Belt Usage Research Articles

Optimalisasi Penggunaan Conveyor Belt Dalam Menunjang Pelayanan Di Bandar Udara Internasional Syamsudin Noor Banjarmasin

This study examines the optimization of conveyor belt usage in supporting passenger services at Syamsudin Noor International Airport, Banjarmasin. Conveyor belt is one of the important facilities in handling luggage that has a crucial role in accelerating the process of handling goods and reducing passenger waiting time. The less than optimal use of conveyor belts at Syamsudin Noor International Airport causes less than optimal passenger service, especially causing a buildup of passengers in the arrival terminal area. Therefore, the author conducted this research with the aim of finding out the causes of non-optimal use of conveyor belts at Syamsudin Noor Airport and the solutions that must be implemented to overcome them.This research was conducted from January 31 to February 10 2024 at Syamsudin Noor International Airport, Banjarmasin. This research uses qualitative research methods in the form of primary and secondary data. Primary data in this research was obtained from interviews conducted with 1 technical officer and 2 Terminal Service Officers. Meanwhile, secondary data in this research was obtained from literature reviews and journals related to this research. Qualitative data analysis techniques used include Data Reduction, Triangulation, and Drawing Conclusions. The research results show that optimizing and increasing conveyor belt capacity as well as implementing automatic monitoring and maintenance technology can reduce the risk of operational disruption and increase passenger satisfaction. This research also identifies solutions for terminal service area officers and mechanics to improve conveyor belt conditions that are not optimal, where the solutions suggested by the author include replacing rollers and pulleys, cleaning and lubricating components, and applying strengthening techniques.

How Safe Are Nepal’s Roads? A Study of Road Safety Legislation and WHO Standards

Around the world, traffic accidents result in significant catastrophes. The consequences of traffic accidents go far beyond the immediate suffering of the individuals involved. This paper aims to examine the road safety legislation and WHO standards adopted in Nepal. The paper is based on secondary data and policy documents related to road safety and WHO standards in the context of Nepal. It presents Nepal’s road network, significant improvements in road safety indicators, and encouraging advancements in road safety. The study finds five major areas for improvement in road safety laws in Nepal: seat-belt regulations, helmet laws, speed laws, child restraint laws, and drinking and driving laws. The study also reveals that Nepal’s current regulatory framework needs to be improved by monitoring actual appropriate helmet fastening and standardization. There is a lack of precise BAC restrictions for drivers and insufficient speed limits under WHO recommendations. Nepal’s child restraint rules also need to be expanded to include seat belt usage in all cars and forbid children from sitting in the front seats. To close those regulatory gaps and protect Nepalese citizens’ safety on the roads, it ends by providing a strict set of recommendations, such as increased enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and changes to road design and concrete making plans. Policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders working to promote street safety measures in Nepal and abroad would find great assistance from this article, which offers a detailed examination and smart recommendations.

Causative Activities and Prognostic Factors of Open-Globe Injury: A Registry-Based City-Wide Multicentre Study

ABSTRACT Purpose Traumatic globe injury is classified into closed-globe and open-globe injury (OGI); OGI leads to a worse prognosis. We aimed to identify causative activities and prognostic factors of OGI in a metropolitan city in South Korea. Methods This retrospective observational study used a prospective eye-injury registry conducted in Daegu, South Korea, between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2021. We identified epidemiology and visual outcomes of OGI at four tertiary hospitals. Those with the best visual acuity lower than counting fingers at the 6-month follow-up were considered to have poor visual outcome. Results Of 9,208 patients with eye injuries, 282 had OGI. Most OGI patients were male (261, 92.6%), with the largest proportion in their 50s (76, 27.0%). The most frequent causative activity was mowing (59, 20.9%), and poor visual outcome was most seen in assault (7, 87.5%) and sports activity (9, 81.8%). Hammering, metal work, and sports activity were prevalent in those under 30, and mowing was most prevalent in those in their 50s (16, 21.1%) and 60s (29, 40.3%). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, OGI related to traffic accident and sports activity were presented poor prognosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 13.259, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.202–146.205 for traffic accident; aOR 6.801, 95% CI 1.064–43.487 for sports activity). Conclusion We need to develop advanced vehicle safety equipment, implement public education promoting seat belt usage and hazards of OGI, establish eye protection standards for key causal activities, and provide eye protection equipment for sports activities and mowing.

