Road Incidents Research Articles

Use of Historical Road Incident Data for the Assessment of Road Redesign Potential

Drivers’ safety and overall road functionality are key triggers for deciding on road interventions. Because of the socioeconomical implications of traffic incidents, either fatal or no, continuous research has been dedicated over the previous decades on the assessment of factors contributing to crash potential. Apart from the behavioral aspects of driving, which are commonly studied through simulation and advanced modelling techniques, the road infrastructure status is of equal or even higher significance. In this study, an approach is presented to discuss the road redesign potentials based on the evaluation of network-level historical incident records from road crashes in Greece. Based on total and fatal crash records, the following infrastructure-related aspects were assessed as critical for the discussion of the road redesign potential needs: the status of road’s surface (i.e., dry, wet, etc.), the issue of improving driving conditions near at-grade intersections, the presence and suitability of signage and/or lighting, and the consideration of particular geometric design features. Overall, it is deemed that intervention actions for at least one of these pillars should aim at enhancing the safety and functionality of roadways.

Retrospective analysis of nonfatal skeletal injuries sustained in road incidents involving electric scooters

BACKGROUND: Although scooters were officially recognized as vehicles in the Russian Federation not so long ago, the incidence of scooter injuries has been growing for several years. AIM: To analyze epidemiological data and the nature of injuries in victims of nonfatal electric scooter incidents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 78 medical records of persons injured in road incidents involving electric scooters who were treated in the trauma department of the Regional Hospital No. 4 of Adler between 2020 and 2021. The nature of the injury by sex, age, seasonality, time of day, and characteristics of damage depending on the category of road users (driver and pedestrian) were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the 78 road incidents involving electric scooters, 28 occurred in 2020 and 50 in 2021. The sex distribution was nearly the same, with ≥40 men and 38 women, and their median age was 36 (30–45.8) years. Most of the accidents (n=52) occurred in summer and autumn months. The exact time of injury was known in 35 cases (17‰ in the daytime, 18‰ in the evening. Depending on the circumstances, all accidents were divided into falls from electric scooters (n=73), collisions of moving scooters with pedestrians (n=3), and collisions of moving scooters with a moving car (n=2). Of the 73 patients who sustained fractures, 67 had a closed type. Intra-articular fractures were detected in 41 victims. Lowe-limb fractures (n=43) prevailed over fractures of other localizations. In addition, 18 cases of knee injuries and 14 cases of trauma to the proximal tibial epiphysis were recorded. CONCLUSION: The incidence of scooter injury is increasing. In the warm regions of the Russian Federation, such accidents have a year-round prevalence with predominance in the summer months owing to the large influx of vacationers. More often than other incidents, falls from electric scooters are noted, resulting in lower limb injuries, including with intra-articular fractures of the condyles of the tibia.

Airway breathing circulation dengue: a case of multifactorial shock due to major trauma and severe dengue infection

BackgroundDengue is the most common arboviral illness reported globally, endemic to most tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Dengue Shock Syndrome is a rare complication of severe Dengue infection resulting in haemorrhagic complications and refractory hypotension. We report on a case of severe dengue diagnosed in a patient with major trauma and illustrate some of the potential challenges and considerations in the clinical management of such cases.Case PresentationA 49-year-old female presented following a road trauma incident with multiple abdominal injuries requiring urgent laparotomy. Her recovery in Intensive Care Unit was complicated by the development of Dengue Shock Syndrome characterised by a falling haemoglobin and platelet count, multiorgan dysfunction and prolonged hospital stay.ConclusionsDengue Shock Syndrome may complicate fluid management and bleeding control in major trauma cases. Awareness of Dengue, particularly in endemic areas and returned travellers may help facilitate early diagnosis and management of complications.

