Hybrid and electric low-noise cars cause an increase in traffic accidents involving vulnerable road users in urban areas

Due to resource scarcity, the number of low-noise and electric cars is expected to increase rapidly. The frequent use of these cars will lead to a significant reduction of traffic related noise and pollution. On the other hand, due to the adaption and conditioning of vulnerable road users the number of traffic accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists is postulated to increase as well. Children, older people with reduced eyesight and the blind are especially reliant on a combination of acoustic and visual warning signals with approaching or accelerating vehicles. This is even more evident in urban areas where the engine sound is the dominating sound up to 30 kph (kilometres per hour). Above this, tyre–road interaction is the main cause of traffic noise. With the missing typical engine sound a new sound design is necessary to prevent traffic accidents in urban areas. Drivers should not be able to switch the sound generator off.     

Laypeople roles at road traffic crash scenes: a systematic review

This study aimed to identify the roles of laypeople at road traffic injuries (RTIs). A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The key words of ‘laypeople’, ‘layman’, ‘layperson’, ‘bystander’, ‘first responder’, ‘lay first responder’, ‘road traffic’, ‘road traffic injury’, ‘crash injury’, ‘crash scene’, ‘emergency’, ‘trauma care’, and ‘prehospital trauma care’ were used in combination with the Boolean operators OR and AND. We did electronic search on Google Scholar, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, CINAHL, Science Direct, Scopus, ProQuest. Based on the reviewed studies, some factors such as cultural conditions, knowledge, relief agencies, and demographic factors affect the interventions of laypeople at the crash scene in functional areas. Regarding the permanent presence of people at the crash scene, the present study can provide an opportunity to reduce different side effects of RTIs imposed on the society.     

A qualitative approach to the intangible cost of road traffic injuries

The consequences of fatal and non-fatal road traffic injuries (RTI) at the personal and household levels were analysed using qualitative interviews of 12 injured and of 12 relatives of people who died for this reason. Collisions change physical and mental health both of the injured and of their relatives. This leads to changes in daily activities and even to the redefinition of future life. RTI also changes the way people see and act in life, becoming an experience that teaches them. Survivors commonly transmit a road safety message afterwards. Changes in family life were evident (in extreme cases family's composition also changed), affecting intra-familial relationships. Associated unexpected and unplanned expenditures and loss of income have consequences in the short, medium and long term that unbalance household's economies and immerse people into a constant stress. Individuals and family's future plans are occasionally condition to whether they have or not debts. Household dependence in economic terms was sometimes observed, as well as uncertainty about future life and household's sustainability. Sometimes, households change and adapt their life to what they now are able to afford, having important repercussions in vital spheres.     

Prioritisation of road traffic injury interventions: results of a participative research with stakeholders in Mexico

The objective of this study is to use a qualitative approach to prioritise road traffic injury (RTI) interventions for the city of Cuernavaca in Mexico. Seven focus group discussions and two nominal groups were held with participants representing different road users and social groups. All the focus group sessions were recorded and video filmed. Processing and analysis of the information gathered was done using qualitative methods. The problem of RTIs was well recognised by members of the local community, represented by participants in this study. The participants showed knowledge of the causes and related urban development dynamics. Participants identified possible interventions, and even rated them. The participatory approach utilised generated helpful insights and it enabled the researchers to identify key local actors and issues, for example, concerns of different road users, perception of certain factors and actors as causes of RTIs, and attitudes and behaviour within a specific physical environment. A prioritised list for 18 different interventions was developed. The first one will be implemented to prevent RTIs in the youth population. Understanding the social context to analyse the problem and possible solutions as seen by the community is important when analysing public health problems because it informs decision making when developing and implementing interventions.     

