Car Use Research Articles

Exploring food shopping behaviours in 20-minute neighbourhoods: a cross-sectional analysis of ProjectPLAN

ABSTRACT Cities worldwide have adopted the ‘20-minute neighbourhood’ concept to promote local healthy living through the provision of everyday services close to home. However, evidence on their impact beyond active travel is lacking. This study investigates whether 20-minute neighbourhoods shape people’s interactions with food stores. Data were from 769 participants from the 2018-2019 Places and Locations for Activity and Nutrition study (ProjectPLAN) conducted in Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia. Outcomes were distance from home to different food stores, frequency of store visits, transport mode to food stores, and reasons for shopping at primary food store. Comparisons were made between those in 20-minute neighbourhoods and non-20-minute neighbourhoods. Visited stores were closer to home for those in 20-minute neighbourhoods. Residents of 20-minute neighbourhoods more frequently visited an additional fruit and vegetable outlet than those of non-20-minute neighbourhoods. While car travel prevailed across neighbourhood types, walking to food stores was more common in 20-minute neighbourhoods. Differences were observed in reasons for shopping at primary food store between residents of 20-minute neighbourhoods and non-20-minute neighbourhoods. This study suggests 20-minute neighbourhoods offer opportunities for greater engagement with local food stores. Whilst walking to stores is more common in 20-minute neighbourhoods, car use remains a dominant travel mode.

A review: The Self-Driving Car’s Requirements and The Challenges it Faces

The rise of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is a big step forward in the history of the auto industry. It was made possible by advances in technology and a shared desire to make vehicles safer and more efficient. The point of this study is to look at and combine all the current methods that focus on safety in the creation and use of self-driving cars (AVs), paying special attention to the requirements for software and systems. A comprehensive examination of prior research has been conducted, spanning essential technologies like computer vision, sensor fusion, localization and mapping, and vehicular communication systems. Our investigation uncovers a noteworthy advancement in the direction of reducing traffic accidents and addressing concerns related to traffic congestion and detrimental emissions. Nevertheless, there has been a significant rise in cybersecurity threats specifically aimed at AV systems, highlighting the need for strong preventative measures. The goal of this thorough evaluation is to give an in-depth look at the progress, problems, and possible solutions for making autonomous driving technologies and strategies safer and more reliable.

How can ridesharing be facilitated in car dependent practices? Insights from carless participants in organized leisure

This paper contributes a hitherto overlooked perspective on leisure practices-as-entities, and as performed by the carless, to understand and facilitate the conditions for related shared mobility. It identifies how organized car dependent leisure practices can be performed more sustainably by means of ridesharing. Applying a social practice perspective, car use is viewed as bundled with leisure practices. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 25 carless practitioners of scouting, orienteering, and children’s soccer in Sweden, we seek to determine the procedures and frictions of ridesharing, and how it can be facilitated. The findings show that ridesharing occurs and is mediated by digital tools in all three studied practices. Notable variations and sources of friction relate to whether ridesharing is collectively or individually coordinated, which is connected to the meanings and competences of the leisure practices themselves. The paper illustrates that, to facilitate ridesharing, competences beyond the management of digital tools are needed. More concretely, the promotion of ridesharing as part of a more formalized exchange within clubs and associations for organized leisure is suggested. Carless performers of car dependent practices illustrate potential “proto-practices” beyond the private car.

