A simulator study of driving behavior and mental workload in mixed-use arterial road environments.

Mixed-use urban environments, such as arterial roads with adjacent commercial land uses, represent crash locations with the highest risk. These locations are often characterized by high volumes of motor vehicle traffic, on-street parking, and interactions with multiple road user groups such as pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation. The objective of this study was to investigate previously identified crash risk factors for mixed-use urban environments and assess how parking occupancy, center medians, and cyclist volume influence performance and workload in a driving simulator study.

Fatal cyclist crashes in Australia.

Objectives: The number of casualty road crashes in Australia has steadily reduced over the past few decades; however, a concurrent reduction has not been achieved for crashes involving cyclists. This has resulted in a disproportionate overrepresentation of cyclists in fatal injury statistics. This article explores the contributing factors and injury mechanisms among coronial reported fatal cyclist crashes in Australia.

Understanding fatal older road user crash circumstances and risk factors.

Objective: This study used medicolegal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to four key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users, and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity.

Cyclist exposure to the risk of car door collisions in mixed function activity centers: A study in Melbourne, Australia.

Objective: The objective of this study is to describe key risks related to dooring collisions on roads in mixed function activity centers by examining video footage recorded onboard the bicycles of cyclists riding through this road environment. The study aims to enhance our understanding of the risk associated with cyclist door collisions on these roads and to provide a focus for future studies that aim to identify measures that enhance cyclist safety.

Method: The study measured 4 key risk exposures (per hour and kilometer), namely, on-street parked cars and 3 conditions associated with parked cars being accessed or egressed: door opened (a) after the cyclist passes (give-way event); (b) in the path of the cyclist without collision (obstruction event); and (c) in the path of the cyclist with collision (collision event).

The extent of backover collisions internationally.

This study reports good consistency in international comparisons of the number and severity of backover crashes. More than half occurred to pedestrians aged 60 years and older. Children less than 9 years comprised 5% of these crashes with a similar percent aged 10 to 19 years.

What is the relationship between self-reported aberrant driving behaviors, mindfulness, and self-reported crashes and infringements?

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between self-reported aberrant driving behaviors, mindfulness, and self-reported crashes and infringements.

Methods: Three hundred and eighteen participants (M = 46.0 years, SD = 13.

Are older drivers' driving patterns during an on-road driving task representative of their real-world driving patterns?

Objective: The current study investigated whether older drivers' driving patterns during a customized on-road driving task were representative of their real-world driving patterns.

Methods: Two hundred and eight participants (male: 68.80%; mean age = 81.

Using medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user crash circumstances and risk factors.

Objective: This study used medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU, aged 65 years and older) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to 4 key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users, and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity.

Distributed improvisation: a systems perspective of improvisation 'epics' by led outdoor activity leaders.

Improvisation represents the spontaneous and real-time conception and execution of a novel response to an unanticipated situation. In order to benefit from the positive safety potential of this phenomenon, it is necessary to understand what influences its appropriateness and effectiveness. This study has applied the system-based methodology Impromaps to analysing accounts of improvisation aimed at mitigating adverse safety outcomes.

How safe are children when transported by bicycle?

Objectives: With the increasing popularity of cycling generally and availability of new bicycle child carriers, there is an emerging interest in the safety of child bicycle passengers and riders. However, very little is known about the nature and extent of injuries to child bicycle riders and passengers. The aim of this study was to enhance our understanding of child safety in bike transportation and to identify injury patterns and outcomes.

Exposure factors of Victoria's active motorcycle fleet related to serious injury crash risk.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the nature and extent of current powered 2-wheeler (PTW) risk exposures in order to support future efforts to improve safety for this mode of transport.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of the control arm of a population-based case-control study was conducted. The control sample was selected from 204 sites on public roads within 150 km of the city of Melbourne that were locations of recent serious injury motorcycle crashes.

When paradigms collide at the road rail interface: evaluation of a sociotechnical systems theory design toolkit for cognitive work analysis.

The Cognitive Work Analysis Design Toolkit (CWA-DT) is a recently developed approach that provides guidance and tools to assist in applying the outputs of CWA to design processes to incorporate the values and principles of sociotechnical systems theory. In this paper, the CWA-DT is evaluated based on an application to improve safety at rail level crossings. The evaluation considered the extent to which the CWA-DT met pre-defined methodological criteria and aligned with sociotechnical values and principles.

Restraint use in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: This study set out to examine seat belt and child restraint use in the Dammam Municipality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, based on the premise that an increase in seat belt use would significantly reduce personal injury in traffic crashes. It was expected that local data would help identify intervention strategies necessary to improve seat belt use in the region.

Methods: The research involved 2 methodologies.

An Analysis of Young Driver Crash Types and the Associated Lifetime Care Cost in Victoria, Australia.

