Continued trends in older driver crash involvement rates in the United States: Data through 2017–2018

Introduction: With the growing older adult population due to the aging baby-boom cohort, there was concern that increases in fatal motor-vehicle crashes would follow. Yet, previous analyses showed this to be untrue. The purpose of this study was to examine current trends to determine if previous declines have persisted or risen with the recent increase in fatalities nationwide. Methods: Trends among drivers ages 70 and older were compared with drivers 35–54 for U.S. passenger vehicle fatal crash involvements per 100,000 licensed drivers from 1997 to 2018, fatal and all police-reported crash involvements per vehicle miles traveled using the 1995, 2001, 2009, and 2017 National Household Travel Surveys, and driver deaths per 1,000 crashes. Results: Since the mid-1990s, fatal crashes per licensed driver trended downward, with greater declines for drivers ages 70 and older than for middle-aged drivers (43% vs. 21%). Fatal crash rates per 100,000 licensed drivers and police-reported crash rates per mile traveled for drivers ages 70–79 are now less than those for drivers ages 35–54, but their fatal crash rates per mile traveled and risk of dying in a crash remain higher as they drive fewer miles. As the economy improved over the past decade, fatal crash rates increased substantially for middle-aged drivers but decreased or remained stable among older driver age groups. Conclusions: Fatal crash involvements for adults ages 70 and older has recently increased, but they remain down from their 1997 peak, even as the number of licensed older drivers and the miles they drive have increased. Health improvements likely contributed to long-term reductions in fatal crash rates. As older drivers adopt vehicles with improved crashworthiness and safety features, crash survivability will improve. Practical Application: Older adults should feel confident that their independent mobility needs pose less risk than previously expected.     

组合式通风打磨台风量对粉尘控制效果的影响

打磨作业过程中，利用组合式通风打磨台进行通风除尘已得到广泛应用，但大多根据经验设置通风参数。以数值模拟为研究手段，采用CFD-DPM风流-粉尘耦合数值模拟方法，研究粉尘最大浓度和呼吸带粉尘浓度与风量分配和总排风量的关系，对组合式通风打磨台进行通风除尘系统参数优化，为金属打磨粉尘治理提供依据。研究结果表明:当组合式通风打磨台总排风量为1 850 m3·h-1、台面与壁面的配风比K=1.67时，粉尘质量浓度较低，防尘效果最好。     

Adaptation of a Canadian culpability scoring tool to Alberta police traffic collision report data

Objective: The objective of this study was to adapt a previously validated Canadian Culpability Scoring Tool (CCST) to Alberta police report data.

Methods: Police traffic collision reports from motor vehicle (MV) collisions in Calgary and Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) from 2010 to 2014 were used. Adaptation of the CCST was completed with input from personnel within Alberta Transportation, contributing to face and content validity. Two research assistants, given only the information necessary for scoring, evaluated 175 randomly selected MV–MV collisions. Interrater agreement was estimated using kappa (k) and reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Discussion of disagreements between the research assistants and consultation from Alberta Transportation informed the algorithm used in the Alberta Motor Vehicle Collision Culpability Tool (AMVCCT). The AMVCCT was automated and applied to all motorists involved in collisions. Binary logistic regression was used to examine characteristics of the culpable and nonculpable drivers and their effects were reported using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs.

Results: Interrater agreement for the random sample was excellent (k = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92–0.99). Of those drivers hospitalized, 1,130 (37.54%) were rated not culpable and 1,880 (62.46%) were rated culpable. The odds of being culpable were higher for males than for females (OR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.23–1.66). The odds of being culpable were higher in those impaired by alcohol than those considered “apparently normal” (OR = 61.10; 95% CI, 22.66–164.75). The odds of being deemed culpable, when compared with drivers >54 years old, were higher for those <25 years old (OR = 1.72; 95% CI, 1.35–2.20) and lower for those in the 40- to 54-year-old age group (OR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.63–0.96). Driving between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. resulted in higher odds of being culpable compare with all other 6-h time blocks. Direction and statistical significance remained consistent when applying the tool to all MV collisions. Sensitivity analysis including the removal of single vehicle collisions did not affect the direction or statistical significance of the main results.

Conclusions: The AMVCCT identified a culpable group that exhibited characteristics expected in drivers who are at fault in collisions. The age groups 25–39 and 40–54 demonstrated different results than the CCST. However, this is the only difference that exists in the findings of the AMVCCT compared to the CCST and could exist due to differences between the driving populations in Alberta and British Columbia. It is possible to adapt the CCST to provinces outside British Columbia and, in doing so, we can identify risk factors for collision contribution and not-at-fault drivers who represent the driving population.     