Enhancing intelligent transport systems: A cutting-edge framework for context-aware service management with hybrid deep learning

This study presents a comprehensive framework for optimizing intelligent transport systems (ITS) by integrating advanced communication and information technologies into vehicles, roads, and infrastructure. The primary goal is to enhance transportation efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability while improving overall mobility for people and goods. Leveraging contextual information, the framework offers personalized, proactive services such as real-time traffic updates, route recommendations, and parking availability. Additionally, it enhances safety and security by providing early hazard warnings and adapting to changing road conditions. Our proposed framework utilizes the enhanced coral reef optimization (ECRO) algorithm to efficiently group vehicles for energy-saving data collection, maximizing information gathering efficiency. Collected data is then transmitted to a central data gathering center via a sink node optimized through the modified pelican optimization (MPO) algorithm, considering various vehicle node design constraints. An incident detection module accurately classifies and detects road incidents, enabling timely emergency service requests and alternate route recommendations. To facilitate incident detection, we introduce the deep Rigdelet neural network (DRNN), a novel deep learning technique tailored for decision-making in incident classification. We validate our framework's performance through NS-2 simulations using the SUMO traffic generator, demonstrating its effectiveness in meeting quality of service (QoS) metrics. Through comparative analysis with existing frameworks, our proposed approach stands out for its superior performance and ability to optimize ITS operations.

Examining the cost-effectiveness of fire service prevention and youth engagement activities

Many fire services have expanded their fire prevention focus to include other community-based risks, such as water safety, road safety, and youth engagement. However, to date, little research focus has been directed to examining the economic and social value of these wider prevention activities and whether they represent a wise resource investment. Further work is also needed to establish the reliability of existing fire prevention economic models. The following study adopts a cost-benefit analysis approach to economically evaluate the range of prevention activities delivered by one fire service in England (Merseyside), which focus on accidental dwelling fires, road, water, and arson-related incidents, and promoting youth engagement. Data was accessed from open sources and a systematic search of existing economic models and fire service records. Cost-benefit ratios demonstrated that the economic value provided by prevention investment was five and 21 times the investment for accidental and deliberate fires. Social value provided by youth engagement activities ranged from two to 13 times the investment for the Beacon Project and Fire Cadets. Findings pose important implications for informing fire sector discussions regarding the resourcing of prevention to address community risks, and for improving data collection to robustly model the economic and social value of activities.

Roadside inspections, traffic events and traffic accidents from 2010–2022 in the experience of the Institute of Forensic Research as a consulting body in light of the proposed thresholds for the states of ‘after use’ and ‘under the influence’ for THC = Kontrole, zdarzenia i wypadki drogowe z lat 2010–2022 w praktyce opiniodawczej Instytutu Ekspertyz Sądowych w świetle propozycji progów „po

Road traffic safety depends largely on the psychophysical fitness of drivers. Apart from ethyl alcohol, this efficiency is influenced by many other factors, including: presence in the blood of the so-called substances that act similarly to alcohol, and cannabinols constitute one of the most popular groups of these substances. The paper presents statistics on delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis detected in the blood of drivers subjected to 7269 road inspections and involved in 4697 road events and accidents in the years 2010–2022 throughout Poland. Based on the results obtained, it was found that THC is present in the blood of 25–61% of roadside inspection cases, and in the case of road incidents and accidents, 5–15% of drivers have THC in a concentration equal to or higher than 1 ng/ml. The data in the charts are given in relation to two THC concentration ranges: 1.0–2.5 ng/ml and above 2.5 ng/ml (the value proposed as the limit of the state “after use” and “under the influence” of THC) and in relation to concentration ranges based on the THC elimination curve in human serum. The study did not distinguish between chronic or acute participants and occasional participants. It was based on THC and THCCOOH concentrations. The analyzes were performed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent method (ELISA) and confirmatory methods such as liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, in which the limit of quantification of 1 ng/ml was in accordance with the applicable requirement contained in the Regulation of the Minister of Health of July 16, 2014 on the list of similarly acting agents to alcohol and the conditions and method of conducting tests for their presence in the body.