Development of mining operations in deep quarries using automobile and combined transport

Aim of this paper is to explore the development of mining operations in deep quarries utilizing automobile and combined transport systems to overcome these challenges. The use of automobiles in mining has been a growing trend, offering flexibility, maneuverability, and increased productivity. In deep quarries, traditional automobile transport faces limitations in terms of reach and efficiency, combined transport systems incorporating a combination of automobiles, conveyor belts, and other transport mechanisms have been proposed. This paper discusses the advantages of automobile transport in deep quarries, including its ability to navigate narrow passages and transport smaller loads efficiently. It examines the integration of combined transport systems, which leverage the strengths of automobiles alongside other modes of transportation to optimize mining operations. Key considerations in the development of these systems include infrastructure design, vehicle specifications, safety protocols, and environmental impact. By implementing innovative solutions tailored to the specific challenges of deep quarry mining, such as automated vehicle control and monitoring systems, it is possible to enhance efficiency, reduce operational costs, and improve safety standards. Also, this paper highlights case studies and examples of successful implementations of automobile and combined transport systems in deep quarries around the world. These real-world examples demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of adopting such approaches in challenging mining environments. In the paper criteria requirements and recommendations for the implementation of this process are presented in the technological processes of compaction using separators, which are carried out during the construction of highways, and the interdependence of indicators is presented through tables, graphs and calculation expressions.

(Two) Wheels on the Bus: Road User Perceptions of a Bike Bus and How This Links to Addressing Global Health Challenges.

Excessive car use hampers progress toward tackling global health challenges, including climate and sustainability issues, and is linked to lower physical activity. Local communities have been developing solutions through bike buses. This paper, one of the first on bike buses, explores how a bike bus is perceived by other road and place users. An interdisciplinary survey instrument with dialogic-style questions was distributed on flyers to road and place users on 1 bike bus route including when the bike bus was passing. Responses were thematically analyzed using analytic framing to identify themes and subthemes. This paper focuses on 2 domains related to physical activity's link to the global health challenges of climate change and sustainability issues of excess car traffic: climate actions and community-level activism. Overall, 172 responses were received from 542 distributed flyers (31.8%). The climate actions domain identified a bike bus as a solution that creates a transport mode shift, reduces emissions, and improves air quality. Themes associated with community-level activism domain include perception that a bike bus is a form of activism or a protest and that it is a disruption to the status quo on the roads. Our findings indicate that this active mobility practice goes beyond the utility of getting children to school and being a way to promote physical activity. A bike bus is seen as local community action that could create a transport mode shift, draw attention to road space allocation, and help tackle global health challenges.

What affects the attitudes of elderly drivers toward the use of advanced safety vehicles?

To ensure traffic safety for elderly drivers, effective measures that promote the use of advanced safety vehicles (ASVs) are required in Japan's aging society. This study was aimed at clarifying the attitudes of elderly drivers toward the use of ASVs. A survey was conducted targeting elderly drivers (N = 1657). The results classified the respondents into four groups, and the characteristics of each group were analyzed using a chi-square test and residual analysis of the cross-tabulation results of the respondents groups. The results revealed the following: (1) those who were interested in ASVs were more likely to intend to change to a safer vehicle. (2) Those who did not follow traffic rules were more likely to not use ASVs and not intend to change. (3) Those who had discussed car use with anyone were more likely to use ASVs. (4) The influence of the public transportation environment and the experience of minor collisions on ASV usage could not be confirmed. (5) To promote ASV usage, publicity and other measures are required to inspire interest in discussions regarding car usage and the merits of ASVs.

Commentary on "Ready, Set, Move! Tracking Children's Modified Ride-On Car Use With a Custom Data Logger".

Commentary on "Ready, Set, Move! Tracking Children's Modified Ride-On Car Use With a Custom Data Logger".

Comparative Economic Study of Electric Cars in Indonesia

As a step to reduce C02 emissions, the Indonesian Government has issued various regulations, one of the aims of which is to encourage the use of electric cars as environmentally friendly vehicles. According to Gaikindo (2022), the number of electric cars sold in 2022 of only 15,437 units. The figure has increased by 383.46% compared to 2021 however, the number of electric car users in Indonesia is still quite low when compared to the Indonesian Government’s target of 2 million units for switching from conventional/Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars to electric-based cars by 2030. Economic considerations are a significant barrier to efforts to electrify conventional cars. This research aims to provide an economic analysis of electric cars and conventional cars in Indonesia through Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Equipment Uniform Annualized Cost (EUAC) calculations. According to the TCO calculation, the best ownership time for an electric car at a distance of 10000-25000 KM is between 7 to 9 years. The deeper investigation through EUAC calculation showed that the economic lifetime of electric cars at a distance of 10000-25000 KM is 9 years compared with other ICE cars in the same segment.

