Impact of Road Crashes on Poverty in Myanmar: A Case Study in Yangon

This paper reveals the impacts of road crashes on poor people in Yangon Myanmar The study aims to investigate whether poor people are more likely to be involved in road crashes and to identify whether the consequences of road crashes have higher impacts on poor households than on non-poor households The study was based on a questionnaire survey conducted in Yangon To identify involvement in road crashes and impacts on the households of poor and non-poor people hypothesis tests were applied A linear regression model and logit model were applied to evaluate contributing factors to a declining situation of household income after road crash involvement The results show that lower social economic groups are more involved in road crashes in Yangon than are higher social economic groups The costs and impacts of road crashes are higher burdens for poor people The findings can assist policy makers in determining appropriate policies to mitigate the impacts and improve poverty alleviation actions Other than that transportation planning such as the improvement of public transport and basic road infrastructure could reduce the road crash problem for poor people who are the main group of road users in Yango

Departure Time Choice (DTC) Behavior for Intercity Travel during a Long-Holiday in Bangkok, Thailand

Time-of-day (TOD) or departure time choice (DTC) has become an interesting issue over two decades. Many researches have intensely focused on time-of-day or departure time choice study, especially workday departures. However, the travel behavior during long-holiday/intercity travel has received relatively little attention in previous studies. This paper shows the characteristics of long-holiday intercity travel patterns based on 2012 New Year data collected in Thailand with a specific focus on departure time choice of car commuters due to traffic congestion occurring during the beginning of festivals. 590 interview data were analyzed to provide more understanding of general characteristics of DTC behavior for intercity travel at the beginning of a Bangkok long-holiday. Moreover, the Multinomial Logit Model (MNL) was used to find the car-based DTC model. The results showed that travelers tend to travel at the peak period when the parameters of personal and household are not so significant, in contrast to the trip-related characteristics and holiday variables that play important roles in traveler decision on departure time choice. Finally, some policies to distribute travel demand and reduce the repeatable traffic congestion at the beginning of festivals are recommended. Document type: Articl

Using Czech TCT to Assess Safety Impact of Deceleration Lane at Thai U-turns

Purpose of this study is to evaluate safety impact of the deceleration lane at the Upstream Zone of at-grade U-turns on 4-lane divided Thai highways. A substantial speed reduction is required by vehicles for diverging and making U-turn, and the deceleration lanes are provided for this purpose. These lanes are also providing a storage space for the U-turning vehicles to avoid unnecessary blockage of through lanes and reduce the potential of rear-end collisions. The safety at the U-turn is greatly influenced by the proper or improper use of the deceleration lanes. Subject to their length, full or partial speed adjustment can occur within the deceleration lane also the road users’ behavior is influenced. To assess the safety impact, the four groups of U-turns with the varying length of deceleration lanes were identified. Owing to limitation of availability and reliability of road crash data in Thailand, widely accepted Traffic Conflict Technique (TCT) was used as an alternative and proactive methodology. The U-turns’ geometric data, traffic conflicts and volume data were recorded in the field at 8 locations, 8 hours per location. Severity Conflict Rate (SCR) was assessed by applying a weighing factor (based on the severity grades according to the Czech TCT) to the observed conflicts related to the conflicting traffic volumes. A comparative higher value of SCR represents a lower level of safety. According to the results, increase in the functional length of the deceleration lane yields a lower value of SCR and a higher level of the road safety

The Study of Influencing Factors on Injuries and Fatality of Bus Rollover Accidents

The purpose of this research is to study the factors that have Influenced the Injuries and fatalities of bus rollover accidents in the Northeastern region of Thailand. The data of 6 accident cases were collected by an In–depth Accident Investigation method and analyzed by using Binary Logistic Regression Analysis and Ordered Logistic Regression. The results indicated that the elderly passengers, seat position far from the rollover side, front seat position, and a malfunctioning bus had influent on bus passenger fatality. Furthermore, the elderly passengers, seat position far from the rollover side, crashing into other non - guardrail objects and double decker busses also affect on severe injury of bus passenger injury

Using Czech TCT to Assess Safety Impact of Deceleration Lane at Thai U-turns

Purpose of this study is to evaluate safety impact of the deceleration lane at the Upstream Zone of at-grade U-turns on 4-lane divided Thai highways. A substantial speed reduction is required by vehicles for diverging and making U-turn, and the deceleration lanes are provided for this purpose. These lanes are also providing a storage space for the U-turning vehicles to avoid unnecessary blockage of through lanes and reduce the potential of rear-end collisions. The safety at the U-turn is greatly influenced by the proper or improper use of the deceleration lanes. Subject to their length, full or partial speed adjustment can occur within the deceleration lane also the road users’ behavior is influenced. To assess the safety impact, the four groups of U-turns with the varying length of deceleration lanes were identified. Owing to limitation of availability and reliability of road crash data in Thailand, widely accepted Traffic Conflict Technique (TCT) was used as an alternative and proactive methodology. The U-turns’ geometric data, traffic conflicts and volume data were recorded in the field at 8 locations, 8 hours per location. Severity Conflict Rate (SCR) was assessed by applying a weighing factor (based on the severity grades according to the Czech TCT) to the observed conflicts related to the conflicting traffic volumes. A comparative higher value of SCR represents a lower level of safety. According to the results, increase in the functional length of the deceleration lane yields a lower value of SCR and a higher level of the road safety

