Motorcycle helmet use in Calicut,India: User behaviors,attitudes, and perceptions

Objectives: The objectives of this study include assessing the motorcycle helmet use pattern in Calicut, India, and analyzing the factors influencing helmet use including motorcyclists' perceptions.

Methods: Field observational studies at 15 locations were conducted to determine the helmet use rate among motorcyclists and pillion passengers. A structured questionnaire interview survey was conducted with 709 motorcyclists to evaluate the users' perceptions and opinions regarding the use of motorcycle helmets.

Results: There was a considerable difference in the level of motorcycle helmet use observed between the locations within and outside the city limits, where different levels of helmet law enforcement were exercised. The helmet use was observed at a maximum of 89% within the city and a minimum of 23% in some locations outside the city. The decreasing percentage of helmet use while moving toward the locations outside the city was confirmed statistically through t tests (t = 1.771, df = 13, P < .05). It was found that only 42% of users revealed that helmets are comfortable and 42% expressed that helmets affect hearing ability. It is important to note that 57% of users are of the opinion that there is no need to use a helmet if you drive slowly and carefully. The price of the helmet was not a deterrent for helmet use. In addition, it was observed that only 45% of helmets used by the motorist were standard helmets with an Indian Standards Institute (ISI) mark.

Conclusion: The widely varying helmet use pattern observed in the study area may be attributed due to the users' behaviors; that is, using a helmet only when the helmet law is strictly enforced rather than using a helmet as a protective device. Further, some of the problems and beliefs associated with helmet use prevent motorcyclists from using a helmet. Hence, the road safety of motorcyclists can be improved only through addressing the identified measures comprehensively.     

Experimental investigation of the effect of occupant characteristics on contemporary seat belt payout behavior in frontal impacts

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of the occupant characteristics on seat belt force vs. payout behavior based on experiment data from different configurations in frontal impacts.

Methods: The data set reviewed consists of 58 frontal sled tests using several anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) and postmortem human subjects (PMHS), restrained by different belt systems (standard belt, SB; force-limiting belt, FLB) at 2 impact severities (48 and 29 km/h). The seat belt behavior was characterized in terms of the shoulder belt force vs. belt payout behavior. A univariate linear regression was used to assess the factor significance of the occupant body mass or stature on the peak tension force and gross belt payout.

Results: With the SB, the seat belt behavior obtained by the ATDs exhibited similar force slopes regardless of the occupant size and impact severities, whereas those obtained by the PMHS were varied. Under the 48 km/h impact, the peak tension force and gross belt payout obtained by ATDs was highly correlated to the occupant stature (P =.03, P =.02) and body mass (P =.05, P =.04), though no statistical difference with the stature or body mass were noticed for the PMHS (peak force: P =.09, P =.42; gross payout: P =.40, P =.48). With the FLB under the 48 km/h impact, highly linear relationships were noticed between the occupant body mass and the peak tension force (R² = 0.9782) and between the gross payout and stature (R² = 0.9232) regardless of the occupant types.

Conclusions: The analysis indicated that the PMHS characteristics showed a significant influence on the belt response, whereas the belt response obtained with the ATDs was more reproducible. The potential cause included the occupant anthropometry, body mass distribution, and relative motion among body segments specific to the population variance. This study provided a primary data source to understand the biomechanical interaction of the occupant with the restraint system. Further research is necessary to consider these effects in the computational studies and optimized design of the restraint system in a more realistic manner.     

