scholarly journals Alcohol and Road Accidents Involving Pedestrians as Unprotected Road Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8995
Author(s):  
Dorota Lasota ◽  
Ahmed Al-Wathinani ◽  
Paweł Krajewski ◽  
Krzysztof Goniewicz ◽  
Witold Pawłowski
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
World Health ◽  
Medical Documentation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Road Accidents ◽  
Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Road Users ◽  
The Impact

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than half of all road fatalities involve vulnerable road users, i.e., pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Poland is classified as one of the European Union (EU) countries marked by low road safety, with a higher frequency of accidents involving pedestrians compared to other EU countries (31% of all fatalities). Among unprotected road users, a significant group of victims are pedestrians, who are often under the influence of alcohol. This study aims to analyze the impact of alcohol on the risk of occurrence and consequences of road accidents among pedestrians. The source of data was the medical documentation of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Medical University of Warsaw. In more than half of pedestrian deaths, the presence of alcohol was found; regardless of the place of the event and the place of death, among the victims under the influence of alcohol, males dominated; the average age of the victims under the influence of alcohol was significantly lower compared to the average age of sober victims, with younger victims being significantly more likely to die at the scene of the accident, especially in rural areas; significantly higher alcohol concentrations were found in males, in victims who died at the scene of the accident, and with victims of accidents in rural areas. Among pedestrian traffic accident fatalities, the most numerous group comprised young men under the influence of alcohol. In rural areas, a higher percentage of pedestrian victims died at the scene as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. These areas should be subject to intensive preventive measures to increase the safety of pedestrians as unprotected road users.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Association between Air Pollution and Daily Mortality in the Capital of the Green Lungs of Poland–Population-Based Study with 2,953,000 Person-Years of Follow-Up

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2351
Author(s):  
Łukasz Kuźma ◽  
Krzysztof Struniawski ◽  
Szymon Pogorzelski ◽  
Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska ◽  
Sławomir Dobrzycki
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
World Health ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Daily Mortality ◽  
Male Population ◽  
The Impact

(1) Introduction: air pollution is considered to be one of the main risk factors for public health. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of approximately 500,000 citizens of the European Union (EU), including almost 5000 inhabitants of Poland every year. (2) Purpose: to assess the gender differences in the impact of air pollution on the mortality in the population of the city of Bialystok—the capital of the Green Lungs of Poland. (3) Materials and Methods: based on the data from the Central Statistical Office, the number—and causes of death—of Białystok residents in the period 2008–2017 were analyzed. The study utilized the data recorded by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection station and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management during the analysis period. Time series regression with Poisson distribution was used in statistical analysis. (4) Results: A total of 34,005 deaths had been recorded, in which women accounted for 47.5%. The proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths was 48% (n = 16,370). An increase of SO2 concentration by 1-µg/m3 (relative risk (RR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.12; p = 0.005) and a 10 °C decrease of temperature (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05; p = 0.005) were related to an increase in the number of daily deaths. No gender differences in the impact of air pollution on mortality were observed. In the analysis of the subgroup of cardiovascular deaths, the main pollutant that was found to have an effect on daily mortality was particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5); the RR for 10-µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 was 1.07 (95% CI 1.02–1.12; p = 0.01), and this effect was noted only in the male population. (5) Conclusions: air quality and atmospheric conditions had an impact on the mortality of Bialystok residents. The main air pollutant that influenced the mortality rate was SO2, and there were no gender differences in the impact of this pollutant. In the male population, an increased exposure to PM2.5 concentration was associated with significantly higher cardiovascular mortality. These findings suggest that improving air quality, in particular, even with lower SO2 levels than currently allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, may benefit public health. Further studies on this topic are needed, but our results bring questions whether the recommendations concerning acceptable concentrations of air pollutants should be stricter, or is there a safe concentration of SO2 in the air at all.

Road barriers: modern solutions for improving traffic safety

2021 ◽  
pp. 43-48
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Accident ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Road Accidents ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Urgent Task ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Energy Absorbing ◽  
The Impact

Improving the system of preventive measures aimed at reducing the severity of the consequences of road accidents is an urgent task. Road deaths are constantly increasing and there is a need for a comprehensive approach to creating safe road conditions. The purpose of this study is to analyze the promising designs of road barriers designed to prevent uncontrolled exit of vehicles from the roadway of the highway and to develop the design of energy-absorbing fencing. Barrier barriers must not only be safe for road users, but must also ensure their safety, as well as preserve the elements after hitting the fence. Analytical studies have shown that in order to reduce mechanical damage to vehicles and reduce the severity of injuries to the driver and passengers, it is necessary to develop a road fence design that allows you to extinguish the impact energy at the moment of contact between the car and the fence. Keywords: fencing, barrier, safety, traffic accident

scholarly journals An IoT Architecture for Assessing Road Safety in Smart Cities

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abd-Elhamid M. Taha
Keyword(s):  
Road Safety ◽  
Markov Models ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Route Planning ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
World Health ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

