Risk Of Vehicle Collision Research Articles

Vehicle collision risk estimation based on RGB-D camera for urban road

Traffic violation is the main cause of traffic accidents. To reduce the incidence of traffic accidents, the common practice at present is to strength the penalties for traffic violation. However, little attention has been paid to issue warning for dangerous driving behaviors, especially for the case where two vehicles have a good chance of collision. In this paper, a framework for collision risk estimation using RGB-D camera is proposed for vehicles running on the urban road, where the depth information is fused with the video information for accurate calculation of the position and speed of the vehicles, two essential parameters for motion trajectory estimation. Considering that the motion trajectory or its differences can be considered as a steady signal, a method based on autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models is presented to predict vehicle trajectory. Then, the collision risk is estimated based on the predicted trajectory. The experiments are carried out on the data from the real vehicles. The result shows that the accuracy of position and speed estimation can be guaranteed within urban road and the error of trajectory prediction is very minor which is unlikely to have a significant impact on calculating the probability of collision in most situations, so the proposed framework is effective in collision risk estimation.

A method of vehicle motion prediction and collision risk assessment with a simulated vehicular cyber physical system

Vehicular cyber physical system (VCPS) can comprehensively acquire road traffic safety related information, and provide drivers with early warning or driving assistance in emergency, in order to assist them avoid vehicle crash in the driving process. Literature review shows that previous studies mainly rely on observed vehicle motion/location data for assessing vehicle collision risk, where predicted vehicle motion/location, driver behavior and road geometry (e.g., curvature) are rarely considered. In this study, based on the simulated VCPS, a collision avoidance system that can explicitly consider the above issues is designed and presented in detail. Within the proposed collision avoidance system, an assessment method, which can predict collision risk by comprehensively considering vehicles motion/location, driver behavior and road geometry information from the VCPS, is developed. Firstly, the short-term motion of the objective vehicle and surrounding vehicles are predicted based on the Kalman Filter (KF) algorithm and the vehicle motion model. Furthermore, the proposed method that can explicitly take driver behavior and road curvature into account is used to predict vehicle location and calculate the traveled distance among vehicles in real-time. Then, the predicted vehicle gaps are compared with a safe distance threshold and the vehicle collision risk is predicted. Finally, the accuracy of the proposed collision risk assessment method is examined with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis over a section of curved road. Simulation results show that the proposed method is effective for detecting collision risk and providing accurate warnings in a timely fashion.

Estimation of bird‐vehicle collision mortality on U.S. roads

ABSTRACTRoads have numerous direct and indirect ecological impacts on wildlife. Vehicle collisions are a top impact of roads on birds, with tens of millions of birds thought to be killed each year in the United States. However, currently available mortality estimates are extrapolated from a single study. We reviewed the literature and used 20 mortality rates extracted from 13 studies to systematically quantify data‐driven estimates of annual U.S. mortality from bird‐vehicle collisions. We generated 4 separate estimates along with uncertainty using different subsets of data deemed to be rigorous enough to contribute relatively little bias to estimates. All of our estimates of vehicle mortality are higher than previous U.S. figures. When averaging across model iterations, we estimated that between 89 and 340 million birds die annually from vehicle collisions on U.S. roads. Sensitivity analyses indicated that uncertainty about survey‐related biases (scavenger removal and searcher detection of carcasses) contributes the greatest amount of uncertainty to our mortality estimates. Future studies should account for these biases to provide more accurate local estimates of mortality rates and to inform more precise national mortality estimates. We found relatively little information available to quantify regional, seasonal, and taxonomic patterns of vehicle collision risk, and substantial uncertainty remains about whether collisions contribute to large‐scale impacts on bird populations. Nonetheless, the large magnitude of bird mortality caused by vehicle collisions combined with evidence that collisions can contribute to local population declines for some species highlights the need for implementation of conservation and management actions to reduce this mortality. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Pedestrian signalization and the risk of pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions in Lima, Peru

