Road Traffic Regulations Research Articles

Overtaking in Stuttgart—analysis of the lateral distances between motor vehicles and bicycle traffic with reference to traffic volume and cycling infrastructure

In the context of climate change, it is desirable to increase the share of cycling. One way of doing this can be to strengthen subjective safety of cyclists. At present, many people perceive cycling as unsafe. In particular, overtaking by motor vehicles is a cause of low subjective safety and stress. In built-up areas, German road traffic regulations stipulate a minimum lateral distance of 1.50 m for motor vehicles, while overtaking cyclists. Previous research has shown that this rule is often not followed by motor vehicles. The aim of this study is to find out which factors influence the lateral distance of overtaking manoeuvres. The lateral distances of 4 081 overtaking manoeuvres were recorded using an ultrasonic sensor on 14 selected routes in the city of Stuttgart, Germany. 42% of the recorded overtaking manoeuvres were carried out with a lateral distance of less than 1.50 m. The mean value of all overtaking manoeuvres was 1.59 m. On roads with mixed traffic, higher lateral distances occurred than on roads with cycle lanes. In Germany, the motor vehicle traffic volume on a road is a key criterion for planning cycling infrastructure. However, it is not possible to confirm an influence of the motor vehicle traffic volume on the occurring lateral distances. The time of day at which overtaking manoeuvres take place also seems to have no effect on lateral distances.

Perception and Practices Towards Road Safety Rules and Regulations Amongst Pakistani Population

Background: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) remain a critical public health issue in densely populated urban areas like Latifabad, Hyderabad. Understanding the community's perception and practices towards road safety can inform targeted interventions to reduce RTAs. Objective: This study aims to explore the perception and practices regarding road traffic rules and regulations among residents of various units in Latifabad, Hyderabad, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from March to August 2023 in Latifabad, Hyderabad. It involved 400 commuters aged 18 years and above, from either gender, residing in the area. Participants were included irrespective of their possession of a driving license, provided they consented to participate. Data on their perceptions and practices concerning road traffic were collected using a structured written questionnaire. Results: The participant demographic included 64.7% males and 35.3% females with an average age of 22.6 ± 1.2 years; the majority were students. Nearly half (48.0%) attributed poor road conditions as a primary cause of RTAs. Over half (57.0%) recognized driving without a valid license as an offense, with females significantly more aware (p<0.05) of the risks of improper overtaking and the links between illiteracy, irresponsible behavior, and increased RTAs. There was no significant difference in the scores for violations and lapses related to injury exposure, though a significant association was found between errors and injury exposure. Conclusion: Despite possessing adequate knowledge, participants frequently displayed a dismissive attitude towards compliance with traffic laws, normalizing risky behaviors and potentially increasing the risk of road traffic accidents and injuries.

Representing Human Ethical Requirements in Hybrid Machine Learning Models: Technical Opportunities and Fundamental Challenges

Hybrid machine learning encompasses predefinition of rules and ongoing learning from data. Human organizations can implement hybrid machine learning (HML) to automate some of their operations. Human organizations need to ensure that their HML implementations are aligned with human ethical requirements as defined in laws, regulations, standards, etc. The purpose of the study reported here was to investigate technical opportunities for representing human ethical requirements in HML. The study sought to represent two types of human ethical requirements in HML: locally simple and locally complex. The locally simple case is road traffic regulations. This can be considered to be a relatively simple case because human ethical requirements for road safety, such as stopping at red traffic lights, are defined clearly and have limited scope for personal interpretation. The locally complex case is diagnosis procedures for functional disorders, which can include medically unexplained symptoms. This case can be considered to be locally complex because human ethical requirements for functional disorder healthcare are less well defined and are more subject to personal interpretation. Representations were made in a type of HML called Algebraic Machine Learning. Our findings indicate that there are technical opportunities to represent human ethical requirements in HML because of its combination of human-defined top down rules and bottom up data-driven learning. However, our findings also indicate that there are limitations to representing human ethical requirements: irrespective of what type of machine learning is used. These limitations arise from fundamental challenges in defining complex ethical requirements, and from potential for opposing interpretations of their implementation. Furthermore, locally simple ethical requirements can contribute to wider ethical complexity.

