What’s in a name? Drivers’ perceptions of the use of five SAE Level 2 driving automation systems

Introduction: Automobile manufacturers are developing increasingly sophisticated driving automation systems. Currently, the highest level of automation available on the market is SAE Level 2, which provides sustained assistance for both lateral and longitudinal vehicle control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how drivers’ perceptions of what behaviors secondary to driving are safe while a Level 2 system is operating vary by system name. Methods: A nationally representative telephone survey of 2005 drivers was conducted in 2018 with questions about behaviors respondents perceived as safe while a Level 2 driving automation system is in operation. Each respondent was asked about two out of five system names at random for a balanced study design. Results: The name “Autopilot” was associated with the highest likelihood that drivers believed a behavior was safe while in operation, for every behavior measured. There was less variation observed among the other four SAE Level 2 system names when compared with each other. A limited proportion of drivers had experience with advanced driver assistance systems and fewer of these reported driving a vehicle in which Level 2 systems were available. Drivers reported that they would consult a variety of sources for information on how to use a Level 2 system. Conclusions: The names of SAE Level 2 driving automation systems influence drivers’ perceptions of how to use them, and the name “Autopilot” was associated with the strongest effect. While a name alone cannot properly instruct drivers on how to use a system, it is a piece of information and must be considered so that drivers are not misled about the correct usage of these systems. Practical Applications: Manufacturers, suppliers, and organizations regulating or evaluating SAE Level 2 automated driving systems should ensure that systems are named so as not to mislead drivers about their safe use.     

行人过街空间违章行为特性及安全影响分析

为探究提前右转车道处不同因素与人车冲突的相关性,以及行人空间违章对过街安全的影响。采集2 062个行人及人车冲突的样本数据,获取行人和机动车的时空信息,对比分析不同类型行人过街轨迹的特征;综合考虑人车冲突时间和速度指标构建人车冲突严重度指标,从行人生理特征、车流条件、道路环境等方面选取8个因素作为自变量,构建人车冲突严重度的多元有序Logistic模型。研究结果表明：空间违章过街的行人平均过街速度和速度离散程度都明显高于其他行人;年龄、车速、人行横道长度、车辆到达率以及过街轨迹类型都是影响人车冲突严重程度的重要因素。各类型空间违章行为使严重冲突占比均提升75%以上。研究结果有助于交管部门采取措施保障行人过街安全。     

Between war and peace: humanitarian assistance in violent urban settings

Cities are fast becoming new territories of violence. 1 The humanitarian consequences of many criminally violent urban settings are comparable to those of more traditional wars, yet despite the intensity of the needs, humanitarian aid to such settings is limited. The way in which humanitarian needs are typically defined, fails to address the problems of these contexts, the suffering they produce and the populations affected. Distinctions between formal armed conflicts, regulated by international humanitarian law, and other violent settings, as well as those between emergency and developmental assistance, can lead to the neglect of populations in distress. It can take a lot of time and effort to access vulnerable communities and implement programmes in urban settings, but experience shows that it is possible to provide humanitarian assistance with a significant focus on the direct and indirect health consequences of violence outside a traditional conflict setting. This paper considers the situation of Port‐au‐Prince (Haiti), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Guatemala City (Guatemala).     

An Ombudsman for Humanitarian Assistance?

The early phases of a project to design and make operational an ombudsman for humanitarian assistance (HAO) are described in this paper. Beginning with a brief historical overview of the ombudsman concept, it then outlines seven key features of a potential HAO that were identified in the initial feasibility study. The main conclusion from the feasibility study was that, in principle, it is possible to design an HAO by adapting the operational frameworks of existing ombudsman schemes so as to match the needs of the humanitarian sector. Although this seems possible in theory, there still remain some major challenges requiring practical testing in a pilot phase. The most fundamental of these is how to enable the beneficiaries of aid to make their voices heard and register their views on the management of the emergency that is affecting them. Important also, are the issues of ensuring an international jurisdiction and finding sustainable ways of financing the scheme. Finally, the paper alludes to the framework of the pilot itself and how to address the main challenges ahead.     