Safe walking environments are essential for protecting pedestrians and promoting physical activity. In Peru, pedestrians comprise over three-quarters of road fatality victims. Pedestrian signalization plays an important role managing pedestrian and vehicle traffic and may help improve pedestrian safety. We examined the relationship between pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions and the presence of visible traffic signals, pedestrian signals, and signal timing to determine whether these countermeasures improved pedestrian safety. A matched case-control design was used where the units of study were crossing locations. We randomly sampled 97 control-matched collisions (weighted N=1134) at intersections occurring from October, 2010 to January, 2011 in Lima. Each case-control pair was matched on proximity, street classification, and number of lanes. Sites were visited between February, 2011 and September, 2011. Each analysis accounted for sampling weight and matching and was adjusted for vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow, crossing width, and mean vehicle speed. Collisions were more common where a phased pedestrian signal (green or red-light signal) was present compared to no signalization (odds ratio [OR] 8.88, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.32–59.6). A longer pedestrian-specific signal duration was associated with collision risk (OR 5.31, 95% CI 1.02–9.60 per 15-s interval). Collisions occurred more commonly in the presence of any signalization visible to pedestrians or pedestrian-specific signalization, though these associations were not statistically significant. Signalization efforts were not associated with lower risk for pedestrians; rather, they were associated with an increased risk of pedestrian-vehicle collisions.

Obesity and vehicle type as risk factors for injury caused by motor vehicle collision

This study sought to describe variations in the risk of motor vehicle collision (MVC) injury and death by occupant body mass index (BMI) class and vehicle type. We hypothesized that the relationship between BMI and the risk of MVC injury or mortality would be modified by vehicle type. This is a retrospective cohort study of occupants involved in MVCs using data from the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network and the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System. Occupants were grouped based on vehicle body style (passenger car, sport utility vehicle, or light truck) and vehicle size (compact or normal, corresponding to below- or above-average curb weight). The relationship between occupant BMI class (underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese) and risk of injury or mortality was examined for each vehicle type. Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for various occupant and collision characteristics were estimated. Of an estimated 44 million occupants of MVCs sampled from 2000 to 2009, 37.1% sustained an injury. We limited our analysis to injuries achieving an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score of 2 or more severe, totaling 17 million injuries. Occupants differed substantially in terms of demographic and collision characteristics. After adjustment for confounding factors, we found that obesity was a risk factor for mortality caused by MVC (OR, 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.0). When stratified by vehicle type, we found that obesity was a risk factor for mortality in larger vehicles, including any-sized light trucks (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3-3.5), normal-sized passenger cars (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3), and normal-sized sports utility vehicles or vans (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.0-3.8). Being overweight was a risk factor in any-sized light trucks (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.1). We identified a significant interaction between occupant BMI class and vehicle type in terms of MVC-related mortality risk. Both factors should be taken into account when considering occupant safety, and additional study is needed to determine underlying causes of the observed relationships. Epidemiologic study, level III.

Medical Marijuana and Driving: a Review

Medical marijuana remains a highly debated treatment regimen despite removal of state penalties against care providers prescribing the drug and patients treated with the drug in many areas of the USA. The utility of marijuana in specific medical conditions has been studied at length, but its effects on driving performance and risk of motor vehicle collision remain unclear. As with other medications that affect psychomotor function, the healthcare provider should be informed of the potential risks of driver safety prior to prescribing this psychotropic drug to give appropriate anticipatory guidance for appropriate use. The goal of this narrative review is to assess the current literature regarding marijuana as it relates to driving performance and traffic safety. With a foundation in the pharmacology of cannabinoids, we consider the limitations of testing cannabinoid and metabolite concentration. In addition, we will review studies on driving performance and epidemiological studies implicating marijuana in motor vehicle collisions. The increasing prevalence of medical marijuana laws in the USA suggests that clinicians should be aware of marijuana's influence on public safety. Patients should abstain from driving for 8h if they achieve a subjective "high" from self-treatment with smoked marijuana and should be aware of the cumulative effects of alcohol and other psychoactive xenobiotics.

Potentially Driver-Impairing (PDI) Medication Use in Medically Impaired Adults Referred for Driving Evaluation

Potentially driver-impairing (PDI) medications have been associated with poorer driving performance and increased risk of motor vehicle collision. To describe the frequency of medication use and to determine the association between routine use of PDI medications and performance on driving and cognitive tests. A total of 225 drivers with medical impairment (mean age 68 ± 12.8 years, 62.2% male) were referred to an occupational therapy-based driving evaluation clinic. Medication lists were reviewed to identify PDI drugs, as defined by a previous study examining medications and crash risk. Outcome variables included road testing on the modified Washington University Road Test and cognitive scores on Trail Making Test Parts A and B, Snellgrove Maze Task, Clock Drawing Task, Driving Health Inventory (DHI) Useful Field of View, DHI Motor Free Visual Perceptual Test, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Geriatric Depression Scale, and Functional Assessment Questionnaire. PDI medication use was documented in 68.9% of the sample, with the average subject taking 1.4 PDI drugs. Drivers taking routine PDI medications had a mean ESS score of 7.8 compared to 6.0 in the control group, suggesting increased somnolence (P = .007). Total number of routine medications, regardless of PDI designation, also correlated positively with ESS scores (P = .023). Use of PDI medications was associated with informant ratings of daytime drowsiness on the ESS, which has been linked to motor vehicle crash risk. Further investigation of individual drug classes is warranted using larger sample sizes and a high-powered study design.

