Examination of factors associated with use rates after transition from a universal to partial motorcycle helmet use law

Objectives: Motorcycle riders account for a disproportionately high number of traffic injuries and fatalities compared to occupants of other vehicle types. Though research has demonstrated the benefits of helmet use in preventing serious and fatal injuries in the event of a crash, helmet use has remained relatively stable in the United States, where the most recent national estimates show a 64% use rate. Use rates have been markedly lower among those states that do not have a universal helmet law for all riders. In 2012, the state of Michigan repealed its longstanding mandatory helmet use law. In order to gain insights as to the effects of this legislative change, a study was conducted to examine short-term changes in helmet use and identify factors associated with use rates.

Methods: A statewide direct observation survey was conducted 1 year after the transition from a universal helmet law to a partial helmet law. A random parameters logistic regression model was estimated to identify motorcyclist, roadway, and environmental characteristics associated with helmet use. This modeling framework accounts for both intravehicle correlation (between riders and passengers on the same motorcycle) as well as unobserved heterogeneity across riders due to important unobserved factors.

Results: Helmet use was shown to vary across demographic segments of the motorcyclist population. Use rates were higher among Caucasian riders, as well as among those age 60 and above. No significant difference was observed between male and female riders. Use was also found to vary geographically, temporally, and with respect to various environmental characteristics. Geographically, helmet use rates tended to be correlated with historical restraint use trends, which may be reflective of riding environment and general differences in the riding population. To this end, rates were also highly variable based upon the type of motorcycle and whether the motorcyclist was wearing high-visibility gear.

Conclusions: The study results demonstrate the short-term reduction in helmet use following transition from a universal to partial motorcycle helmet law. The reduction in use is somewhat less pronounced than has been experienced in other states, which may be reflective of general differences among Michigan motorcyclists because the state has also generally exhibited higher use rates of seat belts and other forms of occupant protection. The study results also highlight potential target areas for subsequent education and public awareness initiatives aimed at increasing helmet use.     

Are you okay to drive? Commuting behavior and blood alcohol concentrations among restaurant diners

Objective: Drink driving is widely recognized as a major road safety problem. In Australia, health promotion messages encourage monitoring the number of standard drinks consumed prior to driving. This pilot research aimed to investigate commuting behavior and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of diners, including intended drivers, at Sunshine Coast restaurants.

Methods: Five hundred and forty-four diners (n = 260 males) consented to participate in a brief interview and to use a breathalyzer device to measure their BAC.

Results: Forty percent of participants advised they don't drink and drive (34% of males, 45% of females; 67.25% of <17–20 years, 30.5% of 50–59 years), and of the remaining participants, 75% advised they count the number of their drinks (69% of males, 84% of females; 32% of <17–20 years, 82% of 50–59 years), while 10% of participants monitored their BAC by how they were feeling (12% of males, 6% of females). Thirty-seven percent of participants said it was easy/very easy to estimate their BAC (41% of males; 33% of females; 21% of <17–20 years, 43% of 50–59 years). The actual BAC was less than expected for 56% of participants, with one-third underestimating BAC and some intended drivers having an actual BAC in excess of the 0.05 limit.

Conclusions: Given the proportion of diners who reported they count the number of drinks, or use feelings as a way to gauge BAC, coupled with the considerable proportion who underestimated their BAC, a safer public health message is to avoid driving if you intend to drink. In addition, targeted intervention for experienced drivers (and, arguably, drinkers) appears warranted, as every participant aged less than 21 years who stated he or she would drive home indeed had a zero BAC. Interestingly every female driver who stated she would be driving home also had a legal BAC, suggesting gender-specific intervention.     

