Speeding Research Articles

Hardware-accelerated integrated optoelectronic platform towards real-time high-resolution hyperspectral video understanding

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have significantly expanded capabilities in processing language and images. However, the challenge of comprehensively understanding video content still needs to be solved. The main problem is the requirement to process real-time multidimensional video information at data rates exceeding 1 Tb/s, a demand that current hardware technologies cannot meet. This work introduces a hardware-accelerated integrated optoelectronic platform specifically designed for the real-time analysis of multidimensional video. By leveraging optical information processing within artificial intelligence hardware and combining it with advanced machine vision networks, the platform achieves data processing speeds of 1.2 Tb/s. This capability supports the analysis of hundreds of frequency bands with megapixel spatial resolution at video frame rates, significantly outperforming existing technologies in speed by three to four orders of magnitude. The platform demonstrates effectiveness for AI-driven tasks, such as video semantic segmentation and object understanding, across indoor and aerial scenarios. By overcoming the current data processing speed limitations, the platform shows promise in real-time AI video understanding, with potential implications for enhancing human-machine interactions and advancing cognitive processing technologies.

Boat effects on lake water clarity and the efficacy of a no-wake zone policy

Boating activity in shallow waters of lakes can lead to sediment resuspension and potential nutrient release, affecting water quality parameters. No-wake zones, to minimize boating-induced effects, are often defined based on distance from shore. This study assessed the effects of boating on shallow waters and the efficacy of an existing no-wake zone policy in a midsize lake. Two experiments were conducted: (1) Turbidity and pressure data were collected along a broad shallow shelf on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe in the summer of 2019 and (2) turbidity and pressure observations were conducted while boats traveled at speeds between 8 kmh−1 (5 mph) and 40 kmh−1 over a water depth of ≈ 2.5 m. Results showed that boat-induced sediment resuspension occurred at speeds exceeding 8 kmh−1, with turbidity increases of up to ∼7 NTU. Boat-induced filtered pressure signal was a maximum of 40% of the total daily wave activity, with peaks observed between 10:00 and 12:00. Nevertheless, during the summer and fall of 2019, winds were the dominant driver of sediment resuspension, contributing around 80% of the total wavefield. An evaluation of the current no-wake zone policy at Lake Tahoe suggested that an 8 kmh−1 (5 mph) speed limit is suitable for preventing wake effects. However, the policy falls short in preventing sediment resuspension in the northwestern and southern shores of Lake Tahoe. This calls for the consideration of multiple variables, such as lakebed sediment type and water depth, when defining no-wake zone policies to effectively mitigate boating-induced effects.

The role of posted speed limit on pedestrian and bicycle injury severities: An investigation into systematic and unobserved heterogeneities

The posted speed limit, as a proxy of actual speed, is one of the most fundamental predictors of active travelers’ (pedestrian and bicyclist) injury outcomes when involved in crashes with motor vehicles. Although earlier studies predominantly considered posted speed limit as an exogenous variable and provided highly insightful findings, majorities of them assume the effects of active traveler behavior to remain the same across different posted speed limits, which in turn neglect the heterogeneity in active traveler behaviors on high-speed roads vs. low-speed roads. This study proposes to develop a latent segmentation-based active traveler injury severity model to relax the homogeneity assumption of the posted speed limit by active traveler behavior. Specifically, this study proposes to estimate a latent segmentation-based correlated random parameters generalized ordered logit model to examine active travel injury severity mechanisms. The proposed model accommodates systematic heterogeneity in the effects of posted speed limit, crash year and active traveler group by using a piecewise linear function in injury severity component of the latent segment model. The model is demonstrated by using active traveler crash data from Queensland, Australia, for the years 2015 through 2019. To demonstrate the implications of the estimated models, a number of hypothetical scenario analyses are performed with a specific focus on active traveler behavior and reduction in posted speed limits. The outcomes from the hypothetical scenario analysis highlighted that a 76 % (73 %) reduction in active traveler fatalities can be achieved by converting 50–60 km/hr roadways to 10–40 km/hr roadways in the urban areas (rural areas) of Queensland. The outcomes of the study will allow us to identify effective speed management strategies while targeting those with high-risk behavior.

Enhancing Road Safety Strategies through Applying Combined Treatments for Different Crash Severity

This research examines the utility of combined crash modification factors (CMFs) in minimizing crash severity at urban roundabouts. Conventional CMFs typically assess the influence of singular interventions on road safety. However, traffic dynamics and the interactions among multiple safety measures necessitate a more comprehensive strategy. This study introduces a novel methodology for developing integrated CMFs that accounts for the interactive effects of multiple safety measures, providing a comprehensive understanding of their collective impact on road safety. The investigation utilized data from 16 urban roundabouts in Amman, Jordan, from 2015 to 2021. Regression models have been employed to develop individual and combined CMFs for various geometric and traffic characteristics, such as entry and exit widths, speed limits, and weaving patterns. Key findings indicate that interventions, such as reducing speed limits, modifying entry and exit widths, and adjusting weaving lengths, significantly improve safety. The analysis identifies hazardous roundabouts and proposes effective single and combined treatments to mitigate crash risks. This study highlights the importance of considering multiple treatments simultaneously to improve the predictive accuracy of safety assessments and supports the development of more effective road safety strategies tailored to specific crash types and severities. The approach demonstrates a significant potential to enhance road safety analysis and decision-making, ultimately contributing to safer road environments.

