Motor Vehicle Operators Research Articles

ORGANIZATION OF DELIVERY OF THE COMPANY'S PRODUCTS BY OWN VEHICLES

Purpose. The purpose of the work is the formation and analysis of options for the organization of the delivery of the machine-building enterprise's products by its own vehicles. Methodology. The main stages of choosing a rational technology for the organization of product transportation by own transport based on the developed schedules have been formed. The research was performed on the basis of the analysis of graphs of the dependence of motor vehicle operation indicators on the technology of organizing the transportation of the company's products. Findings. The article develops and analyzes work schedules for the delivery of the company's products by tractor-trailer trucks with semi-trailers. According to the schedules, the duration of delivery of one product in a ready-to-install condition to the consignee, the maximum possible annual volumes of transportation, the maximum and actual average annual operating costs for the delivery of the company's products by its own vehicles are determined. Practical value. The results of the research can be used to make a decision on the expediency of refusing the services of logistics companies to organize the delivery of the company's products to customers.

Processing and Integration of Multimodal Image Data Supporting the Detection of Behaviors Related to Reduced Concentration Level of Motor Vehicle Users

This paper introduces a comprehensive framework for the detection of behaviors indicative of reduced concentration levels among motor vehicle operators, leveraging multimodal image data. By integrating dedicated deep learning models, our approach systematically analyzes RGB images, depth maps, and thermal imagery to identify driver drowsiness and distraction signs. Our novel contribution includes utilizing state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) networks for effective feature extraction and classification across diverse distraction scenarios. Additionally, we explore various data fusion techniques, demonstrating their impact on improving detection accuracy. The significance of this work lies in its potential to enhance road safety by providing more reliable and efficient tools for the real-time monitoring of driver attentiveness, thereby reducing the risk of accidents caused by distraction and fatigue. The proposed methods are thoroughly evaluated using a multimodal benchmark dataset, with results showing their substantial capabilities leading to the development of safety-enhancing technologies for vehicular environments. The primary challenge addressed in this study is the detection of driver states not relying on the lighting conditions. Our solution employs multimodal data integration, encompassing RGB, thermal, and depth images, to ensure robust and accurate monitoring regardless of external lighting variations

Human and Porcine Lumbar Endplate Injury Risk in Repeated Flexion-Compression.

Low back pain (LBP) affects 50-80% of adults at some pointin their lifetime, yet the etiology of injury is not well understood. Those exposed to repeated flexion-compression are at a higher risk for LBP, such as helicopter pilots and motor vehicle operators. Animal injury models offer insight into in vivo injury mechanisms, but interspecies scaling is needed to relate animal results to human. Human (n = 16) and porcine (n = 20) lumbar functional spinal units (FSUs) were loaded in repeated flexion-compression (1Hz) to determine endplate fracture risk over long loading exposures. Flexion oscillated from 0 to 6° and peak applied compressivestress ranged from 0.65 to 2.38MPa for human and 0.64 to 4.68MPa for porcine specimens. Five human and twelve porcine injuries were observed. The confidence intervals for human and porcine 50% injury risk curves in terms of stress and cycles overlapped, indicating similar failure behavior for this loading configuration. However, porcine specimens were more tolerant to the applied loading compared to human, demonstrated by a longer time-to-failure for the same applied stress. Optimization revealed that time-to-failure in human specimens was approximately 25% that of porcine specimens at a given applied stress within 0.65-2.38MPa. This study determined human and porcine lumbar endplate fracture risks in long-duration repeated flexion-compression that can be directly used for future equipment and vehicle design, injury prediction models, and safety standards. The interspecies scale factor produced in this study can be used for previous and future porcine lumbar injury studies to scale results to relevant human injury.

