Roohafza, Hamidreza; Heidari, Kamal; Alinia, Tahereh; Omidi, Razieh; Sadeghi, Masoumeh; Andalib, Elham; Ajami, Ali; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal

2015-09-01

The present study explores different drivers of cigarette and water pipe smoking among middle and high school students in Isfahan province. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Trained staff collected questionnaires and saliva samples for response accuracy evaluation. Prevalence by demographic, parental and educational factors was calculated. Logistic regression was applied to compare behavior drivers of those who purely smoked cigarettes or a waterpipe. Waterpipe smokers were considered as the reference category. This study reported ORs along 95% confidence intervals; 5408 questionnaires were returned. The sample age was 15.37±01.70 on average. The self-reported prevalence of cigarette and waterpipe experimentation was 11.60% (n=624) and 20.70% (n=1,109), respectively; and 5.08% (n=311), 11.06% (n=619) for smokers, and 13.30% (n=711) for the whole sample. Psychological factors were the most important driver for cigarette smoking; bad event happening with odds of 2.38 (95% CI: 1.29-4.39); angriness 2.58 times (95% CI: 1.51-4.43); and distress by 2.49 times (95% CI: 1.42-4.40). Habitual situations were strong predictors of cigarette smoking, but not a predictor of waterpipe smoking, such as smoking after a meal (OR=3.11, 95% CI: 1.67-5.77); and smoking after waking up (OR=2.56, 95% CI: 1.42-4.40). Comprehensive and multifaceted preventive programs must tailor identified factors and increase family's awareness. Copyright © 2015 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by 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.

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

Mental health status, aggression, and poor driving distinguish traffic offenders from non-offenders but health status predicts driving behavior in both groups

PubMed Central

Abdoli, Nasrin; Farnia, Vahid; Delavar, Ali; Dortaj, Fariborz; Esmaeili, Alireza; Farrokhi, Noorali; Karami, Majid; Shakeri, Jalal; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2015-01-01

Background In Iran, traffic accidents and deaths from traffic accidents are among the highest in the world, and generally, driver behavior rather than technical failures or environmental conditions are responsible for traffic accidents. In a previous study, we showed that among young Iranian male traffic offenders, poor mental health status, along with aggression, predicted poor driving behavior. The aims of the present study were twofold, to determine whether this pattern could be replicated among non-traffic offenders, and to compare the mental health status, aggression, and driving behavior of male traffic offenders and non-offenders. Methods A total of 850 male drivers (mean age =34.25 years, standard deviation =10.44) from Kermanshah (Iran) took part in the study. Of these, 443 were offenders (52.1%) and 407 (47.9%) were non-offenders with lowest driving penalty scores applying for attaining an international driving license. Participants completed a questionnaire booklet covering socio-demographic variables, traits of aggression, health status, and driving behavior. Results Compared to non-offenders, offenders reported higher aggression, poorer mental health status, and worse driving behavior. Among non-offenders, multiple regression indicated that poor health status, but not aggression, independently predicted poor driving behavior. Conclusion Compared to non-offenders, offenders reported higher aggression, poorer health status and driving behavior. Further, the predictive power of poorer mental health status, but not aggression, for driving behavior was replicated for male non-offenders. PMID:26300646

Dimensions of aberrant driving behaviours in Tunisia: identifying the relation between Driver Behaviour Questionnaire results and accident data.

PubMed

Mohamed, Dhibi; Lotfi, Belkacem

2016-12-01

In this study, the Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) was used to examine the self-reported driving behaviours of a group of Tunisian drivers (N = 900) and to collect socio-demographic data, driver behaviours and DBQ items. A sample of Tunisian drivers above 18 years was selected. The aim of the present study was to investigate the factorial structure of the DBQ in Tunisia. The principal component analysis identified three factor solutions: inattention errors, dangerous errors and dangerous violations. Logistic regression analysis showed that dangerous errors, dangerous violations and speeding preference factors predicted crash involvement in Tunisia. Speeding is the most common form of aberrant behaviour reported by drivers in the current sample. It remains one of the major road safety concerns.

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

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.

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

Driving behavior recognition using EEG data from a simulated car-following experiment.

PubMed

Yang, Liu; Ma, Rui; Zhang, H Michael; Guan, Wei; Jiang, Shixiong

2018-07-01

Driving behavior recognition is the foundation of driver assistance systems, with potential applications in automated driving systems. Most prevailing studies have used subjective questionnaire data and objective driving data to classify driving behaviors, while few studies have used physiological signals such as electroencephalography (EEG) to gather data. To bridge this gap, this paper proposes a two-layer learning method for driving behavior recognition using EEG data. A simulated car-following driving experiment was designed and conducted to simultaneously collect data on the driving behaviors and EEG data of drivers. The proposed learning method consists of two layers. In Layer I, two-dimensional driving behavior features representing driving style and stability were selected and extracted from raw driving behavior data using K-means and support vector machine recursive feature elimination. Five groups of driving behaviors were classified based on these two-dimensional driving behavior features. In Layer II, the classification results from Layer I were utilized as inputs to generate a k-Nearest-Neighbor classifier identifying driving behavior groups using EEG data. Using independent component analysis, a fast Fourier transformation, and linear discriminant analysis sequentially, the raw EEG signals were processed to extract two core EEG features. Classifier performance was enhanced using the adaptive synthetic sampling approach. A leave-one-subject-out cross validation was conducted. The results showed that the average classification accuracy for all tested traffic states was 69.5% and the highest accuracy reached 83.5%, suggesting a significant correlation between EEG patterns and car-following behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Health Status, Intention to Seek Health Examination, and Participation in Health Education Among Taxi Drivers in Jinan, China

PubMed Central

Yang, Yan; Fan, Xiao-sheng; Tian, Cui-huan; Zhang, Wei; Li, Jie; Li, Shu-qing

2014-01-01

Background: Taxi drivers are exposed to various risk factors such as work overload, stress, an irregular diet, and a sedentary lifestyle, which make these individuals vulnerable to many diseases. This study was designed to assess the health status of this occupational group. Objectives: The objective was to explore the health status, the intention to seek health examination, and participation in health education among taxi drivers in Jinan, China. Patients and Methods: The sample-size was determined scientifically. The systematic sampling procedure was used for selecting the sample. Four hundred taxi drivers were randomly selected from several taxi companies in Jinan. In total, 396 valid questionnaires (from 370 males and 26 females) were returned. Health status, intention to seek health examination, and participation in health education were assessed by a self-designed questionnaire. Other personal information including sex, age, ethnicity, marital status, years of employment as a taxi driver, education level, and habits were also collected. Results: This survey revealed that 54.8% of taxi drivers reported illness in the last two weeks and 44.7% of participants reported chronic diseases. The prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, gastroenteritis, arthritis, and heart disease were 18.2%, 8.8%, 26%, 18.4%, and 4.8% of questioned taxi drivers, respectively. Significant self-reported symptoms included fatigue, waist and back pain, headache, dyspepsia, and dry throat affecting 49.7%, 26.2%, 23.5%, 26%, and 27% of participants, respectively. In total, 90.1% of subjects thought that it was necessary to receive a regular health examination. Only 17.9% of subjects had been given information about health education, and significantly, more than 87% of subjects who had been given information about health education reported that the information had been helpful. Conclusions: Taxi drivers’ health was poor in our survey. Thus, using health education interventions to improve knowledge and change in behaviors are necessary and effective programs that improve the health of individuals in this special occupational group are needed. PMID:24910797

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.

Two way assessment of other physical work demands while measuring the whole body vibration magnitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiemessen, Ivo J. H.; Hulshof, Carel T. J.; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.

2008-03-01

Direct observation, instead of using self-administered questionnaires might give more reliable and specific information about physical work demands at the workplace. This information is of use in a population already at risk of developing low back pain (LBP) due to whole body vibration (WBV) exposure. The aims of this study are to assess the WBV exposure in an exposed population and to assess other physical work demands in two ways, by direct observation and with the use of a self-administered questionnaire. We therefore assessed the WBV magnitude and 5 WBV-related physical work demands by using the PalmTrac system and a self-administered questionnaire in a group of drivers ( N=10). The main findings are 7 out of 10 drivers are exceeding the EU action value. About 50% of the drivers under-estimated the time 'bending', 60% the time 'walking+standing' and 60% over-estimated the time when 'lifting.' We concluded that 7 drivers from this group are at risk of developing LBP and substantial differences exists for the 5 physical work demands comparing the PalmTrac method with the questionnaire. Direct observational assessment in WBV measurements yields extra information. This is useful for preventive activities necessary as drivers are exceeding the EU action value.

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.

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.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a post-license education program for young novice drivers in Belgium.

PubMed

Brijs, Kris; Cuenen, Ariane; Brijs, Tom; Ruiter, Robert A C; Wets, Geert

2014-05-01

The disproportionately large number of traffic accidents of young novice drivers highlights the need for an effective driver education program. The Goals for Driving Education (GDE) matrix shows that driver education must target both lower and higher levels of driver competences. Research has indicated that current education programs do not emphasize enough the higher levels, for example awareness and insight. This has raised the importance of insight programs. On the Road (OtR), a Flemish post-license driver education program, is such an insight program that aims to target these higher levels. The program focus is on risky driving behavior like speeding and drink driving. In addition, the program addresses risk detection and risk-related knowledge. The goal of the study was to do an effect evaluation of this insight program at immediate post-test and 2 months follow-up. In addition, the study aimed to generalize the results of this program to comparable programs in order to make usable policy recommendations. A questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used in order to measure participants' safety consciousness of speeding and drink driving. Moreover, we focused on risk detection and risk-related knowledge. Participants (N=366) were randomly assigned to a baseline-follow-up group or a post-test-follow-up group. Regarding speeding and driving, we found OtR to have little effect on the TPB variables. Regarding risk detection, we found no significant effect, even though participants clearly needed substantial improvement when stepping into the program. Regarding risk-related knowledge, the program did result in a significant improvement at post-test and follow-up. It is concluded that the current program format is a good starting point, but that it requires further attention to enhance high level driving skills. Program developers are encouraged to work in a more evidence-based manner when they select target variables and methods to influence these variables. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Talking and texting among teenage drivers: a glass half empty or half full?

PubMed

O'Brien, Natalie P; Goodwin, Arthur H; Foss, Robert D

2010-12-01

Cell phone use and text messaging in particular are associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes. However, the frequency with which teenagers use cell phones while driving is still largely unknown. The current study obtained self-reported cell phone use behaviors while driving, including text messaging, along with beliefs about these actions, for a sample of licensed teenage drivers. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 1947 high-school-age teens in 2 large metropolitan areas in North Carolina. Questionnaires were completed and returned by 537 teens, of whom 320 had an intermediate or full driver's license. In total, 45 percent of teens reported using a cell phone in some capacity during their most recent trip. Fifteen percent reported that they only talked on a cell phone, 15 percent sent or read a text message only, and 15 percent both talked and texted. More generally, 12 percent of teens reported that they often talked on a cell phone while driving, 4 percent reported that they often initiated a text conversation while driving, 11 percent said that they often replied to texts, and 23 percent often read text messages. Teens reported using several strategies to reduce the risk associated with using a cell phone while driving. Among teens who had ever talked on a cell phone while driving, 47 percent said that they try to keep their conversations short because they are driving. Among teens who had ever texted while driving, approximately half said that they often wait until it feels safe to read and reply to text messages (58% and 47%, respectively). Most teens surveyed reported having talked or read or sent a text message using a cell phone while driving. Somewhat less than half engaged in one of these behaviors the last time they drove. However, many teens reported using strategies to reduce this risk and in certain instances, cell phone nonuse was the normative behavior. Better measurement of the extent and nature of phone use while driving is needed.

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.

Unlicensed driving and other related health risk behaviors: a study of Montana high school students.

PubMed

Hanna, Christian L; Laflamme, Lucie; Elling, Berty; Möller, Jette

2013-05-01

Health risk behaviors tend to cluster in young people, not least among young drivers. Less is known about the health risk profile of young unlicensed drivers. This study investigates health risk behaviors among young unlicensed drivers compared to both their licensed and driving peers, and their non-driving peers. High school students participating in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System in Montana (US) and age-eligible to have a driver's license were studied (n=5985), categorized according to their self-reported car driving and license practice (licensed driving, unlicensed driving, and non-driving). Ten health risk behaviors, of which four were related to car riding/driving, were considered. Multinomial logistic regression was used to compile sex-specific odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) of adopting those behaviors using licensed drivers as a reference and adjusting for age and race/ethnicity. Health risk behaviors tended to be more common among unlicensed drivers than other groups, although some behaviors were prevalent in all groups (i.e., alcohol use and lack of seat belt use). As a consequence, for both male and female students, there was a significant association between unlicensed driving and most health risk behaviors, except for being involved in a physical fight and riding with a drinking driver among female students. Young unlicensed drivers are more likely than licensed drivers to adopt several health risk behaviors both in car driving/riding or otherwise, in particular alcohol use and cigarette smoking. This challenges any simplistic approach as unlicensed driving in youth is not an isolated act suggesting public health and traffic safety initiatives. Copyright © 2013 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.

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

Examining Learner Perceptions of Adult Participants Using a Self-Assessment Tool in a Driver Improvement Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierson, Sandra E.

2013-01-01

Driving behavior is a contributing factor in 85% of all traffic crashes; therefore, driver reeducation must be centered on increasing safe driving behavior. Because self-reflection strategies have been shown to change behavior, a study using a self-assessment tool was conducted with Virginia adult drivers mandated to complete a driver improvement…

Self-Regulation of Driving Behavior in People with Parkinson Disease.

PubMed

Stolwyk, Renerus J; Scally, Karen A; Charlton, Judith L; Bradshaw, John L; Iansek, Robert; Georgiou-Karistianis, Nellie

2015-06-01

To determine the extent and nature of driving self-regulation in drivers with Parkinson disease (PD) and factors associated with self-regulatory practices. Although people with PD have consistently been shown to have driving impairments, few studies have examined self-regulatory driving practices and their relationship to driving performance. We used a self-report driving questionnaire to examine driving self-regulation in 37 drivers with PD and 37 healthy age-matched controls. We also analyzed factors associated with self-regulatory practices, primarily demographic, disease-related, psychological, and simulated driving performance variables. The drivers with PD reported significantly higher rates of self-perceived decline in their driving ability (P=0.008) and driving significantly shorter distances per week (P=0.004) than controls. Unfamiliar situations (P=0.009), in-car distractions (P<0.001), low visibility conditions (P=0.004), and long journeys (P=0.003) were particularly challenging for the drivers with PD, and their pattern of driving avoidance mirrored these difficulties. The use of self-regulatory strategies among drivers with PD was associated with female sex (rho=0.42, P=0.009) and perceived decline in driving ability (rho=-0.55, P<0.001), but not with age or objective measures of disease severity, cognition, or simulated driving performance. Drivers with PD reported driving less overall and restricting their driving to avoid particularly difficult circumstances. Further research is warranted on effective use of self-regulation strategies to improve driving performance in people with PD.

Modeling driver behavior in a cognitive architecture.

PubMed

Salvucci, Dario D

2006-01-01

This paper explores the development of a rigorous computational model of driver behavior in a cognitive architecture--a computational framework with underlying psychological theories that incorporate basic properties and limitations of the human system. Computational modeling has emerged as a powerful tool for studying the complex task of driving, allowing researchers to simulate driver behavior and explore the parameters and constraints of this behavior. An integrated driver model developed in the ACT-R (Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational) cognitive architecture is described that focuses on the component processes of control, monitoring, and decision making in a multilane highway environment. This model accounts for the steering profiles, lateral position profiles, and gaze distributions of human drivers during lane keeping, curve negotiation, and lane changing. The model demonstrates how cognitive architectures facilitate understanding of driver behavior in the context of general human abilities and constraints and how the driving domain benefits cognitive architectures by pushing model development toward more complex, realistic tasks. The model can also serve as a core computational engine for practical applications that predict and recognize driver behavior and distraction.

Determination of Job Stresses and Their Consequences in Drivers in Ilam

PubMed Central

Rahmani, Abdolrasoul; khodaei, Roghiyeh; Farjami, Atena; Mahmodkhani, Somayeh; Gharagozlou, Faramarz; Ahmadnezhad, Iman; Karchani, Mohsen; Vatani, Javad

2013-01-01

Background: Human factors cause 60–70 percent of automobile accidents. Everything related to people that is involved in and interacting with a system is considered to be a human factor. These factors can be psychological, biological, or social, and all of them can affect drivers’ behaviors. Therefore, one of the negative and unfavorable effects of these factors is that they cause accidents. According to previous research, increases in the job stresses result in increases in the incidence of car accidents. Drivers who feel stressed often do not to observe the rules, and they may not even notice the warning signs. By measuring the job stress among drivers and its adverse effects, this research aimed to provide an appropriate managerial solution to reduce these problems. Methods: The sample in this descriptive-analytical study consisted of 250 drivers who were selected and investigated. A job stress questionnaire was used as a means for collecting data. Health conditions were assessed by referring to clinical documents provided for the drivers. Accident data were included in the study using accident-related documentation. Two hundred and fifty drivers from Ilam, Iran participated and were analyzed in this study. This research is a cross-sectional study that was performed by dossiers and personal memoirs. Data were analyzed by SPSS16 and the chi-squared test. Results: The study showed that the main factors that cause medium- to high-level stress are the physical environment, workload and ambiguity of duties. It also showed that the incidence and severity of accidents increased as stress levels increased. Conclusion: This study shows high prevalence of job stress amongst drivers in Ilam. The main causes of the prevalence of stress among drivers in Ilam City are physical environment, workload and ambiguity of duties, responsibility. PMID:26120388

Social influences among young drivers on talking on the mobile phone while driving.

PubMed

Riquelme, Hernan E; Al-Sammak, Fawaz Saleh; Rios, Rosa E

2010-04-01

This study set out to measure the influence of injunctive, subjective, verbal, and behavioral norms on talking on a mobile phone while driving. In particular it examines social influences that have been neglected in past research, namely, injunctive norms and explicit verbal and behavioral norms communicated by law enforcers with regard to using a mobile phone when driving. All four types of social norms have rarely been used in studies of this social phenomenon, except for occasional exceptions drawing on Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, which addresses only one: subjective norms. Regression analysis of data collected from young drivers from 217 questionnaires is used to predict the intention of motorists to continue talking on their mobile phones while driving. Selective interaction effects, the purpose of the call, and injunctive and subjective norms were included. The results show that the explicit verbal and behavioral law enforcement norms, the subjective norms, and the interaction of the injunctive norm with the purpose of the call are significant predictors of the unlawful behavior. The results taken together seem to imply that social marketing is likely to encounter difficulty in changing behavior because the subjective norm (what others think I should do) coupled with the lack of enforcement (verbal norms) play important roles in maintaining the unlawful behavior. Moreover, the perception that talking on the mobile phone while driving is acceptable behavior (injunctive norm) in conjunction with the purpose of the call create further challenges to social marketers. The results have implications on policy makers and enforcers. Law enforcers should do their job to prevent the wrong behavior in the first place. In addition, campaigns may be directed to convince the target audience about the false norms and use persuasive communication to emphasize the potential costs of maintaining the unlawful behavior.

The traffic climate in China: The mediating effect of traffic safety climate between personality and dangerous driving behavior.

PubMed

Zhang, Qian; Ge, Yan; Qu, Weina; Zhang, Kan; Sun, Xianghong

2018-04-01

Traffic safety climate is defined as road users' attitudes and perceptions of traffic in a specific context at a given point in time. The current study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Traffic Climate Scale (TCS) and to explore its relation to drivers' personality and dangerous driving behavior. A sample of 413 drivers completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Chinese version of the TCS, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and a demographic questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to confirm a three-factor (external affective demands, internal requirements and functionality) solution of the TCS. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of TCS were verified. More importantly, the results showed that the effect of personality on dangerous driving behavior was mediated by traffic climate. Specifically, the functionality of the TCS mediated the effect of neuroticism on negative cognitive/emotional driving and drunk driving, while openness had an indirect impact on aggressive driving, risky driving and drunk driving based on the internal requirements of the TCS. Additionally, agreeableness had a negative direct impact on four factors of the DDDI, while neuroticism had a positive direct impact on negative cognitive/emotional driving, drunk driving and risky driving. In conclusion, the Chinese version of the TCS will be useful to evaluate drivers' attitudes towards and perceptions of the requirements of traffic environment in which they participate and will also be valuable for comparing traffic cultures and environments in different countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drivers' social-work relationships as antecedents of unsafe driving: A social network perspective.

PubMed

Arizon Peretz, Renana; Luria, Gil

2017-09-01

In order to reduce road accidents rates, studies around the globe have attempted to shed light on the antecedents for unsafe road behaviors. The aim of the current research is to contribute to this literature by offering a new organizational antecedent of driver's unsafe behavior: The driver's relationships with his or her peers, as reflected in three types of social networks: negative relationships network, friendship networks and advice networks (safety consulting). We hypothesized that a driver's position in negative relationship networks, friendship networks, and advice networks will predict unsafe driving. Additionally, we hypothesized the existence of mutual influences among the driver's positions in these various networks, and suggested that the driver's positions interact to predict unsafe driving behaviors. The research included 83 professional drivers from four different organizations. Driving behavior data were gathered via the IVDR (In-Vehicle Data Recorder) system, installed in every truck to measure and record the driver's behavior. The findings indicated that the drivers' position in the team networks predicts safe driving behavior: Centrality in negative relationship networks is positively related to unsafe driving, and centrality in friendship networks is negatively related to unsafe driving, while centrality in advice networks is not related to unsafe driving. Furthermore, we found an interaction effect between negative network centrality and centrality in friendship networks. The relation between negative networks and unsafe behavior is weaker when high levels of friendship network centrality exist. The implications will be presented in the Discussion section. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

School Bus Accidents and Driver Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMichael, Judith

The study examines the rates and types of school bus accidents according to the age of the school bus driver. Accident rates in North Carolina for the school year 1971-72 were analyzed using three sources of data: accident reports, driver and mileage data, and questionnaires administered to a sample of school bus drivers. Data were obtained on…

Sleepiness, driving, and motor vehicle accidents: A questionnaire-based survey.

PubMed

Zwahlen, Daniel; Jackowski, Christian; Pfäffli, Matthias

2016-11-01

In Switzerland, the prevalence of an excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in drivers undergoing a driving capacity assessment is currently not known. In this study, private and professional drivers were evaluated by means of a paper-based questionnaire, including Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Berlin Questionnaire, and additional questions to sleepiness-related accidents, near-miss accidents, health issues, and demographic data. Of the 435 distributed questionnaires, 128 completed were returned. The response rate was 29%. The mean age of the investigated drivers was 42.5 years (20-85 years). According to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, 9% of the participants are likely to suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness. An equal percentage has a high risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome based on the Berlin Questionnaire. 16% admitted an involuntary nodding off while driving a motor vehicle. This subset of the participants scored statistically significant higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (p = 0.036). 8% of the participants already suffered an accident because of being sleepy while driving. An equal number experienced a sleepiness-related near-miss accident on the road. The study shows that a medical workup of excessive daytime sleepiness is highly recommended in each driver undergoing a driving capacity assessment. Routine application of easily available and time-saving assessment tools such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire could prevent accidents in a simple way. The applicability of the Berlin Questionnaire to screen suspected fatal sleepiness-related motor vehicle accidents is discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

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.

Matching Countermeasures to Driver Types and Speeding Behavior : Traffic Tech

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-01

Speeding is a common behavior; most drivers exceed the speed limit some of the time. It is also a complicated behavior that varies by driver and situation. Speeding-related crashes take a large annual toll in injuries, lost lives, and high economic c...

Livestock drivers' knowledge about dairy cow fitness for transport - A Danish questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Herskin, M S; Hels, A; Anneberg, I; Thomsen, P T

2017-08-01

Dairy cows are transported by road to slaughter after their productive life. Cull cows are vulnerable to transport stress, and can only be transported when fit for the intended journey. However, the decision, as to whether a cow is fit is rather subjective and relies on the farmer and the livestock driver. Using a questionnaire survey, we aimed to describe knowledge about, and experiences with, dairy cow fitness for transport among Danish livestock drivers. During nine days of data collection at the three largest Danish cattle slaughterhouses, 66 drivers (55% of the national population of cattle drivers) answered a questionnaire (response rate: 97%). They were Danish males (mean age: 49years), of which 94% stated that they knew the rules regarding fitness for transport. More than half of the respondents said that physical conditions (light, space) before loading animals allowed proper assessment of fitness for transport, and 85% answered that time constraints were not a challenge for this. Thirty-five percent reported to be in doubt regarding fitness for transport of specific cows at least frequently, and given two specific questions on legislation concerning fitness for transport, only 52% of the respondents answered both correctly. The results add new knowledge about livestock drivers' approach to animal welfare. As drivers are held partly responsible for fitness for transport of animals sent to slaughter, and descriptions of fit/unfit are rather vague, livestock drivers seem to need additional education, training, assessment tools or feedback in order to optimize the welfare of animals to be transported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dominant role of drivers' attitude in prevention of road traffic crashes: a study on knowledge, attitude, and practice of drivers in Iran.

PubMed

Mirzaei, Ramazan; Hafezi-Nejad, Nima; Sadegh Sabagh, Mohammad; Ansari Moghaddam, Alireza; Eslami, Vahid; Rakhshani, Fatemeh; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa

2014-05-01

Evaluating the relation between Iranian drivers' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding traffic regulations, and their deterministic effect on road traffic crashes (RTCs). Two cities of Tehran and Zahedan, Iran. A cross-sectional study was designed. Using a simplified cluster sampling design, 2200 motor vehicle drivers including 1200 in Tehran and 1000 in Zahedan were selected. Sixty locations in Tehran and 50 in Zahedan were chosen. In each pre-identified location, 20 adult drivers were approached consecutively. A questionnaire developed by researchers was filled by each participant. The questionnaire had four sections including items assessing the demographics, knowledge, attitude and practice of drivers toward traffic regulations. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the RTCs and KAP variables. The study sample consisted of 619 (28.1%) occupational and 1580 (71.8%) private drivers. Among them, 86.4% were male. The median age was 33.6 ± 10.83. Drivers in Tehran and Zahedan had no significant differences between their mean scores of KAP items of the questionnaire. Higher knowledge, safer attitude, and safer practice were associated with a decreased number of RTC. After adjusting for possible confounders, increase of one standard deviation in attitude and practice scores (but not knowledge) resulted in 26.4% and 18.5% decrease in RTC, respectively. Finally, considering knowledge, attitude and practice of drivers in one model to assess their mutual effect, it was shown that only attitude is significantly associated with a decrease of RTC (OR=0.76, P=0.007). Increase in attitude and practice accompanied with decreased number of RTCs in Iranian drivers. Specifically, drivers' attitude had the crucial effect. It is not knowledge and standard traffic education; rather it is how such education is registered as an attitude that translates what is being learned into actions. Without safer attitude, even safer self-reported practice will not result in lower RTCs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Specifying Software Behavior for Requirements and Design

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

e.g., Behavior Hiding is comprised of the Function Driver and Shared Services modules. Blacked-out modules, which are concerned with mechanisms for...and Shared Services modules. “The Func- tion Driver Module consists of a set of modules called Func- tion Drivers; each Function Driver is the sole...system environment. Functions that capture the rules determining these output values specify that behavior. The Shared Services module concerns aspects of

Using different methods to assess the discomfort during car driving.

PubMed

Ravnik, David; Otáhal, Stanislav; Dodic Fikfak, Metoda

2008-03-01

This study investigated the discomfort caused by car driving. Discomfort estimates were achieved by self-administered questionnaire, measured by different testing methods, and through the goniometry of principal angles. Data from a total of 200 non-professional drivers who fulfilled the questionnaire was analysed. 118 subjects were analysed by goniometry and 30 drivers were assessed using the OWAS (Ovaco orking Posture Analysis), RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment), and CORLETT tests. The aim of this paper was to assess the appearance of the discomfort and to find some correlations between drivers' postures. Results suggest that different levels of discomfort are perceived in different body regions when driving cars. Differences appear mostly between the genders concerning the discomfort. With the questionnaire and the different estimation techniques, it is possible to identify 'at risk' drivers and ensure urgent attention when necessary. It can be concluded that the questionnare and the CORLETT test are good in predicting location of discomfort. TheB org CRI10scale is good indicator of the level of the discomfort, while OWAS and RULA can appraise the body posture to predict discomfort appearance. According to the goniometry data, the drivers posture could be one of the contributing factors in appearing of discomfort.

Older adults' safety perceptions of driving situations: towards a new driving self-regulation scale.

PubMed

Sullivan, Karen A; Smith, Simon S; Horswill, Mark S; Lurie-Beck, Janine K

2011-05-01

The term 'driving self-restriction' is used in the road safety literature to describe the behaviour of some older drivers. It includes the notion that older drivers will avoid driving in specific, usually self-identified situations, such as those in which safety is compromised. We sought to identify the situations that older drivers report avoiding; and, to determine the adequacy of a key measure of such behaviour. A sample of 75 drivers aged 65 years and older completed Baldock et al.'s modification of the Driving Habits Questionnaire avoidance items (Baldock et al., 2006), the Driving Behaviour Questionnaire, and open-ended items that elicited written descriptions of the most and least safe driving situation. Consistent with previous results, we found a relatively low level of driving self-restriction and infrequent episodes of aggressive violations. However, when combined with the situation descriptions, these data suggest that Driving Habits Questionnaire did not cover all of the situations that older drivers might choose avoid. We suggest that a new avoidance scale is needed and we present a new item pool that may be used for this purpose. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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...

Risk-perception and dangerous driving among adolescents: Outcome- and behavior-focused questions yield opposite results.

PubMed

O'Brien, Fearghal; Gormley, Michael

2016-10-01

While some studies have found that those who perceive a behavior to be more risky are less likely to engage in it, others have found that those who engage in more risky behaviors see themselves as being more at-risk. Using an online questionnaire we investigated whether such conflicting findings may be due to the types of risk-questions employed in past studies. We assessed risk-perception using outcome-focused questions (e.g. the likelihood of being in an accident) and a behavior-focused question (the riskiness of speeding). Participants who reported engaging in more risky driving gave higher estimates of their chances of experiencing a negative outcome. However, those same participants gave lower estimates of the general riskiness of risky driving. Drivers may think about the risks of risky driving in different ways depending on the focus of the questions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Investigating the predictive of risk-taking attitudes and behaviors among Iranian drivers

PubMed Central

Habibi, Ehsanollah; Haghi, Azam; Maracy, Mohammad Reza

2014-01-01

Background: World Health Organization findings shows that up to year 2020 the number of fatality due to driving accidents will increases up to 65%, which is 80% is in developing countries. Iran has one of the highest rates of road traffic accident mortality rate in the world. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out in the center and west of Iran upon 540 ordinary and taxi drivers who were driving regularly from bus terminals and the travel agencies to other cities. Data collection tool is a questionnaire that measuring driving risk taking by two items of risky driving behaviors and risk taking attitudes. Findings: The results of this study showed that the averages of risk driving behaviors scores were higher than the average of risk taking attitudes scores. The results of logistic regression test showed that the risky driving behaviors can be a predictor of driving accidents due to individuals’ risk taking (P = 0.014). Among all these variables, attitude toward rule violations and speeding, aggressive driving and violation of the road laws respectively are important predictive of drivers’ risk taking (P < 0.0010). Discussion and Conclusion: Although attitude toward risk taking has been located at a low level by different ways, a desired result was not obtained from the reduction of those high risky behaviors; in fact, high-rate of accidents and traffic incidence in Iran indicates this matter well. PMID:24741659

Road traffic accidents and self-reported Portuguese car driver's attitudes, behaviors, and opinions: Are they related?

PubMed

Bon de Sousa, Teresa; Santos, Carolina; Mateus, Ceu; Areal, Alain; Trigoso, Jose; Nunes, Carla

2016-10-02

This study aims to characterize Portuguese car drivers in terms of demographic characteristics, driving experience, and attitudes, opinions, and behaviors concerning road traffic safety. Furthermore, associations between these characteristics and self-reported involvement in a road traffic accident as a driver in the last 3 years were analyzed. A final goal was to develop a final predictive model of the risk of suffering a road traffic accident. A cross-sectional analytic study was developed, based on a convenience sample of 612 car drivers. A questionnaire was applied by trained interviewers, embracing various topics related to road safety such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, phone use while driving, speeding, use of advanced driver assistance systems, and the transport infrastructure and environment (European Project SARTRE 4, Portuguese version). From the 52 initial questions, 19 variables were selected through principal component analysis. Then, and in addition to the usual descriptive measures, logistic binary regression models were used in order to describe associations and to develop a predictive model of being involved in a road traffic accident. Of the 612 car drivers, 37.3% (228) reported being involved in a road traffic accident with damage or injury in the past 3 years. In this group, the majority were male, older than 65, with no children, not employed, and living in an urban area. In the multivariate model, several factors were identified: being widowed (vs. single; odds ratio [OR] = 3.478, 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.159-10.434); living in a suburban area (vs. a rural area; OR = 5.023, 95% CI, 2.260-11.166); having been checked for alcohol once in the last 3 years (vs. not checked; OR = 3.124, 95% CI, 2.040-4,783); and seldom drinking an energetic beverage such as coffee when tired (vs. always do; OR = 6.822, 95% CI, 2.619-17.769) all suffered a higher risk of being involved in a car accident. The results obtained with regard to behavioral factors meet the majority of the risk factors associated with car accidents referred to in the literature. This study highlights the relation of relatively minor accidents (the majority with no injuries) with an urban (or semi-urban) context and involving older drivers. These accidents are not usually the focus of road safety literature (mainly death and serious health loss) but, in addition to the economic costs involved, they can have a huge impact on road safety (e.g., pedestrian). Specifically, the following interventions can be proposed: more detailed clinical examinations to identify real competencies to drive especially in older drivers (active aging can constitute a new challenge in road safety and new paradigms can arise) and education campaigns on how to cope with fatigue. Future studies in large samples and not based on self-reported behaviors should be developed.

The choice to text and drive in younger drivers: behavior may shape attitude.

PubMed

Atchley, Paul; Atwood, Stephanie; Boulton, Aaron

2011-01-01

Following a previous study that reported a large number of young adult drivers text and drive, the current study investigated this behavior by looking at patterns of use and driver assessment of the risk of the behavior. The data from the current study converge with and extended the previous work showing 70% of the 348 young adult drivers surveyed report initiating texts while driving while higher numbers reply to texts (81%) and read texts (92%) while driving. Additional drivers also report doing these behaviors, but only while stopped in traffic, showing only 2% never text and drive under any circumstances. The drivers indicated that they perceived these behaviors to be very risky and riskier than talking on a cell phone while driving, but perception of risk was a very weak predictor of behavior (for initiating texts) or had no effect on texting (for replying or reading texts while driving). In addition, a factor analysis of the perception of road conditions while texting revealed that making the choice to engage in texting (initiating) led drivers to perceive road conditions as being safer than if they replied to a text or read a text, suggesting that choosing to engage in the behavior itself changes attitudes toward risk. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A quantum mechanics-based approach to model incident-induced dynamic driver behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheu, Jiuh-Biing

2008-08-01

A better understanding of the psychological factors influencing drivers, and the resulting driving behavior responding to incident-induced lane traffic phenomena while passing by an incident site is vital to the improvement of road safety. This paper presents a microscopic driver behavior model to explain the dynamics of the instantaneous driver decision process under lane-blocking incidents on adjacent lanes. The proposed conceptual framework decomposes the corresponding driver decision process into three sequential phases: (1) initial stimulus, (2) glancing-around car-following, and (3) incident-induced driving behavior. The theorem of quantum mechanics in optical flows is applied in the first phase to explain the motion-related perceptual phenomena while vehicles approach the incident site in adjacent lanes, followed by the incorporation of the effect of quantum optical flows in modeling the induced glancing-around car-following behavior in the second phase. Then, an incident-induced driving behavior model is formulated to reproduce the dynamics of driver behavior conducted in the process of passing by an incident site in the adjacent lanes. Numerical results of model tests using video-based incident data indicate the validity of the proposed traffic behavior model in analyzing the incident-induced lane traffic phenomena. It is also expected that such a proposed quantum-mechanics based methodology can throw more light if applied to driver psychology and response in anomalous traffic environments in order to improve road safety.

Improving driver safety with behavioral countermeasures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-30

"The purpose of this project was to provide MDOT with insight regarding the effectiveness of potential implementations of behavioral countermeasures for increasing driver safety in Michigan. The Center for Driver Evaluation, Education, and Research a...

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

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.

The Dula dangerous driving index in China: an investigation of reliability and validity.

PubMed

Qu, Weina; Ge, Yan; Jiang, Caihong; Du, Feng; Zhang, Kan

2014-03-01

The aim of this study was to translate the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) into Chinese and to verify its reliability and validity. A total of 246 drivers completed the Chinese version of the DDDI and the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ). Specific sociodemographic variables and traffic violations were also measured. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the internal structure of the DDDI, and the four-factor model was supported in China. Measures of convergent and criterion validity demonstrated that the Chinese DDDI was valid. Its convergent validity was supported by its positive relationship with the DBQ, and its criterion validity was tested using its relationship with self-reported accident involvement and traffic violations. Finally, score comparisons between different demographic groups revealed significant differences, thereby linking age and driving years to dangerous driving. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Road accidents caused by drivers falling asleep.

PubMed

Sagberg, F

1999-11-01

About 29600 Norwegian accident-involved drivers received a questionnaire about the last accident reported to their insurance company. About 9200 drivers (31%) returned the questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions about sleep or fatigue as contributing factors to the accident. In addition, the drivers reported whether or not they had fallen asleep some time whilst driving. and what the consequences had been. Sleep or drowsiness was a contributing factor in 3.9% of all accidents, as reported by drivers who were at fault for the accident. This factor was strongly over-represented in night-time accidents (18.6%), in running-off-the-road accidents (8.3%), accidents after driving more than 150 km on one trip (8.1%), and personal injury accidents (7.3%). A logistic regression analysis showed that the following additional factors made significant and independent contributions to increasing the odds of sleep involvement in an accident: dry road, high speed limit, driving one's own car, not driving the car daily, high education, and few years of driving experience. More male than female drivers were involved in sleep-related accidents, but this seems largely to be explained by males driving relatively more than females on roads with high speed limits. A total of 10% of male drivers and 4% of females reported to have fallen asleep while driving during the last 12 months. A total of 4% of these events resulted in an accident. The most frequent consequence of falling asleep--amounting to more than 40% of the reported incidents--was crossing of the right edge-line before awaking, whereas crossing of the centreline was reported by 16%. Drivers' lack of awareness of important precursors of falling asleep--like highway hypnosis, driving without awareness, and similar phenomena--as well as a reluctance to discontinue driving despite feeling tired are pointed out as likely contributors to sleep-related accidents. More knowledge about the drivers' experiences immediately preceding such accidents may give a better background for implementing effective driver warning systems and other countermeasures.

49 CFR 382.307 - Reasonable suspicion testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., behavior, speech or body odors of the driver. (b) An employer shall require a driver to submit to a..., behavior, speech or body odors of the driver. The observations may include indications of the chronic and...

Driving safety among patients with automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

PubMed

Finch, N J; Leman, R B; Kratz, J M; Gillette, P C

1993-10-06

To determine the driving behavior of patients following the placement of automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICDs). Forty patients with AICDs (33 men, seven women; mean age, 62.7 years) responded to a questionnaire designed to ascertain driving behavior after hospital discharge. Despite medical advice never to drive again, 28 patients (70%) resumed driving, with the majority doing so by 8 months after AICD implantation. Of these, 11 (40%) identified themselves as the primary driver in their household. Fourteen (50%) drove daily. Two (7%) were driving and continued to drive during discharge of their AICDs. Twenty-five (91%) reported that they felt comfortable and safe while driving. A majority of patients with AICDs continue to drive after a proscription of this activity by health care workers.

Attitudes of Greek Drivers with Focus on Mobile Phone Use While Driving.

PubMed

Yannis, George; Theofilatos, Athanasios; Marinou, Paraskevi

2015-01-01

This article investigates the attitudes and behavior of Greek drivers with specific focus on mobile phone use while driving. The research is based on the data of the pan-European SARTRE 4 survey, which was conducted on a representative sample of Greek drivers in 2011. Analysis of the drivers' behavior was carried out by the statistical methods of factor and cluster analysis. According to the results of factor analysis, Greek drivers' responses in the selected questions were summarized into 4 factors, describing road behavior and accident involvement probability as well as their views on issues concerning other drivers' road behaviors, fatigued driving, enforcement of road safety, and mobile phone use while driving. The results of cluster analysis indicated 5 different groups of Greek drivers--the moderate, the optimistic, the conservative, the risky, and the reasonably cautious--and the characteristics of each group where identified. These results may be useful for the appropriate design of targeted road safety campaigns and other countermeasures.

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the relative efficacy of adding voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) to information dissemination in reducing HIV-related risk behaviors among Hong Kong male cross-border truck drivers.

PubMed

Lau, Joseph T F; Tsui, Hi Yi; Cheng, Shannon; Pang, Margaret

2010-01-01

Mobile populations are vulnerable to contracting HIV. The present study aims to evaluate the relative efficacy of the voluntary counseling and testing plus information dissemination (VCT-ID) approach versus the information dissemination (ID) approach for promoting HIV preventive behaviors in a mobile population, cross-border truck drivers. A total of 301 adult male cross-border truck drivers who self-reported having had sex with female sex workers (FSW) or non-regular sex partners (NRPs) in mainland China in the last 12 months were recruited and randomized into the VCT-ID intervention group (Group I) or ID control group (Group C). Anonymous structured questionnaires, administered through a computer-assisted method, were used to collect data. At the follow-up survey (about 8-9 weeks since the baseline survey), Group I participants, as compared to Group C participants, were more likely to be consistent condom users when having sex with FSW (85.5% versus 68.5%, p<0.05) and with NRP (54.8% versus 36.4%, p<0.1), more knowledgeable about HIV, and were less likely to have contracted sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the last two months. The VCT-ID approach is shown to be more efficacious than the ID approach in promoting safer sex and HIV-related knowledge among local cross-border truck drivers. Feasibility of providing voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services at locations which are convenient to the target population is demonstrated. It also shows that VCT services can be used as a means of HIV prevention. The findings of this study resulted in up-scaled VCT services for the local target population.

The effect of family climate on risky driving of young novices: the moderating role of attitude and locus of control.

PubMed

Carpentier, Aline; Brijs, Kris; Declercq, Katrien; Brijs, Tom; Daniels, Stijn; Wets, Geert

2014-12-01

The aim of the study was to examine the relative importance of young novice drivers' family climate on their driving behavior. A sample of young novice drivers (N=171) between the age of 17 and 24, who held their permanent (or temporary) driver's license for no longer than one year, participated. The questionnaire included items related to the participants' family climate, 3 socio-cognitive determinants (i.e., attitude, locus of control and social norm), and risky driving behaviors. We expected both family climate and the socio-cognitive determinants to exert a direct effect on risky driving. Furthermore we hypothesized that the socio-cognitive determinants would moderate the impact of family climate on risky driving. The results showed that the effect of family climate on risky driving only originated from one single factor (i.e., noncommitment). Besides that, the results confirmed the importance of the three socio-cognitive determinants to the degree that attitude, locus of control, and social norm significantly predicted the self-reported risky driving. In line of what we hypothesized, attitude moderated the relationship between noncommitment and risky driving. Lastly, we found an unexpected three-way interaction which indicated that locus of control moderated the relation between noncommitment and risky driving only when young drivers' attitude was risk-supportive. We recommend scholars and practitioners to take into account the interaction between external sources of influence (such as an individual's family climate) and more personally oriented dispositions (such as an individual's attitude, social norm and locus of control) when trying to explain and change young novices' risky driving. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Braking Behavior of Train Drivers to Detect Unusual Driving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marumo, Yoshitaka; Tsunashima, Hitoshi; Kojima, Takashi; Hasegawa, Yasushi

The safety devices for train systems are activated in emergency situations when a risk becomes obvious, and the emergency brake is applied. If such systems are faulty, the drivers' operating errors may cause immediate accidents. So it is necessary to evaluate potential risks by detecting improper driving behavior before overt risks appear. This study analyzes the driving behavior of train drivers using a train-driving simulator. We focus on braking behavior when approaching a station. Two methods for detecting unusual braking operation are examined by giving drivers mental calculation problems as a mental workload. The first is a method monitoring the driver's brake handle operation, and the second is a method measuring vehicle deceleration. These methods make it possible to detect unusual driving.

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.

Can variations in visual behavior measures be good predictors of driver sleepiness? A real driving test study.

PubMed

Wang, Yonggang; Xin, Mengyang; Bai, Han; Zhao, Yangdong

2017-02-17

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the association between variations in visual behavior measures and subjective sleepiness levels across age groups over time to determine a quantitative method of measuring drivers' sleepiness levels. A total of 128 volunteer drivers in 4 age groups were asked to finish 2-, 3-, and 4-h continuous driving tasks on expressways, during which the driver's fixation, saccade, and blink measures were recorded by an eye-tracking system and the subjective sleepiness level was measured through the Stanford Sleepiness Scale. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was then used to examine the change in visual behavior measures across age groups over time and compare the interactive effects of these 2 factors on the dependent visual measures. Drivers' visual behavior measures and subjective sleepiness levels vary significantly over time but not across age groups. A statistically significant interaction between age group and driving duration was found in drivers' pupil diameter, deviation of search angle, saccade amplitude, blink frequency, blink duration, and closure duration. Additionally, change in a driver's subjective sleepiness level is positively or negatively associated with variation in visual behavior measures, and such relationships can be expressed in regression models for different period of driving duration. Driving duration affects drivers' sleepiness significantly, so the amount of continuous driving time should be strictly controlled. Moreover, driving sleepiness can be quantified through the change rate of drivers' visual behavior measures to alert drivers of sleepiness risk and to encourage rest periods. These results provide insight into potential strategies for reducing and preventing traffic accidents and injuries.

An investigation of driver distraction near the tipping point of traffic flow stability.

