Private Motor Research Articles

Risk analysis for severe traffic accidents in long road tunnels

In the recent years, with a globally increasing private motoring, tunnelling has gained a particular importance. After a series of dramatic accidents, the public opinion has turned its attention to tunnel fire safety. This paper focuses on the risk analysis in road tunnels, using the well-established Europe PIARC-OECD Quantitative Risk Assessment Model (QRAM). In the first part, a brief literature review - also on forensic investigations in tunnels - is performed, and the logic behind this method is briefly reassumed, focusing on the risk indicators. In the second part, a comprehensive risk analysis is performed in a long tunnel in Southern Italy, accounting for multifaceted aspects and parameters. The paper is completed with a sensitivity analysis on specific parameters that have an influence on the risk.

Use of private motor vehicle transportation for taking children to school in São Paulo Metropolitan Area, Brazil, 1997-2012

São Paulo Metropolitan Area, Brazil, showed an increase from 1997 to 2007 in the use of private motor vehicles for taking children to school, with potential harm to their health. The aim of this study was to extend the analysis of this trend until 2012 and discuss possible strategies to increase the proportion of children who walk, cycle, or use public transportation to get to school. Analysis of the data from the Mobility Survey of 2012 indicate not only the continuation but also an accelerated increase in the use of private motorized transportation for schoolchildren aged 6 to 11 years. The effect of initiatives to promote walking will only be properly understood with adequate monitoring of daily commuting to school and the evaluation of their impact on the population's health. A package of policies and programs specifically targeted to the promotion and protection of walking, cycling, and use of public transport by schoolchildren is indispensable for guaranteeing their right to travel safely, independently, and actively in São Paulo Metropolitan Area.

Stage of Historical Evolution of Private Vehicle Ownership in the City of Barcelona

Transport demand and private motor vehicle ownership (cars and motorcycles) are generally related to the socio-economic development, increasing urbanization, public policies and rising per capita income.Private motor vehicle ownership varies between countries and geographical regions. However, it tends to have some common patterns in its historical evolution. So that during the early stages of development, the rate of motorization increased mainly by acquisitions of PTWs (mopeds and motorcycles). As the economy grows, the increase in per capita income stimulates a shift from PTWs to cars, which are preferred for their safety, versatility, comfort and social status. The increasing use of cars contributes to raising travel costs (congestion, parking constraints, accidents, pollution), that coupled with public policies to discourage car use, tends to favor modal shifts from cars to public transport and in some regions also to PTWs.This study analyze the historical evolution of private motor vehicle ownership in Spain (cars and motorcycles), and identify the stage in which is the city of Barcelona, characterized by the high use of PTWs. The increase use of PTWs is a common phenomenon in some major European cities and suggests a continuous future growth in developed countries and congested urban areas, that is not in line with the assumptions of some models, which predict that in the long-run there will be a decrease in use of PTWs in areas with high income per capita levels.

Planning, Development and Management of Sustainable Cities: A Commentary from the Guest Editors

Cities are the most dramatic manifestations of human activities on the surface of the earth. These human-dominated organisms—i.e., cities—degrade natural habitats, simplify species composition, disrupt hydrological systems, and modify energy flow and nutrient cycling. Today, these consequential impacts of human activities, originated from population increase, rapid urbanization, high private motor vehicle dependency, deregulated industrialization and mass livestock production, are increasing exponentially and causing great deal of environmental, social, and economic challenges both at global and local scales. In such a situation, establishment of sustainable cities, through sustainable urban development practices, is seen as a potential panacea to combat these challenges responsibly, effectively, and efficiently. This paper offers a critical review of the key literature on the issues relating to planning, development and management of sustainable cities, introduces the contributions from the Special Issue, and speculates on the prospective research directions to place necessary mechanisms to secure a sustainable urban future for all.

