Development of Models for Express Analysis of Road Safety

Results of a study of an actual scientific and technical problem of determining the road safety level on road sections are presented in the paper. The aim of the study is to develop an express method for assessing road safety based on improving the method of the final accident rate by reducing the partial accident rate with the required accuracy of determining the safety level on public roads. The formalization of the relationship between the parameters of road traffic conditions has been carried out to study the level of safety on highways. Latent factors of the parameters of traffic conditions have been obtained on the basis of reduction of their aggregate by the method of principal components, taking into account the relationship of partial accident rates. This condition has allowed to develop analytical models for determining road safety for implementation in the practice of conducting a road safety audit. A method for identifying hazardous areas on highways has been proposed in the paper. It includes 11 parameters of road conditions out of 18 partial accident rates proposed in the prototype and regulatory documents of Ukraine. The adequacy of the model is determined by deviation values of the obtained data according to the prototype model from the values of the relative accident rate, which were 3.22 and 18.61, respectively. The proposed model reduces the deviation value by six times and affects the accuracy of determining the safety level. Experimental studies have been conducted on 79 km of highways (on 385 sectors with constant values of traffic conditions parameters). The results of a comparative analysis of the safety level for the prototype model and the developed model have been identical and shown a decrease in time and labor costs by 1.6 times without loss of accuracy. Thus, the developed methodology is recommended to be applied for determining the potential danger of road sections during an express analysis of the road safety or when conducting a safety audit at various stages of the road life cycle.

Assessment automation of road traffic safety with account for road conditions of an individual itinerary

The paper substantiates the need to develop an automated system for traffic safety assessment in urban agglomerations, taking into account road conditions. The authors suggest a methodology for assessment of road traffic accidents, which makes it possible to take into account a wide range of factors affecting them. The methodology is based on complementing the traditional approach of final accident rate calculation with algorithms for collecting and analyzing data using Big Data tools, in particular, convolutional neural networks, fuzzy neural networks such as ANFIS, and cluster analysis using the k-means method. All accident rates are grouped according to the principle of homogeneity of acquisition of information for their calculation. Further, one of the data processing tools is applied to each group. As a result, labor intensity is reduced and the effectiveness of the application of the method of final accident rates increases. For practical calculations, the authors have developed a client-server application that uses data on geometric characteristics, current traffic situation, weather and climatic effects at the time of the trip along a specific itinerary. By means of application use, the analysis of traffic safety on a number of routes in Volgograd was carried out and the results are presented in comparison with the calculations made via the traditional method. It is shown that the use of information about the current situation on a specific section of the road network in terms of the current time significantly increases the accuracy of calculations.

Speed limits and accident rates on highways around the world, is there a correlation?

The objective of this study stands for the investigation and evaluation of accidents that take place on highways, in comparison with speed limits. The main body of this research is based on the collection of highways speed limits from different countries around the globe regarding to years, 2010, 2017 and 2018. Secondly, accident rates are collected from highway authorities, as well as from international literature. Subsequently, a statistical analysis of the collected data is conducted and finally leads to an equation that links and correlates the speed limit values and the number of accidents. The results of this statistical analysis show that speed limit plays a certain and distinctive role in the accident rate value. However, one of the interesting findings, stands for the non-continuously increasing number of accidents in the speed limit range, from the lowest to the highest value, meaning that there is an inflection point in the graph of the correlation equation. To be noted, that in terms of this study, the aforementioned correlation is independent of other factors that could affect the accident rate, such as vehicles condition, technology, road network length and condition.

Development of models to study traffic accidents on the final sections of access roads to the cities: a case study of three major Iranian cities

The final sections of main access roads to the cities require especial attention as the frequency of accidents in these road sections are considerably higher than other parts of interurban roads. These road sections operate as an interface between the rural roads and urban streets. The previous researches available on this subject are limited and they have also mainly focused on a narrow range of factors contributing to the accidents in these areas. The main contribution of this research is to consider a relatively comprehensive range of potential factors , and to examine their impacts through the development and comparison of both conventional probabilistic models and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models. For this purpose, information related to the main access roads of three major Iranian cities were collected. This information consisted of accident frequency data together with the field observations of traffic characteristics, road-way conditions and roadside features of these roads. Various ANN and probabilistic models were developed. The frequency of accidents, i.e. fatal, injured, or damaged accidents, was considered as the output of the developed models. The results indicated that a hybrid of ANN models, each comprised of 10 input variables representing traffic, roadway and roadside conditions, outperformed several probabilistic models, i.e. Poisson, Negative binomial, Zero-truncated Poisson, and Zero-truncated Negative Binomial models, also developed under similar conditions in this study. Moreo-ver, effective roadway width, roadway lighting condition, the standard deviation of vehicles speed, percentage of drivers violating the speed limit, average annual daily traffic, percentage of heavy goods vehicles, the density of road-side commercial and industrial landuses, the density of median U-turns, the density of local access roads, and the effective width of the left-side shoulder were identified as the most effective factors contributing to the accidents in these areas. The developed ANN model can be used as a tool to predict accident rates in these road sections, and to estimate a potential reduction in the accident rates, following any improvements in the major factors contributing to the traffic accidents in these areas.

