Women drivers' behavior in well-known versus less familiar locations

INTRODUCTION: Through observations this study sought to examine the effects of road familiarity on driving performance. METHOD: Severe and minor traffic violations, dangerous behaviors, and speeding were assessed in well known and in less familiar locations. RESULTS: As compared to less known locations, drivers in well known locations performed more severe and minor violations, more dangerous behaviors, and they drove above the speed limit more often. DISCUSSION: The results are discussed in the context of Theory of Risk Homeostasis (later re-labeled as Target Risk Theory), the psychological effect of familiarity on driving performance, and the phenomenon of automatic driving. Presenting the risk of driving in familiar locations would assist to elevate safe driving.     

汽车超载行驶对公路安全危害及其对策研究

伴随着车辆的大幅度增长 ,我国的道路交通事故也在逐年增加。为了改变我国汽车超载行驶的严峻局面 ,笔者从我国的实际情况出发 ,分析了汽车超载行驶的原因 ,并有针对性地给出了杜绝汽车超载行驶的可行而有效的软硬件措施 ,为改善交通安全的现状 ,指出了实现的方法及努力的方向。     

Decomposition and decoupling analysis of carbon dioxide emissions in African countries during 1984‒2014

The potential for mitigating climate change is growing worldwide, with an increasing emphasis on reducing CO₂ emissions and minimising the impact on the environment. African continent is faced with the unique challenge of climate change whilst coping with extreme poverty, explosive population growth and economic difficulties. CO₂ emission patterns in Africa are analysed in this study to understand primary CO₂ sources and underlying driving forces further. Data are examined using gravity model, logarithmic mean divisia index and Tapio's decoupling indicator of CO₂ emissions from economic development in 20 selected African countries during 1984?2014. Results reveal that CO₂ emissions increased by 2.11% (453.73 million ton) over the research period. Gravity centre for African CO₂ emissions had shifted towards the northeast direction. Population and economic growth were primary driving forces of CO₂ emissions. Industrial structure and emission efficiency effects partially offset the growth of CO₂ emissions. The economic growth effect was an offset factor in central African countries and Zimbabwe due to political instability and economic mismanagement. Industrial structure and emission efficiency were insufficient to decouple economic development from CO₂ emissions and relieve the pressure of population explosion on CO₂ emissions in Africa. Thus, future efforts in reducing CO₂ emissions should focus on scale-up energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy update, emission pricing and long-term green development towards sustainable development goals by 2030.     

Awareness of zero tolerance laws in three states

PROBLEM: A prior study indicated that zero tolerance laws differ in their enforceability and likelihood of enforcement, with California's law being easier to enforce than New York's, and New Mexico's being the hardest of all. The question is, do these differences in enforcement affect teenagers' knowledge and perception of these laws? METHOD: A telephone survey was conducted to investigate awareness of the laws among 17-20 year olds in these three states and perceptions of enforcement. RESULTS: Estimated percentages of teenagers who knew of the laws were much higher in New York and California (71% and 65%, respectively) than in New Mexico (34%). Perceptions that police were enforcing the law, that licenses could be suspended, and that penalties were often applied were also lowest in New Mexico. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The potential of zero tolerance laws will not be realized without better awareness among young people. Full enforcement of the laws accompanied by publicity about the enforcement is recommended. Changes to the laws and their application may encourage enforcement efforts.     

An in-depth look at parent-imposed driving rules: their strengths and weaknesses

Introduction: With a growing interest in increasing parental involvement in teen driving, it is important to find out what parents are already doing. Method This study assessed the content, delivery, rigidity, and consequences of 143 driving rules reported by 24 parent-teen dyads. Results: Strengths included that driving rules covered the full range of concerns, especially night driving limits and passenger limits, and most parents and teens reported that violations would be followed by consequences, especially talk/warn or no driving. Weaknesses included that many rules were not very strict and only half showed parent-teen agreement on content. Conclusions: These findings suggest that teen driving rules are not clearly defined.     

Effects of two doses of methylphenidate on simulator driving performance in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

INTRODUCTION: Numerous studies have documented an increased frequency of vehicular crashes, traffic citations, driving performance deficits, and driving-related cognitive impairments in teens and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. METHOD: The present study evaluated the effects of two single, acute doses of methylphenidate (10 and 20 mg) and a placebo on the driving performance of 53 adults with ADHD (mean age=37 years, range=18-65) using a virtual reality driving simulator, examiner and self-ratings of simulator performance, and a continuous performance test (CPT) to evaluate attention and inhibition. A double-blind, drug-placebo, within-subjects crossover design was used in which all participants were tested at baseline and then experienced all three drug conditions. RESULTS: A significant beneficial effect for the high dose of medication was observed on impulsiveness on CPT, variability of steering in the standard driving course, and driving speed during the obstacle course. A beneficial effect of the low dose of medication also was evident on turn signal use during the standard driving course. An apparent practice effect was noted on some of the simulator measures between the baseline and subsequent testing sessions that may have interacted with and thereby obscured drug effects on those measures. CONCLUSIONS: The results, when placed in the context of prior studies of stimulants on driving performance, continue to recommend their clinical use as one means of reducing the driving risks in ADHD teens and adults. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Given the significantly higher risk of adverse driving outcomes associated with ADHD, industry needs to better screen for ADHD among employees who drive as part of employment so as to improve safety and reduce costs. Use of stimulants to treat the adult ADHD driver may reduce safety risks.     