Evaluation of the extent of HMA moisture damage in Wisconsin as it relates to pavement performance

83 p.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the relationship between the performance of asphalt pavements in the field and the Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR) values measured in the laboratory on the original asphalt mixtures used in constructing the pavements. In addition, the study included evaluating the effects of anti-stripping additives on field performance and their impact on the cost of the production and construction of the pavements. To assess the moisture damage problem in the field, a total of 21 existing Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) pavement sections that were built to meet the specification, prior to 1992, when the requirement of the TSR parameter was adopted, were selected to cover a wide range of locations and aggregate sources. The TSR data and the Pavement Distress Index (PDI) for these projects were collected from the TSR database and the WisDOT Pavement Management Database, respectively. Analysis of these data indicated that there is no relationship between TSR and the field pavement performance as measured by the PDI reported in 2001. In addition, there was no relationship between the TSR and specific pavement distresses that are known to be related to the moisture damage (surface raveling and rutting). To evaluate the effect of using anti-stripping additive, a database study and a laboratory study were conducted. Results from the database showed that there is an effect of using anti-stripping additives on the pavement performance (as measured by PDI) and also an effect on the specific pavement distresses that are related to the moisture damage (surface raveling and rutting). In the laboratory, the anti-stripping additives were mixed with an asphalt binder, and the changes in binder properties were evaluated. Anti-stripping additives were not found to change the rheological properties of asphalt binders, nor to improve the rutting and fatigue related properties of asphalt binder as measured by the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). However, they were found to increase the adhesion of asphalt binder to selected mineral surfaces, especially when the binder bond is exposed to water. The cost estimation of the pavement with anti-stripping additives is found very similar to the cost of the pavement without anti-stripping additives when taking into consideration the cost of maintenance every 5-6 years of the pavement service life. The recommendations from this study include considering either improvement of the TSR test or replacing the TSR procedure with other easier, less costly procedures. The improvement of the TSR testing protocol is needed to control the excessive variability that occurs during the standard procedure. Such improvements could lead to better quantifiable test and better correlation to the field pavement performance. It is further recommended that for a better assessment of causes and consequences of moisture damage of asphalt mixtures, the role of asphalt binder and aggregate should be studied separately by using adhesion and cohesion testing.Wisconsin Department ot Transportation, Division of Transportation Intrastructure Developmen

Identification of Factors in Road Accidents through In-Depth Accident Analysis

The rising trend of motorization and improving socio-economic status of Thai people directly influences the aggravating road safety situation with fatalities and permanently disabled injuries of about 130,000 and 500,000 respectively over the past decades. An estimated annual cost from road crashes amounts to about US$2,500 million, 3.4 percent of Gross National Product (GNP), undoubtedly inflicts Thailand with a burning public health concern in the South East Asian region. This paper addresses an in-depth study through crash investigation and reconstruction which has not yet been practised in Thailand to identify the contributory factors in road crashes by the concerned authorities. This research attempts to establish the linkage between the causes and consequences with event classification of an investigated case by highlighting the dynamic driving situation with initial traveling speed, pre-impact and post-impact speed of the involved vehicles to describe the crash scenario. Moreover, inaccurate risk assessment and late evasive action, absence of street-light facilities, inadequate lane marking and visibility were also outlined as major risk factors increasing the severity of crash and injury in this investigated case

An In-depth Analysis of Road Crashes in Thailand

Inattentive driving is considered one of the crucial components in human factors leading to collision. Secondary task due to the driver\u27s distraction from normal driving could be precipitating factors ranging from near misses to severe collisions. An in-depth analysis of such internal distraction of the driver related collision was conducted through investigation and reconstruction approach in a systematic way which is regarded as a stepping stone and a new way forward to the annals of road safety research in the developing countries particularly in Thailand. In-depth study of road accidents is a timely requisite to conduct, identifying the contributory factors, where over 12000 innocent people become fatal in Thailand from road accidents accounting 3.4 percent of Gross National Product annually. The objective of this research is to describe the events and identify the factors with calculated speed of vehicles based on energy approach from detailed at-scene investigation by demonstrating a case study. Detailed information, interview and evidence regarding crash scene, involved vehicles and occupants were collected to establish the trajectory of the vehicle movements by performing in-depth study addressing possible factors leading to the collision. The findings of this study demonstrated the consequential events resulting in vehicle damage and occupants\u27 injuries initiating from running off the road from inattentive driving and colliding with another vehicle while trying to recover and regain the driving task into the roadway