车载物资振动环境谱的数据处理与归纳

车载物资或设备振动环境谱的数据处理与归纳是车载物资或设备环境可靠性试验的重要组成部分,对保障车载物资或设备的完整性和可靠性具有十分重要的意义。以货车为例,依据GB10593．3～90进行数据合并,然后采用统计容差法进行振动环境条件随机振动规范谱的估计。所得到的规范谱为车栽物资或设备振动环境的可靠性评定奠定了基础。     

电路板环境应力筛选方法效能分析

论述了对设计、工艺成熟电路板组件的环境应力筛选方法,对比恒定高温、温度循环、温度冲击、振动及其组合筛选的筛选度,并进行效能比分析。通过对比各种应力对有较大共性的电路板组件筛选的分析,对GJB 1032进行适当裁减,提出了不少于10个温度循环加随机振动的筛选组合,以适应电路板板级筛选要求,提高效能比。     

基于条件高斯模拟的城市灰尘Pb元素的空间分布特征

城市灰尘是分散于城市不同区域的表面固体颗粒物。城市灰尘对城市环境造成的污染越来越多地受到人们的关注,尤其是城市灰尘重金属对城市生存环境造成的危害。本文利用R软件中的Gstat包,对金华市城市地表灰尘中的Pb元素含量进行500次条件高斯模拟,并从中随机抽出3次模拟对其模拟结果进行分析,从模拟结果可以看出研究区Pb元素总体上显示出相似的空间变化趋势,但在细部空间变化上是有差别的。条件高斯模拟法对未知点的模拟值具有不确定性,克服了普通克里格法的平滑效应,能够更好地反映研究区的随机性和结构性。     

电子产品环境应力筛选试验

为了使环境应力筛选试验在有效提高电子产品的可靠性方面得以广泛应用,介绍了环境应力筛选试验的概念,针对电子产品,论述了环境应力筛选典型应力参数的确定方法、加电检测的原则、筛选度和故障率的计算、筛选中暴露的典型缺陷等。提出了环境应力筛选试验的一般程序和一些需注意的问题。     

基于随机森林的飞机长着陆预警方法

为降低飞机冲出跑道事故造成的人员伤亡和财产损失,以长着陆事件为研究对象,探讨1种有效的长着陆事件预警方法。提出应用随机森林模型对长着陆事件进行预警,给出模型的特征筛选、构建及评价方法,并使用实际飞行数据验证模型有效性。结果表明:基于随机森林的飞机长着陆预警模型精确率为88.41%,召回率为87.14%,模型可以有效对长着陆事件进行预警。     

应用O/E模型评价淮河流域典型水体底栖动物完整性健康的研究

本研究尝试采用我国已有的季风气候区底栖动物观测值(O)/期望值(E)比值模型,在无足够数量参照样点的情况下,建立淮河流域O/E指数健康评价指标体系,评价淮河流域典型水体底栖动物物种组成完整性现状.于2014年夏季(8月)和秋季(11月)分别调查了淮河流域20和25个典型水体的底栖动物和水质指标.O/E模型评价结果表明,监测点位在PC(Probabilities of Capture)0和PC≥0.5条件下,夏季和秋季的物种期望丰富度分别约为25和9.所有25个点位中,仅1个点位为健康,其余为一般或较差;模型控制自然梯度后O/E0和O/E50值均没有显著的季节性差异(p=0.565和0.229).环境胁迫因子(TN、EC、CODCr和p H)和土地覆盖数据(水体比例、湿地比例、裸地比例、森林比例和草地比例)对秋季O/E50和O/E50-null的解释量高于夏季,TN是能够解释淮河流域典型水体夏季O/E指数变异最多的环境因子,p H和CODCr是能够解释秋季O/E指数变异最多的环境因子.研究表明,在缺少有效参照点位构建评价指标体系的情况下,在淮河流域应用已经构建的季风气候区底栖动物O/E指数模型进行健康评价是比较可靠的方法.     

我国油气田环境污染源分析

在概述油气田环境污染源总体构成的基础上,对油气田环境污染源的分布特点,排放特点。污染特点及环境影响进行了宏观分析和研究,阐述了油气田环境污染源与其它行业污染源的区别。     

高斯扩散衍生公式在环境风险评价中的应用

为在大气环境风险评价中客观地确定危险源、估算各类突发性事故的危害,在高斯扩散模型基础上,通过严格的数学推导,得出一整套适用于鉴别与评估大气环境突发事故危害后果（危害区、危害期等）的定量估算公式,使用方便,结果精确。所有公式使用条件与高斯扩散模型相同,可用于直接求取任意浓度等值线精确的时、空位置及其特征点位置。作为高斯扩散模型的衍生公式,可广泛应用于风险工程设计、风险工程保险、环境风险评价、环境风险管理、环境影响评价与环境规划等各个领域