Electric charging stations for electric vehicles in a traffic flow simulation model

This article substantiates the need to use simulation modeling in planning the location of parking lots equipped with charging stations for electric cars. Moscow is actively developing infrastructure for the use of electric cars for personal use, but there is a limited number of charging stations in the city districts. This increases the load on the transportation framework of the capital. Creating a simulation model of the transport system allows us to identify its “bottlenecks” related to the effective organization of road traffic and the creation of a sustainable environment. The use of methods of structural analysis, synthesis, groupings, information and simulation modeling allowed to establish all key objects of the problem area, their qualitative and quantitative characteristics necessary to create a simulation model. The created simulation model is based on the developed formal models of changes in the states of each class of objects, corresponding to the behavior in the real urban environment. To demonstrate the obtained results, a three-dimensional model corresponding to the simulation model is developed.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the global development and sustainability of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for electric vehicles. Production of various renewable energy sources has proven to be sustainable; however, with certain types of renewable energy sources, due to the cyclical nature of natural resources, energy production is not constant, and energy production needs to be more balanced with consumption needs. In the future, this problem could be alleviated if global energy storage capacity were improved and expanded. Today, batteries are an important but underutilized energy source for electric cars. LIBs have a long history behind them and currently play the most crucial role in the electric car industry. LIBs are primarily characterized by high energy and power density, which makes them incomparably competitive for use in electric cars. The research presents and processes in detail segments related to the development, principle of operation, and sustainability of LIBs, as well as the global manufacturing capacity of LIBs for electric vehicles.

Eco-green transport and logistics terminal with the suspended cable car

The volume of cargo turnover increases annually, while new large companies appear on the market, which, unlike transport companies, can boast of having their own transport and logistics centers, which gives independence and the opportunity for independent improvement. But at the same time, a sharp increase in the number of vehicles and low road capacity leads to delays in deliveries, which is especially important when transporting food and other goods with a limited shelf life. The situation is aggravated by the workload of logistics centers, the presence of toll booths and crossings on transportation routes, as well as increased taxes and fuel costs. All this is reflected in the added value and competitiveness of the company as a whole. Meanwhile, all these factors have a negative impact on the environment, the amount of waste and harmful emissions increases, which should not be left without due attention. Therefore, at the moment there are prerequisites for a wider use of rope transport for the transportation of goods, namely for the transportation of consumer goods at the level of transport and logistics centers. In the course of the study, the main conditions of application and possible ways of combined use of rope transport were determined. As a result, a mathematical model of the feasibility study was obtained and the optimization function of the transport and logistics terminal with the use of an overhead cable car was determined according to the criterion of total unitcosts.

Analysis of Travel Choice Behaviours of Commuters in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This study modelled the travel choice behaviour among commuters in a few selected coastal capital cities in the Niger Delta, reference to road and inland waterways. Multinomial-logit model was used in explaining discrete choiceswhile multiple Regressions was used for the model equation. The following factors that influence the behaviour of commuters such as travel time, cost, and socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics were investigated. A simple severity index was also used to ascertain the safety level of both ferries and automobiles which could influence commuters' mode choice behaviours. The alternative transport modes available to users were considered and include –private cars, walking, bus service and ferry (boat). From the findings, the use of private cars will be reduced considerably if the public transport sector is given attention in terms of infrastructure/facilities so they can compete. The greater percent that refused to change from private cars to public monorail show that private car users are attached to their cars not just for convenience but for prestige, flexibility, and privacy and finally, it was gathered from the model equation that variables like employment status, distance to work and driver's license had zero effect on the behaviour of people per their choice of transport mode.