Differentiating metropolitan transport disadvantage by mode: Household expenditure on private vehicle fuel and public transport fares in Brisbane, Australia

Public transport (PT) has become important in everyday travels in Australian cities. Rising PT fares create a competitive disadvantage against private motor vehicles which is threatening PT ridership. This paper seeks to gain further insights into transport disadvantage by exploring spatial patterns of household transport expenditure on PT fares and private vehicle fuel use for the Brisbane metropolitan area. Several datasets are used to measure mode-specific transport costs, including the journey to work matrix, fuel efficiency of the private vehicle fleet and PT fares for the city. Through an advanced spatial analysis, the results show that PT was not a cost-effective means of transport for households when compared to private motor vehicles. The paper then compares mode-specific trip costs with patterns of suburban socio-economic disadvantage in Brisbane. We demonstrate that the high PT fares increase household exposure to higher transport costs and compound other forms of transport disadvantage and vulnerability, particularly in outer suburban areas.

An Analysis of Pro-Environmental Attributes towards Adolescents in Penang Using Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour

The energy consumption in transportation sector was mostly created by the individual likeness to use private motor vehicle. High dependency on private motor vehicles has contributed not only to the traffic problem but also accounted to carbon emission. This study aims to investigate the psychological factors that influencing the adolescents’ intention to be more pro-environmental. This study found that the behavioural intention was significantly influenced by the adolescents’ awareness towards consequences, attitude towards environment and public transport, the sentiment of moral obligation to change, and the perceived possibilities or difficulty to practice environmental friendly travel behaviour.

The Making of the Modern British Home: The Suburban Semi & Family Life between the Wars. By Peter Scott

The interwar period in Britain is overshadowed by chronic unemployment, but there is another, brighter side. This is the social breakout into suburban living, facilitated by a sustained building boom in the 1930s, whose peak annual magnitude has not been matched since. While the coal belt and its legacy industries were depressed, the wave of innovation in electricity, communications, public and private motor transport, and urban services transformed the rest of the country, and even parts of the coal belt itself, while production of housing, furniture, flooring and appliances kept millions more in work. Peter Scott's jacket illustration, taken from an advertisement, shows (as if from a low-flying plane) a bridge crossing over from tight, grey, grim rows of urban terraced houses to a new suburban bungalow drenched in sunlight, its roof blazing red, a green lawn, and a child on a tricycle on orange pathways. This transition is familiar to historians, but that does not reduce the warm glow it can still invoke. Alan Jackson, Ross McKibben, and many others have vividly depicted this migration as primarily a middle-class movement. Peter Scott's contribution is to lay out, in greater detail and penetration than before, the experience of manual workers and the lower middle class. Stefan Muthesius showed that before the First World War, the dominant housing form in England (a single-family house with a narrow street frontage and a long backwards extension) was universal across the social classes, differing in scale, space, amenity, and the presence of gardens depending on cost. Likewise, housing in the interwar period was dominated by a new format, in which the single-family house (usually built in “semi-detached” pairs, the “Semi” of the title) was turned sideways to maximize air and light, and surrounded with a substantial garden, though still differentiated socially by size and style. This design first appeared before 1914, was associated with politically progressive aspirations, was formalized in wartime by the official Tudor Walters Report, and became hugely popular. Solidly constructed housing of that period has endured well and is still popular today.

Associations between individual socioeconomic position, neighbourhood disadvantage and transport mode: baseline results from the HABITAT multilevel study

BackgroundUnderstanding how different socioeconomic indicators are associated with transport modes provide insight into which interventions might contribute to reducing socioeconomic inequalities in health. The purpose of this study was to...

Path creation for urban mobility transitions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine spatiality of transitions by combining aspects of urban form to policy analysis. It aims to increase understanding of how urban form relates to potential effects of transport policies on urban mobility transitions. Design/methodology/approach – Novel analytical framework combines concepts of path dependence, path creation and path destabilisation to three urban fabrics (walking, transit and car cities), to study the transition potential of recent transport policy measures influencing the Helsinki region in Finland. Findings – Analysis showed that the potential effects of single policy measures often reach over all three urban fabrics. A policy measure may simultaneously contain elements of both path dependence, i.e. support for fossil-fuel based private motoring in the car city and path creation, i.e. stimulation of innovations in transit or walking cities. Policy outcomes are often conditional on implementation of other policy measures. For transition governance, this indicates that policy mixes should both destabilise car cities and enforce path creation in walking and transit cities. Research limitations/implications – Findings are based on potential rather than evaluated impacts and a limited sample of policies. Practical implications – Findings support previous research on the importance of policy coherence: multiple policies and coherence across domains are important. They demonstrate the usefulness of analysing recent or planned policies from the transition perspective. Originality/value – The paper provides novel insights by combining policy analysis to the spatial model of overlapping urban fabrics. In addition, it applies the concepts of path dependence, path creation and path destabilisation in a new way.

