High-speed Roads Research Articles

Changes in land use in the communes crossed by the A4 motorway in Poland

The construction of high-speed roads is inseparably connected with the process of development of regions and countries. In Poland, in the years 2011–2016, many sections of motorways and expressways were opened for use, and the network of high-speed roads became two times larger. The aim of the research was to identify changes in land use associated with the construction of the motorway. Two questions were asked: to what extent does the construction of the motorway result in abandoning the cultivation of land on isolated plots, and whether an increased development of built-up areas can be observed in the vicinity of motorway junctions. The analysis of land cover changes was based on orthophotomaps and aerial photographs from three points in time. By interpreting changes in SHDI, it was possible to identify where the major land cover changes occur. The construction of a motorway results mainly in the decline of forests and agricultural land in the immediate vicinity of such a road. However, such an investment is not a direct factor leading to the abandoning of cultivation of land on isolated plots. In the neighbourhood of motorway junctions, built-up areas development, mainly for non-residential purposes, may be observed.

Watts-level road-compatible piezoelectric energy harvester for a self-powered temperature monitoring system on an actual roadway

Piezoelectric energy harvesting technology can be used for a wide range of purposes through the design of road energy harvesting devices. For the roadway piezoelectric energy harvester (RPEH) developed here, a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) is fixed at both ends to increase the tolerable load and a module durable against harsh highway environments were developed using aluminum plates, steel plates, and polypropylene bars. A maximum voltage of 66 V, maximum current of 30.37 mA and maximum output power of 830 mW were measured with 2 mm of displacement at 15 Hz using the RPEH (50 cm × 20 cm) with 80 PEH units connected in parallel. On an actual high-speed road, measurements from a medium-sized vehicle which passes the RPEH at a speed of 90 km/h record an output voltage of 46.52 Vmax, output current of 93.04 mAmax, and power of 4.3 Wmax (power density: 43.0 W/m2) at a load resistance level of 0.5 kΩ. In an actual roadway environment, the electrical energy generated by the RPEH is sufficient to operate a temperature sensor and to transmit data wirelessly.

The method of calculating the number of truck stops

A review of the theoretical foundations of the main approaches to the description of traffic flows has been carried out. A key parameter is proposed for comparing costs when driving on ordinary roads and high-speed toll roads. The possibilities for determining the quantitative assessment of this parameter using the tools of the theory of traffic flows are considered. A new technique for solving the task with the help of modern information technologies is proposed. Additional parameters are identified, and measures are indicated for further work and improvement of the proposed method.

Switch between critical percolation modes in city traffic dynamics

Percolation transition is widely observed in networks ranging from biology to engineering. While much attention has been paid to network topologies, studies rarely focus on critical percolation phenomena driven by network dynamics. Using extensive real data, we study the critical percolation properties in city traffic dynamics. Our results suggest that two modes of different critical percolation behaviors are switching in the same network topology under different traffic dynamics. One mode of city traffic (during nonrush hours or days off) has similar critical percolation characteristics as small world networks, while the other mode (during rush hours on working days) tends to behave as a 2D lattice. This switching behavior can be understood by the fact that the high-speed urban roads during nonrush hours or days off (that are congested during rush hours) represent effective long-range connections, like in small world networks. Our results might be useful for understanding and improving traffic resilience.

Children's independent travel to and from primary school: Evidence from a suburban town in Germany

The paper studies the factors that contribute to understand children's independent travel – i.e. not being escorted by an adult – to and from primary school in Germany. Binary logit regression is employed, and the data used are taken from a survey among parents of children in seven schools in a medium-sized suburban town. This is the first paper from Germany that simultaneously looks at the full range of dimensions that may help understand children's independent travel: (1) trip characteristics, (2) child characteristics, (3) the household context, (4) subjective concerns, attitudes and perceptions, (5) the transport environment, (6) the built environment and (7) the social environment. In contrast to the majority of studies in the field, an attempt was made to capture a holistic picture of the transport and land-use environment along the route, while at the same time some key attributes of the route were used as separate variables. Perhaps the most notable contribution to research is the distinct differences that we found between outward and return trips. While the morning trip was characterised by distinct impacts of the built and transport environment, most variables turned out insignificant in the afternoon model. Conversely, more attitudinal dimensions turned out significant in the return trip. Some of our findings are clearly relevant for policy. For instance, traffic calming is associated with higher levels of independent travel, while routes characterised by industry and trade, high-speed roads, and zebra-crossings that need to be crossed are associated with lower levels of independent travel. The effects of perceptions and attitudes we find can be taken as starting points for soft policies such as awareness campaigns or traffic education.