Problem wypadków drogowych w wojsku Polskich Sił Zbrojnych podczas kampanii wojennych we Włoszech i Europie Zachodniej oraz w pierwszych miesiącach powojennych

One of the problems resulting from the motorization of the Polish Armed Forces concerned traffic accidents. During the war they were the source of significant losses for the 2nd Polish Corps and the 1st Armored Division. A large percentage of these incidents were caused by non-compliance with road traffic regulations and the recommendations of traffic control services, recklessness, and alcohol abuse. These accidents placed additional pressure on the health service, workshops, and the gendarmerie. This phenomenon intensified at the end of the war and continued into its immediate aftermath.

Investigation of fatal traumatic head injuries.

Traumatic head injuries (THIs) are one of the major causes of death in forensic cases. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of patients with fatal THIs. In this study, a total of 311 patients with fatal THIs, who underwent postmortem examinations and/or autopsies, were retrospectively analyzed. Cases were evaluated based on sex, age group, incident origin, cause of the incident, presence of skull fracture, type of fractured bone (if any), fracture localization and pattern, presence and type of intracranial lesion (if any), and cause of death. Out of the patients, 242 (77.8%) were male and 69 (22.2%) were female. Accidents accounted for 235 (75.6%) of the incidents, with in-vehicle traffic accidents causing 117 (37.6%). In 221 cases (71.1%), intracranial lesions and skull fractures were observed together. The most common fractures were base fractures (171 cases) and temporal bone fractures (153 cases). The rate of intracranial hemorrhage was lower in the adult age group (69.7%) compared to the older age group (92.6%). The results obtained in this study indicate that the cause of the incident, type of fracture, presence of skull base fracture, and multiple skull fractures increase the likelihood of fatalities. The occurrence of skull fractures reduces intracranial pressure, thereby decreasing the incidence of intracranial lesions. The development and effective enforcement of road traffic safety policies and regulations will reduce the incidence of fatalities.

Rising Cases of Motorcycle Wheel Spokes Injuries in A Tertiary Facility in Northern Ghana; A Policy Call.

Motorcycle wheel spoke injuries refer to the entrapment of the foot and ankle of a rider or pillion rider into the spokes of a vehicle resulting in varied complex ankle-foot injuries. We report ten cases of motorcycle wheel spoke injuries between January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, majority of whom were children with the youngest being 4 years and the oldest 43 years. A few of the cases sustained both soft tissue injuries and fractures around the ankle while the rest sustained only soft tissue injuries. We believe a lot more of these cases do not get to the tertiary facility for varied reasons.The mean length of hospital stay was 19±13 days potential indirect negative economic impact on the state, patients, and their family/caregivers.These injuries can be prevented by developing policies aimed at public education, baring children from riding pillion, and designing protective wheel covering. Cases of motorcycle wheel spoke injuries are on the rise in the Northern part of Ghana. We recommend public education and awareness creation as well as stringent implementation of road traffic regulations.

Illuminating parameters variation of horizontal road markings in the operation process

One of the most important consumer properties of a highway is traffic safety. In order to organize traffic flows and ensure safety on highways, technical means of traffic organization are used, which include horizontal road markings. The presence of easy-to-read marking schemes, especially on roads without artificial lighting, as well as in low visibility conditions, contributes to ensuring the cars safety traffic and pedestrians in accordance with the road traffic regulations. This work devoted to the dependence study of changes in the lighting parameters of horizontal road markings on technological, operational and other factors. Emphasis in the work is made on the analysis of changes in the light transmission coefficient, as this parameter is a markings visibility indicator in darkness hours. As in the darkness hours period most of the road accidents occur, which have the most severe consequences. The article analyzes foreign studies concerning the reasons for the lighting markings parameters reduction and the statistical dependencies establishment describing this process. The authors have carried out experimental studies of the road markings degradation process on public roads of II and III categories in the Moscow Region. Based on the experimental results, the influence of technological and operational factors on the road markings lighting characteristics deterioration is evaluated. The analysis was performed for different road marking lines applied by thermoplastic and cold plastic. According to the study results recommendations are given to ensure the required values of such lighting characteristics as retroreflection coefficient when applying horizontal road markings.