Extending life on the bike: Electric bike use by older Australians

Older age may bring physical limitations but for many people, the desire to remain active does not diminish. To remain active, and continue the physical and psychological benefits of physical fitness, people need options that support continued movement; one option is an electric bike. In this study we identified the characteristics of older people who own and ride an electric bike in Australian and understand their motivations for purchase, their electric bike use and safety issues. We conducted an online study of electric bike owners in Australia (n=529). In this analysis, we focused on responses from participants aged 65 years and older (n=69). Respondents were aged from 65 to 88 years (71 years), most were retired (73.9%) and had been regular cyclists prior to purchasing an electric bike (80.3%). Almost half (42.6%) purchased their electric bike in a specialist electric bike shop and the two most reported motivations for purchase were to ride with less effort and replace car trips. The majority of respondents rode their electric bike weekly (88.0%) including people who rode it daily (34.3%). The most frequently cited mode shift was from private motor vehicle (car) to electric bike across all trip purposes. Respondents typically felt safer riding an electric bike than a pedal bike and the majority had not experienced an electric bike crash (84.1%). This initial, exploratory study provides the first insights into older Australian electric bike riders. Electric bikes provide a fun, practical option for people to incorporate active travel into their most frequent trips. Mode shift from car trips suggest that electric bikes increase regular (weekly, daily) physical activity. Initiatives and public policies that support electric bike use may increase the uptake of electric bikes by older people in Australia.

Impact of changes in mode of travel to work on changes in body mass index: evidence from the British Household Panel Survey

BackgroundActive commuting is associated with various health benefits, but little is known about its causal relationship with body mass index (BMI).MethodsWe used cohort data from three consecutive annual waves of...

Traveling by Private Motorized Vehicle and Physical Fitness in Taiwanese Adults.

Although the time spent sitting in motorized vehicles has been determined to be adversely associated with cardiometabolic health, its association with other health indicators remains unclear. This study examined associations between traveling by private motorized vehicle and 4 indicators of physical fitness in adults. Data from 52,114 Taiwanese adults aged 20 to 65years who participated in the 2013 National Adults Fitness Survey were used. The examined variables were height, body mass, and performance in modified sit-and-reach (flexibility), bent-leg sit-up (abdominal muscular strength and endurance), and a 3-min step test (cardiorespiratory endurance). Participants were asked on how many days they had used a private car or motorcycle for traveling from place to place and categorized as non-, occasional, and daily private motorized vehicle travelers. Logistic and linear regression models were used to examine associations between the categories of using private motorized vehicles to travel and physical fitness performance. After an adjustment for potential demographic and behavioral confounders, daily traveling by private motorized vehicle was associated with a higher probability of overweight (odds ratio = 1.18), lower performance of abdominal muscular strength and endurance (-0.37 times/min), and lower cardiorespiratory fitness (-0.60 physical fitness index) than was traveling that did not involve private motorized vehicles. The results suggest that in addition to unfavorable cardiorespiratory fitness and a risk of overweight, daily traveling by private motorized vehicle is associated with poor performance in abdominal muscular strength and endurance.

Hyperautomobility and Governmentality in Auckland

A number of cities around the world are associated with very high levels of private motor car usage, and Auckland provides an example of one of these ‘hyperautomobile’ cities. There are many problems with this system of transportation and dependence on the private car, including environmental, social and city design dimensions. Though there is a clear aspiration to move towards reduced levels of car usage in the city's transport and spatial planning strategies, there are major difficulties in implementation terms. We develop and consider future scenarios to 2041 to reduce these levels of motorization, and subsequent transport CO2 emissions, with a much greater use of public transport, walking and cycling, urban planning, and low emission vehicles. The current implementability of such a ‘sustainable mobility’ future is however questioned in the current political and social context, and critically debated in terms of the available governance mechanisms and the limited attempts to shape the behaviour of the public. We conclude by calling for a reconsideration of the policy measures being considered, including the range and levels of application and investment; with a much wider framing of the transport planning remit, and carried out within a much stronger participatory framework for decision-making.

