Car Use Research Articles

Emotions, worry, efficacy, and climate change–related sustainability behaviors among a representative sample of Texas and Florida residents

Uptake and support of sustainable technologies that decrease greenhouse gas emissions are critical to mitigating climate change. Engagement in individual (e.g., eating less meat, electric car use) and collective (e.g., petition signing, donating money to environmental causes) sustainability behaviors may correlate with psychological factors including emotions, worry about climate change and natural hazards, and response efficacy. However, little research has explored these relationships in representative samples at high risk for climate-related hazard exposures (e.g., hurricanes, heatwaves, flooding). We assessed climate change-related sustainability behaviors in an ongoing, probability-based representative survey of 1479 Texas and Florida residents repeatedly exposed to climate-related hazards including hurricanes, heatwaves, flooding, and tornadoes. Controlling for demographics, behavior-related positive and negative emotions correlated with engagement in performing a greater number of collective-level sustainability behaviors (positive emotions: IRR = 2.06, p < .001; negative emotions: IRR = 1.46, p = .030). However, negative emotions were mediated by natural hazard worry, which in turn was mediated by climate change worry. Positive emotions were mediated by response efficacy. Individual-level sustainability behaviors were associated with positive emotions (IRR = 1.18, p < .001), which were again mediated by response efficacy. In adjusted analyses unpacking the relationship between discrete emotions and sustainability behaviors, hope was associated with individual- and collective-level sustainability behaviors (all ps < .05). Results suggest general climate change worry may be adaptive and that feelings of hope, relative to other emotions (both positive and negative), may help encourage sustainability behaviors that address climate change. Scalable interventions should explore leveraging these psychological experiences to promote uptake of sustainable technology-related behaviors more broadly.

Considerations on reducing emissions by increasing the use of electric vehicles in urban area

The pace between city development, increasing number of working places and emissions control is a challenge nowadays in urban environment. The gradual increase of electric cars ownership is essential for reducing the emissions level in urban areas. The city policy is of high importance for encouraging the use of electric cars, especially for trip purposes to work and business. The paper deals with the effects of increasing the fleet of electric vehicles on the emissions level in urban areas. The effect of considering a certain share of electric car trips to work and business is analyzed. Considering this, the concept of “green city corridors” can be introduced and considered as a priority for the transport policy in urban areas.

Measuring the Effect of Built Environment on Students’ School Trip Method Using Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale

School trips affect different aspects, such as air pollution and urban traffic, and of personal wellbeing, such as students’ physical and mental health. The increasing concern about environmental sustainability has prompted a reevaluation of daily activities, including school transportation. While different factors that affect students’ school trips have been investigated in the literature, the effect of the built environment has been evaluated only sporadically in previous studies. To fulfil this knowledge gap, this study aims to investigate the effect of the built environment on students’ school trips by adapting and extending the well-known Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) questionnaire. The questionnaire survey was conducted with parents from 36 schools in Yazd, Iran, providing a sample of 1688 students aged 7–18 years. The items from the NEWS questionnaire were placed in nine factors by performing factor analysis. The Multinomial Logit Regression model was applied to check the predictive power of these nine factors. It was found that the variables of land use mix-diversity, land use mix-access, crime, age, gender, household income and car ownership had a significant effect on students’ school trips. The more easily students have access to different places, the less they use public services and cars compared with the active travel mode. The use of public services and cars increases with the increase in crime rate along the route to school. The findings indicate that built environment features may impact students’ shift from traditional transportation modes to active alternatives, such as walking and cycling, contributing to the attainment of broader sustainability objectives.

Blockchain-based deep learning in IoT, healthcare and cryptocurrency price prediction: a comprehensive review