Emergency services response to eCall System alerts: Observations from 2016–2022 in the National Fire and Rescue System

Objective Analysis of interventions by fire protection units in road traffic incidents alerted by the eCall system between 2016 and 2022. Materials and Methods Data from the State Fire Service Decision Support System (SFS DSS), provided by the Operational Planning Office, were used. Events from January 1, 2016, 00:00 to December 31, 2022, 23:59 were analyzed. Quantitative data were described using mean (Mean) and standard deviation (SD). Correlations and differences at a significance level of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The analysis is anonymous for both victims and officers involved in the interventions. Results Between 2016 and 2022, firefighters were alerted by the e-call system 896 times. The shortest average intervention time was 47 ± 37 min and was recorded in 2021. In the comparative analysis of intervention time and factors conditioning the use of the eCall system, it was shown that this time was significantly statistically dependent on the number of cars involved in the incident (p < 0.001), the number of injured persons (p < 0.001), the type of intervention (p < 0.001),), and the occurrence of fuel leakage (p < 0.001). Conclusions ECall is a relevant system for reporting accidents and collisions on the road. While it proves reliable in road incidents, a significantly high number of false alarms initiated from eCall requires system refinement to avoid accidental alarms and user education about the possibility of unintentionally sending an alarm signal. The authors predict that as the number of vehicles with the eCall system introduced to the roads increases, so will the number of notifications from this system. Data from the analysis of false reports suggest that mechanics and electricians in facilities performing repairs and maintenance of vehicles with the eCall system may lack the necessary knowledge of the need to deactivate the system before starting work. The number of injured people had no impact on the intervention time, which may prove that the rescue services were properly prepared.

Project Awakesure: Intelligent Drowsiness Detection Using Eye Tracking

Being sleepy or drowsy is referred to as being drowsy. A person who is sleepy may feel exhausted or lethargic and struggle to stay awake. People who are sleepy tend to be less attentive and may even nod off, though they can still be awakened. An increasing number of vocations nowadays call for sustained focus. In order for drivers to respond quickly to unexpected incidents, they must maintain a watchful eye on the road. Many road incidents are directly caused by tired drivers. In order to drastically lower the frequency of fatigue-related auto accidents, it is crucial to develop technologies that can identify and alert a driver to a poor psychophysical state. However, there are many challenges in developing systems that can quickly and accurately recognize a driver's signs of fatigue. Using vision-based technology is one technological option for implementing driver fatigue monitoring systems. The available driver drowsiness detection systems are described in this article. Here, we are assessing the driver's level of sleepiness utilizing his visual system. The automated system for preventing accidents and monitoring sleepy drivers developed for this study is based on detecting variations in the length of eye blinks. Our recommended technique makes use of the eyes' postulated horizontal symmetry property to identify visual changes in eye positions. Our novel approach precisely positions a standard webcam in front of the driver's seat to identify eye blinks. It will identify the eyeballs based on a specific EAR (Eye Aspect Ratio).

A Self-Adaptive Automatic Incident Detection System for Road Surveillance Based on Deep Learning.

We present an automatic road incident detector characterised by a low computational complexity for easy implementation in affordable devices, automatic adaptability to changes in scenery and road conditions, and automatic detection of the most common incidents (vehicles with abnormal speed, pedestrians or objects falling on the road, vehicles stopped on the shoulder, and detection of kamikaze vehicles). To achieve these goals, different tasks have been addressed: lane segmentation, identification of traffic directions, and elimination of unnecessary objects in the foreground. The proposed system has been tested on a collection of videos recorded in real scenarios with real traffic, including areas with different lighting. Self-adaptability (plug and play) to different scenarios has been tested using videos with significant scene changes. The achieved system can process a minimum of 80 video frames within the camera's field of view, covering a distance of 400 m, all within a span of 12 s. This capability ensures that vehicles travelling at speeds of 120 km/h are seamlessly detected with more than enough margin. Additionally, our analysis has revealed a substantial improvement in incident detection with respect to previous approaches. Specifically, an increase in accuracy of 2-5% in automatic mode and 2-7% in semi-automatic mode. The proposed classifier module only needs 2.3 MBytes of GPU to carry out the inference, thus allowing implementation in low-cost devices.