Development of an IoT-Based Alcohol Detector Using Blynk and NodeMCU

Although the consumption of alcoholic beverages has been a part of human society for a very long time, it is also a big contributor to accidents and health problems. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a leading contributor to death and injury on the roads across the globe. Individuals continue to operate motor vehicles while under the influence of alcohol, despite the existence of stringent regulations and awareness efforts, which poses a risk to both themselves and others who are on the road. With the intention of preventing drunk driving and promoting road safety, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based alcohol detector has been developed utilising Blynk and NodeMCU. This detector was developed to address this issue. The amount of alcohol that is present in a person's blood, urine, or breath can be determined with the help of a device known as an alcohol detector. Using a gas sensor, the device is able to determine the amount of alcohol that is present in the breath of the user. A connection has been made between the sensor and the NodeMCU, which is tied to the Blynk application. The NodeMCU receives the information that is gathered by the gas sensor that is incorporated within the device. This sensor monitors the amount of alcohol that is breathed by the user. Through the use of a smartphone application, Blynk is an Internet of Things platform that gives consumers the ability to control and monitor connected devices. This alcohol detector that is based on the Internet of Things is extremely portable, which is one of its most significant features. A cost-effective solution has been developed through the utilisation of open-source technologies such as Blynk and NodeMCU. This has enabled the device to maintain its accuracy and quality without compromising its functionality.

РЕКОМЕНДАЦІЇ ЩОДО УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ СИСТЕМИ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ ОБЛІКУ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ АВТОМОБІЛЬНОЇ ТЕХНІКИ У ВІЙСЬКОВИХ ЧАСТИНАХ І З’ЄДНАННЯХ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ГВАРДІЇ УКРАЇНИ

The article shows the need to develop recommendations for improving the system of accounting for the use of motor vehicles in units, military units and formations of the National Guard of Ukraine. The solution of the tasks assigned to the National Guard of Ukraine is impossible without the widespread use of motor vehicles. A significant volume of necessary transportations poses tasks for the NGU servicemen related to increasing the efficiency of the use of motor vehicles. The Order of the Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine No. 900 of 27.12.2016 states: "the purpose of motor vehicle support is to achieve maximum efficiency of the use of motor vehicles...". The task of increasing the efficiency of the use of automotive equipment and ensuring a given level of efficiency of its use can be solved by comparing the efficiency indicators of the use of machines. To assess the operation and technical condition of motor vehicles, special indicators are used, such as fleet utilisation rate; working time utilisation rate; mileage utilisation rate; load capacity utilisation rate; speed and others. However, these indicators, neither individually nor in combination, make it possible to assess the effectiveness of the use of motor vehicles of a unit or military unit of the NGU. Therefore, there is a need to obtain a dependence for assessing the efficiency of transportation by military vehicles. It is proposed to use as an indicator of the efficiency of the use of motor vehicles an indicator that allows assessing the level of efficiency of the use of motor vehicles (when using motor vehicles in accordance with the annual plan for the operation and repair of vehicles of a military unit), to determine the impact on the efficiency of of transportations of certain indicators (coefficient of efficiency of transportations) and outline ways to ensure a given level of efficiency of the use of motor vehicles of the National Guard of Ukraine. The proposals for improving the structure of the vehicle operation record card and the summary of vehicle operation allow to improve the accounting of vehicle operation, improve the planning of vehicle operation, analyse and evaluate the results of their use.

TRANSPORT SUPPORT OF METALLURGICAL PRODUCTION WASTE RECYCLING

Purpose. One of the possible ways to improve the efficiency and environmental friendliness of metallurgy is processing and reuse in production as raw material of iron-containing dusty waste. At the same time, an integral component of such waste recycling is the transportation of iron-containing dust from the sources to the granulation areas, where it is processed. However, existing technological solutions for dust transportation are characterized by significant dust generation both during loading-unloading operations and during transportation. In this regard, the paper considers dust-free transportation technology for dusty waste using tank containers. Methodology. During the research, methods of geospatial analysis of transportation routes, taking into account dimensional and weight restrictions, methods of planning the operation of motor vehicles on routes, methods of the theory of shunting work on railway transport were used. Results. The work on the application of one of the metallurgical enterprises presents the methodology for determining the required fleet of vehicles and the main technical and technological parameters of schemes for the iron-containing dust transportation in tank containers by road and rail transport. Scientific novelty. The obtained research results on transport process parameters allow to perform scientific and economic justification of choosing a technological scheme for the transportation of dust waste. Practical significance. The presented technological schemes can be used as solutions for the transportation support of recycling iron-containing dusty waste in metallurgical production.