PurposeDeep learning (DL) is on the rise because it can make predictions and judgments based on data that is unseen. Blockchain technologies are being combined with DL frameworks in various industries to provide a safe and effective infrastructure. The review comprises literature that lists the most recent techniques used in the aforementioned application sectors. We examine the current research trends across several fields and evaluate the literature in terms of its advantages and disadvantages.Design/methodology/approachThe integration of blockchain and DL has been explored in several application domains for the past five years (2018–2023). Our research is guided by five research questions, and based on these questions, we concentrate on key application domains such as the usage of Internet of Things (IoT) in several applications, healthcare and cryptocurrency price prediction. We have analyzed the main challenges and possibilities concerning blockchain technologies. We have discussed the methodologies used in the pertinent publications in these areas and contrasted the research trends during the previous five years. Additionally, we provide a comparison of the widely used blockchain frameworks that are used to create blockchain-based DL frameworks.FindingsBy responding to five research objectives, the study highlights and assesses the effectiveness of already published works using blockchain and DL. Our findings indicate that IoT applications, such as their use in smart cities and cars, healthcare and cryptocurrency, are the key areas of research. The primary focus of current research is the enhancement of existing systems, with data analysis, storage and sharing via decentralized systems being the main motivation for this integration. Amongst the various frameworks employed, Ethereum and Hyperledger are popular among researchers in the domain of IoT and healthcare, whereas Bitcoin is popular for research on cryptocurrency.Originality/valueThere is a lack of literature that summarizes the state-of-the-art methods incorporating blockchain and DL in popular domains such as healthcare, IoT and cryptocurrency price prediction. We analyze the existing research done in the past five years (2018–2023) to review the issues and emerging trends.

Governmentalities of automobility in times of climate change: competing logics of circulation and imaginaries of the (im)possible

If we are to achieve climate change targets, transport systems need to transform. This article is concerned with the prospects of challenging the regime of automobility in urban areas. It employs a governmentality framework, alongside theories of automobility, in order to analyse mobility governmentalities in Gothenburg, Sweden. Gothenburg is an interesting case in the context of reducing car use given its identity as a ‘car city.’ Despite this, Gothenburg has high ambitions in terms of reducing car traffic. Reaching these goals are however associated with challenges: prognoses predict a continued increase in car traffic, and political acceptance is viewed as an obstacle. The article’s findings are based on semi-structured interviews with public officials and stakeholders, zooming in on (1) conflicting spatialities and temporalities (2) competing logics of circulation and pace and (3) mobility imaginaries of the (im)possible. We argue that while there are new logics entering urban mobility governmentalities as an effect of the climate transition, their possibilities to affect material change are confined because the movement and circulation of ‘people and things,’ ultimately represented by the private car, are closely tied to the way that freedom is exercised, understood and manifested in contemporary liberal societies.

Trajectory Interception Classification for Prediction of Collision Scope between Moving Objects

In the fields of autonomous navigation and vehicle safety, accurately predicting potential collision field points between moving objects is a significant challenge. A novel computing technique to enhance trajectory interception analysis is presented in this paper. Our objective is to develop a field model that can accurately forecast collision zones, improving road transportation safety and the use of autonomous cars. Our main contribution is a binary classification model called PCSMO (Prediction of Collision Scope between Moving Objects), which is based on zero-shot learning. Gann angles, which are typically 45 degrees, are used to analyze the trajectories of moving objects. This method is inspired by GANN (Gann Angle Numeric Nomenclature). Compared to earlier techniques, this model more accurately identifies potential collision collision interception zones. The technique computes Gann angles for trajectory analysis and extracts GPS coordinates of moving objects from video data using OpenCV. It offers a more sophisticated comprehension of object movement patterns and points of interception. To assess the precision, recall, F1-score, and prediction accuracy of our model, we employ 10-fold cross-validation. Comparing the PCSMO model to existing models, these metrics demonstrate how well the PCSMO model predicts potential collision zones. Our approach, we discovered, enhances trajectory analysis—a critical component of safer autonomous navigation systems. With potential applications in autonomous vehicle and UAV safety, the PCSMO model improves field interception classification.

Data-driven approaches for predicting performance degradation of solid oxide fuel cells system considering prolonged operation and shutdown accumulation effect

Solid oxide fuel cell system is widely acknowledged as the leading alternative energy generation system in the field. Due to their high efficiency, low emissions, low noise, and various other advantages, solid oxide fuel cell systems are being considered for use in automobiles as a replacement for traditional internal combustion engines. However, prolonged operation and abnormal shutdowns can lead to performance degradation, which affects the efficiency, stability, and lifespan of stack. In the context of prolonged operation, considering the fluctuations in stack performance parameters and balance of plant, several regression models based on voltage parameters are established to accurately predict changes in stack performance. The results reveal that the genetic algorithm optimized backpropagation neural network model is highly sensitive in predicting the system performance degradation. Further analysis reveals that abnormal shutdowns can cause system performance fluctuations. As a result, the number and duration of shutdowns are incorporated into genetic algorithm optimized backpropagation neural network model for analysis. This model exhibits the best performance degradation evolution prediction compared to the long short-term memory and particle swarm optimization backpropagation neural network methods. This finding is important for monitoring and controlling the operational status of stack.