PubMed

Cooper, Joel M; Vladisavljevic, Ivana; Medeiros-Ward, Nathan; Martin, Peter T; Strayer, David L

2009-04-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationship between driver distraction and characteristics of driver behavior associated with reduced highway traffic efficiency. Research on the three-phase traffic theory and on behavioral driving suggests that a number of characteristics associated with efficient traffic flow may be affected by driver distraction. Previous studies have been limited, however, by the fact that researchers typically do not allow participants to change lanes, nor do they account for the impact of varying traffic states on driving performance. Participants drove in three simulated environments with differing traffic congestion while both using and not using a cell phone. Instructed only to obey the speed limit, participants were allowed to vary driving behaviors, such as those involving forward following distance, speed, and lane-changing frequency. Both driver distraction and traffic congestion were found to significantly affect lane change frequency, mean speed, and the likelihood of remaining behind a slower-moving lead vehicle. This research suggests that the behavioral profile of "cell phone drivers," which is often described as compensatory, may have far-reaching and unexpected consequences for traffic efficiency. By considering the dynamic interplay between characteristics of traffic flow and driver behavior, this research may inform both public policy regarding in-vehicle cell phone use and future investigations of driving behavior.

Prevalence of sleep-related accidents among drivers in Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

BaHammam, Ahmad S.; Alkhunizan, Muath A.; Lesloum, Rabea H.; Alshanqiti, Amer M.; Aldakhil, Abdulrahman M.; Pandi-Perumal, Seithikurippu R.; Sharif, Munir M.

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of sleepy driving and sleep-related accidents (SRA) varies widely, and no data exist regarding the prevalence of sleepy driving in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the prevalence and predictors of sleepy driving, near-misses, and SRA among drivers in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was developed to assess sleep and driving in detail based on previously published data regarding sleepy driving. The questionnaire included 50 questions addressing socio-demographics, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), driving items, and the Berlin Questionnaire. In total, 1,219 male drivers in public places were interviewed face-to-face. RESULTS: The included drivers had a mean age of 32.4 ± 11.7 years and displayed a mean ESS score of 7.2 ± 3.8. Among these drivers, 33.1% reported at least one near-miss accident caused by sleepiness. Among those who had actual accidents, 11.6% were attributed to sleepiness. In the past six months, drivers reported the following: 25.2% reported falling asleep at least once during, driving and 20.8% had to stop driving at least once because of severe sleepiness. Young age, feeling very sleepy during driving, and having at least one near-miss accident caused by sleepiness in the past six months were the only predictors of accidents. CONCLUSION: Sleepy driving is prevalent among male drivers in Saudi Arabia. Near-miss accidents caused by sleepiness are an important risk factor for car accidents and should be considered as a strong warning signal of future accidents. PMID:25276244

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/.

Driver Education Task Analysis. Volume I: Task Descriptions. Final Report (August 1969-July 1970).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKnight, A. James; Adams, Bert B.

This resource guide is the first of a 4-volume report dealing with the development of driver education objectives through an analysis of the driver's task. Included are a detailed description of the behaviors required of passenger car drivers, rated criticalities of these behaviors, and items of supporting information relating to driver…

Modeling Driver Behavior near Intersections in Hidden Markov Model

PubMed Central

Li, Juan; He, Qinglian; Zhou, Hang; Guan, Yunlin; Dai, Wei

2016-01-01

Intersections are one of the major locations where safety is a big concern to drivers. Inappropriate driver behaviors in response to frequent changes when approaching intersections often lead to intersection-related crashes or collisions. Thus to better understand driver behaviors at intersections, especially in the dilemma zone, a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is utilized in this study. With the discrete data processing, the observed dynamic data of vehicles are used for the inference of the Hidden Markov Model. The Baum-Welch (B-W) estimation algorithm is applied to calculate the vehicle state transition probability matrix and the observation probability matrix. When combined with the Forward algorithm, the most likely state of the driver can be obtained. Thus the model can be used to measure the stability and risk of driver behavior. It is found that drivers’ behaviors in the dilemma zone are of lower stability and higher risk compared with those in other regions around intersections. In addition to the B-W estimation algorithm, the Viterbi Algorithm is utilized to predict the potential dangers of vehicles. The results can be applied to driving assistance systems to warn drivers to avoid possible accidents. PMID:28009838

Keep Your Scanners Peeled: Gaze Behavior as a Measure of Automation Trust During Highly Automated Driving.

PubMed

Hergeth, Sebastian; Lorenz, Lutz; Vilimek, Roman; Krems, Josef F

2016-05-01

The feasibility of measuring drivers' automation trust via gaze behavior during highly automated driving was assessed with eye tracking and validated with self-reported automation trust in a driving simulator study. Earlier research from other domains indicates that drivers' automation trust might be inferred from gaze behavior, such as monitoring frequency. The gaze behavior and self-reported automation trust of 35 participants attending to a visually demanding non-driving-related task (NDRT) during highly automated driving was evaluated. The relationship between dispositional, situational, and learned automation trust with gaze behavior was compared. Overall, there was a consistent relationship between drivers' automation trust and gaze behavior. Participants reporting higher automation trust tended to monitor the automation less frequently. Further analyses revealed that higher automation trust was associated with lower monitoring frequency of the automation during NDRTs, and an increase in trust over the experimental session was connected with a decrease in monitoring frequency. We suggest that (a) the current results indicate a negative relationship between drivers' self-reported automation trust and monitoring frequency, (b) gaze behavior provides a more direct measure of automation trust than other behavioral measures, and (c) with further refinement, drivers' automation trust during highly automated driving might be inferred from gaze behavior. Potential applications of this research include the estimation of drivers' automation trust and reliance during highly automated driving. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

The development, factor structure and psychometric properties of driving self-regulation scales for older adults: Has self-regulation evolved in the last 15 years?

PubMed

Wong, Ides Y; Smith, Simon S; Sullivan, Karen A

2015-07-01

The term driving self-regulation is typically used to describe the practice of drivers who avoid driving in situations that they regard as unsafe because of perceived physical impairment. Older adults report using this strategy to improve safety while retaining mobility. Self-regulation is typically assessed using the driving avoidance items from the driving habits questionnaire (DHQ) and the driver mobility questionnaire (DMQ-A). However, the psychometric properties of these measures are not well understood. Using data from 277 older drivers, exploratory factor analysis was used to test the homogeneity of three driving self-regulation scales: the DHQ, DMQ-A, and an extended DMQ-A. Good internal consistency for each of the scales was identified (all αs≥.9). A one factor solution was identified for two of the measures (DHQ, DMQ-A) and a two factor solution accounting for over 70% of the score variance was identified for the third measure. The two factors assessed situations that may be avoided while driving because of the "external" (e.g., weather-related) or "internal" (e.g., passenger-related) driving environments, respectively. The findings suggest that the interpretation of an overall summated scale score, or single-item interpretations, may not be appropriate. Instead, driving self-regulation may be a multifaceted construct comprised of distinct dimensions that have not been identified previously but can be reliably measured. These data have implications for our understanding of driving self-regulation by older adults and the way in which this behavior is measured. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A model of Beijing drivers' scrambling behaviors.

PubMed

Shi, Jing; Bai, Yun; Tao, Li; Atchley, Paul

2011-07-01

A major, but unstudied, cause of crashes in China is drivers that "scramble" to gain the right of way in violation of traffic regulations. The motivation of this study is to explore the features of drivers' scrambling behaviors and the attitudes and driving skills that influence them. In this study, we established a scrambling behavior scale, and developed a driving attitude scale and a driving skill scale using factor analysis of an Internet survey of 486 drivers in Beijing. A structural equation model of scrambling behavior toward cars and pedestrians/cyclists was developed with attitudes and skills as predictors of behavior. Skills and attitudes of approval toward violations of traffic rules did not predict scrambling behaviors, while the motivation for safety and attitudes against violating traffic rules led to reduced scrambling behaviors. The current work highlights this peculiar aspect of Chinese roads and suggests methods to reduce the behavior. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Musculoskeletal injuries in auto racing: a retrospective study of 137 drivers.

PubMed

Koutras, Christos; Buecking, Benjamin; Jaeger, Marcus; Ruchholtz, Steffen; Heep, Hansjoerg

2014-11-01

The effect of continuous exposure of a driver's bones and muscles to vibration and G forces to years of automobile racing and the effect on overall health have not yet been examined in detail. The goal of this study was to investigate via questionnaire the musculoskeletal injuries and influencing parameters in 130 amateur and 7 professional race car drivers. A questionnaire, translated in English and German, was used to investigate the parameters that influence the racing performance and the character of resulting injuries. This investigation involved 137 drivers (133 men and 4 women) with a mean age of 42 years (standard deviation = 15). Approximately half of the drivers had < 10 years of experience in auto racing (49%). The drivers mainly complained about pains in the lumbar (n = 36; 26%), shoulder (n = 27; 20%), and neck regions (n = 25; 18%). The driver's posture and the comfort of the seat were statistically significant for causing lower back and upper legs pains. The race duration was relevant to neck and shoulder discomfort. The high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in race car driving indicates the need for further improvements. Elimination of driver complaints about pain in the spine and upper extremities can be achieved through technical development, as already accomplished in Formula One racing.

Comprehending Consumption: The Behavioral Basis and Implementation of Driver Feedback for Reducing Vehicle Energy Use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stillwater, Tai

A large body of evidence suggests that drivers who receive real-time fuel economy information can increase their vehicle fuel economy by 5%, a process commonly known as ecodriving. However, few studies have directly addressed the human side of the feedback, that is, why drivers would (or would not) be motivated to change their behavior and how to design feedback devices to maximize the motivation to ecodrive. This dissertation approaches the question using a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach to explore driver responses and psychology as well as to quantify the process of behavior change. The first chapter discusses the use of mile-per-gallon fuel economy as a metric for driver feedback and finds that an alternative energy economy metric is superior for real-time feedback. The second chapter reviews behavioral theories and proposes a number of practical solutions for the ecodriving context. In the third chapter the theory of planned behavior is tested against driver responses to an existing feedback system available in the 2008 model Toyota Prius. The fourth chapter presents a novel feedback design based on behavioral theories and drivers' responses to the feedback. Finally, chapter five presents the quantitative results of a natural-driving study of fuel economy feedback. The dissertation findings suggest that behavior theories such as the Theory of Planned Behavior can provide important improvements to existing feedback designs. In addition, a careful analysis of vehicle energy flows indicates that the mile-per-gallon metric is deeply flawed as a real-time feedback metric, and should be replaced. Chapters 2 and 3 conclude that behavior theories have both a theoretical and highly practical role in feedback design, although the driving context requires just as much care in the application. Chapters 4 and 5 find that a theory-inspired interface provides drivers with engaging and motivating feedback, and that integrating personal goal into the feedback is the most motivating theory-based addition. Finally, the behavioral model results in chapter 5 suggest that driver goals not only influence in-vehicle energy use, but are themselves flexible constructs that can be directly influenced by energy feedback.

Assessing dangerous driving behavior during driving inattention: Psychometric adaptation and validation of the Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale in China.

PubMed

Qu, Weina; Ge, Yan; Zhang, Qian; Zhao, Wenguo; Zhang, Kan

2015-07-01

Driver inattention is a significant cause of motor vehicle collisions and incidents. The purpose of this study was to translate the Attention-Related Driving Error Scale (ARDES) into Chinese and to verify its reliability and validity. A total of 317 drivers completed the Chinese version of the ARDES, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI), the Attention-Related Cognitive Errors Scale (ARCES) and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) questionnaires. Specific sociodemographic variables and traffic violations were also measured. Psychometric results confirm that the ARDES-China has adequate psychometric properties (Cronbach's alpha=0.88) to be a useful tool for evaluating proneness to attentional errors in the Chinese driving population. First, ARDES-China scores were positively correlated with both DDDI scores and number of accidents in the prior year; in addition, ARDES-China scores were a significant predictor of dangerous driving behavior as measured by DDDI. Second, we found that ARDES-China scores were strongly correlated with ARCES scores and negatively correlated with MAAS scores. Finally, different demographic groups exhibited significant differences in ARDES scores; in particular, ARDES scores varied with years of driving experience. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of designated boat operators and designated drivers among college students.

PubMed

Cheong, JeeWon; Hall, Nicole M; MacKinnon, David P

2006-07-01

Prior research has shown that designated drivers (DD) are widely used as a preventive measure for driving under the influence. Despite the prevalence of alcohol involvement in boating accidents, much less is known about the use of a designated boat operator (DBO). The current study investigated the prevalence of DBO use in recreational boating and compared the characteristics of DD users and DBO users. Several survey questionnaires were distributed to a group of undergraduate students at a large southwestern university for the purpose of investigating demographic characteristics, alcohol-use pattern, and other alcohol-related problem behaviors, such as driving and boating under the influence. Approximately 45% of the boaters reported they had drunk alcohol while boating, and approximately 70% had used a DBO in the most recent boating event. The DBO users were found to be similar to the DD users in terms of drinking pattern, age of drinking onset, and driving behaviors. High rates of alcohol use in recreational boating suggest the need for prevention strategies. Furthermore, future studies are needed to investigate the selection process of the DBOs and the differences between passengers and boat operators, which could shed light on strategies to prevent alcohol- involved boating injuries.

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.

The relative frequency of unsafe driving acts in serious traffic crashes

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the specific driver behaviors and unsafe driving acts that lead to crashes, and the situational, driver and vehicle characteristics associated with these behaviors. A sample of 723 crashes involving 1284 drivers ...

Driver attitudes and behaviors at intersections and potential effectiveness of engineering countermeasures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-03-01

This document is an executive summary of the report "Driver attitudes and behaviors at intersections and potential effectiveness of engineering countermeasures", FHWA-HRT-05-078. The objective of the focus group study was to identify driver attitudes...

Modeling driver stop/run behavior at the onset of a yellow indication considering driver run tendency and roadway surface conditions.

PubMed

Elhenawy, Mohammed; Jahangiri, Arash; Rakha, Hesham A; El-Shawarby, Ihab

2015-10-01

The ability to model driver stop/run behavior at signalized intersections considering the roadway surface condition is critical in the design of advanced driver assistance systems. Such systems can reduce intersection crashes and fatalities by predicting driver stop/run behavior. The research presented in this paper uses data collected from two controlled field experiments on the Smart Road at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to model driver stop/run behavior at the onset of a yellow indication for different roadway surface conditions. The paper offers two contributions. First, it introduces a new predictor related to driver aggressiveness and demonstrates that this measure enhances the modeling of driver stop/run behavior. Second, it applies well-known artificial intelligence techniques including: adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), random forest, and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms as well as traditional logistic regression techniques on the data in order to develop a model that can be used by traffic signal controllers to predict driver stop/run decisions in a connected vehicle environment. The research demonstrates that by adding the proposed driver aggressiveness predictor to the model, there is a statistically significant increase in the model accuracy. Moreover the false alarm rate is significantly reduced but this reduction is not statistically significant. The study demonstrates that, for the subject data, the SVM machine learning algorithm performs the best in terms of optimum classification accuracy and false positive rates. However, the SVM model produces the best performance in terms of the classification accuracy only. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Acceptance of and Engagement in Risky Driving Behaviors by Teenagers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarkar, Sheila; Andreas, Marie

2004-01-01

Data gathered from 1,430 teenage student drivers and 880 teenage traffic violators were used to examine the levels of exposure to risky driving behaviors and perceptions concerning the level of danger of such behaviors. For student drivers, 55% reported exposure to risky driving by being in a car with a driver engaging in such activities as drunk…

Analysis of the ecological conservation behavior of farmers in payment for ecosystem service programs in eco-environmentally fragile areas using social psychology models.

PubMed

Deng, Jian; Sun, Pingsheng; Zhao, Fazhu; Han, Xinhui; Yang, Gaihe; Feng, Yongzhong

2016-04-15

Studies on the ecological conservation behavior of farmers usually focus on individual and socio-economic characteristics without consideration of the underlying psychological constructs, such as farmers' intention and perceptions. This study uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a typical social psychology construct, to analyze the factors affecting the intention and behavior of farmers for conserving the ecological achievements from payment for ecosystem service (PES) programs in eco-environmentally fragile areas. Questionnaires based on TPB were administered to 1004 farmers from the Grain to Green Program area in the Loess Plateau, China, with the resulting dataset used to identify the underlying factors determining farmers' intention and behavior based on the structural equation model. The results show that the farmers' intention and behavior toward conserving ecological achievements were explained well by TPB. The farmers'behavior was significantly positively affected by their intention toward conserving ecological achievements, and their intention was significantly influenced by their attitude (positive or negative value of performance), the subjective norm (social pressure in engaging behavior), and perceived behavioral control (perceptions of their ability). The farmers' degree of support for PES programs and their recognition of environmental effects were the factors that most influenced the farmers' attitude. Pressure from neighbors was the most potent driver of the subjective norm. Meanwhile, perceptions of their ability to perform the behavior were the most potent factors affecting intention and it was mostly driven by the farmers' feelings toward environmental improvement and perceived ability (time and labor) to participate in ecological conservation. The drivers of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control can be used by policy makers to direct farmers' intention and behavior toward conserving ecological achievements in fragile eco-environmentally areas through PES programs. Thus, this strategy can improve the sustainability of ecological and environmental restoration programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Study of Driver's Route Choice Behavior Based on Evolutionary Game Theory

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xiaowei; Ji, Yanjie; Deng, Wei

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a route choice analytic method that embeds cumulative prospect theory in evolutionary game theory to analyze how the drivers adjust their route choice behaviors under the influence of the traffic information. A simulated network with two alternative routes and one variable message sign is built to illustrate the analytic method. We assume that the drivers in the transportation system are bounded rational, and the traffic information they receive is incomplete. An evolutionary game model is constructed to describe the evolutionary process of the drivers' route choice decision-making behaviors. Here we conclude that the traffic information plays an important role in the route choice behavior. The driver's route decision-making process develops towards different evolutionary stable states in accordance with different transportation situations. The analysis results also demonstrate that employing cumulative prospect theory and evolutionary game theory to study the driver's route choice behavior is effective. This analytic method provides an academic support and suggestion for the traffic guidance system, and may optimize the travel efficiency to a certain extent. PMID:25610455

A study of driver's route choice behavior based on evolutionary game theory.

PubMed

Jiang, Xiaowei; Ji, Yanjie; Du, Muqing; Deng, Wei

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a route choice analytic method that embeds cumulative prospect theory in evolutionary game theory to analyze how the drivers adjust their route choice behaviors under the influence of the traffic information. A simulated network with two alternative routes and one variable message sign is built to illustrate the analytic method. We assume that the drivers in the transportation system are bounded rational, and the traffic information they receive is incomplete. An evolutionary game model is constructed to describe the evolutionary process of the drivers' route choice decision-making behaviors. Here we conclude that the traffic information plays an important role in the route choice behavior. The driver's route decision-making process develops towards different evolutionary stable states in accordance with different transportation situations. The analysis results also demonstrate that employing cumulative prospect theory and evolutionary game theory to study the driver's route choice behavior is effective. This analytic method provides an academic support and suggestion for the traffic guidance system, and may optimize the travel efficiency to a certain extent.

[Association between psychosocial aspects of work and quality of life among motorcycle taxi drivers].

PubMed

Teixeira, Jules Ramon Brito; Boery, Eduardo Nagib; Casotti, Cezar Augusto; Araújo, Tânia Maria de; Pereira, Rafael; Ribeiro, Ícaro José Santos; Rios, Marcela Andrade; Amorim, Camila Rego; Moreira, Ramon Missias; Boery, Rita Narriman Silva de Oliveira; Sales, Zenilda Nogueira

2015-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of motorcycle taxi drivers and the association with psychosocial characteristics of their work. This was a cross-sectional epidemiological study with a sample of 400 motorcycle taxi drivers in Jequié, Bahia State, Brazil. The study used a form containing demographic and socioeconomic data, WHO Quality of Life-Bref Questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref), and the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Motorcycle taxi drivers with greater decision-making control over their work showed better self-rated quality of life in the psychological domain; those with high psychological demands presented better self-rated quality of life in the social relations and environmental domains; those with high strain and active work showed better self-rated quality of life in the social and environmental domains. The psychosocial work environment and especially decision-making autonomy were thus important determinants of self-rated quality of life in this group of motorcycle taxi drivers.

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.

Overcoming Barriers in Unhealthy Settings

PubMed Central

Lemke, Michael K.; Meissen, Gregory J.; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos

2016-01-01

We investigated the phenomenon of sustained health-supportive behaviors among long-haul commercial truck drivers, who belong to an occupational segment with extreme health disparities. With a focus on setting-level factors, this study sought to discover ways in which individuals exhibit resiliency while immersed in endemically obesogenic environments, as well as understand setting-level barriers to engaging in health-supportive behaviors. Using a transcendental phenomenological research design, 12 long-haul truck drivers who met screening criteria were selected using purposeful maximum sampling. Seven broad themes were identified: access to health resources, barriers to health behaviors, recommended alternative settings, constituents of health behavior, motivation for health behaviors, attitude toward health behaviors, and trucking culture. We suggest applying ecological theories of health behavior and settings approaches to improve driver health. We also propose the Integrative and Dynamic Healthy Commercial Driving (IDHCD) paradigm, grounded in complexity science, as a new theoretical framework for improving driver health outcomes. PMID:28462332

High School Students with Highest Driving Grades Have Worst Driving Record.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogletree, Earl J.; Bonk, Gary

A number of studies have yielded contradictory findings about the relationship between teenage drivers' accident records and their completion of driver education classes. A sample of 75 senior students (37 male and 38 female) who had taken a driver education course was administered an 11-item questionnaire. The results of the study showed…

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.

The sex disparity in risky driving: A survey of Colombian young drivers.

PubMed

Oviedo-Trespalacios, Oscar; Scott-Parker, Bridie

2018-01-02

The overrepresentation of young drivers in poor road safety outcomes has long been recognized as a global road safety issue. In addition, the overrepresentation of males in crash statistics has been recognized as a pervasive young driver problem. Though progress in road safety evidenced as a stabilization and/or reduction in poor road safety outcomes has been made in developed nations, less-developed nations contribute the greatest road safety trauma, and developing nations such as Colombia continue to experience increasing trends in fatality rates. The aim of the research was to explore sex differences in self-reported risky driving behaviors of young drivers, including the associations with crash involvement, in a sample of young drivers attending university in Colombia. The Spanish version of the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS-Sp) was applied in an online survey to a sample of 392 students (225 males) aged 16-24 years attending a major university. Appropriate comparative statistics and logistic regression modeling were used when analyzing the data. Males reported consistently more risky driving behaviors, with approximately one quarter of all participants reporting risky driving exposure. Males reported greater crash involvement, with violations such as speeding associated with crash involvement for both males and females. Young drivers in Colombia appear to engage in the same risky driving behaviors as young drivers in developed nations. In addition, young male drivers in Colombia reported greater engagement in risky driving behaviors than young female drivers, a finding consistent with the behaviors of young male drivers in developed nations. As such, the research findings suggest that general interventions such as education, engineering, and enforcement should target transient rule violations such as speeding and using a handheld mobile phone while driving for young drivers in Colombia. Future research should investigate how these interventions could be tailored specifically for the Colombian cultural context, including how their effects can be evaluated, prior to implementation.

32 CFR 634.36 - Detection, apprehension, and testing of intoxicated drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... unusual or abnormal driving behavior. Drivers showing such behavior will be stopped immediately. The cause of the unusual driving behavior will be determined, and proper enforcement action will be taken. (b...

32 CFR 634.36 - Detection, apprehension, and testing of intoxicated drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... unusual or abnormal driving behavior. Drivers showing such behavior will be stopped immediately. The cause of the unusual driving behavior will be determined, and proper enforcement action will be taken. (b...

32 CFR 634.36 - Detection, apprehension, and testing of intoxicated drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... unusual or abnormal driving behavior. Drivers showing such behavior will be stopped immediately. The cause of the unusual driving behavior will be determined, and proper enforcement action will be taken. (b...

The trucker strain monitor: an occupation-specific questionnaire measuring psychological job strain.

PubMed

De Croon, E M; Blonk, R W; Van der Beek, J; Frings-Dresen, M H

2001-08-01

To develop and validate a short and user-friendly questionnaire measuring psychological job strain in truck drivers. In cooperation with an occupational physician in the Dutch road transport industry we developed items on the basis of face validity and information of existing questionnaires on the subject. These items were pilot-tested, by means of interviews, in 15 truck drivers. Study I examined the factorial structure of the initial 30-item trucker strain monitor (TSM) in a sample of 153 truck drivers. Subsequently, number of items per factor was reduced on the basis of reliability analyses (Cronbach's alpha). Study II examined construct and criterion validity of the TSM in a randomly selected group of 2,000 truck drivers, of whom 1,111 participated (adjusted response = 63%). Additionally, sensitivity and specificity were assessed by examining the ability of the TSM to identify truck drivers with or without self-reported sickness absence in the past 12 months because of psychological complaints. Factor analyses of the initial 30-item TSM revealed a two-factor solution. Item reduction resulted in a six-item work-related fatigue scale and four-item sleeping problems scale with high internal consistency. Results of study II confirmed the internal consistency of the TSM scales and provided support for construct and criterion validity. The composite, work-related fatigue, and sleeping problems scale had a sensitivity of 83%, 80% and 71% respectively, in identifying truck drivers with prior sickness absence because of psychological complaints. Specificity rates were 72%, 73% and 72% respectively. Despite methodological limitations, the results suggest that the TSM is a reliable and valid indicator of psychological job strain in truck drivers. In particular, the composite and work-related fatigue scale identified drivers with prior absenteeism because of psychological complaints, quite accurately. Future longitudinal research in specific sub-groups of truck drivers including both self-reported and objective psychological health measures should evidence whether (1) the distinction between two indicators of psychological job strain is useful, and whether (2) the TSM can be used in screening out truck drivers at risk of developing psychological health problems.

Use patterns among early adopters of adaptive cruise control.

PubMed

Xiong, Huimin; Boyle, Linda Ng; Moeckli, Jane; Dow, Benjamin R; Brown, Timothy L

2012-10-01

The objective of this study was to investigate use patterns among early adopters of adaptive cruise control (ACC). Extended use ofACC may influence a driver's behavior in the long-term, which can have unintended safety consequences. The authors examined the use of a motion-based simulator by 24 participants (15 males and 9 females). Cluster analysis was performed on drivers' use of ACC and was based on their gap settings, speed settings, number of warnings issued, and ACC disengaged. The data were then examined on the basis of driving performance measures and drivers' subjective responses to trust in ACC, understanding of system operations, and driving styles. Driving performance measures included minimum time headway, adjusted minimum time to collision, and drivers' reaction time to critical events. Three groups of drivers were observed on the basis of risky behavior, moderately risky behavior, and conservative behavior. Drivers in the conservative group stayed farther behind the lead vehicle than did drivers in the other two groups. Risky drivers responded later to critical events and had more ACC warnings issued. Safety consequences with ACC may be more prevalent in some driver groups than others. The findings suggest that these safety implications are related to trust in automation, driving styles, understanding of system operations, and personalities. Potential applications of this research include enhanced design for next-generation ACC systems and countermeasures to improve safe driving with ACC.

Job strain in public transport drivers: Data to assess the relationship between demand-control model indicators, traffic accidents and sanctions.

PubMed

Useche, Sergio; Montoro, Luis; Cendales, Boris; Gómez, Viviola

2018-08-01

This Data in Brief (DiB) article examines the association between the Job Demand-Control (JDC) model of stress and traffic safety outcomes (accidents and sanctions) in public transport drivers ( n = 780). The data was collected using a structured self-administrable questionnaire composed of measurements of work stress (Job Content Questionnaire), and demographics (professional driving experience, hours and days working/driving per week). The data contains 4 parts: descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations between the study variables, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Post-Hoc comparisons between drivers classified different quadrants of the JDC model. For further information, it is convenient to read the full article entitled " Working conditions, job strain and traffic safety among three groups of public transport drivers ", published in Safety and Health at Work (SHAW) [1] (Useche et al., 2018).

Angry thoughts in Spanish drivers and their relationship with crash-related events. The mediation effect of aggressive and risky driving.

PubMed

Herrero-Fernández, David; Fonseca-Baeza, Sara

2017-09-01

Several studies have related aggressive and risky driving behaviours to accidents. However, the cognitive processes associated with driving aggression have received very little attention in the scientific literature. With the aim of shedding light on this topic, the present research was carried out on a sample of 414 participants in order to validate the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) with a sample of Spanish drivers and to test the hypothesis of the mediation effect of aggressive and risky driving on the relationship between drivers' angry thoughts and crash-related events. The results showed a good fit with the five-factor model of the questionnaire (Judgmental and Disbelieving Thinking, Pejorative Labelling and Verbally Aggressive Thinking, Revenge and Retaliatory Thinking, Physically Aggressive Thinking, and Coping Self-Instruction). Moreover, slight gender differences were observed in drivers' angry thoughts, with women scoring higher than men (η 2 =0.03). However, younger drivers had higher scores than older drivers in general (η 2 =0.06). Finally, several mediation effects of aggressive driving and risky driving on the relationship between aggressive thinking and the crash-related events were found. Implications of the results for research in traffic psychology and clinical assessment of aggressive drivers as well as limitations of the study are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors relating to adolescent suicidal behavior: a cross-sectional Malaysian school survey.

PubMed

Chen, Paul C Y; Lee, Lai Kah; Wong, Kam Cheong; Kaur, Jagmohni

2005-10-01

This study was undertaken to examine factors relating to adolescent suicide behavior. This was a cross-sectional school survey of 4,500 adolescent students based on a structured questionnaire. Data were collected using the supervised self-administered questionnaire (modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance in the Malaysian National Language, Bahasa Malaysia). Seven percent (312 of 4,454) of the adolescent students had seriously considered attempting suicide. Among the adolescents, 4.6% had attempted suicide at least once during the 12 months preceding the survey. Female adolescents were more likely to put their suicidal thoughts into suicidal action than were male adolescents. Malay and Indian people are more likely than the Chinese to respond, "Felt sad and hopeless." However, Malay adolescents had the lowest rate of attempted suicide. Based on multiple logistic regression, factors significantly related to urban adolescents' suicide behavior are "Felt sad or hopeless," "Number of days felt unsafe to go to school," "Riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol," "Physical fight," and "Number of days absent from school." In comparison, factors relating to rural adolescents' suicide behavior are "Felt sad or hopeless," "Physical fight," "Physical fight resulting in injury," and "Drive a vehicle after drinking alcohol." Adolescent suicide behavior should be viewed as a serious problem. Measures can be taken to prevent suicide by looking at the factors significantly linked to suicidal behavior among adolescents. Steps can then be taken to identify adolescents who have serious suicidal ideation so that intervention can be taken to reduce the suicidal rate.

High-risk behaviors and experiences with traffic law among night drivers in Curitiba, Brazil.

PubMed

Ulinski, Sandra L; Moysés, Simone T; Werneck, Renata I; Moysés, Samuel J

2016-01-08

To explore high-risk behaviors and experiences with traffic law among night drivers in Curitiba, Brazil. Data from 398 drivers on sociodemographic parameters, high-risk behaviors, experiences with traffic law, and traffic law violations were collected through interviews conducted at sobriety checkpoints. Exploratory-descriptive and analytical statistics were used. The mean age of the participants was 32.6±11.2 years (range, 18 to 75 years). Half of the drivers reported having driven after drinking in the last year, predominantly single men aged 18 to 29 years who drive cars and drink alcohol frequently. Only 55% of the drivers who had driven after drinking in the last year self-reported some concern about being detected in a police operation. A significant association was found between sociodemographic variables and behavior, which can help tailor public interventions to a specific group of drivers: young men who exhibit high-risk behaviors in traffic, such as driving after drinking alcohol, some of whom report heavy alcohol consumption. This group represents a challenge for educational and enforcement interventions, particularly because they admit to violating current laws and have a low perception of punishment due to the low risk of being detected by the police.

Self-regulation of driving and its relationship to driving ability among older adults.

PubMed

Baldock, M R J; Mathias, J L; McLean, A J; Berndt, A

2006-09-01

Although it is known that older drivers limit their driving, it is not known whether this self-regulation is related to actual driving ability. A sample of 104 older drivers, aged between 60 and 92, completed a questionnaire about driving habits and attitudes. Ninety of these drivers also completed a structured on-road driving test. A measure of self-regulation was derived from drivers' self-reported avoidance of difficult driving situations. The on-road driving test involved a standard assessment used to determine fitness to drive. Driving test scores for the study were based on the number of errors committed in the driving tests, with weightings given according to the seriousness of the errors. The most commonly avoided difficult driving situations, according to responses on the questionnaire, were parallel parking and driving at night in the rain, while the least avoided situation was driving alone. Poorer performance on the driving test was not related to overall avoidance of difficult driving situations. Stronger relationships were found between driving ability and avoidance of specific difficult driving situations. These specific driving situations were the ones in which the drivers had low confidence and that the drivers were most able to avoid if they wished to.

Traffic Accidents Involving Cyclists Identifying Causal Factors Using Questionnaire Survey, Traffic Accident Data, and Real-World Observation.

PubMed

Oikawa, Shoko; Hirose, Toshiya; Aomura, Shigeru; Matsui, Yasuhiro

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study is to clarify the mechanism of traffic accidents involving cyclists. The focus is on the characteristics of cyclist accidents and scenarios, because the number of traffic accidents involving cyclists in Tokyo is the highest in Japan. First, dangerous situations in traffic incidents were investigated by collecting data from 304 cyclists in one city in Tokyo using a questionnaire survey. The survey indicated that cyclists used their bicycles generally while commuting to work or school in the morning. Second, the study investigated the characteristics of 250 accident situations involving cyclists that happened in the city using real-world bicycle accident data. The results revealed that the traffic accidents occurred at intersections of local streets, where cyclists collided most often with vehicles during commute time in the morning. Third, cyclists' behavior was observed at a local street intersection in the morning in the city using video pictures. In one hour during the morning commute period, 250 bicycles passed through the intersection. The results indicated that one of the reasons for traffic accidents involving cyclists might be the combined effect of low visibility, caused by the presence of box-like building structures close to the intersections, and the cyclists' behavior in terms of their velocity and no confirming safety. It was observed that, on average, bicycle velocity was 3.1 m/s at the initial line of an intersection. The findings from this study could be useful in developing new technologies to improve cyclist safety, such as alert devices for cyclists and vehicle drivers, wireless communication systems between cyclists and vehicle drivers, or advanced vehicles with bicycle detection and collision mitigation systems.

Have drivers at alcohol outlets changed their behavior after the new traffic law?

PubMed

De Boni, Raquel B; Pechansky, Flavio; Vasconcellos, Mauricio T de; Bastos, Francisco I

2014-01-01

In an attempt to reduce high levels of traffic crashes, a new legislation was approved in Brazil in 2008. This study aimed to assess behavioral change among drivers who had drunk at alcohol outlets (AO) after implementation of the law. A three-stage probability sampling survey was conducted in Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Individuals seen leaving AOs after drinking were approached (n=3,018). Selected drivers (n=683) answered a structured interview, were breathalyzed, and had saliva specimens collected for drug screening. Overall, 60.3% (SE 4.5) of drivers reported they did not change their behavior. Among those who reported behavioral changes, most reported drinking less as their main strategy toward safer driving behavior. Variables independently associated with behavior change included having drunk at a high outlet density area (odds ratio [OR] 1.7 [1.1-2.8]) and having a favorable opinion about the law (OR 4.3 [2.1-8.9]). Our findings suggest that awareness of the law has not been enough to promote behavioral change. As most drivers had a favorable opinion of the law and this variable was found to be the strongest predictor of behavior change, efforts to better integrate education and enforcement seem to be pivotal and might be well received by the population.

Do Low Income Youth of Color See "The Bigger Picture" When Discussing Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Public Health Literacy Campaign.

PubMed

Schillinger, Dean; Tran, Jessica; Fine, Sarah

2018-04-24

As Type 2 diabetes spikes among minority and low-income youth, there is an urgent need to tackle the drivers of this preventable disease. The Bigger Picture (TBP) is a counter-marketing campaign using youth-created, spoken-word public service announcements (PSAs) to reframe the epidemic as a socio-environmental phenomenon requiring communal action, civic engagement and norm change. We examined whether and how TBP PSAs advance health literacy among low-income, minority youth. We showed nine PSAs, asking individuals open-ended questions via questionnaire, then facilitating a focus group to reflect upon the PSAs. Questionnaire responses revealed a balance between individual vs. public health literacy. Some focused on individual responsibility and behaviors, while others described socio-environmental forces underlying risk. The focus group generated a preponderance of public health literacy responses, emphasizing future action. Striking sociopolitical themes emerged, reflecting tensions minority and low-income youth experience, such as entrapment vs. liberation. Our findings speak to the structural barriers and complexities underlying diabetes risk, and the ability of spoken word medium to make these challenges visible and motivate action. Delivering TBP content to promote interactive reflection has potential to change behavioral norms and build capacity to confront the social, economic and structural factors that influence behaviors.

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.

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.

Predicting and Reducing Driving Mishaps Among Drivers With Type 1 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Gonder-Frederick, Linda A.; Singh, Harsimran; Ingersoll, Karen S.; Banton, Tom; Grabman, Jesse H.; Schmidt, Karen; Clarke, William

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE Two aims of this study were to develop and validate A) a metric to identify drivers with type 1 diabetes at high risk of future driving mishaps and B) an online intervention to reduce mishaps among high-risk drivers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS To achieve aim A, in study 1, 371 drivers with type 1 diabetes from three U.S. regions completed a series of established questionnaires about diabetes and driving. They recorded their driving mishaps over the next 12 months. Questionnaire items that uniquely discriminated drivers who did and did not have subsequent driving mishaps were assembled into the Risk Assessment of Diabetic Drivers (RADD) scale. In study 2, 1,737 drivers with type 1 diabetes from all 50 states completed the RADD online. Among these, 118 low-risk (LR) and 372 high-risk (HR) drivers qualified for and consented to participate in a 2-month treatment period followed by 12 monthly recordings of driving mishaps. To address aim B, HR participants were randomized to receive either routine care (RC) or the online intervention “DiabetesDriving.com” (DD.com). Half of the DD.com participants received a motivational interview (MI) at the beginning and end of the treatment period to boost participation and efficacy. All of the LR participants were assigned to RC. In both studies, the primary outcome variable was driving mishaps. RESULTS Related to aim A, in study 1, the RADD demonstrated 61% sensitivity and 75% specificity. Participants in the upper third of the RADD distribution (HR), compared with those in the lower third (LR), reported 3.03 vs. 0.87 mishaps/driver/year, respectively (P < 0.001). In study 2, HR and LR participants receiving RC reported 4.3 and 1.6 mishaps/driver/year, respectively (P < 0.001). Related to aim B, in study 2, MIs did not enhance participation or efficacy, so the DD.com and DD.com + MI groups were combined. DD.com participants reported fewer hypoglycemia-related driving mishaps than HR participants receiving RC (P = 0.01), but more than LR participants receiving RC, reducing the difference between the HR and LR participants receiving RC by 63%. HR drivers differed from LR drivers at baseline across a variety of hypoglycemia and driving parameters. CONCLUSIONS The RADD identified higher-risk drivers, and identification seemed relatively stable across time, samples, and procedures. This 11-item questionnaire could inform patients at higher risk, and their clinicians, that they should take preventive steps to reduce driving mishaps, which was accomplished in aim B using DD.com. PMID:28404657

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.

Beyond general behavioral theories: structural discrepancy in young motorcyclist's risky driving behavior and its policy implications.

PubMed

Chung, Yi-Shih; Wong, Jinn-Tsai

2012-11-01

While many studies examine the mean score differences of psychological determinants between heterogeneous driver groups, this study reveals a structural discrepancy in a causal behavioral framework. Using young motorcyclists (ages 18-28) as subjects, this study investigates the various roles of key influential factors in determining risky driving behavior. Multi-group analysis of structural equation modeling shows that age and gender are two factors that can effectively distinguish heterogeneous driver groups exhibiting different decision-making mechanisms in shaping their risky driving behaviors. When encountering undesirable traffic conditions, road rage can immediately increase male motorcyclists' intentions to engage in risky driving behaviors; on the other hand, young female motorcyclists further calculate their perceived risk to determine whether to engage in risky driving behaviors. This result shows that there is a significant link between risk perception and traffic condition awareness for experienced drivers (ages 25-28), but not for younger drivers (ages 18-24). This finding shows that while well-developed theories such as planned behavior and risk homeostasis provide general frameworks to explain risky driving behavior, heterogeneous driver groups may exhibit structural discrepancies that reflect their various decision-making mechanisms. This suggests that, in addition to mean differences, understanding structural discrepancies among heterogeneous groups could help researchers identify effective intervention strategies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

The Impact of In-Vehicle Cell-Phone Use on Accidents or Near-Accidents among College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, Dong-Chul; Torabi, Mohammad R.

2004-01-01

With in-vehicle use of cell phones rapidly increasing, the safety of young drivers, who represent 14% of licensed drivers but 26% of drivers involved in fatal crashes, may be disproportionately threatened. The authors used a questionnaire to examine the association between in-vehicle cell-phone use and accidents or near-accidents among 1,291…

Sleep, Dietary, and Exercise Behavioral Clusters among Truck Drivers with Obesity: Implications for Interventions

PubMed Central

Olson, Ryan; Thompson, Sharon V.; Wipfli, Brad; Hanson, Ginger; Elliot, Diane L.; Anger, W. Kent; Bodner, Todd; Hammer, Leslie B.; Hohn, Elliot; Perrin, Nancy A.

2015-01-01

Objective Our objectives were to describe a sample of truck drivers, identify clusters of drivers with similar patterns in behaviors affecting energy balance (sleep, diet, and exercise), and test for cluster differences in health and psychosocial factors. Methods Participants’ (n=452, BMI M=37.2, 86.4% male) self-reported behaviors were dichotomized prior to hierarchical cluster analysis, which identified groups with similar behavior co-variation. Cluster differences were tested with generalized estimating equations. Results Five behavioral clusters were identified that differed significantly in age, smoking status, diabetes prevalence, lost work days, stress, and social support, but not in BMI. Cluster 2, characterized by the best sleep quality, had significantly lower lost workdays and stress than other clusters. Conclusions Weight management interventions for drivers should explicitly address sleep, and may be maximally effective after establishing socially supportive work environments that reduce stress exposures. PMID:26949883

Sleep, Dietary, and Exercise Behavioral Clusters Among Truck Drivers With Obesity: Implications for Interventions.

PubMed

Olson, Ryan; Thompson, Sharon V; Wipfli, Brad; Hanson, Ginger; Elliot, Diane L; Anger, W Kent; Bodner, Todd; Hammer, Leslie B; Hohn, Elliot; Perrin, Nancy A

2016-03-01

The objectives of the study were to describe a sample of truck drivers, identify clusters of drivers with similar patterns in behaviors affecting energy balance (sleep, diet, and exercise), and test for cluster differences in health safety, and psychosocial factors. Participants' (n = 452, body mass index M = 37.2, 86.4% male) self-reported behaviors were dichotomized prior to hierarchical cluster analysis, which identified groups with similar behavior covariation. Cluster differences were tested with generalized estimating equations. Five behavioral clusters were identified that differed significantly in age, smoking status, diabetes prevalence, lost work days, stress, and social support, but not in body mass index. Cluster 2, characterized by the best sleep quality, had significantly lower lost workdays and stress than other clusters. Weight management interventions for drivers should explicitly address sleep, and may be maximally effective after establishing socially supportive work environments that reduce stress exposures.

Musculoskeletal symptoms and exposure to whole-body vibration among open-pit mine workers in the Arctic.

PubMed

Burström, Lage; Aminoff, Anna; Björ, Bodil; Mänttäri, Satu; Nilsson, Tohr; Pettersson, Hans; Rintamäki, Hannu; Rödin, Ingemar; Shilov, Victor; Talykova, Ljudmila; Vaktskjold, Arild; Wahlström, Jens

2017-06-19

This cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out at 4 open-pit mines in Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden as part of the MineHealth project. The aim has been to compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms between drivers of mining vehicles and non-drivers. The mine workers were asked whether they had suffered from any musculoskeletal symptoms during the previous 12 months in specified body regions, and to grade the severity of these symptoms during the past month. They were also asked about their daily driving of mining vehicles. The questionnaire was completed by 1323 workers (757 vehicle drivers) and the reported prevalence and severity of symptoms were highest for the lower back, followed by pain in the neck, shoulder and upper back. Drivers in the Nordic mines reported fewer symptoms than non-drivers, while for Russian mine workers the results were the opposite of that. The daily driving of mining vehicles had no significant association with the risk of symptoms. Female drivers indicated a higher prevalence of symptoms as compared to male drivers. The study provided only weak support for the hypothesis that drivers of vehicles reported a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms than non-vehicle drivers. There were marked differences in the prevalence of symptoms among workers in various enterprises, even though the nature of the job tasks was similar. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(4):553-564. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Driving under the influence of alcohol: frequency, reasons, perceived risk and punishment.

PubMed

Alonso, Francisco; Pastor, Juan C; Montoro, Luis; Esteban, Cristina

2015-03-12

The aim of this study was to gain information useful to improve traffic safety, concerning the following aspects for DUI (Driving Under the Influence): frequency, reasons, perceived risk, drivers' knowledge of the related penalties, perceived likelihood of being punished, drivers' perception of the harshness of punitive measures and drivers' perception of the probability of behavioral change after punishment for DUI. A sample of 1100 Spanish drivers, 678 men and 422 women aged from 14 to 65 years old, took part in a telephone survey using a questionnaire to gather sociodemographic and psychosocial information about drivers, as well as information on enforcement, clustered in five related categories: "Knowledge and perception of traffic norms"; "Opinions on sanctions"; "Opinions on policing"; "Opinions on laws" (in general and on traffic); and "Assessment of the effectiveness of various punitive measures". Results showed around 60% of respondents believe that driving under the influence of alcohol is maximum risk behavior. Nevertheless, 90.2% of the sample said they never or almost never drove under the influence of alcohol. In this case, the main reasons were to avoid accidents (28.3%) as opposed to avoiding sanctions (10.4%). On the contrary, the remaining 9.7% acknowledged they had driven after consuming alcohol. It is noted that the main reasons for doing so were "not having another way to return home" (24.5%) and alcohol consumption being associated with meals (17.3%). Another important finding is that the risk perception of traffic accident as a result of DUI is influenced by variables such as sex and age. With regard to the type of sanctions, 90% think that DUI is punishable by a fine, 96.4% that it may result in temporary or permanent suspension of driving license, and 70% that it can be punished with imprisonment. Knowing how alcohol consumption impairs safe driving and skills, being aware of the associated risks, knowing the traffic regulations concerning DUI, and penalizing it strongly are not enough. Additional efforts are needed to better manage a problem with such important social and practical consequences.

