scholarly journals European birds adjust their flight initiation distance to road speed limits

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 20130417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Legagneux ◽  
Simon Ducatez
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Territory Size ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Vehicle Speed ◽  
Flight Initiation Distance ◽  
Speed Limits ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Road Speed ◽  
Flight Initiation ◽  
Local Speed

Behavioural responses can help species persist in habitats modified by humans. Roads and traffic greatly affect animals' mortality not only through habitat structure modifications but also through direct mortality owing to collisions. Although species are known to differ in their sensitivity to the risk of collision, whether individuals can change their behaviour in response to this is still unknown. Here, we tested whether common European birds changed their flight initiation distances (FIDs) in response to vehicles according to road speed limit (a known factor affecting killing rates on roads) and vehicle speed. We found that FID increased with speed limit, although vehicle speed had no effect. This suggests that birds adjust their flight distance to speed limit, which may reduce collision risks and decrease mortality maximizing the time allocated to foraging behaviours. Mobility and territory size are likely to affect an individuals' ability to respond adaptively to local speed limits.

A Study on Effect of Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) to Bus Drivers

2013 ◽  
Vol 393 ◽  
pp. 982-987
Author(s):  
N.M. Hanif Zamakhshari ◽  
Ahmad Khushairy Makhtar ◽  
M. Hanif Ramli
Keyword(s):  
Speed Limit ◽  
Vehicle Speed ◽  
Speed Profile ◽  
Bus Drivers ◽  
The Road ◽  
Road Speed ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Intelligent Speed Adaptation ◽  
Attention Level ◽  
Local Speed

ntelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) is a system that constantly monitors vehicle speed, local speed limit on a road and implements an action such as giving warning or discourages the drivers when the vehicle is detected to be exceeding the speed limit. A GPS connected to digital speed map allows Intelligent Speed Adaptation technology to continuously update the vehicle speed limit to the road speed limit. The main purpose of this project is to study the speed profile and effect on drivers psychology on Intelligent Speed Adaptation to bus drivers before and after the intervention of ISA technology. An experiment was conducted on GPS-ISA instrument involving about 20 respondents of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam Campus bus drivers from various backgrounds. The instrument used to collect data is GPS-ISA device. The data gained from GPS-ISA device is speed profile to specify the speeding and speed variation. To evaluate drivers psychology, a set of questionnaire was designed. The data gained from questionnaire are attention level, stress level, and ISA acceptance level. The result of total differences for all 20 respondents between the average speed before and after the intervention for Zone 1 to Zone 5 was-8.95 km/h. For drivers psychology results, most of the respondents are willing to use ISA system if given a chance. Majority of respondents did not felt any stress and distraction while driving by using ISA system. For conclusion, the ISA system proved to be efficiently reduced speed of busses in UiTM Shah Alam campus zone and can be used as an initiative in order to assist bus drivers to reduce speed of vehicles especially in campus zone.

Effect of visibility on time allocation and escape decisions in crimson rosellas

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Boyer ◽  
Laura L. Hass ◽  
Matthew H. Lurie ◽  
Daniel T. Blumstein
Keyword(s):  
Time Allocation ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Antipredator Behaviour ◽  
Flight Initiation Distance ◽  
Perception Of Risk ◽  
White Sheet ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Flight Initiation

Most studies of antipredator behaviour have focused on a single behaviour at a time, but ubiquitous factors may simultaneously influence a variety of activities. Habitat structure influences visibility, which influences both the ability of prey to detect and respond to their predators. We studied how habitat visibility influenced time allocation and escape decisions of crimson rosellas (Playcercus elegans). We examined the effect of visibility on time allocated to looking, locomotion and foraging. We measured escape decisions by experimentally approaching rosellas until they fled. We measured visibility by standing 12 m away from a 1-m2 white sheet containing 36 points and counting the number of points that were visible. As measured, visibility influenced time allocated to both foraging and locomotion. However, there was no effect of visibility on flight-initiation distance or two other related measures of escape (a measure of the latency to detect an approaching threat or the latency to flee once the threat was detected). Therefore, crimson rosellas modified their behaviour as a function of visibility, but this did not influence their decision to flee from an approaching human. We infer that they are sensitive to variation in visibility, but that this does not influence their overall perception of risk as we measured it. These two stages of antipredator behaviour may thus be largely independent; ubiquitous factors need not have ubiquitous effects on different aspects of antipredator behaviour.

