Accident; analysis and prevention
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Distracted driving has received increasing attention in the literature due to potential adverse safety outcomes. An often posed solution to alleviate distraction while driving is hands-free technology. Interference by distraction can occur however at the sensory input (e.g., visual) level, but also at the cognitive level where hands-free technology induces working memory (WM) load. ⋯ Meanwhile, higher WM capacity related to better LCT performance. Finally, for LCI and PCL, participants with higher verbal WM capacity were influenced less by verbal WM load. These findings entail that completely eliminating distraction is necessary to minimize crash risks among young novice drivers.
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The detrimental effects of fatigue in aviation are well established, as evidenced by both the number of fatigue-related mishaps and numerous studies which have found that most pilots experience a deterioration in cognitive performance as well as increased stress during the course of a flight. Further, due to the nature of the average pilot's work schedule, with frequent changes in duty schedule, early morning starts, and extended duty periods, fatigue may be impossible to avoid. Thus, it is critical that fatigue countermeasures be available which can help to combat the often overwhelming effects of sleep loss or sleep disruption. ⋯ Evidence suggests that strategic naps can reduce subjective feelings of fatigue and improve performance and alertness. Despite some contraindications to implementing strategic naps while on duty, such as sleep inertia experienced upon awakening, both researchers and pilots agree that the benefits associated with these naps far outweigh the potential risks. This article is a literature review detailing both the health and safety concerns of fatigue among commercial pilots as well as benefits and risks associated with strategic napping to alleviate this fatigue.
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The use of mobile phones while driving is more prevalent among young drivers-a less experienced cohort with elevated crash risk. The objective of this study was to examine and better understand the reaction times of young drivers to a traffic event originating in their peripheral vision whilst engaged in a mobile phone conversation. The CARRS-Q advanced driving simulator was used to test a sample of young drivers on various simulated driving tasks, including an event that originated within the driver's peripheral vision, whereby a pedestrian enters a zebra crossing from a sidewalk. ⋯ The reaction times of drivers were more than 40% longer in the distracted condition compared to baseline (not distracted). Moreover, the impairment of reaction times due to mobile phone conversations was almost double for provisional compared to open license holders. A reduction in the ability to detect traffic events in the periphery whilst distracted presents a significant and measurable safety concern that will undoubtedly persist unless mitigated.
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Life jackets may prevent one in two drowning deaths, however, 85% of recreational boating-related drowning victims in the United States in 2012 did not wear a life jacket. This study explored behavioral factors and strategies to encourage consistent life jacket use among adult recreational boaters. ⋯ Boating risk is inherently unpredictable; therefore interventions should focus on strategies for increasing consistent use of life jackets. Passage and enforcement of life jacket legislation for older children and adults is likely a promising approach for behavior change. Designing more comfortable, better-fitting, more appealing life jackets will be paramount to encouraging consistent use.
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In many countries increased on-road motorcycling participation has contributed to increased motorcyclist morbidity and mortality over recent decades. Improved helmet technologies and increased helmet wearing rates have contributed to reductions in serious head injuries, to the point where in many regions thoracic injury is now the most frequently occurring serious injury. However, few advances have been made in reducing the severity of motorcyclist thoracic injury. ⋯ Over the last decade the incidence of motorcyclist serious thoracic injury has more than doubled in the population considered, and by 2011 while motorcycles comprised 3.2% of the registered vehicle fleet, one quarter of road traffic-related serious thoracic trauma cases treated in hospitals were motorcyclists. Motor-vehicle collisions, fixed object collisions and non-collision crashes were fairly evenly represented amongst these cases, while older motorcyclists were over-represented. Several prevention strategies are identified and discussed.