The sources of the Kuznets relationship between the road deaths to road injuries ratio and economic growth

Introduction: Past empirical studies indicated that there is a Kuznets or reverse U-shaped relationship between road deaths and per capita income, such that the number of road death increases at a low level of per capita reverse U-shaped relationship was observed between road injuries and per capita income. While these studies explored the impact of per capita income on road deaths and road injuries, no studies have examined the relationship between per capita income and road death to road injury ratio (DPI). Method: Using a fixed effects panel regression analysis from 67 countries spanning over a period of five decades (1960–2013), the present study sought to explore the impact of per capita gross domestic product (per capita GDP) on the DPI ratio and the underlying factors responsible for the relationship. Results: Our result suggests that per capita GDP followed a reverse U-shaped relationship with DPI. Moreover, the relative improvements in higher mobility roads as compared to improvements in higher accessibility roads, motorcycle ownership to passenger car ownership ratio, percentage of population living in an urban area, infant mortality rate, and the percentage of population below 15 years of age and above 64 years of age contributed to this relationship. Practical Applications: This implies that, at lower level of economic growth where road deaths exceed road injuries, countries should implement low-cost measures to combat road deaths cases. Such measures include mandating wearing of quality helmets and daytime running headlights for motorcycles. On the other hand, at higher level of economic growth where road injuries surpass road deaths, countries are encouraged to devote more resources to improving medical technology and services to treat road injury victims, mandating seatbelt use, as well as enhancing and promoting public transportation service.     

“Like it’s wrong,but it’s not that wrong:” Exploring the normalization of risk-compensatory strategies among young drivers engaging in illegal smartphone use

Introduction: Young drivers are the most vulnerable road users and most likely to use a smartphone illegally while driving. Although when compared with drink-driving, attitudes to illegal smartphone risk are nearly identical, smartphone use among young drivers continues to increase. Method: Four in-depth focus groups were conducted with 13 young (18–25 years) drivers to gain insight into their perceptions of the risks associated with the behavior. Our aim was to determine how drivers navigate that risk and if their behavior shapes and informs perceptions of norms. Results: Three key themes emerged: (a) participants perceived illegal smartphone use as commonplace, easy, and benign; (b) self-regulatory behaviors that compensate for risk are pervasive among illegal smartphone users; and (c) risk-compensation strategies rationalize risks and perceived norms, reducing the seriousness of transgression when compared with drink-driving. Young drivers rationalized their own use by comparing their selfregulatory smartphone and driving skills with those of “bad drivers,” not law abiders. Practical Applications: These findings suggest that smartphone behaviors shape attitudes to risk, highlighting the importance for any countermeasure aimed at reducing illegal use to acknowledge how a young person’s continued engagement in illegal smartphone use is justified by the dynamic composition of use, risk assessment and the perceived norms.     

燃煤锅炉水蒸气促燃的理论研究

针对小型火力热电厂中小吨位燃煤锅炉应用现状 ,结合固体燃煤燃烧的机理 ,在详细分析常见锅炉工作原理和燃烧反应特性的基础上 ,提出了用水蒸气促燃降污节能的理论 ,水蒸气介入后促燃化学模型和物理模型的建立 ,证明了这一理论的可行性     

经济全球化能够有效抑制“一带一路”沿线国家的生态足迹吗?——来自动态门槛面板模型的经验证据

基于1993-2013年“一带一路”沿线55个国家的平行面板数据,运用Hansen动态面板门槛模型,以经济发展水平（人均GDP）为门槛变量,检验经济全球化与生态足迹之间的关系。研究结果表明：在不同的经济门槛范围内,经济全球化对生态足迹存在不同的影响。当经济发展水平小于等于3905美元时,经济全球化水平的提高能够显著降低生态足迹;当经济发展水平超过第一门槛值3905美元时,经济全球化水平对生态足迹的影响从显著抑制转变为促进作用,但是不显著;而当经济发展水平跨越第二门槛值8778美元时,经济全球化水平的提高能够显著刺激生态足迹的提高。当前“一带一路”沿线国家主要集中在第一门槛区间和第三门槛区间,经济全球化对生态足迹的影响出现两极分化态势,其中在第三门槛区间的国家在参与全球化的过程中应对资源的可持续利用引起充分重视,这关系到全球化的可持续发展和“一带一路”建设的顺利推进。     

Road effects on abundance and fitness of Galápagos lava lizards (Microlophus albemarlensis)