Koala mortality on roads in south-east Queensland: the koala speed-zone trial

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 419 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Dique ◽  
Jim Thompson ◽  
Harriet J. Preece ◽  
Guy C. Penfold ◽  
Deidré L. de Villiers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Vehicle Speed ◽  
Trial Period ◽  
Speed Limits ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
The Road ◽  
Queensland Department ◽  
Road Speed ◽  
Differential Speed ◽  
Healthy Males

In 1995, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, the Queensland Department of Main Roads and Redland Shire Council initiated the Koala Speed Zone Trial in the Koala Coast, south-east Queensland. The aim of the trial was to assess the effect of differential speed signs on the number of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) hit by vehicles in the Koala Coast from 1995 to 1999. On the basis of information collected by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service 1407 koalas were hit by vehicles in the Koala Coast during the five-year study (mean 281 koalas per year, range 251–315). Monitoring of vehicle speeds by the Queensland Department of Main Roads suggested that there was no significant reduction in vehicle speed during the trial period from August to December. Consequently, there was no evidence to suggest that a reduction in the number of koalas hit by vehicles occurred during the trial. Approximately 70% of koalas were hit on arterial and sub-arterial roads and approximately 83% did not survive. The location of each koala hit was recorded and the signed speed limit of the road was noted. Most koalas that were hit by vehicles were young healthy males. Pooling of data on koala collisions and road speed limits suggested that the proportion of koalas that survived being hit by vehicles was slightly higher on roads with lower speed limits. However, vehicle speed was not the only factor that affected the number of koalas hit by vehicles. It is suggested that habitat destruction, koala density and traffic volume also contribute to road-associated koala mortality in the Koala Coast.

Escape behaviour in the leopard lizard (Gambelia wislizenii): effects of starting distance and sex

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faelan Jacobson ◽  
Grace Garrison ◽  
Jacob Penner ◽  
João Zecchini Gebin ◽  
Maria Eifler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Flight Distance ◽  
Flight Initiation Distance ◽  
Ecological Role ◽  
Escape Behaviour ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Flight Initiation

Predation risk influences decision making, escape behaviour, and resource use. Risk assessment and behavioural responses to predation can depend on demographic and environmental factors. We studied the escape behaviour of the long-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia wislizenii) when approached by a human predator (= “simulated predator”), analysing flight initiation distance (FID) and flight distance (FD) relative to demographic and environmental variables. Starting distance (SD) of the simulated predator and orientation of prey lizards relative to the simulated predator influenced FID, but body size of the prey lizard did not. Sex interacted with SD to affect FID. Females lengthened their FIDs as SD increased, while male FID was unrelated to SD. Flight distance increased with increasing SD. Gambelia wislizenii’s ecological role as an ambush predator may explain their escape behaviour; reproductive status potentially affected the interaction between sex and SD.

scholarly journals Modeling of the Relationship Between Speed Limit and Characteristic Speed of Expressway Traffic Flow

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Yang ◽  
Jinliang Xu ◽  
Chao Gao ◽  
Guohua Bai ◽  
Linfang Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Highway Safety ◽  
Free Flow ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Vehicle Speed ◽  
Flow State ◽  
Speed Limits ◽  
Characteristic Speed ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Strong Linear Relationship

Understanding the relationship between speed limit and characteristic speed of expressway traffic flow is of great significance for formulating a reasonable speed limit scheme and improving highway safety and transportation efficiency. In this study, the speed data of the same traffic flow passing through speed limits of 80, 100, and 120 km/h were continuously collected through a field test. The 85th, 15th, and 50th percentile speeds were considered the characteristic speed parameters of the traffic flow. A regression analysis was performed to establish a relationship between the characteristic speed parameters of the traffic flow and the speed limit. Under a free-flow state, the characteristic speed exhibited a strong linear relationship with the speed limit, where the variation ranges of the 85th and 50th percentile speeds were approximately consistent with that of the speed limit. However, a slight inconsistency was found for the 15th percentile speed, which was approximately half the speed limit increase; under a non-free-flow state, the correlation between the speed limit and the vehicle speed was no longer significant.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Impacts of Speed Limit Increases on Rural Two-Lane Highways Using Quantile Regression

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110197
Author(s):  
Md Shakir Mahmud ◽  
Nischal Gupta ◽  
Babak Safaei ◽  
Hisham Jashami ◽  
Timothy J. Gates ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantile Regression ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Passenger Cars ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Speed Limits ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Rural Highways ◽  
Speed Selection ◽  
Numerous Site

Understanding speed selection behavior of drivers following speed limit increases is critically important. To date, the literature has largely focused on freeways and the effects of speed limit changes on two-lane highways remains under researched. Prior research has generally focused on changes to mean speeds, although the speeds of both the highest and lowest drivers are also of great interest. This study investigates trends in free-flow travel speeds following 2017 legislation that increased the posted speed limit from 55 to 65 mph on 943 mi of rural highways in Michigan. Speed data were collected for over 46,000 drivers at 67 increase segments where speed limit increased and 28 control segments where speed limits remained unchanged, before and during each of the two successive years following the speed limit increases. Site-specific traffic, geometric, and cross-sectional information was also collected. Impacts of the speed limit increases on the 15th, 50th, and 85th percentile speeds were evaluated using quantile regression. Separate analyses were conducted for passenger cars and heavy vehicles. Locations where the speed limits were raised experienced increases in travel speeds ranging from 2.8 to 4.8 mph. The control sites experienced marginal changes in speeds, which suggests that any spillover effects of the higher speed limits have been limited. Significant differences were observed across the quantiles with respect to the effects of the speed limit increases, as well as numerous site-specific variables of interest. The results provide important insights about the nature of driver speed selection and the impacts of speed limit increases.

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