Crash proximity and equivalent property damage calculation techniques: An investigation using a novel horizontal curve dataset.

Despite the numerous breakthroughs in crash analytics, there remains a lack of consensus among safety practitioners as to the optimal method for locating high crash locations. Two critical components in the traffic safety analysis process not agreed upon are 1) how the crash distance to a target location is included in the analysis and 2) how crashes are weighted based on crash-related characteristics. For example, the commonly used buffering technique to determine which crashes are associated with a specific target road segment does not associate crashes that are closer to a target road segment with any additional weight, even though it is likely to be more greatly associated with the characteristics of the target location.

Driver behavior and performances on in-vehicle display based speed compliance.

Traffic safety, and the inherent risks associated with speeding, continue to remain a national priority. Advances in both roadway and vehicle technology have created potential mechanisms to mitigate speeding behaviors. This driving simulator study evaluated the effects of alternative ways to increase driver safety by investigating the characteristics of specific driving cues and drivers' response rates to those cues.

Using a novel data linkage approach to investigate potential reductions in motor vehicle crash severity - An evaluation of strategic highway safety plan emphasis areas.

Introduction: With the significant number of motor-vehicle fatalities occurring on the nation's roadways in recent years, there exists a need to integrate a more complete range of data sources, available at a regional or statewide level, to effectively evaluate existing safety concerns and quantify their impacts. Crash data alone does not provide ample crash-associated citation, injury, and roadway characteristics; therefore, a more cohesive dataset is required to accurately and completely analyze the true impacts of motor-vehicle crashes. Previously developed strategies linked crash data with citation and roadway inventory data to enhance the identification and optimization of highway safety strategies.

A Wizard-of-Oz experimental approach to study the human factors of automated vehicles: Platform and methods evaluation.

Objectives: Driving simulation is an important platform for studying vehicle automation. There are different approaches to using this platform - with most using scripting or programmatic tools to simulate vehicle automation. A less frequently used approach, the Wizard-of-Oz method, has potential for increased flexibility and efficiency in designing and conducting experiments.

The use of a driving simulator to determine how time pressures impact driver aggressiveness.

Speeding greatly attributes to traffic safety with approximately a third of fatal crashes in the United States being speeding-related. Previous research has identified being late as a primary cause of speeding. In this driving simulator study, a virtual drive was constructed to evaluate how time pressures, or hurried driving, affected driver speed choice and driver behavior.

An investigation of the speeding-related crash designation through crash narrative reviews sampled via logistic regression.

Speed is one of the most important factors in traffic safety as higher speeds are linked to increased crash risk and higher injury severities. Nearly a third of fatal crashes in the United States are designated as "speeding-related", which is defined as either "the driver behavior of exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions." While many studies have utilized the speeding-related designation in safety analyses, no studies have examined the underlying accuracy of this designation.

Measurement of spatial and temporal variation in volatile hazardous air pollutants in Tacoma, Washington, using a mobile membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS) system.

The objective of this study was to use membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS), implemented on a mobile platform, in order to provide real-time, fine-scale, temporally and spatially resolved measurements of several hazardous air pollutants. This work is important because there is now substantial evidence that fine-scale spatial and temporal variations of air pollutant concentrations are important determinants of exposure to air pollution and adverse health outcomes. The study took place in Tacoma, WA during periods of impaired air quality in the winter and summer of 2008 and 2009.

The influence of clear zone size and roadside vegetation on driver behavior.

Introduction: Roadside vegetation provides numerous environmental and psychological benefits to drivers. Previous studies have shown that natural landscapes can effectively lower crash rates and cause less frustration and stress to the driver. However, run-off-the-road crashes resulting in a collision with a tree are twice as likely to result in a fatality, reinforcing the need to examine the placement of vegetation within the clear zone.

Development of a unique multi-contaminant air sampling device for a childhood asthma cohort in an agricultural environment.

This research describes the design, deployment, performance, and acceptability of a novel outdoor active air sampler to provide simultaneous measurements of multiple contaminants at timed intervals for the Aggravating Factors of Asthma in Rural Environment (AFARE) study-a longitudinal cohort of 50 children in Yakima Valley, Washington. The sampler was constructed of multiple sampling media connected to individual critical orifices and a rotary vane vacuum pump. It was connected to a timed control valve system to collect 24 hours samples every six days over 18 months.

Biomonitoring of estrogen and melatonin metabolites among women residing near radio and television broadcasting transmitters.

Objectives: Metabolites of estrogen (estrone-3-glucuronide [E1G]) and melatonin (6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate [6-OHMS]) were characterized among women living in a community with increased radiofrequency (RF) exposure from radio and television transmitters.

Methods: RF spot measurements, and personal 60-Hz magnetic field and residential parameters were collected. Overnight urine samples were assayed for E1G and 6-OHMS excretion.

Comparison of global positioning system (GPS) tracking and parent-report diaries to characterize children's time-location patterns.

Respondent error, low resolution, and study participant burden are known limitations of diary timelines used in exposure studies such as the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS). Recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) technology have produced tracking devices sufficiently portable, functional and affordable to utilize in exposure assessment science. In this study, a differentially corrected GPS (dGPS) tracking device was compared to the NHEXAS diary timeline.

Radio frequency nonionizing radiation in a community exposed to radio and television broadcasting.

Exposure to radio frequency (RF) nonionizing radiation from telecommunications is pervasive in modern society. Elevated disease risks have been observed in some populations exposed to radio and television transmissions, although findings are inconsistent. This study quantified RF exposures among 280 residents living near the broadcasting transmitters for Denver, Colorado.