Evaluation of Adolescents' Awareness of Seat Belt Use and the Relationship with Risky Behaviors.

The one of the leading causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality worldwide is motor vehicle accidents (MVA). The use of seat belts significantly lowers MVA fatalities and injuries. The aim of this study is to investigate adolescent seat belt usage patterns and relation with risky behaviors. The study conducted at two medical institutions with non-immigrant and literate adolescents aged 12-18. Demographics, seat belt use, and risk-taking behavior were collected through questionnaires. 726 teenagers (422 girls and 304 boys) with an average age of 176.7 ± 23.37 months participated in the study. Parents' educational levels and front-seat belt use have been found to be correlated. Comparatively to non-users, seat belt users demonstrated lower risk scores (total, traffic, substance, and social). The use of seat belts was significantly predicted by traffic risk, according to logistic regression. The frequency of seatbelt use was higher among participants from cities with higher socioeconomic status. As a result, it was found that adolescents who exhibited more risky behaviors had a lower frequency of seat belt use and seat belt use was associated with socioeconomic level and parental education level. It is thought that population-based studies to be conducted on this subject are important.

IJCM_246A: Estimating the prevalence of seat belt usage in motor cars: A descriptive cross-sectional study in Mangalore

Background: Every year 1.25 million people die of road traffic accidents. Several safety measures can be taken to prevent RTAs. The SDG 2030 set the target to halve the number of global death and injuries from road traffic accidents by the year 2020. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of seat belt use and factors influencing it including driver characteristics, type of car and time of day and distractions while driving. Methodology: This Descriptive cross-sectional study was set on the major roads and intersections of Mangalore, recruiting the drivers and front-seat passengers in the motor cars at the time and site of observation. Results: A total of 6165 motor cars were observed. 15 (0.2%) of these cars had completely tinted car windows, therefore out of the total, 6150 motor cars could be properly observed. 70.91% (4361) of drivers were wearing seat belts. Seat belt usage among drivers was found to be higher on highways (76.6%) as compared to on residential and city roads (69.3%). In vicinity of traffic police, 76.5% of drivers were observed to be wearing seat belts in contrary only 67.8% of them were wearing seatbelts in the absence of traffic police. Prevalence of mobile phone use and other distractions amongst drivers was 2.1%. Out of 2646 adult front seat passengers observed, only 10.9% were wearing seat belts. Conclusion: Among drivers, type of motor car, traffic zone and type of road and presence of traffic police in vicinity are significantly associated factors with seatbelt usage. Among adult front seat passengers, type of motor car, traffic zone, type of road and presence of traffic police in vicinity are significantly associated. Among front seat child passengers, type of road and traffic zone are significantly associated with seat belt usage.

Behaviors of pregnant women regarding travel – the case of Türkiye

Introduction and aim. With the development of transportation facilities and options, people can now travel easily. With women having a greater presence in the workforce, pregnant women can work until the eighth week before childbirth. This study was conducted to examine the behaviors of pregnant women regarding travel. Material and methods. The data for this cross-sectional and descriptive study were collected from 519 pregnant women who voluntarily participated in the research and met the research criteria. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 24 software package. Results. The average age of the participating pregnant women was 27.49±0.17, with 63.8% residing in urban areas, 74.8% be ing primiparous, and 47.6% being in the third trimester of pregnancy. A decrease in travel and car usage during pregnancy. The use of bus, train/tram/metro, taxi, bicycle/scooter, and motorcycle decreased during pregnancy, while use of car, plane, and ship/ferry increased. 81.9% of women always wore a seat belt during pregnancy. There was a statistically significant difference between the educational level of women and their car usage (p<0.005). It was found that women wore seat belts more frequently in the third trimester. As the number of pregnancies increased, the frequency of seat belt usage decreased. Conclusion. A decrease in the frequency of travel was observed among women during pregnancy. The levels of seat belt usage and correct seat belt fastening were unsatisfactory.

