Environmentally-friendly electric vehicles: a silent menace to vulnerable road users?

Author(s):  
Meisam Siamidoudaran ◽  
Mehdi Siamidodaran ◽  
Hilmiye Konuralp

Prediction models have been extensively used in the field of road safety, however, none of these models have been particularly applied to zero-emission electric vehicle (EV) related injuries so far; which may lead to different outcomes due to their inaudible engines. Using an optimizable classification tree, this first-ever study aims to predict the likelihood of personal injury severities stemming from EV-related crashes on Britain's roads. The prediction model was found to be capable of detecting significant and insignificant factors. The factors provide important insights into how the severity of injuries can be reduced in the future deployment of EVs. Although there was an increased risk for injuries classified as ‘slight severity’, particularly at lower urban speed limits, several predictors are suggesting that EVs do not pose more of a risk to a certain group. Contrary to popular belief, no convincing evidence has been found to suggest that eco-friendly EVs are ‘silent killers’ for vulnerable road users.

Safety ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Demasi ◽  
Giuseppe Loprencipe ◽  
Laura Moretti

Attention to the most vulnerable road users has grown rapidly over recent decades. The experience gained reveals an important number of fatalities due to accidents in urban branch roads. In this study, an analytical methodology for the calculation of urban branch road safety is proposed. The proposal relies on data collected during road safety inspections; therefore, it can be implemented even when historical data about traffic volume or accidents are not available. It permits us to identify geometric, physical, functional, and transport-related defects, and elements which are causal factors of road accidents, in order to assess the risk of death or serious injuries for users. Traffic volume, average speed, and expected consequences on vulnerable road users in case of an accident allow us to calculate both the level of danger of each homogeneous section which composes the road, and the hazard index of the overall branch. A case study is presented to implement the proposed methodology. The strategy proposed by the authors could have a significant impact on the risk management of urban roads, and could be used in decision-making processes to design safer roads and improve the safety of existing roads.


Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 2282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarra Smaiah ◽  
Rabah Sadoun ◽  
Abdelhafid Elouardi ◽  
Bruno Larnaudie ◽  
Samir Bouaziz ◽  
...  

Motorcycle drivers are considered among the most vulnerable road users, as attested by the number of crashes increasing every year. The significant part of the fatalities relates to “single vehicle” loss of control in bends. During this investigation, a system based on an instrumented multi-sensor platform and an algorithmic study was developed to accurately reconstruct motorcycle trajectories achieved when negotiating bends. This system is used by the French Gendarmerie in order to objectively evaluate and to examine the way riders take their bends in order to better train riders to adopt a safe trajectory and to improve road safety. Data required for the reconstruction are acquired using a motorcycle that has been fully instrumented (in VIROLO++ Project) with several redundant sensors (reference sensors and low-cost sensors) which measure the rider actions (roll, steering) and the motorcycle behavior (position, velocity, acceleration, odometry, heading, and attitude). The proposed solution allowed the reconstruction of motorcycle trajectories in bends with a high accuracy (equal to that of fixed point positioning). The developed algorithm will be used by the French Gendarmerie in order to objectively evaluate and examine the way riders negotiate bends. It will also be used for initial training and retraining in order to better train riders to learn and estimate a safe trajectory and to increase the safety, efficiency and comfort of motorcycle riders.


Tehnika ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 777-781
Author(s):  
Milenko Čabarkapa

In the last ten years, there has been a stabilization of traffic fatalities on the roads of the world. At the same time, the death toll of persons in the armor of vehicles was reduced, and the death toll of persons outside the armor of vehicles-vulnerable road users continued to grow. The most endangered are motorcyclists, then pedestrians and finally cyclists, both in developed countries of the European Union and in underdeveloped and developing countries. Lagging behind in reducing the fatalities of vulnerable road users requires innovation in research and the creation and implementation of new road safety management policies. In this aspect, inclusive road infrastructure safety management in the settlement can be a paradigm for the introduction and implementation of protection of vulnerable road users, persons with reduced mobility and persons with disabilities, through procedures to control road safety in the settlement, at all stages of the road life cycle: planning, design, construction and exploitation. The content of inclusive road infrastructure safety management in the settlement should include all areas of activity and all elements of the roads of the settlement, the improvement of which can raise the level of traffic safety of all users, so that the roads of the settlement are equally safe for all road users. At the same time, the risk of fatal traffic accidents on the roads of the settlement is indirectly exponentially related to the scope of the content of inclusive road infrastructure safety management in the settlement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 5333-5377
Author(s):  
Santiago Osnaya Baltierra

El presente trabajo emerge en el marco del Decenio para la Seguridad Vial (DSV) 2011-2020 propuesto por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (WHO, 2011). México fue uno de los países que se adhirió al programa, debido al alto número de siniestros de tránsito registrados anualmente. En el DSV se propone un plan de acciones para reducir el índice de accidentes viales en el mundo, las cuales están integradas en cuatro grupos (pilares) a saber, pilar uno “Gestión de la seguridad vial”, pilar dos “Vías de tránsito y movilidad más segura, pilar tres “Vehículos más seguros”, pilar cuatro “Usuarios de vías de tránsito más seguras” y pilar cinco “Respuestas tras los accidentes”. La investigación que aquí se ofrece, obedece al pilar dos, y de manera específica, al apartado de proyectos de investigación que permitan evaluar posibles mejoras en materia de seguridad dirigida a los usuarios más vulnerables en las vialidades. En este contexto, la indagación busca identificar desde un enfoque semiótico las causas que pueden ocasionar un accidente de tránsito en un crucero vial, en el que se observe una relación directa entre los dispositivos para el control de tránsito (señales) y los peatones. Con el fin de interpretar, comprender y explicar dicho fenómeno, para con ello proponer soluciones que mitiguen la problemática.   This work arises from the Decade for Road Safety (DSV) 2011-2020 proposed by the United Nations (WHO: 2011). Mexico was one of the countries where this program was introduced, because of the high number of traffic accidents recorded annually. The DOV proposes a plan of actions to reduce the global road accident rate, which are integrated into four groups (pillars), pillar one "Road safety management", pillar two "Safer roads and mobility", pillar three "Safer vehicles", pillar four "Safer road users" and pillar five "Post-crash responses". Thus, the research offered here, refers to pillar two, and more specifically, to the section on research projects in order to evaluate possible improvements in the area of safety for the most vulnerable road users. In this context, the research seeks to identify from a semiotic approach the causes that can lead to a traffic accident at a crossroads, in which a direct relationship between traffic control devices (signs) and pedestrians can be observed. In order to interpret, understand and explain this phenomenon and propose solutions to mitigate the problem.


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