Alternative prioritization for mitigating urban transportation challenges using a Fermatean fuzzy-based intelligent decision support model

Practitioners and decision-makers often face difficulties in selecting and prioritizing effective strategies to address challenges to sustainable urban transportation development. Although there has been considerable research conducted on the subject, the Tanzanian context, which is greatly affected by social and environmental problems, has received inadequate attention. Therefore, this study intends to bridge this gap by pinpointing the obstacles to sustainable urban transportation and proposing the most appropriate strategies to tackle them. The study proposes seven strategies and determines five criteria to prioritize them. To accomplish this, the study proposes a novel Fermatean fuzzy-based intelligent decision support model to assess the criteria weights and prioritizes strategies based on the weighted criteria. The study validates the proposed methodology by conducting a sensitivity analysis, which indicates that restricting car use (A5), improving sector coordination (A1), and conducting extensive research on transportation issues (A7) are the top three strategies for promoting sustainable urban transportation. The study’s findings hold significant value in providing urban transportation planners with helpful guidance to develop optimization techniques that can improve transportation systems.

The effect of rising prices of subsidized fuel on the use of private cars

The rising fuel prices on September 3, 2022, are expected to reduce the use of private cars and increase the use of public transport. This expectation has raised optimism among public transport operators and is expected to encourage them to invest more. However, there is no evidence to support the expectation. Therefore, it is essential to study the effect of the fuel price on the use of a particular transport mode, thus motivating this study. This paper aims to investigate the impact of the rising costs of subsidized fuel on private cars. A Likert-scale type of questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was analyzed descriptively, and then a conclusion was made based on the results. The study found that the daily commute of respondents changed after fuel prices increased. Distance, duration, and frequency of travel tend to be reduced and prioritized over primary activities. To reduce travel costs, the respondents who usually use cars are more likely to use motorcycles than public transport. The findings of this study disprove that an increase in fuel prices would increase the use of public transport. Why is public transport less favoured compared to motorcycles? It seems that the quality of service provided by public transport fails to satisfy the consumers' needs.

PADRÃO OU IMPOSIÇÃO DE MOBILIDADE? O ACESSO DAS MULHERES AO VEÍCULO INDIVIDUAL E FATORES DE GÊNERO.

Women are the biggest users of public transportation in Brazil, considering data between 1977 and 2007; and this pattern is justified by several socioeconomic factors (Svab, 2016; Nanya et al. 2019). The study addresses gender and urban mobility issues by analyzing the barriers to women's access to private vehicles, taking into account income and the distribution of household expenses. This analysis takes into account transportation expenses, the average income of women by region and the cost of a vehicle. The results show that women with an average national income commit between nine and seventeen years to buying a popular vehicle. The commitment of income when a woman opts for individual modes of transportation is very representative within the budget, making it impossible for the use of cars or motorcycles to be an effective commuting option for a portion of women in the country.

Effect of fuel injection pressure on the performances of a CI engine using water-emulsified diesel (WED) as a fuel

