Risk Of Serious Accidents Research Articles

Enhancing mutual understanding of e-scooter user’s perspective in overtaking maneuver through replaying own driving trajectory

The global adoption of e-scooters as a convenient mode of micro-mobility transportation is on the rise, offering a flexible solution for covering first- and last-mile journeys. However, this surge in usage brings challenges, particularly concerning road safety, as e-scooter riders often share road space with other vehicles, heightening the risk of serious accidents. While numerous studies have explored safe overtaking behaviors and safety perceptions from drivers’ viewpoints, limited attention has been given to understanding the varying safety perceptions of both drivers and e-scooter riders, particularly after riding an e-scooter and being overtaken by their own vehicles. This research aims to bridge this gap by examining variations in safety perceptions and assessing behavioral changes before and after experiencing overtaking scenarios. Specifically, the study focuses on scenarios where an e-scooter rider experiences being overtaken by a vehicle they had previously driven. A Unity-based sequential simulation process is employed to replay scenarios obtained from a vehicle simulator during an e-scooter experiment involving the same participant without their awareness. This innovative approach allows e-scooter rider participants to relive their own prior vehicle overtaking maneuvers while riding an e-scooter. The findings reveal that most participants (64%) felt less safe as e-scooter riders, influenced by factors like relative speed and acceleration of overtaking vehicles. After experiencing being overtaken by their own pre-driven vehicles, a noteworthy positive correlation emerged between safety perception and lateral distance, indicating that greater distance is derived from a better understanding of e-scooter safety. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the sequential simulation strategy in fostering safe driving behavior and raising road safety awareness. Experiencing overtaking behaviors firsthand as an e-scooter rider, previously behind the wheel of the overtaking vehicle, encourages a heightened awareness of road safety. These findings have significant implications for road safety authorities, suggesting the potential application of this approach in driver education programs. By incorporating such interventions tailored to improve the safety of vulnerable road users, authorities can take proactive steps towards mitigating risks associated with micro-mobility transportation.

Cumulative effect of driver’s historical violations on traffic accidents: New evidences from China

This study explores the impact of long-term traffic violations on accident risk, a frequently overlooked aspect in existing research. Analyzing violation data from Guilin, China, over a decade (2010-2020), including accident records from 2016-2020, the study categorizes drivers into three groups based on their cumulative violations. Given the challenges posed by high-dimensional data and the need for interpretability, the study employs a combination of CatBoost and SHAP models to assess factors influencing accident severity across these driver groups. Results indicate that for drivers without cumulative violations, road type, vehicle type, household registration, and age significantly influence accident risk. Among those with 1–18 cumulative violations, road type, cumulative penalty points, vehicle type, and cumulative fines emerge as significant factors. Drivers with more than 19 cumulative violations are affected by road type, vehicle type, driving experience, and terrain. Notably, penalty points are more effective than fines in reducing the risk of serious accidents, and fines prove significant only for those with fewer than 19 cumulative violations over a decade. In summary, the cumulative violation count effectively distinguishes driver groups, highlighting marked variations in accident risk factors. This research offers valuable insights for devising region-specific measures to enhance road safety.

Road Junction Configurations and the Severity of Traffic Accidents in Japan

In many countries, 40–60% of the traffic accidents occur at junctions, making the reduction of junction accidents paramount to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals. In Japan, the road safety guidelines specify the proximity between junctions and non-perpendicular angles at junctions as the two main risk factors behind junction accidents, yet their impact remains understudied. Using binomial logistic regression models, this study investigates the impact of junction intervals and junction angles on the severity of traffic accidents. The study found that, in general, (1) shorter intervals between adjacent junctions helps reduce the risk of serious accidents, which is the opposite of the current road safety guidelines in Japan, and (2) results from the junction angle analysis were mixed but there was no evidence that the roads should meet at a right angle to reduce traffic accidents. Some types of accidents also returned a non-linear curve, e.g., vehicle-to-vehicle collisions at four-armed junctions involving a driver aged 65 years and over have the highest risk of fatal/serious accidents when adjacent junctions were 32 m apart, and the risk reduces at a shorter or longer interval. These results suggest that the current road safety guidelines require updating to improve road safety around junctions.