Detection method of the seat belt for workers at height based on UAV image and YOLO algorithm

In the domain of outdoor construction within the power industry, working at significant heights is common, requiring stringent safety measures. Workers are mandated to wear hard hats and secure themselves with seat belts to prevent potential falls, ensuring their safety and reducing the risk of injuries. Detecting seat belt usage holds immense significance in safety inspections within the power industry. This study introduces detection method of the seat belt for workers at height based on UAV Image and YOLO Algorithm. The YOLOv5 approach involves integrating CSPNet into the Darknet53 backbone, incorporating the Focus layer into CSP-Darknet53, replacing the SPPF block in the SPP model, and implementing the CSPNet strategy in the PANet model. Experimental results demonstrate that the YOLOv5 algorithm achieves an elevated average accuracy of 99.2%, surpassing benchmarks set by FastRcnn, SSD, YOLOX-m, and YOLOv7. It also demonstrates superior adaptability in scenarios involving smaller objects, validated using a UAV-collected dataset of seat belt images. These findings confirm the algorithm's compliance with performance criteria for seat belt detection at power construction sites, making a significant contribution to enhancing safety measures within the power industry's construction practices.

An Improved Safety Belt Detection Algorithm for High-Altitude Work Based on YOLOv8

High-altitude work poses significant safety risks, and wearing safety belts is crucial to prevent falls and ensure worker safety. However, manual monitoring of safety belt usage is time consuming and prone to errors. In this paper, we propose an improved high-altitude safety belt detection algorithm based on the YOLOv8 model to address these challenges. Our paper introduces several improvements to enhance its performance in detecting safety belts. First, to enhance the feature extraction capability, we introduce a BiFormer attention mechanism. Moreover, we used a lightweight upsampling operator instead of the original upsampling layer to better preserve and recover detailed information without adding an excessive computational burden. Meanwhile, Slim-neck was introduced into the neck layer. Additionally, extra auxiliary training heads were incorporated into the head layer to enhance the detection capability. Lastly, to optimize the prediction of bounding box position and size, we replaced the original loss function with MPDIOU. We evaluated our algorithm using a dataset collected from high-altitude work scenarios and demonstrated its effectiveness in detecting safety belts with high accuracy. Compared to the original YOLOv8 model, the improved model achieves P (precision), R (recall), and mAP (mean average precision) values of 98%, 91.4%, and 97.3%, respectively. These values represent an improvement of 5.1%, 0.5%, and 1.2%, respectively, compared to the original model. The proposed algorithm has the potential to improve workplace safety and reduce the risk of accidents in high-altitude work environments.

Availability of the seat belt defense: Implications for auto liability insurance

AbstractA “seat belt defense” allows a defendant in a third‐party auto liability event to present evidence of seat belt nonuse to reduce a plaintiff's recovery. When successfully applied, the defense has a direct effect on reducing liability payouts by insurers for accidents. Our analysis reveals that seat belt defense laws are associated with a 10% reduction in auto claims costs, which equates to a reduction in loss costs of approximately $14 per insured vehicle. We find little evidence that the defense reduces accident frequency and no evidence that the defense affects seat belt usage. The lack of a deterrent effect on driving behavior suggests that the availability of the defense is not salient to drivers. The reduction in loss costs supports the notion that defense lawyers are aware of the defense and make use of it. The resulting effect of lowering insurance payouts may alleviate increasing auto insurance costs.