BackgroundThe choice of energy sources is essential for sustainable development to combat different environmental issues caused by the consumption of fossil fuels. Though diesel engines are considered more efficient and reliable than other internal combustion engines, they emit different harmful pollutants which are detrimental to human health and the environment. Researchers are trying to find suitable alternative fuels for diesel engines with lower pollutant emissions and without much compromise in the efficiency of the engine. In this regard, water-emulsified diesel (WED) may be considered to be one of the most suitable alternative fuels. It is expected that the entire world will use electric vehicles in the long term. However, the complete replacement of IC engines in the near future is not feasible. In fact, different European countries have targeted to ban the use of diesel engine cars before the middle of the twenty-first century. Prior to that date, hybrid vehicles will be more popular and diesel engines will continue to play an important role. Hence, research involving improvements in diesel-operated IC engines is still relevant.MethodsAn experimental investigation was carried out using WED containing 10% water by volume as a fuel in a diesel engine at four different fuel injection pressures. The WED was prepared using an ultrasonicator.ResultsWith the increase of injection pressure, peak net heat release rate and in-cylinder pressure are found to have increased. Brake thermal efficiency is also found to have improved at higher injection pressure. The maximum efficiency was recorded when a WED at 210 bar of injection pressure is used, and it is about 3.3% higher than the maximum efficiency achieved when using normal diesel at the same pressure of fuel injection. At a higher load, neat brake-specific fuel consumption is found to be less compared to neat diesel, when only the amount of diesel contained in the emulsion as a fuel is considered. Maximum reduction in both NOx and smoke emission by using WED is recorded at 210 bar, and the average reductions are determined to be 32.6% and 51.9%, respectively.ConclusionsWED can be used as an alternative fuel for existing diesel engines without any retrofitting and with significant reduction in the emissions of pollutants compared to normal diesel fuel. It can also be concluded that at higher injection pressure, the combustion, performance and emission characteristics of compression ignition engines are improved when using emulsified diesel.

Use of Mini Solar Panels for Battery Charging in the Mini Robot Warehouse

Industrial businesses have employed various robot cars to execute tasks related to goods movement, such as the Warehouse Robot Car, which utilizes a line follower sensor system. However, the substantial electricity consumption poses a challenge due to excessive energy use in robot cars. In light of this issue, the research aims to assess the utilization of mini solar panels in robot cars equipped with 3.3V Li-ION 18650 batteries. The primary objective is to calculate the electricity required to operate a line-following robot car within the designated sector. The approach involves designing robotics and solar panel systems for generating input and output power, including charging measurements. According to the findings, solar panels can charge at a maximum rate of 0.206358 watts for 45 minutes, while the robot can operate at a minimum rate of 0.26 watts for 29 minutes, resulting in a charging efficiency to robot performance of 43.5 percents.

What can urban transport policy achieve? How transport-policy-invariant characteristics relate to city-level car ownership and car use

Most case and comparative studies discuss urban characteristics that can hardly be influenced by urban transport policies. However, these studies do not quantify the impact of the so-called contextual factors on car ownership and car use. This paper focuses on these contextual factors and their associations with car ownership and car use. Regression models show that contextual factors - such as city size, the share of households with children and the jobs-housing balance - explain a substantial part of the variance in car ownership and car trips in 44 German cities. Residual analyses reveal that neglecting contextual factors leads to biases in comparative studies and consequently in the evaluation of urban transport policies. Thus, there is a risk that cities with favourable contextual factors may be mistakenly viewed as successful examples of transport policy, whereas successful policies in cities with less favourable contextual factors may be overlooked.

There’s no such thing as cycle traffic: A critical discourse analysis of public opposition to pro-cycle planning

Across a variety of low-cycling contexts, there are ambitious targets to reduce private car use and increase cycling to decarbonise everyday mobility practices. A component of many plans to achieve this modal shift is through active travel measures that redistribute rights to space, access or speed in a way that may prioritise cycling over driving. However, public opposition to proposals that might reduce the relative accessibility of driving can limit the possibility and scope of redistributive active travel measures, thereby preventing timely climate action and broader transport system change. In this study, we explored public opposition to a major redistributive active travel scheme proposed in the electoral county of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, located within the Dublin Metropolitan Area of Ireland, to examine more broadly how car-based automobility is politically sustained in this unique context. We focused our analysis on 150 public consultation submissions using Faircloughian Critical Discourse Analysis. In this paper, we present several major properties of an oppositional ‘technical discourse of transport planning’, that is normatively car-centric: ‘traffic’ as car-based (im)mobility, roads as ‘traffic’ spaces, ‘traffic’ as an immutable substance, and traffic demand-led planning. We interrogate the historical origins of this discourse in the context of Ireland and consider its effects on planning practices in relation to reproducing car-based automobility. Lastly, we conclude with recommendations that can form part of a counter-discourse that is more compatible with transport decarbonisation targets: wording cycle mobility as ‘cycle traffic’, construing redistributive cycleways as spaces of ‘traffic conversion’ rather than ‘traffic diversion’, and saliently outlining a principle of vision-led planning in redistributive active travel measures, amidst prevailing assumptions that transport planning ought to continue as a primarily ‘demand-led’ practice.

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.

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".