Consistency between subjectively and objectively measured hazard perception skills among young male drivers.

PubMed

Ābele, Līva; Haustein, Sonja; Møller, Mette; Martinussen, Laila M

2018-03-01

Young male drivers have lower hazard perception skills (HPS) than older and more experienced drivers and a tendency to overestimate their skills in hazardous situations. Both factors contribute to an over-representation in traffic accidents. Based on a sample of 63 drivers aged 18-24, this study compares the consistency of HPS measured by objective and subjective measures and the link between these measures is the key contribution of the study. Both visible and hidden hazards are included. Objective measures of HPS include responsiveness and eye movements while driving in a driving simulator. Subjective measures of HPS include self-reports derived based on the Hazard Perception Questionnaire (HPQ), Driving Skill Questionnaire (DSQ), and Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS). Results show that drivers who respond to the hazards on time, as compared to drivers who do not respond, have higher scores on subjective measures of HPS and higher driving skills in the visible but not in the hidden condition. Eye movement analysis confirms the difference and shows that response in time to hazards indicate higher HPS and young drivers are poor at detecting hidden hazards. Drivers with a response in time locate the hazard faster, have more fixations, but dwell less on the hazard. At the same time, those who do not respond have a later first fixation and fewer but longer fixations on the hazard. High sensation seeking drivers respond to visible hazards on time, suggesting that sensation seeking does not affect HPS negatively when the hazard is visible. To enhance the HPS among young drivers, the results of this study suggest that specific hazard perception training is relevant, especially for hazards that require more advanced HPS. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High Prevalence of Chronic Respiratory Symptoms among Autorickshaw Drivers of Urban Puducherry, South India.

PubMed

Stephen, Peter; Mahalakshmy, Thulasingam; Manju, Rajaram; Laksham, Karthik B; Subramani, Sudalai; Panda, Kanhu; Sarkar, Sonali

2018-01-01

Auto-rickshaw (three wheelers open cabin type of vehicle) drivers are exposed to traffic air pollution. Studies have demonstrated reduced pulmonary function among drivers. However, limited studies have determined the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among drivers. Among auto-rickshaw drivers of urban Puducherry to determine prevalence of (i) chronic respiratory symptoms by using Indian Study on Epidemiology of Asthma, Respiratory Symptoms, and Chronic Bronchitis (INSEARCH) questionnaire and (ii) COPD by measuring peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Cluster random sampling was used to select 297 auto-rickshaw drivers. Subjects were interviewed using the INSEARCH questionnaire. PEFR was measured using Wright's peak flow meter. We also assessed exposure to tobacco smoke. Prevalence and 95% confidence interval of chronic respiratory symptoms and COPD were calculated. All the auto-rickshaw drivers were male, and 75% were in the age group of 31-50 years. They spend most of the time on the roadside either driving or waiting at the auto-stand. Prevalence of nonspecific respiratory symptoms among auto-rickshaw drivers was 76% (breathlessness on exertion 68%, cough at night and phlegm in the morning 22%, wheezing 18% assessed for last 12 months). Around 28% of them had PEFR <80%. The prevalence of tobacco smoking was also high (64%), and 100% had exposure to tobacco smoke at the workplace. The nonspecific chronic symptoms were high among auto-rickshaw drivers as compared to the general population noted from a multicentric study done in India. We recommend that auto-rickshaw drivers should use personal protective equipment and would require regular screening and treatment for respiratory impairment.

High Prevalence of Chronic Respiratory Symptoms among Autorickshaw Drivers of Urban Puducherry, South India

PubMed Central

Stephen, Peter; Mahalakshmy, Thulasingam; Manju, Rajaram; Laksham, Karthik B.; Subramani, Sudalai; Panda, Kanhu; Sarkar, Sonali

2018-01-01

Context: Auto-rickshaw (three wheelers open cabin type of vehicle) drivers are exposed to traffic air pollution. Studies have demonstrated reduced pulmonary function among drivers. However, limited studies have determined the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among drivers. Aims: Among auto-rickshaw drivers of urban Puducherry to determine prevalence of (i) chronic respiratory symptoms by using Indian Study on Epidemiology of Asthma, Respiratory Symptoms, and Chronic Bronchitis (INSEARCH) questionnaire and (ii) COPD by measuring peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Setting and Designs: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Subjects and Methods: Cluster random sampling was used to select 297 auto-rickshaw drivers. Subjects were interviewed using the INSEARCH questionnaire. PEFR was measured using Wright's peak flow meter. We also assessed exposure to tobacco smoke. Statistical Analysis Used: Prevalence and 95% confidence interval of chronic respiratory symptoms and COPD were calculated. Results: All the auto-rickshaw drivers were male, and 75% were in the age group of 31–50 years. They spend most of the time on the roadside either driving or waiting at the auto-stand. Prevalence of nonspecific respiratory symptoms among auto-rickshaw drivers was 76% (breathlessness on exertion 68%, cough at night and phlegm in the morning 22%, wheezing 18% assessed for last 12 months). Around 28% of them had PEFR <80%. The prevalence of tobacco smoking was also high (64%), and 100% had exposure to tobacco smoke at the workplace. Conclusion: The nonspecific chronic symptoms were high among auto-rickshaw drivers as compared to the general population noted from a multicentric study done in India. We recommend that auto-rickshaw drivers should use personal protective equipment and would require regular screening and treatment for respiratory impairment. PMID:29743784

Effects of electronic billboards on driver distraction.

PubMed

Dukic, Tania; Ahlstrom, Christer; Patten, Christopher; Kettwich, Carmen; Kircher, Katja

2013-01-01

There is an increase in electronic advertising billboards along major roads, which may cause driver distraction due to the highly conspicuous design of the electronic billboards. Yet limited research on the impact of electronic billboards on driving performance and driver behavior is available. The Swedish Transport Administration recently approved the installation of 12 electronic billboards for a trial period along a 3-lane motorway with heavy traffic running through central Stockholm, Sweden. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of these electronic billboards on visual behavior and driving performance. A total of 41 drivers were recruited to drive an instrumented vehicle passing 4 of the electronic billboards during day and night conditions. A driver was considered visually distracted when looking at a billboard continuously for more than 2 s or if the driver looked away from the road for a high percentage of time. Dependent variables were eye-tracking measures and driving performance measures. The visual behavior data showed that drivers had a significantly longer dwell time, a greater number of fixations, and longer maximum fixation duration when driving past an electronic billboard compared to other signs on the same road stretches. No differences were found for the factors day/night, and no effect was found for the driving behavior data. Electronic billboards have an effect on gaze behavior by attracting more and longer glances than regular traffic signs. Whether the electronic billboards attract too much attention and constitute a traffic safety hazard cannot be answered conclusively based on the present data.

Risky driving behaviors for road traffic accident among drivers in Mekele city, Northern Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Due to its perception as a disease of development, road traffic accident and related injuries tend to be under recognized as a major health problem in developing countries. However, majority of the world's fatalities on the roads occur in low income and middle income countries. Since the main cause of road traffic accident is attributed to human risky behaviors, it is important to identify significant factors for risky behaviors of drivers. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional study with a sample size of 350 drivers was conducted in April 2011. The study was conducted among Taxi, Bajaj (three tire vehicles) and private owned car drivers. After proportion to size allocation for Taxi (75), Baja (103) and private owned car (172) drivers, we used systematic random sampling method to identify illegible study subjects. Data was collected with face to face interview using a pretested questioner. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Results The mean age of the respondents was 28.7 (SD 9.9). Majority were 339 (96.9%) males. Significant number of the study subjects 233 (66.6%) had risky driving behaviors. More than a quarter 100 (28.6%) had less knowledge about basic traffic signs. Majority of drivers 181 (51.7%) had negative attitude towards risky driving behaviors. Significant percent of them 148 (42.3%) had a habit of using mobile phone while driving vehicle and 28 (9.7%) had experience of driving after drinking alcohol. All the Bajaj, 97(62.6%) house car and 58(37.4%) taxi unfasten their seat belt while driving. Majority 303 (86.6%) followed the recommended speed limit of driving. About 66 (18.9%) of them had experience of punishment or warning by traffic polices in the previous 1 year and 77 (22%) ever had car accident while driving. Conclusions Drivers of secondary education and with high average monthly income were more likely to have risky driving behavior. Having supportive attitude towards risky driving behaviors and not getting advice about risky driving from significant others increases the likelihood of developing risky driving behavior. Interventions targeted at developing negative attitude towards risky driving behaviors on drivers and significant others should be implemented to bring positive behavior change. The interventions need to be segmented with educational status and income. PMID:22166174

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.

Safety halls--an evaluation.

PubMed

Nyberg, Anders; Gregersen, Nils Petter; Nolén, Sixten; Engström, Inger

2005-01-01

In most countries, drivers licensing systems usually include teaching some aspects of using safety equipment (e.g., airbags and seat belts). However, there is now evidence worldwide that such education is inadequate, as indicated by, for example, the overrepresentation of young drivers who do not use seat belts. A randomized controlled study was conducted in Sweden to evaluate the effects of visiting a facility known as a "safety hall" in combination with the mandatory skid training. The results were assessed to determine the effects of the knowledge and attitudes of learner drivers in the following subjects: airbags, securing loads, seat belts, sitting posture, speed, and tires. An experimental group and a control group comprising 658 and 668 learners, respectively, answered identical questionnaires on three different occasions (pretest, posttest 1, and posttest 2). The results show that, for most of the topics considered, knowledge and attitudes in both groups were better at posttest 2 than at the pretest, and in general, the best knowledge and attitudes were found in the experimental group. The combined safety/skid training seems to have had the greatest effect on seat belts and loads. The findings also indicate that the safety halls can be further improved to achieve an even better effect. The use of safety halls has improved the knowledge and attitudes of learner drivers concerning several important areas related to traffic safety. Since knowledge and attitudes are important predictors of behavior, implementing safety halls can be expected to lead to improvements, especially regarding the use of safety belts and securing loads.

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.

Special Considerations in Distracted Driving with Teens

PubMed Central

Durbin, Dennis R; McGehee, Daniel V; Fisher, Donald; McCartt, Anne

2014-01-01

Novice teen drivers have long been known to have an increased risk of crashing, as well as increased tendencies toward unsafe and risky driving behaviors. Teens are unique as drivers for several reasons, many of which have implications specifically in the area of distracted driving. This paper reviews several of these features, including the widespread prevalence of mobile device use by teens, their lack of driving experience, the influence of peer passengers as a source of distraction, the role of parents in influencing teens’ attitudes and behaviors relevant to distracted driving and the impact of laws designed to prevent mobile device use by teen drivers. Recommendations for future research include understanding how engagement in a variety of secondary tasks by teen drivers affects their driving performance or crash risk; understanding the respective roles of parents, peers and technology in influencing teen driver behavior; and evaluating the impact of public policy on mitigating teen crash risk related to driver distraction. PMID:24776228

High risk for obstructive sleep apnea in truck drivers estimated by the Berlin questionnaire: prevalence and associated factors.

PubMed

Moreno, C R C; Carvalho, F A; Lorenzi, C; Matuzaki, L S; Prezotti, S; Bighetti, P; Louzada, F M; Lorenzi-Filho, G

2004-01-01

The health issues that attract our attention when analyzing the truck driver population are the high prevalence of sedentary habits, inadequate diet, obesity, and proportion of hypertensive. All these are either considered risk factors for or a consequence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The objective of this study was to investigate the risk for OSA among 10,101 truck drivers and to correlate it with potentially related factors, such as serum glucose and cholesterol levels, smoking habits, alcohol and drug consumption, and self-reported physical activity. The drivers were invited to participate in the campaign "Saúde na Boléia" (Health Behind the Wheel) promoted by a Brazilian company responsible for the maintenance of approximately 360km of roads in the country. Drivers who spontaneously stopped at the campaign booths placed along the roads were invited to answer a questionnaire covering sociodemographic data such as age, alcohol, and drug consumption. All participants completed a Berlin Questionnaire and were classified as low- or high-risk subjects for OSA based on questions about snoring, tiredness during the day, and the presence of hypertension or obesity. Blood collection was accomplished at the same site by nurses and/or nursing students collaborating with the campaign for subsequent laboratory studies. Approximately 26% of the truck drivers were found to be at high-risk group for OSA. An adjusted multiple logistic model found the independent risk factors of smoking (OR=1.16; p=0.014) and drug use (OR= 1.32; p < 0.0001) were associated with high risk for OSA. The presence of self-reported occasional (OR=0.62; p<0.0001) and regular (OR=0.53; p < 0.0001) physical activity was found to be an independent factor protective of OSA. Educational programs, including ones aimed at improving one's health habits, such as engagement in physical exercise, should be considered in the development of initiatives to reduce the risk for OSA among the truck driver population.

Model for understanding consumer textural food choice.

PubMed

Jeltema, Melissa; Beckley, Jacqueline; Vahalik, Jennifer

2015-05-01

The current paradigm for developing products that will match the marketing messaging is flawed because the drivers of product choice and satisfaction based on texture are misunderstood. Qualitative research across 10 years has led to the thesis explored in this research that individuals have a preferred way to manipulate food in their mouths (i.e., mouth behavior) and that this behavior is a major driver of food choice, satisfaction, and the desire to repurchase. Texture, which is currently thought to be a major driver of product choice, is a secondary factor, and is important only in that it supports the primary driver-mouth behavior. A model for mouth behavior is proposed and the qualitative research supporting the identification of different mouth behaviors is presented. The development of a trademarked typing tool for characterizing mouth behavior is described along with quantitative substantiation of the tool's ability to group individuals by mouth behavior. The use of these four groups to understand textural preferences and the implications for a variety of areas including product design and weight management are explored.

A Qualitative Study of Migrant-related Stressors, Psychosocial Outcomes and HIV Risk Behavior among Truck Drivers in Zambia

PubMed Central

Ncube, Nomagugu; Simona, Simona J.; Kansankala, Brian; Sinkala, Emmanuel; Raidoo, Jasmin

2017-01-01

Truck drivers are part of mobile populations which have been noted as a key population at risk of HIV in Zambia. This study was aimed at 1) determining Potentially Traumatic Events (PTEs), labor migrant-related stressors, psychosocial problems and HIV risk behaviors among truck drivers in Zambia and 2) examining the relationship between PTEs, migrant-related stressors, psychosocial outcomes and HIV sexual risk behavior among truck drivers in Zambia. We conducted fifteen semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled male truck drivers at trucking companies in Lusaka, Zambia. Findings indicate that truck drivers experience multiple stressors and potentially traumatic incidences, including delays and long waiting hours at borders, exposure to crime and violence, poverty, stress related to resisting temptation of sexual interactions with sex workers or migrant women, and job-related safety concerns. Multiple psychosocial problems such as intimate partner violence, loneliness, anxiety and depression-like symptoms were noted. Transactional sex, coupled with inconsistent condom use were identified as HIV sexual risk behaviors. Findings suggest the critical need to develop HIV prevention interventions which account for mobility, potentially traumatic events, psychosocial problems, and the extreme fear of HIV testing among this key population. PMID:27681145

Peer Influence Predicts Speeding Prevalence Among Teenage Drivers

PubMed Central

Ouimet, Marie Claude; Chen, Rusan; Klauer, Sheila G.; Lee, Suzanne E.; Wang, Jing; Dingus, Thomas A.

2012-01-01

Objective This research examined the psychosocial and personality predictors of observed speeding among young drivers. Method. Survey and driving data were collected from 42 newly-licensed teenage drivers during the first 18 months of licensure. Speeding (i.e., driving 10 mph over the speed limit; about 16 km/h) was assessed by comparing speed data collected with recording systems installed in participants’ vehicles with posted speed limits. Questionnaire data collected at baseline were used to predict speeding rates using random effects regression analyses. For mediation analysis, data collected at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months after licensure were used. Results. Speeding was correlated with elevated g-force event rates, including hard braking and turning (r = 0.335, p < 0.05), but not with crashes and near crashes (r = 0.227; ns). Speeding prevalence increased over time. In univariate analyses speeding was predicted by day vs. night trips, higher sensation seeking, substance use, tolerance of deviance, susceptibility to peer pressure, and number of risky friends. In multivariate analyses the number of risky friends was the only significant predictor of speeding. Perceived risk was a significant mediator of the association between speeding and risky friends. Conclusion. The findings support the contention that social norms may influence teenage speeding behavior and this relationship may operate through perceived risk. PMID:23206513

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…

An on-road assessment of cognitive distraction: impacts on drivers' visual behavior and braking performance.

PubMed

Harbluk, Joanne L; Noy, Y Ian; Trbovich, Patricia L; Eizenman, Moshe

2007-03-01

In this on-road experiment, drivers performed demanding cognitive tasks while driving in city traffic. All task interactions were carried out in hands-free mode so that the 21 drivers were not required to take their visual attention away from the road or to manually interact with a device inside the vehicle. Visual behavior and vehicle control were assessed while they drove an 8 km city route under three conditions: no additional task, easy cognitive task and difficult cognitive task. Changes in visual behavior were most apparent when performance between the No Task and Difficult Task conditions were compared. When looking outside of the vehicle, drivers spent more time looking centrally ahead and spent less time looking to the areas in the periphery. Drivers also reduced their visual monitoring of the instruments and mirrors, with some drivers abandoning these tasks entirely. When approaching and driving through intersections, drivers made fewer inspection glances to traffic lights compared to the No Task condition and their scanning of intersection areas to the right was also reduced. Vehicle control was also affected; during the most difficult cognitive tasks there were more occurrences of hard braking. Although hands-free designs for telematics devices are intended to reduce or eliminate the distraction arising from manual operation of these units, the potential for cognitive distraction associated with their use must also be considered and appropriately assessed. These changes are captured in measures of drivers' visual behavior.

Stability analysis of automobile driver steering control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, R. W.

1981-01-01

In steering an automobile, the driver must basically control the direction of the car's trajectory (heading angle) and the lateral deviation of the car relative to a delineated pathway. A previously published linear control model of driver steering behavior which is analyzed from a stability point of view is considered. A simple approximate expression for a stability parameter, phase margin, is derived in terms of various driver and vehicle control parameters, and boundaries for stability are discussed. A field test study is reviewed that includes the measurement of driver steering control parameters. Phase margins derived for a range of vehicle characteristics are found to be generally consistent with known adaptive properties of the human operator. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of driver adaptive behavior.

Dangerous Driving in a Chinese Sample: Associations with Morningness-Eveningness Preference and Personality

PubMed Central

Qu, Weina; Ge, Yan; Xiong, Yuexin; Carciofo, Richard; Zhao, Wenguo; Zhang, Kan

2015-01-01

Individual differences in morningness-eveningness preference may influence susceptibility and response to sleepiness. These differences could influence driving performance, but the influence of morningness-eveningness preference on driving behavior and accident risk has not been comprehensively studied. As morningness-eveningness preference is associated with personality characteristics, we also investigated how the interaction between morningness-eveningness preference and personality may be related to dangerous driving behaviors. Two hundred and ninety five drivers completed the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index, and personality scales for agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism, and reported demographic information (gender, age, level of education, driving years and annual average driving mileage) and self-reported traffic violations (accidents, penalty points and fines). The results showed that more Risky Driving, Aggressive Driving, Negative Cognitive/Emotional Driving and Drunk Driving, as measured by the Dula Dangerous Driving Index, were all significantly correlated with more eveningness, corresponding to lower scores on the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Moreover, eveningness was correlated with self-reported traffic accidents, penalty points and fines. Furthermore, a moderation effect was found: eveningness was more strongly associated with risky driving and negative emotional driving in those who scored high for trait agreeableness. PMID:25615447

Dangerous driving in a Chinese sample: associations with morningness-eveningness preference and personality.

PubMed

Qu, Weina; Ge, Yan; Xiong, Yuexin; Carciofo, Richard; Zhao, Wenguo; Zhang, Kan

2015-01-01

Individual differences in morningness-eveningness preference may influence susceptibility and response to sleepiness. These differences could influence driving performance, but the influence of morningness-eveningness preference on driving behavior and accident risk has not been comprehensively studied. As morningness-eveningness preference is associated with personality characteristics, we also investigated how the interaction between morningness-eveningness preference and personality may be related to dangerous driving behaviors. Two hundred and ninety five drivers completed the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index, and personality scales for agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism, and reported demographic information (gender, age, level of education, driving years and annual average driving mileage) and self-reported traffic violations (accidents, penalty points and fines). The results showed that more Risky Driving, Aggressive Driving, Negative Cognitive/Emotional Driving and Drunk Driving, as measured by the Dula Dangerous Driving Index, were all significantly correlated with more eveningness, corresponding to lower scores on the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Moreover, eveningness was correlated with self-reported traffic accidents, penalty points and fines. Furthermore, a moderation effect was found: eveningness was more strongly associated with risky driving and negative emotional driving in those who scored high for trait agreeableness.

Traffic Games: Modeling Freeway Traffic with Game Theory.

PubMed

Cortés-Berrueco, Luis E; Gershenson, Carlos; Stephens, Christopher R

2016-01-01

We apply game theory to a vehicular traffic model to study the effect of driver strategies on traffic flow. The resulting model inherits the realistic dynamics achieved by a two-lane traffic model and aims to incorporate phenomena caused by driver-driver interactions. To achieve this goal, a game-theoretic description of driver interaction was developed. This game-theoretic formalization allows one to model different lane-changing behaviors and to keep track of mobility performance. We simulate the evolution of cooperation, traffic flow, and mobility performance for different modeled behaviors. The analysis of these results indicates a mobility optimization process achieved by drivers' interactions.

Adolescent Problem Behavior and Problem Driving in Young Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bingham, C. Raymond; Shope, Jean T.

2004-01-01

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among drivers younger than age 35, making problem driving behavior among young drivers a significant public concern. Effective intervention requires a better understanding of the antecedents of problem driving. Problem behavior theory, social control theory, and Kandel's model of substance use…

Self-Control Behavior of Drinking Drivers beyond the Context of a Behavioral Self-Control Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werch, Chudley E.

This paper reports on the post hoc analysis of specific types of self-control behaviors being employed by drinking drivers who were exposed to a behavioral self-control training program. The underlying assumption of this study is that the success of health promotion and intervention programs most probably depends on the development of greater…

Medicinal and illegal drugs among Danish car drivers.

PubMed

Behrensdorff, Inge; Steentoft, Anni

2003-11-01

The objective of this study was to get an insight into the prevalence of medicinal and illegal drugs among car drivers in a Danish rural area. The police randomly stopped about 1000 car drivers and asked them to deliver a saliva sample and gave them a questionnaire to fill in at home. Laboratory analyses by specific methods of samples, which a screening found positive, confirmed that 2% were positive for benzodiazepines or illegal drugs (amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine or opiates): 1.3% were positive for illegal drugs and 0.7% for benzodiazepines. Questionnaire statements from some of the drivers confirm that occasionally some of these drive despite a suspicion to be under the influence of an illegal drug (2.8%), an illegal drug including alcohol (4%), a hazardous medicinal drug including alcohol (8.5%), or alcohol alone above the legal limit (24.5%). These results are considered reliable for the survey area and may not reflect national conditions. The overall results indicate that in this study driving under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol seems to be associated to especially men, aged 22-44 years. Driving under the influence of hazardous medicinal drugs seems to be associated to middle-aged/elderly drivers, both men and women.

Driver behavior in traffic.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

Existing traffic analysis and management tools do not model the ability of drivers to recognize their environment and respond to it with behaviors that vary according to the encountered driving situation. The small body of literature on characterizin...

Modeling merging behavior at lane drops : [tech transfer summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-02-01

A better understanding of the merging behavior of drivers will lead : to the development of better lane-drop traffic-control plans and : strategies, which will provide better guidance to drivers for safer : merging.

Assisting People with Multiple Disabilities and Minimal Motor Behavior to Improve Computer Pointing Efficiency through a Mouse Wheel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Ching-Hsiang; Chang, Man-Ling; Shih, Ching-Tien

2009-01-01

This study evaluated whether two people with multiple disabilities and minimal motor behavior would be able to improve their pointing performance using finger poke ability with a mouse wheel through a Dynamic Pointing Assistive Program (DPAP) and a newly developed mouse driver (i.e., a new mouse driver replaces standard mouse driver, changes a…

Assisting People with Multiple Disabilities and Minimal Motor Behavior to Control Environmental Stimulation through a Mouse Wheel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Ching-Hsiang; Shih, Ching-Tien; Lin, Kun-Tsan; Chiang, Ming-Shan

2009-01-01

This study assessed whether two people with profound multiple disabilities and minimal motor behavior would be able to control environmental stimulation using thumb poke ability with a mouse wheel and a newly developed mouse driver (i.e., a new mouse driver replacing standard mouse driver, and turning a mouse into a precise thumb poke detector).…

Analytics For Distracted Driver Behavior Modeling in Dilemma Zone

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

Li, Jan-Mou; Malikopoulos, Andreas; Thakur, Gautam

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present the results obtained and insights gained through the analysis of TRB contest data. We used exploratory analysis, regression, and clustering models for gaining insights into the driver behavior in a dilemma zone while driving under distraction. While simple exploratory analysis showed the distinguishing driver behavior patterns among different popu- lation groups in the dilemma zone, regression analysis showed statically signification relationships between groups of variables. In addition to analyzing the contest data, we have also looked into the possible impact of distracted driving on the fuel economy.

Contributors to young drivers' driving styles - A comparison between Israel and Queensland.

PubMed

Skvirsky, Vera; Ben-Ari, Orit Taubman; Greenbury, Timothy J; Prato, Carlo G

2017-12-01

Among the numerous factors that contribute to young novice drivers' driving styles, personality characteristics, sociodemographic variables, family atmosphere, and friends' norms are known to have an important impact. However, cross-cultural comparisons are relatively rare in the safety literature concerning young drivers. This study aimed at comparing young drivers from Israel and Queensland (Australia) and examining the contribution of personality, sociodemographic, family and friends' aspects to their driving styles (reckless and careless; hostile and angry; anxious; patient and careful). More specifically, this study examined the associations between young drivers' driving style and their perceptions of separation-individuation, the family climate for road safety, and the safe driving climate among friends. We also examined sociodemographic and driving history variables such as gender, the marital status of parents, and personal exposure to traffic crashes. The study consisted of two samples of male and female young drivers (age 17-22) from Israel (n=160) and Queensland (n=160), who completed a set of valid and reliable self-report questionnaires. Findings indicate that in general, maladaptive driving styles are associated with lower family tendency to engage in promoting road safety, higher pressure and costs of driving with peers, and unhealthier separation-individuation aspects. The opposite is observed for the patient and careful driving style that relates to higher engagement of the family in road safety, lower pressure from friends, and healthier separation-individuation. Some differences were found regarding specific styles between the two samples. In addition, women scored lower than men in the reckless and careless style, and higher (in the Israeli sample) in the anxious as well as the patient and careful styles. Overall, similarities in the associations between the study variables in the samples exceed the differences, and the importance of examining variables on multi-levels when referring to young drivers' driving styles, is confirmed. The findings attest to the universal utility of the MDSI, together with the understanding that only a wider examination of personal and environmental contributors enables true insights into the complex behavior of driving among young drivers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compendium of highway safety questionnaire items

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-09-29

This survey compendium contains questionnaire items and results (when furnished) that were used in state and national surveys during the period 1976 to 1980. The compendium is organized by safety issues into item groups that reflect drivers' attitude...

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…

Videosensor for the Detection of Unsafe Driving Behavior in the Proximity of Black Spots

PubMed Central

Fuentes, Andres; Fuentes, Ricardo; Cabello, Enrique; Conde, Cristina; Martin, Isaac

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the overall design and implementation of a video sensor for the detection of risky behaviors of car drivers near previously identified and georeferenced black spots. The main goal is to provide the driver with a visual audio alert that informs of the proximity of an area of high incidence of highway accidents only if their driving behavior could result in a risky situation. It proposes a video sensor for detecting and supervising driver behavior, its main objective being manual distractions, so hand driver supervision is performed. A GPS signal is also considered, the GPS information is compared with a database of global positioning Black Spots to determine the relative proximity of a risky area. The outputs of the video sensor and GPS sensor are combined to evaluate a possible risky behavior. The results are promising in terms of risk analysis in order to be validated for use in the context of the automotive industry as future work. PMID:25347580

A technology to measure multiple driving behaviors without self-report or participant reactivity.

PubMed Central

Boyce, T E; Geller, E S

2001-01-01

An in-vehicle information system (IVIS) was used to videotape drivers (N = 61) without their knowledge while driving 22 miles in normal traffic. The drivers were told that they were participating in a study of direction following and map reading. Two data-coding procedures were used to analyze videotapes. Safety-related behaviors were counted during consecutive 15-s intervals of a driving trial, and the occurrence of certain safety-related behaviors was assessed under critical conditions. These two methods of data coding were assessed for practicality, reliability, and sensitivity. Interobserver agreement for the five different driving behaviors ranged from 85% to 95%. Within-subject variability in safe driving was more pronounced among younger drivers and decreased as a function of age. Contrary to previous research that has relied on self-reports, driver risk taking did not vary significantly as a function of gender. These results are used to illustrate the capabilities of the technology introduced here to design and evaluate behavior-analytic interventions to increase safe driving. PMID:11317986

Videosensor for the detection of unsafe driving behavior in the proximity of black spots.

PubMed

Fuentes, Andres; Fuentes, Ricardo; Cabello, Enrique; Conde, Cristina; Martin, Isaac

2014-10-24

This paper discusses the overall design and implementation of a video sensor for the detection of risky behaviors of car drivers near previously identified and georeferenced black spots. The main goal is to provide the driver with a visual audio alert that informs of the proximity of an area of high incidence of highway accidents only if their driving behavior could result in a risky situation. It proposes a video sensor for detecting and supervising driver behavior, its main objective being manual distractions, so hand driver supervision is performed. A GPS signal is also considered, the GPS information is compared with a database of global positioning Black Spots to determine the relative proximity of a risky area. The outputs of the video sensor and GPS sensor are combined to evaluate a possible risky behavior. The results are promising in terms of risk analysis in order to be validated for use in the context of the automotive industry as future work.

Examining the influence of aggressive driving behavior on driver injury severity in traffic crashes.

PubMed

Paleti, Rajesh; Eluru, Naveen; Bhat, Chandra R

2010-11-01

In this paper, we capture the moderating effect of aggressive driving behavior while assessing the influence of a comprehensive set of variables on injury severity. In doing so, we are able to account for the indirect effects of variables on injury severity through their influence on aggressive driving behavior, as well as the direct effect of variables on injury severity. The methodology used in the paper to accommodate the moderating effect of aggressive driving behavior takes the form of two models--one for aggressive driving and another for injury severity. These are appropriately linked to obtain the indirect and direct effects of variables. The data for estimation is obtained from the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Study (NMVCCS). From an empirical standpoint, we consider a fine age categorization until 20 years of age when examining age effects on aggressive driving behavior and injury severity. There are several important results from the empirical analysis undertaken in the current paper based on post-crash data collection on aggressive behavior participation just prior to the crash and injury severity sustained in a crash. Young drivers (especially novice drivers between 16 and 17 years of age), drivers who are not wearing seat belt, under the influence of alcohol, not having a valid license, and driving a pick-up are found to be most likely to behave aggressively. Situational, vehicle, and roadway factors such as young drivers traveling with young passengers, young drivers driving an SUV or a pick-up truck, driving during the morning rush hour, and driving on roads with high speed limits are also found to trigger aggressive driving behavior. In terms of vehicle occupants, the safest situation from a driver injury standpoint is when there are two or more passengers in the vehicle, at least one of whom is above the age of 20 years. These and many other results are discussed, along with implications of the result for graduated driving licensing (GDL) programs. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Racial Bias in Drivers' Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks : Understanding the Effect

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-10-01

This project explores social identity factors (race and gender) that influence drivers' behavior in interactions with pedestrians at crosswalks. One dangerous potential point of conflict for pedestrians within the transportation system is interaction...

Driver eye-scanning behavior at intersections at night.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-10-01

This research project analyzed drivers eye scanning behavior at night when approaching signalized : and unsignalized intersections using the data from a head-mounted eye-tracking system during open road : driving on a prescribed route. During the ...

Analysis of Risk Compensation Behavior on Night Vision Enhancement System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiraoka, Toshihiro; Masui, Junya; Nishikawa, Seimei

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as a forward obstacle collision warning system (FOCWS) and a night vision enhancement system (NVES) aim to decrease driver's mental workload and enhance vehicle safety by provision of useful information to support driver's perception process and judgment process. On the other hand, the risk homeostasis theory (RHT) cautions that an enhanced safety and a reduced risk would cause a risk compensation behavior such as increasing the vehicle velocity. Therefore, the present paper performed the driving simulator experiments to discuss dependence on the NVES and emergence of the risk compensation behavior. Moreover, we verified the side-effects of spontaneous behavioral adaptation derived from the presentation of the fuel-consumption meter on the risk compensation behavior.

Do Low Income Youth of Color See “The Bigger Picture” When Discussing Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Public Health Literacy Campaign

PubMed Central

Schillinger, Dean; Tran, Jessica; Fine, Sarah

2018-01-01

As Type 2 diabetes spikes among minority and low-income youth, there is an urgent need to tackle the drivers of this preventable disease. The Bigger Picture (TBP) is a counter-marketing campaign using youth-created, spoken-word public service announcements (PSAs) to reframe the epidemic as a socio-environmental phenomenon requiring communal action, civic engagement and norm change. Methods: We examined whether and how TBP PSAs advance health literacy among low-income, minority youth. We showed nine PSAs, asking individuals open-ended questions via questionnaire, then facilitating a focus group to reflect upon the PSAs. Results: Questionnaire responses revealed a balance between individual vs. public health literacy. Some focused on individual responsibility and behaviors, while others described socio-environmental forces underlying risk. The focus group generated a preponderance of public health literacy responses, emphasizing future action. Striking sociopolitical themes emerged, reflecting tensions minority and low-income youth experience, such as entrapment vs. liberation. Conclusion: Our findings speak to the structural barriers and complexities underlying diabetes risk, and the ability of spoken word medium to make these challenges visible and motivate action. Practice Implications: Delivering TBP content to promote interactive reflection has potential to change behavioral norms and build capacity to confront the social, economic and structural factors that influence behaviors. PMID:29695114

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.

Changes in driving behavior and cognitive performance with different breath alcohol concentration levels.

PubMed

Liu, Yung-Ching; Fu, Shing-Mei

2007-06-01

This study examines the changes in driving behavior and cognitive performance of drivers with different breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) levels. Eight licensed drivers, aged between 20 and 30 years, with BrAC levels of 0.00, 0.25, 0.4 and 0.5 mg/l performed simulated driving tests under high- and low-load conditions. Subjects were asked to assess their subjective psychological load at specified intervals and perform various tasks. The outcome was measured in terms of reaction times for task completion, accuracy rates, and driver's driving behavior. The effects of BrAC vary depending on the task. Performance of tasks involving attention shift, information processing, and short-term memory showed significant deterioration with increasing BrAC, while dangerous external vehicle driving behavior occurred only when the BrAC reached 0.4 mg/l and the deterioration was marked. We can conclude that the cognitive faculty is the first to be impaired by drinking resulting in deteriorated performance in tasks related to divided attention, short-term memory, logical reasoning, followed by visual perception. On the other hand, increasing alcohol dose may not pose an immediate impact on the external vehicle driving behavior but may negatively affect the driver's motor behavior even at low BrAC levels. Experience and will power could compensate for the negative influence of alcohol enabling the drivers to remain in full steering control. This lag between alcohol consumption and impaired driving performance may mislead the drivers in thinking that they are still capable of safe steering and cause them to ignore the potential dangers of drunk driving.

Driver Behavioral Changes through Interactions with an Automatic Brake System for Collision Avoidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itoh, Makoto; Fujiwara, Yusuke; Inagaki, Toshiyuki

This paper discusses driver's behavioral changes as a result of driver's use of an automatic brake system for preventing a rear-end collision from occurring. Three types of automatic brake systems are investigated in this study. Type 1 brake system applies a strong automatic brake when a collision is very imminent. Type 2 brake system initiates brake operation softly when a rear-end crash may be anticipated. Types 1 and 2 are for avoidance of a collision. Type 3 brake system, on the other hand, applies a strong automatic brake to reduce the damage when a collision can not be avoided. An experiment was conducted with a driving simulator in order to analyze the driver's possible behavioral changes. The results showed that the time headway (THW) during car following phase was reduced by use of an automatic brake system of any type. The inverse of time to collision (TTC), which is an index of the driver's brake timing, increased by use of Type 1 brake system when the deceleration rate of the lead vehicle was relatively low. However, the brake timing did not change when the drivers used Type 2 or 3 brake system. As a whole, dangerous behavioral changes, such as overreliance on a brake system, were not observed for either type of brake system.

Taxonomy of Older Driver Behaviors and Crash Risk : Appendix C

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

This projects objectives were to identify risky behaviors, driving habits, and exposure patterns that have been shown to increase the likelihood of crash involvement among older drivers; and to classify these crash-contributing factors according t...

Anticipating the Environmental Impacts and Behavioral Drivers of Deep Decarbonization

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is seeking regular and early career applications proposing research that will contribute to an improved ability to understand and anticipate the public health and environmental impacts and behavioral drivers of significant changes in energy consumption

Taxonomy of Older Driver Behaviors and Crash Risk : Appendix D

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

This projects objectives were to identify risky behaviors, driving habits, and exposure patterns that have been shown to increase the likelihood of crash involvement among older drivers; and to classify these crash-contributing factors according t...

Evaluation of driver behavior to hydroplaning in the state of Florida using driving simulation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-08-01

This project used a driving simulator to investigate patterns of drivers' behavior during various rainfall events using different roadway geometries. The authors conducted a literature review of previous transportation studies using driving simulator...

What contributes to driving ability in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Cubo, Esther; Martinez Martin, Pablo; Gonzalez, Miguel; Bergareche, Alberto; Campos, Victor; Fernández, José Manuel; Alvárez, María; Bayes, Angels

2010-01-01

To determine the most significant clinical predictors that influence driving ability in Parkinson disease (PD). National-multi-centre, cross-sectional study covering PD outpatients. Clinical assessment was based on the following questionnaires: cognition (SCOPA-Cog); motor impairment and disabilities (SCOPA motor); depression/anxiety; sleep (SCOPA-Sleep); psychosis and severity/global impairment (HY and CISI-PD). Driving status data was obtained using a standardized questionnaire. Comparisons between drivers and ex-drivers were calculated using chi(2) and Student t-tests as appropriate. Multi-variate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent driving ability clinical predictors. Compared with the drivers, the ex-drivers were older (p = 0.00005), had longer disease duration (p = 0.03), had more overall cognitive dysfunction (p = 0.004) and had greater motor impairment, as measured by the CISI (p = 0.02), HY stage (p = 0.034) and by the SCOPA-motor scale (p = 0.002) and difficulty in activities of daily life (p = 0.002). In the regression model analysis, aging and ADL impairment were the principal clinical predictors that differentiated drivers from ex-drivers. Although overall driving impairment in PD is associated with advancing disease severity, driving ability seems to be more strongly influenced by age and ADL impairment. Multi-disciplinary teams are required to assess driving ability in patients with PD and develop rehabilitation measures for safer driving.

Secondary Behavior of Drivers on Cell Phones.

PubMed

Farmer, Charles M; Klauer, Sheila G; McClafferty, Julie A; Guo, Feng

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether cell phone use by drivers leads to changes in the frequency of other types of potentially distracting behavior. There were 2 main questions of interest: (1) As each driver changes cell phone use, does he or she change the amount of driving time spent on other distracting behavior? (2) As each driver changes cell phone use, does he or she change the amount of driving time spent looking away from the driving task? Day-to-day driving behavior of 105 volunteer subjects was monitored over a period of 1 year. The amount of driving time during each trip spent on tasks secondary to driving (or looking away from the driving task) was correlated to the amount of time on a cell phone, taking into account the relationships among trips taken by the same driver. Drivers spent 42% of the time engaging in at least one secondary activity. Drivers were talking on a cell phone 7% of the time, interacting in some other way with a cell phone 5% of the time, and engaging in some other secondary activity (sometimes in conjunction with cell phone use) 33% of the time. Other than cell phone use, the most common secondary activities were interacting with a passenger (12% of driving time), holding but not otherwise interacting with an object (6%), and talking/singing/dancing to oneself (5%). Drivers were looking straight forward 81% of the time, forward left or right 5% of time, in a mirror 4% of the time, and elsewhere (eyes off driving task) 10% of time. On average, for each 1 percentage point increase in cell phone talking, the other secondary behavior rate decreased by 0.28 percentage points (P <.0001), and the rate of eyes off driving task decreased by 0.02 percentage points (P =.0067). For each 1 percentage point increase in the amount of other cell phone interaction per trip, the other secondary behavior rate decreased by 0.08 percentage points (P =.0558), but the rate of eyes off driving task increased by 0.06 percentage points (P <.0001). Although using a cell phone can be distracting from the driving task, other secondary activities can be equally or more distracting, at least as measured by eye glances away from the road ahead and mirrors. In this group of drivers, dialing, reaching for, and answering the cell phone were associated with increased eyes off driving task, as opposed to the decrease in eyes off driving task associated with talking on the phone. Predictions about the effect of cell phone usage on driver distraction need to consider what other behavior is being displaced by the time spent on the phone. A focus by researchers, policy-makers, and the media on the distraction of using cell phones while driving may lead drivers to disregard the risk of other secondary behavior that is even more distracting.

Attempts at the practical on-road driving test and the hazard perception test and the risk of traffic crashes in young drivers.

PubMed

Boufous, Soufiane; Ivers, Rebecca; Senserrick, Teresa; Stevenson, Mark

2011-10-01

This study separately examined the impact of the outcomes of a practical on-road driving test and a hazard perception test on the likelihood of traffic crashes among a cohort of newly licensed young drivers in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The DRIVE study is a prospective cohort study of drivers aged 17 to 24 years holding their first-year provisional driver license in NSW. Information obtained from 20,822 participants in a detailed baseline questionnaire was linked to information on the number of attempts at a mandatory practical on-road driving test and hazard perception test as well as police-reported traffic crashes. After controlling for a number of sociodemographic and behavioral factors as well as factors related to driver learning experiences, multivariate analysis showed that those who failed the practical on-road test at least 4 times had an increased risk of involvement in a traffic crash compared to those who passed the test at first attempt (relative risk [RR]: 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-2.65). The crash risk among those who failed the practical on-road test at least 4 times was particularly high in females (RR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.20-3.68). Similarly, those who failed the hazard perception test at least twice had an increased risk of involvement in a traffic crash (RR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.27-2.63) compared to those who passed the test on the first attempt. The crash risk of those who failed the hazard perception test at least twice was particularly high in males (RR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.5-4.1) and among those from rural and remote areas (RR: 5.53, 95% CI: 1.63-18.71). The findings have implications on licensing practices and suggest the need for adequate strategies to assist young drivers with multiple failures in the driving and hazard perception tests.

High-risk driving attitudes and everyday driving violations of car and racing enthusiasts in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Yildirim-Yenier, Zümrüt; Vingilis, Evelyn; Wiesenthal, David L; Mann, Robert E; Seeley, Jane

2015-01-01

Attitudes and individual difference variables of car and racing enthusiasts regarding high-risk behaviors of street racing and stunt driving have recently been investigated. Positive attitudes toward high-risk driving, personality variables such as driver thrill seeking, and other self-reported risky driving acts were associated with these behaviors. However, probable relationships among high-risk driving tendencies, everyday driving behaviors, and negative road safety outcomes have remained largely unexamined. This study aimed to investigate the associations among car and racing enthusiasts' high-risk driving attitudes, self-reported everyday driving violations (i.e., ordinary and aggressive violations), and self-reported negative outcomes (i.e., collisions and driving offense citations). A web-based survey was conducted with members and visitors of car club and racing websites in Ontario, Canada. Data were obtained from 366 participants. The questionnaire included 4 attitude measures-(1) attitudes toward new penalties for Ontario's Street Racers, Stunt and Aggressive Drivers Legislation; (2) attitudes toward new offenses of stunt driving under the same legislation; (3) general attitudes toward street racing and stunt driving; (4) comparison of street racing with other risky driving behaviors-self-reported driving violations (i.e., ordinary and aggressive violations); self-reported collisions and offense citations; and background and driving questions (e.g., age, driving frequency). Results revealed that attitudes toward stunt driving offenses negatively and general attitudes toward street racing and stunt driving positively predicted ordinary violations, which, in turn, predicted offense citations. Moreover, general attitudes toward street racing and stunt driving positively predicted aggressive violations, which, in turn, predicted offense citations. The findings indicate that positive high-risk driving attitudes may be transferring to driving violations in everyday traffic, which mediates driving offense citations.

Examining driver behavior at the onset of yellow in a traffic simulator environment: Comparisons between random parameters and latent class logit models.