Unraveling the differences in distracted driving injury severities in passenger car, sport utility vehicle, pickup truck, and minivan crashes

Distracted driving poses a significant risk on the roadway users, with the level of distraction and crash outcomes varying depending on the type of vehicle. Drivers of passenger cars, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), pickup trucks, minivans experience distinct levels of distraction, leading to potential crashes. This study investigates into the severity of driver injuries resulting from distracted driving in these vehicle categories, shedding light on the variations in single-vehicle crashes. Focusing on single-vehicle crashes in Florida during 2019, involving passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and minivans caused by distracted driving, the study examines various distractions such as, electronic communication devices (cell phones), electronic devices (navigation systems, music players), internal and external disturbances, texting, and inattentive driving. To analyze the severity of injuries resulting from distracted driving in passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and minivans, the study employs random parameter multinomial logit models with heterogeneity in means and variances. The model estimates highlight thirty-five significant factors influencing the severity of driver injuries resulting from distracted driving. Notably, the impact of these factors varies significantly depending on the vehicle type (i.e., passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and minivans). While many explanatory variables are specific to each vehicle type, only one factor (restraint belt usage) is common across all vehicle types, with varying magnitudes in injury outcomes. The likelihood ratio tests indicate that injury severity must be analyzed and modeled separately for passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and minivans. Vehicle characteristics play a crucial role in driver distraction and crash outcomes. Analyzing a year of crash data, categorized by four vehicle types, has provided valuable insights into distracted driving patterns in passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and minivans, influencing potential prevention strategies. To combat against distracted driving effectively, priority should be given to driver education and training, roadway design, vehicle technology, enforcement, and automobile insurance. The automobile industry, especially for passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and minivans, should consider implementing advanced in-vehicle technologies tailored to the specific characteristics of each vehicle type (e.g., advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)) to proactively prevent driver distraction. These proactive measures will contribute significantly to enhancing road safety and reducing the risks associated with distracted driving.

Concentric and eccentric hip musculotendon work depends on backpack loads and walking slopes

Hip muscle weakness is associated with low back and leg injuries. In addition, hiking with heavy loads is linked to high incidence of overuse injuries. Walking with heavy loads on slopes alters hip biomechanics compared to unloaded walking, but individual muscle mechanical work in these challenging conditions is unknown. Using movement simulations, we quantified hip muscle concentric and eccentric work during walking on 0° and ±10° slopes with, and without 40% bodyweight added loads, and with and without a hip belt. For gluteus maximus, psoas, iliacus, gluteus medius, and biceps femoris long head, both concentric and eccentric work were greatest during uphill walking. For rectus femoris and semimembranosus, concentric work was greatest during uphill and eccentric work was greatest during downhill walking. Loaded walking had greater concentric and eccentric work from rectus femoris, biceps femoris long head, and gluteus maximus. Psoas concentric work was greatest while carrying loads regardless of hip belt usage, but eccentric work was only greater than unloaded walking when using a hip belt. Loaded and uphill walking had high concentric work from gluteus maximus, and high eccentric work from gluteus medius and biceps femoris long head. Carrying heavy loads uphill may lead to excessive hip muscle fatigue and heightened injury risk. Effects of the greater eccentric work from hip flexors when wearing a hip belt on lumbar spine forces and pelvic stability should be investigated. Military and other occupational groups who carry heavy backpacks with hip belts should maintain eccentric strength of hip flexors and hamstrings.

Investigating the severity of single-vehicle truck crashes under different crash types using mixed logit models

Introduction: Almost 90% of fatal road crashes occur in developing countries. Among these countries, Iran has a noticeable fatal crash rate of 21.47 deaths per 100,000 persons. Improving the safety of trucks is of particular importance in Iran where road freight is used to transport almost 90% of the commodities. Researchers have suggested dichotomizing crashes into single- and multi-vehicle categories and found that when this is performed vast differences can be identified between the mechanisms behind these categories of crashes, particularly when investigating truck crashes. Method: This study investigated single-vehicle truck crashes in Khorasan Razavi province in Iran from 2013 to 2021. Likelihood ratio tests were employed to show that separate models are statistically valid for different crash types. Subsequently, three mixed logit crash-type models were developed to investigate 5,703 single-vehicle truck crashes. Results: Four significant variables were exclusive to collisions with an object (brake failure, ABS, primary roads, and rainy or snowy weather), five significant variables were associated with run-off-road crashes (driving a loaded truck, speed limit (>60 km/h), paved shoulders, driving uphill, and inability to control the truck), and three significant variables were associated with overturn crashes (overloaded truck, curved roads, and changing direction suddenly). In all crash types, both fastening the seatbelt and speeding were found to be significant factors. Conclusion: The research highlights the need to analyze single-vehicle truck crashes using distinct crash type models and highlights the unique contributing factors of three common single-vehicle crash types. Practical applications: The study presents recommendations for policy to address key crash risks for trucks in Iran, including education and training to improve driver experience, compliance with seat belt usage, enforcement of speeding, and vehicle technologies to monitor drivers.