The Safe System (SS) approach to road safety emphasizes safety-by-design through ensuring safe vehicles, road networks, and road users. With a strong motivation from the World Health Organization (WHO), this approach is increasingly adopted worldwide. Considerations in SS, however, are made for the medium-to-long term. Our interest in this work is to complement the approach with a short-to-medium term dynamic assessment of road safety. Toward this end, we introduce a novel, cost-effective Internet of Things (IoT) architecture that facilitates the realization of a robust and dynamic computational core in assessing the safety of a road network and its elements. In doing so, we introduce a new, meaningful, and scalable metric for assessing road safety. We also showcase the use of machine learning in the design of the metric computation core through a novel application of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). Finally, the impact of the proposed architecture is demonstrated through an application to safety-based route planning.

scholarly journals Identyfikacja sposobów implementacji II filaru WPR w krajach Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej

2018 ◽  
pp. 109-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Pawłowski ◽  
Wawrzyniec Czubak
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Time Range ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Rural Development Program ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Impact

The 2nd pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy plays a very significant role in shaping the image of a modern, European village. It’s impact on the development of agriculture and rural areas seems to be obvious, for example because of the place it occupies in the structure of the European Union budget. However, it’s very important to precisely determine the effects of its implementation. Therefore, in this article the main goal was to show the reasons for diversifying the implementation of the Rural Development Program 2007–2013 in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Against the background of differences in the economic and production situation of the agricultural sector, the design of the Programs was evaluated and it’s impact on changes in the agricultural sectors of these countries was compared. To show the impact of the funds of the second pillar of the CAP, the time range presenting changes in agriculture covers the years before and after integration. Based on them, a comparison of the implemented activities and the structure of their financing has been made.

scholarly journals Safety and reliability of the personal bus carriages in integrated municipal system of traffic and public transport management - analysis of literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 246-251
Author(s):  
Paweł Woś ◽  
Jacek Michalski
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Road Accidents ◽  
Safety And Reliability ◽  
Key Indicators ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City ◽  
The Eu

The article analyzes the city's logistics development strategies and its public transport, especially bus traffic. Statistical analysis of all road transport in the European Union (EU) has been carried out. The most important reasons for the tragic road accidents in Poland have been mixed up. Key elements of active safety and passive safety of buses and road safety were analyzed. Characterized key indicators of road safety in the EU and the probability of bus incidents. The impact on the ecology of the city of road transport was analyzed in terms of the significance of exhaust emissions of various bus designs and emissions of other pollutants.

Impact of Immersion and Realism in Driving Simulator Studies

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Despina Michael ◽  
Marios Kleanthous ◽  
Marinos Savva ◽  
Smaragda Christodoulou ◽  
Maria Pampaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Black Spot ◽  
Road Accidents ◽  
Driving Simulators ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Black Spots ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Test Scenarios ◽  
Local Road

Driving simulators emerged as a promising technology for the analysis of driving conditions and road users' behaviour in an attempt to tackle the problem of road accidents. The work presented herein demonstrates the design and development of a driving simulator that aims to contribute towards evaluating black spots in road networks by promoting rapid design of realistic models and facilitating the specification of test scenarios. A reliable driving simulator should be able to reproduce the driver's behaviour in a realistic way. In this study the authors examine different setups of the simulator to define the one that achieves highest levels of reliability. The chosen setup is then used to evaluate the impact of distractors (e.g. billboards) on driving behaviour of local road users for a chosen black spot in Limassol, Cyprus. Data collected from the experiments are analysed, and the main findings are presented and discussed.

scholarly journals How does mode of travel affect risks posed to other road users? An analysis of English road fatality data, incorporating gender and road type

2020 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2019-043534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Aldred ◽  
Rob Johnson ◽  
Christopher Jackson ◽  
James Woodcock
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
The Other ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Road Fatality ◽  
Road Type ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundMost analysis of road injuries examines the risk experienced by people using different modes of transport, for instance, pedestrian fatalities per-head or per-km. A small but growing field analyses the impact that the use of different transport modes has on other road users, for instance, injuries to others per-km driven.MethodsThis paper moves the analysis of risk posed to others forward by comparing six different vehicular modes, separating road types (major vs minor roads in urban vs rural settings). The comparison of risk posed by men and women for all these modes is also novel.ResultsPer-vehicle kilometre, buses and lorries pose much the highest risk to others, while cycles pose the lowest. Motorcycles pose a substantially higher per-km risk to others than cars. The fatality risk posed by cars or vans to ORUs per km is higher in rural areas. Risk posed is generally higher on major roads, although not in the case of lorries, suggesting a link to higher speeds. Men pose higher per-km risk to others than women for all modes except buses, as well as being over-represented among users of the most dangerous vehicles.ConclusionsFuture research should examine more settings, adjust for spatial and temporal confounders, or examine how infrastructure or route characteristics affect risk posed to others. Although for most victims the other vehicle involved is a car, results suggest policy-makers should also seek to reduce disproportionate risks posed by the more dangerous vehicles, for instance, by discouraging motorcycling. Finally, given higher risk posed to others by men across five of six modes analysed, policy-makers should consider how to reduce persistent large gender imbalances in jobs involving driving.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the impact of an iodine supplementation programme on severely iodine-deficient schoolchildren with hypothyroidism