A reference framework for health and safety in the workplace in China and the European Union: A comparative study

BACKGROUND: Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) has a direct repercussion on the work, social and economic environments. The regulatory frameworks developed by each country are a basic aspect of OHS action policies. OBJECTIVE: This study analyses and compares the differences in OHS regulations in China and the European Union (EU) to identify weaknesses or gaps in the Chinese regulations. METHODS: Firstly, an overview of the OHS situation in the EU and China is carried out to provide context. Following this, a comparison of OHS regulations is conducted by searching different European and Chinese databases. The comparison focuses on several areas: socio-economic issues, accident rates, and the OHS regulatory framework. RESULTS: Since 1989, the EU has produced a broad and comprehensive OHS regulatory framework. Almost 30 years later, its positive impact can be seen in EU accident rates, indicating that this framework might be used as a reference for other territories or countries. China has a complicated system with over 280 OHS legislative regulations, in the form of laws, regulations, rules, integrated regulations, etc. that lead to a mixture and repetition of contents. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese OHS legislation is still being constructed and complemented, since the two main Chinese OHS laws were approved during the last decade. This contrasts with the mature European framework, as it has been modified and completed over the years.

Review of flight simulation fidelity requirements to help reduce ‘rotorcraft loss of control in-flight’ accident rates

This paper examines the fidelity requirements for flight simulators to improve training and address the problems associated with rotorcraft loss of control in-flight (LOC-I). To set the context, trends in rotorcraft accident statistics are presented. The data show that, despite recent safety initiatives, LOC-I rotorcraft accidents have been identified as a significant and growing contribution to accident rates. In the late 1990s, the fixed-wing commercial aircraft community faced a similar situation relating to upset prevention and recovery, and through a coordinated international effort, developed a focussed training programme to reduce accident rates. Lessons learned from the fixed-wing programme are presented to highlight how improved rotorcraft modelling and simulation tools are required to reduce rotorcraft accidents through higher quality, simulator-based training programmes. Relevant flight simulator certification standards are reviewed, with an emphasis on flight-model fidelity and vestibular motion cueing requirements. The findings from rotorcraft modelling and motion cueing research, that highlight relevant fidelity issues, are presented to identify areas for further activities to enhance the fidelity of simulators standards for use in LOC-I prevention training.

Driver Drowsiness Detection and Alert System using Python and OpenCV

Driver Drowsiness is the one of the reasons for increase in accident rates. Various facial recognition methods have been proposed to detect and alert the driver in-order to avoid accidents. Hence, this system is proposed to reduce the number of accidents due to drivers fatigue and hence increase the transportation safety. This system deals with automatic driver drowsiness detection based on visual information captured by the system.The driver is lively captured after which the images are further processed, and the fatigue is checked for. It creates an alarm for the driver immediately in case of fatigue detection, also an implementation to alert the vehicles owner and others concerned about the safety are alerted as well. The system enhances the safety measures by which accidents due to drivers drowsiness can be minimized.

Midblock U-Turn and Elevated U-Turn Safety and Economy Comparison: A Case Study Application

In Egypt, intersections are encountering congestion and safety problems. Midblock U-turns have been used for solving these problems. The midblock U-turn increased the accidents, besides, it has limited capacity. In the last decade, elevated U-turns have been applied to solve these problems. The extensive use of elevated U-turns has not been accompanied by any research for studying the performance of elevated U-turns with respect to safety and economy. This paper developed a simple framework for comparing elevated and traditional midblock U-turns in terms of safety and economy. The study applied a case study to evaluate the two alternatives using a benefit-cost analysis technique. Although the results show the high cost of the elevated U-turns, it has been demonstrated to be the best solution since they provide the greater traffic capacity and lower accident rates. Accident number reported at elevated U-turns was 59 % less than the number associated with traditional U-turns.

A Study on Indicators for Safety Inspections at Domestic Construction Sites Based on the Type of Industrial Accident Occurrence

In this study, we derived a construction site safety inspection list by identifying the problems of the existing safety inspection indicators. This list can prevent accidents and improve the safety of domestic construction sites. The research was conducted in the order of related laws and previous study research, meta-analysis of existing inspection indicators, derivation of safety level inspection checklist using the type of accident occurrence, and verification of the suitability of the evaluation checklist using research from a group of experts. As a key index, the construction site safety inspection index was derived by reflecting the risk factors for each type of industrial accident occurrence at the construction site. The final inspection checklist is intended to contribute to the establishment of safety management at construction sites and reduction of accident rates by deriving the actual status and problems of safety management implementation at construction sites, and presenting improvement plans.

Effect of an occupational health and safety management system based on KOSHA 18001 on industrial accidents

BACKGROUND: Many Korean enterprises have been operating an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) based on Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) 18001 certification standards, which were developed in South Korea. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed health and safety performance among enterprises operating KOSHA 18001. METHODS: Accident rates from 2010 to 2017 of 1,541 enterprises that implemented KOSHA 18001 and those that did not (N = 2,507,363) were analyzed by industry and size. The differences in the accident reduction rate before and after KOSHA 18001 implementation were analyzed in enterprises that implemented the system. RESULTS: Compared to before implementation, the accident reduction rate was greater after KOSHA 18001 was implemented. The year that an enterprise began operating KOSHA 18001 was defined as T. For industry-specific analysis, the accident reduction rate between T and T + 1 was greater than that between T-2 and T-1 increased among both manufacturing (p = 0.020) and other enterprises (p = 0.011). For size-specific analyses, the accident reduction rate between T and T + 1was greater than that between T-2 and T-1 among enterprises with 299 or fewer workers (p = 0.008) and enterprises with 300 or more workers (p = 0.043). However, the accident rates of enterprises that implemented KOSHA 18001 and those that did not varied by industry and size. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that enterprises that do not utilize an OHSMS should consider doing so to prevent and reduce industrial accidents, and industry- and size-specific features should be considered to boost safety performance through the implementation of OHSMS.