PubMed

Savolainen, Peter T

2016-11-01

This study involves an examination of driver behavior at the onset of a yellow signal indication. Behavioral data were obtained from a driving simulator study that was conducted through the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) laboratory at the University of Iowa. These data were drawn from a series of events during which study participants drove through a series of intersections where the traffic signals changed from the green to yellow phase. The resulting dataset provides potential insights into how driver behavior is affected by distracted driving through an experimental design that alternated handheld, headset, and hands-free cell phone use with "normal" baseline driving events. The results of the study show that male drivers ages 18-45 were more likely to stop. Participants were also more likely to stop as they became more familiar with the simulator environment. Cell phone use was found to some influence on driver behavior in this setting, though the effects varied significantly across individuals. The study also demonstrates two methodological approaches for dealing with unobserved heterogeneity across drivers. These include random parameters and latent class logit models, each of which analyze the data as a panel. The results show each method to provide significantly better fit than a pooled, fixed parameter model. Differences in terms of the context of these two approaches are discussed, providing important insights as to the differences between these modeling frameworks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Novel GMM-Based Behavioral Modeling Approach for Smartwatch-Based Driver Authentication.

PubMed

Yang, Ching-Han; Chang, Chin-Chun; Liang, Deron

2018-03-28

All drivers have their own distinct driving habits, and usually hold and operate the steering wheel differently in different driving scenarios. In this study, we proposed a novel Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based method that can improve the traditional GMM in modeling driving behavior. This new method can be applied to build a better driver authentication system based on the accelerometer and orientation sensor of a smartwatch. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, we created an experimental system that analyzes driving behavior using the built-in sensors of a smartwatch. The experimental results for driver authentication-an equal error rate (EER) of 4.62% in the simulated environment and an EER of 7.86% in the real-traffic environment-confirm the feasibility of this approach.

A decision model applied to alcohol effects on driver signal light behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, S. H.; Allen, R. W.

1978-01-01

A decision model including perceptual noise or inconsistency is developed from expected value theory to explain driver stop and go decisions at signaled intersections. The model is applied to behavior in a car simulation and instrumented vehicle. Objective and subjective changes in driver decision making were measured with changes in blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Treatment levels averaged 0.00, 0.10 and 0.14 BAC for a total of 26 male subjects. Data were taken for drivers approaching signal lights at three timing configurations. The correlation between model predictions and behavior was highly significant. In contrast to previous research, analysis indicates that increased BAC results in increased perceptual inconsistency, which is the primary cause of increased risk taking at low probability of success signal lights.

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.

Taxonomy of Older Driver Behaviors and Crash Risk : with Appendices A and B

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

This projects objectives were to identify risky behaviors, driving habits, and exposure patterns that have been shown to increase the likelihood of crash involvement among older drivers; and to classify these crash-contributing factors according t...

Driver attitudes and behaviors at intersections and potential effectiveness of engineering countermeasures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-11-01

The objective of this focus group study was to identify driver attitudes and behaviors related to intersection safety and to assess the likely impacts of new or existing infrastructure-based technologies/countermeasures. Four focus groups were conduc...

Education alone won't make drivers safer

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-05-19

Highway safety programs based on trying to change drivers' behavior through education do not work. They might even make the problem worse by encouraging novices to try riskier behavior because of their new training. Education can be a complement to s...

Preliminary Drivers Associated with Household Food Waste Generation in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramukhwatho, Fhumulani; duPlessis, Roelien; Oelofse, Suzan

2018-01-01

This study assessed the potential drivers of household food wastage in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. A total of 210 participants were interviewed face-to-face using structured questionnaire. The acquired data were captured in Microsoft Excel, and analyzed using the chi-square statistical test and SAS statistical software. The main…

Do aggressive driving and negative emotional driving mediate the link between impulsiveness and risky driving among young Italian drivers?

PubMed

Smorti, Martina; Guarnieri, Silvia

2016-01-01

The present study examined the contribution of impulsiveness and aggressive and negative emotional driving to the prediction of traffic violations and accidents taking into account potential mediation effects. Three hundred and four young drivers completed self-report measures assessing impulsiveness, aggressive and negative emotional driving, driving violations, and accidents. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct and indirect effects of impulsiveness on violations and accidents among young drivers through aggressive and negative emotional driving. Impulsiveness only indirectly influenced drivers' violations on the road via both the behavioral and emotional states of the driver. On the contrary, impulsiveness was neither directly nor indirectly associated with traffic accidents. Therefore, impulsiveness modulates young drivers' behavioral and emotional states while driving, which in turn influences risky driving.

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.

Driving anger and its relationships with type A behavior patterns and trait anger: Differences between professional and non-professional drivers

PubMed Central

Feng, Zhongxiang; Yang, Miaomiao; Ma, Changxi; Jiang, Kang; Lei, Yewei; Huang, Wenjuan; Huang, Zhipeng; Zhan, Jingjing; Zhou, Muxiong

2017-01-01

The present study examined the types of situations that caused Chinese professional and non-professional drivers to become angry and investigated the differences in driving-elicited anger, considering the influences of type A behavior pattern and trait anger between the two groups. The 20-item revised Driving Anger Scale (DAS) was used to assess a sample of 232 drivers (57% professional, 43% non-professional). The non-professional drivers reported significantly higher levels of anger than the professional drivers on the overall Driving Anger Scale (DAS) and the traffic obstructions and discourtesy subscales. In both groups, the preferred driving speeds were positively related to driving anger. Furthermore, drivers with a type A personality exhibited higher overall driving anger scores and higher anger scores in response to traffic obstructions and slow driving than drivers with a type B personality. Trait anger was significantly related to driving anger in both groups. In the non-professional group, type A behavior patterns (TABPs) and time hurry (TH) were positively correlated with anger evoked by slow driving. In the professional group, TABPs, TH and competitive hostility (CH) were positively related to driving anger, and the TABPs exerted an indirect effect on driving anger by mediating the influence of trait anger. Overall, these findings provide a theoretical basis for implementing targeted interventions for driving anger in both professional and non-professional drivers. PMID:29253004

Driving styles among young novice drivers--the contribution of parental driving styles and personal characteristics.

PubMed

Miller, Gila; Taubman-Ben-Ari, Orit

2010-03-01

As part of the effort to ascertain why young drivers are more at risk for car crashes, attention has recently turned to the effects of family, including the intergenerational transmission of driving styles from parents to offspring. The current study sought to further understanding of the nature and aspects of the family influence with the help of Bowen's family systems theory. In Phase 1 of the prospective study, 130 young driving students completed questionnaires tapping personal and personality measures, and their parents completed driving-related instruments. In Phase 2, a year after the young drivers had obtained their driver's license, they were administered the same questionnaires their parents had previously completed. The results show significant correlations between the parents' driving styles and those of their offspring a year after licensure. Furthermore, differentiation of self and self-efficacy in newly acquired driving skills were found to moderate or heighten the similarity between the driving styles of parents and their offspring. For young drivers reporting anxiety in Phase 1, this was associated with a reported anxious driving style a year later. Among young female drivers, anxiety was also associated with a reckless and careless style. Higher sensation seeking was related to higher reckless driving among young male drivers. The findings are discussed in the context of adolescence and the role of the study variables in the development and intergenerational transmission of driving styles. In addition to its theoretical contribution to the realms of intergenerational transmission in general, and young drivers in particular, the study may have practical implications for both family therapy and the design of driving interventions. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reliability and validity of the English and Malay versions of the Driving and Riding Questionnaire: a pilot study amongst older car drivers and motorcycle riders.

PubMed

Ang, B H; Chen, W S; Ngin, C K; Oxley, J A; Lee, S W H

2018-02-01

This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the English and Malay versions of the Driving and Riding Questionnaire. An observational study with a mix-method approach by utilising both questionnaire and short debriefing interviews. Forward and backward translations of the original questionnaire were performed. The translated questionnaire was assessed for clarity by a multidisciplinary research team, translators, and several Malay native speakers. A total of 24 subjects participated in the pilot study. Reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and validity (content validity) of the original and translated questionnaires were examined. The English and Malay versions of the Driving and Riding Questionnaire were found to be reliable tools in measuring driving behaviours amongst older drivers and riders, with Cronbach's alpha of 0.9158 and 0.8919, respectively. For content validity, the questionnaires were critically reviewed in terms of relevance, clarity, simplicity, and ambiguity. The feedback obtained from participants addressed various aspects of the questionnaire related to the improvement of wordings used and inclusion of visual guide to enhance the understanding of the items in the questionnaire. This feedback was incorporated into the final versions of the English and Malay questionnaires. The findings of this study demonstrated both the English and Malay versions of the Driving and Riding Questionnaire to be valid and reliable. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risky driving and lifestyles in adolescence.

PubMed

Bina, Manuela; Graziano, Federica; Bonino, Silvia

2006-05-01

Several studies have shown that risky driving is especially prevalent among young drivers and recent research has pointed out that driving in adolescence should be investigated in the more general context of adolescent development. The first aim of this contribution was to analyze involvement in risky driving in a normative sample of 645 Italian adolescents, boys and girls, aged 14-17, through a self-report questionnaire. A second aim was to evaluate the association between risky driving and lifestyle, defined as involvement in other health risk behaviors and leisure activities. The main results showed that many adolescents drove cars and motorcycles without the required driving license and the most frequent offences were speeding and failure to maintain a safe braking distance. Gender and age differences were also investigated. Results concerning the association between risky driving and lifestyle showed that risky driving was not an isolated behavior. Boys who displayed risky driving practices were more likely to adopt a lifestyle characterized by high involvement in antisocial behaviors, tobacco smoking, comfort eating and time spent in non-organized activities with friends. Girls involved in risky driving were more likely to be involved in other risk-taking behaviors, antisocial behaviors and drug use.

Association Between Executive Function and Problematic Adolescent Driving.

PubMed

Pope, Caitlin N; Ross, Lesley A; Stavrinos, Despina

Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are one of the leading causes of injury and death for adolescents. Driving is a complex activity that is highly reliant on executive function (EF) to safely navigate through the environment. Little research has examined the efficacy of using self-reported EF measures for assessing adolescent driving risk. This study examined the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire and performance-based EF tasks as potential predictors of problematic driving outcomes in adolescents. Forty-six adolescent drivers completed the (1) BRIEF, (2) Trail Making Test, (3) Backwards Digit Span, and (4) self-report on 3 problematic driving outcomes: the number of times of having been pulled over by a police officer, the number of tickets issued, and the number of MVCs. Greater self-reported difficulty with planning and organization was associated with greater odds of having a MVC, whereas inhibition difficulties were associated with greater odds of receiving a ticket. Greater self-reported difficulty across multiple BRIEF subscales was associated with greater odds of being pulled over. Overall findings indicated that the BRIEF, an ecological measure of EF, showed significant association with self-reported problematic driving outcomes in adolescents. No relationship was found between performance-based EF measures and self-reported driving outcomes. The BRIEF could offer unique and quick insight into problematic driving behavior and potentially be an indicator of driving risk in adolescent drivers during clinical evaluations.

[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.

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.

Pro-environmental beach driving is uncommon and ineffective in reducing disturbance to beach-dwelling birds.

PubMed

Weston, Michael A; Schlacher, Thomas A; Lynn, David

2014-05-01

Vehicles on beaches cause numerous deleterious effects to coastal wildlife. These impacts may, hypothetically, be lessened if drivers act to reduce disturbance. Since it is unknown to what extent such behavior occurs, and whether it can reduce disturbance, we quantified the behavior of drivers who encountered birds on open-coast, sandy beaches in eastern Australia and the consequent bird responses. Drivers of commercial tourist buses never slowed or altered course ("evaded birds") to avoid disturbing birds; conversely, 34 % of drivers of private cars did evade birds. Drivers of vehicles with fishing rod holders tended (P = 0.09) to evade birds more frequently than non-fishing vehicles. Evasion, when it occurred, was modest, and did not significantly decrease the intensity of bird response or the probability of escapes on the wing. Voluntary behavioral adjustments to alleviate impacts on wildlife may be unworkable, suggesting that other solutions (e.g., beach closures) might be the only effective and feasible way to reduce disturbance to birds on ocean beaches.

Effect of changing driving conditions on driver behavior towards design of a safe and efficient traffic system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

This simulation-based study explores the effects of different work zone configurations, varying distances : between traffic signs, traffic density and individual differences on drivers behavior. Conventional Lane : Merge (CLM) and Joint Lane Merge...

Asleep at the Wheel-The Road to Addressing Drowsy Driving

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-25

Drowsy driving is a dangerous behavior that leads to thousands of deaths and injuries each year. It is also a controllable factor for drivers. Drivers are capable of modifying this behavior if given sufficient information and motivation. Our goal is ...

[Work-related stress and psychological distress assessment in urban and suburban public transportation companies].

PubMed

Romeo, L; Lazzarini, G; Farisè, E; Quintarelli, E; Riolfi, A; Perbellini, L

2012-01-01

The risk of work-related stress has been determined in bus drivers and workers employed in the service department of two urban and suburban public transportation companies. The INAIL evaluation method (Check list and HSE indicator tool) was used. The GHQ-12 questionnaire, which is widely used to assess the level of psychological distress, was also employed. 81.9% of workers involved in the survey answered both the HSE indicator tool and the GHQ-12 questionnaire. The Check list evaluation showed an increase in quantifiable company stress indicators while close examination using the HSE indicator tool demonstrated critical situations for all the subscales, with the control subscales more problematic in bus drivers. The demand, manager's support, relationships and change subscales were most associated with psychological distress in bus drivers, while relationships, role, change and demand subscales were negatively related in workers of the service department.

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].

Occupational and Personal Determinants of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Urban Taxi Drivers in Ghana

PubMed Central

Abledu, J. K.; Offei, E. B.; Abledu, G. K.

2014-01-01

Background. There is a lack of epidemiological data on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among occupational drivers in Ghana. The present study seeks to estimate the prevalence, body distribution, and occupational and personal determinants of MSDs in a sample of taxi drivers in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana. Methods. A total of 210 participants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All the participants were evaluated by using a semistructured questionnaire and the standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire. Results. The estimated prevalence of MSDs was 70.5%. The prevalence of the various MSD domains was as follows: lower back pain (34.3%), upper back pain (16.7%), neck pain (15.2%), shoulder pain (11.0%), knee pain (10.0%), hip/thigh pain (2.9%), elbow pain (4.8%), ankle/feet pain (2.4%), and wrist/hand pain (1.9%). Multiple logistic regression analysis of the data showed that participants who were employee drivers, drove taxi more than 12 hours per day or at least 5 days per week, perceived their job as stressful, and were dissatisfied with their job were at a greater risk of developing MSDs. Conclusions. These findings call for preventive strategies and safety guidelines in order to reduce the incidence of MSDs among urban taxi drivers in Ghana. PMID:27379297

Occupational and Personal Determinants of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Urban Taxi Drivers in Ghana.

PubMed

Abledu, J K; Offei, E B; Abledu, G K

2014-01-01

Background. There is a lack of epidemiological data on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among occupational drivers in Ghana. The present study seeks to estimate the prevalence, body distribution, and occupational and personal determinants of MSDs in a sample of taxi drivers in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana. Methods. A total of 210 participants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All the participants were evaluated by using a semistructured questionnaire and the standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire. Results. The estimated prevalence of MSDs was 70.5%. The prevalence of the various MSD domains was as follows: lower back pain (34.3%), upper back pain (16.7%), neck pain (15.2%), shoulder pain (11.0%), knee pain (10.0%), hip/thigh pain (2.9%), elbow pain (4.8%), ankle/feet pain (2.4%), and wrist/hand pain (1.9%). Multiple logistic regression analysis of the data showed that participants who were employee drivers, drove taxi more than 12 hours per day or at least 5 days per week, perceived their job as stressful, and were dissatisfied with their job were at a greater risk of developing MSDs. Conclusions. These findings call for preventive strategies and safety guidelines in order to reduce the incidence of MSDs among urban taxi drivers in Ghana.

Factors associated with self-reported inattentive driving at highway-rail grade crossings.

PubMed

Zhao, Shanshan; Khattak, Aemal J

2017-12-01

This research identified factors associated with inattentive driving at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings (HRGCs) by investigating drivers' self-reported inattentive driving experiences and factors pertaining to their socioeconomic, personality, attitudinal, and other characteristics. A random selection of 2500 households in Nebraska received a survey questionnaire designed for licensed motor vehicle drivers; respondents returned 980 questionnaires. Factor analysis identified latent variables evaluating drivers' patience and inclination to wait for trains, attitudes toward new technology, law enforcement or education regarding HRGC safety, and the propensity to commit serious traffic violations at HRGCs. The investigation utilized a structural equation model for analysis. This model indicated that drivers with a higher risk of inattentive driving at HRGCs were: female, younger in age, from households with higher incomes, with shorter tenure (in years) in their current city of residence, more frequently used HRGCs, received less information on safety at HRGCs, had less patience to wait for trains to pass and had less interest in safety improvement technology, law enforcement or safety education at HRGCs. These research findings provide useful information for future research and to policy makers for improving public safety. Additionally, the results are useful for safety educational program providers for targeted program delivery to drivers that are more vulnerable to distracted driving at HRGCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of illicit drugs by truck drivers arriving at Paranaguá port terminal, Brazil.

PubMed

Peixe, Tiago Severo; de Almeida, Rafael Menck; Girotto, Edmarlon; de Andrade, Selma Maffei; Mesas, Arthur Eumann

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of recent use of illicit drugs among truck drivers who had parked their vehicles at the terminal port in Paranaguá City at Paraná State, southern Brazil. This cross-sectional study was part of a larger research project conducted among drivers at a regional Brazilian port. Data on professional characteristics, involvement in road traffic injuries, sleep, and use of alcohol and illicit drugs were collected using a questionnaire. Urine samples were collected and analyzed for amphetamines, cocaine, and cannabis using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Sixty-two drivers were included in the study. Toxicological analyses showed that 8.1 percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7-17.8%) of the urine samples were positive for drugs (4.8% for cocaine, 1.6% for amphetamine, and 1.6% for both); 8.1 percent reported drug use during the preceding 30 days in the questionnaire and only one tested positive for the drug in the urine sample. No sample was positive for cannabinoids. In total, at least 14.5 percent (95% CI, 6.9-25.8%) had used illicit drugs during the preceding 30 days based on self-reports and urine testing. Drivers who reported involvement in traffic injuries the year before more often tested positive for drugs in biological samples (P <.05). This research provides preliminary evidence that the use of illicit stimulants was common among professional truck drivers transporting grain loads. Thus, actions are needed to reduce drug use among truck drivers in order to prevent drug-related road traffic injuries.

Young driver education programs that build resilience have potential to reduce road crashes.

PubMed

Senserrick, Teresa; Ivers, Rebecca; Boufous, Soufiane; Chen, Huei-Yang; Norton, Robyn; Stevenson, Mark; van Beurden, Eric; Zask, Avigdor

2009-11-01

The research aimed to explore associations between participation in 2 education programs for school-based learner drivers and subsequent road traffic offenses and crashes among a large cohort of newly licensed drivers. DRIVE is a prospective cohort study of 20822 first-year drivers aged 17 to 24 in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Participants completed a detailed questionnaire and consented to data linkage in 2003-2004. Questionnaire items included year of participation in 2 specific education programs: a 1-day workshop-only program focusing on driving risks ("driver-focused") and a whole-of-community program also including a 1-day workshop but also longer term follow-up activities and a broader focus on reducing risk-taking and building resilience ("resilience-focused"). Survey data were subsequently linked to police-reported crash and offense data for 1996-2005. Poisson regression models that adjusted for multiple confounders were created to explore offenses and crashes as a driver (dichotomized as 0 vs >or=1) after program participation. Offenses did not differ between groups; however, whereas the driver-focused program was not associated with reduced crash risk, the resilience-focused program was associated with a 44% reduced relative risk for crash (0.56 [95% confidence interval: 0.34-0.93]). The large effect size observed and complementary findings from a comparable randomized, controlled trial in the United States suggest programs that focus more generally on reducing risks and building resilience have the potential to reduce crashes. A large, representative, randomized, controlled trial is urgently needed to confirm road safety benefits and ensure evidence-based spending and practitioner recommendations in this field.

Sleepiness and sleep-disordered breathing in truck drivers : risk analysis of road accidents.

PubMed

Catarino, Rosa; Spratley, Jorge; Catarino, Isabel; Lunet, Nuno; Pais-Clemente, Manuel

2014-03-01

Portugal has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in Europe. A clear association between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and traffic accidents has been previously demonstrated. This study aimed to determine prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and other sleep disorder symptoms among truck drivers and to identify which individual traits and work habits are associated to increased sleepiness and accident risk. We evaluated a sample of 714 truck drivers using a questionnaire (244 face-to-face interviews, 470 self-administered) that included sociodemographic data, personal habits, previous accidents, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Berlin questionnaire (BQ). Twenty percent of drivers had EDS and 29 % were at high risk for having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Two hundred sixty-one drivers (36.6 %) reported near-miss accidents (42.5 % sleep related) and 264 (37.0 %), a driving accident (16.3 % sleep related). ESS score ≥ 11 was a risk factor for both near-miss accidents (odds ratio (OR)=3.84, p<0.01) and accidents (OR=2.25, p<0.01). Antidepressant use was related to accidents (OR=3.30, p=0.03). We found an association between high Mallampati score (III-IV) and near misses (OR=1.89, p=0.04). In this sample of Portuguese truck drivers, we observed a high prevalence of EDS and other sleep disorder symptoms. Accident risk was related to sleepiness and antidepressant use. Identifying drivers at risk for OSAS should be a major priority of medical assessment centers, as a public safety policy.

Effectiveness of a Program Using a Vehicle Tracking System, Incentives, and Disincentives to Reduce the Speeding Behavior of Drivers with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markham, Paula T.; Porter, Bryan E.; Ball, J. D.

2013-01-01

Objective: In this article, the authors investigated the effectiveness of a behavior modification program using global positioning system (GPS) vehicle tracking devices with contingency incentives and disincentives to reduce the speeding behavior of drivers with ADHD. Method: Using an AB multiple-baseline design, six participants drove a 5-mile…

Computer-based personality judgments are more accurate than those made by humans

PubMed Central

Youyou, Wu; Kosinski, Michal; Stillwell, David

2015-01-01

Judging others’ personalities is an essential skill in successful social living, as personality is a key driver behind people’s interactions, behaviors, and emotions. Although accurate personality judgments stem from social-cognitive skills, developments in machine learning show that computer models can also make valid judgments. This study compares the accuracy of human and computer-based personality judgments, using a sample of 86,220 volunteers who completed a 100-item personality questionnaire. We show that (i) computer predictions based on a generic digital footprint (Facebook Likes) are more accurate (r = 0.56) than those made by the participants’ Facebook friends using a personality questionnaire (r = 0.49); (ii) computer models show higher interjudge agreement; and (iii) computer personality judgments have higher external validity when predicting life outcomes such as substance use, political attitudes, and physical health; for some outcomes, they even outperform the self-rated personality scores. Computers outpacing humans in personality judgment presents significant opportunities and challenges in the areas of psychological assessment, marketing, and privacy. PMID:25583507

Computer-based personality judgments are more accurate than those made by humans.

PubMed

Youyou, Wu; Kosinski, Michal; Stillwell, David

2015-01-27

Judging others' personalities is an essential skill in successful social living, as personality is a key driver behind people's interactions, behaviors, and emotions. Although accurate personality judgments stem from social-cognitive skills, developments in machine learning show that computer models can also make valid judgments. This study compares the accuracy of human and computer-based personality judgments, using a sample of 86,220 volunteers who completed a 100-item personality questionnaire. We show that (i) computer predictions based on a generic digital footprint (Facebook Likes) are more accurate (r = 0.56) than those made by the participants' Facebook friends using a personality questionnaire (r = 0.49); (ii) computer models show higher interjudge agreement; and (iii) computer personality judgments have higher external validity when predicting life outcomes such as substance use, political attitudes, and physical health; for some outcomes, they even outperform the self-rated personality scores. Computers outpacing humans in personality judgment presents significant opportunities and challenges in the areas of psychological assessment, marketing, and privacy.

Associations between heavy-vehicle driver compensation methods, fatigue-related driving behavior, and sleepiness.

PubMed

Thompson, Jason; Stevenson, Mark

2014-01-01

There has been growing recognition that broader economic and organizational factors play a role in creating work environments that facilitate high-risk driving behavior. This study investigates the association between compensation methods for drivers, fatigue-related driving behavior, and sleepiness among Australian heavy-vehicle drivers. Specifically, we hypothesized that piece-rate compensation methods linked to performance outcomes would be associated with greater levels of fatigue-related driving behaviors and sleepiness. We examined data from a random sample of 346 long-haul heavy-vehicle drivers who had not been involved in a crash. A 40-min interview was conducted that elicited information regarding driver demographics, truck characteristics, and compensation arrangements. Specific details about drivers' behavior on their most recent trip including load(s) carried, distances driven, hours driven, rest breaks, and hours of sleep on the previous night were taken. The interview also included a standardized assessment of sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). A multivariate analysis of covariance demonstrated a significant multivariate effect for compensation methods across the combined, fatigue-related driving behavior dependent variables, F (10, 676)=2.80, p<.01. Between-subject effects demonstrated significant association between compensation methods and 4 of 5 fatigue-related variables under study, including kilometers driven per day, F (2, 340)=7.75, p<.001, hours driven per day, F (2, 341)=2.64, p<.05, total hours worked per week, F (2, 340)=5.27, p<.01, and mean driving time between breaks, F (2, 341)=4.45, p<.05. Post hoc tests revealed that piece-rate compensation methods were associated with higher levels of fatigue-related driving than non-piece-rate methods. Follow-up analysis also revealed higher caffeine and amphetamines use among piece-rate drivers for the purpose of staying awake while driving. Despite this, no association between compensation methods and sleepiness were revealed. RESULTS confirmed that performance-based compensation methods are associated with work practices that may exacerbate driving behaviors associated with fatigue. Despite this finding, however, performance-based compensation methods were not associated with higher levels of sleepiness. This highlights the presence of potential differences in self-selection, operational, or fatigue management practices that may be common to drivers paid under various methods. Implications of these results for safety policy and future safety research within the heavy-vehicle industry are discussed.

Effects of countdown timers on driver behavior after the yellow onset at Chinese intersections.

PubMed

Long, Kejun; Han, Lee D; Yang, Qiang

2011-10-01

Few studies have focused on the effect of countdown timers at signalized intersections in China, where such timers are widely deployed for their perceived benefits of increased safety and capacity. This study examines the effect of countdown timers on driver behavior during the yellow interval. Signal phasing and traffic operations were videotaped at 4 comparable signalized intersections under normal conditions. Microscopic details were extracted manually at 25 Hz to yield 24 h of data on onset time of the yellow, onset time of the red, driver location and actions after the onset of the yellow, red light-running violations, etc. For comparable intersections with and without countdown timers, driver behavior measured by driver decision (stop or go) and vehicle entry time (when the vehicle crosses the stop line) were analyzed using binary logistical regression (BLR) and a nonparametric test, respectively. The results suggest that countdown timers can indeed influence driver behaviors, in terms of decisions to stop or cross the intersection as well as the distribution of vehicle entry times. There was a strong correlation between the presence of countdown timers and an increase in red light violations. Countdown timers may lead to increased entrance into the intersection during the later portions of the yellow and even the red. This alarming finding calls for further research as well as for serious consideration before the field deployment of countdown timers.

Challenges in detecting drowsiness based on driver’s behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triyanti, V.; Iridiastadi, H.

2017-12-01

Drowsiness while driving has been a critical issue within the context of transportation safety. A number of approaches have been developed to reduce the risks of drowsy drivers. The mechanisms in detecting fatigue and sleepiness while driving has been categorized into three broad approaches, including vehicle-based, physiological-based, and behavior-based approaches. This paper will discuss recent studies in recognizing drowsy drivers based on their behaviors, particularly changes in eyes and facial characteristics. This paper will also address challenges in capturing aspects of natural expressions, driver responses, behavior, and task environment associated with sleepiness. Additionally, a number of technical aspects should be seriously considered, including correctly capturing face and eye characteristics from unwanted movements, unsuitable task environments, technological limitations, and individual differences.

Validity and usability of a safe driving behaviors measure for older adults : strategy for congestion mitigation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

Statistics project that crash/injury/fatality rates of older drivers will increase with the future growth of : this population. Accurate and precise measurement of older driver behaviors becomes imperative to : curtail these crash trends and resultin...

A simulator study of the combined effects of alcohol and marihuana on driving behavior--phase II

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-02-01

Author's abstract: The study described in this report investigated the effects of alcohol and marihuana, alone and in combination, on driver performance and behavior in a fully interactive driving simulator. The simulator provided the driver a comple...

Stages of driving behavior change within the Transtheoretical Model (TM).

PubMed

Kowalski, Kristina; Jeznach, Anna; Tuokko, Holly Anna

2014-09-01

Many older adults voluntarily restrict their driving or stop driving of their own accord. Driving behavior change may occur in stages, as predicted by the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TM). This study explored the process of older driver behavior change within the TM framework using interviews/focus groups with drivers and former drivers aged 71-94 years. Within those groups of drivers, driving behavior was divided into two classes: those who changed their driving with age and those who did not. Those who changed their driving as they aged included people gradually imposing restrictions ("gradual restrictors") and those making plans in anticipation of stopping driving ("preparers"). Participants who did not change their driving included those who employed lifelong driving restrictions ("consistent") and those who made no changes ("non-changers"). Preliminary support for TM within the driving context was found; however, further exploration of driving behavior change within this framework is warranted. It is important to continue to investigate the factors that might influence driving behavior in older adults. By promoting self-regulation in individuals, it may be possible to help older adults continue to drive, thereby improving older adult's mobility and quality of life. Copyright © 2014 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patterns of Harmful Alcohol Consumption among Truck Drivers: Implications for Occupational Health and Work Safety from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Dini, Guglielmo; Toletone, Alessandra; Rahmani, Alborz; Montecucco, Alfredo; Massa, Emanuela; Manca, Alessia; Guglielmi, Ottavia; Garbarino, Sergio; Debarbieri, Nicoletta; Durando, Paolo

2018-05-30

Alcohol consumption is one of the main causes of productivity losses arising from absenteeism, presenteeism, and workplace injuries. Among occupational categories most affected by the use of this substance, truck drivers are subject to risk factors and risky behaviors that can have a serious impact on their health, their work, and the general road safety. The use of alcohol during truck-driving activities is, indeed, an important risk factor for traffic accidents. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aims at synthesizing the literature regarding harmful alcohol consumption patterns among truck drivers in a rigorous way. A 'binge drinking' prevalence of 19.0%, 95% confidence interval or CI (13.1, 26.9) was present. An 'everyday drinking' pattern rate of 9.4%, 95% CI (7.0, 12.4) was found, while the rate of alcohol misuse according to the "Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test" (AUDIT)-"Cut down-Annoyed-Guilty-Eye opener questionnaire" (CAGE) instruments was computed to be of 22.7%, 95% CI (14.8, 33.0). No evidence of publication bias could be found. However, there is the need to improve the quality of published research, utilizing standardized reliable instruments. The knowledge of these epidemiological data can be useful for decision makers in order to develop, design, and implement ad hoc adequate policies.

Driver Expectations When Navigating Complex Interchanges

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-10-01

The purpose of this project was to develop a method for determining driver expectations at interchanges and to use that method to determine how these expectations affect driver behavior at interchanges that vary in level of complexity, including prov...

The Effect of Passengers on Teen Driver Behavior

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-04-01

A number of studies have shown that passengers substantially increase the risk of crashes for young, novice drivers. This increased risk may result from distractions that young passengers create for drivers. Alternatively, the presence of passengers ...

Driver usage and understanding of adaptive cruise control.

PubMed

Larsson, Annika F L

2012-05-01

Automation, in terms of systems such as adaptive/active cruise control (ACC) or collision warning systems, is increasingly becoming a part of everyday driving. These systems are not perfect though, and the driver has to be prepared to reclaim control in situations very similar to those the system easily handles by itself. This paper uses a questionnaire answered by 130 ACC users to discuss future research needs in the area of driver assistance systems. Results show that the longer drivers use their systems, the more aware of its limitations they become. Moreover, the drivers report that ACC forces them to take control intermittently. According to theory, this might actually be better than a more perfect system, as it provides preparation for unexpected situations requiring the driver to reclaim control. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Blood vitamin C levels of motorized tricycle drivers in Parañaque, Philippines.

PubMed

Sia Su, Glenn L; Kayali, Sara

2008-08-01

Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient maintaining the state of well being of individuals. This study examined factors affecting and the blood vitamin C levels of motorized tricycle drivers in Parañaque City, Philippines. Consenting drivers (N=49) were included in the study and were assessed through self-administered questionnaires, 24-h food recalls, and anthropometric measurements and on the analysis of their blood vitamin C levels. Factors related to the blood vitamin C levels of the motorized tricycle drivers were determined by correlation analysis. Majority (79.6%) of drivers had low blood vitamin C levels. Workplace and vitamin C supplementations (p<0.05) were significantly related to the blood vitamin C levels of the motorized tricycle drivers. Further studies are recommended to understand the problem and the determinants of vitamin C deficiency among the general population.

Traffic Games: Modeling Freeway Traffic with Game Theory

PubMed Central

Cortés-Berrueco, Luis E.; Gershenson, Carlos; Stephens, Christopher R.

2016-01-01

We apply game theory to a vehicular traffic model to study the effect of driver strategies on traffic flow. The resulting model inherits the realistic dynamics achieved by a two-lane traffic model and aims to incorporate phenomena caused by driver-driver interactions. To achieve this goal, a game-theoretic description of driver interaction was developed. This game-theoretic formalization allows one to model different lane-changing behaviors and to keep track of mobility performance. We simulate the evolution of cooperation, traffic flow, and mobility performance for different modeled behaviors. The analysis of these results indicates a mobility optimization process achieved by drivers’ interactions. PMID:27855176

An empirical investigation of taxi driver response behavior to ride-hailing requests: A spatio-temporal perspective

PubMed Central

Xu, Ke; Sun, Luping; Wang, Hansheng

2018-01-01

Using data provided by a ride-hailing platform, this paper examines the factors that affect taxi driver response behavior to ride-hailing requests. The empirical investigation from a driver’s perspective is of great importance for ride-hailing service providers, given that approximately 40% of the hailing requests receive no response from any driver. To comprehensively understand taxi driver response behavior, we use a rich dataset to generate variables related to the spatio-temporal supply-demand intensities, the economic incentives, the requests’ and the drivers’ characteristics. The results show that drivers are more likely to respond to requests with economic incentives (especially a firm subsidy), and those with a lower spatio-temporal demand intensity or a higher spatio-temporal supply intensity. In addition, drivers are more likely to respond to requests involving rides covering a greater geographical distance and to those with a smaller number of repeated submissions. The drivers’ characteristics, namely, the number of requests received and the number of requests responded, however, have relatively little impacts on their response probability to the current request. Our findings contribute to the related literature and provide managerial implications for ride-hailing service providers. PMID:29883478

Sexual behavior among truck drivers.

PubMed

Singh, Rajiv Kumar; Joshi, Hari Shankar

2012-01-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted on Lucknow highway in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh to study the knowledge of truck drivers about HIV transmission and prevention and to study the sexual behaviour of these drivers with reference to HIV/AIDS. Age, marital status, education, income, drinking alcohol, length of stay away from home, knowledge about transmission and prevention of HIV, and HIV-prone behavior of truck drivers were studied. Chi-square, mean, and SD were calculated. In all, 289 (97.6%) drivers had heard about HIV/AIDS. Only 242 (81.8%) were aware of HIV transmission by heterosexual route. Misconceptions such as HIV transmission by mosquito bites, living in same room, shaking hands, and sharing food were found. Out of 174 (58.8%) who visited Commercial Sex Workers (CSW), 146 (83.9%) used a condom. 38 (12.8%) visited more than 5 CSW in the last 3 months. Time away from home on the road, marital status, alcohol use, and income class were associated with visiting CSW. High-risk behavior was established in the study population. Safe sex and use of condoms need to be promoted among the truck drivers and better condom availability needs to be assured on highways.

Analyzing Vehicle Fuel Saving Opportunities through Intelligent Driver Feedback

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

Gonder, J.; Earleywine, M.; Sparks, W.

2012-06-01

Driving style changes, e.g., improving driver efficiency and motivating driver behavior changes, could deliver significant petroleum savings. This project examines eliminating stop-and-go driving and unnecessary idling, and also adjusting acceleration rates and cruising speeds to ideal levels to quantify fuel savings. Such extreme adjustments can result in dramatic fuel savings of over 30%, but would in reality only be achievable through automated control of vehicles and traffic flow. In real-world driving, efficient driving behaviors could reduce fuel use by 20% on aggressively driven cycles and by 5-10% on more moderately driven trips. A literature survey was conducted of driver behaviormore » influences, and pertinent factors from on-road experiments with different driving styles were observed. This effort highlighted important driver influences such as surrounding vehicle behavior, anxiety over trying to get somewhere quickly, and the power/torque available from the vehicle. Existing feedback approaches often deliver efficiency information and instruction. Three recommendations for maximizing fuel savings from potential drive cycle improvement are: (1) leveraging applications with enhanced incentives, (2) using an approach that is easy and widely deployable to motivate drivers, and (3) utilizing connected vehicle and automation technologies to achieve large and widespread efficiency improvements.« less

Why Do Drivers Use Mobile Phones While Driving? The Contribution of Compensatory Beliefs.

PubMed

Zhou, Ronggang; Yu, Mengli; Wang, Xinyi

2016-01-01

The current study is the first to investigate the contribution of compensatory beliefs (i.e., the belief that the negative effects of an unsafe behavior can be "neutralized" by engaging in another safe behavior; e.g., "I can use a mobile phone now because I will slow down ") on drivers' mobile phone use while driving. The effects of drivers' personal characteristics on compensatory beliefs, mobile phone use and self-regulatory behaviors were also examined. A series of questions were administered to drivers, which included (1) personal measures, (2) scales that measured compensatory beliefs generally in substance use and with regard to driving safety, and (3) questions to measure drivers' previous primary mobile phone usage and corresponding self-regulatory actions. Overall, drivers reported a low likelihood of compensatory beliefs, prior mobile phone use, and a strong frequency of self-regulatory behaviors. Respondents who had a higher tendency toward compensatory beliefs reported more incidents or crash involvement caused by making or answering calls and sending or reading messages. The findings provide strong support for the contribution of compensatory beliefs in predicting mobile phone usage in the context of driving. Compensatory beliefs can explain 41% and 43% of the variance in the active activities of making calls and texting/sending messages compared with 18% and 31% of the variance in the passive activities of answering calls and reading messages. Among the regression models for predicting self-regulatory behaviors at the tactical or operational level, compensatory beliefs emerge as significant predictors only in predicting shorter conversations while on a call. The findings and limitations of the current study are discussed.

Development of simulation interfaces for evaluation task with the use of physiological data and virtual reality applied to a vehicle simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miranda, Mateus R.; Costa, Henrik; Oliveira, Luiz; Bernardes, Thiago; Aguiar, Carla; Miosso, Cristiano; Oliveira, Alessandro B. S.; Diniz, Alberto C. G. C.; Domingues, Diana Maria G.

2015-03-01

This paper aims at describing an experimental platform used to evaluate the performance of individuals at training immersive physiological games. The platform proposed is embedded in an immersive environment in a CAVE of Virtual Reality and consists on a base frame with actuators with three degrees of freedom, sensor array interface and physiological sensors. Physiological data of breathing, galvanic skin resistance (GSR) and pressure on the hand of the user and a subjective questionnaire were collected during the experiments. The theoretical background used in a project focused on Software Engineering, Biomedical Engineering in the field of Ergonomics and Creative Technologies in order to presents this case study, related of an evaluation of a vehicular simulator located inside the CAVE. The analysis of the simulator uses physiological data of the drivers obtained in a period of rest and after the experience, with and without movements at the simulator. Also images from the screen are captured through time at the embedded experience and data collected through physiological data visualization (average frequency and RMS graphics). They are empowered by the subjective questionnaire as strong lived experience provided by the technological apparatus. The performed immersion experience inside the CAVE allows to replicate behaviors from physical spaces inside data space enhanced by physiological properties. In this context, the biocybrid condition is expanded beyond art and entertainment, as it is applied to automotive engineering and biomedical engineering. In fact, the kinesthetic sensations amplified by synesthesia replicates the sensation of displacement in the interior of an automobile, as well as the sensations of vibration and vertical movements typical of a vehicle, different speeds, collisions, etc. The contribution of this work is the possibility to tracing a stress analysis protocol for drivers while operating a vehicle getting affective behaviors coming from physiological data, mixed to embedded simulation in Mixed Reality.

Using SHRP 2 naturalistic driving data to assess drivers' speed choice while being engaged in different secondary tasks.

PubMed

Schneidereit, Tina; Petzoldt, Tibor; Keinath, Andreas; Krems, Josef F

2017-09-01

The engagement in secondary tasks while driving has been found to result in considerable impairments of driving performance. Texting has especially been suspected to be associated with an increased crash risk. At the same time, there is evidence that drivers use various self-regulating strategies to compensate for the increased demands caused by secondary task engagement. One of the findings reported from multiple studies is a reduction in driving speed. However, most of these studies are of experimental nature and do not let the drivers decide for themselves to (not) engage in the secondary task, and therefore, eliminate other strategies of self-regulation (e.g., postponing the task). The goal of the present analysis was to investigate if secondary task engagement results in speed adjustment also under naturalistic conditions. Our analysis relied on data of the SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study. To minimize the influence of potentially confounding factors on drivers' speed choice, we focused on episodes of free flow driving on interstates/highways. Driving speed was analyzed before, during, and after texting, smoking, eating, and adjusting/monitoring radio or climate control; in a total of 403 episodes. Data show some indication for speed adjustment for texting, especially when driving with high speed. However, the effect sizes were small and behavioral patterns varied considerably between drivers. The engagement in the other tasks did not influence drivers' speed behavior significantly. While drivers might indeed reduce speed slightly to accommodate for secondary task engagement, other forms of adaptation (e.g., strategic decisions) might play a more important role in a natural driving environment. The use of naturalistic driving data to study drivers' self-regulatory behavior at an operational level has proven to be promising. Still, in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding about drivers' self-regulatory behavior, a mixed-method approach is required. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of driver identity on driving safety in a retrospective feedback system.

PubMed

Zhao, Guozhen; Wu, Changxu

2012-03-01

Retrospective feedback that provides detailed information on a driver's performance in critical driving situations at the end of a trip enhances his/her driving behaviors and safe driving habits. Although this has been demonstrated by a previous study, retrospective feedback can be further improved and applied to non-critical driving situations, which is needed for transportation safety. To propose a new retrospective feedback system that uses driver identity (i.e., a driver's name) and to experimentally study its effects on measures of driving performance and safety in a driving simulator. We conducted a behavioral experimental study with 30 participants. "Feedback type" was a between-subject variable with three conditions: no feedback (control group), feedback without driver identity, and feedback with driver identity. We measured multiple aspects of participants' driving behavior. To control for potential confounds, factors that were significantly correlated with driving behavior (e.g., age and driving experience) were all entered as covariates into a multivariate analysis of variance. To examine the effects of speeding on collision severity in driving simulation studies, we also developed a new index - momentum of potential collision - with a set of equations. Subjects who used a feedback system with driver identity had the fewest speeding violations and central-line crossings, spent the least amount of time speeding and crossing the central line, had the lowest speeding and central-line crossing magnitude, ran the fewest red lights, and had the smallest momentum of potential collision compared to the groups with feedback without driver identity and without feedback (control group). The new retrospective feedback system with driver identity has the potential to enhance a person's driving safety (e.g., speeding, central-line crossing, momentum of potential collision), which is an indication of the valence of one's name in a feedback system design. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential distractions and unsafe driving behaviors among drivers of 1- to 12-year-old children.

PubMed

Macy, Michelle L; Carter, Patrick M; Bingham, C Raymond; Cunningham, Rebecca M; Freed, Gary L

2014-01-01

Driver distraction has been identified as a threat to individual drivers and public health. Motor vehicle collisions remain a leading cause of death for children, yet little is known about distractions among drivers of children. This study sought to characterize potential distractions among drivers of children. A 2-site, cross-sectional, computerized survey of child passenger safety practices was conducted among adult drivers of 1- to 12-year-old children who presented for emergency care between October 2011 to May 2012. Drivers indicated the frequency with which they engaged in 10 potential distractions in the past month while driving with their child. Distractions were grouped in 4 categories: (1) nondriving, (2) cellular phone, (3) child, and (4) directions. Information about other unsafe driving behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics was collected. Nearly 90% of eligible parents participated. Analysis included 570 drivers (92.2%). Non-driving-related and cellular phone-related distractions were disclosed by >75% of participants. Fewer participants disclosed child (71.2%) and directions-related distractions (51.9%). Child age was associated with each distraction category. Cellular phone-related distractions were associated with the child riding daily in the family car, non-Hispanic white, and higher education. Parents admitting to drowsy driving and being pulled over for speeding had over 2 times higher odds of disclosing distractions from each category. Distracted driving activities are common among drivers of child passengers and are associated with other unsafe driving behaviors. Child passenger safety may be improved by preventing crash events through the reduction or elimination of distractions among drivers of child passengers. Copyright © 2014 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential Distractions and Unsafe Driving Behaviors Among Drivers of 1- to 12-year-old Children

PubMed Central

Macy, Michelle L.; Carter, Patrick M.; Bingham, C. Raymond; Cunningham, Rebecca M.; Freed, Gary L.

2014-01-01

Objective Driver distraction has been identified as a threat to individual drivers and public health. Motor vehicle collisions remain a leading cause of death for children yet little is known about distractions among drivers of children. This study sought to characterize potential distractions among drivers of children. Methods A two-site, cross-sectional, computerized survey of child passenger safety practices was conducted among adult drivers of 1- to 12-year-old children who presented for emergency care between October 2011-May 2012. Drivers indicated the frequency with which they engaged in ten potential distractions in the past month while driving with their child. Distractions were grouped in four categories: 1) non-driving, 2) cellular phone, 3) child, 4) directions. Information about other unsafe driving behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics was collected. Results Nearly 90% of eligible parents participated. Analysis included 570 (92.2%) drivers. Non-driving and cellular phone-related distractions were disclosed by >75% of participants. Fewer participants disclosed child (71.2%) and directions-related distractions (51.9%). Child age was associated with each distraction category. Cellular phone-related distractions were associated with the child riding daily in the family car, non-Hispanic white and other race/ethnicity, and higher education. Parents admitting to drowsy driving and being pulled over for speeding had over two-times higher odds of disclosing distractions from each category. Conclusions Distracted driving activities are common among drivers of child passengers and associated with other unsafe driving behaviors. Child passenger safety may be improved by preventing crash events through the reduction or elimination of distractions among drivers of child passengers. PMID:24767781

Conditions that influence drivers' yielding behavior at uncontrolled crossings and intersections with traffic signal controls.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-08-31

There is a dearth of studies on how pedestrian who are blind might positively influence driver yielding in different travel situations. This project assessed common pedestrian behaviors (head turning, holding a cane, taking a step, holding up a hand,...