Public transport service quality in South Africa: A case study of bus and mini bus services in Johannesburg

This paper reports on commuters’ perceptions of bus and mini bus taxi service using an alternate to the most popular and commonly used service quality (SERVQUAL) instrument, namely The regional estuarine and coastal systems of the Americas (RECSA). From face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire to survey a convenience sample of 690 commuters at specifically selected mini-bus taxi and bus ranks using a commuter intercept survey, it was ascertained that overall the perceived quality of public bus transport services exceeded that of minibus taxis, despite the minibus taxis being the dominant mode of public transport. All the RECSA dimensions of transport service quality influenced the respondents’ perception of public bus service quality, whereas only three, namely reliability, affordability and extent of the service, influenced their perception of the minibus taxis service quality. To improve public road transport service quality, service providers should among others, implement scheduling systems to improve the punctuality of the service, invest in communication systems, introduce a comfort rating system, improve the arrival times at destinations and reduce journey length. They should also improve the condition of the minibus taxi shelters, increase the frequency of the service on certain routes especially during peak periods on weekdays, take commuters closer to their destination through modal integration and elimination of transfers, improve commuter safety, more especially by changing driver behaviour through focused safety and driver training programmes, and improve affordability and provide value for money service. The findings could also serve to inform public transport policy makers and providers, since a public transportation model and policy based on improving the perceived service dimensions is likely to increase the demand for public bus and minibus taxi transport and, reduce the use of private motor cars, thereby addressing the public road transport conundrum in Johannesburg in particular, and South Africa in general. Key words: Public transport service, minibus taxi service, public bus service transport service quality.

Household Car and Motorcycle Ownership and Transaction Behavior through a Life-Course Approach - a Case in Taipei City

One of the most pressing problems in today’s urban transportation environment is the ever-increasing number of private motor vehicles. To tackle this problem, many researchers start looking for factors that lead to travel behavioral changes. While most early studies in Taiwan take a cross-sectional approach and show a somewhat inconsistent result regarding the relationship between car and motorcycle ownership, this study assumes, arguably, that a longitudinal approach is necessary for better understanding of the problem. Based on empirical results of longitudinal analyses, this study finds that: 1) there is a positive association between life stages of honeymooner and crowded nester and the alternative of increasing a motorcycle; 2) the experience of exposure to motorcycle early in life have a positive effect on motorcycle acquirement and motorcycle replacement decision later in life; 3) households already owning motorcycle(s) are more likely to buy a car.

Public transport access and availability in the RESIDE study: Is it taking us where we want to go?

A disproportionate focus of research to date has focussed on public transport (PT) opportunities available within the residential neighbourhood, despite the need to focus on origin and destination PT infrastructure. Furthermore, there are recommended maximum access distances of 400m for lower quality PT services (e.g., bus) and 800m for higher quality PT services (e.g., rail). This study investigates associations between commuting behaviours and distance to bus and rail stops from residence and workplace, and the PT access thresholds and densities in a sample of 238 employed adults drawn from the RESIDE study in Perth, Australia. Self-reported usual workplace travel mode was compared with objectively derived home to work commute distance, and distance to the nearest rail and bus stops from residence and workplace. Overall, 207 (87.0%) participants usually commuted to work by private motor vehicle (PMV), and 31 (13.0%) participants commuted by PT modes. Those who travelled to work using PT modes had longer commute distances, but had bus and rail stops located closer to their workplace compared with respondents who commuted using PMV modes. Compared with those only having proximate residential PT access, respondents who only had proximate workplace PT access (adjusted OR=11.57), or had both proximate residence and workplace PT access (adjusted OR=16.51) were substantially more likely to commute to work using PT modes. These findings highlight the importance of proximate PT infrastructure both near home and workplaces. People seemed willing to travel beyond the recommended bus and rail thresholds to access PT, provided it took them close to their workplace.