The pattern of maxillofacial fractures associated with rollover accidents: A 7-year retrospective study.

This study aimed to assess the incidence and pattern of maxillofacial fractures and related demographic data in the victims of rollover crashes. This retrospective study was based on medical records of patients who sustained maxillofacial injuries following rollover accidents. Investigated data included age, gender, accident date and time, accident cause, seat belt usage, airbag deployment, road type, anatomical location of the facial fracture, and treatment approach. Among the 147 patients who met the inclusion criteria, the most prevalent age groups were 20-30 (36.7%) and 30-40 (32.7%) years, with a mean age of 33.6 ± 9.7 years. The male-to-female ratio was 6:1. Most crashes occurred in March, August, and July. These accidents involved 69.4% light vehicles and 39.6% heavy vehicles. The leading causes of rollover crashes were speeding (58.5%) followed by distracted driving (21.1%) and traffic rule violations (13.6%). The most prevalent injuries were fractures of the maxillary sinus wall (40.8%), nasal bones (39.5%), zygomaticomaxillary complex (36.1%), and the mandible (32.6%). Surgical intervention was necessary for 44.2% of patients, while 12.9% of cases underwent close reduction, and 42.9% did not require any surgical intervention. The occurrence of nasal bone fractures was significantly lower in cases where seat belts were worn and zygomatic arch fractures were less frequent in incidents with airbag deployment. In rollover crashes, the midface is the most vulnerable anatomical location. Utilization of seat belts and airbag deployment has the potential to prevent nasal bone and zygomatic arch fractures.

Advanced Vehicle Safety: A Prototype Circuit for Accident Prevention and Emergency Response

In contemporary society, the pursuit of robust accident prevention, detection, and reporting systems is paramount, particularly within the context of vehicular safety. This study introduces a meticulously designed prototype circuit, adaptable for deployment across diverse vehicle types. This intelligent circuitry endeavors to mitigate accidents and safeguard human lives by employing a multifaceted approach.The system's primary functions encompass the verification of seat belt usage and the assessment of alcohol consumption by the driver. Additionally, it incorporates a vibration sensor to detect accidents promptly. Complementing these features, the integration of GPS and GSM modules facilitates the rapid notification of emergency services, ensuring prompt assistance in the event of an accident.The core of this system is an Arduino microcontroller, orchestrating the interconnected components to process data and trigger actions based on predefined conditions. The circuit's performance has been rigorously tested, initially through simulation in Proteus software, and subsequently via real-world hardware implementation. Comparative analysis of software and hardware results lends insights into the system's functionality and reliability.The overarching objective of this study is to curtail accidents arising from intoxicated driving, unforeseen driver fatigue, and road obstructions. In instances of accidents, the electronic apparatus employed has the capacity to dispatch spontaneous and precise distress signals to law enforcement and medical personnel, thereby expediting casualty recovery and potentially saving lives. This research advances the fusion of technology and safety measures to augment road safety comprehensively.[6] Upadhyay, V., Gupta, S., Chaturvedi, S. and Singh, D. [2020], ‘Integrated accident prevention detectionand response system (iapdrs)’,International journal of engineering and advanced technology9(3), 2086–2089.[7] Vitkar, S. P., Banare, A. and Nadar, J. [2022], ‘Conceptual framework for accident detection and pre-vention’,Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Resultspp. 7449–7455.[8] Wu, C., Zhang, P., Zhang, Z., Zheng, W., Xu, B., Wang, W., Yu, Z., Dai, X., Zhang, B. and Zang, K. [2023],‘Slip partitioning and crustal deformation patterns in the tianshan orogenic belt derived from gpsmeasurements and their tectonic implications’,Earth-Science Reviewsp. 104362.[9] Xu, X., Hu, X., Zhao, Y., Lü, X. and Aapaoja, A. [2023], ‘Urban short-term traffic speed prediction withcomplicated information fusion on accidents’,Expert Systems with Applicationsp. 119887.