Analysis of EU Countries’ Capabilities to Achieve Ambitious “Zero Victim” Vision in 2050

The objective of this research paper is to examine and assess the correlation between the economic expansion of European Union member states and the escalating rate of motorization, which subsequently leads to road accidents resulting in significant loss of life and injury. A statistical analysis of economic growth, the rate of motorization, and road incidents in EU member states from 2010 to 2020 constitutes the research methodology. The research paper employs a quantitative approach to analysis and comparison. The research paper demonstrates how an increase in the number of motor vehicles in EU member states contributes to road accidents and human mortality. Varying degrees of economic development are associated with disparities between the rate of motorization expansion and the decline in fatalities. Because the rate of increase in motor vehicle usage surpasses the decline in fatalities per motor vehicle at low-income levels. At increased levels of income, the opposite occurs. Practical Implications: This research paper illustrates the importance for road traffic safety authorities to be aware of safety performance indicators and to incorporate them into legislative deliberations in order to bolster the European Union’s “zero victims” objective and provide enhanced protection for motor vehicle accident victims. Originality – This paper examines the correlation between motorization rates and fatalities in various EU member states with varying degrees of economic development over the past few decades.

A New Approach to Road Incident Detection Leveraging Live Traffic Data: An Empirical Investigation

Accidents can have a significant impact on road safety and the efficiency of transport. With the ever-increasing number of vehicles on the road, it is crucial to quickly detect and respond to such events to decrease the impact. The current paper presents a road accident and incident detection solution utilizing traffic API monitoring and continuously analyzing real-time traffic data from various sources like GPS-enabled devices. Consequently, the proposed approach can identify abnormal patterns in the movement of vehicles, such as unexpected road closures or an accident. It numerically analyzes the traffic pattern and identifies incidents and accidents using live traffic data collected from the map service. When the approach identifies any abnormality, it can immediately let the user know, allowing them to act accordingly. It can facilitate authorities in identifying accident-prone areas and deploy safety measures. This can help law enforcement agencies to identify drivers at risk of causing accidents and implement education and enforcement programs targeted towards them. Hence, the proposed approach can aid in reducing the negative impact of traffic incidents, and the public can respond to these incidents more preparedly.

Development of Empirical Equation to Estimate Corridor Speed of Vehicles in Metro Construction Work Zone

Abstract Construction of elevated metro line leads to a reduction in the average speed of vehicles due to congestions, diversions, and road incidents. This reduction in speed depends on recurring (e.g., congestion in rush hours) and non-recurring (e.g., road accidents) delay factors. Non-recurring factors involve incidents such as accidental bus stops, pedestrian crossings, or clearing debris from road, etc., some of which may occur at very short notice. This research paper presents a case study of Pune Metro Rail Construction (Corridor II) in India for developing an empirical equation to estimate corridor speed of vehicles in metro construction work zone. Observations were recorded in spatial and temporal zones using floating car method through video recordings and traffic count using manual method. Based on the traffic behavior pattern, five non-recurring delay factors (NRDFs) were defined, namely vehicles in lateral entry, slow moving vehicles, vehicles in the wrong direction, on-street parked vehicles, pedestrian interference and their correlation with speed of vehicles was tested. It was concluded that these factors have a strong negative correlation with the speed of the test vehicle. To estimate corridor speed with given NRDFs, nonlinear equation was formulated using empirical evidence and validated using larger simulated data.