Differences between bridge and gantry cranes' downtimes

Maintenance is especially crucial when it comes to construction machinery due its capacity to avoid or reduce the risk of serious accidents by recognizing probable failures and down times in a timely manner. To properly implement maintenance strategy, it is required to identify the existing linkages between downtime and failures that have already occurred first. This paper aims to analyze and compare data on the length of downtime, as well as the causes of downtime hazard levels on different bridge and gantry cranes. In order to ascertain whether there is a dependency between these two types of cranes, a comparison of the failure duration and hazard level between bridge and gantry cranes is done in this paper. In addition, a comparison of nine different types of bridge and gantry cranes were compared using the same comparation categories. After performing descriptive statistics and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk normality tests, which revealed that the data did not follow a normal distribution, a comparison was done using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis tests. All tests revealed no statisticaly significant differences in failure duration and hazard level within the tested categories, which opens up the possibility of applying the same risk management strategies and maintenance procedures regarding both examined crane types.

Characteristics and Statistical Analysis of Large and above Hazardous Chemical Accidents in China from 2000 to 2020

To investigate the occurrence and development pattern of large-scale hazardous chemicals emergencies, a statistical analysis of 195 large and above accidents of hazardous chemicals in China during 2000-2020 was conducted. A general description of the characteristics of larger and above accidents based on statistical data was analyzed, and then the system risk of the hazardous chemical industry was calculated and evaluated by the entropy weight method and the TOPSIS method comprehensively. Results show that: (1) The geographical distribution of large and above hazardous chemical accidents (LAHCA) varies significantly; (2) The high-temperature season has high probabilities of having large and above accidents; (3) Human factors and management factors are the main causes of LAHCA; (4) During the period from 2000 to 2020, due to the rapid development of the chemical industry, the overall risk of accidents involving hazardous chemicals were upswing accompanied by volatility, and the risk of serious accidents remains high. The development history of safety regulations in China's hazardous chemical sector and the industry's projected course for future growth were then discussed. Finally, based on the findings of the aforementioned statistics and research, specific recommendations were provided for the safety management of the hazardous chemical sector. This study expects to provide a practical and effective reference for the construction of safety management as well as accident prevention in the hazardous chemical industry.

Determinants of effective control of accidents in the port of Mombasa, Kenya.

Mombasa port plays a pivotal role in the economic development of East and Central African countries where goods of varying hazards transit the port. The risk of serious accidents is inevitable due dangerous operations involving cranes and handling of hazardous materials. Ports are potential sources of accidents such as spills, explosions, fires, toxic fumes The goal of this study was to evaluate determinants of effective control of accidents in the port of Mombasa. The study employed a descriptive survey research design where structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Random sampling was used to identify 248 study participants from a population of 650 workers. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 at 95% confidence interval. Data was subjected to descriptive tests to determine proportions as well as chi square test and presented using graphs and tables. The rates of occupational accidents in Mombasa port were significantly high with 99.5% of the port workers reporting to have witnessed occurrence of accidents. Accidents reported by port workers include crane failure, chemical spillage, fire accidents and explosions. The main container terminal had recorded the highest number of occupational accidents compared to other terminals. There was a significant association between training on accident hazards and improvement on understanding of accident prevention (X2 = 0.029 P= 0.05 DF = 1). study reveal that training on accident would help reduce occurrence. The determinants of effective control of accidents in the port of Mombasa that were studied included: Safe sytems of work, risk assessment, cargo handling equipment and training.

Analysis of the results of the audit of lighting parameters at pedestrian crossings in Warsaw

The night time, based on many world studies, generates an increased risk of serious accidents (with fatalities and serious injuries). This is especially true for accidents with pedestrians. Pedestrian crossings are very sensitive to the influence of the time of day in terms of pedestrian safety, elements of road infrastructure. This is visible on the example of Poland, where numerous accidents at crosswalks are recorded, characterized by high severity at night. Road infra-structure managers take corrective actions to improve this condition. An example of such work is the Road Safety Audit (RSA), initiated in 2016 by the Municipal Roads Management Board in Warsaw. The analyses carried out by the au-thors, among others, in the years 2016 - 2019, included pedestrian crossings without traffic lights located on roads managed by ZDM (Municipal Roads Authority) in twelve districts: Bemowo, Bielany, Mokotów, Ochota, Praga Połud-nie, Praga Północ, Śródmieście, Targówek, Ursynów, Wawer, Włochy, Żoliborz. The assessment was carried out in terms of the correct lighting of these passages, traffic organization, geometry and environmental impact. The main aim of the article is to present a methodology for evaluating the technical condition of road lighting infrastructure on a large scale (e.g. district, city). The article discusses the general and detailed state of pedestrian safety in Poland against the background of research conducted in Warsaw. The procedure of inspection and assessment of the state of lighting of pedestrian crossings is described and selected results are presented. On the basis of a detailed analysis of the results of individual pedestrian crossings, the general condition of the tested crossings was assessed and recommendations were indicated. An attempt was made to assess the influence of pedestrian crossings lighting on the general state of road safety. A critical evaluation of the obtained effects was made. The utilitarian aim of the article is to apply the described methodology in other cities and to use the results of the conducted analyses to plan and implement road investments in the field of modernization of lighting at pedestrian crossings on a large scale.

