New Zealand drivers study: developing a methodology for conducting a follow-up study of newly licensed drivers

PROBLEM: In recent years, there has been a significant reduction in traffic crash injury among young people, but they continue to be overrepresented in the traffic crash statistics. To improve this situation, sound scientific evidence is needed to develop effective policies and programs. METHOD: The aim of the proposed study is to provide this evidence by examining early driving and driving-related experiences of newly licensed drivers as they progress through the learner-, restricted-, and full-license stages of the graduated licensing system and to determine the impact of these experiences on subsequent negative traffic-related outcomes (risky driving behavior, injury traffic crashes, noninjury traffic crashes, infringements, convictions). Given the size and complexity of the proposed study, a comprehensive pilot study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of conducting a New Zealand-wide cohort study of newly licensed drivers. RESULTS: This article describes the pilot study process and the methodology that has been developed for the New Zealand-wide study.     

高速公路交通事故分析及预防对策研究

利用济青高速公路 1998～ 1999年发生的 10 85起交通事故数据 ,在资料收集、处理和统计分析的基础上 ,对影响高速公路交通事故的人、车辆、道路环境、天气和交通量等主要因素进行了分析 ,并与国外的统计结果进行对比研究 ,预测出随着高速公路交通量的增长 ,事故率将会增加。此外 ,笔者针对影响高速公路事故因素提出了主动性、被动性预防对策 ,这些对策的实施将会减少高速公路事故的发生     

An algorithm for assessing the risk of traffic accident

INTRODUCTION: This study is aimed at developing an algorithm to estimate the number of traffic accidents and assess the risk of traffic accidents in a study area. METHOD: The algorithm involves a combination of mapping technique (Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques) and statistical methods (cluster analysis and regression analysis). Geographical Information System is used to locate accidents on a digital map and realize their distribution. Cluster analysis is used to group the homogeneous data together. Regression analysis is performed to realize the relation between the number of accident events and the potential causal factors. Negative binomial regression model is found to be an appropriate mathematical form to mimic this relation. Accident risk of the area, derived from historical accident records and causal factors, is also determined in the algorithm. The risk is computed using the Empirical Bayes (EB) approach. A case study of Hong Kong is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. RESULTS: The results show that the algorithm improves accident risk estimation when comparing to the estimated risk based on only the historical accident records. The algorithm is found to be more efficient, especially in the case of fatality and pedestrian-related accident analysis. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The output of the proposed algorithm can help authorities effectively identify areas with high accident risk. In addition, it can serve as a reference for town planners considering road safety.     

Effect of enhanced seat belt reminders on driver fatality risk

Objective

Enhanced seat belt reminders in automobiles have been shown to increase belt use rates by approximately 3 percentage points. The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of enhanced seat belt reminders on driver fatality risk.

Method

Data included all passenger vehicle driver deaths and vehicle registration counts in the United States for calendar years 2000-2007. Driver fatality rates per vehicle registration per year were compared for otherwise identical vehicle models with and without enhanced seat belt reminders.

Results

Driver fatality rates were 6% lower for vehicles with enhanced seat belt reminders compared with vehicles without enhanced belt reminders. After adjusting for vehicle age differences, the estimated effect of enhanced belt reminders on driver fatality risk ranged from a 9% reduction for General Motors vehicles to a 2% increase for Honda vehicles. Combining all manufacturers, enhanced belt reminders reduced fatality risk by approximately 2%. Although not statistically significant, the 2% reduction in fatality risk agrees with what should be expected from a 3 percentage point increase in seat belt use rates.

Conclusions

Enhanced seat belt reminders have raised driver belt use rates and reduced fatality rates, but more aggressive systems may be needed for some drivers. It can be inferred that nonfatal injury rates also have been reduced.

Impact on Industry

Manufacturers should be encouraged to put enhanced seat belt reminders on all vehicles as soon as possible.     

基于磁化水的全尾砂胶结充填体强度研究

针对某矿山全尾砂充填体抗压强度低,水泥用量大的现状,将磁化水引入全尾砂胶结充填料浆的配浆试验,通过均匀布点理论优选出最佳磁化条件,探究了磁化水-全尾砂充填体的7天、14天、28天抗压强度的变化规律以及磁化水对水泥活性的影响。研究结果表明:在磁感应强度B=1000-2000Gs,水循环流速V=1.4-2.0m/s,磁化时间T=10-20min时,磁化水-全尾砂充填模块的7天抗压强度提高19%-28%,14天抗压强度提高17%-25%,28天抗压强度提高13-15%。     

Traffic climate and driver behaviors: The moderating role of driving skills in Turkey and China

Introduction: While road traffic accidents and fatalities are a worldwide problem, the rates of road traffic accidents and fatalities show differences among countries. Similarly, driver behaviors, traffic climate, and their relationships also show differences among countries. The aim of the current study is to investigate the moderating effect of driving skills on the relationship between traffic climate and driver behaviors by country. (Turkey and China). Method: There were 294 Turkish drivers and 292 Chinese drivers, and they completed the Traffic Climate Scale, the Driving Skills Inventory, and the Driver Behavior Questionnaire. The moderated moderation analyses were conducted with Hayes PROCESS tool on SPSS. Results: The results showed that safety skills moderated the relationship between internal requirements and violations both in Turkey and China. Safety skills also moderated the relationship between internal requirements and errors only in China and the relationship between functionality and violations in Turkey. Perceptual-motor skills moderated the relationships between external affective demands and errors, and also the relationship between internal requirements and positive driver behaviors in Turkey. It can be inferred that driving skills has different influences on traffic climate-driver behaviors relationship in different cultures and there might be cultural differences in the evaluation of drivers’ own driving skills. Practical Applications: Among driving skills, safety skills have a more critical role to increase road safety by decreasing number of violations. Interventions to increase safety skills of drivers might be promising for road safety.     

