583,593 research outputs found
Broken Windows, Police, &Traffic Safety
Abstract This research explores application of the âbroken windowsâ theory of public disorder and urban decline to the pattern and problem of police officer fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. It contextualizes the influential theory into a 45-year timeline of significant events related to legislative efforts and traffic safety behavioral safety programs in the United States. It finds one police agency that reported fewer crimes and fewer crashes after implementing a community-wide Safe Streets program designed around âbroken windowsâ theory in 1997. It pays particular attention to states with the highest percentages of law enforcement officer fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, primary and secondary safety belt laws, laws banning cell phone use, and characteristics of police fatalities reported in a January 2011 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report. Preliminary findings validate current academic research suggesting more police-researcher partnerships are necessary to improve police practices
Air Traffic Management Safety Challenges
The primary goal of the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system is to control accident risk. ATM
safety has improved over the decades for many reasons, from better equipment to additional
safety defences. But ATM safety targets, improving on current performance, are now extremely
demanding. Safety analysts and aviation decision-makers have to make safety assessments
based on statistically incomplete evidence. If future risks cannot be estimated with precision,
then how is safety to be assured with traffic growth and operational/technical changes? What
are the design implications for the USAâs âNext Generation Air Transportation Systemâ
(NextGen) and Europeâs Single European Sky ATM Research Programme (SESAR)? ATM
accident precursors arise from (eg) pilot/controller workload, miscommunication, and lack of upto-
date information. Can these accident precursors confidently be âdesigned outâ by (eg) better
system knowledge across ATM participants, automatic safety checks, and machine rather than
voice communication? Future potentially hazardous situations could be as âmessyâ in system
terms as the Ăberlingen mid-air collision. Are ATM safety regulation policies fit for purpose: is it
more and more difficult to innovate, to introduce new technologies and novel operational
concepts? Must regulators be more active, eg more inspections and monitoring of real
operational and organisational practices
COMPLIANCE TESTING OF IOWAâS SKID-MOUNTED SIGN DEVICE
A wide variety of traffic control devices are used in work zones, some of which are nont ormally found on the roadside or in the traveled way outsideofthe work zones. These devices are used to enhance the safety of the work zones by controlling the traffic through these areas. Due to the placement of the traffic control devices, the devices themselves may be potentially hazardous to both workers and errant vehicles. The impact performance of many work zone traffic control devices is mainly unknown and to date limited crash testing has been conducted under the criteria of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report No. 350, Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features.
The objective of the study was to evaluatethe safety performance of existing skid-mounted sign supports through full- scale crash testing. Two full-scale crash tests were conducted on skid-mounted sign supports to determine their safety performance according to the Test Level 3 (TL-3) criteria set forth in the NCHRP Report No. 350. The safety performancevaluations indicate that these skid-mounted sign supports did not perform satisfactorily in the full-scale crash tests. The results of the crash tests were documented, and conclusions and recommendations pertaining tothe safety performance of the existing work zone traffic control devices were made
Cost-effectiveness of traffic enforcement: case study from Uganda
BACKGROUND:
In October 2004, the Ugandan Police department deployed enhanced traffic safety patrols on the four major roads to the capital Kampala.
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the costs and potential effectiveness of increasing traffic enforcement in Uganda.
METHODS:
Record review and key informant interviews were conducted at 10 police stations along the highways that were patrolled. Monthly data on traffic citations and casualties were reviewed for January 2001 to December 2005; time series (ARIMA) regression was used to assess for a statistically significant change in traffic deaths. Costs were computed from the perspective of the police department in 72,000. Since deployment, the number of citations has increased substantially with a value of 603 per death averted or 300 GDP per capita).
CONCLUSION:
The costs of traffic safety enforcement are low in comparison to the potential number of lives saved and revenue generated. Increasing enforcement of existing traffic safety norms can prove to be an extremely cost-effective public health intervention in low-income countries, even from a government perspective
Enabling Data-Driven Transportation Safety Improvements in Rural Alaska
Safety improvements require funding. A clear need must be demonstrated to secure funding. For transportation safety, data, especially data about past crashes, is the usual method of demonstrating need. However, in rural locations, such data is often not available, or is not in a form amenable to use in funding applications. This research aids rural entities, often federally recognized tribes and small villages acquire data needed for funding applications. Two aspects of work product are the development of a traffic counting application for an iPad or similar device, and a review of the data requirements of the major transportation funding agencies. The traffic-counting app, UAF Traffic, demonstrated its ability to count traffic and turning movements for cars and trucks, as well as ATVs, snow machines, pedestrians, bicycles, and dog sleds. The review of the major agencies demonstrated that all the likely funders would accept qualitative data and Road Safety Audits. However, quantitative data, if it was available, was helpful
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