Nanoengineering of cement using graphite platelets to refine inherent microstructural defects

We use surface-modified graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) to engineer cement materials at the nanoscale to effectively tailor their macroscale crucial mechanical properties suitable for harsh conditions. Concerning long-term public health and global warming, nanoengineering of cement as a primary barrier for providing zonal isolation by sealing in areas requiring very low risk of serious accidents becomes imperative. Cement inherently possesses microstructural defects, such as, pores/voids and microcracks, which can jeopardize its sealing functionality under large confining in-situ stresses. Here, we develop a chemical methodology for the surface treatment of GNPs, enabling us to enhance chemical and physio-mechanical properties of the produced cement nanocomposite. This surface modification not only changes the hydrophobicity of nanoparticles to hydrophilicity and provides a uniform dispersion of nanoplatelets in aqueous media but also results in the formation of a strong bonding at the GNP/matrix interfaces. The innovative nanoengineered cement composite shows extraordinarily enhancement in the compressive strength, flexural strength, Young's modulus, and the ductility up to 317%, 209%, 255% and 131%, respectively, as compared to the neat cement without using any sort of vibrations during curing. We utilize 3D X-ray computed tomography (CT) in conjunction with the optical microscopy (OM) to visualize the quality of nanoparticles' dispersion. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to discern the formation of strong bonding at the GNP/cement matrix interfaces, pore/void refinement and crack bridging.

Performance of battery rack auxiliary power systems under FEMA 461 quasi-static seismic loading protocol

The performance of nonstructural components in nuclear power plants (NPPs), which is primarily based on experience and historical data, has been attracting increased interest from researchers following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011. This disaster demonstrated the importance of using batteries in NPPs as an auxiliary power system, where such systems can provide the necessary power to mitigate the risk of serious accidents. However, little research has been conducted on such nonstructural components (e.g., auxiliary battery power systems) to evaluate their performance following the post-Fukushima safety requirements, recommended by several nuclear regulators worldwide [e.g., Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC)]. To address this research gap, the current study investigates the lateral performance of an auxiliary battery power system similar to those currently existing/operational in NPPs in Canada. The rack system was experimentally tested under displacement-controlled quasi-static cyclic fully-reversed loading that simulates lateral seismic demands, following the FEMA 461 guidelines “Interim testing protocol for determining the seismic performance characteristics of structural and nonstructural components”. Following a brief summary of the experimental program, the test results are presented in terms of the rack hysteretic response, damage sequence, stiffness degradation, ductility capacity, member strains, and local deformations. Subsequently, a simplified mechanistic model and a concentrated plasticity model in OpenSees have been developed and calibrated using the experimental results. The results show that without detailed modeling of the rack system connections (i.e., L-shaped connection and sliding nuts), incorrect performance prediction of such systems may result. The findings of the current study can be utilized, within the next generation of performance-based seismic design approaches, to enhance the robustness and improve the reliability of damage state predictions of auxiliary battery power systems in critical facilities.

A 20.5 TOPS Multicore SoC With DNN Accelerator and Image Signal Processor for Automotive Applications

Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADASs) that provide machine support to avoid critical accidents are already in wide use in vehicles in today's market. SoCs for such systems have several requirements: 1) high computational performance to run several advanced algorithms at low latency; 2) low power consumption to permit running under the extreme heat and power conditions of real-world vehicles; and 3) high reliability to reduce the risk of serious accidents caused by faults. This article presents a novel SoC for ADAS applications, which resolves these difficult challenges. To achieve high performance with low power consumption, the SoC adopts the heterogeneous architecture, with ten processors, four DSPs, and eight types of accelerators, including the DNN accelerator and the image signal processor (ISP). To achieve higher reliability, the SoC implements several safety mechanisms, including system partitioning to prevent fault propagation, diagnostic features to detect faults, and a dedicated controller to operate runtime built-in self-test (BIST) of the ISP's diagnostic features during the vertical blanking interval (VBLANK). The SoC is implemented in a 16-nm process, and its size is 94.52 mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> . Peak performance of 20.5 TOPS and low power consumption of 9.78 W are achieved.