Features of development of a digital twin of the transport system of an urban area using simulation modeling methods

The relevance of the study is justified by the growing share of urban population and their active use of personal automobile and public transportation. All this increases the mobility of the population and requires the development of transportation infrastructure in the established urban development. Solving such problems requires the development of models that simulate all aspects of the real object of the transportation system. With their help it is possible to conduct experiments on changing individual characteristics of the system in order to assess its response to control actions. The object of the study is Pervomayskaya Street at its intersection with the Tretya Parkovaya Street in the Izmailovo district of the Eastern Administrative District of Moscow. The article presents the stages of simulation model creation and their corresponding results in the form of models characterizing traffic flows, system objects and their behavior.

Family Car Ownership: Driving Inactivity in Young People? Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses in the International Children's Accelerometry Database.

Ubiquitous car ownership may affect children's activity and health. We assessed the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between household car ownership and children's daily time spent sedentary (SED) and in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Pooled cohort data were from the International Children's Accelerometry Database. Outcome measures were average daily accelerometer-measured SED and MVPA (in minutes per day). Exposures were household car ownership (none, 1, and ≥2) and change in car ownership. Associations were examined using multivariable mixed-effects linear regression. Mean age of participants (N = 4193) was 10.4years (SD = 2.0), 53.4% were girls, and mean follow-up duration (N = 1333) was 3.3years (SD = 1.1). Cross-sectionally, household car ownership was associated with higher SED (vs none: 1 car: β = 14.1min/d, 95% CI, 6.7-21.5; ≥2 cars: 12.8, 95% CI, 5.3-20.4) and lower MVPA (vs none: 1 car: β = -8.8, 95% CI, -11.9 to -5.7; ≥2 cars: β = -8.8, 95% CI, -12.0 to -5.7). Associations were stronger in boys than girls and in children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (SED only). Prospectively, there were no associations with increased car ownership. Reductions in household car ownership (of which 93.1% had ≥ 2 cars at baseline) were associated with a greater reduction in MVPA (vs no change: β = -8.4, 95% CI, -13.9 to -3.0) but not SED. Children in households with car access were more SED and less active than those without. Losing access to a second car was associated with greater decreases in MVPA, potentially related to losing access to activity-enabling environments. Reducing car access and use are important public health targets (eg,reducing air pollution), but their potential impact on children's activity opportunities should be mitigated.

Assessment of the Current Bus Route Network in the Federal Capital City Abuja, Nigeria

The inadequacy of buses for the public transportation system in the Federal Capital City (FCC) of Abuja has resulted to the dominant use of private automobiles, which has created a lot of problems, such as, long waiting times, lateness to work, kidnapping and loss of man-hours. The effort of Government in providing high capacity public buses through Abuja Urban Mass Transit Company (AUMTCO), has not been satisfactory. Therefore, in this study, an evaluation of the existing bus route networks and the availability of public transport bus services in the FCC, including an assessment of the factors that determine the present choice of travel mode in the City is presented. The methodology adopted includes: manual traffic volume count, measurement of traffic data and scope of the current bus route network using GPSmap76Cx (GARMIN) receiver, and questionnaire administration. The results show that public bus is 0.12% of vehicular traffic volume in the metropolitan city, while private car has 86.81%, which carries significant consequences that impact different facets of its citizens' lives. The existing bus routes network does not cover Wuse II and Maitama districts. Mode choice influences by social demographic characteristics, such as; occupation, marital status, time spent going to work, bus inconvenience, time to leave home for work, and decision to patronize public mode if available are among the trip factors assessed. The mean peak travel speed on the bus routes ranges from 15km/hr to 23 km/hr, while average time spent from house to and at bus stop are 10 minutes and 20 minutes respectively for public bus. The results suggest that the existing bus route networks should be optimized to cover all the districts of the Federal Capital City for effective accessibility and services to commuters. This will improve the security indices of commuters in the Federal capital city.

