Road traffic mortality in the Slovak Republic in 1996–2014

Objective: Road traffic mortality takes an enormous toll in every society. Transport safety interventions play a crucial role in improving the situation. In the period 1996–2014 several road safety measures, including a complex new road traffic law in 2009, were implemented in the Slovak Republic, introducing stricter conditions for road users.

The aim of this study is to describe and analyze the trends in road user mortality in the Slovak Republic in individual age groups by sex during the study period 1996–2014.

Methods: Data on overall mortality in the Slovak Republic for the period 1996–2014 were obtained from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. Mortality rates were age-adjusted to the European standard population. Joinpoint regression was used to assess the statistical significance of change in time trends of calculated standardized mortality rates.

Results: Mortality rates of all types of road users as well as all age groups and both sexes in the Slovak Republic in the period 1996–2014 are decreasing. The male : female ratio decreased from 4:1 in 1996 to 2:1 in 2014. Motor vehicle users (other than motorcyclists) and pedestrians have the highest mortality rates among road user groups. Both of these groups show a significant decline in mortality rates over the study period. Within the age groups, people age 65 years and over have the highest mortality rates, followed by the age groups 25–64 and 15–24 years old.

Joinpoint regression confirmed a steady, significant decline in all mortality rates over the study period. A statistically significant decrease in mortality rates in the last years of the study period was observed in the age group 25–64 and in male motorcycle users.

Assessing the impact of the 2009 road traffic law, a drop was observed in the average standardized mortality rate of all road traffic users from 14.56 per 100,000 person years in the period 1996–2008 to 7.69 per 100,000 person years in the period 2009–2014. A similar drop in the average standardized mortality rate was observed in all individual road user groups.

Conclusions: The implementation of the new traffic regulations may have contributed significantly to the observed decrease in mortality rates of road users in the Slovak Republic. A significant decrease in mortality was observed in all population groups and in all groups of road users. The introduction of a new comprehensive road traffic law may have expedited the decrease of road fatalities, especially in the age group 25–64 years old. This type of evidence-based epidemiology data can be used for improved targeting of future public health measures for road traffic injury prevention.     

The analysis of influence of individual and environmental factors on 2-wheeled users’ injuries

Objective: Powered 2-wheeled motor vehicles (PTWs) are one of the most vulnerable categories of road users. Bearing that fact in mind, we have researched the effects of individual and environmental factors on the severity and type of injuries of PTW users. The aim was to recognize the circumstances that cause these accidents and take some preventive actions that would improve the level of road safety for PTWs.

Methods: In the period from 2001 to 2010, an analysis of 139 road accidents involving PTWs was made by the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering in Belgrade. The effects of both individual (age, gender, etc.) and environmental factors (place of an accident, time of day, etc.) on the cause of accidents and severity and type of injuries of PTWs are reported in this article. Analyses of these effects were conducted using logistic regression, chi-square tests, and Pearson's correlation.

Results: Factors such as categories of road users, pavement conditions, place of accident, age, and time of day have a statistically significant effect on PTW injuries, whereas other factors (gender, road type; that is, straight or curvy) do not. The article also defines the interdependence of the occurrence of particular injuries at certain speeds. The results show that if PTW users died of a head injury, these were usually concurrent with chest injuries, injuries to internal organs, and limb injuries.

Conclusions: It has been shown that there is a high degree of influence of individual factors on the occurrence of accidents involving 2-wheelers (PTWs/bicycles) but with no statistically significant relation. Establishing the existence of such conditionalities enables identifying and defining factors that have an impact on the occurrence of traffic accidents involving bicyclists or PTWs. Such a link between individual factors and the occurrence of accidents makes it possible for system managers to take appropriate actions aimed at certain categories of 2-wheelers in order to reduce casualties in a particular area. The analysis showed that most of the road factors do not have a statistically significant effect on either category of 2-wheeler. Namely, the logistic regression analysis showed that there is a statistically significant effect of the place of accident on the occurrence of accidents involving bicyclists.     

温岭市高架道路交通噪声空间分布规律与防治对策研究

为评价温岭市东环高架道路交通噪声的环境影响,采用实测法对东环高架附近代表性点位及不同时间段进行噪声监测,记录等效连续A声级(Leq),以及同步监测车流量、车型等相关数据.根据《声环境质量标准》(GB 3096-2008),由所得监测数据,推测其交通噪声空间分布规律.结果表明,噪声最大值发生于上下班高峰期,交通噪声则随距离的增加而衰减,而道路两侧高层建筑交通噪声随着高度的增加先由小变大后变小.此外,还为该高架道路交通噪声的防治提供一定的参考依据.     

Young drivers' responses to anti-speeding advertisements: Comparison of self-report and objective measures of persuasive processing and outcomes

Objective: Self-report measures are typically used to assess the effectiveness of road safety advertisements. However, psychophysiological measures of persuasive processing (i.e., skin conductance response [SCR]) and objective driving measures of persuasive outcomes (i.e., in-vehicle Global Positioning System [GPS] devices) may provide further insights into the effectiveness of these advertisements. This study aimed to explore the persuasive processing and outcomes of 2 anti-speeding advertisements by incorporating both self-report and objective measures of speeding behavior. In addition, this study aimed to compare the findings derived from these different measurement approaches.

Methods: Young drivers (N = 20, M age = 21.01 years) viewed either a positive or negative emotion–based anti-speeding television advertisement. While viewing the advertisement, SCR activity was measured to assess ad-evoked arousal responses. The RoadScout GPS device was then installed in participants' vehicles for 1 week to measure on-road speed-related driving behavior. Self-report measures assessed persuasive processing (emotional and arousal responses) and actual driving behavior.