Vehicle collisions with wildlife have the potential to negatively impact species everywhere roads divide natural habitats; this is especially true in areas where roads are a recent addition to the landscape (e.g., in the last decade) and/or where expansion of a road network is underway. This study addresses the impact of traffic fatalities on lava lizards, Microlophus albemarlensis, on the island of Santa Cruz, Galápagos. The main road bisecting the island north to south was added to the island beginning in 1974 but not fully paved until 2000. We assessed impacts occurring due to traffic and vehicle speeds on the island. This study adds impacts to lizard populations to those conducted on birds on Santa Cruz, providing a means to create multi-species recommendations. To quantify impacts to lizard populations, we assessed lizards on randomly chosen transects perpendicular to the road. We used Poisson regression to analyze those data and found a 30% increase in lizard abundance per 100 m distance from the road across vegetation zones. We compared incidence of prior tail loss of road-killed lizards and live animals to comment on additional energetic costs of occupying near-road territories. Tail condition could not be assessed in some road-killed lizards; among those that we could assess, 29% showed evidence of prior tail loss. That rate declined to apparent baseline conditions of only 1% beyond 200 m from the road. By traveling the length of the 40-km road, we identified hot spots for fatalities of both lizards and birds to provide necessary information for developing management and remediation strategies. We offer guidance on Best Management Practices, such as testing overpasses, fencing and underpasses, which might reduce vehicle impacts to lizards from drivers on the current road. This information is essential because of a planned increase in the Santa Cruz road network in areas where lava lizards are most abundant.     

Heavy Metal Contamination and Distribution in the Urban Environment of Guangzhou, SE China

Ever-increasing heavy metal accumulation in the urban environment of Guangzhou, the largest light industrial production base and one of the most rapidly developing cities in China, poses a serious threat to environment as well as to human health in the region. As a sink or source, urban deposits are good indicators of the level and extent of heavy metal accumulation in the surface environment. The aim of this preliminary study was to examine the distribution of heavy metal contamination in the urban environment of Guangzhou. It was based on a systematic sampling of road dusts and corresponding gully sediments along major roads running mainly through commercial and residential to industrial districts of the city. In addition to road dusts and gully sediments, ceiling dusts from the Pearl River Tunnel were also collected to characterize anthropogenic emissions dominated by traffic-related activities. In general, the level of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn contaminations were more severe on the industrialized side of Guangzhou than on the western side where heavy traffic and industrial activities were limited. The primary determinants of the level of heavy metal contamination and the distribution of this contamination in the urban environment of Guangzhou were the site-specific conditions of its urban setting, particularly the types of industries, the nature of the traffic flow, sample residence times and variations in grain size of the particulate contaminants. This study highlights the complexity of the urban system and indicates that in just such a system individual urban components should be interlinked to assess the long-term environmental and health effects of heavy metal contamination. Among the heavy metals tested – Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn – the level of Zn contamination was the most severe and widespread, and thus requires immediate attention.     

基于GIS的道路交通安全管理系统的研究

针对道路交通安全的现状 ,笔者分析了利用地理信息系统 (GIS)建立道路安全管理系统的必要性及优点 ,探讨了基于GIS的道路安全管理系统的功能、设计思路及其开发的技术路线。利用GIS进行交通安全管理可以增强交通事故分析的直观性、可操作性 ,进行区域安全评价、事故多发点因素分析 ,有利于挖掘交通事故的深层原因 ,从而指导安全管理工作。基于GIS的道路交通安全管理的研究 ,是GIS在领域应用和迅速提高道路交通安全管理现代化水平的一个创新性探索。     

道路交通安全管理规划体系初探

《道路交通安全法》明确规定 :“要求县级以上地方各级人民政府应当适应道路交通发展的需要 ,依据道路交通安全法律、法规和国家有关政策 ,制定道路交通安全管理规划 ,并组织实施。”依据该条文的要求 ,笔者探讨了道路交通安全管理规划的作用 ,论述了道路交通安全管理规划体系的总体设计 ,提出了包括道路交通安全调查、交通安全管理现状评价和问题分析、交通安全趋势预测、交通安全管理目标确定以及具体专项规划等内容的道路交通安全管理规划体系。     

危险化学品道路运输系统危险性分析

针对危险化学品道路运输中的安全问题 ,建立了危化品道路运输系统模式和系统危险性评价程序。应用所开发的ACES软件系统对汽车燃料汽油的替代品LPG的道路运输进行了最大事故后果分析评价 ,并提出了建议和对策。研究结果不仅能够为危化品道路运输系统危险性的控制和预防提供科学指导 ,还能为减少系统事故损失及事故时的应急疏散等提供参考数据 ,具有潜在的经济效益和社会效益。     

废石膏用于道路回填材料的处理工艺及性能研究

讨论了化工废石膏在矿物掺合物、粉煤灰、激发剂、外加剂等存在时，在不同配比下的力学性能、凝结时间、溶蚀率、软化系数和体积稳定性，并分析了该材料水化、硬化规律，硬化体结构及与性能的关系，试验结果表明，化工废石膏掺加量的多少将直接影响到各项性能指标，采用复合早强减水剂，对于粉煤灰活性激发，及加速胶结材料凝结水化、降低用量，有显著效果。