Accident; analysis and prevention
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For pedestrians, the risk of dying in a traffic accident is highest on rural roads, which are often characterized by a lack of sidewalks and high traffic speed. In fact, hitting the pedestrian during an overtaking attempt is a common crash scenario. To develop active safety systems that avoid such crashes, it is necessary to understand and model driver behavior during the overtaking maneuvers, so that system interventions are acceptable because they happen outside drivers' comfort zone. ⋯ This study is the first to analyze driver behavior when overtaking pedestrians, based on field test and naturalistic driving data. Results suggest that pedestrian safety is particularly endangered in situations when the pedestrian is walking opposite to traffic, close to the lane, and when oncoming traffic is present. The Bayesian regression models from this study can be used in active safety systems to model drivers' comfort in overtaking maneuvers.
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Crosswalk markings are a type of facility installed at the vehicle-pedestrian interaction locations and the function is to warn drivers to watch out for pedestrians crossing the street and improve safety for pedestrians. In Beijing, a type of new-designed crosswalk markings in China (NCMC) was installed. However, evaluating the effectiveness of this type of crosswalk markings was not conducted. ⋯ The evaluation result showed that, for intersections with high or low pedestrian flow, the comprehensive effectiveness and influences on drivers' driving behaviors with presence of NCMC were better than those with presence of SCMC, no matter where vehicle-pedestrian interactions occurred. For intersections with no pedestrians, the comprehensive effectiveness and influences on drivers' driving behaviors with presence of NCMC were worse than those with presence of SCMC, no matter where vehicle-pedestrian interaction occurred. These results may provide references for facility installing and future development of standards.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluating the effects of a simulator-based training on knowledge, attitudes and driving profiles of German ambulance drivers.
Accident risk is increased for emergency responders driving with warning lights and sirens compared to other road users' driving. Currently no standards for education of ambulance drivers exist. Research shows that high order understanding trainings focusing on insight to avoid critical driving situations might be more helpful than trainings focusing on car handling. The present controlled intervention study evaluates a one-day simulator-based high order training program specifically designed for ambulance drivers. ⋯ The simulator-based training for paramedics has small but notable effects on drivers' knowledge, attitudes and real driving behavior. Although only very few measured variables showed positive training effects, no negative training effects were found. Speed was reduced in the long term which underlines the importance of such a training. More research is needed to determine effects on different types of participants and to elicit framework conditions for training integration in formal education.
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Channelized right turns or slip lanes have been widely implemented as an effective countermeasure of reducing traffic delay and number of conflicts between vehicles at signalized intersections. However, only a few studies have investigated the impact of channelized right turns (in left-band driving countries) on pedestrian safety. Channelized right turns may increase the risks for pedestrians since they bring pedestrian-vehicle interactions in a fully non-signalized environment. ⋯ Pedestrians are safer at nighttime at non-channelized locations, while the impact of nighttime conditions on pedestrian safety at channelized intersections was not ascertained. Consequently, cities should be cautious to install channelized intersections as a safety countermeasure. Treatments are needed to improve pedestrian safety if channelized right turns are implemented.
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Recent studies suggest heavy vehicle drivers self-estimate their sleepiness unexpectedly low during night duties. The present study compared sleepiness ratings of long-haul truck drivers with those of long-haul airline pilots during night and non-night duties. In addition, the correspondence between self-rated manifest and predicted latent sleepiness was examined in the two groups. ⋯ The results raise the possibility that long-haul truck drivers are actually sleepier than they report, and thus are at an increased risk for not responding to sleepiness in a timely manner. A potential explanation for this behavior is lack of education and training on sleepiness among truck drivers as compared with airline pilots. Alternatively, long-haul truck drivers may be exceptionally tolerant to soporific working conditions. The first reported results do not, however, support this hypothesis.