2017 NHTS Data User Guide

The National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) is the source of the nation\u2019s information about travel by US residents in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. This inventory of travel behavior includes trips made by all modes of travel (private vehicle, public transportation, pedestrian and cycling) and for all purposes (travel to work, school, recreation, and personal/family trips). Federal and state agencies use the survey results to monitor the performance and adequacy of current facilities and infrastructure, and to plan for future needs. State and regional agencies use the data to support travel demand modeling and long-range transportation planning. Data from the NHTS are included in broader, bi-annual reports to Congress on the performance of the surface transportation system. Survey data are also applied outside of transportation in the fields of public health, environmental analysis, time use studies, energy consumption, and social welfare

Summary of Travel Trends: 2017 National Household Travel Survey

DTFH6114F00113The 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) provides an inventory of daily travel in the US and its major Census Divisions and add-on areas. It is the only source of national-level statistics on personal travel in the US. The survey series (conducted since 1969) includes demographic data on households, people, vehicles, and detailed information on daily travel by all modes of transportation and for all purposes. NHTS survey data are collected from a sample of households and expanded to provide estimates of trips and miles of travel by travel mode, trip purpose, and other important attributes. When combined with historical data from the earlier surveys (1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, and 1995 NPTS and the 2001 NHTS, 2009 NHTS, and 2017 NHTS) these data serve as a rich source of information on the trends in travel over time. This report summarizes trends in household and personal travel patterns, including information on changes to the household-based vehicle fleet and commuting patterns. The report begins with a summary of the changes in the population, demographics, and related travel. Next, travel trends are examined at the household level, including differences between different areas of the US and by household income, for example. Next, changes in travel are summarized at the person-level, including trips by purpose and miles of travel by age and sex. Following sections detail changes in vehicle availability and usage, commute travel patterns, temporal distribution, and the travel of special populations. The 2017 NHTS was conducted with major changes in sampling strategy (an address-based sample compared to previous land-line random-digit sample) and methodology (Web-based self-reports compared to previous computer-aided interviewing). These and other critical changes are summarized here in Appendix A and in the data documentation at https://nhts.ornl.gov/. Researchers and data users are cautioned to do their best to assess how the change in methods may affect their estimates and to caution their readers about these critical changes in the data series

Association of Environmental Cadmium Exposure with Periodontal Disease in U.S. Adults

Background: Periodontal disease is a complex, multifactorial, chronic inflammatory disease that involves degradation of periodontal structures, including alveolar bone. Cadmium adversely affects bone remodeling, and it is therefore possible that environmental Cd exposure may be a risk factor for periodontal-disease–related bone loss. Objective: We examined the relationship between environmental Cd exposure and periodontal disease in U.S. adults. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). We defined periodontal disease as clinical attachment loss of at least 4 mm in > 10% of sites examined. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses to estimate the association between creatinine-corrected urinary Cd levels and periodontal disease. Results: Of the 11,412 participants included in this study, 15.4% had periodontal disease. The age-adjusted geometric mean urine Cd concentration (micrograms per gram creatinine) was significantly higher among participants with periodontal disease [0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.45–0.56] than among those without periodontal disease (0.30; 95% CI, 0.28–0.31). Multivariable-adjusted analyses, which included extensive adjustments for tobacco exposure, showed that a 3-fold increase in creatinine-corrected urinary Cd concentrations [corresponding to an increment from the 25th (0.18 μg/g) to the 75th (0.63 μg/g) percentile] was associated with 54% greater odds of prevalent periodontal disease (odds ratio = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.26–1.87). We observed similar results among the subset of participants who had limited exposure to tobacco, but only after removing six influential observations. Conclusion: Environmental Cd exposure was associated with higher odds of periodontal disease

Role of Agency Culture in Mainstreaming TSMO

DTFH61-16-D00053This White Paper aims to increase understanding of the role agency culture and cultural change can play in mainstreaming transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) and help agencies identify ways to influence their agency\u2019s culture to better facilitate mainstreaming TSMO. It presents concepts from fields such as change management, industrial/organizational psychology, and organizational development. It also incorporates examples and lessons learned from State departments of transportation (DOTs) in using cultural change to support mainstreaming TSMO

Use of Decisionmaking and Information Management Systems in Mainstreaming TSMO

DTFH61-16-D00053This White Paper explores how decisionmaking, decision support systems (DSSs), and information management systems (IMSs) may be mechanisms for mainstreaming TSMO (transportation systems management and operations)within transportation agencies. The Paper provides examples of how these systems have been used to advance and integrate TSMO in major agency functions such as planning, operations, maintenance, asset management, and performance management

In-vehicle Drowsy Driving Detection and Alerting

DTNH2211D00237/0014Drowsy driving is a common phenomenon that increases the risk for fatal and injurious crashes. Technological innovations in the form of driver monitoring and notification systems may offer potential to reduce crashes due to drowsy driving. These systems monitor the driver\u2019s drowsy driving state and issue alerts when the driver is classified by the system as drowsy. Research shows that driver notification can be effective in improving performance over relatively short drives. However, the efficacy of such systems for improving performance and changing drowsy driver decision making over longer drives is unknown. The goal of this project was to evaluate the efficacy of two notifications, a lane departure warning (LDW) and a drowsiness notification with LDW (DN/LDW). The notification conditions were compared against a no-notification baseline during 4-hour overnight drives in a high-fidelity driving simulator with an incentive method designed to replicate the motivational tradeoffs common to drowsy driving, i.e., the desire to reach a destination versus one\u2019s own safety while driving drowsy. The combined DN/LDW, but not the LDW, was effective in reducing the frequency of lane departures and also in reducing the percentage of eyelid closure (PERCLOS) prior to lane departure events compared to baseline. There was no difference between the notification conditions and baseline with respect to the frequency or timing of breaks to rest, suggesting that although notifications improved driving performance, they did not alter decision making. These results suggest that notifications may aid drowsy drivers, but in-vehicle alerts may not be effective in changing the way drowsy drivers make decisions about whether and when to stop to rest

Concurrent planning in public child welfare agencies: oxymoron or work in progress?

Concurrent planning is used increasingly in child welfare practice as one strategy to expedite permanency for children. The strategy was developed in small, private agency contexts utilizing comprehensive and intensive services; how and with what success concurrent planning concepts have been implemented by large public child welfare bureaucracies is not known. This study examines the implementation of concurrent planning in six county child welfare agencies in a large western state. Quantitative data were extracted from case files of a sample of 885 children entering out-of-home care before and after implementation of concurrent planning legislation. Interviews and focus groups with 180 individuals (including agency social workers, supervisors, and court personnel) from the same counties contextualize these findings. Results from the study help to identify factors that may facilitate or hinder successful implementation

The differential effects of concurrent planning practice elements on reunification and adoption

Objective: The child welfare practice of concurrent planning attempts to shorten children\u27s stays in foster care. There is very little quantitative research on concurrent planning\u27s effects. This study examines the influence of concurrent planning practice elements (reunification prognosis, concurrent plan, full disclosure, and discussion of voluntary relinquishment) on reunification and adoption. Method: Using a sample of 885 children, an observational design, and statistical controls, children who received concurrent planning elements were compared to those who did not. Results: Findings show discussion of voluntary relinquishment to be positively associated with adoption and full disclosure to be negatively associated with reunification. Conclusions: Concurrent planning\u27s benefits may require more intensive services to be fully realized. Care should be taken to ensure activities achieve their intended effects