水幕与排烟系统协作下隧道火灾烟气防控研究

为优化选择水幕和机械排烟系统作用下最佳防排烟方式，运用FDS数值模拟方法探究排烟速率和水幕与排烟口间距对烟流分布的影响，并对11组模拟工况下排烟效率和烟气特征参数变化规律进行研究。结果表明:20 MW的火源功率下，排烟速率为60 m3/s、水幕与排烟口间距为12.5 m时，排烟效率较高且烟气特征参数满足安全要求，考虑防排烟的有效性和经济性，可选其为最优防排烟组合方式。研究结果对防排烟系统的设计具有指导意义。     

Safety analysis of instantaneous release of compressed natural gas from a cylinder

This study presents a numerical model to analyze the sudden failure of compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder onboard a CNG vehicle. The model is developed using COMSOL. It accounts for the real gas effects, physical energy, and combustion of the flammable gas. The model is tested using experimental data.The study highlight compression energy as one of the serious concern. An unintentional rupture of a compressed cylinder filled with natural gas would generate a rapid energy release in the form of the pressure energy (blast). The release of energy and gas would cause rapid mixing and generate overpressure and may also cause flash fire. A detailed failure frequency analysis is also done to analyze the effectiveness of barriers. This study identifies critical points for the safe operation of the CNG system onboard a vehicle.     

Driving difficulties as reported by older drivers with mild cognitive impairment and without neurological impairment

Objective: Considerable evidence indicates that medical conditions prevalent among older individuals lead to impairments in visual, cognitive, or psychomotor functions needed to drive safely. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors determining driving difficulties as seen from the viewpoint of 30 older drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 30 age-matched controls without cognitive impairment.

Methods: Perceptions of driving difficulties from both groups were examined using data from an extensive questionnaire. Samples of drivers diagnosed with MCI and age-matched controls were asked to report the frequency with which they experienced driving difficulties due to functional deficits and knowledge of new traffic rules and traffic signs.

Results: The analysis revealed that 2 factors underlie MCI perceptions of driving difficulties, representing (1) difficulties associated with late detection combined with slowed response to relevant targets in the peripheral field of view and (2) difficulties associated with divided attention between tasks requiring switching from automatic to conscious processing particularly of long duration. The analysis for healthy controls revealed 3 factors representing (1) difficulties in estimating speed and distance of approaching vehicles in complex (attention-dividing) high-information-load conditions; (2) difficulties in moving head, neck, and feet; and (3) difficulties in switching from automatic responses to needing to use cognitive processing in new or unexpected situations.

Conclusions: Though both group analyses show difficulties with switching from automatic to decision making, the difficulties are different. For the control group, the difficulty in switching involves switching in new or unexpected situations associated with high-information-load conditions, whereas this switching difficulty for the MCI group is associated with divided attention between easier tasks requiring switching. These findings underline the ability of older drivers (with MCI and without cognitive impairment) to indicate probable impairments in various driving skills. The patterns of difficulties perceived by the MCI group and the age-matched healthy control group are indicative of demanding driving situations that may merit special attention for road designers and road safety engineers. They may also be considered in the design of older drivers’ fitness to drive evaluations, training programs, and/or vehicle technologies that provide for older driver assistance.     

京津冀地区一次浮尘过程的车载激光雷达走航观测

利用双波长三通道激光雷达与车载激光雷达,针对2018年3月28日京津冀区域的浮尘天气过程,分别进行了定点垂直观测与车载走航观测,对这次浮尘天气中沙尘的源地、沙尘气溶胶的时空分布、沙尘的传输路径与传输方式进行了综合分析。位于北京的激光雷达监测到28日凌晨开始,沙尘气溶胶与近地面污染物混合,受沙尘影响近地面污染物浓度迅速升高。北京到沧州的车载激光雷达走航观测结果显示,沙尘气溶胶先向南传输到京津冀南部区域,随后向西南方向传输,同时观测到京津冀区域上空1. 5 km左右存在沙尘传输带。结果表明,使用车载激光雷达走航观测,结合定点垂直激光雷达与其他地面监测数据,能可靠地观测到沙尘过程中颗粒物的时空变化特征。     