Examining the association between age-related macular degeneration and motor vehicle collision involvement: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundLittle is known about motor vehicle collision (MVC) risk in older drivers with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The purpose of this study is to examine associations between MVC involvement and...

Association between vision impairment and driving exposure in older adults aged 70 years and over: a population‐based examination

To examine the relationship between vision impairment and driving exposure (amount of driving one does) in a population-based sample of older drivers and to examine to what extent cognitive status impacts this relationship. Enrollees consisted of a population-based sample of older adults from Alabama who were ≥70 years old, held a current driver's license, and had driven within the last 3 months. Three aspects of visual function were measured under binocular conditions - habitual distance visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and visual processing speed. General cognitive status was assessed with the mini-mental status examination. Driving exposure was estimated by the Driving Habits Questionnaire that asked about the number of miles, places, trips and days driven per week. Drivers with impaired contrast sensitivity exhibited reduced annual mileage, and a decreased number of places and trips driven per week compared to those with normal contrast sensitivity, even after adjustment for other factors. Slowed visual processing speed was associated with reduced number of days driven per week after adjustment. Visual acuity deficit was not associated with changes in driving exposure. Cognitive status did not impact any of the associations between vision impairment and driving exposure. Older drivers with contrast sensitivity impairment exhibit reduced driving exposure in terms of number of trips and places they drive per week, as well as decreased annual mileage. These apparent self-regulatory practices should be viewed as adaptive because contrast sensitivity impairment elevates motor vehicle collision (MVC) risk and reduction in driving exposure can reduce MVC risk.

Determining the validity of the AMA guide: A historical cohort analysis of the Assessment of Driving Related Skills and crash rate among older drivers

BackgroundChronic health conditions associated with ageing can lead to changes in driving ability. The Canadian Driving Research Initiative for Vehicular Safety in the Elderly (Candrive II) is a 5-year prospective study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research aiming to develop an in-office screening tool that will help clinicians identify potentially at-risk older drivers. Currently, no tools exist to directly predict the risk of motor vehicle collision (MVC) in this population. The American Medical Association (AMA), in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, has designed an opinion-based guide for assessing medical fitness to drive in older adults and recommends that physicians use the Assessment of Driving Related Skills (ADReS) as a test battery to measure vision, cognition and motor/somatosensory functions related to driving. The ADReS consists of the Snellen visual acuity test, visual fields by confrontation test, Trail Making Test part B, clock drawing test, Rapid Pace Walk, and manual tests of range of motion and motor strength. We used baseline data from the Candrive/Ozcandrive common cohort of older drivers to evaluate the validity of the ADReS subtests. We hypothesized that participants who crashed in the 2 years before the baseline assessment would have poorer scores on the ADReS subtests than participants who had not crashed. MethodsIn the Candrive/Ozcandrive study, 1230 participants aged 70 years or older were recruited from 7 Canadian cities, 1 Australian city and 1 New Zealand city, all of whom completed a comprehensive clinical assessment at study entry. The assessment included all tests selected as part of the ADReS. For this historical cohort study, data on all crashes (at-fault and non-at-fault) that occurred within 2 years preceding the baseline assessment were obtained from the respective licensing jurisdictions. Those who crashed were compared to those who had not crashed on their ADReS subtest scores using Pearson's chi-squared test and Student's t-test. ResultsSixty-three of the 1230 participants (5.1%) were involved in an MVC within the 2 years preceding the baseline assessment. Contrary to our hypothesis, there were no statistically significant associations between abnormal performance on the tests constituting the ADReS and history of crash in the previous 2 years (p>0.01). DiscussionWe found that a history of crash in the previous 2 years was not associated with abnormalities on the subtests comprising the ADReS. This suggests the need for prospective analyses of risk factors over time to establish sensitive, valid predictors of crash that can be incorporated in clinical practice guidelines.