Peer passenger influences on male adolescent drivers’ visual scanning behavior during simulated driving

PubMed Central

Pradhan, Anuj K.; Li, Kaigang; Bingham, C. Raymond; Simons-Morton, Bruce; Ouimet, Marie Claude; Shope, Jean T.

2014-01-01

Purpose There is a higher likelihood of crashes and fatalities when an adolescent drives with peer passengers, especially for male drivers and male passengers. Simulated driving of male adolescent drivers with male peer passengers was studied to examine passenger influences on distraction and inattention. Methods Male adolescents drove in a high-fidelity driving simulator with a male confederate who posed either as a risk-accepting or risk-averse passenger. Drivers’ eye-movements were recorded. The visual scanning behavior of the drivers was compared when driving alone versus when driving with a passenger, and when driving with a risk-accepting versus a risk-averse passenger. Results The visual scanning of a driver significantly narrowed horizontally and vertically when driving with a peer passenger. There were no significant differences in the times the drivers’ eyes were off the forward roadway when driving with a passenger versus when driving alone. Some significant correlations were found between personality characteristics and the outcome measures. Conclusions The presence of a male peer passenger was associated with a reduction in the visual scanning range of male adolescent drivers. This reduction could be a result of potential cognitive load imposed on the driver due to the presence of a passenger and the real or perceived normative influences or expectations from the passenger. Implications and contribution The presence of male peer passengers was associated with deficient visual scanning in male adolescent drivers. Such reduced scanning behavior is evident in drivers with high cognitive load. Further investigation of passenger influences on adolescent drivers should include examination of distraction and inattention aspects of passenger influence. PMID:24759440

Not all minds wander equally: The influence of traits, states and road environment factors on self-reported mind wandering during everyday driving.

PubMed

Burdett, Bridget R D; Charlton, Samuel G; Starkey, Nicola J

2016-10-01

Inattention is a road safety problem, but few studies have focused specifically on mind wandering during everyday driving. This paper explores differences in self-reported mind wandering according to driver demographic characteristics (including age and gender), cognitive traits (such as tendency toward cognitive failure or mindful attention), states (such as feeling tired or stressed) and road environment factors (such as route familiarity). Five hundred and two participants (113 male, average age 44.4 years, SD=14.0years) completed a series of questionnaires (Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ)), as well as study-specific questions about mind wandering during different personal states and across a range of road and traffic situations. All respondents reported mind wandering during driving at least some of the time. Mind wandering was more likely to be reported on familiar roads than on unfamiliar roads and when drivers are tired. Drivers who reported relatively more mind wandering were younger, reported less mindful attention in daily life, more cognitive failures, and more driving violations and lapses. Together, the findings suggest that mind wandering is common in everyday driving, however any link with crash risk remains unclear. Future research using self-report and naturalistic methods could provide more insight into relationships between mind wandering, error and crash risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Effects of age and the use of hands-free cellular phones on driving behavior and task performance.

PubMed

Liu, Yung-Ching; Ou, Yang-Kun

2011-12-01

This study used a driving simulator to investigate the effect of using a Bluetooth hands-free cellular phone earpiece on the driving behavior of two age groups. Forty-eight participants (24 aged 20-26 and 24 aged 65-73) were examined to assess their performance on the following divided-attention tasks under 2 driving load conditions (high and low): (1) attempting to maintain the speed limit and (2) using a cellular phone while driving. The length of the call conversation (long vs. short) and the conversational content (complex vs. simple) were manipulated as within-subject independent variables. The driving behavior of the participants, their task reaction times and accuracy, and subjective ratings were collected as dependent variables. The results indicate that under low driving loads, short talk times, and simple conversational content, the driving behavior of the participants showed low variance in the vehicle's mean speed. In contrast, complex conversation had a significantly negative impact on driving behavior. Notably, under a low driving load, motorists' driving behaviors, measured in lateral acceleration, caused significantly smaller variance in complex conversations compared to no call and simple conversations. The use of a hands-free cellular phone affected the performance (acceleration, lane deviation, reaction time, and accuracy) of older drivers significantly more than younger drivers. While performing divided attention tasks, the accuracy of the older drivers was 66.3 percent and that of the younger drivers was 96.3 percent. Although this study did not find a clear impact of cellular phone use on the driving behavior of younger drivers, their divided-attention task reaction times and accuracy were better under no-call than calling conditions. This study indicates that the use of hands-free cellular phones could significantly affect the safety of driving among the older and present risks, although lesser, for younger drivers.

Methodology to evaluate teen driver training programs : [brief].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-03-01

In the United States, teenage drivers are more at risk of being involved in crashes than : any other age group. Statistics reveal a clear need for improving teenagers driving : skills, judgment and behavior. Driver education programs are a crucial...

The effect of passengers on teen driver behavior : traffic tech.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-04-01

A number of studies have shown that passengers substantially : increase the risk of crashes for young, novice drivers. : This increased risk may result from distractions that young : passengers create for drivers. Alternatively, the presence : of pas...

Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Drivers of All-Terrain Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

REHN, B.; BERGDAHL, I. A.; AHLGREN, C.; FROM, C.; JÄRVHOLM, B.; LUNDSTRÖM, R.; NILSSON, T.; SUNDELIN, G.

2002-05-01

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to characterize the risk of experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms in the region of the neck, shoulders and upper and lower back for professional drivers of various categories of all-terrain vehicles and to assess the association between symptoms and duration of exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) and shock from driving all-terrain vehicles. The study group consisted of 215 drivers of forest machines, 137 drivers of snowmobiles and 79 drivers of snowgroomers and a control group of 167 men randomly selected from the general population. The subjects were all from one of the four most northern counties in Sweden and they were all men. Musculoskeletal symptoms were assessed by use of a standardized questionnaire. In addition, the questionnaire held items about the driving time with all-terrain vehicles and a subjective estimation of exposure to unpleasant movements (shock, jolt, irregular sway). The job strain was measured according to Karasek's demands/control model. The prevalence ratios were adjusted for age, smoking and job strain. Among drivers, significantly increased prevalence ratios within the range of 1∂5-2·9 were revealed for symptoms from the neck-shoulder and thoracic regions during the previous year. None of the driver categories had a statistically significantly increased risk of low back pain. Forest vehicles were those most reported to cause unpleasant movements. In conclusion, drivers of all-terrain vehicles exhibit an increased risk of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders in the neck-shoulder and thoracic regions. The increased risk is suggested to be related to physical factors such as exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) and shock, static overload or extreme body postures. However, since symptoms of low back pain were not significantly increased, it appears that factors other than WBV would explain the occurrence of symptoms in the group of all-terrain drivers.

Landscape heritage objects' effect on driving: a combined driving simulator and questionnaire study.

PubMed

Antonson, Hans; Ahlström, Christer; Mårdh, Selina; Blomqvist, Göran; Wiklund, Mats

2014-01-01

According to the literature, landscape (panoramas, heritage objects e.g. landmarks) affects people in various ways. Data are primarily developed by asking people (interviews, photo sessions, focus groups) about their preferences, but to a lesser degree by measuring how the body reacts to such objects. Personal experience while driving a car through a landscape is even more rare. In this paper we study how different types of objects in the landscape affect drivers during their drive. A high-fidelity moving-base driving simulator was used to measure choice of speed and lateral position in combination with stress (heart rate measure) and eye tracking. The data were supplemented with questionnaires. Eighteen test drivers (8 men and 10 women) with a mean age of 37 were recruited. The test drivers were exposed to different new and old types of landscape objects such as 19th century church, wind turbine, 17th century milestone and bus stop, placed at different distances from the road driven. The findings are in some respect contradictory, but it was concluded that that 33% of the test drivers felt stressed during the drive. All test drivers said that they had felt calm at times during the drive but the reason for this was only to a minor degree connected with old and modern objects. The open landscape was experienced as conducive to acceleration. Most objects were, to a small degree, experienced (subjective data) as having a speed-reducing effect, much in line with the simulator data (objective data). Objects close to the road affected the drivers' choice of' lateral position. No significant differences could be observed concerning the test drivers' gaze between old or modern objects, but a significant difference was observed between the test drivers' gaze between road stretches with faraway objects and stretches without objects. No meaningful, significant differences were found for the drivers' stress levels as measured by heart rate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the effectiveness of regulatory and warning signs on driver behavior near highway/rail crossings : research project capsule.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-01

The primary objective of this research project is to evaluate the effectiveness of regulatory and warning signs on driver behavior : by analyzing their effectiveness in reducing instances of stopped vehicles within the dynamic envelope zone (i.e., th...

[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.

The law isn't everything: The impact of legal and non-legal sanctions on motorists' drink driving behaviors.

PubMed

Freeman, James; Szogi, Elizabeth; Truelove, Verity; Vingilis, Evelyn

2016-12-01

The effectiveness of drink driving countermeasures (such as sanctions) to deter motorists from driving over the legal limit is extremely important when considering the impact the offending behavior has on the community. However, questions remain regarding the extent that both legal and non-legal factors influence drink driving behaviors. This is of particular concern given that both factors are widely used as either sanctioning outcomes or in media campaigns designed to deter drivers (e.g., highlighting the physical risk of crashing). This paper reports on an examination of 1,253 Queensland motorists' perceptions of legal and non-legal drink driving sanctions and the corresponding deterrent impact of such perceptions on self-reported offending behavior. Participants volunteered to complete either an online or paper version of the questionnaire. Encouragingly, quantitative analysis of the data revealed that participants' perceptions of both legal sanctions (e.g., certainty, severity and swiftness) as well as non-legal sanctions (e.g., fear of social, internal or physical harm) were relatively high, with perceptual certainty being the highest. Despite this, a key theme to emerge from the study was that approximately 25% of the sample admitted to drink driving at some point in time. Multivariate analyses revealed six significant predictors of drink driving, being: males, younger drivers, lower perceptions of the severity of sanctions, and less concern about the social, internal, and physical harms associated with the offense. However, a closer examination of the data revealed that the combined deterrence model was not very accurate at predicting drink driving behaviors (e.g., 21% of variance). A range of non-legal deterrent factors have the potential to reduce the prevalence of drink driving although further research is required to determine how much exposure is required to produce a strong effect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

A control theoretic model of driver steering behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donges, E.

1977-01-01

A quantitative description of driver steering behavior such as a mathematical model is presented. The steering task is divided into two levels: (1) the guidance level involving the perception of the instantaneous and future course of the forcing function provided by the forward view of the road, and the response to it in an anticipatory open-loop control mode; (2) the stabilization level whereby any occuring deviations from the forcing function are compensated for in a closed-loop control mode. This concept of the duality of the driver's steering activity led to a newly developed two-level model of driver steering behavior. Its parameters are identified on the basis of data measured in driving simulator experiments. The parameter estimates of both levels of the model show significant dependence on the experimental situation which can be characterized by variables such as vehicle speed and desired path curvature.

Effects of Self-Efficacy on Healthy Eating Depends on Normative Support: a Prospective Study of Long-Haul Truck Drivers.

PubMed

Hamilton, Kyra; Hagger, Martin S

2018-04-01

Fruit and vegetable intake (FV) is insufficient in industrialized nations and there is excess of discretionary food choices (DC; foods high in fat, sugar, and salt). Long-haul truck drivers are considered a particularly at-risk group given the limited food choices and normatively reinforced eating habits at truck rest-stops. Self-efficacy and normative support are key determinants of eating behavior yet the processes underlying their effects on behavior are not well understood. We tested the direct and interactive effects of self-efficacy and normative support on healthy eating behaviors in long-haul truck drivers in a prospective correlational study. Long-haul truck drivers (N = 82) completed an initial survey containing self-report measures of behavioral intentions, perceived normative support, and self-efficacy for their FV and DC behaviors. Participants completed a follow-up survey 1 week later in which they self-reported their FV and DC behavior. A mediated moderation analysis identified an interactive effect of self-efficacy and normative support on behavior mediated by intention for FV and DC behavior. Specifically, we confirmed a compensation effect in which self-efficacy was more likely to have an effect on FV and DC behavior through intentions in participants with low normative support. Results indicate the importance of self-efficacy in predicting FV and DC intentions and behavior in the absence of a supportive normative environment. The compensatory effect of self-efficacy beliefs on behavior through intentions when normative support is low should be confirmed using experimental methods.

Systematic Observation of an Expert Driver's Gaze Strategy—An On-Road Case Study

PubMed Central

Lappi, Otto; Rinkkala, Paavo; Pekkanen, Jami

2017-01-01

In this paper we present and qualitatively analyze an expert driver's gaze behavior in natural driving on a real road, with no specific experimental task or instruction. Previous eye tracking research on naturalistic tasks has revealed recurring patterns of gaze behavior that are surprisingly regular and repeatable. Lappi (2016) identified in the literature seven “qualitative laws of gaze behavior in the wild”: recurring patterns that tend to go together, the more so the more naturalistic the setting, all of them expected in extended sequences of fully naturalistic behavior. However, no study to date has observed all in a single experiment. Here, we wanted to do just that: present observations supporting all the “laws” in a single behavioral sequence by a single subject. We discuss the laws in terms of unresolved issues in driver modeling and open challenges for experimental and theoretical development. PMID:28496422

Evaluation of the driver's cab in the Rc5 engine.

PubMed

Hedberg, G

1987-03-01

The opinion of engine drivers concerning the design of the cab in a new engine (Rc5, ASEA, Sweden) is surveyed in the present study, which is aimed at recommendations for further improvements of the new cab. Fifty engine drivers from the northern part of Sweden (Ange, Vannas and Boden), who had been driving the new engine, were selected at random to answer a specially designed questionnaire. Most of the drivers considered the new cab as better than the old one (Rc4) in several respects. Particularly appreciated was an adjustable footrest, on which the safety regulator pedal was fitted, which enabled an individually adjusted position for driving. They also preferred the automatic brake valve located close to the driver and with its movements in a sagittal direction. A number of proposals for further improvement of the cab are presented in order to attain an optimally designed driver's cab.

Relationships of working conditions, health problems and vehicle accidents in bus rapid transit (BRT) drivers.

PubMed

Gómez-Ortiz, Viviola; Cendales, Boris; Useche, Sergio; Bocarejo, Juan P

2018-04-01

The aim of this study was to estimate accident risk rates and mental health of bus rapid transit (BRT) drivers based on psychosocial risk factors at work leading to increased stress and health problems. A cross-sectional research design utilized a self-report questionnaire completed by 524 BRT drivers. Some working conditions of BRT drivers (lack of social support from supervisors and perceived potential for risk) may partially explain Bogota's BRT drivers' involvement in road accidents. Drivers' mental health problems were associated with higher job strain, less support from co-workers, fewer rewards and greater signal conflict while driving. To prevent bus accidents, supervisory support may need to be increased. To prevent mental health problems, other interventions may be needed such as reducing demands, increasing job control, reducing amount of incoming information, simplifying current signals, making signals less contradictory, and revising rewards. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Naturalistic Driving Study Investigating Self-Regulation Behavior in Early Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Paire-Ficout, Laurence; Lafont, Sylviane; Conte, Fanny; Coquillat, Amandine; Fabrigoule, Colette; Ankri, Joël; Blanc, Frédéric; Gabel, Cécilia; Novella, Jean-Luc; Morrone, Isabella; Mahmoudi, Rachid

2018-05-16

Because cognitive processes decline in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the driving abilities are often affected. The naturalistic driving approach is relevant to study the driving habits and behaviors in normal or critical situations in a familiar environment of participants. This pilot study analyzed in-car video recordings of naturalistic driving in patients with early-stage AD and in healthy controls, with a special focus on tactical self-regulation behavior. Twenty patients with early-stage AD (Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition [DSM-IV] criteria), and 21 healthy older adults were included in the study. Data collection equipment was installed in their personal vehicles. Two expert psychologists assessed driving performance using a specially designed Naturalistic Driving Assessment Scale (NaDAS), paying particular attention to tactical self-regulation behavior, and they recorded all critical safety events. Poorer driving performance was observed among AD drivers: their tactical self-regulation behavior was of lower quality. AD patients had also twice as many critical events as healthy drivers and three times more "unaware" critical events. This pilot study using a naturalistic approach to accurately show that AD drivers have poorer tactical self-regulation behavior than healthy older drivers. Future deployment of assistance systems in vehicles should specifically target tactical self-regulation components.

Evaluating the effectiveness of Behavior-Based Safety education methods for commercial vehicle drivers.

PubMed

Wang, Xuesong; Xing, Yilun; Luo, Lian; Yu, Rongjie

2018-08-01

Risky driving behavior is one of the main causes of commercial vehicle related crashes. In order to achieve safer vehicle operation, safety education for drivers is often provided. However, the education programs vary in quality and may not always be successful in reducing crash rates. Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) education is a popular approach found effective by numerous studies, but even this approach varies as to the combination of frequency, mode and content used by different education providers. This study therefore evaluates and compares the effectiveness of BBS education methods. Thirty-five drivers in Shanghai, China, were coached with one of three different BBS education methods for 13 weeks following a 13-week baseline phase with no education. A random-effects negative binomial (NB) model was built and calibrated to investigate the relationship between BBS education and the driver at-fault safety-related event rate. Based on the results of the random-effects NB model, event modification factors (EMF) were calculated to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the methods. Results show that (1) BBS education was confirmed to be effective in safety-related event reduction; (2) the most effective method among the three applied monthly face-to-face coaching, including feedback with video and statistical data, and training on strategies to avoid driver-specific unsafe behaviors; (3) weekly telephone coaching using statistics and strategies was rated by drivers as the most convenient delivery mode, and was also significantly effective. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of a driving simulator to determine how time pressures impact driver aggressiveness.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Cole D; Samuel, Siby; Knodler, Michael A

2017-11-01

Speeding greatly attributes to traffic safety with approximately a third of fatal crashes in the United States being speeding-related. Previous research has identified being late as a primary cause of speeding. In this driving simulator study, a virtual drive was constructed to evaluate how time pressures, or hurried driving, affected driver speed choice and driver behavior. In particular, acceleration profiles, gap acceptance, willingness to pass, and dilemma zone behavior were used, in addition to speed, as measures to evaluate whether being late increased risky and aggressive driving behaviors. Thirty-six drivers were recruited with an equal male/female split and a broad distribution of ages. Financial incentives and completion time goals calibrated from a control group were used to generate a Hurried and Very Hurried experimental group. As compared to the control group, Very Hurried drivers selected higher speeds, accelerated faster after red lights, accepted smaller gaps on left turns, were more likely to pass a slow vehicle, and were more likely to run a yellow light in a dilemma zone situation. These trends were statistically significant and were also evident with the Hurried group but a larger sample would be needed to show statistical significance. The findings from this study provide evidence that hurried drivers select higher speeds and exhibit riskier driving behaviors. These conclusive results have possible implications in areas such as transportation funding and commercial motor vehicle safety. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dimensions of driving anger and their relationships with aberrant driving.

PubMed

Zhang, Tingru; Chan, Alan H S; Zhang, Wei

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between driving anger and aberrant driving behaviours. An internet-based questionnaire survey was administered to a sample of Chinese drivers, with driving anger measured by a 14-item short Driving Anger Scale (DAS) and the aberrant driving behaviours measured by a 23-item Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated that the three-factor model (hostile gesture, arrival-blocking and safety-blocking) of the DAS fitted the driving anger data well. The Exploratory Factor Analysis on DBQ data differentiated four types of aberrant driving, viz. emotional violation, error, deliberate violation and maintaining progress violation. For the anger-aberration relation, it was found that only "arrival-blocking" anger was a significant positive predictor for all four types of aberrant driving behaviours. The "safety-blocking" anger revealed a negative impact on deliberate violations, a finding different from previously established positive anger-aberration relation. These results suggest that drivers with different patterns of driving anger would show different behavioural tendencies and as a result intervention strategies may be differentially effective for drivers of different profiles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Texting and accessing the web while driving: traffic citations and crashes among young adult drivers.

PubMed

Cook, Jerry L; Jones, Randall M

2011-12-01

We examined relations between young adult texting and accessing the web while driving with driving outcomes (viz. crashes and traffic citations). Our premise is that engaging in texting and accessing the web while driving is not only distracting but that these activities represent a pattern of behavior that leads to an increase in unwanted outcomes, such as crashes and citations. College students (N = 274) on 3 campuses (one in California and 2 in Utah) completed an electronic questionnaire regarding their driving experience and cell phone use. Our data indicate that 3 out of 4 (74.3%) young adults engage in texting while driving, over half on a weekly basis (51.8%), and some engage in accessing the web while driving (16.8%). Data analysis revealed a relationship between these cell phone behaviors and traffic citations and crashes. The findings support Jessor and Jessor's (1977) "problem behavior syndrome" by showing that traffic citations are related to texting and accessing the web while driving and that crashes are related to accessing the web while driving. Limitations and recommendations are discussed.

Assessing the utility of TAM, TPB, and UTAUT for advanced driver assistance systems.

PubMed

Rahman, Md Mahmudur; Lesch, Mary F; Horrey, William J; Strawderman, Lesley

2017-11-01

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are intended to enhance driver performance and improve transportation safety. The potential benefits of these technologies, such as reduction in number of crashes, enhancing driver comfort or convenience, decreasing environmental impact, etc., have been acknowledged by transportation safety researchers and federal transportation agencies. Although these systems afford safety advantages, they may also challenge the traditional role of drivers in operating vehicles. Driver acceptance, therefore, is essential for the implementation of these systems into the transportation system. Recognizing the need for research into the factors affecting driver acceptance, this study assessed the utility of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) for modelling driver acceptance in terms of Behavioral Intention to use an ADAS. Each of these models propose a set of factors that influence acceptance of a technology. Data collection was done using two approaches: a driving simulator approach and an online survey approach. In both approaches, participants interacted with either a fatigue monitoring system or an adaptive cruise control system combined with a lane-keeping system. Based on their experience, participants responded to several survey questions to indicate their attitude toward using the ADAS and their perception of its usefulness, usability, etc. A sample of 430 surveys were collected for this study. Results found that all the models (TAM, TPB, and UTAUT) can explain driver acceptance with their proposed sets of factors, each explaining 71% or more of the variability in Behavioral Intention. Among the models, TAM was found to perform the best in modelling driver acceptance followed by TPB. The findings of this study confirm that these models can be applied to ADAS technologies and that they provide a basis for understanding driver acceptance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automobile driver on-road performance test. Volume 1, final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-09-30

The Automobile Driver On-Road Performance Test (ADOPT) was developed during a three-phase project. In Phase 1, 51 candidate behaviors were identified and selected with the help of experts in the fields of traffic safety, measurement of driver perform...

Taxi drivers' views on risky driving behavior in Tehran: a qualitative study using a social marketing approach.

PubMed

Shams, Mohsen; Shojaeizadeh, Davoud; Majdzadeh, Reza; Rashidian, Arash; Montazeri, Ali

2011-05-01

The use of the social marketing approach for public health issues is increasing. This approach uses marketing concepts borrowed from the principles of commercial marketing to promote beneficial health behaviors. In this qualitative study, four focus groups involving 42 participants were used in consumer research to explore taxi drivers' views on the driving situation and the determinants of risky driving behaviors in Tehran, as well as to gather their ideas for developing a social marketing program to reduce risky driving behaviors among taxi drivers in Tehran, Iran. Participants were asked to respond to questions that would guide the development of a marketing mix, or four Ps (product, price, place and promotion). The discussions determined that the program product should involve avoiding risky driving behaviors through increased attention to driving. They pointed out that developing and communicating with a well-designed persuasive message meant to draw their attention to driving could affect their driving behaviors. In addition, participants identified price, place and promotion strategies. They offered suggestions for marketing nonrisky driving to the target audience. The focus group discussions generated important insights into the values and the motivations that affect consumers' decisions to adopt the product. The focus group guided the development of a social marketing program to reduce risky driving behaviors in taxi drivers in Tehran, Iran. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sociodemographic factors associated with aggressive driving behaviors of 3-wheeler taxi drivers in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Akalanka, Ediriweera Chintana; Fujiwara, Takeo; Desapriya, Ediriweera; Peiris, Dinithi C; Scime, Giulia

2012-01-01

Little is known about the nature and scope of aggressive driving in developing countries. The objective of this study is to specifically examine the sociodemographic factors associated with aggressive driving behavior among 3-wheeler taxi drivers in Sri Lanka. Convenience samples of 3-wheeler taxi drivers from Rathnapura, Ahaliyagoda, Sri Lanka were surveyed from June to August 2006. Analyses included bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Drivers with less than high school education were 3.5 times more likely to drive aggressively (odds ratio [OR] = 3.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08, 11.1). Single drivers were 9 times more likely to run red lights (OR = 8.74; 95% CI = 2.18, 35.0), and being single was a major risk factor for drunk driving (OR = 4.80; 95% CI = 1.23, 18.7). Furthermore, high school completers were 4 times more likely to bribe a policeman (OR = 4.27; 95% CI = 1.23, 14.9) when caught violating the road rules. Aggressive driving and risk-taking behavior are amenable to policy initiatives, and preventive programs targeted at key groups could be used to improve road safety in Sri Lanka. This study demonstrates that aggressive driving behavior is associated with sociodemographic factors, including the level of education, marital status, and other socioeconomic factors. Hence, economic factors should be addressed to find solutions to traffic-related issues. It will be the government's and policy makers' responsibility to try and understand the economic factors behind risky road behavior and bribe-taking behavior prior to legislating or enforcing new laws.

Associations of repeated high alcohol use with unsafe driving behaviors, traffic offenses, and traffic crashes among young drivers: Findings from the New Zealand Drivers Study.

PubMed

Begg, Dorothy; Brookland, Rebecca; Connor, Jennie

2017-02-17

The objective of this study was to describe self-reported high alcohol use at each of the 3 licensing stages of graduated driver licensing and its relationship to drink-driving behaviors, intentional risky driving, aggressive driving, alcohol traffic offenses, non-alcohol traffic offenses, and traffic crashes. The New Zealand Drivers Study (NZDS) is a multistage, prospective cohort study of newly licensed drivers interviewed at all 3 stages of the graduated driver licensing system: learner (baseline), restricted (intermediate), and full license. At each stage, alcohol use was self-reported using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C), with high alcohol use defined as a score of ≥4 for males and ≥3 for females. Sociodemographic and personality data were obtained at the baseline interview. Alcohol-related, intentional risky, and aggressive driving behaviors were self-reported following each license stage. Traffic crashes and offenses were identified from police records. Crashes were also self-reported. Twenty-six percent (n = 397) reported no high alcohol use, 22% at one license stage, 30% at 2 stages, and 22% at 3 stages. Poisson regression results (unadjusted and adjusted) showed that the number of stages where high alcohol use was reported was significantly associated with each of the outcomes. For most outcomes, and especially the alcohol-involved outcomes, the relative risk increased with the number of stages of high alcohol use. We found that high alcohol use was common among young newly licensed drivers and those who repeatedly reported high alcohol use were at a significantly higher risk of unsafe driving behaviors. Recently introduced zero blood alcohol concentration (BAC) should help to address this problem, but other strategies are required to target persistent offenders.

Examining physiological responses across different driving maneuvers during an on-road driving task: a pilot study comparing older and younger drivers.

PubMed

Koppel, S; Kuo, J; Berecki-Gisolf, J; Boag, R; Hue, Y-X; Charlton, J L

2015-01-01

This pilot study aimed to investigate physiological responses during an on-road driving task for older and younger drivers. Five older drivers (mean age = 74.60 years [2.97]) and 5 younger drivers (mean age = 30.00 years [3.08]) completed a series of cognitive assessments (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA], Mini Mental Status Examination [MMSE]; Trail Making Test [Trails A and Trails B]) and an on-road driving task along a predetermined, standardized urban route in their own vehicle. Driving performance was observed and scored by a single trained observer using a standardized procedure, where driving behaviors (appropriate and inappropriate) were scored for intersection negotiation, lane changing, and merging. During the on-road driving task, participants' heart rate (HR) was monitored with an unobtrusive physiological monitor. Younger drivers performed significantly better on all cognitive assessments compared to older drivers (MoCA: t(8) = 3.882, P <.01; MMSE: t(8) = 2.954, P <.05; Trails A: t(8) = -2.499, P <.05; Trails B: t(8) = -3.262, P <.05). Analyses of participants' performance during the on-road driving task revealed a high level of appropriate overall driving behavior (M = 87%, SD = 7.62, range = 73-95%), including intersection negotiation (M = 89%, SD = 8.37%), lane changing (M = 100%), and merging (M = 53%, SD = 28.28%). The overall proportion of appropriate driving behavior did not significantly differ across age groups (younger drivers: M = 87.6%, SD = 9.04; older drivers: M = 87.0%, SD = 6.96; t(8) = 0.118, P =.91). Although older drivers scored lower than younger drivers on the cognitive assessments, there was no indication of cognitive overload among older drivers based on HR response to the on-road driving task. The results provide preliminary evidence that mild age-related cognitive impairment may not pose a motor vehicle crash hazard for the wider older driver population. To maintain safe mobility of the aging population, further research into the specific crash risk factors in the older driver population is warranted.

Mileage, car ownership, experience of punishment avoidance, and the risky driving of young drivers.

PubMed

Scott-Parker, B; Watson, B; King, M J; Hyde, M K

2011-12-01

Young drivers are at greatest risk of injury or death from a car crash in the first 6 months of independent driving. In Queensland, the graduated driver licensing (GDL) program was extensively modified in July 2007 in order to reduce this risk. Increased mileage and car ownership have been found to play a role in risky driving, offenses, and crashes; however, GDL programs typically do not consider these variables. In addition, young novice drivers' experiences of punishment avoidance have not previously been examined. This article explores the mileage (duration and distance), car ownership, and punishment avoidance behaviors of young newly licensed intermediate (provisional) drivers and their relationship to risky driving, crashes, and offenses. Drivers (n = 1032) aged 17 to 19 years recruited from across Queensland for longitudinal research completed survey 1 exploring prelicense and learner experiences and sociodemographic characteristics. survey 2 explored the same variables with a subset of these drivers (n = 341) after they had completed their first 6 months of independent driving. Most young drivers in survey 2 reported owning a vehicle and paying attention to police presence. Drivers who had their own cars reported significantly greater mileage and more risky driving. Novices who drove more kilometers, spent more hours each week driving, or avoided actual and anticipated police presence were more likely to report risky driving. These drivers were also more likely to report being detected by police for a driving-related offense. The media, parents, friends, and other drivers play a pivotal role in informing novices of on-road police enforcement operations. GDL programs should incorporate education for the parent and novice driver regarding the increased risks associated with greater driving, particularly when the novice driver owns a vehicle. Parents should be encouraged to delay exclusive access to a vehicle. Parents should also consider whether their young novices will deliberately avoid police if they are aware of their location. This may reinforce not only the risky behavior but also young novices' beliefs that their parents condone this behavior.

Differences between racing and non-racing drivers: A simulator study using eye-tracking

PubMed Central

de Groot, Stefan; Happee, Riender; de Winter, Joost C. F.

2017-01-01

Motorsport has developed into a professional international competition. However, limited research is available on the perceptual and cognitive skills of racing drivers. By means of a racing simulator, we compared the driving performance of seven racing drivers with ten non-racing drivers. Participants were tasked to drive the fastest possible lap time. Additionally, both groups completed a choice reaction time task and a tracking task. Results from the simulator showed faster lap times, higher steering activity, and a more optimal racing line for the racing drivers than for the non-racing drivers. The non-racing drivers’ gaze behavior corresponded to the tangent point model, whereas racing drivers showed a more variable gaze behavior combined with larger head rotations while cornering. Results from the choice reaction time task and tracking task showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Our results are consistent with the current consensus in sports sciences in that task-specific differences exist between experts and novices while there are no major differences in general cognitive and motor abilities. PMID:29121090

Conditions that Influence Drivers' Yielding Behavior for Uncontrolled Crossings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourquin, Eugene; Emerson, Robert Wall; Sauerburger, Dona

2011-01-01

Pedestrians with visual impairments need to cross streets where traffic signals and traffic signage are not present. This study examined the influences of several interventions, including a pedestrian's use of a mobility cane, on the behavior of drivers when they were expected to yield to a pedestrian crossing at an uncontrolled crossing.…

Multiple vehicle tracking in aerial video sequence using driver behavior analysis and improved deterministic data association

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xunxun; Xu, Hongke; Fang, Jianwu

2018-01-01

Along with the rapid development of the unmanned aerial vehicle technology, multiple vehicle tracking (MVT) in aerial video sequence has received widespread interest for providing the required traffic information. Due to the camera motion and complex background, MVT in aerial video sequence poses unique challenges. We propose an efficient MVT algorithm via driver behavior-based Kalman filter (DBKF) and an improved deterministic data association (IDDA) method. First, a hierarchical image registration method is put forward to compensate the camera motion. Afterward, to improve the accuracy of the state estimation, we propose the DBKF module by incorporating the driver behavior into the Kalman filter, where artificial potential field is introduced to reflect the driver behavior. Then, to implement the data association, a local optimization method is designed instead of global optimization. By introducing the adaptive operating strategy, the proposed IDDA method can also deal with the situation in which the vehicles suddenly appear or disappear. Finally, comprehensive experiments on the DARPA VIVID data set and KIT AIS data set demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can generate satisfactory and superior results.

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.

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

Planning for a Nondriving Future: Behaviors and Beliefs Among Middle-Aged and Older Drivers.

PubMed

Harmon, Annie C; Babulal, Ganesh; Vivoda, Jonathon M; Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J; Carr, David B

2018-01-01

Despite the reality of older adults living many years after driving cessation, few prepare for the eventuality; empirically, planning for a nondriving future has not been directly quantified or explored. The following study quantifies 1) the extent of current drivers' planning, 2) specific planning behaviors, 3) beliefs about benefits of planning, 4) drivers' intention to plan more for future transportation needs, and 5) group differences associated with planning. In a predominantly female, black, urban sample of current drivers ages 53-92, fewer than half (42.1%) had planned at all for a nondriving future, with correspondingly low levels of planning behaviors reported. However, over 80% believed planning would help them meet their needs post-cessation and transition emotionally to being a nondriver. Most (85%) intended to plan more in the future as well, indicating further potential openness to the topic. Drivers who planned were older, drove less frequently, limited their driving to nearby places, reported less difficulty believing they would become a nondriver, and expected to continue driving three years less than non-planners. These findings suggest that drivers' perceived nearness to driving cessation impacts planning for future transportation needs, and existing perceived benefits of planning may provide leverage to motivate action.

Young drivers' optimism bias for accident risk and driving skill: Accountability and insight experience manipulations.

PubMed

White, Melanie J; Cunningham, Lauren C; Titchener, Kirsteen

2011-07-01

This study aimed to determine whether two brief, low cost interventions would reduce young drivers' optimism bias for their driving skills and accident risk perceptions. This tendency for such drivers to perceive themselves as more skillful and less prone to driving accidents than their peers may lead to less engagement in precautionary driving behaviours and a greater engagement in more dangerous driving behaviour. 243 young drivers (aged 17-25 years) were randomly allocated to one of three groups: accountability, insight or control. All participants provided both overall and specific situation ratings of their driving skills and accident risk relative to a typical young driver. Prior to completing the questionnaire, those in the accountability condition were first advised that their driving skills and accident risk would be later assessed via a driving simulator. Those in the insight condition first underwent a difficult computer-based hazard perception task designed to provide participants with insight into their potential limitations when responding to hazards in difficult and unpredictable driving situations. Participants in the control condition completed only the questionnaire. Results showed that the accountability manipulation was effective in reducing optimism bias in terms of participants' comparative ratings of their accident risk in specific situations, though only for less experienced drivers. In contrast, among more experienced males, participants in the insight condition showed greater optimism bias for overall accident risk than their counterparts in the accountability or control groups. There were no effects of the manipulations on drivers' skills ratings. The differential effects of the two types of manipulations on optimism bias relating to one's accident risk in different subgroups of the young driver sample highlight the importance of targeting interventions for different levels of experience. Accountability interventions may be beneficial for less experienced young drivers but the results suggest exercising caution with the use of insight type interventions, particularly hazard perception style tasks, for more experienced young drivers typically still in the provisional stage of graduated licensing systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Can anti-speeding messages based on protection motivation theory influence reported speeding intentions?

PubMed

Glendon, A Ian; Walker, Britta L

2013-08-01

The study investigated the effects of anti-speeding messages based on protection motivation theory (PMT) components: severity, vulnerability, rewards, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and response cost, on reported speeding intentions. Eighty-three participants aged 18-25 years holding a current Australian driver's license completed a questionnaire measuring their reported typical and recent speeding behaviors. Comparisons were made between 18 anti-speeding messages used on Australian roads and 18 new anti-speeding messages developed from the PMT model. Participants reported their reactions to the 36 messages on the perceived effectiveness of the message for themselves and for the general population of drivers, and also the likelihood of themselves and other drivers driving within the speed limit after viewing each message. Overall the PMT model-derived anti-speeding messages were better than jurisdiction-use anti-speeding messages in influencing participants' reported intention to drive within the speed limit. Severity and vulnerability were the most effective PMT components for developing anti-speeding messages. Male participants reported significantly lower intention to drive within the speed limit than did female participants. However, males reported significantly higher intention to drive within the speed limit for PMT-derived messages compared with jurisdiction-based messages. Third-person effects were that males reported anti-speeding messages to be more effective for the general driving population than for themselves. Females reported the opposite effect - that all messages would be more effective for themselves than for the general driving population. Findings provided support for using a sound conceptual basis as an effective foundation for anti-speeding message development as well as for evaluating proposed anti-speeding messages on the target driver population. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concealing their communication: exploring psychosocial predictors of young drivers' intentions and engagement in concealed texting.

PubMed

Gauld, Cassandra S; Lewis, Ioni; White, Katherine M

2014-01-01

Making a conscious effort to hide the fact that you are texting while driving (i.e., concealed texting) is a deliberate and risky behaviour involving attention diverted away from the road. As the most frequent users of text messaging services and mobile phones while driving, young people appear at heightened risk of crashing from engaging in this behaviour. This study investigated the phenomenon of concealed texting while driving, and utilised an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) including the additional predictors of moral norm, mobile phone involvement, and anticipated regret to predict young drivers' intentions and subsequent behaviour. Participants (n=171) were aged 17-25 years, owned a mobile phone, and had a current driver's licence. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring their intention to conceal texting while driving, and a follow-up questionnaire a week later to report their behavioural engagement. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed overall support for the predictive utility of the TPB with the standard constructs accounting for 69% of variance in drivers' intentions, and the extended predictors contributing an additional 6% of variance in intentions over and above the standard constructs. Attitude, subjective norm, PBC, moral norm, and mobile phone involvement emerged as significant predictors of intentions; and intention was the only significant predictor of drivers' self-reported behaviour. These constructs can provide insight into key focal points for countermeasures including advertising and other public education strategies aimed at influencing young drivers to reconsider their engagement in this risky behaviour. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neck pain combined with arm pain among professional drivers of forest machines and the association with whole-body vibration exposure.

PubMed

Rehn, B; Nilsson, T; Lundström, R; Hagberg, M; Burström, L

2009-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the existence of neck pain and arm pain among professional forest machine drivers and to find out if pain were related to their whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 529 forest machine drivers in northern Sweden and the response was 63%. Two pain groups were formed; 1) neck pain; 2) neck pain combined with arm pain. From WBV exposure data (recent measurements made according to ISO 2631-1, available information from reports) and from the self-administered questionnaire, 14 various WBV exposure/dose measures were calculated for each driver. The prevalence of neck pain reported both for the previous 12 months and for the previous 7 d was 34% and more than half of them reported neck pain combined with pain in one or both arms. Analysis showed no significant association between neck pain and high WBV exposure; however, cases with neck pain more often experienced shocks and jolts in the vehicle as uncomfortable. There was no significant association between the 14 WBV measures and type of neck pain (neck pain vs. neck pain combined with arm pain). It seems as if characteristics of WBV exposure can explain neither existence nor the type of neck pain amongst professional drivers of forest machines. The logging industry is important for several industrialised countries. Drivers of forest machines frequently report neuromusculoskeletal pain from the neck. The type of neck pain is important for the decision of treatment modality and may be associated with exposure characteristics at work.

Can providing feedback on driving behavior and training on parental vigilant care affect male teen drivers and their parents?

PubMed

Farah, Haneen; Musicant, Oren; Shimshoni, Yaara; Toledo, Tomer; Grimberg, Einat; Omer, Haim; Lotan, Tsippy

2014-08-01

This study focuses on investigating the driving behavior of young novice male drivers during the first year of driving (three months of accompanied driving and the following nine months of solo driving). The study's objective is to examine the potential of various feedback forms on driving to affect young drivers' behavior and to mitigate the transition from accompanied to solo driving. The study examines also the utility of providing parents with guidance on how to exercise vigilant care regarding their teens' driving. Driving behavior was evaluated using data collected by In-Vehicle Data Recorders (IVDR), which document events of extreme g-forces measured in the vehicles. IVDR systems were installed in 242 cars of the families of young male drivers, however, only 217 families of young drivers aged 17-22 (M=17.5; SD=0.8) completed the one year period. The families were randomly allocated into 4 groups: (1) Family feedback: In which all the members of the family were exposed to feedback on their own driving and on that of the other family members; (2) Parental training: in which in addition to the family feedback, parents received personal guidance on ways to enhance vigilant care regarding their sons' driving; (3) Individual feedback: In which family members received feedback only on their own driving behavior (and were not exposed to the data on other family members); (4) CONTROL: Group that received no feedback at all. The feedback was provided to the different groups starting from the solo period, thus, the feedback was not provided during the supervised period. The data collected by the IVDRs was first analyzed using analysis of variance in order to compare the groups with respect to their monthly event rates. Events' rates are defined as the number of events in a trip divided by its duration. This was followed by the development and estimation of random effect negative binomial models that explain the monthly event rates of young drivers and their parents. The study showed that: (1) the Parental training group recorded significantly lower events rates (-29%) compared to the CONTROL group during the solo period; (2) although directed mainly at the novice drivers, the intervention positively affected also the behavior of parents, with both fathers and mothers in the Parental training group improving their driving (by -23% for both fathers and mothers) and mothers improving it also in the Family feedback group (by -30%). Thus, the intervention has broader impact effect beside the targeted population. It can be concluded that providing feedback on driving behavior and parental training in vigilant care significantly improves the driving behavior of young novice male drivers. Future research directions could include applying the intervention to a broader population, with larger diversity with respect to their driving records, culture, and behaviors. The challenge is to reach wide dissemination of IVDR for young drivers accompanied by parents' involvement, and to find the suitable incentives for its sustainability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do older drivers with bilateral cataract self-regulate their driving while waiting for first eye cataract surgery?

PubMed Central

Agramunt, Seraina; Meuleners, Lynn B; Fraser, Michelle L; Chow, Kyle C; Ng, Jonathon Q; Raja, Vignesh; Morlet, Nigel

2017-01-01

Objectives To analyze the association between visual impairment and driver self-regulation among a cohort of older drivers waiting for first eye cataract surgery. Methods Ninety-six drivers with bilateral cataract aged 55+ years were assessed before first eye cataract surgery. Data collection consisted of a researcher-administered questionnaire, objective visual measures (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereopsis), a visual attention test (the useful field of view test) and a cognitive test (the Mini-Mental State Examination). Driver self-regulation practices were collected using the Driving Habits Questionnaire and were also measured with an in-vehicle monitoring device. Characteristics of self-regulators and non-self-regulators were compared and a logistic regression model was used to examine the association between 3 objective visual measures and driver self-regulation status. Results After controlling for potential confounding factors, only binocular contrast sensitivity (p=0.01), age (p=0.03) and gender (p=0.03) were significantly associated with driver self-regulation status. The odds of participants with better contrast sensitivity scores (better vision) self-regulating their driving in at least 1 driving situation decreased (odds ratio [OR]: 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00–0.28) while those of increasing age reported an increased odds of self-regulating their driving (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01–1.15). The odds of males self-regulating their driving was decreased compared with females (OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09–0.86). Conclusions Worse binocular contrast sensitivity scores, increasing age and being female were significantly associated with driver self-regulation. The study highlighted that while self-regulation was common among cataract patients, a proportion of those with poor vision did not self-regulate. Further research should determine how cataract patients could benefit from self-regulation strategies while waiting for cataract surgery. PMID:29184397

Model for understanding consumer textural food choice

PubMed Central

Jeltema, Melissa; Beckley, Jacqueline; Vahalik, Jennifer

2015-01-01

The current paradigm for developing products that will match the marketing messaging is flawed because the drivers of product choice and satisfaction based on texture are misunderstood. Qualitative research across 10 years has led to the thesis explored in this research that individuals have a preferred way to manipulate food in their mouths (i.e., mouth behavior) and that this behavior is a major driver of food choice, satisfaction, and the desire to repurchase. Texture, which is currently thought to be a major driver of product choice, is a secondary factor, and is important only in that it supports the primary driver—mouth behavior. A model for mouth behavior is proposed and the qualitative research supporting the identification of different mouth behaviors is presented. The development of a trademarked typing tool for characterizing mouth behavior is described along with quantitative substantiation of the tool's ability to group individuals by mouth behavior. The use of these four groups to understand textural preferences and the implications for a variety of areas including product design and weight management are explored. PMID:25987995

Driver behavior at highway-railroad grade crossings : a literature review from 1990-2006

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-10-01

Accidents at grade crossings continue to be the leading cause of fatalities in the railroad industry. A large proportion of these accidents are the result of driver error. The purpose of this report is to review research that addresses driver behavio...

