Effect of surrounding landscape on driving behaviour: A driving simulator study

This paper examines how three Swedish landscape types (open, forested, and varied) affect driver behaviour. The study was carried out in 2007 under controlled conditions in the VTI Driving Simulator III, Linköping, Sweden. Qualitative (questionnaires) and quantitative (simulator measurement) data were used. Eighteen subjects were selected, nine men and nine women aged 25–65 years, all licensed to drive for at least five years. Two hypotheses were established based on previous research: 1) landscape character (open, forested, or varied) affects driving behaviour (average speed, variation in lateral vehicle position, and steering wheel grasping frequency); and 2) landscape character affects driver perception of the driving situation. The first was tested in the driving simulator and the second via questionnaires concerning the simulator drive. The results indicate that the driver is affected by different landscape types. In the open landscape, subjects drove faster, did not drive as close to the centre of the road, and grasped the steering wheel more often while simultaneously experiencing less stress. Landscape also appears to be relevant to traffic safety, which has implications for choosing new routes when planning new roads and for maintaining existing roads.     

浅论株洲市交通噪声的污染及防治

通过分析株洲市2004~2008年城区交通噪声污染现状、原因及变化趋势,提出了相应的污染控制及防治措施,为有效改善交通噪声污染提供科学依据。     

The impact of state level behavioral regulations on traffic fatality rates

Introduction

A state by year panel is analyzed to simultaneously explore the statistical correlation between state level traffic fatality rates and state level behavioral regulations regarding teen licensing, seat belt use, and driving under the influence (DUI) in a model that also controls for other correlates.

Method

By including measures of all three of these policies, the estimated policy effects should not be overstated due to underspecification bias. The panel includes the 48 contiguous U.S. states for the time period from 1999 through 2003. State fatality rates are measured as fatalities per million miles traveled. Measures of state policies regarding traffic safety related behavior are based on information gathered by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Estimates are calculated via a time fixed effects model that uses the double-log form to allow for interaction effects between the independent variables.

Results

Least squares estimates indicate that, on average, more restrictive graduated teen licensing and DUI policies significantly reduce traffic fatality rates, while stricter seat belt enforcement policies have a statistically insignificant negative impact on fatality rates.     

C2-C6 Background Hydrocarbon Concentrations Monitored at a Roof Top and Green Park Site, in Dublin City Centre

A 5 week monitoring campaign was carried out in Dublin City centre, to establish which site gave a more accurate background city centre estimation: a roof-top or green field site. This background represented a conservative estimate of HC exposure in Dublin City centre, useful for quantifying health effects related to this form of pollution and also for establishing a local background relative to the four surrounding main roads when the wind direction is travelling towards each road with the background receptor upwind. Over the entire monitoring campaign, the lowest concentrations and relative standard deviations were observed at the green field site, regardless of time of day or meteorological effects.     

便携式质谱仪应用于交通干线苯系物污染特征分析

介绍了EcoSys-P便携式质谱仪在无车日前后对交通干线环境空气中苯系物现场监测中的情况,同时该方法与经典的气相-质谱联机进行了对比试验,相对偏差≤25%,能够满足交通干线环境空气苯系物的现场监测要求.     

城市快速路交通噪声分布特征及污染现状

为了解快速路交通噪声的分布特征及污染现状,对城市快速路的交通噪声进行监测,结果表明,噪声随车流量的增大而升高,同时受车辆类型等其他因素的影响;随着与快速路水平距离的增大,交通噪声值呈下降趋势,特别是在距离快速路路沿前40 m内噪声衰减尤为明显;距高架道路不同水平距离处的噪声声场垂直分布规律基本一致,但距离高架道路较远处的敏感建筑物噪声值最高点楼层有所上移;快速路旁噪声敏感点交通噪声超标情况严重。     

Atmospheric pollution in an urban environment by tree bark biomonitoring--part I: trace element analysis

Tree bark has been shown to be a useful biomonitor of past air quality because it accumulates atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in its outermost structure. Trace element concentrations of tree bark of more than 73 trees allow to elucidate the impact of past atmospheric pollution on the urban environment of the cities of Strasbourg and Kehl in the Rhine Valley. Compared to the upper continental crust (UCC) tree barks are strongly enriched in Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. To assess the degree of pollution of the different sites in the cities, a geoaccumulation index I_geo was applied. Global pollution by V, Ni, Cr, Sb, Sn and Pb was observed in barks sampled close to traffic axes. Cr, Mo, Cd pollution principally occurred in the industrial area. A total geoaccumulation index I_GEO-tot was defined; it is based on the total of the investigated elements and allows to evaluate the global pollution of the studied environment by assembling the I_geo indices on a pollution map.     

道路交通噪声预测影响分析

随着公路建设步伐加大,公路交通噪声污染对沿线居民的影响也随之加剧。本文介绍了噪声的危害,并通过对建赏欧洲临街住宅楼进行噪声实测,将道路交通噪声预测与实测进行了对比分析,然后将建赏欧洲和泰山小区临街住宅楼的前七层进行噪声实测,分析比较两组数值之间的差异,最后对本次实验进行总结。     

Traffic safety culture and prosocial driver behavior for safer vehicle-bicyclist interactions

Introduction: Bicyclist safety is a growing concern as more adults use this form of transportation for recreation, exercise, and mobility. Most bicyclist fatalities result from a crash with a vehicle. Often, the behaviors of the driver are responsible for the crash. Method: This survey study of Montana and North Dakota residents (n = 938) examined the influence of traffic safety culture on driver behaviors that affect safe interactions with bicyclists. Results: Prosocial driver behavior was most common and appeared to be intentional. Intention was increased by positive attitudes, normative perceptions, and perceived control. However, normative perceptions appear to offer the most opportunity for change. Practical Application: Strategies that increase perceptions that prosocial driver behavior is normal may increase prosocial intentions, thereby increasing bicyclist safety.     

The impact of traffic barrier geometric features on crash frequency and injury severity of non-interstate highways

Introduction: The main objective of this research is to investigate the effect of traffic barrier geometric characteristics on crashes that occurred on non-interstate roads. Method: For this purpose, height, side-slope rate, post-spacing, and lateral offset of about 137 miles of traffic barriers were collected on non-interstate (state, federal aid primary, federal aid secondary, and federal aid urban) highways in Wyoming. In addition, crash reports recorded between 2008 and 2017 were added to the traffic barrier dataset. The safety performance of traffic barriers with regards to their geometric features was analyzed in terms of crash frequency and crash severity using random-parameters negative binomial, and random-parameters ordered logit models, respectively. Results: From the results, box beam barriers with a height of 27–29 inches were less likely to be associated with injury and fatal injury crashes compared to other barrier types. On the other hand, the likelihood of a severe injury crash was found to be higher for box beam barriers with a height taller than 31 inches. Both W-beam and box beam barriers with a post-spacing between 6.1 and 6.3 inches reduced the probability of severe injury crashes. In terms of the crash frequency, flare traffic barriers had a lower crash frequency compared to parallel traffic barriers. Non-interstate roads without longitudinal rumble strips were associated with a higher rate of traffic barrier crashes.