Road Incident Detection under Rate Adaptation-Based Congestion Control in Cooperative Vehicular Systems

Road Incident Detection under Rate Adaptation-Based Congestion Control in Cooperative Vehicular Systems

Analysis of selected road traffic safety problems in Poland and Mazovia

In Poland, the risk of road safety is still one of the highest in the EU and, despite a 36% decrease in the number of fatalities, requires further intensive work to reduce the risk associated with travelling on the roads. In 2021, the National Road Safety Program for 2022-2030 was announced, which should be followed by regional programs. The article presents a set of information needed to diagnose traffic safety at the province level. Using the example of the Masovian Province, basic statistical data, road safety trends, basic risk indicators, the structure of accidents and fatalities from various perspectives were presented. In addition, the costs of accidents and collisions that occurred in the Masovian Province were shown. Based on the analyses conducted, the characteristic features and main road safety problems in the province were identified. The analyses and their results presented show that the annual costs of all road accidents in the Masovian Province, although decreasing, still significantly exceed the expenses planned in the province budget for a given year. Therefore, reducing the number of road incidents, especially accidents, and their consequences may bring significant savings to the province budget.

Review Paper on Cloud-Based Emergency Response System

Abstract: In our rapidly advancing technological landscape, the Cloud-Based Emergency Response System with QR Code Integration emerges as a groundbreaking initiative at the inter- section of technology and emergency management. This project addresses the critical need for swift and efficient access to vital individual information during emergencies, especially in the context of road incidents. Traditional emergency response systems often encounter challenges in the rapid retrieval and dissemination of essential data, prompting the need for a trans- formative solution. At its essence, the project aims to redefine the paradigm of information accessibility during emergencies, offering a comprehensive platform that leverages cloud computing, secure authentication methods, and QR code technology. The primary goal is to enhance the efficiency of emergency response procedures by providing a seamless and secure mechanism for users to input and store their critical information. This, in turn, enables emergency responders and authorized individuals to access this information rapidly and effectively.

Differential variable speed limit control strategy consider lane assignment at the freeway lane drop bottleneck

Reduction in the number of lanes (lane drop) is typical on freeways due to road design, incidents, or road maintenance. As traffic demand increases, the bottleneck becomes activated because of there are many of vehicle lane-changing behaviors at the bottleneck. At the same time, the traffic density increases, resulting in a capacity drop phenomenon at the bottleneck. The degree of the capacity drop is also closely related to the traffic density at the bottleneck. Variable Speed Limit (VSL) is a widely used Active Traffic Management (ATM) method. In traditional research, most VSL control strategies consider all lanes uniformly and set uniform dynamic speed limits. However, traffic varies by lane. This study proposed a differential variable speed limit (DVSL) control strategy for each lane considering lane assignment. The DVSL control strategy sets the dynamic speed limit for each lane to attract a certain number of vehicles to change lanes before the bottleneck and reduce the impact of traffic capacity drop. This strategy is simulated based on extending the cell transmission model (CTM) to multi-lane. The multi-level iterative optimization algorithm obtains each lane's dynamic speed limit values. The experimental results show that the proposed DVSL control strategy can alleviate traffic congestion and improve efficiency. Total travel time (TTT) improved by 7.48 % compared to the no-control measures.

P074 Sleep-Related Predictors of Road and Workplace Safety in Young Adults: Results from a Community Representative Sample

Abstract Young adults are at increased risk of road and workplace incidents. Sleep-related predictors of increased risk include short sleep duration, sleep disorders and shift work. It is unknown which predictors are the most impactful, or whether they are interrelated. To address this, sleep-related predictors were concurrently examined in young adults. Participants were young adults (22 years) from the Raine Study, who were employed, assessed for common sleep disorders (obstructive sleep apnoea by polysomnography, insomnia and restless legs syndrome symptoms by validated questionnaires), provided information on shift work status and habitual sleep duration. Two sub-groups were analysed: participants with a driver’s licence and self-reported information on road incidents (n=519) and those with information on workplace incidents, regardless of driver’s license status (n=575). Poisson regression models adjusted for sex and comorbidities were used to examine sleep-related predictors of road and workplace incidents. A total of 15% reported ever falling asleep behind the wheel and 23% reported ever having at least one near-miss road accident due to sleepiness. Diagnosis of a sleep disorder predicted near-miss road accidents (risk ratio, 3.0; 95%CI 1.7–5.3), independent of sleep duration and shift work. A total of 11% reported ever falling asleep on the job and 12% reported ever having an accident at work that required seeing a doctor or nurse, neither of these were associated with sleep duration, sleep disorders or shift work status. Sleep disorder diagnosis may be important in young adults given road incidents are strongly associated with the presence of a sleep disorder.