An application of signal detection theory for understanding driver behavior at highway-rail grade crossings

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-10-19

We used signal detection theory to examine if grade crossing warning devices were effective because they increased drivers' sensitivity to a train's approach or because they encouraged drivers to stop. We estimated d' and a for eight warning devices ...

How much can you drink before driving? The influence of riding with impaired adults and peers on the driving behaviors of urban and rural youth.

PubMed

Leadbeater, Bonnie J; Foran, Kathleen; Grove-White, Aidan

2008-04-01

Following an ecological model to specify risks for impaired driving, we assessed the effects of youth attitudes about substance use and their experiences of riding in cars with adults and peers who drove after drinking alcohol or smoking cannabis on the youths' own driving after drinking or using cannabis. Participants were 2594 students in grades 10 and 12 (mean age = 16 years and 2 months; 50% girls) from public high schools in urban (994) and rural communities (1600) on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada; 1192 of these were new drivers with restricted licenses. Self-report data were collected in anonymous questionnaires. Regression analyses were used to assess the independent and interacting effects of youth attitudes about substance use and their experiences of riding in cars with adults or peers who drove after drinking alcohol or smoking cannabis on youth driving. Youth driving risk behaviors were associated independently with their own high-risk attitudes and experiences riding with peers who drink alcohol or use cannabis and drive. However, risks were highest for the youth who also report more frequent experiences of riding with adults who drink alcohol or use cannabis and drive. Prevention efforts should be expanded to include the adults and peers who are role models for new drivers and to increase youths' awareness of their own responsibilities for their personal safety as passengers.

Association between Executive Function and Problematic Adolescent Driving

PubMed Central

Pope, Caitlin N.; Ross, Lesley A.; Stavrinos, Despina

2016-01-01

Objective Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are one of the leading causes of injury and death for adolescents. Driving is a complex activity that is highly reliant on executive function to safely navigate through the environment. Little research has examined the efficacy of using self-reported executive function measures for assessing adolescent driving risk. This study examined the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire and performance based-executive function tasks as potential predictors of problematic driving outcomes in adolescents. Methods Forty-six adolescent drivers completed the (1) BRIEF, (2) Trail Making Test (TMT), (3) Backwards Digit Span, and (4) self-report on three problematic driving outcomes: the number of times of having been pulled over by a police officer, the number of tickets issued, and the number of MVCs. Results Greater self-reported difficulty with planning and organization was associated with greater odds of having a MVC, while inhibition difficulties were associated with greater odds of receiving a ticket. Greater self-reported difficulty across multiple BRIEF subscales was associated with greater odds of being pulled over. Conclusion Overall findings indicated that the BRIEF, an ecological measure of executive function, showed significant association with self-reported problematic driving outcomes in adolescents. No relationship was found between performance-based executive function measures and self-reported driving outcomes. The BRIEF could offer unique and quick insight into problematic driving behavior and potentially be an indicator of driving risk in adolescent drivers during clinical evaluations. PMID:27661394

Evaluating traffic informers: testing the behavioral and social-cognitive effects of an adolescent bicycle safety education program.

PubMed

Feenstra, Hans; Ruiter, Robert A C; Kok, Gerjo

2014-12-01

In The Netherlands, 12-24 years old are over-represented in the total number of traffic fatalities and injuries. In this study, the traffic informer program - designed to promote safe traffic behavior in the pre-driver population - was experimentally evaluated, with a specific focus on bicycle use. Students were subjected to graphic videos of traffic accidents and listened to a first-person narrative provided by a traffic accident victim. The influence of the program on concepts derived from the theory of planned behavior and protection motivation theory (attitudes, norms, self-efficacy, risk-perception, intention and behavior) was assessed. Students from various schools (N=1593;M age=15 years, SD=.84) participated in a quasi-experimental study, either in an experimental or a control group, completing self-report questionnaires one week prior to the program implementation and approximately one month after the program implementation. Mixed regression analyses showed significant positive and negative time × intervention interaction effects on attitude toward traffic violations, relative attitude toward traffic safety, and risk comparison, but not on intention and behavior. More research is needed to find effective behavioral change techniques (other than increasing risk awareness) for promoting safe traffic behavior in adolescents. Research is also needed to address how these can be translated into effective interventions and educational programs. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Sleep habits and road traffic accident risk for Iranian occupational drivers.

PubMed

Ebrahimi, Mohammad Hossein; Sadeghi, Masoumeh; Dehghani, Mohsen; Niiat, Khosro Sadegh

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess the sleep quality and sleep disorders (prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea and sleepiness) among occupational drivers in Iran and to determine which demographic factors and occupational habits are linked to road traffic accidents. In this analytic cross-sectional study 556 occupational road drivers from Shahroud city (in the northeast of Iran) participated, upon a prior verbal informed consent, during 2013-2014. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) standard questionnaire that scored on 7 point scale, the 8-item Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaire and the 8-question STOP-Bang questionnaire along with demographic information and occupational data were used. To explore the independent factors associated with odds of poor sleep quality and road accident, multiple logistic regression models were used. Prevalence of previous road accidents, sleepiness while driving, and obstructive sleep apnea scored ≥ 3 in the study, and drivers accounted for 23.8%, 29%, and 24.8%, respectively. The global mean score of sleep quality and excessive sleepiness score were 5.2 and 4.8, respectively. The main factors related to the odds of poor sleep quality were snoring (odds ratio (OR) = 2.34; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-4.77), smoking (OR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.15-3.97), and driving times in a day (OR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.03-1.21). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.07-1.23) and suffering from apnea (OR = 4.89; 95% CI: 1.07-23.83) were the best predictors for odds (increased risk) of road accidents. A considerable proportion of Iranian drivers had records of road accidents; poor sleep quality, sleepiness while driving, and sleep disorder breathing (obstructive sleep apnea - OSA). Snoring, smoking, driving time in a day, excessive sleepiness, and presumably apnea increase the odds of poor sleep quality and road traffic accident for Iranian occupational drivers. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

The effects of alcohol on driver performance in a decision making situation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, R. W.; Schwartz, S. H.; Stein, A. C.; Hogge, J. R.

1978-01-01

The results are reviewed of driving simulator and in-vehicle field test experiments of alcohol effects on driver risk taking. The objective was to investigate changes in risk taking under alcoholic intoxication and relate these changes to effects on traffic safety. The experiments involved complex 15 minute driving scenarios requiring decision making and steering and speed control throughout a series of typical driving situations. Monetary rewards and penalties were employed to simulate the real-world motivations inherent in driving. A full placebo experimental design was employed, and measures related to traffic safety, driver/vehicle performance and driver behavior were obtained. Alcohol impairment was found to increase the rate of accidents and speeding tickets. Behavioral measures showed these traffic safety effects to be due to impaired psychomotor performance and perceptual distortions. Subjective estimates of risk failed to show any change in the driver's willingness to take risks when intoxicated.

Estimation of cocaine consumption in the community: a critical comparison of the results from three complimentary techniques

PubMed Central

Reid, Malcolm J; Langford, Katherine H; Grung, Merete; Gjerde, Hallvard; Amundsen, Ellen J; Morland, Jorg; Thomas, Kevin V

2012-01-01

Objectives A range of approaches are now available to estimate the level of drug use in the community so it is desirable to critically compare results from the differing techniques. This paper presents a comparison of the results from three methods for estimating the level of cocaine use in the general population. Design The comparison applies to; a set of regional-scale sample survey questionnaires, a representative sample survey on drug use among drivers and an analysis of the quantity of cocaine-related metabolites in sewage. Setting 14 438 participants provided data for the set of regional-scale sample survey questionnaires; 2341 drivers provided oral-fluid samples and untreated sewage from 570 000 people was analysed for biomarkers of cocaine use. All data were collected in Oslo, Norway. Results 0.70 (0.36–1.03) % of drivers tested positive for cocaine use which suggest a prevalence that is higher than the 0.22 (0.13–0.30) % (per day) figure derived from regional-scale survey questionnaires, but the degree to which cocaine consumption in the driver population follows the general population is an unanswered question. Despite the comparatively low-prevalence figure the survey questionnaires did provide estimates of the volume of consumption that are comparable with the amount of cocaine-related metabolites in sewage. Per-user consumption estimates are however highlighted as a significant source of uncertainty as little or no data on the quantities consumed by individuals are available, and much of the existing data are contradictory. Conclusions The comparison carried out in the present study can provide an excellent means of checking the quality and accuracy of the three measurement techniques because they each approach the problem from a different viewpoint. Together the three complimentary techniques provide a well-balanced assessment of the drug-use situation in a given community and identify areas where more research is needed. PMID:23144259

Robotic Intelligence Kernel: Driver

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

The INL Robotic Intelligence Kernel-Driver is built on top of the RIK-A and implements a dynamic autonomy structure. The RIK-D is used to orchestrate hardware for sensing and action as well as software components for perception, communication, behavior and world modeling into a single cognitive behavior kernel that provides intrinsic intelligence for a wide variety of unmanned ground vehicle systems.

Effects of Implementation Intentions on the Self-Reported Frequency of Drivers' Compliance with Speed Limits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Mark A.; Armitage, Christopher J.

2006-01-01

This study tested the efficacy of implementation intentions in the context of drivers' speeding behavior. Participants (N = 300) completed self-report measures of goal intention and behavior, and they were randomly assigned to an experimental condition, which required them to specify an implementation intention, or a control condition. One month…

Towards a social psychology-based microscopic model of driver behavior and decision-making : modifying Lewin's field theory

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

Central to effective roadway design is the ability to understand how drivers behave as they traverse a segment of : roadway. While simple and complex microscopic models have been used over the years to analyse driver behaviour, : most models: 1.) inc...

State all-driver distracted driving laws and high school students'  texting while driving behavior.

PubMed

Qiao, Nan; Bell, Teresa Maria

2016-01-01

Texting while driving is highly prevalent among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Texting while driving can significantly increase the risk of road crashes and is associated with other risky driving behaviors. Most states have enacted distracted driving laws to prohibit texting while driving. This study examines effects of different all-driver distracted driving laws on texting while driving among high school students. High school student data were extracted from the 2013 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Distracted driving law information was collected from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The final sample included 6,168 high school students above the restricted driving age in their states and with access to a vehicle. Logistic regression was applied to estimate odds ratios of laws on texting while driving. All-driver text messaging bans with primary enforcement were associated with a significant reduction in odds of texting while driving among high school students (odds ratio = 0.703; 95% confidence interval, 0.513-0.964), whereas all-driver phone use bans with primary enforcement did not have a significant association with texting while driving (odds ratio = 0.846; 95% confidence interval, 0.501-1.429). The findings indicate that all-driver distracted driving laws that specifically target texting while driving as opposed to all types of phone use are effective in reducing the behavior among high school students.

Efficacy of a family-focused intervention for young drivers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

PubMed Central

Fabiano, Gregory A.; Schatz, Nicole K.; Morris, Karen L.; Willoughby, Michael T.; Vujnovic, Rebecca K.; Hulme, Kevin F.; Riordan, Jessica; Howard, Marlana; Hennessy, Dwight; Lewis, Kemper; Hawk, Larry; Wylie, Amanda; Pelham, William E.

2016-01-01

Objective Teenage drivers diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at significant risk for negative driving outcomes related to morbidity and mortality. However, there are few viable psychosocial treatments for teens with ADHD and none focus on the key functional area of driving. The Supporting the Effective Entry to the Roadway (STEER) program was evaluated in a clinical trial to determine whether it improved family functioning as a proximal outcome and driving behavior as a distal outcome. Method One hundred seventy-two teenagers with ADHD, combined type, were randomly assigned to STEER or a driver education driver practice program (DEDP). Results Relative to parents in the DEDP condition, parents in STEER were observed to be less negative at post-treatment and 6-month follow-up, but not at 12-month follow-up and there were no significant differences for observed positive parenting. Relative to teens in the DEDP condition, teens in STEER reported lower levels of risky driving behaviors at post-treatment and six-month follow-up, but not at 12-month follow-up. They were not observed to differ on objective observations of risky driving or citations/accidents. Conclusions The STEER program for novice drivers with ADHD was effective in reducing observations of negative parenting behavior and teen self reports of risky driving relative to DEDP; groups did not significantly differ on observations of positive parenting or driving behaviors. Public Health Significance Statement Families with a teenager with ADHD may benefit from engaging in behavioral parent training around the transition to independent driving, especially via reductions in negative parenting. Teenagers with ADHD self-reported fewer risky driving behaviors within the family-focused intervention, but these findings were not replicated on objective observations of driving. PMID:27618640

Drinking and driving and perceptions of arrest risk among California drivers: Relationships with DUI arrests in their city of residence.

PubMed

MacLeod, Kara E; Karriker-Jaffe, Katherine J; Satariano, William A; Kelley-Baker, Tara; Lacey, John H; Ragland, David R

2017-08-18

Addressing drinking and driving remains a challenge in the United States. The present study aims to provide feedback on driving under the influence (DUI) in California by assessing whether drinking and driving behavior is associated with the DUI arrest rates in the city in which the driver lives; whether this is due to perceptions that one can get arrested for this behavior; and whether this differed by those drivers who would be most affected by deterrence efforts (those most likely to drink outside the home). This study consisted of a 2012 roadside survey of 1,147 weekend nighttime drivers in California. City DUI arrest rates for 2009-2011 were used as an indicator of local enforcement efforts. Population average logistic modeling was conducted modeling the odds of perceived high arrest likelihood for DUI and drinking and driving behavior within the past year. As the DUI arrest rates for the city in which the driver lives increased, perceived high risk of DUI arrest increased. There was no significant relationship between either city DUI arrest rates or perceived high risk of DUI arrest with self-reported drinking and driving behavior in the full sample. Among a much smaller sample of those most likely to drink outside the home, self-reported drinking and driving behavior was negatively associated with DUI arrests rates in their city of residence but this was not mediated by perceptions. The results of the present study suggest that perceptions are correlated with one aspect of DUI efforts in one's community. Those who were more likely to drink outside the home could be behaviorally influenced by these efforts.

Age, gender and deterrability: Are younger male drivers more likely to discount the future?

PubMed

Freeman, James; Kaye, Sherrie-Anne; Truelove, Verity; Davey, Jeremy

2017-07-01

Utilizing the Classical Deterrence theory and Stafford and Warr's (1993) reconceptualized model of deterrence, the current study examined whether age, gender, and discounting the future tendencies influence perceptions of being apprehended for speeding offences. Licensed motorists (N=700; 57% female) in Queensland (Australia) were recruited to complete a self-report questionnaire that measured perceptual deterrence, speeding related behaviors and discounting the future tendencies. Data were analyzed utilizing descriptive, bivariate and multivariate regressions. Significant (albeit weak) positive correlations were found between age and perceptions of apprehension certainty. Males were significantly more likely to report higher incidences of speeding (including while avoiding detection) compared to females. In contrast, females were more likely to perceive high levels of apprehension certainty and consider impending penalties to be more severe. At a multivariate level, discounting the future tendencies (in addition to being male, reporting lower levels of perceptual severity and swiftness, and more instances of punishment avoidance) were predictive of lower perceptual certainty levels. This study is one of the first to reveal that being male and having a tendency to discount the consequences of the future may directly influence drivers' perceptual deterrence levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impulsivity and risky decision making among taxi drivers in Hong Kong: An event-related potential study.

PubMed

Cheng, Andy S K; Ting, K H; Liu, Karen P Y; Ba, Yutao

2016-10-01

Taxi drivers play an important role in providing safe and professional public transport services. However, they tend to be more involved than other professional driver groups in accidents caused by deliberate recklessness. This study used an event-related potential (ERP) experiment to examine risk-taking behavior arising from impulsivity by comparing the underlying neural processes of taxi drivers with and without traffic offence records in Hong Kong. A sample of 15 traffic offenders and 15 nonoffenders, matched by sociodemographic characteristics, was recruited. The results show that the offender group demonstrated significantly less negative-going (less negative) feedback-related negativity but more positive-going (more positive) feedback-related P300 when than with their nonoffending counterparts. These findings show that taxi drivers with traffic offence records were less sensitive to the consequences of behavior and more attuned to the magnitude of potential reward. In addition, behavioral data revealed that they were more willing to make risky decisions. All these characteristics pertain to impulsive personality traits. Based on these findings, we can conclude that the offenders in this sample were more impulsive than their nonoffending counterparts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Good Passengers and Not Good Passengers:" Adolescent Drivers' Perceptions About Inattention and Peer Passengers.

PubMed

McDonald, Catherine C; Sommers, Marilyn S

The purpose of this qualitative focus group elicitation research study was to explore teen driver perceptions of peer passengers and driver inattention. We utilized focus groups for data collection and content analysis to analyze the data, both of which were guided by the theory of planned behavior. We conducted 7 focus groups with 30 teens, ages 16-18, licensed for ≤1year to examine attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and norms related to driving inattention and peer passengers. The sample was 50% male, mean age 17.39 (SD 0.52) with mean length of licensure 173.7days (SD 109.2). Three themes emerged: 1) "Good and not good" passengers; 2) Passengers and technology as harmful and helpful; and 3) The driver is in charge. While passengers can be a source of distraction, our participants also identified passenger behaviors that reduced risk, such as assistance with technology and guidance for directions. An understanding of teens' perceptions of peer passengers can contribute to the development of effective interventions targeting teen driver inattention. Nurses are well-positioned to contribute to these teen crash prevention efforts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-sectional study assessing HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and behavior in the Namibian truck transport sector: Readjusting HIV prevention programs in the workplace.

PubMed

Kiderlen, Til R; Conteh, Michael; Roll, Stephanie; Seeling, Stefanie; Weinmann, Stefan

2015-01-01

The objectives of this study were to assess the current status of HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior (KAB) of employees in the private transport sector in Namibia and to compare companies with established HIV workplace program (WPPs) with those that have recently initiated the implementation of such programs. The study was designed as a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. Between January and March 2011, the survey was conducted in the Namibian truck transport sector in six companies of different sizes. The participants were selected randomly from the workforce. Data collection was based on a KAB questionnaire. The range of correct answers to the survey concerning the knowledge of HIV transmission was 67-95%. Twenty percent of the employees had never been tested for HIV. Additionally, risky sexual behaviors were quite prevalent and included having multiple concurrent partners and the use of sex for incentives. This study revealed that drivers and laborers were especially at risk for such behaviors. The employees of companies with established WPPs were tested for HIV more often than those of companies with new WPPs; however, aside from this difference, only minor differences were observed between the two groups. The findings of this study highlight the need for on-going HIV information and prevention campaigns that focus on the special needs of mobile and low-income workers. WPPs should be tailored accordingly and shift their focus to more practical approaches, such as voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), to increase their effectiveness. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Driver Behavior During Overtaking Maneuvers from the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study.

PubMed

Chen, Rong; Kusano, Kristofer D; Gabler, Hampton C

2015-01-01

Lane changes with the intention to overtake the vehicle in front are especially challenging scenarios for forward collision warning (FCW) designs. These overtaking maneuvers can occur at high relative vehicle speeds and often involve no brake and/or turn signal application. Therefore, overtaking presents the potential of erroneously triggering the FCW. A better understanding of driver behavior during lane change events can improve designs of this human-machine interface and increase driver acceptance of FCW. The objective of this study was to aid FCW design by characterizing driver behavior during lane change events using naturalistic driving study data. The analysis was based on data from the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, collected by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The 100-Car study contains approximately 1.2 million vehicle miles of driving and 43,000 h of data collected from 108 primary drivers. In order to identify overtaking maneuvers from a large sample of driving data, an algorithm to automatically identify overtaking events was developed. The lead vehicle and minimum time to collision (TTC) at the start of lane change events was identified using radar processing techniques developed in a previous study. The lane change identification algorithm was validated against video analysis, which manually identified 1,425 lane change events from approximately 126 full trips. Forty-five drivers with valid time series data were selected from the 100-Car study. From the sample of drivers, our algorithm identified 326,238 lane change events. A total of 90,639 lane change events were found to involve a closing lead vehicle. Lane change events were evenly distributed between left side and right side lane changes. The characterization of lane change frequency and minimum TTC was divided into 10 mph speed bins for vehicle travel speeds between 10 and 90 mph. For all lane change events with a closing lead vehicle, the results showed that drivers change lanes most frequently in the 40-50 mph speed range. Minimum TTC was found to increase with travel speed. The variability in minimum TTC between drivers also increased with travel speed. This study developed and validated an algorithm to detect lane change events in the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study and characterized lane change events in the database. The characterization of driver behavior in lane change events showed that driver lane change frequency and minimum TTC vary with travel speed. The characterization of overtaking maneuvers from this study will aid in improving the overall effectiveness of FCW systems by providing active safety system designers with further understanding of driver action in overtaking maneuvers, thereby increasing system warning accuracy, reducing erroneous warnings, and improving driver acceptance.

Study of Psycho-Social Factors Affecting Traffic Accidents Among Young Boys in Tehran.

PubMed

Javadi, Seyyed Mohammad Hossein; Fekr Azad, Hossein; Tahmasebi, Siyamak; Rafiei, Hassan; Rahgozar, Mehdi; Tajlili, Alireza

2015-07-01

Unprecedented growth of fatalities due to traffic accidents in the recent years has raised great concerns and efforts of authorities in order to identify and control the causes of these accidents. In the present study, the contribution of psychological, social, demographic, environmental and behavioral factors on traffic accidents was studied for young boys in Tehran, emphasizing the importance of psychosocial factors. The design of the present study was quantitative (correlational) in which a sample population including 253 boys from Tehran (Iran) with an age range of 18 to 24 who had been referred to insurance institutions, hospitals, correctional facilities as well as prisons, were selected using stratified cluster sampling during the year 2013.The subjects completed the following questionnaires: demographic, general health, lifestyle, Manchester Driving Behavior Questionnaire (MDBQ), young parenting, and NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). For data analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient, and inferential statistics including simultaneous regression, stepwise regression, and structural equations modeling were used. The findings indicated that in the psychosocial model of driving behavior (including lapses, mistakes, and intentional violations) and accidents, psychological factors, depression (P < 0.02), personality trait of conscientiousness (P < 0.02), failure schema due to the parenting style of mother (P = 0.001), and perception of police commands (P < 0.002), played an important role in predicting driving behavior. Among social factors, perception of police regulations (P = 0.003), had an important effect on violations and mistakes. Among environmental and behavioral factors, major factors such as driving age (P = 0.001), drug and alcohol use (P = 0.001), having driver's license (P = 0.013), records of imprisonment or committing a crime (P = 0.012) were also able to predict occurrence of accidents. As the results of this study show, different factors contribute to different driving behaviors and accidents. The broad scope of these factors links accidents to other social issues and damages.

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.

Vehicle emission implications of drivers' smart advisory system for traffic operations in work zones.

PubMed

Li, Qing; Qiao, Fengxiang; Yu, Lei

2016-05-01

Wireless communication systems have been broadly applied in various complicated traffic operations to improve mobility and safety on roads, which may raise a concern about the implication of the new technology on vehicle emissions. This paper explores how the wireless communication systems improve drivers' driving behaviors and its contributions to the emission reduction, in terms of Operating Mode (OpMode) IDs distribution used in emission estimation. A simulated work zone with completed traffic operation was selected as a test bed. Sixty subjects were recruited for the tests, whose demographic distribution was based on the Census data in Houston, Texas. A scene of a pedestrian's crossing in the work zone was designed for the driving test. Meanwhile, a wireless communication system called Drivers Smart Advisory System (DSAS) was proposed and introduced in the driving simulation, which provided drivers with warning messages in the work zone. Two scenarios were designed for a leading vehicle as well as for a following vehicle driving through the work zone, which included a base test without any wireless communication systems, and a driving test with the trigger of the DSAS. Subjects' driving behaviors in the simulation were recorded to evaluate safety and estimate the vehicle emission using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released emission model MOVES. The correlation between drivers' driving behavior and the distribution of the OpMode ID during each scenario was investigated. Results show that the DSAS was able to induce drivers to accelerate smoothly, keep longer headway distance and stop earlier for a hazardous situation in the work zone, which driving behaviors result in statistically significant reduction in vehicle emissions for almost all studied air pollutants (p-values range from 4.10E-51 to 2.18E-03). The emission reduction was achieved by the switching the distribution of the OpMode IDs from higher emission zones to lower emission zones. Transportation section is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Many studies demonstrate that the wireless communication system dedicated for safety and mobility issues may contribute to the induction in vehicle emissions through changing driving behaviors. An insight into the correlation between the driving behaviors and the distribution of Operating Mode (OpMode) IDs is essential to enhance the emission reduction. The result of this study shows that with a Drivers Smart Advisory System (DSAS) drivers accelerated smoothly and stopped earlier for a hazardous situation, which induce the switch of the OpMode IDs from high emission zones to lower emission zones.

Modeling Altruistic and Aggressive Driver Behavior in a No-Notice Evacuation

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

Brandstetter, Tim; Garrow, Dr. Laurie; Hunter, Dr. Michael

2007-01-01

This study examines the impact of altruistic and aggressive driver behavior on the effectiveness of an evacuation for a section of downtown Atlanta. The study area includes 37 signalized intersections, seven ramps, and 48 parking lots that vary by size, type (lot versus garage), peak volume, and number of ingress and egress points. A detailed microscopic model of the study area was created in VISSIM. Different scenarios examined the impacts of driver behavior on parking lot discharge rates and the loading rates from side streets on primary evacuation routes. A new methodology was created to accurately represent parking lot dischargemore » rates. This study is also unique in that it assumes a "worst case scenario" that occurs with no advance notice during the morning peak period, when vehicles must transition from inbound to outbound routes. Simulation results indicate that while overall network clearance times are similar across scenarios, the distribution of delay on individual routes and across parking lots differ markedly. More equitable solutions (defined as the allocation of delay from parking lots and side streets to main evacuation routes) were observed with altruistic driver behavior.« less

Drivers' Visual Behavior-Guided RRT Motion Planner for Autonomous On-Road Driving.

PubMed

Du, Mingbo; Mei, Tao; Liang, Huawei; Chen, Jiajia; Huang, Rulin; Zhao, Pan

2016-01-15

This paper describes a real-time motion planner based on the drivers' visual behavior-guided rapidly exploring random tree (RRT) approach, which is applicable to on-road driving of autonomous vehicles. The primary novelty is in the use of the guidance of drivers' visual search behavior in the framework of RRT motion planner. RRT is an incremental sampling-based method that is widely used to solve the robotic motion planning problems. However, RRT is often unreliable in a number of practical applications such as autonomous vehicles used for on-road driving because of the unnatural trajectory, useless sampling, and slow exploration. To address these problems, we present an interesting RRT algorithm that introduces an effective guided sampling strategy based on the drivers' visual search behavior on road and a continuous-curvature smooth method based on B-spline. The proposed algorithm is implemented on a real autonomous vehicle and verified against several different traffic scenarios. A large number of the experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm is feasible and efficient for on-road autonomous driving. Furthermore, the comparative test and statistical analyses illustrate that its excellent performance is superior to other previous algorithms.

Analysis of the effect of older drivers’ driving behaviors on traffic flow based on a modified CA model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, Mei-Ying; Shi, Jing; Liu, Yang

2016-09-01

As the global population ages, there are more and more older drivers on the road. The decline in driving performance of older drivers may influence the properties of traffic flow and safety. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of older drivers’ driving behaviors on traffic flow. A modified cellular automaton (CA) model which takes driving behaviors of older drivers into account is proposed. The simulation results indicate that older drivers’ driving behaviors induce a reduction in traffic flow especially when the density is higher than 15 vehicles per km per lane and an increase in Lane-changing frequency. The analysis of stability shows that a number of disturbances could frequently emerge, be propagated and eventually dissipate in this modified model. The results also reflect that with the increase of older drivers on the road, the probability of the occurrence of rear-end collisions increases greatly and obviously. Furthermore, the value of acceleration influences the traffic flow and safety significantly. These results provide the theoretical basis and reference for the traffic management departments to develop traffic management measure in the aging society.

Cross-cultural differences in drivers' speed choice.

PubMed

Wallén Warner, Henriette; Ozkan, Türker; Lajunen, Timo

2009-07-01

The aim of the present study was to examine if there are any cross-cultural differences between Swedish and Turkish drivers' rating of the variables in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with regard to complying with the speed limit. A sample of 219 Swedish and 252 Turkish drivers completed a questionnaire including questions based on the theory of planned behaviour (i.e. regarding attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, intention and behaviour). The results show that country differences in drivers' intention to comply with the speed limit as well as their self-reported compliance could be explained by differences found in their attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. Furthermore, drivers who live in a country with fewer road traffic fatalities (i.e. Sweden), compared with drivers who live in a country with more road traffic fatalities (i.e. Turkey), reported a more positive attitude towards complying with the speed limit, a more positive subjective norm, a higher perceived behavioural control, a higher intention and a larger proportion of the time spent complying.

The impact of artificial vehicle sounds for pedestrians on driver stress.

PubMed

Cottrell, Nicholas D; Barton, Benjamin K

2012-01-01

Electrically based vehicles have produced some concern over their lack of sound, but the impact of artificial sounds now being implemented have not been examined in respect to their effects upon the driver. The impact of two different implementations of vehicle sound on driver stress in electric vehicles was examined. A Nissan HEV running in electric vehicle mode was driven by participants in an area of congestion using three sound implementations: (1) no artificial sounds, (2) manually engaged sounds and (3) automatically engaged sounds. Physiological and self-report questionnaire measures were collected to determine stress and acceptance of the automated sound protocol. Driver stress was significantly higher in the manually activated warning condition, compared to both no artificial sounds and automatically engaged sounds. Implications for automation usage and measurement methods are discussed and future research directions suggested. The advent of hybrid- and all-electric vehicles has created a need for artificial warning signals for pedestrian safety that place task demands on drivers. We investigated drivers' stress differences in response to varying conditions of warning signals for pedestrians. Driver stress was lower when noises were automated.

Perception and reality of particulate matter exposure in New York City taxi drivers

PubMed Central

Gany, Francesca; Bari, Sehrish; Prasad, Lakshmi; Leng, Jennifer; Lee, Trevor; Thurston, George D; Gordon, Terry; Acharya, Sudha; Zelikoff, Judith T

2017-01-01

Background Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) have been linked to negative health risks, but exposure among professional taxi drivers is unknown. This study measured drivers' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) about air pollution compared to direct measures of exposures. Methods Roadside and in-vehicle levels of PM2.5 and BC were continuously measured over a single shift and compared to central site monitoring. Participants completed an air pollution KAB questionnaire. Results Taxicab PM2.5 and BC concentrations were elevated compared to central monitoring. Average PM2.5 concentrations per 15-minute interval were 4 - 49 μg/m3; 1-minute peaks measured up to 452 μg/m3. BC levels were also elevated; reaching > 10 μg/m3. 56 of 100 drivers surveyed believed they were more exposed than non-drivers; 81 believed air pollution causes health problems. Conclusions Air pollution exposure among drivers likely exceeds EPA recommendations. Future studies should focus on reducing exposures and increasing awareness among taxi drivers. PMID:27168392

Drugs given by a syringe driver: a prospective multicentre survey of palliative care services in the UK.

PubMed

Wilcock, Andrew; Jacob, Jayin K; Charlesworth, Sarah; Harris, Elayne; Gibbs, Margaret; Allsop, Helen

2006-10-01

The use of a syringe driver to administer drugs by continuous subcutaneous infusion is common practice in the UK. Over time, drug combinations used in a syringe driver are likely to change and the aim of this survey was to obtain a more recent snapshot of practice. On four separate days, at two-week intervals, a questionnaire was completed for every syringe driver in use by 15 palliative care services. Of 336 syringe drivers, the majority contained either two or three drugs, but one-fifth contained only one drug. The median (range) volume of the infusions was 15 (9.5-48) mL, and duration of infusion was generally 24 hours. Only one combination was reported as visually incompatible, and there were 13 site reactions (4% of total). Laboratory physical and chemical compatibility data are available for less than half of the most frequently used combinations.

Understanding young and older male drivers' willingness to drive while intoxicated: the predictive utility of constructs specified by the theory of planned behaviour and the prototype willingness model.

PubMed

Rivis, Amanda; Abraham, Charles; Snook, Sarah

2011-05-01

The present study examined the predictive utility of constructs specified by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and prototype willingness model (PWM) for young and older male drivers' willingness to drive while intoxicated. A cross-sectional questionnaire was employed. Two hundred male drivers, recruited via a street survey, voluntarily completed measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, prototype perceptions, and willingness. Findings showed that the TPB and PWM variables explained 65% of the variance in young male drivers' willingness and 47% of the variance in older male drivers' willingness, with the interaction between prototype favourability and similarity contributing 7% to the variance explained in older males' willingness to drive while intoxicated. The findings possess implications for theory, research, and anti-drink driving campaigns. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

The driver with dementia: a survey of physician attitudes, knowledge, and practice.

PubMed

Adler, Geri; Rottunda, Susan J

2011-02-01

One of the most difficult issues physicians must address when caring for persons with dementia is fitness to drive. The purpose of this project was to investigate the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of physicians toward drivers with dementia. A questionnaire that obtained perspectives about and experiences with drivers' with dementia was mailed to physicians from North Carolina and South Carolina. The sample was comprised of 239 physicians who worked with persons with dementia. Respondents who were aware of the Physician's Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers, had a strong perceived role regarding driving, were older, and believed it was important to address driving were more likely to engage in driving discussions. Concerns associated with the driver with dementia have implications for not only patient care but also public safety. We recommend that all physicians be encouraged to address the issue and utilize existing educational materials.

Ergonomic work analysis: A case study of bus drivers in the private collective transportation sector.

PubMed

Araújo, Adolfo Vicente; Arcanjo, Gemima Santos; Fernandes, Haroldo; Arcanjo, Georgia Santos

2018-05-03

The collective transportation system is essential to reduce the number of automobiles in the roads. Concerns exist related to quality, comfort and safety of bus driver's workstations. The objective of this study was to improve the driver's workstation in the private collective transportation sector by analyzing ergonomic practices using the Ergonomic Work Analysis (EWA). The EWA was chosen because it seeks to evaluate the labor condition as it relates to the psychophysiological conditions of workers, it complies with regulatory standard 17 (NR17). To identify driver concerns, interviews and questionnaires were administered. The workstation and worker routines were observed. The analysis revealed that the largest number of complaints related to noise, display light and location of the passenger identifier device. Drivers reported discomfort in the knees and lower back. Recommendations were made to improve the workstation and change the routine to minimize the discomfort and ergonomic risk factors.

Truck driver fatigue risk assessment and management: a multinational survey.

PubMed

Adams-Guppy, Julie; Guppy, Andrew

2003-06-20

As part of an organizational review of safety, interviews and questionnaire surveys were performed on over 700 commercial goods drivers and their managers within a series of related companies operating across 17 countries. The results examine the reported incidence of fatigue-related problems in drivers and their associations with near miss and accident experience as well as work and organizational factors. Experience of fatigue problems while driving was linked to time of day and rotation of shifts, though most associations were small. There were significant associations found between fatigue experiences and driver and management systems of break taking and route scheduling. The quantitative combined with qualitative information suggested that, where feasible, more flexible approaches to managing the scheduling and sequencing of deliveries assisted drivers in managing their own fatigue problems through appropriate break-taking. The results are interpreted within the overarching principles of risk assessment and risk control.

Driving and Neurodegenerative Diseases

PubMed Central

Uc, Ergun Y.; Rizzo, Matthew

2011-01-01

The proportion of elderly in the general population is rising, resulting in greater numbers of drivers with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). These neurodegenerative disorders impair cognition, visual perception, and motor function, leading to reduced driver fitness and greater crash risk. Yet medical diagnosis or age alone is not reliable enough to predict driver safety or crashes, or revoke the driving privileges of these drivers. Driving research utilizes tools such as questionnaires about driving habits and history, driving simulators, standardized road tests utilizing instrumented vehicles, and state driving records. Research challenges include outlining the evolution of driving safety, understanding the mechanisms of driving impairment, and developing a reliable and efficient standardized test battery for prediction of driver safety in neurodegenerative disorders. This information will enable healthcare providers to advise their patients with neurodegenerative disorders with more certainty, affect policy, and help to develop rehabilitative measures for driving. PMID:18713573

Obstructive sleep apnea in North American commercial drivers.

PubMed

Kales, Stefanos N; Straubel, Madeleine G

2014-01-01

The most common medical cause of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Specifically, among an estimated 14 million US commercial drivers, 17-28% or 2.4 to 3.9 million are expected to have OSA. Based on existing epidemiologic evidence, most of these drivers are undiagnosed and not adequately treated. Untreated OSA increases the risk of vehicular crashes as documented in multiple independent studies and by meta-analysis. Therefore, identifying commercial drivers with OSA and having them effectively treated should decrease crash-related fatalities and injuries. Several strategies are available for screening and identifying drivers with OSA. The simplest and most effective objective strategies use body mass index (BMI) cutoffs for obesity. Functional screens are promising adjuncts to other objective tests. The most effective approach will likely be a combination of a good questionnaire; BMI measures; and a careful physician-obtained history complemented by a functional screen.

Spinal and temporo-mandibular disorders in male workers of the State Police.

PubMed

Sancini, Angela; Tomei, Francesco; Tomei, Gianfranco; Caciari, Tiziana; Capozzella, Assunta; Di Famiani, Manuela; Samperi, Ilaria; Scala, Barbara; Fiaschetti, Maria; Cetica, Carlotta; Ciarrocca, Manuela

2013-01-01

The aims of this study are to evaluate the prevalence of disorders of the lumbar region and the temporo-mandibular district co-morbidity in drivers and workers of the State Police employed for different office activities. The study population included 103 drivers as cases and 100 police officers as controls. The study was carried out through questionnaire and clinical evaluation of the spine and temporo-mandibular region. At clinical examination, the drivers were found to have a higher prevalence (p < 0.05) of both symptoms and clinical signs at the spine and temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ), when compared with the controls. The results also showed a higher prevalence (p < 0.05) of co-morbidity in the two districts among the drivers, when compared with the controls. These results confirm that morbidity related to back and TMJ and increase in co-morbidity between the two districts are higher in professional drivers.

The influence of curbs on driver behaviors in four-lane rural highways--A driving simulator based study.

PubMed

Yang, Qiang; Overton, Ryan; Han, Lee D; Yan, Xuedong; Richards, Stephen H

2013-01-01

The speed limit of 55mph (88km/h) is typically used on rural highways in the U.S. For locations where curbs are installed along these roadways, some transportation agencies have suggested the use of a lower 45mph (72km/h) speed limit because, according to AASHTO, running into curbs at high speeds may cause significant vehicular damage and even severe injuries. However, it has also been argued that lowering the speed limit after the installation of curbs may cause confusion in drivers, who do not perceive the risk associated with the newly installed curbs and tend to operate their vehicles at the same speed as before. To better understand driver behavior on rural highways before and after curb installation, and with different speed limits, researchers at the University of Tennessee conducted a series of experiments in two-lane and four-lane highways on a high-fidelity driving simulator. This paper mainly presents the findings from the four-lane study, and compares the results from the previous two-lane study. The scenario matrix consists of several dimensions including posted speed limit (45 and 55mph, or 72 and 88km/h), curb installation, lateral clearance between the edge of travel lane and the curb (2ft, 6ft, and no-curb, or 0.6m, 1.8m, and no-curb), weather (clear and fog), traffic conditions in the next lane (1400veh/h and 400veh/h), etc. For each subject under different experimental scenarios, detailed driving parameters, such as driving speed and vehicle position in the travel lane, were recorded and analyzed subsequently. Results of the study suggest that driver behaviors are influenced by the various factors in a complex and interrelated manner. It is likely that drivers do not perceive the risk from the curb in determining their speed on four-lane rural highways. However, it is found that curbs may provide certain guidance to drivers, especially in selecting lane position. Compared to the previous research in two-lane conditions, it is found that drivers are more likely to choose driving speeds according to posted speed limits, rather than lane configurations. It is also found that the relative speed between driver's vehicle and ambient traffic or curbs is an important factor determining drivers' perception of risk and thus their driving behavior. The influence of subjective effects of these factors to their driving behavior is also observed in the study. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Drug use and involvement in risky driving styles in a sample of university students. The uniHcos project].

PubMed

Jiménez-Mejías, Eladio; Medina-García, Miguel Ángel; Martínez-Ruiz, Virginia; Pulido-Manzanero, José; Fernández-Villa, Tania

2015-09-01

Drug and alcohol use are known to increase the risk of traffic accidents, especially among youth. However, the association between habitual drug use and the adoption of risky driving behavior is not well known. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the association between habitual drug use and involvement in risky driving practices overall and by gender among university students. A cross sectional study was conducted. The study population was composed of 559 car drivers younger than 31 years who completed an online questionnaire during the 2011-2012 academic year. Among other factors, the questionnaire assessed the following items: habitual drug consumption (20 or more days) during the last year and involvement in other risky driving practices during the last month. A total of 27.7% of students reported they had used drugs regularly during the last year. Drug use was associated with a higher frequency of involvement in risky driving practices. In men, the factors most strongly associated with drug consumption were speeding, driving under influence of alcohol, and feeling drowsy while driving. In women, drug consumption was mainly associated with smoking while driving, drunk driving, and driving without rest. The results of our study support the hypothesis that habitual drug use is associated with an increased frequency of risky driving behavior. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

A Review of Interventions To Increase Driving Safety among Teenage Drivers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattox, John R., II

Young drivers across the United States represent a persistent traffic safety problem. Many interventions have been imposed on these drivers but few studies have evaluated the impact of these interventions on risky behaviors or traffic safety measures. To fill this gap, a review was undertaken to examine the most rigorous methodological evaluations…

Analyzing Driver Behavior in Passing Zones with Differential Speed Limits on Two-Lane Two-Way Undivided Highways in Alaska

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

Due to the relatively high crash rates attributed to two lane highways in Alaska, solutions have been explored to improve safety by providing passing lanes to give drivers a better chance to pass the slow moving vehicles. Drivers of slow moving vehic...

Evaluation of Candidate Measures for Home-Based Screening of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Taiwanese Bus Drivers

PubMed Central

Ting, Hua; Huang, Ren-Jing; Lai, Ching-Hsiang; Chang, Shen-Wen; Chung, Ai-Hui; Kuo, Teng-Yao; Chang, Ching-Haur; Shih, Tung-Sheng; Lee, Shin-Da

2014-01-01

Background: Sleepiness-at-the-wheel has been identified as a major cause of highway accidents. The aim of our study is identifying the candidate measures for home-based screening of sleep disordered breathing in Taiwanese bus drivers, instead of polysomnography. Methods: Overnight polysomnography accompanied with simultaneous measurements of alternative screening devices (pulse oximetry, ApneaLink, and Actigraphy), heart rate variability, wake-up systolic blood pressure and questionnaires were completed by 151 eligible participants who were long-haul bus drivers with a duty period of more than 12 h a day and duty shifting. Results: 63.6% of professional bus drivers were diagnosed as having sleep disordered breathing and had a higher body mass index, neck circumference, systolic blood pressure, arousal index and desaturation index than those professional bus drivers without evidence of sleep disordered breathing. Simple home-based candidate measures: (1) Pulse oximetry, oxygen-desaturation indices by ≥3% and 4% (r = 0.87∼0.92); (2) Pulse oximetry, pulse-rising indices by ≥7% and 8% from a baseline (r = 0.61∼0.89); and (3) ApneaLink airflow detection, apnea-hypopnea indices (r = 0.70∼0.70), based on recording-time or Actigraphy-corrected total sleep time were all significantly correlated with, and had high agreement with, corresponding polysomnographic apnea-hypopnea indices [(1) 94.5%∼96.6%, (2) 93.8%∼97.2%, (3) 91.1%∼91.3%, respectively]. Conversely, no validities of SDB screening were found in the multi-variables apnea prediction questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, night-sleep heart rate variability, wake-up systolic blood pressure and anthropometric variables. Conclusions: The indices of pulse oximetry and apnea flow detection are eligible criteria for home-based screening of sleep disordered breathing, specifically for professional drivers. PMID:24803198

Biomechanical and ergonomic assessment of urban transit operators.

PubMed

Albert, Wayne J; Everson, Donald; Rae, Michelle; Callaghan, Jack P; Croll, Jim; Kuruganti, Usha

2014-01-01

The prevalence of neck and low back musculoskeletal injuries in transit operators has been shown to be high; with work absences exceeding double the National average. There is a lack of biomechanical data generated from field researches to inform on musculoskeletal risk associated with transportation and driving occupations. Instead there has been a reliance on simulated driving and questionnaire-based research. This study was designed to examine the musculoskeletal and biomechanical stresses experienced by urban bus drivers. The main objective was to obtain a baseline understanding of sitting posture, muscle activiation and subjective ratings of stress during regular driving tasks. Fifteen urban city bus drivers were recruited for this study. Bus drivers drove the same 65-minute bus route once, at the same time of day, in the same preselected bus. Wireless surface electromyography monitored muscular activity of the drivers' neck, upper trapezius, and erector spinae and video analysis and seat pressure mapping was used to monitor changes in driving posture. A health and lifestyle questionnaire was administered to record specific neck and back pain experienced by drivers as well as to provide lifestyle habits. Drivers were found to exhibit non-neutral postures for less than 30% of the time while conducting routine tasks of turning and stopping for passenger loading and unloading. The neck posture was the greatest concern in terms of non-neutral posture and this was supported by the higher muscle activation to the neck musculature. There was significant posture adjustment made during the one-hour driving period with the adjustments increasing with driving time. Activities associated with bus driving appear to require the use of non-neutral postures an increase in muscle activation. Significant postural adjustments were needed over the one-hour observation period suggesting that the musculoskeletal demands may increase over a regular 12-hour shift.

The dangers of rumination on the road: Predictors of risky driving.