Impact of electromobility development on tax revenues: A case study on Norway

The manuscript deals with the development of electromobility in Norway and its impact on tax revenues. The detailed focus of the paper is on registration and road taxes directly related to the acquisition and operation of a road motor vehicle. The paper aims to verify whether a growing share of electric cars in Norway's fleet impacts the decrease in tax collection, namely road and registration tax. Norway was chosen because it is the country with the highest share of electric cars in the vehicle fleet in the world. Impacts on road and registration tax are investigated, focusing on 1998–2021. Our results suggest that the introduction of electromobility has a negative effect on the collection of road and registration tax, with the addition that this impact is statistically significant only in the case of registration tax. In other words, our research assumption was only confirmed in the case of the registration tax.

Autopsy study of alcohol-associated unnatural deaths in Thailand, 2007-2019.

To date, there have been no major studies of alcohol-associated unnatural deaths in Thailand or South East Asia. Thailand leads South East Asia in per capita alcohol consumption. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of alcohol-associated unnatural deaths in Thailand and their relation to post-mortem blood alcohol concentration (BAC); to investigate correlations between BAC and selected demographic variables; and to evaluate the incidence of co-use of alcohol and illicit substances. We conducted a retrospective register-based study of alcohol-investigated unnatural deaths in Thailand for the period 2007-2019. The core study sample (n = 77,006) was derived from a Thai government computerized database of unnatural-death autopsies. Of the total autopsy sample 32.49% was alcohol positive (BAC ≥0.20 g/L). The rate at which male autopsy cases were alcohol positive (35.52%) was approximately twice that of female autopsy cases (16.62%), with males having significantly higher median BAC levels, 1.64 and 1.31 g/L, respectively. The incidence of female alcohol-positive cases with extremely high BACs (≥3.50 g/L) was comparable to that of male alcohol-positive autopsies. The rates at which victims of accidents, homicides, and suicides were alcohol positive were 42.44%, 38.81%, and 33.25%, respectively. Drowning fatalities had the highest rate of alcohol detection (49.12%) and the highest median BAC (2.47 g/L). The next highest rate (48.47%) was among road traffic fatalities (RTFs, BAC 1.92 g/L), which accounted for about one-half of all RTFs and one-third of all alcohol-positive autopsies. Of the total alcohol-positive population, 8.33% tested positive for illicit substances, most commonly methamphetamine/amphetamine. BAC results for the majority of male and female alcohol-positive victims exceeded the generally accepted threshold for Heavy Episodic Drinking (0.8 g/L) and provided a rare BAC-documented (≥3.50 g/L) example of gender parity in the incidence of heavy alcohol consumption. The median BAC value for alcohol-positive RTFs (1.92 g/L) was about 10% higher than in studies in most other countries and about four times greater the Thai legal limit for motor-vehicle operation (0.50 g/L).

Unlocking the Narrative: Using Text Mining to Reveal the Hidden Factors behind Suicide Related Traffic Crashes

Suicide is the deliberate act of ending a person’s own life due to multifarious reasons. In the U.S., suicide is the 10th major cause of death. Nearly 45,000 people died by suicide in 2016 across the nation. It is anticipated that not all traffic crashes can be considered as accidents. Traffic crash related injuries are occasionally considered a means of suicide, and some crashes occur due to the suicidal attempts. These attempts can be made by operators of motor vehicles, jumpers into the pathway of trains, and pedestrians deliberately jumping into the vehicle trajectory. There are a handful of studies that have focused on traffic crashes (both railroad and roadway) related to suicidal incidents. This study aimed to explore the insights associated with suicide related traffic crashes (SRTCs) by collecting traffic data for seven years (2010–2016) from Louisiana. At first, exploratory data analysis was performed to examine the five Ws (who, what, why, when, and where) associated with SRTCs. Later, this study applied text network analysis, which was not performed in any of the previous studies, to provide additional contexts of these crashes. The findings of this study can shed lights on an unexplored arena of transportation safety research.

