Driver Attributes Research Articles

Analysis of left-turn crash injury severity by conflicting pattern using partial proportional odds models

The purpose of this study is to examine left-turn crash injury severity. Left-turning traffic colliding with opposing through traffic and with near-side through traffic are the two most frequently occurring conflicting patterns among left-turn crashes (Patterns 5 and 8 in the paper, respectively), and they are prone to be severe. Ordered probability models with either logit or probit function is commonly applied in crash injury severity analyses; however, its critical assumption that the slope coefficients do not vary over different alternatives except the cut-off points is usually too restrictive. Partial proportional odds models are generalizations of ordered probability models, for which some of the beta coefficients can differ across alternatives, were applied to investigate Patterns 5 and 8, and the total left-turn crash injuries. The results show that partial proportional odds models consistently perform better than ordered probability models. By focusing on specific conflicting patterns, locating crashes to the exact crash sites and relating approach variables to crash injury in the analysis, researchers are able to investigate how these variables affect left-turn crash injuries. For example, opposing through traffic and near-side crossing through traffic in the hour of collision were identified significant for Patterns 5 and 8 crash injuries, respectively. Protected left-turn phasing is significantly correlated with Pattern 5 crash injury. Many other variables in driver attributes, vehicular characteristics, roadway geometry design, environmental factors, and crash characteristics were identified. Specifically, the use of the partial proportional formulation allows a much better identification of the increasing effect of alcohol and/or drug use on crash injury severity, which previously was masked using the conventional ordered probability models.

An Analysis of Effective Information and Travel Activity Returning Home by Car under Downpour

In this study, we focus on the “use of privately owned vehicles under downpour” which is often brought up the deteriorating factor of traffic jam which occurs as downpour, and analyze on the way of road traffic information and weather information for reducing car use under downpour. As a result, we revealed the consciousness of returning home, driver's attributes of deference in decision of returning home under downpour, the consciousness of returning home about the contents of information under downpour, and the relative importance about traffic information and weather information, and propose the drivers that we should pay attention and measures.

Regulation, Unionization, and Racial Wage Discrimination: An Analysis of the Trucking Industry

Abstract. This article tests the hypothesis that increased product market competition of deregulation decreased employer and union wage discrimination in the motor carrier industry. Specifically, in each regulatory period, we estimate the portion of the industry racial wage differential that is due to racial differences: in driver attributes, returns to attributes, and unionization. Our findings suggest that enhanced product market competition directly reduces wage discrimination and may have a smaller indirect effect of further reducing racial wage disparities in industries with racially exclusive unions. These findings support the use of competition to reduce wage discrimination as opposed to government intervention.

Stated preferences for investigating commuters' diversion propensity

A reasonable response to increasing traffic congestion may come from the rapidly developing traveler information systems. Such systems may be successful if they effectively influence drivers' enroute decisions; in this regard, a critical factor may be commuters' willingness to divert from their regular route in response to information about traffic congestion. This study evaluates the effects of real-time traffic information along with driver attributes, roadway characteristics and situational factors on drivers' willingness to divert. The empirical portion of this study is based on a survey of downtown Chicago automobile commuters. The stated preference approach was used to study commuters' diversion propensity. Drivers expressed a higher willingness to divert if expected delays on their usual route increased, if the congestion was incident-induced as opposed to recurring, if delay information was received from radio traffic reports compared with observing congestion, and if trip direction was home-to-work rather than work-to-home. Respondents were less willing to divert if their alternate route was unfamiliar, unsafe or had several traffic stops. Socioeconomic characteristics were also significant in predicting willingness to divert.

A Pilot Study of the In-Vehicle Safety Advisory and Warning System (IVSAWS) Driver-Alert Warning System Design

This pilot study was conducted to obtain preliminary information regarding alternative signalling presentations and symbologies for the Driver-Alert Warning System design within the In-Vehicle Safety Advisory and Warning System Program sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration. Preliminary analysis had been conducted by both Hughes Aircraft Company and The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. The pilot study concentrated of the driver attributes of understanding, relative effectiveness and signalling format. Thirteen subjects were exposed to the new pictograms prototyped on a Macintosh computer and were requested to verbalize their understanding and preferences in regard to varying signalling characteristics. These characteristics included, a) monochrome, b) color, c) blink, d) tone, e) text message and f) voice message. The results indicated that, as a group, the combination of color, audio tone, text and voice message was the preferred signalling presentation. Gender differences were noted with the female subjects indicating a preference for the combination that included color and blink. All pictograms were recognizable by the subjects and all subjects agreed that IVSAWS would be a substantial aid to the driver.

Factors contributing to the severity of childhood pedestrian injury in Perth, Western Australia.

Pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions that involved children aged 0 to 14 years in Perth, Western Australia were examined for the period 1980-1989 in order to identify factors which contribute to the severity of injury. Nearly half (49%) of the 1,282 children injured during this period required hospitalization, with a further 46% of the children requiring some form of medical treatment. Multivariate analysis indicated that children aged 0 to four years had a higher risk of sustaining a severe injury compared with children aged five to nine and ten to 14 years, with relative risks of 1.6 and 1.7 respectively. A greater proportion of more severe injuries occurred after 3 pm. Injuries tended to be more severe when the collision occurred on a highway or main road, and when the child was actually on the road at the point of impact. Further research on more comprehensive datasets, which consider the child's behavior at the time of injury as well as driver attributes, will provide greater insight into factors contributing to the severity of injury.