Visual Functions, Seatbelt Usage, Speed, and Alcohol Consumption Standards for Driving and Their Impact on Road Traffic Accidents.

The incidence of road traffic accidents (RTAs) is dramatically increasing worldwide. Consequently, driving and licensing authorities have instituted strict rules and regulations, such as vision standards, restrictions on drunk driving, seat belt usage, and speeding, for driving safety. This study aimed to summarize the global visual standards for driving license issuing and renewal and investigate the effect of driving safety laws on RTA-related death rates in different countries. The study gathered data on visual standards for driving licenses from reliable sources and extracted enforcement scores (drunk driving, seat belt usage, and speeding) and RTA-related death rates from the World Health Organization status report on road safety. The Wilcoxon test explored the association between visual standards and RTA-related death rates, while the Kruskal-Wallis test analyzed the relationship between visual functions and death rates, as well as driving safety enforcement scores and RTA-related death rates. The analysis was conducted on 71 countries and 50 states within the United States out of the 193 countries listed by the United Nations. It was found that 116 countries and states required a minimum VA range of 6/6-6/18, while 91 countries and states mandated a similar range for one-eyed drivers. VF testing for driving licenses was necessary in 77 countries and states. No significant association was observed between VA or VF testing and RTA-related death rates. However, countries that conducted more visual function tests demonstrated lower rates of RTA-related fatalities. Furthermore, RTA-related death rates were significantly associated with speeding, drunk driving, and seat belt laws. Implementing clear policies regarding vision requirements, maintaining strict rules, and promoting law enforcement on speeding, drunk driving, and seat belt usage are crucial for improving road safety. These measures should be prioritized by driving and licensing authorities worldwide to mitigate the escalating incidence of RTAs.

Seat belt usage in buses – An observation study of usage and travellers’ perspectives

This study aims to evaluate seat belt usage in buses and to understand travellers’ incentives of seat belt usage. Methods used are observational studies (10 cities, with 328 bus observations), focus group discussion (7 groups with a total of 32 participants) and a web survey (n = 1737 respondents). The results show that the seat belt use among bus passengers can be improved especially in regional and commercial bus traffic. It is more common to buckle up on long trips than on short trips. However, even though observations show high usage during long trips, travellers report that they remove the seat belt after a while if they want to sleep or for comfort reasons. For the bus drivers it is not possible to control passengers’ usage. Dirty seat belts and technical malfunction might deter some passengers from using them and therefore systematic cleaning and control of seats and belts are recommended. On short trips one reason for not using the belt is related to worries about getting stuck and not being ready to get off in time. In general, it is most important to increase the usage on high-speed roads (>60 km/h), in lower speed it might be more important to provide a seat for each passenger. Based on the results a list of recommendations is presented.

Empirical examination of interdependent relationship between usage of seatbelt restraint system and driver-injury severity of single-vehicle crashes in Thailand using a joint econometric analysis