塔河油田集输管线20#钢在CO2/H2S环境中的腐蚀行为

为充分了解20#钢在塔河油田集输管线工况环境中的腐蚀行为,采用高温高压釜研究CO2/H2S分压比、温度和pH值对20#钢在CO2/H2S环境中的腐蚀规律的影响,并利用扫描电镜(SEM)分析腐蚀产物形貌特征。结果表明:CO2分压不变时,随着H2S分压的增加,20#钢的腐蚀速率先增大后减小,H2S分压为0.01 MPa时的腐蚀速率达到最大0.435 mm/a;随着温度的升高,20#钢的腐蚀速率逐渐增大,在100℃时腐蚀速率高达2.280 mm/a;CO2控制下20#钢的腐蚀速率随着pH值的增大而减小;H2S控制下20#钢的腐蚀速率随着pH值的增大而增大。     

Behavioral influences on driver crash risks in Ghana: A qualitative study of commercial passenger drivers

Objectives: Though there is a growing body of literature on crash risks in the developed world, little is known about how well these models apply to motoring in developing countries, the context in which the majority of road traffic fatalities occur. This qualitative study explores factors perceived to influence crash risks for commercial drivers in Ghana.

Method: Twenty commercial drivers of varied ages and experience were sampled from 7 major lorry terminals in 3 regions (Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Volta) of Ghana. Data were collected through semistructured interviews.

Results: The participants identified some issues that are shared with drivers in the developed world, though moderated by the Ghanaian context. These included work pressures (e.g., fatigued driving), speeding, distracted driving, and inadequate vehicle maintenance. Other factors identified by participants are less frequently considered in research addressing driving behavior in developed countries. These included aggressive competition over passengers and corruption (e.g., improper licensing practices), among others.

Conclusion: The findings have implications for building a research base to support the development of road safety policy and interventions in developing countries.     

集合智能安全帽的建筑工人施工安全行为绩效考核及激励机制

为实时监控现场工人不安全行为，有效降低建筑事故发生率，实现主动的安全与组织管理模式，结合基于智能安全帽的施工人员不安全行为监测与管理系统，构建了工人安全行为绩效考核模型并设计激励机制。通过在温银施工项目的应用，进行了现场工人安全行为绩效的横向与纵向对比。研究结果表明:依据现场行为进行监控和绩效考核能够有效地改善工人的安全行为，有助于形成施工现场的安全生产竞争氛围，有助于建筑工地的安全管理。     

Fatally injured drivers in Norway 2005–2015—Trends in substance use and crash characteristics

Objective: Norway introduced a “Vision Zero” strategy in 2001, using multiple approaches, aiming toward a future in which no one will be killed or seriously injured in road traffic crashes (RTCs). Official statistics show that the number of fatally injured road users has declined substantially from 341 deaths in 2000 to 117 in 2015. In-depth crash investigations of all fatal RTCs started in Norway in 2005. The aim of this study was to investigate whether fatal crash characteristics, vehicle safety features, and prevalence of drugs and/or alcohol among fatally injured drivers and riders has changed during 2005–2015, accompanying the reduction in road fatalities.

Methods: Data on all car/van drivers and motorcycle/moped riders fatally injured in RTCs during 2005–2015 were extracted from Norwegian road traffic crash registries and combined with forensic toxicology data.

Results: The proportion of cars and motorcycles with antilock braking systems and cars with electronic stability control, increased significantly during the study period. The prevalence of nonuse of seat belts/helmets and speeding declined among both fatally injured drivers and riders. In addition, the prevalence of alcohol declined, though no significant change in the total prevalence of other substances was noted.

Conclusion: The observed changes toward more safety installations in cars and motorcycles and lower prevalence of driver-related risk factors like alcohol use, speeding, and nonuse of seat belts/helmets among fatally injured drivers/riders may have contributed to the decrease in road traffic deaths.     

Is asynchronous hatching adaptive in herring gulls (Larus argentatus)?