Pierwszeństwo pieszego na przejściu dla pieszych

The right of way of a pedestrian on a pedestrian crossing The paper is a continuation and an extension of the analysis of Act on Road Traffic regulations regarding pedestrians’ right of way on a pedestrian crossing. The analysis focuses most notably on the basic principles of interpretation of the provisions of the Act such as the right of way, linguistic interpretation and subsidiarity of purposive interpretation. The author also analyses the relation between the terms of a pedestrian “entering the crossing” and one “on the crossing”, both included in the regulation. A comparison between the solution adopted in the Polish Act on Road Traffic and the corresponding regulations provided in the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic as well as respective regulations valid in some other European countries is also presented.

Adherence to Road Safety Laws and Regulations in Tanzania: Case of Commercial Motorcycle Taxi Operators in Dar es Salaam

Commercial Motorcycle Taxis (CMTs) account for a significant number of road crashes and injuries in Tanzania. The fundamental question is whether commercial motorcycle operators in Tanzania adhere to the set road traffic rules and regulations. The present study explored the level of adherence of commercial motorcycle taxi operators in Dar es Salaam to road safety rules and regulations. The study involved 370 respondents who were motorcycle taxi operators from five (5) municipalities of the Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. Data for the study was collected using a structured questionnaire triangulated with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with the help of SPSS (20 version) and presented in tabular form while the responses from the participants were raised in quotations. The study established a low level of adherence to rules and regulations governing commercial motorcycle taxis (CMTs) by the commercial motorcycle taxi operators in Dar es Salaam. This is partly due to low laws and regulations enforced by responsible authorities governing the operations of CMTs. Thus, most operators did not adhere to them. The study recommends strict enforcement of the rule and regulations that govern CMTs operations in Tanzania.

Two steps forward, one step back? Party competition, cooperative federalism, and transport policy reforms in Germany

BackgroundTransport policy has regained political relevance in Germany. The successful realization of the Verkehrswende,—the extensive transition toward sustainable transport and mobility—is central to reaching climate neutrality. In 2020, the Federal Government proposed the reform of two key ordinances that have regulated road traffic so far. The amendment was aimed at implementing several provisions at the expense of car drivers and, at the same time, in favor of cyclists and pedestrians. Due to cooperative federalism, the governments of the 16 constituent units (Länder) had to adopt the amendment in the Bundesrat, Germany’s second chamber. In the legislative process, however, the reform ultimately failed in its original scope. Using it as a particularly instructive case study, we show how and why party competition and cooperative federalism hamper comprehensive transport policy reforms in Germany.ResultsIn the German political system, political interests interact within a complex web of cooperative federalism. To understand partisan encroachment on the federal decision-making processes, this paper uses a process-tracing approach. To investigate decision-making in the Bundesrat and its outcomes, the empirical analysis combines qualitative analyses of several publicly available sources. We can empirically demonstrate that political parties influenced legislative procedures. The reform failed in its original scope because the three political parties with veto power in the Bundesrat insisted on their positions and were not willing to agree on a compromise.ConclusionsFor the implementation of the Verkehrswende, the German federal system proves to be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the institutional design of the Bundesrat constrains extreme positions and helps promote decisions most citizens may agree with. The Länder governments and administrations can also contribute their expertise and local experience to federal legislation via the Bundesrat. On the other hand, veto powers are ubiquitous in the German system of cooperative federalism. Therefore, it is prone to blockades. The actions of the political parties in the Bundesrat have hampered the comprehensive reform of road traffic regulations that was originally envisaged. Policymaking took two steps forward toward implementing the Verkehrswende, only to immediately take one step back again.

Method for detecting road defects using images obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles

With road defects being a key factor in traffic accidents, driver safety, vehicle condition and travel speed, they need to be promptly repaired. The defects include cracks, ruts and potholes on the road surface, and if not repaired in due time, they grow in size very quickly. There are various methods that are used to detect road defects, one of which is a computer vision method. Typically, digital cameras are installed on cars and then the resulting set of images from a given section of the road is processed. This article proposes a technique for obtaining images using unmanned aerial vehicles, which provides the required amount of data to assess the road condition on lengthy road sections. A technique for identifying road cracks and estimating parameters defined in the road traffic regulations is proposed. As a result of the studies, real images are obtained and processed using the method proposed herein, showing high performance and accuracy and indicating the possibility of its future practical uses.