Determinants of severe injury and mortality from road traffic accidents among motorcycle and car users in Southern Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors associated with severe injury and mortality from road traffic accidents (RTA) among motorcycle and car users in southern Thailand. The data were obtained from the Office of Disease Prevention and Control, Thailand, for years 2008–2013. Chi-squared tests were used to assess associations between determinants and outcomes and these associations were then estimated after adjusting for possible confounding with other factors using logistic regression. Severe injury and mortality contributed 11.6% and 5% to RTA of motorcycle users, and 14.3% and 7.5% for car users. Among motorcycle users, male gender, older age, and not wearing a helmet increased severe injury and mortality rates, whereas drivers had more severe injuries than passengers. Older car users had higher severe injury and mortality rates, whereas not fastening seat belts had higher mortality. Safety device use should be made mandatory for both drivers and passengers. Male motorcycle users and the elderly should be focused on.     

Driving behaviours,traffic risk and road safety: comparative study between Malaysia and Singapore

The present study aims to investigate differences in road safety attitude, driver behaviour and traffic risk perception between Malaysia and Singapore. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among a sample of Singaporean (n = 187) and Malaysian (n = 313) road users. The data was analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling applied to measure comparative fit indices of Malaysian and Singaporean respondents. The results show that the perceived traffic risk of Malaysian respondents is higher than Singaporean counterparts. Moreover, the structural equation modelling has confirmed perceived traffic risk performing the role of full mediation between perceived driving skills and perceived road safety for both the countries, while perceived traffic skills was found to perform the role of partial mediation between aggression and anxiety, on one hand, and road safety, on the other hand, in Malaysia and Singapore. In addition, in both countries, a weak correlation between perceived driving skills, aggression and anxiety with perceived road safety was found, while a strong correlation exists with traffic risk perception. The findings of this study have been discussed in terms of theoretical, practical and conceptual implications for both scholars and policy-makers to better understand the young drivers’ attitude and behaviour relationship towards road safety measures with a view to future research.     

Environmental risk factors contributing to traffic accidents in children: a case-control study

The aim of this study is to identify environmental risk factors related to road accidents in children of Tehran. This case-control study was performed in 2013. The cases were injured pedestrians aged 5–15 who were admitted to major hospitals supervised by Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The sample size for the cases was 273 and for the control group was 546. For the completeness of the clusters, 7 extra persons in case (total = 280) and 14 persons (total = 560) in control group were included. The interference of confounding variables assessed through forward conditional logistic regression. Result shows occurrence of traffic accidents was significantly associate with the width of the alleys or (<5 m: OR = 8.4, 95% CI: 3.3–21.5; 5–8 m: OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.8–12.2), distance from home to school((<100 m: OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0–2.8), existence of parking lot (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0–2.3), traffic congestion (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 2.6–6.4), traffic speed (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3–3.2) and existence of pedestrian bridges(OR = 4.2, 95% CI: 2.6–6.8). In the light of the important role of environmental factors in the occurrence of child traffic accidents, alleviating structural risk factors in addition to education and enforcement need more systematic efforts and planning by policymakers and urban planners to attain pedestrian safety goals.     

Effects of ethyl alcohol on injuries severity according to injury severity scales in pedestrian fatal injury in traffic crashes

Abstract

Introduction: The dominant cause of injuries in traffic crashes. A significant portion of them affects victims under the influence of ethyl alcohol. The goal of the studies was to assess the correlation between the state of sobriety and the severity of injuries expressed by injury severity scales in fatal pedestrian victims of traffic crashes. Research Material and Method: The data were obtained from the Warsaw Medical University's Department of Forensic Medicine. The analysis covered the data for 2009–2013 and included 200 fatal pedestrian victims hit by passenger cars. The assessment of the effect of risk factors on injury severity expressed in terms of injury severity scales such as Life Threat Indicator (LTI), International Classification based Injury Severity Score (ICISS), Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS), was made using adequately selected methods of statistical analysis. Results: As alcohol concentration increases in women, the values of LTI, ICISS-10 and ICISS-15 decrease, which denotes more severe injuries. In the ISS and NISS, the effect of alcohol concentration on the severity of injuries turned out to be negligible. However, these injuries are significantly heavier in women than in men. According to all the scales used, the older the victims, the milder injuries cause their death. Conclusions: The studies show that ethyl alcohol concentration may harm injury severity, especially in the case of women. The assessment of the severity of injuries in traffic crash victims is significantly influenced by their age and gender. The more risk factors the scale takes into consideration, the more precise is the assessment.     