Methodologies for Assessing Risks of Accidents in Chemical Process Industries

Chemical process industries often handle, store and transport chemicals which are flammable and/or toxic. Also, often, processes are employed which are carried out at high temperatures of pressures. These happenings constitute major hazards which carry the risk of serious accidents. The bigger the hazard, the greater is the risk associated with its existence. Despite the best intentions of the industries not to allow any accident to occur, major accidents keep occurring all over the world. This makes it necessary to develop newer methods with which the likelihood of accidents can be forecast and steps taken to prevent those accidents from occurring. This paper presents an overview of the already developed, and still evolving, methods for assessing risk of accidents in chemical process industries.

Magnetic resonance imaging after cochlear implants

IntroductionMost cochlear implants are currently compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) up to 3 T. Nevertheless, this does not completely eliminate the risk of serious accidents. Implant displacements and other adverse events with compatible implants have been reported in the literature. Case reportsAmong the six patients who had MRI after receiving implants at our center, we report three cases with adverse events related to the examination. The first case was complicated by magnet displacement with partial demagnetization. The second case showed total demagnetization, which necessitated removal and reimplantation of the implant. The third case involved severe pain sensation which disrupted the MRI scan. The smallest artifact was found with 3D MRI angiography, and largest artifact was found with diffusion and T2 FLASH. DiscussionMoving the patient into the MRI apparatus must be supervised by an otorhinolaryngology specialist or an experienced radiologist. It is important to consider the magnetic field directions, so that angle between the implant magnetic fields and the MRI B0 always remains less than or equal to 90°. In addition, we recommend the use of an “arrow drawing” to facilitate the orientation of the magnetic field directions. Furthermore, to prevent magnet displacement, we recommend systematic use of a protective splint in addition to bandaging.

Confidentiality and fitness to drive: Professional, ethical, and legal duties in the case of the diabetic bus driver.

Patients who pose a risk of serious accidents present a difficult ethical problem for medical practitioners. The duty to maintainconfidentiality is an ancient and weighty obligation and has many beneficial consequences for patients and society generally. Similarly, theduty of care towards a patient militates against disclosing details that could remove his or her source of income and imperil physical andmental wellbeing. However, in cases where maintaining confidentiality can result in severe harm to the patient and the public, the benefitsof confidential practice may be outweighed. While many publications on this topic provide clinical criteria for determining the unfitness ofa diabetic patient to drive, the focus in this article is on ethical, professional, and legal responsibilities after a practitioner has decided thata driver poses a significant danger.

Construction and Visualization of 3D Landscape

Abstract In order to know the operation condition before working, and reduce the risk of serious accidents of coal production industry. In this paper, by analyzing the characteristics of the environment of underground mine, using virtual reality technology, combined with the 3d Max modeling techniques and VC++ calling the OpenGL graphics interface techniques, the models are well optimized based on progressive mesh LOD algorithm for edge collapse. Using high-tech computer technology to simulate realistic mine production environment and realization of a friendly man-machine interactive virtual mine application system.

LPG 충전소 저장탱크의 설치방법에 따른 경제성 분석에 관한 연구

환경 친화적 자동차는 우리나라 정부가 추구하는 저탄소 녹생 성장 전략의 상징이어 왔다. 최근 정책 추세에 맞추어, 새로운 LPG 충전소가 많이 지어지고 있다. 하지만 대규모 가스 저장시설에서의 안전사고는 사회적으로 막대한 인명 피해와 재산 피해를 야기시켜 왔다. 이 논문에서는, LPG 충전소에서 안전사고를 사전에 예방하기 위하여 설치방법에 따라 경제적 분석을 실시하였다. 분석결과, 지하 저장소는 그 유지관리 및 효율적인 토지이용 면에서 긍정적인 것으로 나타났다. "Eco-friendly" automobile has been a symbol of the Low Carbon, Green Growth strategy that Korea government decided to pursue. In line with the recent policy trend, a number of new LPG stations are being constructed. However, communities where mass storage are installed have been suffered from risk of serious accidents. In this work, economic analyses for different installation methods has been performed to prevent accidents in LPG filling station. The review shows that the underground storage is beneficial for the maintenance and the effective land use.