Road Traffic Regulation Awareness, Attitude and Practice among Public Health Students: An Observational Study

Introduction: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the leading causes of premature deaths in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Public health students are the special cadre of human resources for addressing public health issues in the community including RTAs. This study aimed to assess the awareness, attitude, and practice of public health students of Kathmandu Valley regarding road traffic regulations. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 395 undergraduate public health students of Kathmandu Valley using structured self-administered questionnaire via google forms. The study participants were selected through student networking and invitation through emails and phone calls. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics: Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskall-Wallis H test, and spearman’s rank correlation were computed at 5% level of significance. Results: Majority of the participants had knowledge on causes of RTAs, rule for seat belt and not using mobile phone while driving. However, few knew about the maximum penalty for driving without a license and correct side for pedestrians to walk. The median knowledge score on road traffic regulations was 11 out of 14, attitude score 7 out of 7, practice score for pedestrians 10 out of 12 and for drivers/riders 16 of 18. No significant association was found between knowledge and any socio-demographic variables. Knowledge was weakly correlated with attitude. Conclusion: Majority of the participants had knowledge scores above average, while the attitude and practice percentages were higher. We found weak correlation of knowledge with attitude, and no correlation with practice. This indicates that there is still gap between knowledge and practice, which needs to be explored further.

Повторное нарушение правил дорожного движения как основание для уголовной ответственности

The subject of the research is Articles 264.1, 264.2, 264.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Writing of the article involved an analysis of regulations and legal publications. This study has revealed circumstances accompanying violation of road traffic regulations that stipulate bringing to criminal liability. The author reviews various opinions of lawyers and researchers of the legal science concerning the administrative prejudice phenomenon. The obtained results may be of interest for employees of law enforcement authorities, lecturers, representatives of the legislative system and attorneys. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the analysis of repeated violations of road traffic regulations from the administrative prejudice standpoint and the evaluation of administrative prejudice from the position of Russian legal theorists and provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Characteristic features of articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation associated with repeated violations of road traffic regulations are willful intent, repeated offenses and an increased degree of social danger. We believe that the introduction of criminal liability if a person has earlier committed an offense within the framework of the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation puts citizens in an unequal position, which contradicts provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, thus, further study of this problem is required.

CRIMINAL LIABILITY FOR THE VIOLATION OF THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATIONS AND VEHICLE OPERATION REGULATIONS

The constant increase in the number of vehicles in Latvia during the last twenty years has significantly increased the intensity of road traffic, thus causing an increase in the number of road traffic accidents. Holding a person criminally liable under Section 260 of the Criminal Law that provides for liability for the violation of the road traffic regulations and vehicle operation regulations is mostly affected by the precise determination of what a breach of these regulations is. However, there are several open theoretical and practical questions and the most important of which are shortcomings in the definition of a vehicle in Section 261 of the Criminal Law, which, as theoretical research and case-law has shown, hinders the achievement of the aim of the legal provision included in Section 260 of the Criminal Law in accordance with its meaning.

One and ahalf years of e-scooters in Hamburg

Since electric scooters were introduced as an urban means of transportation in Hamburg in June 2019, ahigh number of violations of the current laws regarding alcohol consumption by e‑scooter riders have been recorded. The aim of this study is to obtain an overview of traffic offences committed by e‑scooter drivers under the influence of alcohol, to classify their relevance in relation to other road user groups, and to draw afirst interim balance with respect to their frequency after 1.5 years. The data of all e‑scooter drivers (n = 342) examined concerning their blood alcohol values analyzed at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf between 15.06.2019 and 31.12.2020 were retrospectively evaluated with respect to their demographic information and the medical examination results. These were brought into context with the total number of offences against the road traffic regulations with subsequent blood alcohol measurement. 9.6% of the total number of offences against the road traffic regulations in connection with subsequent determination of the blood alcohol concentration were committed by e‑scooter drivers. 87.7% of those examined were male. The blood alcohol concentration was above the limit of 1.10 ‰ for absolute driving incapacity when using apassenger car in 76.9% of those examined. An accumulation of cases was particularly noticeable at night and at weekends.Due to imprecise records, acertain number of unreported e‑scooter incidents can be assumed among the unspecified motor vehicles. As e‑scooter drivers make up aconsiderable proportion of drunken road users and the accidents mostly occur at night and at weekends, increased education and, if necessary, adriving ban at these times would seem to make sense.

Pathways to more space. What factors influence the lateral distance of overtaking vehicles from cyclists?