Investigating New Environmentally Friendly Zeotropic Refrigerants as Possible Replacements for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in Car Air Conditioners

The widespread use of automobiles and the increased duration spent within automobiles equipped with air conditioning systems have prompted various countries to enforce regulations that advocate for eco-friendly cooling substances (refrigerants) characterized by a slight global warming potential (GWP) and the absence of an ozone depletion potential (ODP). The imperative for automobiles to possess air conditioning systems that are both high-performing and eco-conscious has emerged as a means to mitigate their ecological impact, reduce fuel usage, and minimize carbon emissions. Zeotropic refrigerants, with a lower GWP than traditional alternatives, contribute to sustainability in car air conditioning by reducing the environmental impact and enhancing the energy efficiency, aligning with global regulations and fostering innovation in the automotive industry. This shift signifies a commitment to mitigating climate change and adopting environmentally conscious practices. The objective of the present study is to introduce blends of zeotropic refrigerants based on CO2 (R-744), namely R455A (a blend of R-744, R-32, and R-1234yf), R469A (a blend of R-744, R-32, and R-125), and R472A (a blend of R-744, R-32, and R-134a), to enhance the thermodynamic performance of pure CO2 refrigerant. Through the utilization of the Aspen HYSYS V11 software, an investigation is carried out involving thermodynamic energy and exergy analyses, as well as system optimization for an automotive air conditioning (AAC) system utilizing these novel zeotropic refrigerant blends, in comparison with the use of R-744 as the refrigerant. The study delves into the impact of parameters such as average evaporator temperature, condenser/cooler pressure, refrigerant flow rate, and condenser/cooler outlet temperature on AACs’ output parameters and subsequently presents the findings. The outcomes reveal that, under equivalent operational circumstances, the adoption of R455A, R469A, and R472A offers improvements in coefficient of performance (COP) by 35.4%, 18.75%, and 2%, respectively, when compared to R744. This shift is advantageous as it mitigates leakage-related issues stemming from the elevated operational pressure of R744 and eliminates the need for cumbersome equipment. R455A and R469A obtain the greatest COP and exergy efficiency (ηex) values, measuring 4.44 and 4.55, respectively, at the identical operating conditions with optimal condenser/cooler pressures of the examined blends. Furthermore, eco-friendly refrigerants R455A and R472A are recommended for integration into AAC systems in vehicles, as they help combat global warming and protect natural surroundings and leakage issues.

Overview of musculoskeletal pain complains in motorcycles and car drivers

Background: Motorcycle and car riders in Indonesia have a very high population. This results in the rider's body being in a prolonged static position every day while driving. Motorcycle and car riders are forced to drive a vehicle for at least 1 – 2 hours a day. Prolonged sitting positions can result in some musculoskeletal pain. This study aims to analyze the use of vehicles, both motorcycles and cars, in terms of driving duration and determine the incidence of musculoskeletal pain. Methods: This research uses a descriptive research design with a cross-sectional analysis. The data source for this research is primary data obtained by interviewing and using a questionnaire that refers to the Nordic Body Map to map musculoskeletal pain complaints felt by participants while driving. Results: The total population was 124 people, however, only 88 samples were willing to be research subjects in this study. The results shown that more than 60 percent of respondents felt musculoskeletal pain in their bodies because of driving. Driving for more than 3 hours a day is one of the factor causing the musculoskeletal pain. From the data that has been obtained, it can be seen that musculoskeletal pain is felt in almost all parts of the body. Furthermore, pain in the lower back and neck was the most painful area of the body that felt by the most respondents. The upper back/shoulder is also a part of the body that feels pain almost the same as the neck. Conclusion: Vehicle drivers, both motorcycles and cars, have quite a large percentage of experiencing musculoskeletal pain complaints. The parts of the body that experience the most of musculoskeletal pain complaints are the low back, neck and upper back or shoulders.

