Hospitalisation costs and duration of elderly motorcyclists’ non-fatality crashes in Taiwan

This paper investigates the relationship between medical treatment costs and the length of hospital stays resulting from motorcycle crashes involving the elderly. The World Health Organization defines ‘elderly’ as people more than 65 years old. The sample for this study consisted of data for the year 2007 collected by the Bureau of National Health Insurance, Taiwan. We develop models for predicting medical costs and the length of hospital stays based on diagnosis, hospital and user types. The seemingly unrelated regression equation (SURE) model was applied first to investigate the relationship between medical costs and the length of hospital stays. The SURE model shows that the type of injury (e.g. head injury) is statistically significant and has positive effects on medical costs for motorcycle crashes involving the elderly in Taiwan. Due to the statistical insignificance of the dependency between medical costs and length of hospital stays, two separate simple linear regression models were subsequently estimated. For motorcycle crashes, patients over 80 years old had the highest medical costs. The findings reinforce the need for transportation authorities to focus on preventing certain types of injuries that are particularly serious and costly for the elderly in Taiwan.     

Product design and tort law: Safety implications of increasing similarity in civil liability and regulatory standards

This article addresses the impact of changes in design defect tort law on safety in the European Union and the United States, and draws two conclusions bearing significant product safety implications. First, tort law’s approach to design defectiveness is developing more cohesion. Although important differences in jurisdictional approaches remain, the differences appear to be diminishing rather than growing. In both the United States and the European Union, courts are increasingly relying upon a risk/utility balancing test to determine whether to impose civil liability for allegedly defective product designs. Second, the direction in which tort law is evolving is bringing it closer to defectiveness tests typically employed by government regulatory agencies in Europe and the United States. Civil liability standards are increasingly similar to regulatory standards used in determining whether a product should be allowed on the market at all. This trend toward greater cohesion in tort standards, and tort law’s increasing similarity to regulatory standards, has both positive and negative implications for safety. On the whole, the trend is likely desirable – it should encourage efficient products that are closer to an optional blend of safety and utility.     

摩托车总装物流系统配置

以摩托车总装物流系统配置进行分析研究,寻求一种合理的物流配送方式,以求通过改善物流环境,节约物流费用,达到降低成本的目的。     

摩托车保险杠振动分析与优化设计

作为摩托车重要的被动安全装置,保险杠对降低车辆在低速碰撞事故中的损失和保护骑行人员的安全有着重要作用,是车辆安全行驶的重要保障。为了解决某摩托车保险杠行驶过程中的振动剧烈问题,采用测试分析和计算机辅助工程相结合的方法,分析保险杠振动较大的主要原因是其1阶模态频率为94 Hz,该阶模态频率与发动机激励频率相耦合,发生共振。针对此问题,依据分析结果有针对性地提出对摩托车保险杠的优化方案为提高保险杠的连接刚度。利用振动测试试验对优化方案的科学性进行试验验证。结果表明,优化后保险杠的共振特征被消除,振幅下降达60%~70%,优化方案经济合理、科学有效,显著提高了摩托车保险杠的振动舒适性。研究结果可为摩托车保险杠的振动控制与结构优化提供工程决策依据。     

Road traffic injury among child motorcyclists in Vientiane Capital,Laos: a cross-sectional study using a hospital-based injury surveillance database

This study investigated the distribution of motorcyclists, including drivers and passengers, who were involved in road traffic crashes and admitted to hospital in Vientiane Capital, Laos. The focus was on child motorcycle drivers and passengers under 15 years. A hospital-based injury surveillance database in Vientiane Capital was used. The surveillance was performed in two hospitals. From 1 September to 31 December 2009, 3968 patients were admitted to the participating hospitals with road traffic injuries. Patients under 15 years accounted for 10.8% (427/3968). The majority of patients under 15 years were motorcycle drivers or passengers (71.7%, 306/427). Child motorcyclists including drivers and passengers were less likely to wear a helmet than adults (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.3, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2–0.5, for children 10–14 years; adjusted OR: 0.1, 95% CI, 0.05–0.4, for children under 10 years). It is suggested that stricter regulation enforcement for child motorcycle drivers and passengers may be needed. In addition, barriers against wearing helmets for motorcycle drivers and passengers in Laos should also be examined in further studies.     

重庆市汽摩行业汇率风险分析

汽摩工业是重庆的第一支柱产业.我市汽车产品对国外产品和技术的依赖性很大,而摩托车产品对国外市场的依存度极高,所以分析汇率变化对我汽摩产业的影响具有十分重要的现实意义.本文介绍了我市汽摩行业的发展概况及进出口格局,分析了人民币升值对我市汽摩行业带来的影响及其产生原因和具体表现.     

基于CFD的摩托车流场分析及优化

为评估摩托车前通风板设计的合理性及发动机本体的散热效果,以某摩托车为研究对象,采用C FD仿真分析方法对摩托车流场进行数值模拟,依据流场分析结果针对性地进行优化,并选取散热性能较好的前通风板方案进行详细优化.结果表明:前通风板的格栅角度为6.8°时,缸头表面平均风速最佳,且缸头表面平均温度最低;随着格栅角度的继续增加,缸头表面风速降低且平均温度升高,不利于散热.基于6.8°的格栅进风角度进行了前通风板工艺化方案设计,经模拟及实验验证,工艺化方案相较于原通风板结构,整体散热提升明显,缸头平均温度降低约35℃.该研究结果可作为整车散热优化方案选择及整车开发的理论参考.     

某客运三轮摩托车振动分析与改进设计

针对某客运三轮摩托车在高转速工况下,坐垫、前脚踏板等位置振动较大,用户乘坐舒适性较差的问题,采用试验分析和有限元分析技术相结合的思路,找到整车振动舒适性较差的原因,提出相应的改进方案,并进行了试验验证.结果表明,车架共振导致的振幅急剧放大现象被消除,整车的振幅明显减小,改进方案有效,明显提高了该客运三轮车的振动舒适性.     

摩托车发动机冷却水套流场特性研究及结构改进

选取CFD流体分析软件STAR-CCM+对摩托车发动机冷却水套进行流场数值模拟及结构改进研究.结果表明,水套原方案缸孔布局不合理,导致冷却水套冷却液流动均匀性较差,排气侧及火花塞侧高温区域冷却较差,不利于高温区域冷却.在水套原方案上减小进气侧缸孔流通面积后,排气侧及火花塞侧冷却液流速明显提升,冷却液利用率提高,保证了高温区域的有效冷却.实验测试结果显示冷却水套结构改进后发动机的缸温降低8℃,表明冷却水套改进结构有效,冷却性能提升明显.研究方法及结果可为摩托车发动机冷却水套的结构设计提供理论参考.     

Building External Manufacturing Capability in Emerging Markets: Honda's Knowledge Transfer and the Role of Local Suppliers' Responsiveness

ABSTRACT

This study explores Honda's knowledge transfer to local suppliers in Vietnam. It argues that local suppliers' responsiveness can be a supplementary condition to absorptive capacity when considering buyer-supplier relation of knowledge transfer. In Vietnam where local suppliers were less capable or limited, Honda has exploited the supplier responsiveness to develop external manufacturing capabilities which contributed to Honda Vietnam's performance. Responsiveness enabled Honda to use a hands-on approach as an effective mechanism to transfer key principles and tacit technical knowledge to local suppliers in the initial stages of establishing a relationship. As a result, Honda is both beneficial from suppliers' specific absorptive capacity and continuous responsiveness.