Near-miss crashes and other predictors of motorcycle crashes: Findings from a population-based survey

Objective: Crash and injury surveillance studies have identified a range of rider-related factors, including age, sex, licensure, training and experience, as being associated with motorcycle crash risk. The aim of this study was to establish whether these previously identified factors were associated with crash involvement in an Australian-based population.Methods: Data obtained from motorcyclists recruited from road authority licensing offices in a population-based survey design were analyzed. In addition to descriptive analysis, survey logistic regression was used to examine predictors of self-reported motorcycle crashes.A statewide population prevalence study of motorcyclists in New South Wales, Australia, was conducted using a multistage stratified random sampling plan. Participants (n = 503) represented 47% of eligible riders invited to participate. The distribution of responses was weighted to represent the population based on motorcycle registrations as a proxy for active motorcyclists, adjusted for age, sex, and variations in sample size and population density between survey sites.Results: This analysis investigated factors associated with having crashed in the past 12 months. The key predictors of increased crash risk included frequent near-crash experiences (6–10) in the past year (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] = 5.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–21.8), having 4 or more riding demerit points (ORadj = 4.1; 95% CI, 1.1–14.7), and motorcycle type and riding purpose. Sports (ORadj = 2.8; 95% CI, 1.1–7.3) and commuter motorcycles (ORadj = 4.0; 95% CI, 1.1–15.3) were associated with higher odds of crashes compared to cruiser/touring motorcycles.Those whose purpose for riding frequently involved commuting, high-speed roads, or motorcycle sports had higher odds of being involved in a crash compared to riders who rarely took part in such activities. Rider age, license type, and time holding a motorcycle license were not predictive of crash involvement when other factors were taken into account.Conclusions: These findings provide important population-level information and insights about risk exposure for motorcyclists. Taking a more tailored approach to data collection meant that factors associated with crash involvement were identified that are not commonly observed in studies relying on administrative data. In particular, the study highlights the importance of near-crash experiences as warnings to riders and the need to use such experiences as learning opportunities to improve their riding style and safety.

Исследование плотности сложения песчаных грунтов в основании дорожной насыпи в процессе ее уплотнения взрывами удлиненных зарядов

Objective: To create a solid subgrade for highways and railways fulfillment. Methods: Drilling and blasting technology with vertical sand drains formation and explosion energy use was applied. The method in question assumes acceleration of weak organic soils consolidation and loose sands ompaction in the subgrade of the road embankment. Results: Research work was carried out to reduce deformations in the road embankment during the high-speed road construction. Based on the research data, the porosity coefficient and the density index of the sand layer, being the subgrade of the road embankment, were obtained. The article presents a comparison between the results calculated before and after the work. Practical importance: When comparing the results of cone penetration test in soil, obtained at different stages of work, the conclusion was made that the sands in the subgrade of the road embankment were compacted. This fact implies that the application of drilling and blasting technology at sand drains formation results both in weak soils stabilization and also in loose sands compaction. The range of conducted works provides durability and stability in the subgrade of the road embankment.

Model Test Study on Spatial Deformation Law of Surrounding Rock for Super-Large Section and Shallow Buried Tunnels

With the Ganggou Tunnel of the Jing-hu High-Speed Connection Line Road acting as the engineering background, a three-dimensional assembled large-scale geomechanical model test system was developed. The system includes a strain field monitoring system based on static strain acquisition and a displacement field acquisition system based on raster monitoring. Model tests on the excavation process of a super-large section and a shallow-buried tunnel with a small space were conducted. Data of surface subsidence, vault, and horizontal displacement were collected during excavation. When partially excavating the tunnel using the double sidewall guiding method and the Center Diaphragm method, displacement and disturbances mainly occurred within the ranges of one diameter distance to work face. The displacement spatial variation laws of the right and left tunnels are similar during excavation, and the magnitude of displacement in the right tunnel is larger because of the secondary disturbance superposition effect. After continuous rainfall for 40–50 min, the deformation of the surrounding rock significantly increased because of the rainfall effect; the overall stability of the surrounding rock was threatened. The research methods and the results obtained in this study will guide similar engineering approaches.