Road safety perspectives among employees of a multinational corporation in urban India: local context for global injury prevention

In rapidly developing economies, like urban India, where road traffic injury rates are among the world's highest, the corporate workplace offers a non-traditional venue for road safety interventions. In partnership with a major multinational corporation (MNC) with a large Indian workforce, this study aimed to elicit local employee perspectives on road safety to inform a global corporate health platform. The safety attitudes and behaviours of 75 employees were collected through self-report survey and focus groups in the MNC offices in Bangalore and Pune. Analysis of these data uncovered incongruity between employee knowledge of safety strategies and their enacted safety behaviours and identified local preference for interventions and policy-level actions. The methods modelled by this study offer a straightforward approach for eliciting employee perspective for local road safety interventions that fit within a global strategy to improve employee health. Study findings suggest that MNCs can employ a range of strategies to improve the road traffic safety of their employees in settings like urban India including: implementing corporate traffic safety policy, making local infrastructure changes to improve road and traffic conditions, advocating for road safety with government partners and providing employees with education and access to safety equipment and safe transportation options.     

Effectiveness of interventions to prevent motorcycle injuries: systematic review of the literature

Globally, 49% of deaths from traffic crashes occur among vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. Approximately, a quarter of those killed are motorcyclists. The authors carried out a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent motorcycle crashes and the associated morbidity and mortality. The studies included in this review provide evidence for the effectiveness of helmet use, protective clothing, training, and penalties for alcohol consumption and speeding in preventing injury and death to motorcyclists. The use of helmets is effective, especially if it is universally required by law for drivers and passengers. Training to obtain a license also has positive effects but not when it is totally voluntary. There is limited but consistent evidence that strengthening laws for penalties related to alcohol consumption or speeding has an impact on risk. Traffic calming interventions could help reduce crashes in urban areas. In jurisdictions where there is limited regulation or adherence to effective measures, such as the use of helmets, efforts should be directed primarily at expanding such practices. In other areas, efforts can focus on approaches based on alternative effective measures or on more innovative interventions adapted to local conditions.     

Modeling and forecasting tourism demand: the case of flows from Mainland China to Taiwan

The study of tourism demand is attracting more and more attention. Hence, it is important to understand the variables that affect tourism demand and to forecast the demand. Many studies have been conducted to analyze the demands in various countries. Recently, China has been expected to become one of the largest originators of outbound tourists in the world. Hence, it is interesting to explore what the variables are that affect the Mainland Chinese arrivals to Taiwan and to forecast its corresponding tourism demand. This study applies neural networks to select proper models, and then to forecast the demand.     

Identifying the factors behind fatal and non-fatal road crashes: a case study of Lahore,Pakistan

ABSTRACT

The study identifies the factors behind fatal and non-fatal road crashes in Lahore, Pakistan, by investigating 461 reported cases to Traffic Police Lahore that occurred during January–November 2014. Road crashes are categorized into fatal and non-fatal crashes and, because of the binary nature of the dependent variable, logistic regression is used to identify the factors behind these crashes. As a follow-up, discriminant analysis is employed to classify the factors related to fatal and non-fatal crashes. The logistic regression results reveal that females are at higher risk of fatalities than male drivers. Among vehicle types, rickshaws and cars are more involved in fatal accidents because both are growing at large on roads. Long trucks and trailers are also involved in fatal accidents, mainly because of their huge size and drivers’ risky driving behaviours. It is also noted that risk of fatalities is higher in case where two vehicles bumped each other. Speeding and overloading are the common behaviours resulting in fatal crashes. Better urban transport systems and strict compliance with traffic rules and regulations may improve road safety in Pakistan.     