分类收集蔬菜垃圾与植物废弃物混合堆肥工艺实例研究

以分类收集的生活垃圾(主要为蔬菜垃圾)和破碎树枝为原料,采用条垛式堆肥工艺,在中试规模条件下考察了原料初始含水率、通风频率、翻堆频率、接种比例4种因素对混合堆肥效果的影响.同时,在试验的9种工况下,对温度、氧浓度、有机碳降解率、有机碳氮比(C/N)、腐殖质含量等指标进行测定.结果表明,堆肥42d时各堆体均已达到稳定化要求.经过比较肥分保持、腐殖化程度和能量投入等指标,获得的最优堆肥控制条件为:初始含水率65%,通风频率15min/60min(开/关),翻堆频率为每3d1次,产物接种比例5%.最优控制方案下的主发酵通风率仅为0.03L.min-1.kg-1(以VS计),可实现堆肥过程的低能耗,适合于我国村镇区域的应用条件.     

FAO生产潜力模型中基本参数的修正

用美国Licor -6200便携式光合作用测定仪对黄淮海主要作物叶片光合进行了测定 ,建立了较强机理的冠层光合模型 ,模型时间积分为瞬时尺度并充分考虑了株型对冠层光合的影响 ,验证结果表明模型具有较高的准确度。在此基础上 ,对deWit在1965年用数值模式计算出的、目前仍在国内大量使用的FAO生产力模型中最基本的参数进行了重新计算 ,发现FAO生产力模型中基本参数对黄淮海地区而言存在较大偏差。文中重新给出了冬小麦、夏玉米两种作物冠层CO2 日总同化量随纬度分布表 ,为以后更准确地计算中国不同作物生产潜力提供了最基本的模型参数 ,同时文中也阐明了作者对国内生产潜力研究的一些观点和看法。     

Interactions Among the Copper Species and Forms in Sea Water/Sediments and Copper Bioaccumulation in Oysters

Abstract

Earlier papers indicated that the first incident of green discoloration in oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and the mass mortality observed in 1986 along the Taiwan Erhjin Chi coastal area were caused by the higher contents of total copper and copper species (mainly bioavailable and free ion) in sea water. the copper in sea water would be sorbed by suspended matter and transferred to sediments, and the copper in the sediments would also be desorbed to sea water. Processes of copper adsorption and desorption are the major factors influencing the contents of total copper and copper species in sea water and sediments. in this study, the Erhjin Chi sediments were mixed with sea water by a shaker technique. When the mixture was shaken for one hour, analogous to tidal mixing in estuaries, only copper desorption from sediments was observed. If the shaking time is increased for more than 3 hours, the copper released from the sediments was resorbed to the remaining solid phases. the higher the contents of mud (91.71%) and total copper (701 mg kg^?1) in sediments, the higher the copper desorption rate (1.86 ppm hr^?1) and copper adsorption rate (0.50 ppm hr^?1) were observed. in sediments containing lower mud (0.80%) and lower copper (43.5 mg kg^?1), the copper desorption and adsorption rates were 0.83 ppm hr^?1 and 0.22 ppm hr^?1, respectively. the interactions among the total copper and copper species in sea water and sediments, chemical and ecological parameters, and copper bioaccumulation in oysters in the Erhjin Chi estuarine and coastal area are also discussed.     

Cesium inhibition of motor activity in comparison to Lithium and Rubidium †

The biochemical and toxicological significance of cesium is scarcely understood, and could be evaluated in comparison with lithium widely used as a psychotropic drug. Two male Wistar rat groups of 200–220 g are administered independently, lithium, sodium, rubidium and cesium chloride, in doses of 3mEq/Kg/day (0.024 Eq/L drinking water) during 29 days. Motor activity was measured after the injection of 70 mg pargyline/Kg animal i.p. as inhibitor of MAO A + B with an activimeter of Tedeschy type. Accumulative movements per minute are presented in function of time. Total brain proteins, alkaline and acid phosphatases and blood parameters, haematocrit, haemoglobin and erythrocytes, were determined.

The maximal increase of motor activity was seen in rats treated with RbCl 2 h after the pargyline administration and the diminution was Rb>Li>Cs. Cesium induced a decrease of the total serum protein concentration from 6.39 ± 0.1 to 5.8±0.5mg/100ml serum in controls. Acid and alkaline phosphatase were decreased in cesium treated rats. The three determined blood parameters, haematocrit, haemoglobin and erythrocytes, show also a decrement with cesium treatment compared to the control ones.