Pedestrian hybrid beacon signals: Identifying characteristics associated with negative consequences to reduce danger at mid-block locations

The focus of this paper is on an evaluation of negative consequences due to the installation of pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB) signals and to identify associated characteristics to proactively plan and reduce danger at mid-block locations. Data for thirteen mid-block locations with a PHB signal in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina was gathered to conduct before-after analysis using Empirical Bayes (EB) method. Data for fifty-nine mid-block locations without a PHB signal or similar treatment was considered as control locations for developing a safety performance function (SPF). The on-network characteristics were considered as the predictor variables, while the number of all crashes from 2011 to 2013 was considered as the dependent variable. The SPF was validated using 2014 data. A calibration factor was applied to estimate the number of all crashes at each PHB location. The results obtained from before-after EB analysis showed that the actual number of all crashes are relatively higher after the installation of PHB signals at five out of the thirteen PHB signal locations when compared with the estimated number of all crashes, had the PHB signal not been installed. Pearson correlation coefficients were estimated and used to examine the relationship between the number of all crashes and predictor variables such as demographic, socio-economic, land use, and on-network characteristics within the vicinity of each PHB signal location. The findings indicate that installing PHB signals at mid-block locations along high traffic volume, high-speed and wide roads, and, near office, multi-family, retail, and vertical mixed land use areas will lead to an increase in the number of all crashes after its installation.

Modeling of road traffic noise and traffic flow measures to reduce noise exposure in Antalya metropolitan municipality.

BackgroundRoad traffic noise influencing directly public health in the modern cities is a growing problem in both developing and developed countries. The objective of this study was to model traffic-induced noise in Antalya province, validate the model with noise emission data, and to run the model for the noise preventive scenarios.MethodsIn this study, modeling of traffic-induced noise was performed using SoundPLAN® software at Gazi Boulevard in the city of Antalya. Calculations were made according to NMPB-Routes 96, which have been accepted by environmental noise legislation of the European Union and Turkey. Fundamental data sets such as geographical, topographical and meteorological data, building information and population, traffic network, traffic volume and vehicle speed, and composition of types of vehicle were utilized for the development of noise prediction model. Eight preventive scenarios to reduce traffic-induced noise levels were simulated using the validated model considering traffic flow measures such as types of vehicles, vehicle speeds, types of road surface, redirecting portion of heavy vehicles to alternative routes and noise barrier usage.ResultsResults showed that increase in heavy vehicle speeds in smooth road surface conditions caused more increase in exposures than that of light vehicle speed. It was highlighted that it would be appropriate to use porous road surface to reduce exposures on population on high-speed roads. Furthermore, the number of people that are exposed to noise is significantly reduced by precautions such as alternative routes for heavy vehicles and speed restriction. These precautions reduced noise exposures by 25.5–63.8%. The results showed that the usage of noise barrier at the alternative routes in case of porous asphalt road reduced population, dwellings, and area exposed to traffic noise which is greater than 75 dB(A) as 63.8, 40.5, and 60.0%, respectively.ConclusionIt could be concluded that the outcomes of the noise prediction models based on the generated scenarios could be used for the purpose of decision support system and could be helpful for decision-makers on the noise legislations.

High-Speed Road Measurement Systems: Integration of Pavement and General Mapping Laser Technologies

High-Speed Road Measurement Systems: Integration of Pavement and General Mapping Laser Technologies

Hip dislocations and femoral head fractures

Traumatic dislocation of the hip joint is a rare injury with significant long-term implications for patients. The most common mechanism is a dashboard injury, when the knee impacts the dashboard with force during a high speed road traffic accident. Hip dislocation is a surgical emergency, and early reduction of the hip reduces long-term complications such as avascular necrosis (AVN) and osteoarthritis. Once reduced CT scanning is use to determine the size of the fragment, assess reduction and identify any foreign bodies in the joint. Injuries can then be classified according to the size and location of the fractured fragments. The aim of definitive management is anatomical reconstruction of the femoral head, and reduction of the joint and weight bearing surface. Good outcome can be achieved in patients who have early, stable reduction of the hip. Congruent reduction and fixation of large articular fragments, or removal of small comminuted intraarticular fragments reduces the occurrence of late complications affecting function and quality of life, such as AVN or post-traumatic arthritis. Long-term follow-up is required to identify patients who may need further intervention or revision to total hip arthroplasty in the years following injury.

