Driving performance comparing older versus younger drivers

Objectives: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Touro University California campus to compare differences in reaction times and driving performance of younger adult drivers (18–40 years) and older adult drivers (60 years and older). Each test group consisted of 38 participants.

Methods: A Simple Visual Reaction Test (SVRT) tool was used to measure reaction times. The STISIM Drive M100 driving simulator was used to assess driving parameters. Driving performance parameters included mean lane position, standard deviation of mean lane position measured, mean speed, standard deviation of mean speed, car-following delay, car-following modulus, car-following coherence, off-road accidents, collisions, pedestrians hit, and traffic light tickets.

Results: Compared to younger participants, older drivers experienced significantly slower reaction times (510.0 ± 208.8 vs. 372.4 ± 96.1 ms, P =.0004), had more collisions (0.18 ± 0.39 vs. none, P =.0044), drove slower (44.6 ± 6.6 vs. 54.9 ± 11.7 mph, P <.0001), deviated less in speed (12.6 ± 4.3 vs. 16.8 ± 6.3, P =.0011), and were less able to maintain a constant distance behind a pace car (0.42 ± 0.23 vs. 0.59 ± 0.24; P =.0025).

Conclusions: Differences exist in driving patterns of older and younger drivers as measured by reaction times and driving simulator outcomes. These results are the first to compare these 2 specific adult age groups' driving performance as measured by a standardized driving simulator scenario. Identifying these differences is essential in addressing them and preventing future traffic injuries.     

Physiological signal analysis for fatigue level of experienced and inexperienced drivers

Objective: We studied the changes in driving fatigue levels of experienced and inexperienced drivers at 3 periods of the day: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Methods: Thirty drivers were involved in 120-min real-car driving, and sleepiness ratings (Stanford Sleepiness Scale, SSS; Hoddes et al. 1973 Hoddes E, Zarcone V, Smythe H, Phillips R, Dement WC. Quantification of sleepiness: a new approach. Psychophysiology. 1973;10:431–436.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, and heart rates (HRs) were recorded. Together with principal component analysis, the relationship between EEG signals and HR was explored and used to determine a comprehensive indicator of driving fatigue. Then the comprehensive indicator was assessed via paired t test.

Results: Experienced and inexperienced drivers behaved significantly differently in terms of subjective fatigue during preliminary trials. At the beginning of trials and after termination, subjective fatigue level was aggravated with prolonged continuous driving. Moreover, we discussed the changing rules of EEG signals and HR and found that with prolonged time, the ratios of δ and β waves significantly declined, whereas that of the θ wave significantly rose. The ratio of (α + θ)/β significantly rose both before trials and after termination, but HR dropped significantly. However, one-factor analysis of variance shows that driving experience significantly affects the θ wave, (α + θ)/β ratio, and HR.

Conclusions: We found that in a monotonous road environment, fatigue symptoms occurred in inexperienced drivers and experienced drivers after about 60 and 80 min of continuous driving, respectively. Therefore, as for drivers with different experiences, restriction on continuous driving time would avoid fatigued driving and thereby eliminate traffic accidents. We find that the comprehensive indicator changes significantly with fatigue level. The integration of different indicators improves the recognition accuracy of different driving fatigue levels.     

Driving in mild cognitive impairment: The role of depressive symptoms

Objectives: Previous studies indicate a negative association between depression and driving fitness in the general population. Our goal was to cover a gap in the literature and to explore the link between depressive symptoms and driving behavior in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through the use of a driving simulator experiment.

Methods: Twenty-four individuals with MCI (mean age = 67.42, SD = 7.13) and 23 cognitively healthy individuals (mean age = 65.13, SD = 7.21) were introduced in the study. A valid driving license and regular car use served as main inclusion criteria. Data collection included a neurological/neuropsychological assessment and a driving simulator evaluation. Depressive symptomatology was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

Results: Significant interaction effects indicating a greater negative impact of depressive symptoms in drivers with MCI than in cognitively healthy drivers were observed in the case of various driving indexes, namely, average speed, accident risk, side bar hits, headway distance, headway distance variation, and lateral position variation. The associations between depressive symptoms and driving behavior remained significant after controlling for daytime sleepiness and cognition.

Conclusions: Depressive symptoms could be a factor explaining why certain patients with MCI present altered driving skills. Therefore, interventions for treating the depressive symptoms of individuals with MCI could prove to be beneficial regarding their driving performance.     

