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.     

川主寺至九寨沟旅游公路建设与环境保护

川主寺至九寨沟公路(简称“川九”路)是交通部、四川省重点建设工程。项目所在地海拔高、生态环境脆弱,又是旅游胜地,做到公路建设与环境保护的协调统一是本工程的核心内容。通过分析公路建设环境影响,主要针对施工期提出行之有效的环境保护措施并贯彻于设计和施工中,达到了交通部“安全、舒适、环保、示范”的要求,建设了我国第一条高原区生态公路。     

Design of unsurfaced roads constructed with large-size shredded rubber tires: a case study

Stockpiles of scrap tires are serious fire hazard, public health hazard, and an environmental burden. The construction of road embankments, using tire shreds as a lightweight fill, can consume large quantities of scrap tires and has certain engineering benefits. All the previous research focused on small size tire shreds (3–6 in. size) in terms of its use in civil engineering applications and determination of the engineering/environmental properties. This research specifically focuses on large size tire shreds (12 in. size) and its direct comparison with the other sizes of the tire shreds to develop mechanistic-empirical practical design model and so that the use of tire shreds in road bases could be used on regular basis with enhanced reliability instead of on an empirical basis. The research also examines the potential environmental implications of the use of shredded rubber tires and the comparison of the short-term results with other long-term monitoring studies.     

Risk analysis for road and rail transport of hazardous materials: a simplified approach

A simplified approach to transportation risk analysis for road and rail transport of dangerous goods is proposed, which is based on the use of a product databank, containing the impact areas for a number of pre-selected accidental scenarios, and on the selection of a few typical average values of the involved parameters, relevant to the type of transport activity and to the route. Such an approach enables also a non-specialist to very rapidly perform a transportation risk analysis, obtaining both individual and societal risk measures for the study case(s): the results may be used to support a decision making process, and/or as a basis for a more in deep analysis.     

城市道路中央隔离设施的交通安全与景观研究

笔者从道路交通事故和景观方面 ,研究道路中央隔离设施的功能与特征。首先 ,利用对某城市道路中央有无隔离带情况下记录的交通事故数据 ,进行交通安全统计比较分析 ;其次 ,分别利用层次分析法和语言分级评价法 ,对城市道路中央双黄线、中央护栏隔离和中央绿化隔离 3种情况的景观进行分析 ;最后 ,通过综合分析给出分析结果 ,即中央绿化隔离、中央栅栏隔离带和双黄线隔离的评价顺序。     

Risky, aggressive, or emotional driving: addressing the need for consistent communication in research

Problem. Researchers agree that a consistent definition for aggressive driving is lacking. Such definitional ambiguity in the literature impedes the accumulation of accurate and precise information, and prevents researchers from communicating clearly about findings and implications for future research directions. This dramatically slows progress in understanding the causes and maintenance factors of aggressive driving. Summary. This article critiques prevailing definitions of driver aggression and generates a definition that, if used consistently, can improve the utility of future research. Pertinent driving behaviors have been variably labeled in the literature as risky, aggressive, or road rage. The authors suggest that the term “road rage” be eliminated from research because it has been used inconsistently and has little probability of being clarified and applied consistently. Instead, driving behaviors that endanger or have the potential to endanger others should be considered as lying on a behavioral spectrum of dangerous driving. Three dimensions of dangerous driving are delineated: (a) intentional acts of aggression toward others, (b) negative emotions experienced while driving, and (c) risk-taking. Impact on Industry. The adoption of a standardized definition for aggressive driving should spark researchers to use more explicit operational definitions that are consistent with theoretical foundations. The use of consistent and unambiguous operational definitions will increase the precision of measurement in research and enhance authors' ability to communicate clearly about findings and conclusions. As this occurs over time, industry will reap benefits from more carefully conducted research. Such benefits may include the development of more valid and reliable means of selecting safe professional drivers, conducting accurate risk assessments, and creating preventative and remedial dangerous driving safety programs.     

关于我国城市道路交通环境问题的思考

分析我国城市近年来机动车迅速增长导致的道路交通环境问题的严重性，建议应确立城市道路交通生态环境观念，改革传统城市规划，加快道路绿化，优先发展公共交通。     

交通事故发生规律与城市道路系统的规划设计研究

笔者分析了城市交通事故发生率与道路等级、道路断面形式、路网密度、交叉口形式、道路车速的关系及交通事故人群的分布规律,认为道路宽而稀、支路缺乏、街道功能不清是我国城市道路网与用地微观布局的基本特点。大量数据分析表明,这种路网体系与我国的城市交通事故率偏高有着密切关系。路网规划是城市路网建设的基本依据,笔者认为,应当将降低城市交通事故率作为路网规划的考虑内容之一,同时指出,应在路网规划中合理选择道路断面形式、交叉口形式,建议适度加密路网、健全支路体系、理清街道功能,并考虑城市道路的车速控制与驾驶心态调整。     

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.     

Abdominopelvic injuries due to road traffic accidents: Characteristics in a registry of 162,695 victims

Objective: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the first cause of abdominopelvic injuries (APIs). The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics and severity of APIs due to traffic accidents in a large French trauma registry and to identify risk factors for API.

Methods: All victims from the French Rhône registry of victims of RTAs were analyzed from 1996 to 2013. This registry contained data that were issued over a 20-year period from 245 medical departments, from prehospital care until re-adaptation, and forensic medicine departments. All APIs, defined as an injury between the diaphragm and the pelvic bone, were extracted and studied.

Results: Among 162,695 victims, 10,165 had an API (6.7%). Accidents frequently involved young men and 2 cars. Mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 8.7. Mortality rate was 5.6%. Soft tissue injuries largely predominated (n = 6,388; 54.4% of patients). Overall, 2,322 victims had a pelvic bone injury. Internal abdominal organs were involved in 2,425 patients; the most frequent were the spleen, liver, and kidney. Wearing of the seat belt appeared to be a significant protective factor in API, including serious injuries. A partial analysis over the past 2 years among the most severe patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit indicated that nonoperative management was carried out in two thirds of the wounded. In uni- or multivariate analysis, sex, age, type of user, antagonist, time of occurrence, associated severe lesions, or wearing of the seat belt were statistically associated with the occurrence of API, highlighting a more dangerous user profile.

Conclusions: Abdominopelvic injuries concern a minority of road traffic injuries, but they are responsible for significant mortality. Large solid organs are the most frequently affected. Women drivers wearing a seat belt and driving in town during the day appear to be more protected against API.