Driving and alternatives: older drivers in Michigan

Method: A statewide telephone survey of Michigan drivers and former drivers aged 65 and older collected information on transportation mode choices, experience with alternatives to driving, and whether drivers planned for when they could no longer drive. Results: Results showed that most older adult households owned at least one automobile, and that the automobile was the primary mode of transportation. Most former drivers obtained rides from relatives and friends. Use of public transportation was low, and some seniors were not aware of available public transportation services. Older drivers did not plan for driving cessation. Over half the drivers who perceived a likelihood of driving problems within 5 years expected to keep driving beyond 5 years. Impact on industry: Because of their lifelong reliance on the automobile, their desire to drive themselves, and their lack of experience with public transportation, efforts to enhance the mobility of older people should consider this background while alternatives to the personal automobile are developed.     

The characteristics of young Indigenous drink drivers in Queensland,Australia

Objective: This study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of first drink driving convictions among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians (aged from 14 to 24) and considers some of the risk factors associated with recidivism.

Methods: Convictions recorded between 2006 and 2013 were extracted from the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General database. Convictions were regrouped by gender, age, Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia classification, and sentence severity. Chi-square analyses and logistic regression were conducted to identify group differences in offense characteristics for gender and recidivism (recidivists versus nonrecidivists).

Results: The sample consisted of 1,583 individuals (74.1% males) convicted in the 8-year period. Gender comparisons showed that there was no significant difference in age at time of first offense, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level at apprehension, or type of penalty received between males and females. However, males received larger fines and longer periods of license disqualification. Comparisons for reoffending and non-reoffending revealed that males, drivers aged 14–17 years of age and 18 to 20 years of age, and inner regional drivers were more likely to reoffend.

Conclusions: There were limited differences between females and males or recidivists and nonrecidivists at first conviction. Convictions for drink driving may provide an opportunity for early alcohol intervention with Indigenous young drivers (<20 years) because it is likely to be an individual's first alcohol-related conviction.     

The dynamic development of bacterial community following long-term weathering of bauxite residue

Bauxite residue is the industrial waste generated from alumina production and commonly deposited in impoundments. These sites are bare of vegetation due to the extreme high salinity and alkalinity, as well as lack of nutrients. However, long term weathering processes could improve residue properties to support the plant establishment. Here we investigate the development of bacterial communities and the geochemical drivers in bauxite residue, using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. Long term weathering reduced the pH in bauxite residue and increased its nutrients content. The bacterial community also significantly developed during long term weathering processes. Taxonomic analysis revealed that natural weathering processes encouraged the populations of Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Planctomycetes, whereas reducing the populations of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that total organic carbon (TOC) was the dominant factors affecting microbial structure. The results have demonstrated that natural weathering processes improved the soil development on the abandoned bauxite residue disposal areas, which also increased our understanding of the correlation between microbial variation and residue properties during natural weathering processes in Bauxite residue disposal areas.     

The safety effect of open-median management on one-side widened freeways: A driving simulation evaluation

Introduction: Highway expansions and upgrades are often required to increase road network capacity. The widening of one side of a highway, referred to as ‘one-side widening,’ is sometimes implemented in these highway expansion projects. During one-side widening, to save costs, openings can be configured on existing medians (as opposed to removing the existing medians altogether). The median openings allow vehicles in the outer lanes to enter the inner lanes, but they also raise safety concerns and may require alternate open-median management strategies for traffic authorities. There is little existing research that has evaluated the safety effect of these open-median management strategies. Method: To bridge this gap, this study proposes a procedure that evaluates the safety of open-median management strategies for one-side widened highways. The proposed procedure was implemented through driving simulation experiments on a section of Binlai Freeway in Shandong, China. First, the minimum location requirements for median openings were determined by calculating the short length of the weaving segment. Then, simulation tests were carried out to observe driving performance and workload measures. Results: The results indicate that the procedure successfully evaluates the safety effect of open-median management strategies for one-side widened freeways. It was also found that driving performance and workload are sensitive to the opening length and traffic flow. Conclusions: Therefore, median opening placement should be carefully selected in consideration of not only driving performance and workload but also traffic volume predictions. Practical Applications: The findings in this study can guide open-median management strategies for traffic safety one-side widened highways.