Health, safety, self-regulation and the older driver: It's not just a matter of age

Problem

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of age and health on patterns of driving and self-regulation among older adults who still drive.

Method

This analysis presents the results of a nationwide survey of drivers who are 50 + (N = 3,824, 53.11% response rate), focusing on questions about the impact of their self-reported health on attitudes toward and self-regulation of driving.

Results

The data indicate that as age increases, so too does reported self-regulation of driving, increasing sharply among those ages 70 and older. The data also indicate that respondent's reported confidence in driving and their enjoyment of driving decline as they age. Health status bears a significant relationship with all three of these variables, positively related to confidence in driving skills and to enjoyment in driving, but negatively related to self-regulation reports. As self-reported health declines, respondent's report engages in greater voluntary restrictions of their driving.

Discussion

All too often, the driving decision is linked primarily to chronological age. Analysis done here indicates that age alone is not the best indicator of self-regulation and how older adults change their driving behaviors.

Summary

This research presents the results of a nationwide survey of 50+ drivers and their self-reported driving, self-regulation behaviors, and health status. Strong support was found for the argument that chronological age is not an adequate measure of self-regulating behaviors and driver safety among those 50+. In particular, it was found that a person's health status and the interaction between age and health are essential considerations in the decisions around self-regulation and driving. People tend to self-regulate more with age, but the effect becomes much more pronounced as health status declines.

Impact on industry

In the coming years, if older adults can't get to where they want to go and continue to be viable consumers in our national fabric, all industries will eventually suffer. Transportation is a key component to the nation's social contract with older individuals and their families.     

论我国典型公共场所突发事件现场应急处置中消防部队的主导作用

消防部队作为应对典型公共场所突发事件的主导救援力量具有独特的优势,并从法律优势、体制优势、装备优势、经验优势、信息化建设优势、地域分布优势和群众信任优势等7个方面获得充分论证。从政府加强法制建设,扩充现有消防人员的编制,进一步加大消防经费投入、加强消防基础设施和装备建设以及加强技术培训、提升消防部队整体实战能力等4个方面提出了保障消防部队主导地位的措施。笔者认为:只要保障有力,在我国典型公共场所突发事件现场应急处置的过程中,组建一支以消防部队为主导的能够承担多种灾害紧急救援任务的专业化综合救援队伍是可行的,消防部队作为主导救援力量具有其他任何应急救援组织无可比拟的基础和条件。     

山东省耕地资源态势分析及可持续利用研究

利用山东省建国以来的耕地序列数据以及近10多年来的相关社会经济资料，宏观分析了山东省耕地资源的时空动态变化规律。用相关分析和主成分分析相结合，定量地研究耕地变化的驱动因子，揭示耕地变化的驱动机制；研究表明，社会经济发展、农业科技进步和人口压力是造成山东省耕地资源持续藏少的三类主要动因。在此基础上，运用多元线性回归分析构建耕地变化回归模型，同时通过人均粮食需求量预测法，分别预测出2020年的山东省的耕地数量和耕地最低需求量．结果表明山东省未来的耕地资源态势不容乐观，人地矛盾十分尖锐。最后提出了实现耕地资源可持续利用的几点建议。     

泰安市耕地资源动态变化特征及驱动力研究

研究耕地资源动态变化特征及其原因。对合理利用耕地资源、控制耕地资源的快速减少有重要的意义。本文根据泰安市1997—2004年土地利用变更调查数据。对该区域耕地资源的动态变化进行了时间上和空间上的分析。利用主成分分析法．得出泰安市耕地减少的四大驱动因子：农民人均住房面积、第一产业GDP、非农业人口和公路里程。并针对不同驱动力提出了相应的对策措施。     

Higher cue utilization in driving supports improved driving performance and more effective visual search behaviors

IntroductionOnce qualified, drivers rarely receive objective feedback concerning their performance. This is especially the case in the context of cognitive skills such as situation assessment. The aim of this study was to test the construct validity of an online assessment of motor-vehicle driver cue utilization that forms the foundation for situation assessment. Method: Seventy-one undergraduate Psychology students with broadly comparable driving experience completed a motor-vehicle driving version of EXPERTise 2.0, an online tool that enables inferences concerning the utilization of cues based on responses to task-related stimuli. They also completed a simulated driving task while fitted with an eye tracking device, during which a range of hazards were presented with participants’ responses recorded. Results: The results indicated that higher cue utilization was associated with fewer driving errors and collisions, fewer visual fixations, and fewer saccades in comparison to participants with lower cue utilization. Conclusion: The results provide support for the construct validity of EXPERTise 2.0 as an effective measure of cue utilization in the context of driving.Practical applicationsProviding comparative feedback to drivers concerning their development of situation assessment skills may provide opportunities for further training and development, thereby reducing the likelihood of motor-vehicle accidents.     