Using naturalistic driving data to better understand the driving exposure and patterns of older drivers

ABSTRACTObjective: The aging of the population in the United States and elsewhere has brought increasing attention to the issue of safe driving and mobility among older adults. The overall objective of this research was to use naturalistic data collection to better understand driving exposure and driving patterns, 2 important contributors to crash risk.Methods: Data came from a study conducted at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety System (IVBSS) program. A total of 108 randomly sampled drivers took part, with the sample stratified by age and sex. The age groups examined were 20 to 30 (younger), 40 to 50 (middle-aged), and 60 to 70 years old (older). Sixteen late-model Honda Accords were used as research vehicles and were driven by participants as their personal vehicles over the study period. Roughly the first 2 weeks of vehicle use comprised the baseline driving period, during which the IVBSS technologies were turned off (i.e., no warnings were presented to the drivers) but all onboard data were collected. For this article, only data from the baseline period were analyzed to limit any confounding effects that the safety technology may have had on driving behavior.Results: Results indicated that when looking at age independent of sex, older drivers (age 60–70) took fewer trips, drove fewer minutes, were less likely to drive at night, and had fewer high decelerations and speeding events than the youngest age group (20–30). They were also less likely to drive during peak morning traffic and on high-speed roads than their middle-age counterparts (40–50). Across all age groups, there were few differences by sex, with the exception that females drove fewer miles and fewer minutes and had fewer high decelerations than males. When both age and sex were taken into account, it was often the group of females age 60–70 that appeared to account for many of the age and sex differences found in driving exposure and patterns.Conclusions: Future research in this area would benefit from larger scale and longitudinal study designs so that changes in driving exposure and patterns over time among large samples of drivers could be examined.

Roadside habitat impacts insect traffic mortality

Paved roadways, spanning 6.6 million kilometres across the continental United States, are often bordered by natural or restored habitats and could provide opportunities for pollinator conservation. Because insects are frequently killed by auto traffic, roadside habitats may be ecological traps that kill more pollinators than they produce. Here we compare insect traffic mortality when roadsides are bordered by woodlots, meadows, or lawns. We also compare study sites with and without restored medians to examine the impact of creating habitat that can only be accessed by crossing traffic. We confined our study to high speed roads (70–90 km h−1) with heavy traffic volume. Both habitat type and the presence of a vegetated median affect vehicle strikes fatal to insects. Insect mortality in general, and its effect on bees and butterflies in particular, was consistently lower when roads were bordered by woodlots than when they were bordered by lawn or meadows. Which roadside habitats were associated with the highest insect mortality depended on the taxon in question and the presence or absence of a vegetated median. Butterfly and dragonfly mortality was highest on roads with meadow medians, while bee mortality was highest on roadsides with lawn medians. Across most site comparisons, vegetated medians significantly elevated fatal insect-vehicle strikes. Regardless of the habitat bordering roadsides, insect mortality was unacceptably high for areas being considered for conservation. We suggest four research directions that may lead to reduced insect mortality in roadside habitats.

Characteristics of the close to home crash

Crashes are over-represented on roads close to home, but it is not clear why. We sought to address this gap by exploring the characteristics of close to home crashes. We used twelve months of crash data that included driver home address, and travel survey data captured over the same period to group crashes based on equivalent amounts of travel at different distances from home, controlling for exposure. We compared crashes on high-speed (rural) and low-speed (urban) roads; crashes caused by different types of error (lapse and violation); and crashes at major intersections (roundabouts and traffic signals), minor intersections (priority intersections and driveways), and midblocks; to find out which road type, error type, and locations were most common in crashes on roads close to home. Findings revealed that crashes over-represented close to home were on low-speed (urban) roads; were more likely to involve lapses of attention than violations; and that crashes related to lapses of attention on low-speed roads were more common at minor intersections and mid-blocks than at major intersections. Although drivers may be most likely to consider busy intersections risky and worthy of effortful focus, these results show that seemingly safe, slow streets and minor intersections account for a surprisingly high proportion of crashes overall, particularly on familiar urban roads close to home. The interplay of drivers’ attentional regulation with momentary driving demands, and risk is complex and worthy of continued investigation.