Effects of COVID-19 on Travel Behavior and Mode Choice: A Case Study for the Bangkok Metropolitan Area

This research compared the primary purpose of travelling, mode choice, factors affecting mode choice, and frequency of working from home before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangkok, Thailand using statistical tests and multinomial regression modelling. The Thailand Government applied various restrictions such as limited gathering, mandatory face masks, and closure of institutes to control the pandemic’s spread. The study results show a significant difference in the purpose of primary trips, distance travelled, travel time, number of primary trips, and mode chosen for the primary trips before and during the pandemic. People shifted from working to shopping trips, public to private transport or active modes, and in-person/office work to online working during COVID-19. Male respondents showed higher chances of using public transport than female respondents and gave higher preference to pandemic-related factors for the mode selection during the pandemic. The Government should take actions based on COVID-19 measures such as mandatory face masks, contactless tickets, and sanitization disinfectant booths on every transit station to promote public transport usage. People shifted from public to active modes during the pandemic. There is a need for the improvements of the walkways and footpaths to attract people to use active modes in the future

Effect of pavement thickness on Superpave mix permeability and density

154 p.This research study was conducted to determine the influence of maximum aggregate size, lift thickness, and aggregate source on the density and permeability of asphalt mixtures designed according to the Superpave criteria. The project included results of 16 mixes used on 9 field projects in which critical variables affecting the density and permeability of hot mix asphalt (HMA) were varied. The in-place density and field permeability were measured using the nuclear gauge and the NCAT field permeability device, respectively. Field cores were taken from completed field pavements for measuring permeability in the laboratory by using the ASTM D5084 method. In addition laboratory compaction was used to prepare and test samples in the laboratory from loose mixtures recovered from the field. The results from field study indicate that density and permeability of Superpave mixes are affected by project-specific variables including gradation, base type, source, and Ndesign level. For fine-graded mixes the t/NMAS ratio showed a lower density particularly below a ratio of 2 for gravel-source mixes and a ratio of 3 for limestone-source mixes. No clear relationship was found, however, between t/NMAS ratios and permeability for fine-graded mixes. For coarse-graded mixes no specific trends for effect on density were found but there were effects on permeability. Low t/NMAS ratios for limestone-source were found to increase permeability, but no trend could be found for the gravel-source mix. It was also found that there is a correlation between aggregate gradation and permeability. As the ratio of (%P1/2-%P3/8)/(%PNo.4-%PNo.8) increases, the permeability decreases, and as the gaps between the coarse aggregates (%P1/2" and %P3/8") and/or the fine aggregates (%P4 and %P8) increase, the permeability increases. This trend could be used in the mix design process to limit permeability by either reducing the difference between the coarse sieves, fine sieves, or both. In the laboratory study, two compaction procedures, called Method A and Method B, were used to produce specimens using the Superpave Gyratory Compactor (SGC). The result indicates that Method B, which is based on using Ndesign gyrations for different sample sizes, can be used to produce samples that give permeability values similar to values measured for field cores. The results indicate a good relationship between field permeability (using the NCAT device) and lab permeability measured on field cores of fine-graded mixes with amount of passing No. 8 sieve (P8) higher than 45%. However, the relationship between field permeability and lab permeability measured on field cores of coarse-graded mix (P8 lower than 40%) is very poor. It is therefore concluded that the NCAT permeability device could possibly be used in the field for fine-graded mix (with P8 higher than 45%) to measure a permeability index that is related to the true permeability of field cores as measured by the ASTM D5084. However, to measure the field permeability of coarse-graded mix (P8 lower than 40%), an approach to prevent water leakage along the sealant due to rough pavement surface should be established. For coarse graded mixtures, there appears to be no alternative better than taking field cores and testing them in the lab. For estimating permeability during mixture design, a method for preparing and testing permeability of SGC specimens and interpolating based on expected field density is introduced. The results represent a good estimate of the expected in-place field permeability. The recommendations from this study included no changes in the selection of minimum pavement thickness and t/NMAS ratios in the specifications. However, this recommendation does not ensure achieving density nor limit permeability. It is also recommended that for the permeability and density criteria for Superpave mix designs, the target permeability and density values should be developed from in-service pavements with recorded performance histories. For further study, the warranty projects with proven record of performance can be used to define target density and permeability criteria for HMA pavement in Wisconsin