Objective: The elevated crash involvement rate of young drivers is well documented. Given the higher crash risk of young drivers and the need for innovative policy and programs, it remains important to fully understand the type of crashes young drivers are involved in, and knowledge of the lifetime care cost of crashes can support effective policy development. The aim of this article is to document the number and type of young driver crashes, as well as the associated lifetime care cost over a 9-year period (2005-2013) in Victoria, Australia.

Older Adults at Increased Risk as Pedestrians in Victoria, Australia: An Examination of Crash Characteristics and Injury Outcomes.

Objectives: Engaging in active transport modes (especially walking) is a healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to driving and may be particularly beneficial for older adults. However, older adults are a vulnerable group: they are at higher risk of injury compared with younger adults, mainly due to frailty and may be at increased risk of collision due to the effects of age on sensory, cognitive, and motor abilities. Moreover, our population is aging, and there is a trend for the current cohort of older adults to maintain mobility later in life compared with previous cohorts.

Car Licensing Trends of the Babyboomer Cohort (b. 1946-1965) Compared to Earlier Birth Cohorts: Effects on the Driving Population in the State of Victoria, Australia.

Objective: The objective of this article was to explore trends in licensing among babyboomer older drivers in the state of Victoria, Australia. The study aims were to (1) compare the car licensing trends of the babyboomer cohort to that of previous birth cohorts and (2) predict the number of babyboomers licensed to drive a car in 2021 when the babyboomer cohort reaches an average age of 65 years.

Methods: The residential population of Victoria, Australia, for 2001-2013 was obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics; car licensing statistics were obtained from VicRoads.

Pedestrian Injury Outcome as a Function of Vehicle Market Group in Victoria, Australia.

Objective: Pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users in terms of their risk of serious injury when involved in a collision with a vehicle. In Australia, around 200 pedestrians are killed in road crashes annually and over 2,000 are seriously injured. The objective of the current study was to analyze pedestrian death and injury risk by body region across 10 light passenger and commercial vehicle market groups in Victoria, Australia.

Geospatial analysis of cyclist injury trends: an investigation in Melbourne, Australia.

Objective: This study applied geospatial analysis to explore spatial trends in cycling-related injury in Melbourne, Australia, in order to identify an area where injury density was reducing against expectation. The crash characteristics and cycling environment of the identified area were examined to better understand factors related to cycling safety.

Method: Two methods were used to examine spatial trends in cycling-related injury.

Characteristics of the road and surrounding environment in metropolitan shopping strips: association with the frequency and severity of single-vehicle crashes.

Objectives: Modeling crash risk in urban areas is more complicated than in rural areas due to the complexity of the environment and the difficulty obtaining data to fully characterize the road and surrounding environment. Knowledge of factors that impact crash risk and severity in urban areas can be used for countermeasure development and the design of risk assessment tools for practitioners. This research aimed to identify the characteristics of the road and roadside, surrounding environment, and sociodemographic factors associated with single-vehicle crash (SVC) frequency and severity in complex urban environments, namely, strip shopping center road segments.

Associations between heavy-vehicle driver compensation methods, fatigue-related driving behavior, and sleepiness.

Objective: There has been growing recognition that broader economic and organizational factors play a role in creating work environments that facilitate high-risk driving behavior. This study investigates the association between compensation methods for drivers, fatigue-related driving behavior, and sleepiness among Australian heavy-vehicle drivers. Specifically, we hypothesized that piece-rate compensation methods linked to performance outcomes would be associated with greater levels of fatigue-related driving behaviors and sleepiness.

Examining physiological responses across different driving maneuvers during an on-road driving task: a pilot study comparing older and younger drivers.

Objective: This pilot study aimed to investigate physiological responses during an on-road driving task for older and younger drivers.

Methods: Five older drivers (mean age = 74.60 years [2.

Raised crosswalks on entrance to the roundabout-a case study on effectiveness of treatment on pedestrian safety and convenience.

Objective: A common concern in the use of a roundabout is providing adequately for the pedestrian. This unique roundabout layout, which introduces raised crosswalks directly at the roundabout entrance, as opposed to at a car length back, aims at improving safety and convenience for pedestrians at roundabouts.

Methods: A preliminary evaluation of the layout was undertaken to establish its effectiveness in meeting study objectives.

Reconsidering the safety in numbers effect for vulnerable road users: an application of agent-based modeling.

Objective: Increasing levels of active transport provide benefits in relation to chronic disease and emissions reduction but may be associated with an increased risk of road trauma. The safety in numbers (SiN) effect is often regarded as a solution to this issue; however, the mechanisms underlying its influence are largely unknown. We aimed to (1) replicate the SiN effect within a simple, simulated environment and (2) vary bicycle density within the environment to better understand the circumstances under which SiN applies.