Geo-spatial and log-linear analysis of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes involving school-aged children

PROBLEM: There is a growing concern with the safety of school-aged children. This study identifies the locations of pedestrian/bicyclist crashes involving school-aged children and examines the conditions when these crashes are more likely to occur. METHOD: The 5-year records of crashes in Orange County, Florida where school-aged children were involved were used. The spatial distribution of these crashes was investigated using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the likelihoods of crash occurrence under different conditions were estimated using log-linear models. RESULTS: A majority of school-aged children crashes occurred in the areas near schools. Although elementary school children were generally very involved, middle and high school children were more involved in crashes, particularly on high-speed multi-lane roadways. Driver's age, gender, and alcohol use, pedestrian's/bicyclist's age, number of lanes, median type, speed limits, and speed ratio were also found to be correlated with the frequency of crashes. DISCUSSION: The result confirms that school-aged children are exposed to high crash risk near schools. High crash involvement of middle and high school children reflects that middle and high schools tend to be located near multi-lane high-speed roads. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The pedestrian's/bicyclist's demographic factors and geometric characteristics of the roads adjacent to schools associated with school children's crash involvement are of interest to school districts.     

Graduated driver licensing: review of evaluation results since 2002

Unintentional injury from motor-vehicle crashes is the number one cause of death among teenagers in the United States. Increasingly, jurisdictions have adopted three-stage graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems for young novice drivers. Since a previous review of U.S. GDL evaluation results, many more U.S. states and Canadian provinces have implemented GDL and/or had enough time pass that additional evaluation results are now available. Twenty-one studies of GDL within 14 individual jurisdictions, and six studies of GDL in the U.S. nationwide, were collected, reviewed, and summarized. Positive results (usually crash reductions) of varying degrees were reported from nearly all the studies. Given differences in approaches, study goals, methods, and analyses, the results are surprisingly consistent. Overall, GDL programs have reduced the youngest drivers' crash risk by roughly 20 to 40%. Research on teen driving and comprehensive GDL enhancements could further reduce teen drivers' motor-vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Policy-makers, as well as the motor vehicle, insurance, and other industries have been involved in teen driving safety and could enhance and coordinate their roles.     

滇缅大震与长江巨洪的遥相关

长江、珠江巨大洪水的预测对国计民生关系甚大。本文提出了滇缅地区７级以上大震发生后一年内长江和珠江有可能发生巨洪的预测指标。这一点和后来某些气象学家得到的青藏高原南部（９５°Ｅ以西）超前异常增温与江淮巨洪有关的结果是一致的,可以说这是相互验证。但这些气象学家未讨论增温的原因,我们的研究则包含这个问题的回答。另外在预测北方旱涝时也要考虑滇缅地区的大震发生与否。     

Fatal motorcycle crashes in wide urban area of Zagreb,Croatia—A 10-year review

Objective: The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of alcohol and drug intoxication among fatally injured motorcyclists in a wide urban area of Zagreb, Croatia.

Methods: We conducted a single-center observational retrospective study over a 10-year period (2007–2016) in 3 counties covering an area including 1.2 million residents. We reviewed the records on fatally injured motorcyclists, collecting information relating to sex, age, cause of death, time of death in relation to the time of the crash, and the circumstances of the crash (time of day, day of the week, season). Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and toxicology analysis results were collected and analyzed.

Results: We identified 163 deaths (95.7% males, 4.3% females). Overall, 64.2% of the victims were 20 to 39 years old. The majority (50.9%) of those fatally injured were responsible for causing the traffic crash; the rest were determined not to be responsible or the responsibility could not be determined. The most frequent causes of death were multiple injuries (55.8%) and isolated head trauma (23.3%). The rider’s BAC was above the legal limit for driving (>0.50?g/kg) in 53.8% of cases, with a mean BAC of 1.91?g/kg. There was no difference in riding a motorcycle with a BAC above the legal limit between groups defined as younger (≤39 years of age) and older (≥40 years of age). The number of people with an illegal BAC was significantly higher during weekends than during the work week. The BAC of riders who were responsible for the crash was significantly higher than that of those who were not responsible or whose responsibility could not be determined. Use of illegal drugs or nontherapeutic use of legal drugs was not common and was detected in 10.4% of fatally injured riders.

Conclusions: Alcohol intoxication has a major role in motorcycle crash–related mortality. A significant difference in BAC between fatally injured riders responsible for the accident and those who were not responsible implies that measures directed toward prevention of drinking and driving behavior could lower the number of fatal motorcycle crashes. Weekend measures, especially during spring and summer, could have particularly significant effects.     

大吨位起重机载荷试验的解决方案

本文介绍了国内外试重水袋的发展现状和水袋的结构组成,从试重水袋的安全、经济、节能、环保、高精度等优势进行了论述。提出了大型起重机载荷试验的解决方案,即水袋载荷试验法。     

大型环境监测实验室分析仪器绩效评估指标体系探索

大型环境监测实验室分析仪器是环境监测单位综合实力的集中体现,在环境监测工作中发挥着巨大作用。简述了仪器设备绩效评估研究现状,尝试构建大型环境监测实验室分析仪器绩效评估指标体系,并通过德尔菲法确定各项评价指标的权重值,最终计算绩效评估综合指数。在此基础上,对某省级环境监测机构的部分大型实验室分析仪器进行分析,提出,需合理配置仪器、加强日常维护管理以及开放共享等建议,为提高大型环境监测实验室分析仪器的精细化管理提供了科学依据。     

Using medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user crash circumstances and risk factors

Objective: This study used medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU, aged 65 years and older) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to 4 key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users, and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity.

