Alcohol-impaired driving and its consequences in the United States: the past 25 years

INTRODUCTION: Progress in dealing with the alcohol-impaired driving problem in the United States during the past 25 years is addressed. METHODS: Trends in various measures of the problem were tracked and a thorough review of the relevant literature conducted. RESULTS: In the 1980s and continuing into the early 1990s, major decreases occurred in alcohol-impaired driving and its consequences. The contribution of alcohol to fatal crashes dropped by 35-40% during this period. Two primary reasons for the decline appear to be the emergence of citizen activist groups that mobilized public support and attention to the problem, and the proliferation of effective laws. Since about 1995 the alcohol-impaired driving problem has stabilized at a reduced but still quite high level. CONCLUSIONS: Highway safety organizations and citizen activist groups have continued to highlight the problem, but its status as a social issue has diminished. We basically know what the primary target groups are, and we know measures that would work to reduce the problem if implemented more fully. We know that political leadership, state task forces, and media advocacy are important ingredients in addressing the problem. It is likely that a resurgence in citizen activism will be necessary to foster these elements and refocus the nation on the unfinished battle against alcohol-impaired driving. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Alcohol-impaired driving is still a major problem that needs continuing attention.     

Reinforcing the rules or integrating behavioural responses into road planning

Road planning is based on technical rules, know-how acquired from experience and professional expertise. A more ergonomics approach to road planning and safety analyses the psychological procedures used by the drivers. Every intervention on road network has an influence on safety. Increasing the coherency of all the interventions in the same area is the only possible way of producing areas with a better level of security. This paper deals with safety procedures, diagnostics and tools which can be used at different levels of intervention.     

THEORY AND REALITY IN ALLOCATING FEDERAL RESOURCES TO WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT1

ABSTRACT: Federal spending on water resource development projects exceeds $10 billion annually. This paper examines the economic theory and practice on which the Federal water resource development plans are based. Existing theoretical and applied problems result in overinvestment. These include 1) no standard of value for the tradeoff of environmental objectives with economic objectives; 2) benefits based on “willingness to pay,” but beneficiaries pay only a fraction of a project's costs; 3) beneficiaries “shop around” among program purposes in order to reduce their commitments; and 4) benefit/cost (B/C) analyses are based on a discount rate, which is consistently below the Federal borrowing rate. Furthermore, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) frequently finds that the agency regulations are inadequate and result in inconsistent and questionable benefit computations. The President has proposed a series of water policy reforms, to reduce some of the apparent overinvestment in water resource development, but fundmental corrective action rests with the members of Congress.     

Differences in relative risks for fatal occupational highway transportation accidents

Problem and Method: This study examined the trends in the relative risks for being involved in fatal occupational highway transportation accidents based upon the age and gender of the victim. Results: Significant differences in relative risks were identified based upon age; however, there were no significant differences in relative risks based upon gender. The trend analysis of relative risks for all motor-vehicle accidents based upon age showed that males exhibited a significant cubic trend while females exhibited a significant linear trend. The trend analysis of relative risks for fatal motor-vehicle accidents specifically involving vehicle operators based upon age yielded a significant quadratic trend for males and no significant trends for females. Examining the relative risks for fatalities involving only motor-vehicle operators controlled, to a certain extent, the differences in job exposure to motor-vehicle accidents based upon age. Impact: Prevention measures are identified as most crucial for older male workers in the transportation and agriculture industries.     

Use of a generalized linear model to evaluate range forage production estimates

Interdisciplinary teams have been used in federal land planning and in the private sector to reach consensus on the environmental impact of management. When a large data base is constructed, verifiability of the accuracy of the coded estimates and the underlying assumptions becomes a problem. A mechanism is provided by the use of a linear statistical model to evaluate production coefficients in terms of errors in coding and underlying assumptions. The technique can be used to evaluate other intuitive models depicting natural resource production in relation to prescribed variables, such as site factors or secondary succession.     

溜砂坡遥感解译标志与方法——以川藏公路然乌-中坝段为例

溜砂坡是一种特殊的坡面堆积形式,主要发生在较为干旱的花岗岩山区,因其稳定性差,溜砂坡活动较为频繁,成为山区公路的重要灾害之一。以川藏公路然乌—中坝段为研究区,对溜砂坡的地貌形态和植被特征及其遥感影象特征进行了初步分析,确定了溜砂坡的遥感解译标志,并分析了溜砂坡和滑坡在遥感图像上的区别。将溜砂坡的遥感解译方法应用到川藏公路然乌—中坝段,查清了该路段的溜砂坡分布及其危害。     

新藏公路(新疆段)沿线道路病害及成因初析

新藏公路新疆段横跨塔里木盆地与昆仑山两大地貌单元，沿线泥石流、滑坡、水毁、崩塌、坍塌、碎落、雪害、涎流冰、翻浆和多年冻土等道路病害类型多样，发生频繁，不时断道阻车，严重影响着新藏公路的通行。该段沿线地质构造错综复杂，新构造运动和地震活动强烈，地形起伏大，地貌类型多样，气候条件多变，冰川作用强烈，以及人为不合理的建设活动和现有道路设计标准低、承灾能力差等，促进了各类道路病害的形成和发展。随着全球气候变暖、太阳活动和地震活动的加强，道路病害将进人新的活跃期，防灾形势十分严峻。     

Impact of Busy Roads on Breeding Success in Pied Flycatchers <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ficedula hypoleuca</Emphasis>

The impact of dense traffic on the breeding success in pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) was studied using roadside nest-boxes. Nest site selection and breeding success of flycatchers were observed in relation to the distance from the road. The number of occupied territories was no higher closer to the road than it was deeper inside the forest. The distance to the road had no effect on the laying date, clutch size, or brood size. However, nests closer to the road were more likely to fail at the chick stage. The number of broods that were closer to roads and were lost completely was significantly higher than those further away. As a consequence, the number of fledglings per breeding attempt decreased closer to roads. The nestlings typically died as older chicks when the parent birds were providing them with maximum quantities of food. A possible reason for the declining reproductive success was the traffic-related mortality of parent birds, as weather conditions were not especially adverse for raising healthy offspring.     

几种公路绿化草本植物对Cd的积累作用

为了解绿化草本植物Cd的积累特性和迁移特性,根据高速公路旁土壤Cd污染含量确定Cd试验质量比分别为0 mg/kg、2 mg/kg、4 mg/kg和20 mg/kg,在模拟温室条件下,分析了麦冬(Ophiopogon japonicus)、葱兰(Eephyranthes candida)和红花酢浆草(Oxalis rub...     

Hurricane Katrina‐linked environmental injustice: race,class, and place differentials in attitudes

Claims of environmental injustice, human neglect, and racism dominated the popular and academic literature after Hurricane Katrina struck the United States in August 2005. A systematic analysis of environmental injustice from the perspective of the survivors remains scanty or nonexistent. This paper presents, therefore, a systematic empirical analysis of the key determinants of Katrina‐induced environmental injustice attitudes among survivors in severely affected parishes (counties) in Louisiana and Mississippi three years into the recovery process. Statistical models based on a random sample of survivors were estimated, with the results revealing significant predictors such as age, children in household under 18, education, homeownership, and race. The results further indicate that African‐Americans were more likely to perceive environmental injustice following Katrina than their white counterparts. Indeed, the investigation reveals that there are substantial racial gaps in measures of environmental injustice. The theoretical, methodological, and applied policy implications of these findings are discussed.