Identifying the causal effects of driver distraction on hazardous actions at intersections based on propensity score weighting

Distracted driving is a threat to traffic safety that can result in more traffic crashes. Although previous studies have been conducted to explore the relationship between driver distraction and hazardous driving actions, few studies are available to identify the causation between them. Thus, the study intended to evaluate the causal effects of distraction on hazardous driving actions at intersections based on the crash data extracted from the Crash Report Sampling System (2021–2022). The multinomial logit model was employed to reveal the factors contributing to driver distraction. Then, propensity score weighting was adopted to balance the factor distributions between distraction and non-distraction cases to identify the causal effects on hazardous actions. Results indicated that 1) the propensity of distraction is relevant to factors such as the driver’s age, gender, vehicle type, speed limit, area, weather, and light condition, 2) driver distraction can significantly increase the probability of risky actions including speeding, running red lights, failing to obey stop signs, failing to yield, following too closely, and 3) the causal effects show great diversity for different distraction types. The findings serve to understand the influence mechanism of distraction on specific crash risks and develop countermeasures to reduce distraction and hazardous driving actions.

Pengaruh Parkir pada Badan Jalan terhadap Kinerja Ruas Jalan MT Haryono di Kota Balikpapan

This study aims to examine the impact of on-street parking on the performance of MT Haryono Road in Balikpapan City. The research employs a qualitative descriptive method. The analysis reveals that the presence of on-street parking significantly affects road performance. On Tuesday, the day with the highest traffic volume, the degree of saturation during peak afternoon hours reached 0.89 with on-street parking and decreased to 0.85 when parking was moved off-street. The Level of Service (LOS) on Monday and Tuesday was categorized as E, indicating congested traffic conditions with very high side friction. The LOS improved to category C on Wednesday and Sunday, indicating unstable traffic flow with limited speeds and considerable side friction. The LOS was categorized as D on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, indicating saturated traffic flow with starting low speeds and high side friction. The worst traffic conditions occurred on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, with a LOS of E and a degree of saturation of 0.89. Conversely, the best traffic conditions occurred on Sunday, April 7, 2024, with a LOS of C and a degree of saturation of 0.62. The study's findings highlight the importance of parking management to enhance road performance in urban areas.

Ship deployment problem with green technology adoption for an inland river carrier under non-identical streamflow and speed limits

The maritime industry is currently experiencing a shift towards green corridors. The inland waterway is the main transportation corridor with a relatively low adoption of green technologies, which produces heavy air pollution in inland cities. This paper investigates the ship deployment problem for an inland river carrier considering the adoption of green fuel and green technologies for a given ship fleet. A non-linear programming (NLP) model is proposed to jointly optimize green technology adoption, sailing speed, and routing problems while considering two unique characteristics of inland river shipping, including the non-identical streamflow and the speed limits on each shipping leg. The analytical propositions reveal the optimal operation strategy of the inland river ship fleet, and a column generation-based algorithm is further designed to solve the proposed model. By jointly investigating the ship operation strategy and sulphur emissions, we find the following management insights: Firstly, the ship would have a lower willingness to invest in shore power (scrubber) if it installed scrubber (shore power). The higher streamflow and looser speed limits would reduce the spillover effect of green technology adoption. Secondly, emissions will spillover from ports to river legs if only shore power is provided. Our findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to promote complete green technology adoption to achieve comprehensive abatement of the entire inland river.

Picosecond Femtojoule Resistive Switching in Nanoscale VO2 Memristors.

Beyond-Moore computing technologies are expected to provide a sustainable alternative to the von Neumann approach not only due to their down-scaling potential but also via exploiting device-level functional complexity at the lowest possible energy consumption. The dynamics of the Mott transition in correlated electron oxides, such as vanadium dioxide, has been identified as a rich and reliable source of such functional complexity. However, its full potential in high-speed and low-power operation has been largely unexplored. We fabricated nanoscale VO2 devices embedded in a broadband test circuit to study the speed and energy limitations of their resistive switching operation. Our picosecond time-resolution, real-time resistive switching experiments and numerical simulations demonstrate that tunable low-resistance states can be set by the application of 20 ps long, <1.7 V amplitude voltage pulses at 15 ps incubation times and switching energies starting from a few femtojoule. Moreover, we demonstrate that at nanometer-scale device sizes not only the electric field induced insulator-to-metal transition but also the thermal conduction limited metal-to-insulator transition can take place at time scales of 100s of picoseconds. These orders of magnitude breakthroughs can be utilized to design high-speed and low-power dynamical circuits for a plethora of neuromorphic computing applications from pattern recognition to numerical optimization.