Method: The Coroners' Court of Victoria's (CCOV) Surveillance Database was searched to identify and describe the frequency and rate per 100,000 population of fatal ORU crashes in the Australian state of Victoria for 2013–2014. Information relating to the deceased ORU, crash characteristics and circumstances, and risk factors was extracted and analyzed.

Results: One hundred and thirty-eight unintentional fatal ORU crashes were identified in the CCOV Surveillance Database. Of these fatal ORU crashes, most involved older drivers (44%), followed by older pedestrians (32%), older passengers (17%), older pedal cyclists (4%), older motorcyclists (1%), and older mobility scooter users (1%). The average annual rate of fatal ORU crashes per 100,000 population was 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.0–10.2). In terms of the crash characteristics and circumstances, most fatal ORU crashes involved a counterpart (98%), of which the majority were passenger cars (50%) or fixed/stationary objects (25%), including trees (46%) or embankments (23%). In addition, most fatal ORU crashes occurred close to home (73%), on-road (87%), on roads that were paved (94%), on roads with light traffic volume (37%), and during low-risk conditions: between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. (44%), on weekdays (80%), during daylight (75%), and under dry/clear conditions (81%). Road user (RU) error was identified by the police and/or the coroner for the majority of fatal crashes (55%), with a significant proportion of deceased ORUs deemed to have failed to yield (54%) or misjudged (41%).

Conclusions: RU error was the most significant factor identified in fatal ORU crashes, which suggests that there is a limited capacity of the road system to fully accommodate RU errors. Initiatives related to safer roads and roadsides, vehicles, speed zones, as well as behavioral approaches are key areas of priority for targeted activity to prevent fatal ORU crashes in the future.     

Forward collision warning system impact

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this research is to use historical crash data to evaluate the potential benefits of both high- and low-speed automatic emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning (FCW) systems.

Methods: Crash data from the NHTSA’s NASS–General Estimates System (GES) and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) databases were categorized to classify crashes by the speed environment, as well as to identify cases where FCW systems would be applicable.

Results: Though only about 19% of reported crashes occur in environments with speeds greater than 45?mph, approximately 32% of all serious or fatal crashes occur in environments with speeds greater than 45?mph. The percentage of crashes where FCW systems would be relevant has remained remarkably constant, varying between about 21 and 26% from 2002 to 2015. In 2-vehicle fatal crashes where one rear-ends the other, the fatality rates are actually higher in the struck vehicle (33%) than the striking vehicle (26%). The disparity is even greater when considering size–class differences, such as when a light truck rear-ends a passenger car (15 vs. 42% fatality rates, respectively).

Conclusions: NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) proposed the Automatic Emergency Braking Initiative in 2015, which is intended to make AEB (also called crash-imminent braking) with FCW systems standard on nearly all new cars by September 2022. Twenty automakers representing 99% of the U.S. auto market voluntarily committed to the initiative. Though the commitment to safety is laudable, the AEB component of the agreement only covers low-speed AEB systems, with the test requirements set to 24?mph or optionally as low as 12?mph. The test requirements for the FCW component of the agreement include 2 tests that begin at 45?mph. Only 21% of relevant serious injury or fatal accidents occur in environments at speeds under 24?mph, whereas about 22% of serious or fatal crashes occur in environments with speeds greater than 45?mph. This means that the AEB with FCW systems as agreed upon will cover only 21% of serious or fatal crashes and will not cover 22% of serious or fatal crashes. Because these systems are protective not only for the occupants of the vehicle where they are installed but also other vehicles on the roads, the data indicate that these systems should be a standard feature on all cars for high-speed as well as low-speed environments for the greatest social benefit.     

既有线200 km/h提速客货共线直线段轨道的动力特性

既有线提速是高速铁路发展的重要方向之一。本文主要对轨道路基在列车荷载作用下的动力响应规律进行了研究。首先,建立轨道系统在移动荷载作用下的动力响应理论分析模型,该模型将轨道结构视为连续支承欧拉梁,对ANSYS软件进行二次开发,实现了模型的数值分析;然后,建立直线段轨道数值分析模型,利用该模型分析了荷载速度、载重、不平顺波长、不平顺波深对既有线路提速200 km/h客货共线直线段钢轨、轨枕的竖向位移及竖向加速度的影响。可为制定新的铁路养护技术规范提供技术参考。     

大空间建筑室内火蔓延全尺寸实验设计

大空间建筑室内火蔓延的全尺寸实验能较好反应和说明大空间建筑室内火灾过程的主要规律,也是当前研究建筑室内火灾机理较理想的一种实验方法。文中介绍了大空间建筑室内火蔓延全尺寸实验室的设计思想和实现方法,简要介绍了其在建筑火灾研究中的主要应用前景。