Driving under the influence of cannabis and alcohol: Evidence from a national sample of young drivers

ObjectiveDriving under the influence (DUI) of psychoactive substances is an important public health and criminal justice issue, impacting the lives of millions of Americans. Although recent research provides up-to-date information regarding DUI among adults, there is a pressing need for research that focuses specifically on younger/underage drivers. We draw from a large, nationally-representative sample to provide up-to-date evidence as to the prevalence and key criminal justice, substance use, and behavioral health correlates of DUI of cannabis and alcohol among drivers ages 16 to 20 in the United States. MethodsWe used data from the 2020 and 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (young drivers ages 16–20; N=12,863). All analyses—survey adjusted prevalence estimates, logistic regression—were conducted using Stata SE 17.0 and weighted to account for the study’s stratified cluster sampling design. ResultsThe prevalence of DUI-cannabis for the full sample—including those not endorsing past-year use—was 6.3%. Among youth endorsing past-year cannabis use, 24.5% reported DUI of cannabis. In the full sample and among cannabis users, DUI-cannabis risk was elevated among older and male youth. The prevalence of DUI-alcohol was 2.6% among all youth and 6.1% among youth reporting past-year alcohol consumption. ConclusionsEstimates indicate that more than one million young drivers each year are placing their lives and those of others at risk by operating motor vehicles after consuming cannabis and/or alcohol. Findings underscore the importance of prevention efforts targeting underaged cannabis and alcohol-impaired driving.

Raspberry pi Based Automatic Engine Locking System for Drunken Drivers

The prevalence of drunken driving incidents has led to numerous accidents and fatalities worldwide. To address this critical issue, this research paper presents a Raspberry Pi-based automatic engine locking system designed to prevent intoxicated individuals from operating motor vehicles. The proposed system integrates various sensors, including alcohol sensors, ignition sensors, and a Raspberry Pi microcontroller, to detect alcohol levels in the driver's breath and disable the engine if the alcohol concentration exceeds the permissible limit. This paper discusses the system architecture, sensor integration, software implementation, and experimental results, highlighting the effectiveness and potential of the Raspberry Pi- based engine locking system in reducing drunken driving incidents.

VANETs Security Using Cryptography

Abstract: The usage of Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks, often known as VANET, is becoming more common as the frequency of accidents in the modern world continues to rise. In situations like these, VANET makes accessible a broad variety of protective applications that may shield people from injury while they are operating motor vehicles. These applications can be used to prevent accidents. Additionally, it lessens the amount of collisions that take place, which in turn lessens the amount of damage that is sustained by cars, drivers, and passengers. By giving information to drivers about the flow of traffic along congested roads, VANETs make it possible for drivers to make better use of the time they have available. On the other hand, two security issues that are tied to the safety of drivers are the protection of an individual's right to privacy about their location and the maintenance of identifying information inside the network. Both of these issues are connected to the network. Many protocols need an infrastructure that enables the efficient distribution of keys, the revocation of keys, and the protection of sensitive communications by utilising a number of different cryptographic techniques in order to defend themselves against a wide variety of attacks and to guarantee that driver privacy is maintained. This is necessary in order to ensure that driver privacy is maintained. It is necessary to do extra work in the fields of computers and communication in order to implement a number of the security methods that are used for encrypting and authenticating V2V and V2I communications. These methods may be found in a variety of places. Because of this, it is essential to carry out research into a broad range of different cryptographybased approaches in order to boost the viability of various cryptography-based protocols and to improve the overall performance of these protocols. Because of the high mobility of nodes in the network, a suitable cryptographic technique is necessary. This method must be able to create short keys and short messages, take a little amount of processing time, and have a sufficient degree of security throughout the length of a key.

Mathematical modeling of the efficiency indicator of the functioning of the transport and production system in the conditions of the quarry of a metallurgical enterprise