Analysis of illegal pedestrian crossing behavior on a major divided arterial road

Pedestrians’ illegal mid-block crossing increases the chances of a crash compared to crossing at marked or signalized crosswalks. Therefore, it is necessary to have an accurate understanding of this type of behavior to be able to prevent it. This paper presents the results from a comprehensive study undertaken to gain insight into illegal pedestrian crossing behavior on a high-speed six-lane divided arterial road that runs through a high-density urban area. Pedestrian behavior data were collected during the different stages of illegal crossing including before crossing, during crossing, and after crossing to determine the effect of hindrances, vehicles, and other pedestrians on the crossing behavior. The results showed that the illegal crossing behavior is mostly undertaken by male pedestrians. Over one-third of all pedestrians crossed in the presence of a vehicle on the road. Out of this group, almost one-third crossed using a rolling gap. The waiting time before crossing was affected by the group size, crossing point (curb or median), and the presence of other pedestrians on the opposite side of the road. Most of the pedestrians crossed the road during their first attempt and used the shortest path to cross. The crossing time was affected by gender, age, mobile phone use, type of clothing, crossing in a group, crossing point, path of crossing, and presence of a vehicle. The decision to cross was based on the presence of vehicles in the middle or far lanes for most pedestrians. Overall, the presence of a vehicle, as well as other pedestrians and hindrances, altered the illegal crossing behavior of pedestrians.

Estimation of light commercial vehicles dynamics by means of HIL-testbench simulation

The high level of active safety of vehicles is impossible without driver assistance electronic systems. Electronic stability control (ESC) system is one of them. Nowadays such systems are obligatory for installation on vehicles of different categories. The approval of active safety level of vehicles with ESC is possible by means of high speed road tests. The most frequently implemented tests are “fish hook” and “sine with dwell” tests. Such kind of tests provided by The Global technical regulation No. 8 are published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe as well as by ECE 13-11. At the same time, not only road tests could be used for estimation of vehicles dynamics. Modern software and hardware technologies allow imitating real tests with acceptable reliability and good convergence between real test data and simulation results. ECE 13-11 Annex 21 – Appendix 1 “Use Of The Dynamic Stability Simulation” regulates demands for special Simulation Test bench that could be used not only for preliminary estimation of vehicles dynamics, but also for official vehicles homologation. This paper describes the approach, proposed by the researchers from Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev (NNSTU, Russia) with support of engineers of United Engineering Center GAZ Group, as well as specialists of Gorky Automobile Plant. The idea of approach is to use the special HIL (hardware in the loop) -test bench, that consists of Real Time PC with Real Time Software and braking system components including electronic control unit (ECU) of ESC system. The HIL-test bench allows imitating vehicle dynamics in condition of “fish hook” and “sine with dwell” tests. The paper describes the scheme and structure of HIL-test bench and some peculiarities that should be taken into account during HIL-simulation.

Analysis and design improvement of high class roads’ arched sections in Poland

Although Polish road network standards, in particular higher classes of roads are improving dynamically the number of fatalities on the network is still higher that EU’s average. Ensuring road safety and high maintaining standards is a complex issue and one that poses a major challenge for all road authorities. Road accidents at high speed roads characterize specially serious material and social consequences, thus research into road safety is of a special interest and numerous analyses and debates are being conducted worldwide as well as in Poland. In this paper the authors provide the results and recommendations coming from the analysis of accidents which happened on high speed roads during the heavy rainfall. The analysis of incidents which happened on sections with changing vertical alignment shows that a properly designed road geometry does not eliminate road accidents or conflicts.

Safety and sustainability paradoxes: the case of large trees on roadsides of high speed roads

The risk and severity of injuries can be increased by trees on roadsides of high speeds roads, which may lead to a vehicle colliding into this vegetation and hindering the life of the vehicles occu...

Safety and sustainability paradoxes: the case of large trees on roadsides of high speed roads

Safety and sustainability paradoxes: the case of large trees on roadsides of high speed roads