Hatching asynchrony commonly induces a size hierarchy among siblings and the resultant competition for food between siblings can often lead to starvation of the smallest chicks within a brood. We created herring gull (Larus argentatus) broods with varying degrees of hatching synchrony by manipulating the timing of incubation while maintaining the originally laid eggs. The degree of hatching asynchrony affected sibling size hierarchy at the time of hatching of the last-hatched ”c-chick.” In unmanipulated broods, there was no disadvantage of being a c-chick. However, when asynchrony was experimentally increased, we found reduced survival of the c-chick only in the exaggerated asynchronous experimental group. The effects were observable only during the first 10 days of chick life. We recorded no cases of the chicks dying of starvation. Furthermore, behavioral observations indicated that there was no sibling competition, and no selective feeding of larger sibs in the study colony. We propose that the observed lower survival rates of c-chicks in exaggerated asynchronous broods resulted from their lesser motor abilities, affecting their chances of escaping predators. Fledging success for the whole colony was generally high and almost half of all pairs fledged all three chicks, which is indicative of a good feeding environment. We argue that normal hatching asynchrony is a favorable solution in a good feeding environment, but that increased asynchrony reduces breeding success. We do not view asynchrony in the herring gull as an adaptation for brood reduction and propose instead that it may come about because there has been selection for incubation to start before clutch completion. Received: 14 April 1999 / Received in revised form: 20 October 1999 / Accepted: 23 January 2000     

Does phylogenetic inertia explain the evolution of ineffective antipredator behavior in a sunfish-salamander system?

The streamside salamander, Ambystoma barbouri, exhibits ineffective antipredator behavior (high emergence rate from refuge, and high activity while out of refuge) and thus suffers heavy predation in stream pools with sunfish. A. barbouri evolved relatively recently from an ancestor that closely resembled a sister species, A. texanum, which breeds in fishless, ephemeral ponds. Sunfish thus represent a relatively new selection pressure for A. barbouri. Phylogenetic inertia predicts that (1) A. texanum should be very poor at coping with fish and (2) because it has only recently been exposed to fish, A. barbouri should still be poor at avoiding fish, but due to its recent exposure to fish, A. barbouri should be better than A. texanum at coping with sunfish. Experimental results provided mixed support for these predictions. As predicted, A. texanum suffered heavy sunfish predation. Compared to A. texanum, A. barbouri showed a greater tendency to initiate alarm moves that enhanced escape success from fish. However, in both the presence and absence of fish, A. barbouri showed higher emergence rates from refuge and higher movement while out of refuge than A. texanum. These behaviors tend to increase exposure to sunfish, i.e., for these key behaviors, A. barbouri apparently evolved in the wrong direction as far as fish predation is concerned. Due to these offsetting effects (increased exposure to fish, increased escape success), A. barbouri is no better at surviving with sunfish than A. texanum. A possible explanation for the high activity of A. barbouri is its use of highly ephemeral habitats (relative to A. texanum) that favor the evolution of higher activity, feeding, and developmental rates for A. barbouri relative to A. texanum. Received: 15 May 2000 / Revised: 3 August 2000 / Accepted: 18 August 2000     

Fate of anilide and aniline herbicides in plant-materials-amended soils

The fate of herbicides trifluralin, pendimethalin, alachlor and metolachlor in paddy field soils amended with plant materials was investigated. The plant materials were purple sesbania, vegetable soybean and rice straw. The investigation was performed at two temperatures (25 and 40°C) and two soil water moistures (60 and 90% water-holding capacity). The results showed linear and Freudlich equations described the adsorption of amide compound to soil. Adsorption coefficient (K _d ) fit to linear equation were in general greater in plant material-amended soils than in non-amended soil, especially in soil amending with rice straw. Increasing temperature and soil water moisture content shortened the half-lives of compounds in various treated soils. The movement of compounds in the soil columns showed the maximum distribution of aniline type compound, trifluralin and pendimethalin, appeared at the upper top of 0 to 5 and 0 to 10 cm of soil column, respectively, and of anilide type, alachlor and metolachlor, were distributed at 0 to 25 cm of the soil column. The mobility of chemicals in the different treated soils was simulated by the behavior assessment model (BAM). There was no significant difference among different plant material incubated soils on dissipation and mobility of compounds in soils.