The study of the operation of quarry vehicles made it possible to form the target function of the study, taking into account the criterion of the efficiency of all processes of the system, which provides for the reduction of costs for the operation of the transport and production system of the quarry of a metallurgical enterprise, namely, the subsystems: “Incoming raw materials”, “Processing of raw materials”, “Sales of raw materials”. Factors influencing the cost indicator are highlighted. These factors include the production downtime of motor vehicles, the speed of motor vehicles with cargo, and the speed of motor vehicles without cargo. The values of these factors were obtained in result of timing the operation of motor vehicles on technological routes for four days. The levels of variation intervals and the nature of their changes for the three regimes were calculated for each of the subsystems. A regression analysis of the investigated factors was carried out to model the costs. The response surfaces of the obtained mathematical models are constructed, namely: the influence of the production downtime of motor vehicles and the speed of movement without cargo on the costs of functioning of subsystems, the influence of production downtime of motor vehicles and the speed of movement with cargo on the costs of the functioning of subsystems, the influence of the speed of movement with cargo and speed of movement without cargo for the costs of functioning of subsystems. The optimal values for reducing the cost of functioning of the “Processing of raw materials” subsystem are the value of production downtime – 4-5 min., the speed of motor vehicles without cargo – 9 min., and the speed of motor vehicles with cargo – 9 km/h. The optimal values for reducing the cost of functioning of the “Sales of raw materials” subsystem are the value of production downtime – 4-6 min., the speed of motor vehicles without cargo – 14-16 min., and the speed of motor vehicles with cargo – 13-15 km/h. The optimal values for reducing the cost of functioning of the subsystem “Incoming raw materials” are: the value of production downtime is 4-5 minutes, the speed of motor vehicles without cargo is 7-8 km/h, the speed of motor vehicles with cargo is 10 km/h.

USE OF UREA FOR CLEANING USED SEMI-SYNTHETIC MOTOR OILS

During the operation of motor vehicles with gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines, motor oil is exposed to high temperatures, is constantly in contact with metals, its hydrocarbon part undergoes chemical transformations, is contaminated by wear products of metal surfaces, decomposition of additives, and residues of incomplete combustion of fuel. As a result, motor oil undergoes irreversible changes in its high-quality chemical composition and loss of operational properties. The paper describes the results of the study of the process of cleaning exhausted semi-synthetic motor oils in the presence of crystalline urea. Castrol 10W-40 oil, widely used in truck diesel engines, and ELF Evolution 700 STI oil, used in passenger car gasoline engines, were chosen as used semi-synthetic motor oils. The influence of the main factors of process control (the amount of urea, duration, and temperature) on the change in the functional properties of refined motor oils was studied. It was established that the lowest values of defective indicators (acid number, water content, ash content, content of mechanical impurities) were obtained at 140 ºС, duration of 80 min., and 5 mass. % of crystalline urea. In addition, there is a slight increase in the values of kinematic viscosity and viscosity index. The method of X-ray fluorescence analysis confirmed that the content of metals decreased in urea-treated oils compared to used ones. IR spectroscopic research demonstrated that under the established optimal conditions of the purification process with crystalline urea, the content of oxygen-containing "aging" products (aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, ethers, esters, organic acids) in purified semi-synthetic motor oils significantly decreased. It is proposed to use the process of cleaning used semi-synthetic motor oils in the presence of crystalline urea as an intermediate stage of the combined technological cycle of regeneration of used motor oils.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS OF THE RAINWATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF MYKOLAIV

The article is devoted to the study of the chemical composition and quantitative volume of pollutants entering the Bug Estuary with the rainwater sewage of Mykolaiv. It is known that sewage from industrial and municipal enterprises poses a threat of a significant additional burden on limited regional water resources. First and foremost, uncontrolled stormwater runoff is a major concern. In Mykolaiv, there are 49 registered stormwater drains, of which 19 are directly discharged into open water bodies. The purpose of the study was to investigate the chemical composition and volume of urban stormwater runoff into the Bug Estuary. The study was based on the results of chemical analyses of water samples from four storm sewers in Mykolaiv, performed in 2022. The materials of chemical analyses of water samples from five storm sewers of Mykolaiv in 1997 were also included. It was proved that phosphates, oil products, and nitrite nitrogen are present in the stormwater runoff from Mykolaiv to the Bug Estuary. The multiplicity of exceedances of the maximum permissible concentrations is: for biological oxygen consumption - 14-37 times; nitrite - 10-39 times; chemical oxygen consumption - 7-18 times. It has been shown that lead, nickel, iron, copper, chromium, and zinc are released into the Bug estuary with rainwater runoff. Excessive pollution of rainwater with suspended solids is associated with contamination of territories with dust, soil, clay, etc. Excessive pollution with oil products and heavy metals is associated with the operation of motor vehicles and industrial enterprises. It has been shown that unauthorized connections of domestic and industrial sewage systems are mostly responsible for some of the substances that pollute stormwater (phosphates, nitrates). Prospects for further research are the study of the sorption capacity of bottom sediments for the retention of pollutants and the assessment of the ecological capacity of the bottom sediments of the Bug estuary..