Young drivers' determinants of driving under the influence of cannabis: Findings from the Youth Cannabis and Driving Survey (YouCanDS)

Introduction: Driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) is proven to increase the risk of collisions and is most common among young drivers (ages 16 to 24). However, little is known about the specific determinants of DUIC behavior among youth, which limits the capacity to develop evidence-based prevention and intervention efforts. This study developed and evaluated a youth DUIC questionnaire, which was used to establish the DUIC determinants of young drivers. Method: The questionnaire was based on the theoretical framework of general deterrence and general prevention. Data obtained included: demographics, past cannabis use and DUIC experiences, DUIC intention, experiences riding as a passenger with someone DUIC, knowledge and credibility of the law, attitudes towards DUIC, and social controls. The resulting questionnaire was validated for a sample of 426 young drivers in the province of Ontario, Canada. An ordinal regression was conducted to examine the relationships between questionnaire items and DUIC intention. Results: The questionnaire displayed good construct validity and internal consistency across four out of five domains (KMO and Cronbach α values ≥ 0.70). Of the 426 respondents (52.6% female), 356 (83.6%) reported previous cannabis use, with 296 (69.5%) doing so in the past year, and 142 (33.3%) reporting DUIC. Furthermore, 179 (42%) study participants indicated at least a slight chance of DUIC in the next year. The regression analysis identified six variables predictive of DUIC intention: past DUIC incidence, perceived percent of those convicted that receive the penalty, moral awareness, perceived dangerousness, minor accident risk, and vicarious punishment avoidance. Conclusions: Preventive efforts should emphasize these determinants when designing targeted strategies and interventions. Practical Applications: These efforts should focus on educating the dangers and risk of a vehicle collision, that law enforcement has the capacity to apprehend and appropriately punish individuals DUIC, and that DUIC is wrong and socially unacceptable.     

Safeguarding Crushing Points by Limitation of Forces

Limitation of forces can be a simple measure to safeguard crushing points at doors, machines, and vehicles. In this connection different standards define a threshold force value of 150 N. This widely accepted value refers to static forces only. The dynamic forces that arise from impact on a person are frequently ignored, although they are generally higher than the static forces.

The article describes an instrument for the measurement of static and dynamic crushing forces. This instrument has a stiffness that approximates the average stiffness of human fingers as one of the most at-risk parts of the human body with regard to crushing injuries. Sensory tests were carried out to define dynamic forces considered admissible at crushing points.     

黄河流域植被覆盖度变化及驱动因素

利用Google Earth Engine(GEE)遥感云计算平台通过像元二分模型反演出1999~2019年植被覆盖度,采用一元线性回归和变异系数法来研究FVC的变化趋势特征及其稳定性,通过地理探测器进行植被变化的驱动分析。结果表明:黄河流域FVC总体上西北低东南高;中高和高被覆盖区分别占研究区总面积的21.74%和17.87%;近20a年黄河流域FVC已有较好改善,流域中部植被改善最明显,改善区域占流域总面积的48.52%;FVC的稳定性以较平稳为主。降水、日照时间及相对湿度三个驱动因子对黄河流域FVC影响力最强。各驱动因子对FVC影响存在交互作用,以双因子增强或者非线性增强为主,双因子交互作用增强了单因子的影响;本研究也揭示了促进植被生长的各因子最适宜范围,有助于更好地理解自然和社会因素对植被覆盖变化的影响及其驱动机制。     

In-depth approach for identifying crash causation patterns and its implications for pedestrian crash prevention

IntroductionA pedestrian crash occurs due to a series of contributing factors taking effect in an antecedent-consequent order. One specific type of antecedent-consequent order is called a crash causation pattern. Understanding crash causation patterns is important for clarifying the complicated growth of a pedestrian crash, which ultimately helps recommend corresponding countermeasures. However, previous studies lack an in-depth investigation of pedestrian crash cases, and are insufficient to propose a representative picture of causation patterns. Method: In this study, pedestrian crash causation patterns were discerned by using the Driving Reliability and Error Analysis Method (DREAM). One hundred and forty-two pedestrian crashes were investigated, and five pedestrian pre-crash scenarios were extracted. Then, the crash causation patterns in each pre-crash scenario were analyzed; and finally, six distinct patterns were identified. Accordingly, 17 typical situations corresponding to these causation patterns were specified as well. Results: Among these patterns, the pattern related to distracted driving and the pattern related to an unexpected change of pedestrian trajectory contributed to a large portion of the total crashes (i.e., 27% and 24%, respectively). Other patterns also played an important role in inducing a pedestrian crash; these patterns include the pattern related to an obstructed line of sight caused by outside objects (9%), the pattern that involves reduced visibility (13%), and the pattern related to an improper estimation of the gap distance between the vehicle and the pedestrian (10%). The results further demonstrated the inter-heterogeneity of a crash causation pattern, as well as the intra-heterogeneity of pattern features between different pedestrian pre-crash scenarios. Conclusions and practical applications: Essentially, a crash causation pattern might involve different contributing factors by nature or dependent on specific scenarios. Finally, this study proposed suggestions for roadway facility design, roadway safety education and pedestrian crash prevention system development.