从“行商”到“坐贾”:基于商业集群视角的分析

按照经营方式的不同,商人可以分为行商和坐贾两种,行商的历史要早于坐贾。根据商业集群形成的模型,本文分析了在不完全信息条件下商人由行商向坐贾转变的原因:消费者的最优选择是从商业集群处开始搜寻理想的商品,坐贾的出现进而形成商业集群,可以有效降低行商因机会主义行为给消费者带来的损失。     

Epidemiology of yoga-related injuries in Canada from 1991 to 2010: a case series study

The aim is to describe the epidemiology of yoga injuries presenting to select Canadian emergency departments (EDs). Those who presented with a yoga injury to a Canadian ED participating in the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program and had completed a data collection form between 1991 and 2010 were included. Demographic and injury characteristics were tabulated and injury profiles of children were compared to adults. Sixty-six individuals (48 female, 18 male) who sustained 67 injuries were included. The median age was 19 (intraquartile range: 13, 32) and 73% of individuals were injured after 2005 (p = 0.0003). Sprain was the most common injury (23/67, 34%) and the most common body region injured was the lower extremity (27/67, 42%). Significantly more children were injured while being instructed than adults (p = 0.003) but more adults required treatment (p = 0.023). Although yoga-related injuries presenting to an ED are not common, the number of injuries are increasing.     

International shipping traffic as a determinant of the growing use of advertisements by local shopkeepers: a case study of eighteenth century Ghent

In this article we examine the quantitative growth of growing number of advertisements (ads) placed by local shopkeepers in the three-daily chronicle of Ghent between 1706 and 1800. We test whether this evolution can be explained by international (shipping) commerce, a determinant to which the literature seems to have paid less attention. In this period, the number of commercial ads placed by local shopkeepers increased strongly. The nature of the offered goods, Ordinary Least squares/Generalized method of moments (OLS/GMM) regressions and Granger-causality tests give convergent indications that this was determined by increasing international trade (on top of other factors). The intuition is that, as a result of the policy of the Austrian government to facilitate accessibility and hence reducing transportation costs, there was an inflow of new goods into the Southern Netherlands. Local shopkeepers in Ghent were supplied with more and new imported goods and increased their vending efforts by making use of commercial advertisements.     

创意产业区竞争优势的演进:从“聚集效应”到“创新网络”

创意产业区的可持续发展依赖于创意产业持续的创新能力。创意产业区的竞争优势主要来自两个层面:由聚集经济产生的成本优势和由创新网络带来的技术创新优势。由聚集经济带来的静态竞争优势很容易随外部环境的变化而被削弱,由创新网络带来的动态竞争优势是基于地方化知识和能力体系,难以被复制和转移,故可以获得更长久的竞争优势。     

Evaluating the urban consumer with regard to sourcing local food: a Heart of England study

This paper critically explores consumer perceptions and trends regarding purchasing locally produced food. Until recently, much of the research in this area largely focused on regional consumers where rural consumers had reasonable access to locally produced food and were usually in close proximity to the producers within, or close to, their immediate community. Here, the objectives of the primary research focused instead on urban attitudes and perceptions of local food within the Greater Birmingham conurbation in the West Midlands region of the UK. Birmingham is by far the most highly populated urban area of the region, and with ample opportunities to promote local food. Consumers, based mainly in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, were questioned on their locally produced food‐buying habits and attitudes in order to determine any differences in urban perceptions and buying attitudes compared with rural counterparts, and also to identify any new and potential opportunities for local food producers. Originally, 1000 questionnaires were obtained from across Greater Birmingham and Wolverhampton. However, for the purposes of this paper, it was decided to focus on two urban city centres – Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with 148 questionnaires. The results indicate that urban consumers are generally confused about what the term ‘local’ food means. The reasons for purchasing local food, while generally consistent with national patterns, differed in that supporting the local producers was not regarded as important. Barriers to purchase were largely unsurprising for an urban area, as the top choices were ‘too expensive’ followed by ‘not readily available’ and ‘no time to find it’. Understanding, information, availability and access to local food emerge as the biggest challenges to urban consumers in buying local food.