In the Zzz Zone: The Effects of Z-Drugs on Human Performance and Driving

Despite their improved pharmacokinetic profile, the Z-drugs, zolpidem, zopiclone, and zaleplon, have a spectrum of adverse effects comparable to benzodiazepines. This review focuses on the impairment from Z-drugs on cognition, behavior, psychomotor performance, and driving ability. Z-drugs are short-acting GABA agonists that reduce sleep latency without disturbing sleep architecture. Bizarre behavioral effects have prompted warnings on the prescription, dispensation, and use of Z-drugs. Psychomotor impairment, falls, and hip fractures are more likely to occur with Z-drugs that have longer half-lives, that are taken at higher-than-recommended doses and when mixed with other psychoactive substances including alcohol. Zopiclone and higher doses of zolpidem are more likely to cause anterograde amnesia than zaleplon. Z-drugs, especially zolpidem, are associated with complex behaviors such as sleepwalking, sleep-driving, and hallucinations. Patients taking zopiclone and zolpidem have an increased risk of motor vehicle collisions, over double that of unexposed drivers. Driving impairment occurs with zopiclone and higher doses of zolpidem but is unlikely to occur after 4h post-zaleplon administration. The residual effect of Z-drugs on next-day cognitive and psychomotor performance has significant impact on lifestyle, safety, and occupational considerations, including motor vehicle and machine operation. The risk-benefit analysis of Z-drugs in the treatment of insomnia, particularly in the elderly, may not favor treatment due to the increased risks of falls and motor vehicle collisions. Prescribers should warn patients taking Z-drugs of minimum time thresholds before they operate machinery or drive motor vehicles.

Acute cannabis consumption and motor vehicle collision risk: systematic review of observational studies and meta-analysis

Smoking cannabis increases your chance of a road traffic incident, although no threshold has been defined

Acute cannabis consumption and motor vehicle collision risk: systematic review of observational studies and meta-analysis

Objective To determine whether the acute consumption of cannabis (cannabinoids) by drivers increases the risk of a motor vehicle collision.Design Systematic review of observational studies, with meta-analysis. Data sources We...

Analysis of precipitation-related motor vehicle collision and injury risk using insurance and police record information for Winnipeg, Canada

Introduction Police records are the most common source of data used to estimate motor-vehicle collision risks, understand causal or contributing factors, and evaluate the efficacy of interventions. The literature notes concerns about this information citing discrepancies between police reports and other sources of injury occurrence and severity data. The primary objective of the analysis was to assess the adequacy of police reports for an examination of weather-related injury collision risk. Method Analyses of relative risk were carried out using both police records and comprehensive insurance claim data for Winnipeg, Canada over the period 1999–2001. Results and conclusions Both data sets yielded very similar results—precipitation substantially increases the risk of injury collision (police records: RR 1.76, CI 1.55-2.00; insurance: RR 1.80, CI 1.62-1.99) and risk of injury (police records, RR 1.74, CI 1.55-1.96; insurance, RR 1.69, CI 1.55-1.85) relative to corresponding dry weather control periods. Both rainfall and snowfall were associated with large increases in collisions and injuries. Impact on Industry While relative risks are almost identical, over 64% more injury collisions and 74% more injuries were identified using the insurance data, which is an important difference for evaluating absolute risk and exposure.

Barriers to Assessing Fitness to Drive in Dementia in Nova Scotia: Informing Strategies for Knowledge Translation

Background and PurposeOver half a million Canadians have a diagnosis of dementia, approximately 25–30% of whom continue to drive. Individuals with dementia have a risk of motor vehicle collision up to eight times that of drivers without dementia. In Nova Scotia, the responsibility of reporting unsafe drivers is discretionary, but national survey data indicate that many physicians do not feel comfortable assessing driving safety. We report on barriers to addressing driving safety as identified by Nova Scotian primary care physicians (PCPs).MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of surveys completed by 134 English-speaking, Nova Scotian PCPs (mean years of practice 17.9±11; 53% female; 58% urban). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and multivariate linear and logistic regression (controlling for sex, urban/rural, and years of practice).ResultsMost PCPs (96%) routinely address driving safety in dementia, but physicians at all levels of experience find these discussions uncomfortable and sometimes avoid them. PCPs experience multiple barriers to assessing driving in dementia and desire further education and resources.ConclusionsIn Nova Scotia, driving assessment is considered part of routine care in dementia, but general lack of comfort in administering these assessments is a risk. To improve physician comfort further education and resources are required.

