Who's not driving among U.S. high school seniors: A closer look at race/ethnicity,socioeconomic factors,and driving status

Objectives: We examined associations among race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and driving status in a nationally representative sample of >26,000 U.S. high school seniors.

Methods: Weighted data from the 2012 and 2013 Monitoring the Future surveys were combined and analyzed. We imputed missing values using fully conditional specification multiple imputation methods. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was conducted to explore associations among race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and driving status, while accounting for selected student behaviors and location. Lastly, odds ratios were converted to prevalence ratios.

Results: 23% of high school seniors did not drive during an average week; 14% of white students were nondrivers compared to 40% of black students. Multivariate analysis revealed that minority students were 1.8 to 2.5 times more likely to be nondrivers than their white counterparts, and students who had no earned income were 2.8 times more likely to be nondrivers than those earning an average of ≥$36 a week. Driving status also varied considerably by student academic performance, number of parents in the household, parental education, census region, and urbanicity.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that resources—both financial and time—influence when or whether a teen will learn to drive. Many young people from minority or lower socioeconomic families who learn to drive may be doing so after their 18th birthday and therefore would not take advantage of the safety benefits provided by graduated driver licensing. Innovative approaches may be needed to improve safety for these young novice drivers.     

我国淘汰高排放车辆政策评估——以北京为例

淘汰高排放老旧车辆是移动源污染防控的关键,研究对北京市淘汰高排放车辆政策的效果和效率进行了评估,结论如下:一是政策效率不高,政策的保障机制不完善,环境治理体系仍需优化;二是机动车污染治理没有遵循"污染者付费"原则,无法保证政策的成本有效性。建议对淘汰高污染车辆政策进行改进,在保证政策成本有效的基础上优化机动车污染排放状况。     

西安市机动车尾气污染现状及防治对策

文章介绍了机动车主要污染物及其危害,根据近年来西安市机动车的保有量变化情况,对现有数据线性回归可以预测到2015年机动车保有量约为222万辆,运用数学统计的方法计算出2008-2015年机动车尾气中CO、HC、NOx的排放量,据此提出今后西安市防治尾气污染的对策和建议。     

Washing treatment of automotive shredder residue (ASR)

Worldwide, the amount of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) reaches 50 million units per year. Once the ELV has been processed, it may then be shredded and sorted to recover valuable metals that are recycled in iron and steelmaking processes. The residual fraction, called automotive shredder residue (ASR), represents 25% of the ELV and is usually landfilled. In order to deal with the leachable fraction of ASR that poses a potential threat to the environment, a washing treatment before landfilling was applied. To assess the potential for full-scale application of washing treatment, tests were carried out in different conditions (L/S = 3 and 5 L/kg_TS; t = 3 and 6 h). Moreover, to understand whether the grain size of waste could affect the washing efficiency, the treatment was applied to ground (<4 mm) and not-ground samples. The findings obtained revealed that, on average, washing treatment achieved removal rates of more than 60% for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). With regard to metals and chlorides, sulphates and fluoride leachable fraction, a removal efficiency of approximately 60% was obtained, as confirmed also by EC values. The comparison between the results for ground and not-ground samples did not highlight significant differences.     

Impact of source segregation intensity of solid waste on fuel consumption and collection costs

Fuel consumption and collection costs of solid waste were evaluated by the aid of a simulation model for a given collection area of a medium-sized Italian city. Using the model it is possible to calculate time, collected waste and fuel consumption for a given waste collection route. Starting from the data for the current waste collection scenario with a Source Segregated (SS) intensity of 25%, all the main model error evaluated was ?1.2. SS intensity scenarios of 25%, 30%, 35% and 52% were simulated. Results showed an increase in the average fuel consumed by the collection vehicles that went from about 3.3 L/tonne for 25% SS intensity to about 3.8 L/tonne for a SS intensity of 52%. Direct collection costs, including crews and vehicle purchase, ranged from about 40 €/tonne to about 70 €/tonne, respectively, for 25% and 52% SS intensity. The increase in fuel consumption and collection costs depends on the density of the waste collected, on the collection vehicle compaction ratio and on the waste collection vehicle utilization factor (WCVUF). In particular a reduction of about 50% of the WCVUF can lead to an average increase of about 80% in fuel consumption and 100% in collection costs.     

不确定背景环境下车道检测技术的研究

针对不确定背景的交通环境,提出一种新的车道检测算法。确定道路路面的色彩范围,提取车道标线的色彩信息,消除光照强度变化对车道标线信息提取过程的影响;通过对比车辆与车道标线在大小、形状和运动模式3方面的差异排除车道中车辆对车道线检测的干扰;单帧图像的车道检测结果存储于车道一致性确认模块中,运用车道标志线一致性确认提高车道检测结果的准确性。试验结果表明,该方法能够有效地检测各种天气条件下车道区域以及解决车道遮挡问题。     

Minimizing human health effects of urban air pollution through quantification and control of motor vehicular carbon monoxide (CO) in Lahore

Impact of urban air pollution has variety of focuses such as urban ecology, human health, economy, etc. But human health is always given priority. Air pollution is threat to the lives of people living in big cities of Pakistan. In Lahore only there die 1,250 people annually because of air pollution. A strong correlation exists between urban air pollution and human health in Lahore. Growth of COPD is highest among other air pollution borne diseases. Existing mass transit system (one of driving forces behind motor vehicular emission) in Lahore due to frequent stoppages, entering and exit in flow of traffic causes excess discharge of motor vehicular carbon monoxide (CO) which is a hazardous to human health. Quantification and enumeration of this discharge is essential for environmental management. The paper is an attempt to highlight human health effects of urban air pollution through correlation and regression analysis. Further it is focused upon quantifying excess motor vehicular carbon monoxide through application of simplified mobile emission model. In light of results emission control measures are recommended.     

Erroneous mass transit system and its tended relationship with motor vehicular air pollution (An integrated approach for reduction of urban air pollution in Lahore)

Air pollution is threat to the lives of people living in big cities of Pakistan. In Lahore 1,250 people die annually because of air pollution.Mass transit system that can be put forth as solution to urban air pollution is contingent with right choice of system and its affiliation with motorized vehicles and nature of urban air pollution.Existing mass transit system in Lahore due to untrue operation causes surfeit discharge of motor vehicular carbon monoxide. Tended relationships of mass transit system with motorized vehicles and urban air pollution are quite noteworthy. The growing motor vehicles (a consequence of flawed public mass transit system) are potential source of urban air pollution. This paper attempts to highlight correlations and regression curves of existing mass transit system. Further it recommends a two facet approach for reduction of motor vehicular air pollution in Lahore.     

江苏省机动车环保检验机构现场评审要点解析

现场评审是机动车环保检验机构委托流程中的关键技术环节,按评审性质的不同梳理机动车环保检验机构现场评审的重点内容,解析各项内容的检查要点,为指导全省机动车环保检验机构的评审工作并统一评审尺度起到一定作用。     

Designing policy incentives for cleaner technologies: Lessons from California's plug-in electric vehicle rebate program

We assess the performance of alternative rebate designs for plug-in electric vehicles. Based on an innovative vehicle choice model, we simulate the performance of rebate designs that vary in terms of vehicle technologies, consumer income eligibility, and caps on the price of vehicles eligible for subsidies. We compare these alternatives in terms of 1) the number of additional plug-in electric vehicles purchased, 2) cost-effectiveness per additional vehicle purchase induced, 3) total program cost, and 4) the distribution of rebate funding across consumer income classes. Using the status quo rebate policy in California as a reference case, we identify two alternative types of designs that are superior along all four performance criteria.