汽车尾气暴露对小鼠运动力竭时间的影响

汽车尾气是城市中大气污染物的主要来源,为探究汽车尾气对机体的损伤作用及其机制,通过建立汽车尾气暴露动物模型,利用轮式疲劳仪评估汽车尾气对小鼠运动力竭时间的影响。结果表明,汽车尾气连续暴露30 d后,暴露组小鼠的运动力竭时间较正常对照组明显缩短,支气管-肺泡灌洗液(BALF)中细胞因子白介素-1β(IL-1β),白介素-6(IL-6)和肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)水平较正常对照组明显升高,血清中谷胱甘肽(GSH)和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性明显降低,丙二醛(MDA)含量显著升高。汽车尾气长时间暴露组(8 h·d-1)BALF中白细胞计数和中性粒细胞百分比较正常对照组明显升高。肺组织切片染色后可见汽车尾气长时间暴露组小鼠肺泡间质中有较多中性粒细胞及淋巴细胞浸润。上述研究结果表明,汽车尾气可能通过引起呼吸系统损伤和降低机体抗氧化应激能力减少小鼠的运动力竭时间。     

在用汽油和柴油车排放颗粒物的粒径分布特征实测

分别选取国3～国5轻型汽油车9辆和重型柴油车15辆采用实验室底盘测功机和全流稀释定容采样系统(CVS)开展了汽柴油车尾气颗粒物排放因子实测和粒径分布比较,分析并比较了行驶工况和排放控制水平对汽柴油车尾气颗粒物排放因子和粒径分布的影响.结果表明,轻型汽油车和重型柴油车的颗粒数量单位燃料平均排放因子分别为(4.1±4.0)×10~(14) kg~(-1)和(5.7±4.3)×10~(15) kg~(-1),重型柴油车颗粒数量排放因子是轻型汽油车的(14±7)倍.轻型汽油车超高速工况下颗粒物数量排放因子显著高于其他工况,颗粒数排放因子达到(5.1±5.0)×10~(13) km~(-1),分别是低速、中速和中速工况的11.7、 14.1和7.3倍,重型柴油车高速工况颗粒数排放因子分别是低速和中速工况的2.5倍和1.4倍,且增长的颗粒物主要为核模态颗粒.国3～国5排放控制水平下汽油车颗粒物数量排放因子分别为(2.7±1.7)×10~(13)、(2.6±1.3)×10~(13)和(1.6±1.2)×10~(13) km~(-1),重型柴油车颗粒物数量排放因子分别为(2.2±1.2)×10~(15)、 2.0×10~(15)和(7.1±2.1)×10~(14) km~(-1),随着排放控制水平的提升,轻型汽油车和重型柴油车颗粒数排放控制总体上均呈现较好地下降趋势,但柴油车排放粒径110nm以上颗粒物随排放标准的提升未有改善,虽然柴油车粒径110 nm以上的数量排放因子相对较低,但其对环境的危害不容忽视,应当引起必要的关注.     

Variation characteristics of fine particulate matter and its components in diesel vehicle emission plumes

A rapid reaction occurs near the exhaust nozzle when vehicle emissions contact the air. Twenty diesel vehicles were studied using a new multipoint sampling system that is suitable for studying the exhaust plume near the exhaust nozzle. The variation characteristics of fine particle matter (PM_2.5) and its components in diesel vehicle exhaust plumes were analyzed. The PM_2.5 emissions gradually increased with increasing distance from the nozzle in the plume. Elemental carbon emissions remained basically unchanged, organic carbon and total carbon (TC) increased with increasing distance. The concentrations of SO₄^2?, NO₃^? and NH₄⁺ (SNA) directly emitted by the vehicles were very low but increased rapidly in the exhaust plume. The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reduced 42.7% TC, 40% NO₃^? emissions, but increased 104% SO₄^2? and 36% NH₄⁺ emissions, respectively. In summary, the SCR reduced 29% primary PM_2.5 emissions for the tested diesel vehicles. The NH₄NO₃ particle formation maybe more important in the plume, and there maybe other forms of formation of NH₄⁺ (eg. NH₄Cl). The generation of secondary organic carbon (SOC) plays a leading role in the generation of secondary PM_2.5. The SCR enhanced the formation of SOC and SNA in the plume, but comprehensive analysis shows that the SCR more enhanced the SNA formation in the plume, which is mainly new particles formation process. The inconsistency between secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and primary organic aerosol definitions is one of the important reasons for the difference between SOA simulation and observation.