Using the Law of “Three Points and Two Sections” to Reduce the Risk of Vehicle Collisions

This paper studies the traffic accident prevention rules of “three points and two sections”, according to a series of dynamic environmental factors such as road conditions, traffic conditions, weather and so on, the safe distance of driving vehicles on the road sections is determined. After establishing a certain relationship between the law of “three points and two sections” and the safe distance of driving vehicles, use the relationship to indicate that the range of safe driving distance between vehicles, and propose some reasonable and appropriate measures for such problems to reduce the risk of vehicle collisions.

An Integrated Health-Economic Analysis of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies in the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder associated with substantially increased cardiovascular risks, reduced quality of life, and increased risk of motor vehicle collisions due to daytime sleepiness. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of three commonly used diagnostic strategies (full-night polysomnography, split-night polysomnography, unattended portable home-monitoring) in conjunction with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe OSA. A Markov model was created to compare costs and effectiveness of different diagnostic and therapeutic strategies over a 10-year interval and the expected lifetime of the patient. The primary measure of cost-effectiveness was incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Baseline computations were performed for a hypothetical average cohort of 50-year-old males with a 50% pretest probability of having moderate-to-severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ≥ 15 events per hour). For a patient with moderate-to-severe OSA, CPAP therapy has an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $15,915 per QALY gained for the lifetime horizon. Over the lifetime horizon in a population with 50% prevalence of OSA, full-night polysomnography in conjunction with CPAP therapy is the most economically efficient strategy at any willingness-to-pay greater than $17,131 per-QALY gained because it dominates all other strategies in comparative analysis. Full-night polysomnography (PSG) is cost-effective and is the preferred diagnostic strategy for adults suspected to have moderate-to-severe OSA when all diagnostic options are available. Split-night PSG and unattended home monitoring can be considered cost-effective alternatives when full-night PSG is not available.

Effectiveness of odour repellents on red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus): a field test

Chemical repellents are promoted as a method to reduce ungulate–vehicle collisions and ungulate browsing damages to agricultural and forestry resources. We tested the effectiveness of two odour repellents (Mota FL and Wolf Urine) on the foraging behaviour and area avoidance of free-ranging roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). The effects of the repellents were assessed by comparing deer visitation rates to sand arenas before and after application of repellents and visitation rates to control arenas. Neither of the tested products reduced deer visitation rates. Rapid habituation to olfactory stimuli and lack of sensitivity to predator odours may explain the ineffectiveness of the repellents to alter the behaviour of the deer. The results indicate that the tested products have no effects on roe deer and red deer behaviour and suggest that the effectiveness of the chemical area repellents as a measure to reduce deer–vehicle collision risk and browsing damages is questionable.

Is there a case for screening commercial drivers for sleep apnea?

Expert Rev. Resp. Med. 2(5), 529–533 (2008) “Several studies have identified a higher risk of motor vehicle collisions with untreated obstructive sleep apnea in domestic and commercial drivers.” Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common condition associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). Effective treatment is available, most commonly with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Inexpensive screening tools are available that can effectively identify severe OSAS. However, other sleeprelated disorders (e.g., sleep restriction and circadian rhythm disorders), which are of equal or greater importance than OSAS in the causation of MVCs, may not be identified using these screening tools. Moreover, the published data regarding the positive effects of treatment of OSAS on MVCs are limited to domestic rather than commercial drivers. Finally, finan cial and ethical aspects must be considered before a widespread roll-out of an OSAS screening program.

Development of an Adaptive Workload Management System Using the Queueing Network-Model Human Processor (QN-MHP)

The risk of vehicle collisions significantly increases when drivers are overloaded with information from in-vehicle systems. One of the solutions to this problem is developing adaptive workload management systems (AWMSs) to dynamically control the rate of messages from these in-vehicle systems. However, existing AWMSs do not use a model of the driver cognitive system to estimate workload and only suppress or redirect in-vehicle system messages, without changing their rate based on driver workload. In this paper, we propose a prototype of a new queueing network-model human processor AWMS (QN-MHP AWMS), which includes a queueing network model of driver workload that estimates the driver workload in several driving situations and a message controller that determines the optimal delay times between messages and dynamically controls the rate of messages presented to drivers. Given the task information of a secondary task, the QN-MHP AWMS adapted the rate of messages to the driving conditions (i.e., speeds and curvatures) and driver characteristics (i.e., age). A corresponding experimental study was conducted to validate the potential effectiveness of this system in reducing driver workload and improving driver performance. Further development of the QN-MHP AWMS, including its use in in-vehicle system design and possible implementation in vehicles, is discussed.