Study of Impact of Various Influencing Factors on NMT Mode Choice

In the current study we bring out the impact of various social, economic, environmental, and transportation system characteristics on walk and cycle mode choice, when they are used as a main mode. The environmental factors include density and land use. The impact is determined using a logistic regression model, developed from the house hold survey data of Bangalore city, collected for the year 2009. The results showed a reduced likeliness to walk and cycle, with an increase in travel time using walk and cycle, and individual age. Individuals owning at least a private motor vehicle had less probability of using walk and cycle compared with individuals not owning any private motor vehicle. Females had a positive attitude towards walking than male. Mixed Land-use and increased density had a positive impact on walk and cycle mode use when compared with their reference group.

Ist die „Autoabhängigkeit“ von Bewohnern städtischer und ländlicher Siedlungsgebiete messbar?

There is much agreement among spatial and transport planners that urban and rural areas have increasingly become dependent on motorized transport over time, and have therefore also become more energy intensive. This paper understands “automobile dependence” as a form of structural dependence on the availability of the private motor car which results from a lack of alternative mobility options. It introduces a methodological approach for a location sensitive assessment of settlement structures with regards to their degree of automobile dependence. The methodology is based on an indicator concept that analyses the availability and quality of public transport and the accessibility of critical facilities with non-motorized transport options. The study approach is implemented in the Stuttgart region and allows for an absolute or relative assessment of car dependency in various spatial units. The results provide evidence for the existence of urban areas with a significant structural automobile dependence in Stuttgart, even in a region where public transport is generally highly developed.

Prevalencia de menores de 18 años expuestos al humo del tabaco en vehículos

IntroductionThe objective of the study was to estimate the level of exposure of children under the age of 18 to second-hand smoke (SHS) inside motor vehicles. MethodsA prevalence study was conducted on the exposure of children under the age of 18 to SHS in motor vehicles in Lleida (Spain). The population was the users of private motor vehicles. The sample was random, and the data were collected by direct observation. The study variables were: the age and sex of the driver, whether the driver was smoking, and the presence of an exposed passenger under the age of 18. ResultsA total of 1600 vehicles were observed, 134 of which (8.4%) were carrying a child. In 8 of these 134 vehicles (6%; 95% CI: 2.5-11.0) a child was exposed to SHS. In all these cases, the driver was a male (P=0.02), and in 75% of cases he was over 40 years old. ConclusionsThe rate of child exposure to SHS is very high. There is, therefore, a case for organising campaigns to prevent smoking tobacco inside motor vehicles in the presence of children in Spain.

Dentinal sensitivity, self-reported gingivo-dental conditions, concerns and practices among staff of an organized private motor park

Objective: To determine the prevalence of dentinal sensitivity among staffs of an organized private motor park and to assess it’s relationship with self-reported gingivodental conditions, concerns and practices.Methods: All categories of staffs in an organized private motor park in Benin-City were studied using interviewer-administered questionnaire to elicit information on demography, oral health attitudes, practices and problems, and perceived gingivodental health.Results: The prevalence of dentinal sensitivity was 41% (25/61). The self-reported gingivodental conditions among the participants were food packing (67.2%), dental caries (32.8%), tooth mobility (13.1%), gingival bleeding (8.2%) and halitosis (4.9%). Worry about halitosis, tooth and gingival colour were expressed by 14.8%, 16.4% and 8.2% of the participants respectively. Majority of the participants rated their perceived gingival (86.9%) and dental (85.2%) health as Excellent/good. Amongst the participants, 26.2% reported receipt of professional instruction tooth brushing, 47.5% reported twice-daily brushing, 16.4% reported visiting the dentist, 11.5% smoke cigarette, 8.2% use smokeless tobacco and 70.5% have ever used their teeth to open bottled drink. Dental appearance satisfaction was expressed by 77.0% of the participants while 8.2% use or believe that they will use artificial teeth with ageing. Dentinal sensitivity was significantly associated with texture of toothbrush, receipt of professional instruction on tooth brushing, dental appearance satisfaction and food packing.Conclusion: Dentinal sensitivity coexisted with some deficient oral health practices, periodontal problems and unsatisfactory dental appearance in the studied population. Extension of mobile dental care and information to this group of population will help to prevent and ameliorate the reported dental problems.