The Responsibility of The Vehicle Operators of Stolen or Usurped Motor Vehicles

Çalınan veya gasp edilen araçlarda işletenin sorumluluğu ve bu sorumluluğu bertaraf etme yolu 2918 sayılı Karayolları Trafik Kanunu’nun 107. maddesinin 1. fıkrasında düzenlenmiştir. İlgili hükme göre işleten, aracın çalınmasında veya gasp edilmesinde, kendisinin veya eylemlerinden sorumlu olduğu kişilerin kusurlu davranışlarının bulunmadığını ispatlayarak sorumluluktan kurtulabilir. Bu çalışmada, çalıntı araçta işletenin sorumluluğunun eleştirel incelenmesi, özellikle Karayolları Trafik Kanunu’nun 107. maddesinin 1. fıkrası çerçevesinde gerçekleşmektedir. İşletenin hırsız veya gasıpla müteselsil sorumlu tutulması ihtimalini işletenin kusursuzluğunu ispatlayamamasına bağlayan yasa hükmü tenkit edilmektedir. Nihayet, çalınan veya gasp edilen araçta işletenin sorumluluktan kurtulmasına ek olarak, çalınan veya gasp edilen araca binenlerin durumu da açıklanmaktadır. Böylece, işletenin hırsız veya gasıpla birlikte sorumlu tutulması geniş açıdan dikkate alınmakta ve söz konusu birlikte sorumluluk de lege ferenda tartışmaya açılmaktadır.

CONTRIBUTORY FAULT AND ITS ASSESSMENT IN THE LIABILTY OF THE INSURANCE COMPANY ARISING FROM THE OPERATION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE

İşletilme halindeki motorlu aracın sebep olduğu zarara ilişkin olarak KTK m. 85/1 hükmünde bir kusursuz sorumluluk rejimi olan tehlike sorumluluğu kabul edilmiştir. Sigorta şirketi, KTK m. 85/1 kapsamında meydana gelen zarardan belli meblağa kadar sorumludur. Sigorta şirketi, araç sürücüsünün/işletenin kusurlu olmadığından/az kusurlu olduğundan bahisle tazminatta indirim talep edemez. Sigorta şirketlerinin, sürücünün kusurlu olmadığını ileri sürmesi anlamsız olduğu gibi, belirli bir oran vererek (%30-40-50) kusurlu olduğunu beyan etmesi, ek (munzam) kusurun ifşasından başka bir şey değildir. Ek kusur da tazminattan indirim sebebi değil, aksine kusurun ağırlığına göre indirimi ortadan kaldıran bir haldir. Zarar görenin kusuru ise, kusurun ağırlığına ve kanunda aranan diğer şartların varlığı halinde sigorta şirketinin motorlu aracın işletilmesinden doğan sorumluluğunda tazminattan indirim sebebi teşkil edebilir. Zarar görenin kusuruna dayanarak tazminattan indirim yapılmasını talep eden sigorta şirketi, zarar görenin kusurunu ispat yükü altındadır. Yargıtay kararlarında da kabul edildiği üzere, zarar görenin kusuru, gerek nedensellik bağının kesilmesine sebep olduğu durumlar bakımından sorumluluğu (ve bu bağlamda hakkı) ortadan kaldırması hasebiyle gerekse tazminattan indirim sebebi olarak hakkı sınırlandırması yönüyle hukuk hâkimi (hakemi) tarafından re’sen (kendiliğinden) dikkate alınmalıdır.

Challenges in Conducting Empirical Epidemiological Research with Truck and Bus Drivers in Diverse Settings in North America.