Results: There was general correspondence between the self-report measures of arousal and the SCR and between the self-report measure of actual driving behavior and the objective driving data (as assessed via the GPS devices).

Conclusions: This study provides insights into how psychophysiological and GPS devices could be used as objective measures in conjunction with self-report measures to further understand the persuasive processes and outcomes of emotion-based anti-speeding advertisements.     

闽江福州段与城市内河表层沉积物重金属污染特征研究

为了探讨城市内河对闽江福州段重金属污染的影响特征,本文对闽江福州段和福州城市主要内河表层沉积物中的Cr、Ni、Cu、Zn、As和Pb 6种重金属元素进行了系统的分析,并采用地累积指数法和潜在生态风险评价法进行污染情况和潜在危险评估.研究结果表明,表层沉积物中重金属Cr、Ni、Cu、Zn、As和Pb含量范围分别为:5.55~131.35、0.74~138.82、2.45~95.84、24.24~609.72、2.82~95.90、13.91~108.45mg·kg~(-1),各重金属含量平均值明显高于福建省土壤环境背景值,但低于国家土壤环境质量Ⅱ类标准值(除As略高于Ⅱ类标准).地累积指数法评价结果表明,表层沉积物中重金属大多为无污染或中污染程度,受人类活动影响强烈.潜在生态风险评价法表明,表层沉积物中重金属Cr、Ni、Cu、Pb和Zn存在轻微潜在风险,As以中等潜在风险为主,总体存在轻微潜在风险.重金属污染物的空间分布与福州市的发展格局相适应,人类活动集中的老城区和工业密集区,是闽江与内河重金属污染物含量相对较高的区域.城市内河汇入闽江后,携带的大量重金属污染物加剧了闽江重金属污染.建议加强对闽江重金属含量较高的晋安河段、光明港段-磨溪河段的污水排放监控.     

Development of urban planning guidelines for improving emergency response capacities in seismic areas of Iran

This paper presents the results of research carried out to improve emergency response activities in earthquake-prone areas of Iran. The research concentrated on emergency response operations, emergency medical care, emergency transportation, and evacuation—the most important issues after an earthquake with regard to saving the lives of victims. For each topic, some guidelines and criteria are presented for enhancing emergency response activities, based on evaluations of experience of strong earthquakes that have occurred over the past two decades in Iran, notably Manjil (1990), Bam (2003), Firouz Abad-Kojour (2004), Zarand (2005) and Broujerd (2006). These guidelines and criteria are applicable to other national contexts, especially countries with similar seismic and social conditions as Iran. The results of this study should be incorporated into comprehensive plans to ensure sustainable development or reconstruction of cities as well as to augment the efficiency of emergency response after an earthquake.     

User experience and operational feasibility of four point-of-collection oral fluid drug-testing devices according to Brazilian traffic agents

Objective: Traffic fatalities in Brazil still rank among the highest worldwide, with an overall rate of 23.4 deaths/100,000 inhabitants/year. Although alcohol and drug use play an important role in traffic accidents, national data about their relative influence are scarce. Drug screening is not routinely performed by traffic agents because alcohol is the only substance regularly investigated in roadblocks. Therefore, we aimed to describe the initial traffic agent user experience for 4 handheld point-of-collection oral fluid drug testing devices used in routine roadblocks in Brazil, focusing on usage perceptions in hopes of generalizing this approach for other developing countries.

Methods: Four different oral fluid collection devices were evaluated: The DDS2, the DOA MultiScreen, the Dräger DrugTest 5000, and the Multi-Drug Multi-Line Twist Screen Device. Fourteen trained traffic agents obtained oral fluid from 164 drivers and performed 37 qualitative evaluations of the devices. Traffic agents filled out a questionnaire focusing on 9 feasibility criteria: Overall simplicity for roadside operation; operational success; saliva sample collection time; sample analysis time; ease of sample preparation and analysis; agreement with observed clinical signs; overall hygiene and safety; sufficient operating instructions; and hygiene of saliva collection. These were weighted based on an expert panel and yielded an overall composite device experience score that ranged from 1 (poor) to 100 (excellent).

Results: Ease of use, operational success, and acceptable collection and analysis time were considered the most important criteria by the expert panel. The results ranged from 27.3 to 88.9% for simplicity of use; 45.5 to 100.0% for operational success; 27.3 to 100% for acceptable collection time; and 36.4 to 100.0% for acceptable analysis time. The final device scores, based on the agents’ user experiences, ranked as follows: DOA MultiScreen: 49.3/100; Dräger DrugTest 5000: 82.4/100; Multi-Drug Multi-Line Twist Screen Device: 84.3/100; DDS2: 88.4/100.

Conclusion: Based on the selected criteria, 3 of the 4 devices were considered useful by traffic agents in routine roadblock operations. The weighted evaluations suggest that their ease of use (handling, sampling analysis, and reliability), as well as their agreement with findings obtained by other means, defined their utility to traffic agents, although such appraisals must be further analyzed in future studies.     

Assessing impacts on urban greenspace,waterways, and vegetation in urban planning

Parks, waterways, and vegetation enhance the well-being of urbanites and thus warrant consideration in planning and policy-making. It is, however, difficult to assess how land-use change may impact these features and how this in turn may impact well-being. I use a case-study approach to present a framework that combines geospatial and economic valuation techniques to generate indicators of the effects of land-use policies that alter these amenities on community well-being. This framework quantifies the impacts of land-use change on urban environmental amenities in a way that could help communities plan land use so as to maintain well-being as they urbanise.