Optimization of the location and capacity of shared multimodal mobility hubs to maximize travel utility in urban areas

Nowadays, urban areas are exposed to various challenges such as climate change, social inequalities, and congestion. Shared mobility hubs present the opportunity to reshape our cities and mitigate the previously mentioned challenges by contributing to a more sustainable transport system. These are places where shared cars, mopeds, and e-bikes are offered to improve connectivity in urban areas. In this paper, we investigate the impact of efficiently allocating multimodal shared mobility hubs on modal split, service level, and environmental factors while assuring economic feasibility. Given a limited budget, cities would like to optimize the hubs’ locations to maximize the population’s benefits. For that purpose, we introduce a multi-stage design algorithm model that distributes the hubs and allocates fleets of shared cars, mopeds, and e-bikes to maximize travel utility for all the population traveling using traditional and/or shared modes while accounting for multimodal trips. The model is divided into several modules: computational modules that calculate the demand for the hubs; an optimization module to optimize the hubs’ capacities, availability, and relocation of shared vehicles; and finally, a genetic algorithm to find the optimal hub distribution. Our proposed model is one of the first that optimizes the location and capacity of multimodal hubs by considering multimodal trips in a large network. Additionally, it allows to assess mobility, spatial, and environmental impact of shared modes. The model is applied to the case of Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands, with around 800,000 inhabitants. After running several scenarios with different budgets allocated to build the hubs, results show that having more hubs with a lower number of shared vehicles is more beneficial than having fewer hubs with higher capacity. That is because the travel time savings increase considerably when investments lead to complete coverage of the area by the hubs network. A modal split of 5% for the shared modes is expected when Amsterdam is covered by 288 hubs. From an environmental point of view, only 32% of the shared trips replace trips previously made by ICE and electric cars, leading to a limited CO2 emissions reduction of 1.27%. Hence, introducing shared modes and mobility hubs without push measures for the use of private cars appears to offer limited benefits to decrease the negative impacts of private car usage.

The Impacts on Purchasing Intension of New Energy Vehicle Based on Big Data Analysis

As a matter of fact, there is a significant difference between developed and underdeveloped regions in contemporary society. Under the trend of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking in environmental protection in recent years, the use of cars powered by electric, hydrogen or other fuel except oil seems to be fragmented across different regions. With this in mind, this study mainly studies and investiagtes the relationship between economic level and the ownership of the cars powered by electric, hydrogen or other fuel except oil from a perspective of economic data, as well as explores the impact of economic development level and population on the ownership of cars powered by electric, hydrogen or other fuel except oil and environmental protection. According to the analysis, it has provided a positive impact on promoting the development and popularization of cars powered by electric, hydrogen or other fuel except oil, which shed light on guiding further exploration.

Avoiding Man-made Disasters using Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)-Strategy: Case of Namma Metro, Bengaluru

The use of private cars and vehicles clogs the roads and leads to accidents, congestion and road rage which are man-made disasters. One of the most important urban planning techniques to avoid disaster and to develop livable, productive and sustainable communities is Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), strong transit infrastructure, diverse land uses, higher-density development, walkable urban design, bicycle-friendly amenities, affordable housing and creative parking management which are just a few of the many components that make up TOD. These elements support the transition from car-centric urban design to more equitable and sustainable community development. Zoning and land use regulations, public-private partnerships, transit enhancements, community involvement, design principles, economic development programs, affordable housing policies, green and sustainable design techniques and the creation of TOD-specific zoning districts are some of the tactics used to implement TOD. The goal of these tactics is to develop thriving, economically sound communities that are oriented around effective public transit networks. For successful implementation of TOD projects, a detailed study at the city level, area level and nodal level has to be carried out. In this study, two metro stations at MG Road and Indiranagar, Bengaluru, India are considered and have been studied at baseline level for checking and considering TOD implementation based on the scoring method. Scoring based on primary data, spatial data and a revised master plan of Bengaluru has been carried out. Both the stations have obtained a score of 80% and 88% respectively. The score indicates that both stations are likely to consider and implement the TOD at this nodal level.