Over 6.5 million commercial vehicle drivers were operating a large truck or bus in the United States in 2020. This career often has high stress and long working hours, with few opportunities for physical activity. Previous research has linked these factors to adverse health conditions. Adverse health conditions affect not only the professional drivers’ wellbeing but potentially also commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators’ safe driving ability and public safety for others sharing the roadway. The prevalence of health conditions with high impact on roadway safety in North American CMV drivers necessitates empirical epidemiological research to better understand and improve driver health. The paper presents four challenges in conducting epidemiological research with truck and bus drivers in North America and potential resolutions identified in past and current research. These challenges include (1) the correlation between driving performance, driving experience, and driver demographic factors; (2) the impact of medical treatment status on the relationship between health conditions and driver risk; (3) capturing accurate data in self-report data collection methods; and (4) reaching the CMV population for research. These challenges are common and influential in epidemiological research of this population, as drivers face severe health issues, health-related federal regulations, and the impact of vehicle operation on the safety of themselves and others using the roadways.

Evaluation of Reserves for Improving the Efficiency of Using Rolling Stock of a Motor Transport Enterprise

Purpose. The work is aimed to analyze the components of the target function of reducing costs for the operation and maintenance of motor vehicles (buses) and determine the optimal periodicity of planned repairs. Methodology. The research was carried out using general scientific methods: analysis and synthesis, abstraction and concretization, induction and deduction, system analysis. Findings. In order to estimate reserves for improving the efficiency of rolling stock, the target function of minimizing costs (losses) during the operation of motor vehicles using the example of buses is given, which includes two aggregated component costs for planned activities after maintenance of motor vehicles and resources used to eliminate the consequences of unplanned repairs, including losses caused by them. Exponential dependencies of the number of unplanned repairs per calendar year of operation of motor vehicles obtained as a result of processing an array of statistical data on the enterprise are presented. It was found that one of the ways to improve the efficiency of the rolling stock of the motor vehicle enterprise is to reduce downtime due to current unplanned repairs. For this purpose, it is proposed to carry out planned repairs of each moving unit of motor vehicles. The graphical dependence of the number of unscheduled repairs on the amount of bus mileage between repairs is shown for a specific motor vehicle enterprise. Calculations of the components of the target function of increasing the use efficiency of buses were performed, and the optimal inter-repair mileage for carrying out planned repairs during the calendar year was determined graphically. The economic component of increasing the efficiency of use of the rolling stock of the automobile enterprise is substantiated – the lack of income from unfulfilled transport work, which is characterized by the average load of motor vehicles. Using the example of buses, it was found that the average load is directly proportional to the number of transported passengers and inversely proportional to the mileage along the route. Originality. All components of the target function of minimizing the total costs of planned activities after technical maintenance and resources of unplanned repairs, including losses (damages) from downtime, are thoroughly considered. Practical value. The results of the performed research can be used by motor transport companies to determine the optimal intervals between repairs. Carrying out planned repairs of each motor vehicle will make it possible to reduce losses from idle time and increase the use efficiency of rolling stock as a whole.

The prevalence and excess mortality risk of driving with children

Introduction: The presence of passengers can affect the driving behavior of motor-vehicle operators. Child passengers present unique motivations to drive more safely, as well as opportunities to distract drivers. Because motor-vehicle crashes are an important cause of premature childhood mortality, this study assesses whether adult drivers with child passengers are more or less likely to cause a fatal crash. Method: Data include fatal crashes involving one or two vehicles from 2007 to 2017 in the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System. We apply methods developed by Levitt and Porter (2001) and Dunn and Tefft (2020) -the LPDT approach- to estimate the risk that adult drivers (21 years or older) with at least one child passenger (15 year or younger) cause a fatal crash relative to adults without child passengers. Results: Childhood crash exposure when traveling with an adult driver is low: 0.78% of vehicle miles traveled by adults included a child passenger. Nevertheless, adult drivers with child passengers were significantly more likely to cause a fatal crash than adult drivers without child passengers. The estimated risk of causing a single-vehicle crash was 6.2 times higher among the full sample of adults, 7.2 times higher among female drivers, and 5.0 times higher among drivers 25–44 years old. Conclusions: Despite their relatively low crash exposure, child passengers are associated with much greater risk of causing a fatal crash. Practical Applications: This study not only informs about the need to develop interventions to remind parents and adult drivers of the risks associated with driving children, but also reminds researchers about the enormous potential of the LPDT approach when applied to traffic safety issues.