PubMed

Suhr, Kyle A; Dula, Chris S

2017-02-01

Past studies found many different types of factors can influence dangerous driving behaviors. Driver inattention, such as driving under the influence or using a cell phone while driving, was found to contribute to risky driving behaviors. Rumination is a cognitive process that may also contribute to risky driving behaviors due to its influence on attention and limited executive processes. The present study explores the potential role of rumination in dangerous driving behavior endorsement. It was hypothesized that trait rumination would be significantly related to dangerous driving behaviors and that this relationship would be conditional to the sex of the participant. Six-hundred and fifty-three Southeastern university students were recruited to participate and asked to complete multiple questionnaires measuring anger rumination, thought content, driving anger, and dangerous driving behaviors. It was demonstrated that self-reported risky driving behaviors significantly predicted dangerous driving behavior endorsement on the Dula Dangerous Driving Index. Trait rumination scores were found to predict self-reported dangerous driving, aggressive driving, and risky driving behaviors as well as trait driving anger scores. However, no conditional effects based on the sex of the participant were found. It appeared males and females were equally likely to report dangerous driving behaviors, driving anger thoughts, and trait anger rumination. Findings from the current study may assist in understanding how cognitive processes influence different driving behaviors and help develop methods to re-direct attention to safe driving behaviors, and conversely away from ruminative thoughts that increase the likelihood of dangerous driving. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introducing a multivariate model for predicting driving performance: the role of driving anger and personal characteristics.

PubMed

Roidl, Ernst; Siebert, Felix Wilhelm; Oehl, Michael; Höger, Rainer

2013-12-01

Maladaptive driving is an important source of self-inflicted accidents and this driving style could include high speeds, speeding violations, and poor lateral control of the vehicle. The literature suggests that certain groups of drivers, such as novice drivers, males, highly motivated drivers, and those who frequently experience anger in traffic, tend to exhibit more maladaptive driving patterns compared to other drivers. Remarkably, no coherent framework is currently available to describe the relationships and distinct influences of these factors. We conducted two studies with the aim of creating a multivariate model that combines the aforementioned factors, describes their relationships, and predicts driving performance more precisely. The studies employed different techniques to elicit emotion and different tracks designed to explore the driving behaviors of participants in potentially anger-provoking situations. Study 1 induced emotions with short film clips. Study 2 confronted the participants with potentially anger-inducing traffic situations during the simulated drive. In both studies, participants who experienced high levels of anger drove faster and exhibited greater longitudinal and lateral acceleration. Furthermore, multiple linear regressions and path-models revealed that highly motivated male drivers displayed the same behavior independent of their emotional state. The results indicate that anger and specific risk characteristics lead to maladaptive changes in important driving parameters and that drivers with these specific risk factors are prone to experience more anger while driving, which further worsens their driving performance. Driver trainings and anger management courses will profit from these findings because they help to improve the validity of assessments of anger related driving behavior. © 2013.

Prevalence and factors associated with road traffic crash among taxi drivers in Hanoi, Vietnam.

PubMed

La, Quang Ngoc; Lee, Andy H; Meuleners, Lynn B; Van Duong, Dat

2013-01-01

Injury due to road traffic crash is a major cause of ill health and premature deaths in developing countries. Taxis provide a main mode of public transport in Vietnam but there has been little research on the risk of crash for taxi drivers. This retrospective study collected information on taxi crashes for the period 2006-2009 by interviewing drivers from five taxi companies in Hanoi, Vietnam, using a structured questionnaire. Of the total 1214 participants recruited, 276 drivers reported at least one crash, giving an overall crash prevalence of 22.7%. Among the crashed group, 50 drivers (18.1%) were involved in two to four crashes. Logistic regression analysis further identified age of driver, type of driving licence, employment status, perceived sufficiency of income, seat-belt usage, and traffic infringement history to be significantly associated with the crash risk. Further prospective and qualitative studies are recommended to provide detailed crash characteristics as well as behaviour and perception of taxi drivers, so that an effective intervention can be developed to improve road safety and to prevent injury of these commercial drivers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of texting on young drivers' behavior and safety on urban and rural roads through a simulation experiment.

PubMed

Yannis, George; Laiou, Alexandra; Papantoniou, Panagiotis; Christoforou, Charalambos

2014-06-01

This research aims to investigate the impact of texting on the behavior and safety of young drivers on urban and rural roads. A driving simulator experiment was carried out in which 34 young participants drove in different driving scenarios; specifically, driving in good weather, in raining conditions, in daylight and in night were examined. Lognormal regression methods were used to investigate the influence of texting as well as various other parameters on the mean speed and mean reaction time. Binary logistic methods were used to investigate the influence of texting use as well as various other parameters in the probability of an accident. It appears that texting leads to statistically significant decrease of the mean speed and increase of the mean reaction time in urban and rural road environment. Simultaneously, it leads to an increased accident probability due to driver distraction and delayed reaction at the moment of the incident. It appeared that drivers using mobile phones with a touch screen present different driving behavior with respect to their speed, however, they had an even higher probability of being involved in an accident. The analysis of the distracted driving performance of drivers who are texting while driving may allow for the identification of measures for the improvement of driving performance (e.g., restrictive measures, training and licensing, information campaigns). The identification of some of the parameters that have an impact on the behavior and safety of young drivers concerning texting and the consequent results can be exploited by policy decision makers in future efforts for the improvement of road safety. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of facial makeup on the frequency of drivers stopping for hitchhikers.

PubMed

Guéguen, Nicolas; Lamy, Lubomir

2013-08-01

Judgments of photographs have shown that makeup enhances ratings of women's facial attractiveness. The present study assessed whether makeup affects the stopping behavior of drivers in response to a hitchhiker's signal. Four 20- to 22-year-old female confederates wore facial makeup, or not, while pretending to be hitchhiking. Frequency of stopping was compared in 1,600 male and female drivers. Facial makeup was associated with an increase in the number of male drivers who stopped to offer a ride. Makeup did not affect frequency of stopping by female drivers.

Older driver support system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-04-01

A significant factor impinging on older drivers ability to maintain safe and efficient mobility as : they age is the decline in behavioral, cognitive, and perceptual functions. Declines in vision, : hearing, cognitive processing, physical strength...

Redesign of Transjakarta Bus Driver's Cabin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mardi Safitri, Dian; Azmi, Nora; Singh, Gurbinder; Astuti, Pudji

2016-02-01

Ergonomic risk at work stations with type Seated Work Control was one of the problems faced by Transjakarta bus driver. Currently “Trisakti” type bus, one type of bus that is used by Transjakarta in corridor 9, serving route Pinang Ranti - Pluit, gained many complaints from drivers. From the results of Nordic Body Map questionnaires given to 30 drivers, it was known that drivers feel pain in the neck, arms, hips, and buttocks. Allegedly this was due to the seat position and the button/panel bus has a considerable distance range (1 meter) to be achieved by drivers. In addition, preliminary results of the questionnaire using Workstation Checklist identified their complaints about uncomfortable cushion, driver's seat backrest, and the exact position of the AC is above the driver head. To reduce the risk level of ergonomics, then did research to design the cabin by using a generic approach to designing products. The risk analysis driver posture before the design was done by using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), and Quick Exposure Checklist (QEC), while the calculation of the moment the body is done by using software Mannequin Pro V10.2. Furthermore, the design of generic products was done through the stages: need metric-matrix, house of quality, anthropometric data collection, classification tree concept, concept screening, scoring concept, design and manufacture of products in the form of two-dimensional. While the design after design risk analysis driver posture was done by using RULA, REBA, and calculation of moments body as well as the design visualized using software 3DMax. From the results of analysis before the draft design improvements cabin RULA obtained scores of 6, REBA 9, and the result amounted to 57.38% QEC and moment forces on the back is 247.3 LbF.inch and on the right hip is 72.9 LbF.in. While the results of the proposed improvements cabin design RULA obtained scores of 3, REBA 4, and the moment of force on the back is 90.3 LbF.in and on the right hip is 70.6 LbF.in. This indicated improvement cabin design can reduce ergonomic risk with lower scores on several parts of the body.

Driving under the influence of drugs: Perceptions and attitudes of New Zealand drivers.

PubMed

Malhotra, Neha; Starkey, Nicola J; Charlton, Samuel G

2017-09-01

This study explored the patterns of drug driving in New Zealand by investigating 1) drivers' perceptions about impairment caused by legal and illegal drugs 2) countermeasures employed by drivers when under the influence of drugs (e.g., decisions not to drive) 3) drivers' attitudes about police enforcement of drug driving and 4) the factors that predict the likelihood of engaging in drug driving. Participants (n=434) were licensed drivers who completed an online questionnaire. Results of the questionnaire indicated that drivers rated hallucinogens and opiates as being the illegal drugs producing the highest level of driving impairment and cannabis the lowest. For legal drugs, sedatives were rated as having the highest driving impairment and anti-nausea and anti-depressants the lowest. Respondents' drug use history had an effect on their ratings of impairment for anti-anxiety drugs, anti-depressants, kava, sedatives, cannabis and hallucinogens such that drug users reported higher impairment ratings than Non-user. Making a decision not to drive after taking drugs was reported by users of alcohol (73.6%), cannabis (57.0%), strong painkillers (42.5%), and anti-depressants (10.0%). Respondents who reported drink driving were 3.26 times more likely to report drug driving than those reporting no drink driving. Respondents also showed greater acceptance towards driving under the influence of legal drugs (43.5%) compared to illegal drugs (10.3%). Those who did not have favourable attitudes about drug driving were less likely to report having driven under the influence of drugs. Drivers in this sample were less aware of the potential negative effects of legal drugs on driving compared to illegal drugs. More than half the respondents from this study acknowledged drug driving as a road safety issue which needs more resources dedicated to it. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sleepiness and Motor Vehicle Crashes in a Representative Sample of Portuguese Drivers: The Importance of Epidemiological Representative Surveys.

PubMed

Gonçalves, M; Peralta, A R; Monteiro Ferreira, J; Guilleminault, Christian

2015-01-01

Sleepiness is considered to be a leading cause of crashes. Despite the huge amount of information collected in questionnaire studies, only some are based on representative samples of the population. Specifics of the populations studied hinder the generalization of these previous findings. For the Portuguese population, data from sleep-related car crashes/near misses and sleepiness while driving are missing. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of near-miss and nonfatal motor vehicle crashes related to sleepiness in a representative sample of Portuguese drivers. Structured phone interviews regarding sleepiness and sleep-related crashes and near misses, driving habits, demographic data, and sleep quality were conducted using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and sleep apnea risk using the Berlin questionnaire. A multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the associations with sleepy driving (feeling sleepy or falling asleep while driving) and sleep-related near misses and crashes. Nine hundred subjects, representing the Portuguese population of drivers, were included; 3.1% acknowledged falling asleep while driving during the previous year and 0.67% recalled sleepiness-related crashes. Higher education, driving more than 15,000 km/year, driving more frequently between 12:00 a.m. and 6 a.m., fewer years of having a driver's license, less total sleep time per night, and higher scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were all independently associated with sleepy driving. Sleepiness-related crashes and near misses were associated only with falling asleep at the wheel in the previous year. Sleep-related crashes occurred more frequently in drivers who had also had sleep-related near misses. Portugal has lower self-reported sleepiness at the wheel and sleep-related near misses than most other countries where epidemiological data are available. Different population characteristics and cultural, social, and road safety specificities may be involved in these discrepancies. Despite this, Portuguese drivers report sleep-related crashes in frequencies similar to those of drivers in other countries.

Can Link Analysis Be Applied to Identify Behavioral Patterns in Train Recorder Data?

PubMed

Strathie, Ailsa; Walker, Guy H

2016-03-01

A proof-of-concept analysis was conducted to establish whether link analysis could be applied to data from on-train recorders to detect patterns of behavior that could act as leading indicators of potential safety issues. On-train data recorders capture data about driving behavior on thousands of routine journeys every day and offer a source of untapped data that could be used to offer insights into human behavior. Data from 17 journeys undertaken by six drivers on the same route over a 16-hr period were analyzed using link analysis, and four key metrics were examined: number of links, network density, diameter, and sociometric status. The results established that link analysis can be usefully applied to data captured from on-vehicle recorders. The four metrics revealed key differences in normal driver behavior. These differences have promising construct validity as leading indicators. Link analysis is one method that could be usefully applied to exploit data routinely gathered by on-vehicle data recorders. It facilitates a proactive approach to safety based on leading indicators, offers a clearer understanding of what constitutes normal driving behavior, and identifies trends at the interface of people and systems, which is currently a key area of strategic risk. These research findings have direct applications in the field of transport data monitoring. They offer a means of automatically detecting patterns in driver behavior that could act as leading indicators of problems during operation and that could be used in the proactive monitoring of driver competence, risk management, and even infrastructure design. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

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

Driver Behavior and Performance with Augmented Reality Pedestrian Collision Warning: An Outdoor User Study.

PubMed

Kim, Hyungil; Gabbard, Joseph L; Anon, Alexandre Miranda; Misu, Teruhisa

2018-04-01

This article investigates the effects of visual warning presentation methods on human performance in augmented reality (AR) driving. An experimental user study was conducted in a parking lot where participants drove a test vehicle while braking for any cross traffic with assistance from AR visual warnings presented on a monoscopic and volumetric head-up display (HUD). Results showed that monoscopic displays can be as effective as volumetric displays for human performance in AR braking tasks. The experiment also demonstrated the benefits of conformal graphics, which are tightly integrated into the real world, such as their ability to guide drivers' attention and their positive consequences on driver behavior and performance. These findings suggest that conformal graphics presented via monoscopic HUDs can enhance driver performance by leveraging the effectiveness of monocular depth cues. The proposed approaches and methods can be used and further developed by future researchers and practitioners to better understand driver performance in AR as well as inform usability evaluation of future automotive AR applications.

Driver behavior following an automatic steering intervention.

PubMed

Fricke, Nicola; Griesche, Stefan; Schieben, Anna; Hesse, Tobias; Baumann, Martin

2015-10-01

The study investigated driver behavior toward an automatic steering intervention of a collision mitigation system. Forty participants were tested in a driving simulator and confronted with an inevitable collision. They performed a naïve drive and afterwards a repeated exposure in which they were told to hold the steering wheel loosely. In a third drive they experienced a false alarm situation. Data on driving behavior, i.e. steering and braking behavior as well as subjective data was assessed in the scenarios. Results showed that most participants held on to the steering wheel strongly or counter-steered during the system intervention during the first encounter. Moreover, subjective data collected after the first drive showed that the majority of drivers was not aware of the system intervention. Data from the repeated drive in which participants were instructed to hold the steering wheel loosely, led to significantly more participants holding the steering wheel loosely and thus complying with the instruction. This study seems to imply that without knowledge and information of the system about an upcoming intervention, the most prevalent driving behavior is a strong reaction with the steering wheel similar to an automatic steering reflex which decreases the system's effectiveness. Results of the second drive show some potential for countermeasures, such as informing drivers shortly before a system intervention in order to prevent inhibiting reactions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact Assessment of Effective Parameters on Drivers' Attention Level to Urban Traffic Signs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazemi, Mojtaba; Rahimi, Amir Masoud; Roshankhah, Sheida

2016-03-01

Traffic signs are one of the oldest safety and traffic control equipments. Drivers' reaction to installed signs is an important issue that could be studied using statistical models developed for target groups. There are 527 questionnaires have been filled up randomly in 45 days, some by drivers passing two northern cities of Iran and some by e-mail. Therefore, minimum sample size of 384 is fulfilled. In addition, Cronbach Alpha of more than 90 % verifies the questionnaire's validity. Ordinal logistic regression is used for 5-level answer variables. This relatively novel method predicts probability of different cases' considering other effective independent variables. There are 18 parameters of factor, man, vehicle, and environment are assessed and 5 parameters of number of accidents in last 5 years, occupation, driving time, number of accidents per day, and driving speed are eventually found as the most important ones. Age and gender, that are considered as key factors in other safety and accident studies, are not recognized as effective ones in this paper. The results could be useful for safety planning programs.

The American Medical Association Older Driver Curriculum for Health Professionals: Changes in Trainee Confidence, Attitudes, and Practice Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meuser, Thomas M.; Carr, David B.; Irmiter, Cheryl; Schwartzberg, Joanne G.; Ulfarsson, Gudmundur F.

2010-01-01

Few gerontology and geriatrics professionals receive training in driver fitness evaluation, state reporting of unfit drivers, or transportation mobility planning yet are often asked to address these concerns in the provision of care to older adults. The American Medical Association (AMA) developed an evidence-based, multi-media Curriculum to…

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.

Driving performance while using cell phones: an observational study.

PubMed

Rosenbloom, Tova

2006-01-01

Through spontaneous driving observations, this study sought to examine the impact of using a hands-free cell phone while driving on speed and safe gap keeping behaviors. The study also examined the association between the measure of disturbance created by using a cell phone and the driver's awareness of the disturbance. Twenty-three male adults were observed while driving for an hour and a half each; drivers were unaware of being observed. During the session, each of the participants received a phone call, initiated by an associate of the observer. The experiment was divided into two periods during which the experimental parameters were monitored: 10 minutes during conversation on a cell phone and 10 minutes of non-conversation on a hands-free cell phone. After the experiment, the driver was questioned concerning the extent to which his/her driving was disturbed by the cell phone conversation. T-test for matched samples revealed that the gaps between the drivers' cars and those in front of them diminished when drivers were engaged in the cell phone conversations. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that drivers that had short conversations did not change their speed, while drivers who were engaged in long (over 16 minutes) conversations drove faster. No effect of drivers' awareness toward cell phone-related disturbance on actual driving behavior monitored in the present study was found.

Live stop-controlled intersection data collection.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-01-01

This report describes an experimental investigation performed at live intersections to gather infrastructure-based naturalistic driver approach behavior data. This data was collected and analyzed with the goal of understanding how drivers approach in...

An entropy-based analysis of lane changing behavior: An interactive approach.

PubMed

Kosun, Caglar; Ozdemir, Serhan

2017-05-19

As a novelty, this article proposes the nonadditive entropy framework for the description of driver behaviors during lane changing. The authors also state that this entropy framework governs the lane changing behavior in traffic flow in accordance with the long-range vehicular interactions and traffic safety. The nonadditive entropy framework is the new generalized theory of thermostatistical mechanics. Vehicular interactions during lane changing are considered within this framework. The interactive approach for the lane changing behavior of the drivers is presented in the traffic flow scenarios presented in the article. According to the traffic flow scenarios, 4 categories of traffic flow and driver behaviors are obtained. Through the scenarios, comparative analyses of nonadditive and additive entropy domains are also provided. Two quadrants of the categories belong to the nonadditive entropy; the rest are involved in the additive entropy domain. Driving behaviors are extracted and the scenarios depict that nonadditivity matches safe driving well, whereas additivity corresponds to unsafe driving. Furthermore, the cooperative traffic system is considered in nonadditivity where the long-range interactions are present. However, the uncooperative traffic system falls into the additivity domain. The analyses also state that there would be possible traffic flow transitions among the quadrants. This article shows that lane changing behavior could be generalized as nonadditive, with additivity as a special case, based on the given traffic conditions. The nearest and close neighbor models are well within the conventional additive entropy framework. In this article, both the long-range vehicular interactions and safe driving behavior in traffic are handled in the nonadditive entropy domain. It is also inferred that the Tsallis entropy region would correspond to mandatory lane changing behavior, whereas additive and either the extensive or nonextensive entropy region would match discretionary lane changing behavior. This article states that driver behaviors would be in the nonadditive entropy domain to provide a safe traffic stream and hence with vehicle accident prevention in mind.

Key beliefs influencing young drivers' engagement with social interactive technology on their smartphones: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Gauld, Cassandra S; Lewis, Ioni M; White, Katherine M; Watson, Barry

2016-01-01

The main aim of this study was to identify young drivers' underlying beliefs (i.e., behavioral, normative, and control) regarding initiating, monitoring/reading, and responding to social interactive technology (i.e., functions on a Smartphone that allow the user to communicate with other people). This qualitative study was a beliefs elicitation study in accordance with the theory of planned behavior and sought to elicit young drivers' behavioral (i.e., advantages, disadvantages), normative (i.e., who approves, who disapproves), and control beliefs (i.e., barriers, facilitators) that underpin social interactive technology use while driving. Young drivers (N = 26) aged 17 to 25 years took part in an interview or focus group discussion. Though differences emerged between the 3 behaviors of initiating, monitoring/reading, and responding for each of the behavioral, normative, and control belief categories, the strongest distinction was within the behavioral beliefs category (e.g., communicating with the person that they were on the way to meet was an advantage of initiating; being able to determine whether to respond was an advantage of monitoring/reading; and communicating with important people was an advantage of responding). Normative beliefs were similar for initiating and responding behaviors (e.g., friends and peers more likely to approve than other groups) and differences emerged for monitoring/reading (e.g., parents were more likely to approve of this behavior than initiating and responding). For control beliefs, there were differences between the beliefs regarding facilitators of these behaviors (e.g., familiar roads and conditions facilitated initiating; having audible notifications of an incoming communication facilitated monitoring/reading; and receiving a communication of immediate importance facilitated responding); however, the control beliefs that presented barriers were consistent across the 3 behaviors (e.g., difficult traffic/road conditions). The current study provides an important addition to the extant literature and supports emerging research that suggests that initiating, monitoring/reading, and responding may indeed be distinct behaviors with different underlying motivations.

An extended continuum model accounting for the driver's timid and aggressive attributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Rongjun; Ge, Hongxia; Wang, Jufeng

2017-04-01

Considering the driver's timid and aggressive behaviors simultaneously, a new continuum model is put forwarded in this paper. By applying the linear stability theory, we presented the analysis of new model's linear stability. Through nonlinear analysis, the KdV-Burgers equation is derived to describe density wave near the neutral stability line. Numerical results verify that aggressive driving is better than timid act because the aggressive driver will adjust his speed timely according to the leading car's speed. The key improvement of this new model is that the timid driving deteriorates traffic stability while the aggressive driving will enhance traffic stability. The relationship of energy consumption between the aggressive and timid driving is also studied. Numerical results show that aggressive driver behavior can not only suppress the traffic congestion but also reduce the energy consumption.

Driving profile modeling and recognition based on soft computing approach.

PubMed

Wahab, Abdul; Quek, Chai; Tan, Chin Keong; Takeda, Kazuya

2009-04-01

Advancements in biometrics-based authentication have led to its increasing prominence and are being incorporated into everyday tasks. Existing vehicle security systems rely only on alarms or smart card as forms of protection. A biometric driver recognition system utilizing driving behaviors is a highly novel and personalized approach and could be incorporated into existing vehicle security system to form a multimodal identification system and offer a greater degree of multilevel protection. In this paper, detailed studies have been conducted to model individual driving behavior in order to identify features that may be efficiently and effectively used to profile each driver. Feature extraction techniques based on Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) are proposed and implemented. Features extracted from the accelerator and brake pedal pressure were then used as inputs to a fuzzy neural network (FNN) system to ascertain the identity of the driver. Two fuzzy neural networks, namely, the evolving fuzzy neural network (EFuNN) and the adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), are used to demonstrate the viability of the two proposed feature extraction techniques. The performances were compared against an artificial neural network (NN) implementation using the multilayer perceptron (MLP) network and a statistical method based on the GMM. Extensive testing was conducted and the results show great potential in the use of the FNN for real-time driver identification and verification. In addition, the profiling of driver behaviors has numerous other potential applications for use by law enforcement and companies dealing with buses and truck drivers.

Disentangling the influence of cell phone usage in the dilemma zone: An econometric approach.

PubMed

Eluru, Naveen; Yasmin, Shamsunnahar

2016-11-01

This paper focuses on developing an analysis framework to study the impact of cell phone treatment (cell phone type and call status) on driver behavior in the presence of a dilemma zone. Specifically, we examine how the treatment influences the driver maneuver decision at the intersection (stop or cross) and the eventual success of the maneuver. For a stop maneuver, success is defined as stopping before the stop line. Similarly, for a cross maneuver, success is defined as clearing the intersection safely before the light turns red. The eventual success or failure of the driver's decision process is dependent on the factors that affected the maneuver decision. Hence it is important to recognize the interconnectedness of the stop or cross decision with its eventual success (or failure). Toward this end, we formulate and estimate a joint framework to analyze the stop/cross decision with its eventual success (or failure) simultaneously. The study is conducted based on driving simulator data provided online for the 2014 Transportation Research Board Data Contest at http://depts.washington.edu/hfsm/upload.php. The model is estimated to analyze drivers' behavior at the onset of yellow by employing exogenous variables from three broad categories: driver characteristics, cell phone attributes and driving attributes. We also generate probability surfaces to identify dilemma zone distribution associated with different cell phone treatment types. The plots clearly illustrate the impact of various cellphone treatments on driver dilemma zone behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Driver Training Simulator for Backing Up Commercial Vehicles with Trailers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Uwe; Wojke, Philipp; Zöbel, Dieter

Backing up tractors with trailers is a difficult task since the kinematic behavior of articulated vehicles is complex and hard to control. Especially unskilled drivers are overstrained with the complicated steering process. To learn and practice the steering behavior of articulated vehicles, we developed a 3D driving simulator. The simulator can handle different types of articulated vehicles like semi-trailers, one- and two-axle trailers, or gigaliners. The use of a driving simulator offers many advantages over the use of real vehicles. One of the main advantages is the possibility to learn the steering behavior of all vehicle types. Drivers can be given more and better driving instructions like collision warnings or steering hints. Furthermore, the driver training costs can be reduced. Moreover, mistakes of the student do not lead to real damages and costly repairs. The hardware of the simulator consists of a low cost commercial driving stand with original truck parts, a projection of the windshield and two flat panel monitors for the left and right exterior mirrors. Standard PC hardware is used for controlling the driving stand and for generating the realtime 3D environment. Each aspect of the simulation like realistic vehicle movements or generation of different views, is handled by a specific software module. This flexible system can be easily extended which offers the opportunity for other uses than just driver training. Therefore, we use the simulator for the development and test of driver assistance systems.

Effects of in-vehicle monitoring on the driving behavior of teenagers.

PubMed

Farmer, Charles M; Kirley, Bevan B; McCartt, Anne T

2010-02-01

The objective was to determine if teenage driving behavior improves when a monitoring and feedback device is installed in the teen's vehicle. Vehicles of 85 teenage drivers were fit with a device that detected all instances of sudden braking/acceleration, speeding, and nonuse of seat belts. Drivers were assigned randomly to one of four research groups, differing in whether or not an alert sounded in the vehicle and whether or not parents were given access to websites containing notification records. Time trends in event rates per mile traveled were compared using Poisson regression. Seat belt use improved when violations were reported to the parent websites, and improved even more when in-vehicle alerts were activated. Consistent reductions in speeding were achieved only when teenagers received alerts about their speeding behavior, believed their speeding behavior would not be reported to parents if corrected, and when parents were being notified of such behavior by report cards. Electronic monitoring of teenage drivers can reduce the incidence of risky behavior, especially seat belt nonuse. More complicated behavior is more difficult to change, however. Parent participation is key to successful behavioral modification, but it is yet to be determined how best to encourage such participation. Copyright 2010 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.

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.

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 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.

75 FR 54416 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Approval of a New Information...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-07

... the 4\\1/2\\ hours for the simulator tasks, the other choice tasks, and questionnaires, and the one hour..., questionnaires and simulator driving tasks will require four and one half hours of the participant's time, spread... from the device to a computer. Sensitive data, such as the home and work locations of the drivers, will...

The effect of the new traffic law on drinking and driving in São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Campos, Valdir Ribeiro; de Souza e Silva, Rebeca; Duailibi, Sérgio; dos Santos, José Florentino; Laranjeira, Ronaldo; Pinsky, Ilana

2013-01-01

To present data on drinking and driving in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and the effects of the new traffic law (Law 11,705) introduced in 2008. A cross-sectional study was performed using a questionnaire and passive breath test data to study the prevalence of drinking and driving and the association of drinking and driving with background characteristics and drinking patterns on two separate occasions. The data were gathered from 2007 to 2009 through roadside surveys conducted on busy public roads. Four thousand two-hundred thirty-four (4234) drivers were approached, before and after prohibition, from the south, north, east, and west regions of the city of São Paulo, located in southeastern Brazil, including cars, motorcycles, and utility vehicles. A total of 3854 (91%) consented to participate in the survey and answered the questionnaire. Out of this group, 3229 (84%) agreed to take the passive breathalyzer test. Logistic regression analyses controlling for gender and age was used to predict a positive breath test (above 0.2g/l) and the impact of the new law. These analyses indicated that, after the passage of the new traffic law, there was a 45% decrease in driver behavior with positive breathalyzer results. Having a pattern of alcohol consumption of at least once a week and the habit of drinking and driving are risks for a positive breathalyzer. Despite the decline in the frequency of motorists driving under the influence of alcohol, traffic-related injuries and deaths, after the new law, other measures for a public policy related to alcohol should be considered based on scientific evidence, consistency of action, clear goals, community support, and greater reliability in the laws. Copyright © 2012 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

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.

Drivers anticipate lead-vehicle conflicts during automated longitudinal control: Sensory cues capture driver attention and promote appropriate and timely responses.

PubMed

Morando, Alberto; Victor, Trent; Dozza, Marco

2016-12-01

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) has been shown to reduce the exposure to critical situations by maintaining a safe speed and headway. It has also been shown that drivers adapt their visual behavior in response to the driving task demand with ACC, anticipating an impending lead vehicle conflict by directing their eyes to the forward path before a situation becomes critical. The purpose of this paper is to identify the causes related to this anticipatory mechanism, by investigating drivers' visual behavior while driving with ACC when a potential critical situation is encountered, identified as a forward collision warning (FCW) onset (including false positive warnings). This paper discusses how sensory cues capture attention to the forward path in anticipation of the FCW onset. The analysis used the naturalistic database EuroFOT to examine visual behavior with respect to two manually-coded metrics, glance location and glance eccentricity, and then related the findings to vehicle data (such as speed, acceleration, and radar information). Three sensory cues (longitudinal deceleration, looming, and brake lights) were found to be relevant for capturing driver attention and increase glances to the forward path in anticipation of the threat; the deceleration cue seems to be dominant. The results also show that the FCW acts as an effective attention-orienting mechanism when no threat anticipation is present. These findings, relevant to the study of automation, provide additional information about drivers' response to potential lead-vehicle conflicts when longitudinal control is automated. Moreover, these results suggest that sensory cues are important for alerting drivers to an impending critical situation, allowing for a prompt reaction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parenting behaviors during risky driving by teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Schatz, Nicole K; Fabiano, Gregory A; Morris, Karen L; Shucard, Jennifer M; Leo, Brittany A; Bieniek, Courtney

2014-03-01

Parenting practices for teen drivers with ADHD were observed via a video monitor installed in vehicles. All teens had recently completed a driver education course and were in the driving permit stage of a graduated driver-licensing program. Parent behaviors were coded during drives when teens were driving safely and during drives when teens engaged in risky driving. The overall frequency of positive parenting strategies was low, regardless of whether teens drove safely or engaged in risky driving. Although the rate of negative feedback was also low, parents engaged in significantly more criticism and were rated by an observer to appear angrier when teens were driving in a risky manner. No other differences in parent behaviors associated with the quality of teen driving were observed. The inconsistencies between observed parenting behaviors and those parenting practices recommended as effective with teens with ADHD are discussed. The need for further research addressing effective strategies for teaching teens with ADHD to drive is highlighted. © 2013.

The Effect of the Color of a Long Cane Used by Individuals Who Are Visually Impaired on the Yielding Behavior of Drivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourquin, Eugene A.; Emerson, Robert Wall; Sauerburger, Dona; Barlow, Janet

2017-01-01

Introduction: A new market trend offers long canes for individuals with visual impairments in a variety of colors; however, the impact of these colors is unknown to orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists and individuals who are blind or who have low vision. The authors examined the impact of cane color on drivers' yielding behaviors; also,…

Poor weight control, alcoholic beverage consumption and sudden sleep onset at the wheel among Italian truck drivers: A preliminary pilot study.

PubMed

Rosso, Gian Luca; Montomoli, Cristina; Candura, Stefano M

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of obesity, alcoholic beverage consumption, unhealthy alcohol use and sudden sleep onset at the wheel among Italian truck drivers. In addition to prevalence rates, this study also aimed at investigating potential predictors for sudden-onset sleepiness and obesity. A sample of truck drivers was extracted from the database of the High Risk Professional Driver Study. Data concerning demographics, anthropometry, medical information and working conditions were collected using anonymous questionnaires. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association of the reported body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption and sudden sleep onset with working conditions and general lifestyle factors. Three hundred and thirty-five questionnaires were collected. According to their BMI, 45% of the participants were overweight and 21.4% of them were obese. Twenty-four point two percent declared they drank alcoholic beverages during working hours or work breaks and 21.3% of the drivers had an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption (AUDIT C) score ≥ 5 (the threshold value for unhealthy alcohol use). Forty-one point six percent of the interviewees experienced one episode of sudden sleep onset at the wheel per month (5.5% per week and 0.9% daily). Predictive factors for obesity were: length of service (odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, confidence interval (95% CI): 1.04-1.15, p < 0.001) and the AUDIT C total score (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.08-1.66, p = 0.008). Predictive factors for sudden-onset sleepiness at the wheel were: age > 55 years old (OR = 5.22, 95% CI: 1.29-21.1, p = 0.020), driving more than 50 000 km per year (OR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.37-6.11, p = 0.006) and the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ) score > 11 (adjusted OR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.22-7.21, p = 0.016). This study strongly emphasizes the need for intervention in order to reduce and prevent important risk factors for the sake of road safety and truck drivers' health. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Using Naturalistic Data to Develop Simulator Scenarios

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-11-01

The establishment of large naturalistic driver data sets, most recently the Strategic : Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2), provides unique opportunities to observe driver : behavior under real-world conditions. In order to better understand the rela...

ECO-DRIVING MODELING ENVIRONMENT

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-11-01

This research project aims to examine the eco-driving modeling capabilities of different traffic modeling tools available and to develop a driver-simulator-based eco-driving modeling tool to evaluate driver behavior and to reliably estimate or measur...

Drunk Driver Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Systems Technology, Inc. developed a technique to study/measure behavioral changes brought on by long term isolation is now being used in a system for determining whether a driver is too drunk to drive. Device is intended to discourage intoxicated drivers from taking to the road by advising them they are in no condition to operate a vehicle. System is being tested experimentally in California.

Alcohol effects on simulated driving performance and self-perceptions of impairment in DUI offenders

PubMed Central

Van Dyke, Nicholas; Fillmore, Mark T.

2014-01-01

Drivers with a history of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol self-report heightened impulsivity and display reckless driving behaviors as indicated by increased rates of vehicle crashes, moving violations, and traffic tickets. Such poor behavioral self-regulation could also increase sensitivity to the disruptive effects of alcohol on driving performance. The present study examined the degree to which DUI drivers display an increased sensitivity to the acute impairing effects of alcohol on simulated driving performance and overestimate their driving fitness following alcohol consumption. Adult drivers with a history of DUI and a demographically-matched group of drivers with no history of DUI (controls) were tested following a 0.65 g/kg alcohol and a placebo. Results indicated that alcohol impaired several measures of driving performance and there was no difference between DUI offenders and controls in these impairments. However, following alcohol DUI drivers self-reported a greater ability and willingness to drive compared with controls. These findings indicate that drivers with a history of DUI might perceive themselves as more fit to drive after drinking which could play an important role in their decisions to drink and drive. PMID:25347077

Alcohol effects on simulated driving performance and self-perceptions of impairment in DUI offenders.

PubMed

Van Dyke, Nicholas; Fillmore, Mark T

2014-12-01

Drivers with a history of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol self-report heightened impulsivity and display reckless driving behaviors as indicated by increased rates of vehicle crashes, moving violations, and traffic tickets. Such poor behavioral self-regulation could also increase sensitivity to the disruptive effects of alcohol on driving performance. The present study examined the degree to which DUI drivers display an increased sensitivity to the acute impairing effects of alcohol on simulated driving performance and overestimate their driving fitness following alcohol consumption. Adult drivers with a history of DUI and a demographically matched group of drivers with no history of DUI (controls) were tested following a 0.65 g/kg alcohol and a placebo. Results indicated that alcohol impaired several measures of driving performance, and there was no difference between DUI offenders and controls in these impairments. However, following alcohol, DUI drivers self-reported a greater ability and willingness to drive compared with controls. These findings indicate that drivers with a history of DUI might perceive themselves as more fit to drive after drinking, which could play an important role in their decisions to drink and drive. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

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.

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.

Toxoplasma gondii infection in interstate truck drivers: a case-control seroprevalence study.

PubMed

Alvarado-Esquivel, Cosme; Pacheco-Vega, Sandy Janet; Hernández-Tinoco, Jesús; Salcedo-Jáquez, Misael; Sánchez-Anguiano, Luis Francisco; Berumen-Segovia, Luis Omar; Rábago-Sánchez, Elizabeth; Liesenfeld, Oliver

2015-02-05

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii can be acquired via the ingestion of undercooked or raw meat containing tissue cysts, or via ingestion of water contaminated with oocysts. Professional long distance truck driving may have epidemiological importance for food-borne infections since drivers eat out of home and in places where hygiene and cooking practices are uncertain. We aimed to determine whether interstate truck drivers in Durango, Mexico have an increased risk of infection with T. gondii as indicated by seropositivity; and to determine the socio-demographic, work, clinical, and behavioral characteristics associated with T. gondii seropositivity in interstate truck drivers. Through a case-control study design, 192 truck drivers and 192 controls from the general population of the same region matched by gender and age were examined with enzyme-linked immunoassays for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies. Socio-demographic, work, clinical and behavioral characteristics from the truck drivers were obtained. Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 23 (12.0%) of 192 truck drivers and in 13 (6.8%) of 192 controls (OR = 21.0; 95% CI: 1.23-358.38; P = 0.002). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were found in 7 (3.6%) cases and in 7 (3.6%) controls (P = 1.00). The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was higher in drivers with reflex impairment than in those without this impairment (4/13, 30.8% vs 19/179, 10.6%, respectively; P = 0.05), and in drivers with hearing impairment than in those without this impairment (3/7, 42.9% vs 20/185, 10.8%, respectively; P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis of work and behavioral characteristics of truck drives showed positive associations of T. gondii exposure with trips to the south of Mexico (OR = 3.11; 95% CI: 1.02-9.44; P = 0.04) and consumption of horse meat (OR = 5.18; 95% CI: 1.62-16.55; P = 0.005). Results suggest that interstate truck drivers may have an increased risk for T. gondii infection, and that T. gondii exposure may be impacting neurological functions in truck drivers. Contributing factors for T. gondii exposure should be taken into account for the design of optimal prevention measures against T. gondii infection.

Dependence of loudness evaluation by drivers on vehicle styling.

PubMed

Yoshida, Junji; Igata, Takumi

2012-12-01

Influence of participants' impressions of vehicle styling on loudness of acceleration sounds was investigated. A series of images of luxury and sporty vehicles were presented to the participants while acceleration sounds were being replayed. The results indicated that frequent drivers perceived that the sound associated with luxury vehicles was louder than that associated with sporty vehicles. On the other hand, infrequent drivers perceived almost no difference between the loudness of the two vehicle types. Then, the infrequent drivers underwent a pseudo-loudness evaluation test to increase amount of experience for listening vehicle sound with vehicle styling image. After the procedure, the influence of vehicle styling on loudness was investigated again for the infrequent drivers. The result showed that the influence for the infrequent drivers was quite different from that for the frequent drivers. The participants who rarely drove perceived that the sound associated with luxury vehicles was softer than that associated with sporty vehicles. Furthermore, a questionnaire was filled out by both groups to investigate their preferred vehicle characteristics such as exterior design and engine performance. As a result, loudness was clarified to depend on both the participants' impressions of vehicle styling and their preferred vehicle characteristics.

Personality and attitudes as predictors of risky driving among older drivers.

PubMed

Lucidi, Fabio; Mallia, Luca; Lazuras, Lambros; Violani, Cristiano

2014-11-01

Although there are several studies on the effects of personality and attitudes on risky driving among young drivers, related research in older drivers is scarce. The present study assessed a model of personality-attitudes-risky driving in a large sample of active older drivers. A cross-sectional design was used, and structured and anonymous questionnaires were completed by 485 older Italian drivers (Mean age=68.1, SD=6.2, 61.2% males). The measures included personality traits, attitudes toward traffic safety, risky driving (errors, lapses, and traffic violations), and self-reported crash involvement and number of issued traffic tickets in the last 12 months. Structural equation modeling showed that personality traits predicted both directly and indirectly traffic violations, errors, and lapses. More positive attitudes toward traffic safety negatively predicted risky driving. In turn, risky driving was positively related to self-reported crash involvement and higher number of issued traffic tickets. Our findings suggest that theoretical models developed to account for risky driving of younger drivers may also apply in the older drivers, and accordingly be used to inform safe driving interventions for this age group. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age of first intoxication, heavy drinking, driving after drinking and risk of unintentional injury among U.S. college students.

PubMed

Hingson, Ralph; Heeren, Timothy; Zakocs, Ronda; Winter, Michael; Wechsler, Henry

2003-01-01

This study explored whether college students who were first intoxicated by alcohol at ages younger than 19 are more likely to become alcohol dependent and frequent heavy drinkers, drive after drinking, ride with intoxicated drivers and be injured after drinking. It also investigated whether these results occur because these students believe they can drink more and still drive legally and safely. In 1999, 14,138 of 23,751 full-time 4-year students from a random sample of 119 college and universities nationwide completed self-administered questionnaires (response rate: 60%). This analysis focused on 12,550 who were aged 19 or older. Respondents were asked the age at which they first got drunk, as well as questions about recent alcohol-related behaviors and consequences. Compared with respondents first drunk at age 19 or older, those first drunk prior to age 19 were significantly more likely to be alcohol dependent and frequent heavy drinkers, to report driving after any drinking, driving after five or more drinks, riding with a driver who was high or drunk and, after drinking, sustaining injuries that required medical attention. Respondents first intoxicated at younger ages believed they could consume more drinks and still drive safely and legally; this contributed to their greater likelihood of driving after drinking and riding with high or drunk drivers. Educational, clinical, environmental and legal interventions are needed to delay age of first intoxication and to correct misperceptions among adolescents first drunk at an early age about how much they can drink and still drive safely and legally.

Assessment of Driving Safety in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Anstey, Kaarin J; Eramudugolla, Ranmalee; Chopra, Sidhant; Price, Jasmine; Wood, Joanne M

2017-01-01

With population aging, drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are increasing; however, there is little evidence available regarding their safety. We aimed to evaluate risk of unsafe on-road driving performance among older adults with MCI. The study was a cross-sectional observational study, set in Canberra, Australia. Participants were non-demented, current drivers (n = 302) aged 65 to 96 years (M = 75.7, SD = 6.18, 40% female) recruited through the community and primary and tertiary care clinics. Measures included a standardized on-road driving test (ORT), a battery of screening measures designed to evaluate older driver safety (UFOV®, DriveSafe, Multi-D), a neurocognitive test battery, and questionnaires on driving history and behavior. Using Winblad criteria, 57 participants were classified as having MCI and 245 as cognitively normal (CN). While the MCI group had a significantly lower overall safety rating on the ORT (5.61 versus 6.05, p = 0.03), there was a wide range of driving safety scores in the CN and MCI groups. The MCI group performed worse than the CN group on the off-road screening tests. The best fitting model of predictors of ORT performance across the combined sample included age, the Multi-D, and DriveSafe, classifying 90.4% of the sample correctly. Adults with MCI exhibit a similar range of driving ability to CN adults, although on average they scored lower on off-road and on-road assessments. Driving specific tests were more strongly associated with safety ratings than traditional neuropsychological tests.

Assessment of Driving Safety in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

PubMed Central

Anstey, Kaarin J.; Eramudugolla, Ranmalee; Chopra, Sidhant; Price, Jasmine; Wood, Joanne M.

2017-01-01

Background: With population aging, drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are increasing; however, there is little evidence available regarding their safety. Objective: We aimed to evaluate risk of unsafe on-road driving performance among older adults with MCI. Method: The study was a cross-sectional observational study, set in Canberra, Australia. Participants were non-demented, current drivers (n = 302) aged 65 to 96 years (M = 75.7, SD = 6.18, 40% female) recruited through the community and primary and tertiary care clinics. Measures included a standardized on-road driving test (ORT), a battery of screening measures designed to evaluate older driver safety (UFOV®, DriveSafe, Multi-D), a neurocognitive test battery, and questionnaires on driving history and behavior. Results: Using Winblad criteria, 57 participants were classified as having MCI and 245 as cognitively normal (CN). While the MCI group had a significantly lower overall safety rating on the ORT (5.61 versus 6.05, p = 0.03), there was a wide range of driving safety scores in the CN and MCI groups. The MCI group performed worse than the CN group on the off-road screening tests. The best fitting model of predictors of ORT performance across the combined sample included age, the Multi-D, and DriveSafe, classifying 90.4% of the sample correctly. Conclusion: Adults with MCI exhibit a similar range of driving ability to CN adults, although on average they scored lower on off-road and on-road assessments. Driving specific tests were more strongly associated with safety ratings than traditional neuropsychological tests. PMID:28372333

Driver-Array Based Flat-Panel Loudspeakers: Theoretical Background and Design Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, David Allan

This thesis relates to the simulation and design of flat-panel loudspeakers using moving-coil driver elements. A brief history of the industry is given, including a collection of products and patents from 1925 until the present, an overview of research papers, and a discussion of current products available. The mechanics of bending flat panels are developed with respect to localized driving forces, both in the frequency domain and the time domain as an impulse response. These simulations are compared to measurements on prototype panels. Additional resonant elements influence the behavior of the system: an optional ported rear enclosure and the resonant characteristics of the drivers. The governing equations for these systems are derived and solutions are implemented using equivalent mechanical circuits and numerical methods. The idea of using driver arrays to independently actuate modes of the panel is discussed at length with respect to modal addressability, modal spillover, and experimental validation. The numerical approach to determining the optimal driver placement for a given set of modes is derived and experimentally validated. An investigation of the acoustic behavior of flat panel loudspeakers is presented, using mechanical simulation results to predict the acoustic radiation. The simulations are compared to measurements and found to accurately predict important mechanical and acoustical behaviors. It is demonstrated that a driver array, with the proper biasing, is capable of creating a flat panel loudspeaker which acts more like a piston than a "diffuse radiator" flat panel loudspeaker. The techniques of "Modal Crossover Networks" are introduced, which use multi-band filters to bias the driver array differently for different frequency bands, optimized for audio reproduction. The question of how many drivers are necessary for a modal crossover network is addressed and found to be dependent on the estimated quality factor (Q) of the panel material and edge conditions.