先頭部の改良による蠕動運動型ロボットの曲管の通過性能の改善

To reduce the risk of serious accidents, such as road subsidence caused by damaged and aging sewer pipes, internal inspections of sewer pipes is required. However, it is difficult to inspect small diameter pipes using existing inspection devices. In order to solve this challenge, this paper focuses on the locomotion of an earthworm that is capable of moving stably in a narrow space. A peristaltic crawling robot was developed which was capable of traveling 100 m through a 100A specification pipe using a peristaltic movement. The robot consists of a seven unit section, six joints, and a head unit equipped with a camera. It is actuated with the use of an artificial muscle operated by air pressure. In this study, the authors proposed and validated a new reaf spring to increase the robot speed in 90° elbow pipes.

複雑な管路を考慮した圧送管検査用蠕動運動型ロボットの開発

To reduce the risk of serious accidents, such as road subsidence caused by damaged and aging sewer pipes, internal inspections of sewer pipes is required. However, it is difficult to inspect small diameter pipes using existing inspection devices. In order to solve this challenge, this paper focuses on the locomotion of an earthworm that is capable of moving stably in a narrow space. A peristaltic crawling robot was developed which was capable of traveling 100 m through a 100A specification pipe using a peristaltic movement. The robot consists of a seven unit section, six joints, and a head unit equipped with a camera. It is actuated with the use of an artificial muscle operated by air pressure. The effectiveness of the new robot was evaluated by conducting experiments in horizontal, vertical, and bent pipes. In addition, the authors proposed and validated a new movement pattern to increase the robot speed in 90° elbow pipes.

소규모 건설현장의 중대재해 저감 방안 도출을 위한 연구

Many of the falling which is the number one risk factor in lethal accidents in construction could have been prevented if the right activity or supervising had been taken in time. All other measures do not preventive the fall, but rather intercept the fallen itself or preventive severe injury. The most common and the bets measures on the preventive measures are guardrails which are to be worn on the site. Workers always exposed the risk of serious accidents induced by causal effects related with environments around construction sites. In order to represent how to decrease the risk of workers, this study was accomplished with a number of interview with experienced site director, cheief of instructors, workers. And the questionaire survey (2012. 5~2012. 10) were used to make proposed policies which are expected to reduce critical disastrous accidents and strength authorized limits of director`s management automatically.

Risk-based optimization of the design of on-shore pipeline shutdown systems

Crude oil and other liquid materials are transported in large quantities through pipelines. Pipelines are an efficient and safe transport way as compared to both rail and road transportation, both from the economical and environmental points of view. Nevertheless, loss of containment accidents can occur due to external action –a mechanical impact, for example– or to corrosion, aging, etc. Even though the frequency of such events is certainly very low, the effects and consequences on environment can be very important.The consequences of accidents in pipelines can be efficiently reduced through a suitable design of the whole system. One of the points which must be decided in the design is the installation of blocking valves at appropriate distances, so that emergency shutdowns can interrupt the flow of substance and isolate the section where the loss of containment has taken place. In the case of pipe rupture the amount released is therefore limited to the content between two consecutive valves, usually placed according to heuristic criteria. However, if too many valves are used, the capital cost of equipment increases excessively, and if too few are used, the risk of serious accidents increases.In this paper we consider the possibility of improving the design of such systems by applying risk-based optimization criteria. We propose an optimization methodology to solve this conflict by means of an objective function that analyzes the variations in overall costs, including the cost of the investment (with specific reference to blocking valves) and the cost of accidents. The result is an optimum situation in which costs are kept to a minimum. As an example, we apply the methodology to the transportation of gasoline by pipeline.

Emotional stress and traffic accidents: the impact of separation and divorce.

Personal responses to stressful life events are suspected of increasing the risk of serious traffic accidents. We analyzed data from a French cohort study (the GAZEL cohort), including a retrospective driving behavior questionnaire, from 13,915 participants (10,542 men age 52-62 years and 3373 women age 47-62 years in 2001). Follow-up data covered 1993-2000. Hazard ratios for serious accidents (n = 713) were computed by Cox's proportional hazard regression with time-dependent covariates. Separate analyses were also performed to consider only at-fault accidents. Marital separation or divorce was associated with an increased risk of a serious accident (all serious accidents: hazard ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval = 1.7-5.0; at-fault accidents: 4.4, 2.3-8.3). The impact of separation and divorce did not differ according to alcohol consumption levels. Other life events associated with increased risk of serious accident were a child leaving home (all accidents: 1.2, 0.97-1.6; at-fault accidents: 1.5, 1.1-2.1), an important purchase (all accidents: 1.4, 1.1-1.7; at-fault accidents: 1.6, 1.2-2.1), and hospitalization of the partner (all accidents: 1.4, 1.1-2.0). This study suggests that recent separation and divorce are associated with an increase in serious traffic accidents.