Urban cyclists’ perception of risk using body and environmental monitoring

There is limited information on the influence of environmental and behavioural factors on cyclists’ risk perception. This study gives insights into the factors shaping cyclists’ perception of risk. Twenty-six cyclists were assessed for their psychological distress and previous cycling experience, following which their heart rate was monitored while cycling along a variety of urban routes. The findings are that cycling through commercial areas, one-way routes, and routes with speed limits reduced their perceived risk. However, wider cycling routes and bikeways were associated with an increased heart rate. This study implied that both individual and environmental characteristics significantly influence risk perception. Both the psychological well-being of cyclists and cycling infrastructure should be considered to promote urban cycling. Risk perception serves as an indicator to guide the development of urban cycling facilities, enabling urban planners and policymakers to promote healthier, more sustainable cities through effective promotion of cycling for urban commuting.

Traffic jam by GPS: A systematic analysis of the negative social externalities of large-scale navigation technologies.

The increased usage of navigation technologies has caused conflicts in local traffic management, resulting in congested residential areas among other challenges for residents. This paper uses content analysis to investigate such negative social externalities within local communities and neighbourhoods. Through a corpus of 90 news articles about traffic incidents caused by navigation technologies, we identified negative traffic and safety-related externalities, including congestion, damage, pollution, and accidents. We also report on countermeasures by local communities and governments, including street closures, speed limit reduction, and turn bans. Based on our results, we discuss the implications for designing mobile navigation technologies that reduce negative social externalities.

Robust control of single-qubit gates at the quantum speed limit

Robust control of single-qubit gates at the quantum speed limit

How Safe Are Nepal’s Roads? A Study of Road Safety Legislation and WHO Standards

Around the world, traffic accidents result in significant catastrophes. The consequences of traffic accidents go far beyond the immediate suffering of the individuals involved. This paper aims to examine the road safety legislation and WHO standards adopted in Nepal. The paper is based on secondary data and policy documents related to road safety and WHO standards in the context of Nepal. It presents Nepal’s road network, significant improvements in road safety indicators, and encouraging advancements in road safety. The study finds five major areas for improvement in road safety laws in Nepal: seat-belt regulations, helmet laws, speed laws, child restraint laws, and drinking and driving laws. The study also reveals that Nepal’s current regulatory framework needs to be improved by monitoring actual appropriate helmet fastening and standardization. There is a lack of precise BAC restrictions for drivers and insufficient speed limits under WHO recommendations. Nepal’s child restraint rules also need to be expanded to include seat belt usage in all cars and forbid children from sitting in the front seats. To close those regulatory gaps and protect Nepalese citizens’ safety on the roads, it ends by providing a strict set of recommendations, such as increased enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and changes to road design and concrete making plans. Policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders working to promote street safety measures in Nepal and abroad would find great assistance from this article, which offers a detailed examination and smart recommendations.

Assessment of the Human Factors Influences on Maritime Accidents in Tanzania: A Case of Dar Es-Salaam-Zanzibar Route

The research centered on assessing the influence of human factors and associated environmental and job factors on maritime accidents in Tanzania. It pursued three specific objectives: identifying mostly human factors contributing to accidents among maritime professionals, examining challenges affecting their attention to maritime accidents, and proposing strategies tomitigate these factors. The research employed various analyses, including descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and thematic analysis, to achieve its objectives. The study acknowledged that the frequency of occurrence of maritime accidents in Tanzania had remained constant, yet there was a potential for an increase if interventions would not be effectively implemented to address underlying causes. While individual human factors generally had a low influence on maritime accidents, specific factors such as the use of illicit drugs and alcohol, fatigue while performing duties, communication barriers, and non-adherence to safety regulations emerged assignificant contributors. Similarly, human-related challenges had a low influence on the occurrence of maritime accidents in Tanzania. However, their collective influence on maritime accidents highlights the need for inclusive interventions against them. Specifically, density of seatraffic, communication failures between crew members and shore operators, pressures from bosses, and conflicting maritime regulations were noted to be significant challenges that could determine occurrence of maritime accidents. Strategies proposed for lowing maritime accidents in the country were: such as strict enforcement of maritime regulations, ensuring personnel remain well-informed about maritime safety, enhancing communication channels, establishing a safe working environment, observing speed limits, and conducting regular vessel maintenance.