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.

Road rage: an exploratory study on aggressive driving experience on Indian roads.

PubMed

Sagar, Rajesh; Mehta, Manju; Chugh, Geetanjali

2013-06-01

Driving on Indian roads is a stressful experience. A lacuna of research on aggressive driving experiences in the Indian set-up highlights the need to address this growing concern for individuals, society and mental health professionals. To explore and compare driving-related anger triggers and anger expression among high- and low-angry Indian drivers. Two hundred randomly chosen drivers from the city of Delhi were administered a semi-structured questionnaire intended to understand driving-related aggression. Honking, overtaking from the wrong side, loud music in other cars and hot and humid climate significantly increased the risk of experiencing anger among high-angry drivers. High-angry drivers were significantly more likely to engage in direct and aggressive expression of anger, including overtaking, verbal abuse, yelling and arguing, not giving space to other drivers, fighting, and hitting and bumping other cars in protest. Passive anger expressions such as holding grudges against other drivers and eating or drinking something to cool down were significantly more likely to be used by low-angry drivers. Drivers who are high on anger have a significantly higher risk of experiencing anger triggered by a variety of individual and environmental factors on Indian roads and are more susceptible to engage in aggressive driving behaviour.

Deterrence of the drinking driver : an international survey

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-03-01

The report surveys the international literature on drinking-and-driving laws to determine what is known concerning their impact on driver behavior. Its particular concern is with reported adoptions of Scandinavian-type laws, which define the drinking...

Regulating Hazardous-materials Transportation with Behavioral Modeling of Drivers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-01-29

Changhyun Kwon (ORCID ID 0000-0001-8455-6396) This project considers network regulation problems to minimize the risk of hazmat accidents and potential damages to the environment, while considering bounded rationality of drivers. We consider governme...

Factors influencing visual search in complex driving environments.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to describe and model the effects of varied roadway environment factors on drivers perceived complexity, with the goal of further understanding conditions for optimal driver behavior and performance. This was invest...

Video and non-video feedback interventions for teen drivers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

In-vehicle feedback technologies, including some that use video, help parents monitor and mentor their young drivers. While different feedback technologies have been shown to reduce some risky driving behaviors, teens and parents cite privacy concern...

Understanding commercial truck drivers' decision-makin process concerning distracted driving.

PubMed

Swedler, David I; Pollack, Keshia M; Gielen, Andrea C

2015-05-01

A concurrent mixed methods design was used to explore personal and workplace factors, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, that affect truck drivers' decision-making about distracted driving on the job. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with experts in truck safety and distracted driving, and quantitative data were collected via online survey of truck drivers in the United States. Findings from the interviews illustrated how drivers perceived distractions and the importance of supervisors enforcing organizational distracted driving policies. Survey results found that behavioral intentions were most important in regards to texting and crash and near-crash outcomes, while perceived norms from management best described the correlation between dispatch device use and negative crash-related outcomes. By using a mixed methods design, rather than two separate studies, these findings revealed nuanced differences into the influence of supervisors on distracted driving. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Latent class analysis of accident risks in usage-based insurance: Evidence from Beijing.

PubMed

Jin, Wen; Deng, Yinglu; Jiang, Hai; Xie, Qianyan; Shen, Wei; Han, Weijian

2018-06-01

Car insurance is quickly becoming a big data industry, with usage-based insurance (UBI) poised to potentially change the business of insurance. Telematics data, which are transmitted from wireless devices in car, are widely used in UBI to obtain individual-level travel and driving characteristics. While most existing studies have introduced telematics data into car insurance pricing, the telematics-related characteristics are directly obtained from the raw data. In this study, we propose to quantify drivers' familiarity with their driving routes and develop models to quantify drivers' accident risks using the telematics data. In addition, we build a latent class model to study the heterogeneity in travel and driving styles based on the telematics data, which has not been investigated in literature. Our main results include: (1) the improvement to the model fit is statistically significant by adding telematics-related characteristics; (2) drivers' familiarity with their driving trips is critical to identify high risk drivers, and the relationship between drivers' familiarity and accident risks is non-linear; (3) the drivers can be classified into two classes, where the first class is the low risk class with 0.54% of its drivers reporting accidents, and the second class is the high risk class with 20.66% of its drivers reporting accidents; and (4) for the low risk class, drivers with high probability of reporting accidents can be identified by travel-behavior-related characteristics, while for the high risk class, they can be identified by driving-behavior-related characteristics. The driver's familiarity will affect the probability of reporting accidents for both classes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are cellular phone blocking applications effective for novice teen drivers?

PubMed

Creaser, Janet I; Edwards, Christopher J; Morris, Nichole L; Donath, Max

2015-09-01

Distracted driving is a significant concern for novice teen drivers. Although cellular phone bans are applied in many jurisdictions to restrict cellular phone use, teen drivers often report making calls and texts while driving. The Minnesota Teen Driver Study incorporated cellular phone blocking functions via a software application for 182 novice teen drivers in two treatment conditions. The first condition included 92 teens who ran a driver support application on a smartphone that also blocked phone usage. The second condition included 90 teens who ran the same application with phone blocking but which also reported back to parents about monitored risky behaviors (e.g., speeding). A third control group consisting of 92 novice teen drivers had the application and phone-based software installed on the phones to record cellular phone (but not block it) use while driving. The two treatment groups made significantly fewer calls and texts per mile driven compared to the control group. The control group data also demonstrated a higher propensity to text while driving rather than making calls. Software that blocks cellular phone use (except 911) while driving can be effective at mitigating calling and texting for novice teen drivers. However, subjective data indicates that some teens were motivated to find ways around the software, as well as to use another teen's phone while driving when they were unable to use theirs. Cellular phone bans for calling and texting are the first step to changing behaviors associated with texting and driving, particularly among novice teen drivers. Blocking software has the additional potential to reduce impulsive calling and texting while driving among novice teen drivers who might logically know the risks, but for whom it is difficult to ignore calling or texting while driving. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Reading text while driving: understanding drivers' strategic and tactical adaptation to distraction.

PubMed

Liang, Yulan; Horrey, William J; Hoffman, Joshua D

2015-03-01

In this study, we investigated how drivers adapt secondary-task initiation and time-sharing behavior when faced with fluctuating driving demands. Reading text while driving is particularly detrimental; however, in real-world driving, drivers actively decide when to perform the task. In a test track experiment, participants were free to decide when to read messages while driving along a straight road consisting of an area with increased driving demands (demand zone) followed by an area with low demands. A message was made available shortly before the vehicle entered the demand zone. We manipulated the type of driving demands (baseline, narrow lane, pace clock, combined), message format (no message, paragraph, parsed), and the distance from the demand zone when the message was available (near, far). In all conditions, drivers started reading messages (drivers' first glance to the display) before entering or before leaving the demand zone but tended to wait longer when faced with increased driving demands. While reading messages, drivers looked more or less off road, depending on types of driving demands. For task initiation, drivers avoid transitions from low to high demands; however, they are not discouraged when driving demands are already elevated. Drivers adjust time-sharing behavior according to driving demands while performing secondary tasks. Nonetheless, such adjustment may be less effective when total demands are high. This study helps us to understand a driver's role as an active controller in the context of distracted driving and provides insights for developing distraction interventions. © 2014, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Step On It! - Workplace cardiovascular risk assessment of New York City yellow taxi drivers

PubMed Central

Gany, Francesca; Bari, Sehrish; Gill, Pavan; Ramirez, Julia; Ayash, Claudia; Loeb, Rebecca; Aragones, Abraham; Leng, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Background Multiple factors associated with taxi driving can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in taxi drivers. Methods This paper describes the results of Step On It!, which assessed CVD risk factors among New York City taxi drivers at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Drivers completed an intake questionnaire and free screenings for blood pressure, glucose and body mass index (BMI). Results 466 drivers participated. 9% had random plasma glucose values >200 mg/dl. 77% had elevated BMIs. Immigrants who lived in the U.S. for >10 years had 2.5 times the odds (CI: 1.1–5.9) of having high blood pressure compared to newer immigrants. Discussion Abnormalities documented in this study were significant, especially for immigrants with greater duration of residence in the U.S., and underscore the potential for elevated CVD risk in this vulnerable population, and the need to address this risk through frameworks that utilize multiple levels of intervention. PMID:25680879

Effectiveness of marine protected areas in managing the drivers of ecosystem change: a case of Mnazi Bay Marine Park, Tanzania.

PubMed

Machumu, Milali Ernest; Yakupitiyage, Amararatne

2013-04-01

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are being promoted in Tanzania to mitigate the drivers of ecosystem change such as overfishing and other anthropogenic impacts on marine resources. The effectiveness of MPAs in managing those drivers was assessed in three ecological zones, seafront, mangrove, and riverine of Mnazi Bay Marine Park, using Participatory Community Analysis techniques, questionnaire survey, checklist and fishery resource assessment methods. Eleven major drivers of ecosystem change were identified. Resource dependence had a major effect in all ecological zones of the park. The results indicated that the park's legislations/regulations, management procedures, and conservation efforts are reasonably effective in managing its resources. The positive signs accrued from conservation efforts have been realized by the communities in terms of increased catch/income, awareness and compliance. However, some natural and anthropogenic drivers continued to threaten the park's sustainability. Furthermore, implementation of resource use and benefit sharing mechanisms still remained a considerable challenge to be addressed.

Energy and Environmental Drivers of Stress and Conflict in Multi scale Models of Human Social Behavior

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-31

Report: Energy and Environmental Drivers of Stress and Conflict in Multi-scale Models of Human Social Behavior The views, opinions and/or findings...RPPR Final Report as of 08-Feb-2018 Agreement Number: W911NF-12-1-0097 Organization: Santa Fe Institute of Science Title: Energy and...Article Title: Determinants of the Pace of Global Innovation in Energy Technologies Keywords: climage change, innovations in energy technologies

Health and safety at work in the transport industry (TRANS-18): factorial structure, reliability and validity.

PubMed

Boada-Grau, Joan; Sánchez-García, José-Carlos; Prizmic-Kuzmica, Aldo-Javier; Vigil-Colet, Andreu

2012-03-01

In this article, we study the psychometric properties of a short scale (TRANS-18) which was designed to detect safe behaviors (personal and vehicle-related) and psychophysiological disorders. 244 drivers participated in the study, including drivers of freight transport vehicles (regular, dangerous and special), cranes, and passenger transport (regular transport and chartered coaches), ambulances and taxis. After carrying out an exploratory factor analysis of the scale, the findings show a structure comprised of three factors related to psychophysiological disorders, and to both personal and vehicle-related safety behaviors. Furthermore, these three factors had adequate reliability and all three also showed validity with regard to burnout, fatigue and job tension. In short, this scale may be ideally suited for adequately identifying the safety behaviors and safety problems of transport drivers. Future research could use the TRANS-18 as a screening tool in combination with other instruments.

Perturbation and Stability Analysis of the Multi-Anticipative Intelligent Driver Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xi-Qun; Xie, Wei-Jun; Shi, Jing; Shi, Qi-Xin

This paper discusses three kinds of IDM car-following models that consider both the multi-anticipative behaviors and the reaction delays of drivers. Here, the multi-anticipation comes from two ways: (1) the driver is capable of evaluating the dynamics of several preceding vehicles, and (2) the autonomous vehicles can obtain the velocity and distance information of several preceding vehicles via inter-vehicle communications. In this paper, we study the stability of homogeneous traffic flow. The linear stability analysis indicates that the stable region will generally be enlarged by the multi-anticipative behaviors and reduced by the reaction delays. The temporal amplification and the spatial divergence of velocities for local perturbation are also studied, where the results further prove this conclusion. Simulation results also show that the multi-anticipative behaviors near the bottleneck will lead to a quicker backwards propagation of oscillations.

A qualitative exploration of self-regulation behaviors among older drivers.

PubMed

Donorfio, Laura K M; Mohyde, Maureen; Coughlin, Joseph; D'Ambrosio, Lisa

2008-01-01

While much of the research on aging and driving has focused on sensory and motor changes, little is known about older drivers and the actual self-regulation adjustments they employ to continue driving safely. This research looks at how older drivers have made changes to driving patterns and behaviors that have allowed them to continue to drive without compromising their perceived safety, independence, and quality of life. Nine focus groups were held with older men and women aged 58 to 89 years. Some of the major themes that emerged were the following: older adults are very aware of age-related changes to driving; they perceive that self-regulation behaviors change with age; and they view transportation alternatives as limited or nonexistent. Policy implications include developing functional transit programs for older adults and car manufacturer training workshops to educate older adults on the safety features of newly purchased automobiles.

An exploratory study of long-haul truck drivers' secondary tasks and reasons for performing them.

PubMed

Iseland, Tobias; Johansson, Emma; Skoog, Siri; Dåderman, Anna M

2018-08-01

Research on drivers has shown how certain visual-manual secondary tasks, unrelated to driving, increase the risk of being involved in crashes. The purpose of the study was to investigate (1) if long-haul truck drivers in Sweden engage in secondary tasks while driving, what tasks are performed and how frequently, (2) the drivers' self-perceived reason/s for performing them, and (3) if psychological factors might reveal reasons for their engaging in secondary tasks. The study comprised 13 long-haul truck drivers and was conducted through observations, interviews, and questionnaires. The drivers performed secondary tasks, such as work environment related "necessities" (e.g., getting food and/or beverages from the refrigerator/bag, eating, drinking, removing a jacket, face rubbing, and adjusting the seat), interacting with a mobile phone/in-truck technology, and doing administrative tasks. The long-haul truck drivers feel bored and use secondary tasks as a coping strategy to alleviate boredom/drowsiness, and for social interaction. The higher number of performed secondary tasks could be explained by lower age, shorter driver experience, less openness to experience, lower honesty-humility, lower perceived stress, lower workload, and by higher health-related quality of life. These explanatory results may serve as a starting point for further studies on large samples to develop a safer and healthier environment for long-haul truck drivers. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Measuring risky adolescent cycling behaviour.

PubMed

Feenstra, Hans; Ruiter, Robert A C; Schepers, Jan; Peters, Gjalt-Jorn; Kok, Gerjo

2011-09-01

Adolescents are at a greater risk of being involved in traffic accidents than most other age groups, even before they start driving cars. This article aims to determine the factor structure of a self-report questionnaire measuring adolescent risky cycling behaviour, the ACBQ (Adolescent Cycling Behaviour Questionnaire). The questionnaire's structure was based on the widely used Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). A sample of secondary school students (N = 1749; age range: 13-18 years) filled out the questionnaire. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure underlying the questionnaire, which was confirmed on two equally large portions of the entire sample. These three underlying factors were identified as errors, common violations and exceptional violations. The ACBQ is a useful instrument for measuring adolescents' risky cycling behaviour.

Refueling Behavior of Flexible Fuel Vehicle Drivers in the Federal Fleet

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

Daley, R.; Nangle, J.; Boeckman, G.

2014-05-01

Federal fleets are a frequent subject of legislative and executive efforts to lead a national transition to alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. Section 701 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires that all dual-fueled alternative fuel vehicles in the federal fleet be operated on alternative fuel 100% of the time when they have access to it. However, in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, drivers of federal flex fuel vehicles (FFV) leased through the General Services Administration refueled with E85 24% of the time when it was available--falling well short of the mandate. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewablemore » Energy Laboratory completed a 2-year Laboratory Directed Research and Development project to identify the factors that influence the refueling behavior of federal FFV drivers. The project began with two primary hypotheses. First, information scarcity increases the tendency to miss opportunities to purchase E85. Second, even with perfect information, there are limits to how far drivers will go out of their way to purchase E85. This paper discusses the results of the project, which included a June 2012 survey of federal fleet drivers and an empirical analysis of actual refueling behavior from FY 2009 to 2012. This research will aid in the design and implementation of intervention programs aimed at increasing alternative fuel use and reducing petroleum consumption.« less

Regional frontal gray matter volume associated with executive function capacity as a risk factor for vehicle crashes in normal aging adults.

PubMed

Sakai, Hiroyuki; Takahara, Miwa; Honjo, Naomi F; Doi, Shun'ichi; Sadato, Norihiro; Uchiyama, Yuji

2012-01-01

Although low executive functioning is a risk factor for vehicle crashes among elderly drivers, the neural basis of individual differences in this cognitive ability remains largely unknown. Here we aimed to examine regional frontal gray matter volume associated with executive functioning in normal aging individuals, using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). To this end, 39 community-dwelling elderly volunteers who drove a car on a daily basis participated in structural magnetic resonance imaging, and completed two questionnaires concerning executive functioning and risky driving tendencies in daily living. Consequently, we found that participants with low executive function capacity were prone to risky driving. Furthermore, VBM analysis revealed that lower executive function capacity was associated with smaller gray matter volume in the supplementary motor area (SMA). Thus, the current data suggest that SMA volume is a reliable predictor of individual differences in executive function capacity as a risk factor for vehicle crashes among elderly persons. The implication of our results is that regional frontal gray matter volume might underlie the variation in driving tendencies among elderly drivers. Therefore, detailed driving behavior assessments might be able to detect early neurodegenerative changes in the frontal lobe in normal aging adults.

Car driver behavior at flashing light railroad grade crossings.

PubMed

Tenkink, E; Van der Horst, R

1990-06-01

The behavior of car drivers at two Dutch railroad grade crossings with automatic flashing warning lights was analyzed. Car drivers were videotaped while approaching either the red flashing lights or the white flashing "safe"-signal. Approach speeds, positions, and time intervals were semiautomatically measured from videos of more than 900 drivers: 660 while confronted with the red lights and 272 while passing the white light. Of the latter group, head movements during the approach to the crossing were also registered. Red light compliance was relatively good, as no driver was observed to cross later than 6 seconds after the onset of the red lights, despite train-arrival times of well over 60 seconds. The level of red light compliance was further quantified in terms of both the deceleration and time-to-stopping-line as accepted by drivers. From a comparison with earlier research on red light compliance at signalized road intersections it appeared that red light compliance was better at railroad crossings than at road crossings. It is concluded that faulty red light compliance is not a major cause for car-train accidents and that emphasis should be placed on the ability of the present device to attract attention and to signal unambiguously. The high degree of compliance also causes unexpected driver actions, such as emergency braking and hesitations. A yellow phase may reduce these problems. Some drivers tended to proceed immediately after a train had cleared the road instead of waiting for the end of the red signal (typically some 3 to 5 seconds after the train had passed). This tendency might reveal a major cause of dramatic errors when a second train is approaching. Immediate extinction of the red signal is suggested, or even better, a separate signal to announce the arrival of the second train. Behavior during the white signal phase also showed indications of uncertainty. In some 10% of cases drivers tended to decelerate more strongly than necessary and to make extra head movements. It is recommended that the present white flashing signal be reconsidered.

Tailoring in risk communication by linking risk profiles and communication preferences: The case of speeding of young car drivers.

PubMed

Geber, Sarah; Baumann, Eva; Klimmt, Christoph

2016-12-01

Speeding is one of the most relevant risk behaviors for serious and fatal accidents, particularly among young drivers. This study presents a tailoring strategy for anti-speeding communication. By referring to their motivational dispositions toward speeding derived from motivational models of health behavior, young car drivers were segmented into different risk groups. In order to ensure that risk communication efforts would actually be capable to target these groups, the linkage between the risk profiles and communication preferences were explored. The study was conducted on the basis of survey data of 1168 German car drivers aged between 17 and 24 years. The data reveal four types of risk drivers significantly differing in their motivational profiles. Moreover, the findings show significant differences in communication habits and media use between these risk groups. By linking the risk profiles and communication preferences, implications for tailoring strategies of road safety communication campaigns are derived. Promising segmentation and targeting strategies are discussed also beyond the current case of anti-speeding campaigns. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social Cognitive Antecedents of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Truck Drivers: A Sequential Mediation Analysis.

PubMed

Hamilton, Kyra; Vayro, Caitlin; Schwarzer, Ralf

2015-01-01

To examine a mechanism by which social cognitive factors may predict fruit and vegetable consumption in long-haul truck drivers. Dietary self-efficacy, positive outcome expectancies, and intentions were assessed in 148 Australian truck drivers, and 1 week later they reported their fruit and vegetable consumption. A theory-guided sequential mediation model was specified that postulated self-efficacy and intention as mediators between outcome expectancies and behavior. The hypothesized model was confirmed. A direct effect of outcome expectancies was no longer present when mediators were included, and all indirect effects were significant, including the 2-mediator chain (β = .15; P < .05; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.32). Truck drivers who expected benefits from dietary change, felt confident about being capable to do so, and formed an intention were likely to report larger amounts of fruit and vegetable intake. The results suggest that the role of outcome expectancies and self-efficacy are important to consider for understanding and predicting healthy eating intentions in truck drivers. Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated deployment architecture for predictive real-time traffic routing incorporating human factors considerations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-05-01

As Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) are being more widely accessed by drivers, understanding drivers behavioral responses to real-time travel information through ATIS and its consequential benefits are important to the widespread deplo...

Alcohol and highway safety : behavioral and medical aspects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-09-01

Drivers involved in fatal and serious injury highway crashes were compared with drivers: (1) using the same roads at similar times, but without crash involvement (2) with recent drunken driving arrests; (3) with arrests for other serious traffic viol...

Alcohol and highway safety : behavioral and medical aspects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-09-01

Author's abstract: Drivers involved in fatal and serious injury highway crashes were compared with drivers: (1) using the same roads at similar times, but without crash involvement (2) with recent drunken driving arrests; (3) with arrests for other s...

Executive report : toll roads, toll rates, and driver behavior.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

State and federal research has examined toll roads and attempted to identify methods to make toll roads a more attractive option for drivers. Researchers examined various views of toll road transactions and concluded: : Truckers and trucking comp...

Applying a sociotechnical framework for improving safety at highway-railroad grade crossings

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-10-05

To understand drivers' decisions and actions at grade crossings, we examined human factors contributing to noncompliance at grade crossings using a sociotechnical framework. This perspective allows driver behavior at grade crossings to be examined no...

Motivations for speeding : additional data analysis : traffic tech : technology transfer series.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-03-01

NHTSAs naturalistic driving study, Motivations for Speeding (Richard et al., 2013), examined motivations and situations conducive to speeding behavior. The study collected data from 88 drivers in Seattle, Washington, and 76 drivers in College Stat...

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.

Work-related stress in healthcare workers.

PubMed

Tomei, G; Ricci, S; Fidanza, L; Sacco, C; De Cesare, D P; Ricci, P; Pimpinella, B; Giubilati, R; Suppi, A; Anzelmo, V; Tomei, F; Casale, T; Rosati, M V

2016-01-01

In the assessment of work-related stress it is crucial to find the factors that generate and increase it in order to identify categories of individuals at risk, to plan interventions for prevention, elimination or reduction of risk. The aim of the study is to assess the subjective stress in 68 workers of a large Italian company dealing with human health, through the use of a questionnaire-indicating tool, elaborated by the Italian National Institute for insurance against accidents at work (INAIL) and developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). We studied a final sample of 68 individuals (34 drivers/rescuers and 34 video display unit (VDU) operators). The questionnaire consists of 35 items (divided into six areas) with five possible answers each, that cover working conditions considered potential causes of stress. The drivers/rescuers had a better performance than the VDU operators, especially in the areas "demand", "relationships" and "role". We compared men and women in the two groups, finding that, in VDU operators, women had a better performance than men in all areas, except "role" and "changes", in which the overall scores were the same in men and women. In the drivers/rescuers women showed more critical scores in the items "relationships" and "change". The results show that: the questionnaire-indicating tool is useful, with a demonstrated effectiveness for the occupational physician during the visits and proven validity; additional future efforts should focus on understanding the psycho-social, organizational and individual problems related to stress and the consequent implementation of preventive measures.

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.

Development of a real-time prediction model of driver behavior at intersections using kinematic time series data.

PubMed

Tan, Yaoyuan V; Elliott, Michael R; Flannagan, Carol A C

2017-09-01

As connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) enter the fleet, there will be a long period when these vehicles will have to interact with human drivers. One of the challenges for CAVs is that human drivers do not communicate their decisions well. Fortunately, the kinematic behavior of a human-driven vehicle may be a good predictor of driver intent within a short time frame. We analyzed the kinematic time series data (e.g., speed) for a set of drivers making left turns at intersections to predict whether the driver would stop before executing the turn. We used principal components analysis (PCA) to generate independent dimensions that explain the variation in vehicle speed before a turn. These dimensions remained relatively consistent throughout the maneuver, allowing us to compute independent scores on these dimensions for different time windows throughout the approach to the intersection. We then linked these PCA scores to whether a driver would stop before executing a left turn using the random intercept Bayesian additive regression trees. Five more road and observable vehicle characteristics were included to enhance prediction. Our model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.84 at 94m away from the center of an intersection and steadily increased to 0.90 by 46m away from the center of an intersection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Common Traffic Violations of Bus Drivers in Urban China: An Observational Study.

PubMed

Wang, Qiqi; Zhang, Wei; Yang, Rendong; Huang, Yuanxiu; Zhang, Lin; Ning, Peishan; Cheng, Xunjie; Schwebel, David C; Hu, Guoqing; Yao, Hongyan

2015-01-01

To report common traffic violations in bus drivers and the factors that influence those violations in urban China. We conducted an observational study to record three types of traffic violations among bus drivers in Changsha City, China: illegal stopping at bus stations, violating traffic light signals, and distracted driving. The behaviors of bus drivers on 32 routes (20% of bus routes in the city) were observed. A two-level Poisson regression examined factors that predicted bus driver violations. The incidence of illegal stopping at bus stations was 20.2%. Illegal stopping was less frequent on weekends, sunny days, and at stations with cameras, with adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of 0.81, 0.65 and 0.89, respectively. The incidence of violating traffic light signals was 2.2%, and was lower on cloudy than sunny days (adjusted IRR: 0.60). The incidence of distracted driving was 3.3%. The incidence of distracted driving was less common on cloudy days, rainy or snowy days, and foggy/windy/dusty days compared to sunny days, with adjusted IRRs of 0.54, 0.55 and 0.07, respectively. Traffic violations are common in bus drivers in urban China and they are associated with the date, weather, and presence of traffic cameras at bus station. Further studies are recommended to understand the behavioral mechanisms that may explain bus driver violations and to develop feasible prevention measures.

Cognitive-behavioral treatment of high anger drivers.

PubMed

Deffenbacher, Jerry L; Filetti, Linda B; Lynch, Rebekah S; Dahlen, Eric R; Oetting, Eugene R

2002-08-01

Relaxation and cognitive-relaxation interventions were compared to a no treatment control in the treatment of high anger drivers. The cognitive portion of the cognitive-relaxation condition adapted the style of Beck's cognitive therapy, particularly use of Socratic questions and behavioral experiments and tryouts, to driving anger reduction. Both interventions lowered indices of driving anger and hostile and aggressive forms of expressing driving anger and increased adaptive/constructive ways of expressing driving anger. The cognitive-relaxation intervention also lowered the frequency of risky behavior. Both interventions lowered trait anger as well. Limitations and implications for treatment and research were discussed.

Taxonomy-based content analysis of sedentary behavior questionnaires: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Rivière, Fabien; Aubert, Salomé; Omorou, Abdou Yacoubou; Ainsworth, Barbara E.

2018-01-01

Background Health effects of sedentary behaviors (SB) may vary depending on their characteristics such as type, purpose, duration, and intensity of the behavior. While a growing number of questionnaires assess sedentary behaviors, it is unclear which characteristics of SB are measured. The aim of this review was to examine the content of self-report SB questionnaires. Methods Three databases were searched for sedentary behavior questionnaires published before January 1st, 2016. Based on the inclusion criteria, 82 articles out of 1369 were retrieved for a total of 60 questionnaires. For each questionnaire, the sedentary behavior characteristics identified were reported and analyzed. Results Most of the questionnaires assessed the time (n = 60), posture (n = 54), purpose (n = 46) and the types (n = 45) of SB performed. Fewer questionnaires assessed the environment (n = 20) social context (n = 11), status (n = 2), and associated behaviors (n = 2) related to sedentary behaviors. All the questionnaires except two assessed time spent in SB with 17 assessing frequency and 6 assessing breaks in SB. The most frequent characteristics identified in the questionnaires were the categories of sitting (90%), a day (95%), watching television (65%) and using a computer (55%). Many characteristics of SB were not measured. Conclusions By knowing the breadth of SB included in questionnaires, this review provides support to shape the design of new questionnaires designed to reduce the gaps in measuring sedentary behaviors. PMID:29509791

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.

Type A behavior and occupational stress: a cross-cultural study of blue-collar workers.

PubMed

Evans, G W; Palsane, M N; Carrere, S

1987-05-01

Psychophysiological, archival, unobtrusive observation, and self-report data were compared for Type A and Type B male bus drivers in the United States and India. Type A bus drivers in comparison with their Type B counterparts have more accidents, absenteeism, official reprimands, and self-reports of occupational stress. In India, but not in the United States, Type A drivers brake, pass, and blow their horns more often than Type B drivers. Although drivers exhibited expected elevations in blood pressure and catecholamines on the job, the magnitude of these increases did not differ as a function of the Type A/B classification.

Promoting driving safety for teens and adults.

PubMed

Wilson, D; Molloy-Martinez, T

1989-10-01

Traffic accidents are a major cause of death and disability, accounting for significant numbers of brain injuries. The purpose of this article is to discuss those conditions that can affect driver safety. The role of the nurse practitioner in primary prevention involves assessing the health status of drivers, including risk-taking behavior, age-related factors, use of alcohol and medications, and chronic illnesses and physical conditions that can result in driver impairment. Interventions can include patient education, anticipatory guidance, role-playing, referral for skill-building or driver evaluation, and reporting potentially unsafe drivers in keeping with state guidelines. Practitioner involvement in grass-roots community groups is encouraged.

Drivers' safety needs, behavioural adaptations and acceptance of new driving support systems.

PubMed

Saad, Farida; Van Elslande, Pierre

2012-01-01

The aim of this paper is to discuss the contribution of two complementary approaches for designing and evaluating new driver support systems likely to improve the operation and safety of the road traffic system. The first approach is based on detailed analyses of traffic crashes so as to estimate drivers' needs for assistance and the situational constraints that safety functions should address to be efficient. The second approach is based on in depth-analyses of behavioral adaptations induced by the usage of new driver support systems in regular driving situations and on drivers' acceptance of the assistance provided by the systems.

Driver’s Cognitive Workload and Driving Performance under Traffic Sign Information Exposure in Complex Environments: A Case Study of the Highways in China

PubMed Central

Lyu, Nengchao; Xie, Lian; Wu, Chaozhong; Fu, Qiang; Deng, Chao

2017-01-01

Complex traffic situations and high driving workload are the leading contributing factors to traffic crashes. There is a strong correlation between driving performance and driving workload, such as visual workload from traffic signs on highway off-ramps. This study aimed to evaluate traffic safety by analyzing drivers’ behavior and performance under the cognitive workload in complex environment areas. First, the driving workload of drivers was tested based on traffic signs with different quantities of information. Forty-four drivers were recruited to conduct a traffic sign cognition experiment under static controlled environment conditions. Different complex traffic signs were used for applying the cognitive workload. The static experiment results reveal that workload is highly related to the amount of information on traffic signs and reaction time increases with the information grade, while driving experience and gender effect are not significant. This shows that the cognitive workload of subsequent driving experiments can be controlled by the amount of information on traffic signs; Second, driving characteristics and driving performance were analyzed under different secondary task driving workload levels using a driving simulator. Drivers were required to drive at the required speed on a designed highway off-ramp scene. The cognitive workload was controlled by reading traffic signs with different information, which were divided into four levels. Drivers had to make choices by pushing buttons after reading traffic signs. Meanwhile, the driving performance information was recorded. Questionnaires on objective workload were collected right after each driving task. The results show that speed maintenance and lane deviations are significantly different under different levels of cognitive workload, and the effects of driving experience and gender groups are significant. The research results can be used to analyze traffic safety in highway environments, while considering more drivers’ cognitive and driving performance. PMID:28218696

[Influencing factors for job satisfaction in train drivers in a railway bureau: an analysis of 1413 cases].

PubMed

Gu, G Z; Yu, S F; Zhou, W H; Wu, H; Kang, L; Chen, R

2017-01-20

Objective: To investigate the influencing factors for job satisfaction in train drivers. Methods: In March 2012, cluster sampling was used to conduct a cross-sectional survey in 1413 male train drivers (including 301 passenger train drivers, 683 freight train drivers, 350 passenger shunting train drivers, and 79 high-speed train drivers) from a locomotive depot of a railway bureau. The occupational stress instruments, job content questionnaire, and effort-reward imbalance questionnaire were used to analyze job satisfaction, occupational stress factors, stress reaction, individual characteristics, coping strategies, and social support. Results: There were significant differences in job satisfaction score between the drivers with different posts, working years, ages, smoking status, and drinking status ( P <0.01). The correlation analysis revealed that job satisfaction score was positively correlated with reward, working stability, promotion opportunity, positive emotion, social support, self-esteem, and coping strategy scores ( P <0.01) and negatively correlated with sleep disorders, effort, role conflict, intergroup conflict, responsibility for persons, responsibility for things, psychological needs, physiological needs, daily stress, negative emotion, and depressive symptom scores ( P < 0.01). The analysis of variance showed that compared with the moderate and low job satisfaction groups, the high job satisfaction group had significantly higher reward, positive emotion, promotion opportunity, and role ambiguity scores ( P <0.01) , as well as significantly lower scores of responsibility for persons and responsibility for things ( P <0.01). Compared with the moderate and high job satisfaction groups the low job satisfaction group had significantly higher scores of psychological needs, effort, role conflict, sleep disorders, daily stress, depressive symptom, negative emotion, drug use, intragroup conflict, and social support ( P <0.01) , and the moderate job satisfaction group had a significantly higher score of self-esteem than the other two groups ( P <0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of job dissatisfaction in the drivers with low so-cial support and high daily stress was more than 2 times that in those with high social support and low daily stress ( OR =2.176 and 2.171) , and sleep disorders, effort, depressive symptom, low self-esteem, and role conflict were risk factors for job dissatisfaction ( OR =1.48-1.625). Conclusion: Occupational stress, stress re-sponse, emotion, individual characteristics, and social support have great influence on job satisfaction. Im-proving social support, increasing positive emotion, and reducing occupational stress are main measures for increasing job satisfaction in train drivers.

Identification of differences between rural and urban safety cultures.

PubMed

Rakauskas, Michael E; Ward, Nicholas J; Gerberich, Susan G

2009-09-01

The prevailing risk of traffic fatalities is much larger in rural areas compared to urban areas. A number of explanations have been offered to explain this including road design, emergency medical service proximity, and human factors. This research explored the potential contribution of rural driver attitudes that may underlie the increased fatal crash risk in rural environments. This analysis examined differences between rural and urban drivers in terms of self-reported risk taking for driving behaviors associated with fatal crashes and attitudes toward safety interventions using a large-scale survey. The results suggested that rural drivers engage in riskier behavior, such as not wearing seatbelts, because they have lower perceptions of the risks associated with such behaviors. Results also suggested that vehicle type (e.g., pickup trucks versus passenger vehicles) may be related to seatbelt compliance and frequency of driving under the influence of alcohol. Rural drivers perceived the utility of government-sponsored traffic safety interventions to be lower than their urban counterparts. This study provides insights into the role of the human factor in rural fatal crashes and provides policy suggestions for developing safety interventions that are designed with respect to the psychosocial factors that define the rural culture.

The role of sensation seeking, perceived peer pressure, and harmful alcohol use in riding with an alcohol-impaired driver.

PubMed

Kim, Jun-Hong; Kim, Kwang Sik

2012-09-01

Alcohol-related motor vehicle collisions have been the top of policy agenda for more than three decades in Korea. Despite implementation of various traffic safety measures, some drivers' alcohol use and abuse has resulted in a high number of alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities every year. This paper presents the association of theoretical factors with behavior of riding with an alcohol-impaired driver (RAID) among all age groups in the Korean adult sample. The theoretical factors of the drivers are personality factor, socio-psychological factor, and alcohol-related behavioral risk factor. We utilized national survey data from 1007 respondents consisting of 703 males and 304 females aged 20-66 collected by Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC) to test our theorized model. Our results indicated that there were three major predictors of RAID involvement: sensation seeking propensity, perceived peer pressure, and frequent harmful drinking. Overall, prediction of RAID behavior by gender was mediated entirely through these predictors. The issue of males' higher risk of RAID involvements was addressed for effective communication strategies such as campaigns. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

“Good passengers and not good passengers:” Adolescent drivers’ perceptions about inattention and peer passengers

PubMed Central

Sommers, Marilyn S.

2016-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative focus group elicitation research study was to explore teen driver perceptions of peer passengers and driver inattention. Design & Methods We utilized focus groups for data collection and content analysis to analyze the data, both of which were guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior. We conducted 7 focus groups with 30 teens, ages 16–18, licensed for ≤1 year to examine attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and norms related to driving inattention and peer passengers. Results The sample was 50% male, mean age 17.39 (sd 0.52) with mean length of licensure 173.7 days (sd 109.2). Three themes emerged: 1) “Good and not good” passengers; 2) Passengers and technology as harmful and helpful; and 3) The driver is in charge. Conclusions While passengers can be a source of distraction, our participants also identified passenger behaviors that reduced risk, such as assistance with technology and guidance for directions. Practical Implications An understanding of teens’ perceptions of peer passengers can contribute to the development of effective interventions targeting teen driver inattention. Nurses are well-positioned to contribute to these teen crash prevention efforts. PMID:27496828

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.

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.

Driver response to unexpected situations when using and in-vehicle information system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-12-01

This investigation is one of a series of studies aimed at investigating Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) and Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) applications and their effect on driver behavior and performance. A field experiment was cond...

Identification of specific problems and countermeasures targets for reducing alcohol related casualties

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-12-01

Police reports of accidents were analyzed in terms of accident characteristic and driver behaviors to determine the problems of drinking drivers. Analyses were conducted to profile the culpable drinkers and to compare them to culpable nondrinkers in ...

Identification of specific problems and countermeasures targets for reducing alcohol related casualties

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-08-01

Police reports of accidents were analyzed in terms of accident characteristics and driver behaviors to determine the problems of drinking drivers. Analyses were conducted to profile the culpable drinkers and to compare them to culpable nondrinkers in...

Improving mature driver safety : task 6, final report with recommendations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-08-02

There are a number of important issues when examining the issue of mature drivers and mobility particularly age-related physical and behavioral changes that affect ones ability to drive. Recent research from a variety of sources (e.g., Nationa...

Diagnostic tools for identifying sleepy drivers in the field.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-05-06

The overarching goal of this project was to identify and evaluate cognitive and behavioral indices that are sensitive to sleep : deprivation and may help identify commercial motor vehicle drivers (CMV) who are at-risk for driving in a sleep deprived ...

Methods employed by ASAP enforcement countermeasures to record the behavior of drinking drivers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-06-01

The enforcement countermeasures of Alcohol Safety Action Projects (ASAP's) have been responsible for the identification and apprehension of drinking drivers on the nation's highways, in an effort to achieve the following objectives: (1) an overall re...

Test-Retest Reliability of the Parent Behavior Importance Questionnaire-Revised and the Parent Behavior Frequency Questionnaire-Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mowder, Barbara A.; Shamah, Renee

2011-01-01

This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of two parenting measures: the Parent Behavior Importance Questionnaire-Revised (PBIQ-R) and Parent Behavior Frequency Questionnaire-Revised (PBFQ-R). These self-report parenting behavior assessment measures may be utilized as pre- and post-parent education program measures, with parents as well as…

Emotional Intelligence and the Occurrence of Accidents in Motorcycle Drivers in Kashan, Iran.

PubMed

Asgarian, Fatemeh Sadat; Aghajani, Mohammad; Alavi, Negin Masoudi

There is an inherent risk of death and injury for motorcyclists. Some factors such as personality and psychological characteristics may be contributors of motor vehicle accidents/crashes. This study aimed to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and its related components and the occurrence of accidents/crashes in motorcycle drivers. In this case-control study, 280 motorcycle drivers with and without a history of motorcycle-related accidents or crashes in Kashan, Iran, were selected for convenience sampling. The tool used was the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and included 90 items. Logistic regression revealed that components of emotional intelligence identified as happiness, optimism, flexibility, self-actualization, autonomy, and interpersonal relationships were different between motorcycle drivers with and without an accident/crash. Our findings emphasized the important role of developing and enhancing the skills of emotional intelligence as related to the prevention of accidents/crashes.

Occupational therapists' capacity-building needs related to older driver screening, assessment, and intervention: a Canadawide survey.

PubMed

Korner-Bitensky, Nicol; Menon, Anita; von Zweck, Claudia; Van Benthem, Kathy

2010-01-01

Older driver safety is a growing concern. We identified capacity-building needs of occupational therapists related to older driver screening, assessment, and intervention. A Canadawide survey was undertaken involving 133 occupational therapists working with an older clientele. A standardized questionnaire elicited information regarding (1) actual practices related to older driver screening, assessment, and intervention; (2) perceived competence; and (3) need for continuing education. Occupational therapists were twice as likely to use screening tools rather than in-depth assessments (n = 79 vs. n = 37). Only 25 occupational therapists offered on-road assessment, and even fewer offered retraining (n = 11). Occupational therapists more often felt very competent in domains related to screening as opposed to assessment, and most were interested in continuing education. Driving services offered were primarily related to screening compared with assessment or intervention. Occupational therapists would benefit from driving-related professional training aimed at enhancing professional capacity in this arena.

Adapting ISA system warnings to enhance user acceptance.

PubMed

Jiménez, Felipe; Liang, Yingzhen; Aparicio, Francisco

2012-09-01

Inappropriate speed is a major cause of traffic accidents. Different measures have been considered to control traffic speed, and intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) systems are one of the alternatives. These systems know the speed limits and try to improve compliance with them. This paper deals with an informative ISA system that provides the driver with an advance warning before reaching a road section with singular characteristics that require a lower safe speed than the current speed. In spite of the extensive tests performed using ISA systems, few works show how warnings can be adapted to the driver. This paper describes a method to adapt warning parameters (safe speed on curves, zone of influence of a singular stretch, deceleration process and reaction time) to normal driving behavior. The method is based on a set of tests with and without the ISA system. This adjustment, as well as the analysis of driver acceptance before and after the adaptation and changes in driver behavior (changes in speed and path) resulting from the tested ISA regarding a driver's normal driving style, is shown in this paper. The main conclusion is that acceptance by drivers increased significantly after redefining the warning parameters, but the effect of speed homogenization was not reduced. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reincentivizing--a new theory of work and work absence.

PubMed

Thulesius, Hans O; Grahn, Birgitta E

2007-07-03

Work capacity correlates weakly to disease concepts, which in turn are insufficient to explain sick leave behavior. With data mainly from Sweden, a welfare state with high sickness absence rates, our aim was to develop an explanatory theory of how to understand and deal with work absence and sick leave. We used classic grounded theory for analyzing data from >130 interviews with people working or on sick leave, physicians, social security officers, and literature. Several hundreds of typed and handwritten memos were the basis for writing up the theory. In this paper we present a theory of work incentives and how to deal with work absence. We suggest that work disability can be seen as hurt work drivers or people caught in mode traps. Work drivers are specified as work capacities + work incentives, monetary and non-monetary. Also, people can get trapped in certain modes of behavior through changed capacities or incentives, or by inertia. Different modes have different drivers and these can trap the individual from reincentivizing, ie from going back to work or go on working. Hurt drivers and mode traps are recognized by driver assessments done on several different levels. Mode driver calculations are done by the worker. Then follows employer, physician, and social insurance officer assessments. Also, driver assessments are done on the macro level by legislators and other stakeholders. Reincentivizing is done by different repair strategies for hurt work drivers such as body repair, self repair, work-place repair, rehumanizing, controlling sick leave insurance, and strengthening monetary work incentives. Combinations of these driver repair strategies also do release people from mode traps. Reincentivizing is about recognizing hurt work drivers and mode traps followed by repairing and releasing the same drivers and traps. Reincentivizing aims at explaining what is going on when work absence is dealt with and the theory may add to social psychological research on work and work absence, and possibly inform sick leave policies.

Reincentivizing – a new theory of work and work absence

PubMed Central

Thulesius, Hans O; Grahn, Birgitta E

2007-01-01

Background Work capacity correlates weakly to disease concepts, which in turn are insufficient to explain sick leave behavior. With data mainly from Sweden, a welfare state with high sickness absence rates, our aim was to develop an explanatory theory of how to understand and deal with work absence and sick leave. Methods We used classic grounded theory for analyzing data from >130 interviews with people working or on sick leave, physicians, social security officers, and literature. Several hundreds of typed and handwritten memos were the basis for writing up the theory. Results In this paper we present a theory of work incentives and how to deal with work absence. We suggest that work disability can be seen as hurt work drivers or people caught in mode traps. Work drivers are specified as work capacities + work incentives, monetary and non-monetary. Also, people can get trapped in certain modes of behavior through changed capacities or incentives, or by inertia. Different modes have different drivers and these can trap the individual from reincentivizing, ie from going back to work or go on working. Hurt drivers and mode traps are recognized by driver assessments done on several different levels. Mode driver calculations are done by the worker. Then follows employer, physician, and social insurance officer assessments. Also, driver assessments are done on the macro level by legislators and other stakeholders. Reincentivizing is done by different repair strategies for hurt work drivers such as body repair, self repair, work-place repair, rehumanizing, controlling sick leave insurance, and strengthening monetary work incentives. Combinations of these driver repair strategies also do release people from mode traps. Conclusion Reincentivizing is about recognizing hurt work drivers and mode traps followed by repairing and releasing the same drivers and traps. Reincentivizing aims at explaining what is going on when work absence is dealt with and the theory may add to social psychological research on work and work absence, and possibly inform sick leave policies. PMID:17608942