Are older drivers’ driving patterns during an on-road driving task representative of their real-world driving patterns?

Abstract

Objective: The current study investigated whether older drivers’ driving patterns during a customized on-road driving task were representative of their real-world driving patterns.

Methods: Two hundred and eight participants (male: 68.80%; mean age?=?81.52 years, SD?=?3.37 years, range?=?76.00–96.00 years) completed a customized on-road driving task that commenced from their home and was conducted in their own vehicle. Participants’ real-world driving patterns for the preceding 4-month period were also collected via an in-car recording device (ICRD) that was installed in each participant’s vehicle.

Results: During the 4-month period prior to completing the on-road driving task, participants’ median real-world driving trip distance was 2.66?km (interquartile range [IQR]?=?1.14–5.79?km) and their median on-road driving task trip distance was 4.41?km (IQR?=?2.83–6.35?km). Most participants’ on-road driving task trip distances were classified as representative of their real-world driving trip distances (95.2%, n?=?198).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that most older drivers were able to devise a driving route that was representative of their real-world driving trip distance. Future research will examine whether additional aspects of the on-road driving task (e.g., average speed, proportion of trips in different speed zones) are representative of participants’ real-world driving patterns.     

Structural equation model analysis for the evaluation of overall driving performance: A driving simulator study focusing on driver distraction

Objective: The present research relies on 2 main objectives. The first is to investigate whether latent model analysis through a structural equation model can be implemented on driving simulator data in order to define an unobserved driving performance variable. Subsequently, the second objective is to investigate and quantify the effect of several risk factors including distraction sources, driver characteristics, and road and traffic environment on the overall driving performance and not in independent driving performance measures.

Methods: For the scope of the present research, 95 participants from all age groups were asked to drive under different types of distraction (conversation with passenger, cell phone use) in urban and rural road environments with low and high traffic volume in a driving simulator experiment. Then, in the framework of the statistical analysis, a correlation table is presented investigating any of a broad class of statistical relationships between driving simulator measures and a structural equation model is developed in which overall driving performance is estimated as a latent variable based on several individual driving simulator measures.

Results: Results confirm the suitability of the structural equation model and indicate that the selection of the specific performance measures that define overall performance should be guided by a rule of representativeness between the selected variables. Moreover, results indicate that conversation with the passenger was not found to have a statistically significant effect, indicating that drivers do not change their performance while conversing with a passenger compared to undistracted driving. On the other hand, results support the hypothesis that cell phone use has a negative effect on driving performance. Furthermore, regarding driver characteristics, age, gender, and experience all have a significant effect on driving performance, indicating that driver-related characteristics play the most crucial role in overall driving performance.

Conclusions: The findings of this study allow a new approach to the investigation of driving behavior in driving simulator experiments and in general. By the successful implementation of the structural equation model, driving behavior can be assessed in terms of overall performance and not through individual performance measures, which allows an important scientific step forward from piecemeal analyses to a sound combined analysis of the interrelationship between several risk factors and overall driving performance.     

基于情感思维的安全管理模式研究

为促进安全管理,提高效率与效果,对基于情感思维的安全管理进行研究,将情感思维融于安全管理,基于情感思维的定义、内涵及功能,具体分析安全管理中情感思维的功能及其功能综合作用,建立安全管理中情感思维功能作用理论模型;根据该理论模型分析情感思维驱动力及强化作用及其对安全目标实现的影响;建立基于情感思维的安全管理设计模式,最后提出优化安全管理的措施与方法,以促进安全管理的实施。研究表明:基于情感思维的安全管理研究,能较好地体现安全管理人本原理,发挥情感的能动作用,将理性融入其中与情感进行平衡,实现安全管理的优化。     

An Aquifer Classification System and Geographical Information System-Based Analysis Tool for Watershed Managers in the Western U.S.1

Payne, Scott M. and William W. Woessner, 2010. An Aquifer Classification System and Geographical Information System-Based Analysis Tool for Watershed Managers in the Western U.S. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(5):1003-1023. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00472.x Abstract: Aquifers and groundwater systems can be classified using a variety of independent methods to characterize geologic and hydraulic properties, the degree of connection with surface water, and geochemical conditions. In light of a growing global demand for water, an approach for classifying groundwater systems at the watershed scale is needed. A comprehensive classification system is proposed that combines recognized methods and new approaches. The purpose of classification is to provide groundwater professionals, policy makers, and watershed managers with a widely applicable and repeatable system that reduces sometimes cumbersome complex databases and analyzes to straightforward terminology and graphical representations. The proposed classification system uses basin geology, aquifer productivity, water quality, and the degree of groundwater/surface water connection as classification criteria. The approach is based on literature values, reference databases, and fundamental hydrologic and hydrogeologic principles. The proposed classification system treats dataset completeness as a variable and includes a tiered assessment protocol that depends on the quality and quantity of data. In addition, it assembles and catalogs groundwater information using a consistent set of nomenclature. It is designed to analyze and display results using Geographical Information System mapping tools.     