In a field test, 4,217 overtaking manoeuvres (OM) were recorded with two measuring bicycles in the study area of Dresden and subsequently evaluated with regard to the lateral passing distances (LPD). The minimum distance recently anchored in the German road traffic regulations (StVO) was observed by only 53% of those car drivers overtaking. It is confirmed that narrow street sections favour narrow overtaking distances, especially if marked bicycle traffic guidance systems (protective strips) are installed there. Significantly lower LPD are observed in the case of oncoming traffic and a second vehicle overtaking in parallel, as well as in the case of LPD caused by heavy traffic. At night, larger LPD are observed. As a result, marked guidance on narrow street sections should be avoided. Wide bike lanes or protected bike lanes are recommended at wide facilities.

Penalty Points for Violation of Traffic Rules versus Motor Insurance Premium. Analysis of New Legal Solutions

An amendment to the Polish Road Traffic Code introduced a possibility for the Insurance Guarantee Fund and insurance companies (offering motor liability and motor hull insurance) to access information in the Central Drivers Registry relating inter alia information concerning road traffic offences and to penalty points imposed as a result of committing such offences. Insurance companies may consult the Registry with the Funds assistance. At the same time, under the amended Polish Insurance and Reinsurance Act, insurance undertakings may process those data (i.e. driving offences or violations of road traffic regulations and penalty points issued as a result thereof) only for the purpose of insurance risk assessment and pricing with a view of concluding motor insurance contracts (excluding carrier's liability insurance). Similar solutions have been adopted in other countries, including EU Member States. The article is an attempt at explaining and conducting an initial evaluation of the new mechanisms, as well as at answering a question about possible impact thereof upon motor insurance premiums.

Boda bodas: The new form of adventure tourist transportation in Uganda

Abstract Tourist transportation at local destinations has transformed, with the use of motorcycles (Boda-bodas) becoming popular, especially for adventurous tourists. In Uganda, motorcycle taxis, also known as Boda-bodas are now popular as both a mode of tourist mobility and a tourist product. This paper makes one of the first attempts to integrate the Ugandan Boda-boda tourist transport into the global tourism academic debate. Results show a surge in the number of private operators who are providing affordable and flexible transport services to both locals and tourists. As such, more Boda-boda riders are joining government licensed associations/orgamisations for authentication. Despite its growing popularity, Boda-boda transport is still associated with challenges of road accidents and loss of clients’ property mainly due to poor enforcement and observance of road traffic and safety regulations coupled with the current poor state of the roads. Going forward, there is an urgent need to institutionalize Boda-boda tourist transport to ensure safety and security of tourists and their property as well as other road users.

Analysis of Korean Road Traffic Regulations to Establish Legal Layer for Evaluating Safety of Autonomous Driving

Currently, many governments, global automakers, and IT companies have been showing increasing interest in autonomous vehicles (AVs). Therefore, the research, development, and testing of AVs are underway worldwide and the development of scenarios for AV safety evaluation is emerging as an urgent issue in various nations and institutions. However, in Korea, research on an appropriate legal system for AVs is necessary because the existing one is insufficient for the development of a scenario for evaluating autonomous driving safety. In this study, the present legal system related to autonomous driving in Korea was selected to establish a five-layer format-based autonomous driving scenario for the PEGASUS project. The possibility of the expansion and improvement of the methodology was proposed by conducting a legal system analysis. Finally, an analysis of the related legal provisions for each layer was conducted to highlight the necessity of a legal system that is suitable for the era of autonomous driving in the future.

Load Effect of Automated Truck Platooning on Highway Bridges and Loading Strategy.

Automated truck platooning (ATP) has gained growing attention due to its advantage in reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. However, it poses serious challenges to highway bridges due to the load effect of multiple closely spaced heavy-duty trucks on the bridge. In China, ATP also has great application prospects in the massive and ever-increasing highway freight market. Therefore, the load effects of ATP on bridges need to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, typical Chinese highway bridges and trucks were adopted. ATP load models were designed according to the current Chinese road traffic regulations. The load effects of ATP on highway bridges were calculated using the influence line method and evaluated based on the Chinese bridge design specifications. Results show that the load effect of ATP on bridges increases with the increase in the gross vehicle mass and the truck platooning size but decreases with the increasing inter-truck spacing and the critical wheelbase. The Grade-I (best quality standard) highway bridges are generally capable of withstanding the ATP loads, while caution should be exercised for other bridges. Strategies for preventing serious adverse impacts of ATP load on highway bridges are proposed.