Seatbelt use among drivers in an urban city in Nigeria: an observational study

Studies from parts of Nigeria reported low compliance with seatbelt. This study sought to establish driver seatbelt use in Enugu, Nigeria by gender, vehicle type/use and time of day. Observations were done day and night at randomly selected locations. Data were analysed with SPSS version 15. Differences in response were checked with chi-square for trend. Confidence interval was 95% and P value < 0.05 was regarded as significant. Average compliance was 37.6% for the 510 males (85%) and 90 females (15%) observed. It was 74.8% in the day and 0.3% at night. Among males, 218 (42.7%) wore seatbelt while 9 (10%) females did. For commercial drivers 159 (65.2%) complied while 68 (19.1%) private drivers did. Truck drivers had 100% compliance while sports utility vehicle drivers had the lowest (18.8%). There is poor seatbelt compliance in Enugu, Nigeria and need for educational campaigns and stricter enforcement.     

Road safety determinants in low and middle income countries

The objective of this article is to summarize and review the literature on the determinants of road traffic injuries and fatalities, to identify the relevant research gaps in particular for low and middle income countries. We also present a cross-country analysis of the determinants of road traffic injuries and fatalities that take into account a wide range of potential environmental, economic and social factors. The present study focused on differences based on the level of development. The goal was to identify relevant commonalities that may assist in the creation of road safety policies common to countries at a similar level of development. The countries were divided according to the level of gross national income per capita, and these income-level groups were the primary units of interest. The results presented here focus on the differences by income level.     

Gender and age distribution of motorcycle crashes in Spain

This study analysed motorcycle crashes in Spain. Ninety-nine thousand three hundred and four motorcycle crash reports filed in the years 2006–2011 were extracted from the Directorate General of Traffic database of crashes with victims. These data were analysed in terms of gender, age groups, trip purpose, type of crash, speed violation, day of the week, harm caused, use of helmet and psychophysical conditions of the driver to study the characteristics of motorcycle crashes in Spain and to assess the differences between male and female motorcycle drivers in these crashes. Significant differences were found in all the variables considered in the study, which implies gender differences in the profile of the injured motorcycle driver. The severity of motorcycle crashes suffered by male drivers is higher than that of women. These results corroborate the need to develop measures differentiated by gender, based on their profile.     

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.     

Is China’s Development Finance a Challenge to the International Order?

China is a major funder of developing country infrastructure, lending $40 billion annually through policy banks. Lending does not favor the belt and road above other regions. China’s lending is indifferent to risk, that is, it is uncorrelated with indices of political stability and rule of law. Some major borrowers with poor governance are beginning to have debt sustainability problems, while other borrowers are in good fiscal shape. Chinese banks have been reluctant to follow global environmental norms but seem to be evolving in that direction. Chinese actions seem more a revision of the global system than a challenge to it.     

Devising an electronically supported heritage conservation method for the Valley of Flowers in the Indian Himalayas

The Valley of Flowers is a national park in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in India that was classified as a world natural heritage site in 1988. Around 1982, its maximum carrying capacity was fixed at 60 persons per day, which has been called excessive by experts and observers, given the extremely fragile and immensely valuable nature of the Valley's heritage. This, in monetary terms, can be put at millions of dollars, and is considerably more viewed in terms of knowledge of breeding medicinal plants in cold climates that are being affected by climate change, which its microclimate and ecology present. Given the state's poor resources and the fact that tourism is one of the most important industries for development and conservation, this research assesses the heritage value of the Valley and develops a programme for conservation, including a computerised program for permits, whose value can easily be raised from the current paltry Rs 150 per person. Accompanied by fallow periods and marketing through the Internet to aim for educated tourists, the program ensures that the maximum carrying capacity of the Valley is never exceeded, thus spreading out the number of tourists over its 3.5-month season, while allowing flexibility in booking for chance groups and small families that can pay more.     

发掘历史街区新价值构建民间文化产业群——广州恩宁路骑楼街的保护利用

恩宁路骑楼街区是广州粤剧南拳等民间文化艺术的发祥地.为抢救活态的非物质文化遗产,传承城市文脉,打造粤剧名伶故居展览一条街、民间文化艺术乐园一条街、民间艺术旅游商品一条街、西关民居民俗风情一条街,实现民间文化艺术产业化,则是恩宁路骑楼历史街区极有创意的保护规划方略.     

基于GIS和CFD的城市街道通风廊道研究——以武汉为例

改善通风的城市形态因素可以分为建筑和道路2个方面。建筑形态的通风评价主要采取综合迎风面积密度方法,将城市建筑环境转化为具有数值属性的栅格,从而提取城市建成区的通风廊道,但是该方法忽略了城市重要的通风路径——城市街道。以街道的朝向为主要评价对象,挖掘线状要素城市道路的通风廊道,作为建筑形态通风廊道划分方法的补充。根据通风潜力随夹角的变化规律,利用地理信息系统(GIS)的空间分析技术进行街道的通风潜力评价,在综合迎风面积密度密集的区域,存在通风潜力较高的城市街道     

西北半干旱地区既有城市道路海绵化 改造模式探索——以西宁为例

西宁属于西北高海拔半干旱地区,具有年均降雨量 少、蒸发量高的气候特征。城市道路是城市径流雨水产流的主 要组成部分。西宁现状城市道路均采用传统快排方式,存在雨 水利用不佳、污染城市末端水系生态环境等问题。根据城市道 路等级、下垫面及现状植被生长情况,分析西宁海绵城市建设 试点区道路改造项目的特点,定制城市道路海绵化改造的技术 路线,分类探讨解决西北半干旱地区城市道路初期雨水的径流 污染控制及雨水利用问题。根据已完成海绵化改造的8条道路 的经验,提炼西宁城市道路海绵化改造模式,以期为西北半干 旱地区城市道路海绵化改造提供解决思路。     

振动压路机常用液压回路分析及其应用

振动压路机的行驶、振动、转向3大系统普遍采用液压传动技术,它能保证振动压路机碾压和驱动轮的控制精度,稳定振动机行驶的作业速度,实现自动调频调幅和平稳振动,提高压实质量,文中对振动压路机的3大液压系统回路作了较详细的分析。