Driving restrictions post-stroke: Physicians' compliance with regulations

Objective: Suffering a stroke might lead to permanent cognitive and/or physical impairment. It has been shown that these impairments could have an impact on an individual's fitness to drive. In Sweden, as in many other countries, there are regulations on driving cessation post-stroke. Information on driving cessation should be given to all patients and noted in the journal. The present study sought to determine physician's compliance to driving regulations post-stroke as well as follow-up and gender aspects.

Method: A retrospective study of medical records on stroke patients was carried out. The study covered all of the medical records on stroke incidents (n = 342) during a year at a typical medium to large-sized hospital in Sweden.

Results: A journal entry on driving cessation post-stroke was missing in 81% of the medical records. Only 2% of the patients were scheduled for a follow-up meeting specifically concerning fitness to drive. Significantly more men than women had an entry on driving in the journal.

Conclusions: We conclude that the Swedish regulations on driving cessation post-stroke were not followed at the participating hospital. It is crucial that all stroke patients receive information on driving cessation because their condition might affect fitness to drive. Analysis of follow-up records showed that there was no consistent method for assessment of a patient's fitness to drive. There was also a gender difference in the material, which warrants further investigation.     

Literature review on risky driving videos on YouTube: Unknown effects and areas for concern?

Objective: Entry of terms reflective of extreme risky driving behaviors into the YouTube website yields millions of videos. The majority of the top 20 highly subscribed automotive YouTube websites are focused on high-performance vehicles, high speed, and often risky driving. Moreover, young men are the heaviest users of online video sharing sites, overall streaming more videos, and watching them longer than any other group. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on YouTube videos and risky driving.

Methods: A systematic search was performed using the following specialized database sources—Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar—for the years 2005–2015 for articles in the English language. Search words included “YouTube AND driving,” “YouTube AND speeding,” “YouTube AND racing.”

Results: No published research was found on the content of risky driving videos or on the effects of these videos on viewers. This literature review presents the current state of our published knowledge on the topic, which includes a review of the effects of mass media on risky driving cognitions; attitudes and behavior; similarities and differences between mass and social media; information on the YouTube platform; psychological theories that could support YouTube's potential effects on driving behavior; and 2 examples of risky driving behaviors (“sidewalk skiing” and “ghost riding the whip”) suggestive of varying levels of modeling behavior in subsequent YouTube videos.

Conclusions: Every month about 1 billion individuals are reported to view YouTube videos (ebizMBA Guide 2015 ebizMBA Guide. Top 15 most popular websites. 2015. Available at: http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/most-popular-websites [Google Scholar]) and young men are the heaviest users, overall streaming more YouTube videos and watching them longer than women and other age groups (Nielsen 2011 Nielsen. State of the media: the social media report. Q3. 2011. Available at: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2011/social-media-report-q3.html [Google Scholar]). This group is also the most dangerous group in traffic, engaging in more per capita violations and experiencing more per capita injuries and fatalities (e.g., Parker et al. 1995 Parker D, Reason J, Manstead ASR, Stradling SG. Driving errors, driving violations and accident involvement. Ergonomics. 1995;38:1036–1048.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Reason et al. 1990 Reason J, Manstead A, Stradling S, Baxter J, Campbell K. Errors and violations on the roads: a real distinction? Ergonomics. 1990;33:1315–1332.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Transport Canada 2015 Vingilis E, Yilderim-Yenier Z, Fischer P, et al. Self-concept as a risky driver: Mediating the relationship between racing video games and on-road driving violations in a community-based sample. Transp Res Part F Traffic Psychol Behav. 2016;43:15–23. [Google Scholar]; World Health Organization 2015 World Health Organization. Road traffic injuries. Fact sheet no. 358. 2015. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs358/en/# Accessed March 14, 2016. [Google Scholar]). YouTube also contains many channels depicting risky driving videos. The time has come for the traffic safety community to begin exploring these relationships.     