A Thermodynamic Geography: Night-Time Satellite Imagery as a Proxy Measure of Emergy

Night-time satellite imagery enables the measurement, visualization, and mapping of energy consumption in an area. In this paper, an index of the “sum of lights” as observed by night-time satellite imagery within national boundaries is compared with the emergy of the nations. Emergy is a measure of the solar energy equivalent used, directly or indirectly, to support the processes that characterize the economic activity in a country. Emergy has renewable and non-renewable components. Our results show that the non-renewable component of national emergy use is positively correlated with night-time satellite imagery. This relationship can be used to produce emergy density maps which enable the incorporation of spatially explicit representations of emergy in geographic information systems. The region of Abruzzo (Italy) is used to demonstrate this relationship as a spatially disaggregate case.     

基于CA-MAS的水域总有机碳扩散模拟研究

当前水环境污染扩散研究一般基于普通数值模型模拟,忽略了水污染扩散微观驱动力的影响。为能更真实地反映其动态扩散过程,针对水域总有机碳(TOC)扩散机理,基于CA和MAS技术,将影响TOC扩散的自然和社会经济因素抽象为微观的水流Agent、风速Agent、径流量Agent、污水排放口Agent、人工管理Agent以及农业生产地Agent,将研究水域抽象为CA元胞空间,建立了CA-MAS水域总有机碳扩散模型,对水域总有机碳的动态演化过程进行模拟,并以武汉理工大学鉴湖水域作为实验区域,借助NetLogo仿真平台完成了模型的实现与验证。模拟结果表明,该模型基本能够反映水体总有机碳的扩散规律,可以为水环境污染控制提供参考。     

丹阳市宅基地使用权流转意愿的影响因素及相互作用

通过丹阳市4个村320户农户实地问卷调查,分析了丹阳市宅基地使用权流转意愿的影响因素,由Logistic回归分析模型,给出了影响因素的驱动力、贡献率的数学表达。结果表明：文化程度、宅基地个数、家庭总收入等影响因素对流转意愿呈正相关;户主年龄、家庭人口数量等影响因素对流转意愿呈负相关。同一农户的影响因素在不同阶段对流转意愿度的贡献率不同,家庭收入和户主年龄是影响宅基地流转的主要因素,他们对宅基地流转分别起着推力和阻力作用,在相互作用过程中,两者之间彼此消长。实地抽样结果分析表明,丹阳农村户主文化程度若为初中且年龄在35岁时,家庭收入能达到34 000元的话,宅基地使用权流转意愿度超过50%。以后每年家庭收入能有一定增速的话,农户流转意愿度将持续保持在50%以上。     

1994~2006年上海市土地利用时空变化特征及驱动力分析

快速发展的都市地区是区域土地利用变化研究热点。基于上海市1994、2000、2003和2006年4期航空遥感影像资料数据,运用人机交互目视解译方法建立上海土地利用空间数据库,并结合GIS空间分析、数理统计方法与土地利用动态度模型,对上海市1994~2006年土地利用时空变化特征进行了深入分析。结果表明：12 a间,上海市综合土地利用动态度为207%;在各种用地变化中,耕地面积变化最大,共减少了94 00772 hm2,减幅达233%;从耕地转移来看,转变为城镇建设用地（包括工业仓储用地、交通用地、城镇居民点用地和其他用地）面积共74 82586 hm2,占耕地面积总流出量的6712%;可见城镇建设用地急剧扩张而大量占用耕地,是上海市土地利用变化的主要特征;上海市土地利用变化的另一个重要特征是城市绿地的大幅增加,12 a间城市绿地面积共增加了9 29241 hm2,单一动态度为1876%。从上海土地利用变化的区域特征来看,各区的综合土地利用动态度差异明显,且表现出明显的中心城区-近郊-远郊递减趋势,其中浦东新区综合土地利用动态度最大,崇明县最小,这种差异与各区（县）的区位条件、经济发展状况以及政策等因素密切相关。通过对上海LUCC的驱动力定性定量分析表明,社会经济因素包括人口分布及变化、经济增长、人民生活水平的提高、政策以及国际大型活动的举办均对上海土地利用格局及其变化产生了重要的影响     

中国并网光伏发电系统的经济性与环境效益

太阳能已成为世界各国公认的最为理想的替代能源,其应用规模不断扩大.但光伏发电系统高昂的成本,成为限制其发展的关键因素.本文应用净现值和单因素敏感性分析工具,建立了光伏发电成本的计算模型,以我国34个省会城市作为研究案例,对井网光伏发电系统进行了经济性和环境效益分析.结果显示:在目前政府初始投资补贴一半的情况下,并网光伏发电成本介于0.83-2.29元/kWh之间.即便在光照资源最丰富的地区,并网光伏发电仍无法与常规能源发电相竞争.在影响并网光伏系统发电成本的诸多影响因素中,政府初始投资补贴额度、水平面太阳能辐射量和投资密度的敏感性最强;CDM资金的注入对光伏发电成本的降低具有积极的作用.激励政策方面,出台合适的、稳定的上网电价对启动国内光伏市场最为有效.光伏发电系统的环境效益是指光伏发电的减排环境效益扣除系统发电环境成本的余额.经计算并网光伏发电具有显著的环境效益,其环境效益为0.0165元/kWh.本研究对于国家制定光伏发电的激励政策和成本分摊机制具有重要的参考价值.