Development of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management System for the Black and Caspian Seas

Six Black sea and five Caspian sea riparian countries began their way to modern managerial practice at their coasts in 1990s of the previous century. For five Black sea and four Caspian sea countries the time has coincided with launching complicated transitional period from socialism to market economy. The most important activities were carried out within framework of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea (CEP) Environmental Programs and resulted in National and Regional ICZM Reports (Coastal Profiles), ICZM Networks, Transboundary Diagnostic Analyses, Strategic Action Plans. The international assistance in ICZM development in the regions is very important, but the large specificity of the regions and countries required and keeps demanding improvement of the approaches, methods, criteria for efficiency and practical significance of the international activities. The paper analyses heritage, current situation and possible prospects of ICZM development in the regions under consideration. During the last decade, important steps have been taken for the improvement of managerial process at the Black and Caspian seas countries coasts, but the clear need should be emphasized now to move from planning to implementation stage. Among the main findings of this stage are: ICZM is very difficult for real implementation and takes years, it needs proper understanding, and it has to be implemented using both top-down and bottom-up approaches, it has to be implemented using all possible tools and procedures. At the moment the use of sustainable development approaches to the coasts depends, in the first place, on social responsibility and vital motivation of certain key decision-makers, especially at provincial and local levels. Meanwhile, two recent events: (a) new activity in the Black sea region initiated by EU, and (b) launching of the long-waited CEP second phase – produce real infrastructural opportunities for moving forward.     

Motorcyclist perception response time in stopping sight distance situations

One of the most effective engineering measures is the provision of an exclusive motorcycle lane that separates motorcycles from other mixed traffic to reduce traffic congestion and motorcycle crashes. Even though the existing exclusive motorcycle lanes in Malaysia reduced the incidents of motorcycle crashes with other vehicles, the design of this special motorcycle lane was based on a cross reference between a bicycle track and a highway. Thus, a suitable design guide is yet to be developed for the geometrical design of a proper and safer exclusive motorcycle lane. Safe stopping sight distance (SSD) has been recognized as a criterion for road design and should be taken into account. Motorcyclist perception response time (PRT) is the time from detection object until the rider reduces motorcycle speed in braking action is an essential component of motorcycle SSD. Two road experiments were conducted to obtain empirical values of motorcycle PRT to expected and unexpected objects. In the expected condition, 89 motorcyclists applied brake as quickly as possible following activation of a light beside the road. In the unexpected condition, 16 riders responded by braking in response to an obstacle that appeared suddenly in their lane. The mean PRT to expected and unexpected object is 0.71 s and 1.25 s respectively. The 85th percentile PRT to unexpected object is 2.12 s. This study found that most riders are capable of responding to an unexpected object along the roadway in 2.5 s or less. Therefore, PRT of 2.5 s is an appropriate value for motorcycle lane geometric design.     

街道峡谷内不同车道污染物扩散的数值模拟

为掌握不同位置车道污染物的扩散规律,提出降低街道峡谷内居民与行人交通源暴露水平的可能途径,采用二维k-ε两方程模型和组分输运方程对典型结构双车道街谷内的流场与不同车道污染物的扩散进行模拟,模拟结果与风洞试验结果相符合. 研究发现:迎风车道的污染物更易于向街道峡谷外部扩散;不同位置车道的污染物均在背风侧堆积,可使两侧人行道暴露水平相差5倍. 街道峡谷底部污染物分布对车道位置较敏感,车道位置向街道峡谷中部靠拢,将使得背风建筑物底部及人行道的污染物浓度明显降低;迎风侧污染物浓度对车道位置不敏感,但当车道位置处于迎风侧次级旋涡内时,将导致迎风建筑物底部及人行道的污染物浓度近乎成倍增长. 将车道位于街道峡谷中部,优先采用道路两侧绿化,是增加行人舒适度和减少行人交通源暴露水平,并改善大楼低层住宅及底部出入口、临街商铺等人群活动区空气质量的可行途径之一.      

驾驶人疲劳监测预警技术研究与应用综述

基于各种物理传感器的疲劳驾驶监测预警技术(DFMP),是交通安全领域的研究重点。这类技术主要包括基于驾驶人生理特征、车辆运行状态以及驾驶人行为特征的疲劳监测。分析论述各种疲劳监测技术的研究现状与进展、优缺点以及应用状况,介绍目前世界上常用的疲劳监测系统。通过分析比较得出:车道偏离监测、车辆运动参数监测、基于人眼、头部运动以及面部状态的疲劳监测等是目前的热点研究方向;系统软硬件的提升、基于机器视觉的多传感器多参数信息融合等是疲劳监测技术重要的发展趋势;更强的实时性、准确性和鲁棒性是疲劳监测技术的发展目标。     

排污许可证信息化监管方式创新探析

面对排污许可证“一证式”监管的高标准、严要求,通过创新信息化管理手段,设计排污许可管理辅助系统,一是能够为企业提供服务,提升企业按证守法管理的规范性;二是能够为监管部门审计式核查提供技术支持,通过对数据的全面性、规范性、逻辑性进行分析,为现场执法提供支持,提升管理部门的行政监管效率,提升排污许可证管理的专业化水平,真正落实事中事后监管要求,提高监管执法效能。同时,也能为政策制定提供辅助决策支持。