Impact Analysis of Implementing School Safe Zones (Case Study: ZoSS at SMPN 15 Padang and MTsN 1 Padang)

The Padang city government has implemented the ZoSS program for two schools located close to each other in Koto Tangah District, namely SMPN 15 Padang and MTsN 1 Padang located on Jalan Adinegoro, Batipuh Panjang District. However, the function of the presence of ZoSS in these two schools is considered to be ineffective because there are still many motorbike drivers who travel at speeds exceeding the permitted speed limit when crossing the ZoSS area, even though the facilities are in accordance with the Director General of Land Transportation's regulations Number: SK3582/AJ.403/DRJD/2018. Therefore, the research aims to review the impact of implementing ZoSS on the speed of motorized vehicles and the characteristics of road crossing behavior on ZoSS in this area. The data used was obtained by conducting surveys and direct observations in the field. The survey carried out included a survey of instantaneous speed data (spot speed) of vehicles when crossing the ZoSS, and a survey of the characteristics of road crossing behavior on the ZoSS. after school.The results of the research concluded that the implementation of the ZoSS program at SMPN 15 Padang and MTsN 1 Padang, located on Jalan Adinegoro, was considered ineffective in terms of motor vehicle speed, because it exceeded the maximum speed limit (30 km /hour) when crossing the ZoSS with an average speed of 46.75 km/hour with the percentage of vehicles complying with the permitted speed still below 50%, and the behavior of pedestrians when crossing in the ZoSS area is categorized as "not yet safe" so there is the potential for accidents.Regulation.

Effect of expressway exit deceleration markings on distracted drivers in China

Expressway exit areas experience traffic diversion and complex road conditions, making them accident-prone areas. In this study, transverse and fishbone visual illusion deceleration markings were selected to optimize the induction facilities at expressway exits. The research aims to investigate the impact of these markings on the driving behavior, cognitive load, and physiological characteristics of drivers in various distracted scenarios at expressway exit areas. Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation of each experimental scheme is conducted using the Matter-Element Extension Model. The study found that the implementation of deceleration markings can effectively enhance driver alertness and lane change awareness, enabling drivers to reduce their speed to near the speed limit in exit areas without compromising driving comfort. Compared to the situation without markings, drivers begin to decelerate approximately 600 m earlier and exit the ramp when markings are present. Fishbone deceleration markings, in contrast to transverse markings, result in lower vehicle speeds, smoother deceleration, and more effectively stimulate drivers' intention to change lanes, guiding them to make the final lane change earlier. Based on the comprehensive evaluation results, it is recommended that transverse or fishbone deceleration markings be considered in engineering practice. These markings have not produced significant effects on driver visual fatigue and driving load, with fishbone markings demonstrating superior comprehensive evaluation outcomes. These research findings can provide valuable insights for future expressway exit area marking design schemes, further enhancing driver safety.

Speeding towards danger: the concerns and consequences of increasing speed limits on our roads

Speeding towards danger: the concerns and consequences of increasing speed limits on our roads

Quantum speed limits for an open system in contact with a thermal bath

Quantum speed limits for an open system in contact with a thermal bath

Briefing: Welsh 20 mile per hour (mph) speed limits: implementation, public perception and how is it working

Briefing: Welsh 20 mile per hour (mph) speed limits: implementation, public perception and how is it working

Modeling the traffic flow in areas with different speed limits

Modeling the traffic flow in areas with different speed limits

Electric scooter-related oral and maxillofacial injuries in Oxfordshire

Electric scooters (e-scooters) are becoming increasingly popular amongst the public. Oxfordshire is included as part of the government led e-scooter trial. This study was designed to evaluate maxillofacial injuries occurring following e-scooter accidents. A single-centre retrospective study was conducted from October 2022 to September 2023 reviewing all e-scooter-related maxillofacial injuries which presented to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. During the study period, forty-nine patients (mean [range] age 28 [13-48] years; 32 [65.3%] male) suffered maxillofacial injuries from riding an e-scooter. Twenty patients (40.8%) were under the influence of alcohol and no individual was recorded to have worn a helmet at the time the injury occurred. Ten patients (20.4%) suffered a facial fracture (two mandibular fractures, three zygomatic-orbital fractures, one nasal fracture, and four patients with multiple fractures involving the sphenoid, zygomatic-orbital, and maxillary sinus). Four (40%) of these facial fractures required surgical management. This included one patient with an orbital floor fracture and an associated inferior rectus entrapment, which is a surgical emergency. Thirty-three patients (67.3%) sustained facial lacerations and nine patients (18.4%) sustained dental trauma. Maxillofacial injuries occurring from e-scooter injuries are significant and pose a notable risk to safety. Our study highlights poor compliance and emphasises the need to improve safety through public education, focussing on sobriety. Considerations should be given to speed limitations, safety clothing, e-scooter training, and whether helmets should be mandatory. The Oxfordshire trial is due to end in May 2026 and our results can inform and influence future legislation.