晋西北地区土地沙漠化时空格局及其驱动因素

利用晋西北地区1975,1991,2000,2015,2019年遥感影像,采用转移矩阵模型、重心迁移模型和主成分分析法,研究晋西北地区土地沙漠化的时空变化及其驱动机制.结果表明：土地沙漠化面积在时间上呈现先增加、后减少的动态趋势,其中1975~1991年沙漠化土地面积增加1495.10km²,非沙漠化土地转移为轻度沙漠化土地面积最大（1506.12km²）;1991~2000年沙漠化土地面积增加689.09km²,轻度沙漠化土地转移为中度沙漠化土地面积最大（11098.72km²）;2000~2015年沙漠化土地面积减少2365.85km²,中度沙漠化土地转移为轻度沙漠化土地面积最大（10569.56km²）;2015~2019年沙漠化土地面积减少1931.39km²,轻度沙漠化土地转移为非沙漠化土地面积最大（1909.93km²）.空间上呈现先偏南、后偏西北的迁移趋势,其中1975~1991年、1991~2000年沙漠化土地重心总体上偏南方向迁移,重度沙漠化土地重心迁移距离最大,分别为19.26,20.06km;2000~2019年沙漠化土地重心向西北迁移,轻度沙漠化土地重心迁移距离最大,为30.29km.1975~2019年晋西北地区土地沙漠化动态变化是自然因素和人为因素共同作用的结果,人口数量和牲畜数量是影响沙漠化土地变化的主要人为因素,大风日数是影响沙漠化土地变化的主要自然因素.     

中国交通碳排放及影响因素时空异质性

选取30个省级行政单位作为空间单元,采用探索性空间数据分析（ESDA）方法对交通碳排放时空分布格局进行研究,同时考虑空间单元的差异性,构建地理加权回归（GWR）模型分析交通碳排放影响因素的时空异质性.研究发现：2000~2015年交通碳排放量呈现显著的空间聚类特征,聚类趋势逐年加强.双变量空间自相关指数为0.165~0.274,显著性水平介于0.016~0.045,表明交通碳排放同机动车保有量、GDP、货运周转量及客运周转量之间存在显著的空间正相关关系.GWR模型的R²在0.783~0.865之间,而OLS模型的R²在0.675~0.844之间,且GWR模型的AICc值均低于OLS模型的,说明GWR模型的拟合结果明显优于OLS模型,可以更好地解释交通碳排放的影响机制.GWR的回归结果表明碳排放的影响因素存在明显的时空异质性特征,其中GDP是主要的推动因素,部分地区回归系数高达0.91,2000年影响程度由东向西递减,而2005、2010和2015年由北向南递减.客运周转量起到关键的抑制作用,影响程度由东北向西南递减.因此建议应当充分考虑碳排放影响因素的时空异质性特征,制定差异化的碳减排政策.     

基于车载诊断系统的轻型乘用车实际道路油耗特征分析

近年来的一系列研究表明,轻型车实际道路油耗与型式认证油耗间的差异在不断增大,之前的实际道路油耗研究大多基于用户上报数据或车载排放测试系统(PEMS).车载诊断系统(OBD)是一种监测发动机及排放控制系统实时工作状态的仪器.本研究通过OBD解码器采集瞬时发动机进气量计算机动车瞬态油耗并通过2辆轻型汽油车的实验室台架测试证明该方法具有很好的准确性(差异在±5%以内).本研究进一步在北京选取了7辆轻型汽油车,利用OBD解码器开展实际道路油耗测试,并研究运行工况及车辆载重对其实际道路油耗的影响.实际道路结果显示测试车辆在典型工况下的油耗比型式认证油耗高23.1%~46.4%,平均差异为29.2%.通过微观运行模态方法将实际道路油耗修正到法规测试循环(NEDC工况)的交通特征下,道路油耗仍然比型式认证油耗高18.7%±7.1%.研究表明,平均速度与实际道路油耗具有很强的相关性.实际道路油耗在30 km·h-1以下时会随速度降低而显著上升.此外,研究还发现如果车辆载重增加260 kg,实际道路油耗将上升6.2%±2.2%.     

基于DMSP/OLS数据的区域碳排放时空动态研究

选取IPCC碳排放核算方法并基于能源统计数据,核算了我国大陆30个省市的能源消耗碳排放量,利用纠正后的DMSP/OLS夜间灯光数据与相应空间单元的碳排放量进行回归分析,反演出1km×1km栅格的电力消耗碳排放量并分析其在地级市尺度上的时空变化.核算出2005年、2010年和2013年能源消耗排放总量分别为57.02,82.28和93.26亿t,其中电力碳排放量分别为23.03,35.62和42.07亿t.结果表明：校正后的DMSP/OLS夜间灯光数据能更好地估算碳排放,其DN总值与统计的省级能源消耗排放量、电力消耗排放量均存在较强的相关关系;整体而言,发达地区能源消耗排放量大但强度比较低.