Pedestrian electric-scooter fatality: A case report

Electric scooters are one of the most popular means of individual mobility. The active use of this two-wheeled transport on sidewalks and public roads is naturally reflected in the number of road incidents, including fatal ones. No information has been provided about the damage received by pedestrians as a result of the collision of electric scooters, and the question of the most traumatic parts of the human body with such injuries today remains to be elucidated.&#x0D; This case report describes a 75-year-old patient from practice that demonstrates the mechanism, type, and nature of injury sustained at a pedestrian when an electric scooter hits him. Citizen A sustained a head injury during the fall and was hospitalized in a medical institution, where he subsequently died. During autopsy, changes were found about the exact mechanism of their formation in a scooter injury.&#x0D; According to the literature, injuries associated with the collision of electric scooters mainly occur during the fall with the formation of bone fractures in the upper and lower extremities. Torso injury, according to various authors, is extremely rare, and the nature of the damage and the category of victims in these studies are generally not detailed. This case confirms the possibility of the formation of primary and secondary contact injuries in various parts of the body of a pedestrian. In addition, the case allows the possibility of identifying the means of individual mobility based on the presence of a steering wheel.

Tactical leaders’ and collaborative organizations’ non-technical skills during major road tunnel incidents – An iterative focus group study

IntroductionLeadership during major incidents has been described as challenging and dependent on the non-technical skills of leaders. The complex tunnel environment contributes to an even more challenging incident response. Hence, this study aims to identify elements of non-technical skills when leading collaborative road-tunnel incident responses. MethodsThe study was conducted using four focus group discussions with tactical leaders from the rescue services, emergency medical services, police, and collaborative organizations from the emergency dispatch center and road-traffic control center. The data was analyzed using a non-technical skills taxonomy. ResultsTwelve non-technical skill elements emerged. Abilities to gather, sort, and proactively share relevant information and dispatch the correct resources were described. Additionally, abilities to prioritize actions and cooperate to establish a shared operational picture were found. Abilities to adjust leadership to the tunnel environment and conditions and assess the severity of the incident to make decisions were also described. ConclusionWhen managing a road-tunnel incident response, tactical leaders utilizes a range of non-technical skills. The elements of these skills were found to be specific both to the tunnel environment and the collaborative nature of the response. Further studies into and development of these skills are needed to facilitate a timely response and minimize potential risks to personnel or evacuees in future tunnel incident responses.

Examining gender differences in gig worker safety

AbstractA critical but often overlooked road safety concern is gender differences in road safety issues. The limited investigations have reported gender differences in road safety issues such as traffic accident rates and crash injuries. An emerging road safety issue is the safety of gig workers. Despite the exponential growth of the gig economy, little is known about road safety issues faced by gig workers, including gender‐specific road safety issues. The present study aimed to investigate whether there are gender differences in gig workers' involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood of reporting incidents when gig working. Gig workers who provide, or have provided, ride‐hailing, courier, and food delivery services via digital platforms in Australia were invited to participate in an online survey on their involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood that they would report road and personal safety incidents when gig working. Data from 71 gig workers (35 female gig workers; 36 male gig workers) were reported in the study. No gender differences were found in their involvement in road safety incidents and the likelihood of reporting road and personal safety incidents when gig working. Despite the lack of gender differences observed, findings from the study contributed to the research field and to closing the gender data gap. A research agenda is proposed for further data collection in gig work using a systems thinking approach to better our understanding of factors influencing the gendered participation in the gig workforce, and the health, safety, and wellbeing of gig workers.