Objectives The paper aims to examine the interdependent relationship between the usage of the seatbelt restraint system and severities of the driver-injury in single-vehicle crashes. Methods This paper developed a comprehensive joint econometric structure − a joint random parameters binary probit-binary probit model − that allows for the simultaneous examination of injury severity of the driver in a crash, and taking into account the fact that seat belt use can be endogenous to the outcomes of driver injury. The developed model is tested using data on drivers-injury severities involved in single-vehicle crashes in Thailand from 2012-2017. Results In terms of the interdependent relationship between seatbelt use status and driver-injury severities, the findings suggest that drivers who do not use seat belts may demonstrate more dangerous or aggressive driving behaviors (such as speeding), subsequently increasing their likelihood of involvement in severe or fatal crashes. Additionally, the result also shows that drivers who are involved in speeding-related crashes are less likely to wear a seatbelt and have a higher risk of sustaining severe and fatal injuries. The findings also reveal that in crashes, drivers who are young, or operating trucks are less likely to be wearing their seat belts. The study also indicates that severe and fatal crashes are associated with factors such as elderly drivers, alcohol involvement, unbelted drivers, fatigue, depressed medians, and barrier medians. Conversely, a crash in a U-turn area, driving a passenger car, pickup truck, or large truck, or colliding with a guardrail reduces the likelihood of severe and fatal injuries. Conclusions Neglecting the hidden endogenous effect in statistical analyses could result in an overestimation of the impact of seat belt usage on crash-injury outcomes. The findings of this study can provide valuable insights for relevant authorities aiming to improve driver safety.

Comparison of traffic accident injury severity prediction models with explainable machine learning

ABSTRACT Traffic accidents are still the main cause of fatalities, injuries and significant delays in highways. Understanding the accident contributing factor is imperative to increase safety in a traffic network. Recent research confirms that predictive modeling is an important tool to comprehend accident contributing factors. However, little effort has been put forward to explain complex machine learning models and their feature effects in accident prediction models. Thus, this study aims to build predictive models based on different machine learning methods and tries to explain the most contributing factors by using Shapley values which was developed based on game theory. Decision Trees, Neural Networks with Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Classifier, Case-Based Reasoning and Naive Bayes Classifier were used to predict the injury severity in accidents. Belt usage, alcohol consumption and speed violations were found as the most effective features and MLP gave the highest accuracy among all the applied predictive models.

Experimental Study of Rubber Composite Quality Assessment in Terms of Electrical Conductivity and Accelerated Thermal Ageing

Belt conveyors represent efficient transport systems that are used for transportation of bulk materials across all industries. Their basic structural component is a conveyor belt. During storage and deployment, conveyor belts undergo an inevitable process of ageing which leads to deterioration of their properties. A challenge associated with the use of conveyor belts is to ensure the required electrical conductivity. This challenge has prompted the research into conveyor belts that was aimed at identifying their electrical conductivity, considering primarily the effects of ageing. Identification of electrical conductivity of newly manufactured conveyor belts is important for manufacturers in order to comply with relevant standards, and for conveyor belt users in order to eliminate potential hazards.

Identifying roadway departure crash patterns on rural two-lane highways under different lighting conditions: Association knowledge using data mining approach

Introduction: More than half of all fatalities on U.S. highways occur due to roadway departure (RwD) each year. Previous research has explored various risk factors that contribute to RwD crashes, however, a comprehensive investigation considering the effect of lighting conditions has been insufficiently addressed. Data: Using the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development crash database, fatal and injury RwD crashes occurring on rural two-lane (R2L) highways between 2008-2017 were analyzed based on daylight and dark (with and without streetlight). Method: This research employed a safe system approach to explore meaningful complex interactions among multidimensional crash risk factors. To accomplish this, an unsupervised data mining algorithm association rules mining (ARM) was utilized. Results and conclusions: Based on the generated rules, the findings reveal several interesting crash patterns in the daylight, dark-with-streetlight, and dark-no-streetlight, emphasizing the importance of investigating RwD crash patterns depending on the lighting conditions. In daylight condition, fatal RwD crashes are associated with cloudy weather conditions, distracted drivers, standing water on the roadway, no seat belt use, and construction zones. In dark lighting condition (with and without streetlight), the majority of the RwD crashes are associated with alcohol/drug involvement, young drivers (15–24 years), driver condition (e.g., inattentive, distracted, illness/fatigued/asleep), and colliding with animal(s). Practical Applications: The findings also reveal how certain driver behavior patterns are connected to RwD crashes, such as a strong association between alcohol/drug intoxication and no seat belt usage in the dark-no-streetlight condition. Based on the identified crash patterns and behavioral characteristics under different lighting conditions, the findings could aid researchers and safety specialists in developing the most effective RwD crash mitigation strategies.