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 529-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nahid Salarkia ◽  
Mehdi Hedayati ◽  
Parvin Mirmiran ◽  
Masood Kimiagar ◽  
Fereidoun Azizi
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Hormones ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urinary Iodine ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
World Health ◽  
Urinary Iodine Excretion ◽  
Iodised Salt ◽  
Iodine Supplementation ◽  
Normal Ranges ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackground:Northern rural areas of Tehran have been shown to have severe iodine deficiency in our previous studies. In 1989 the inhabitants of these villages received an injection of iodised oil, followed by iodised salt distribution in 1993. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the iodine supplementation on iodine-deficient schoolchildren with hypothyroidism in these villages.Methods:In total, 571 students aged 6–14 years were studied. Goitre was graded according to the World Health Organization classification. Serum concentrations of thyroid hormones (thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined using commercial kits, and urinary iodine was measured using a digestion method. The results were compared with data from our previous study in 1989.Results:Total goitre rate decreased by 42% in 1999 compared with that in 1989. A significant decrease in Grade 2 goitre concomitant with an increase in Grade 1 goitre was seen (P < 0.001). Values of the variables studied before (1989) and 10 years after iodine supplementation (1999) were: median urinary iodine excretion, 2.0 vs. 19.0 μg dl−1 (P < 0.001); T4, 6.5 ± 2.0 vs. 8.4 ± 1.6 μg dl−1 (P < 0.001); T3, 177 ± 38.0 vs. 145 ± 29.0 ng dl−1 (P < 0.001); TSH, 10.8 ± 15.1 vs. 1.8 ± 0.8 μU ml−1 (P < 0.001). No correlation was found between thyroid hormones and TSH on the one hand, and goitre and urinary iodine, on the other. Serum T4, T3 and TSH concentrations were within normal ranges in all schoolchildren in 1999.Conclusion:This study showed that euthyroidism induced by administration of iodised oil in iodine-deficient schoolchildren with hypothyroidism is sustained following the consumption of iodised salt.

scholarly journals MACROECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TAX ECONOMIC REFORMS IN EU COUNTRIES

2019 ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
I. Marekha ◽  
V. Myrhorodska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Environmental Taxes ◽  
Environmental Tax ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Macroeconomic Factors ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
European Union Countries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The article substantiates the necessity to introduce systematic and effective tax eco-reforms in the context of resource-oriented economic development by the European Union countries. The performance and effectiveness of the reforms are estimated in relation to the main four groups of environmental taxes: energy taxes, pollution taxes, resource taxes and transport taxes. The macroecological policy of the European Union countries is the object of the undertaken analysis. The article examines the impact of macroeconomic factors on environmental taxes across the EU, using a correlation analysis toolkit. Four groups of macroeconomic parameters were selected for analysis: internal macroeconomic factors (nominal GDP, real GDP, inflation, business cycle stage, budget deficit, energy consumption level); external macroeconomic factors (government debt, exports, foreign direct investments); institutional macroparameters (environmental culture, shadow economy, trust in government) and fiscal macroparameters (tax culture and fiscal freedom). The economic interpretation of the obtained correlates is given. Based on the correlation analysis, stimulators and de-stimulators of tax environmental reforms across the EU were identified. It is established that the factors that positively influence on the tax environmental reforms are the overwhelming majority of the analyzed factors. The formation of indicators of the effectiveness of tax environmental reforms is undertaken for six countries of the Community. In particular, the analysis covers three economic leaders (Germany, the United Kingdom and France) and three leading EU countries in the field of environmental tax collection (Latvia, Greece and Slovenia). The article presents approaches to improving the assessment of the effectiveness of tax environmental reforms based on the consideration of fiscal (budget-filling) and reproductive (multiplicative) functions of environmental taxes. In this regard, the environmental tax multiplier and accelerator, as well as the GDP elasticity coefficient for environmental taxes, were calculated for the analyzed group of countries. The criteria of economic efficiency of tax eco-reforms are proposed. Keywords: environmental taxes, macroeconomic effect, macro-environmental policy, multiplier, accelerator, elasticity

scholarly journals Environmental aspects of agricultural policies of the European Union countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 136-144
Author(s):  
Anna Lytvynchuk
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
The European Union ◽  
State Support ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
The Eu

At present, the state of the economy of the agricultural sector in many countries of the world, including in the countries of the European Union (EU), inherent in developed industry, has led to the transition to a new environmentally oriented agricultural policy. An important role is assigned to state support of agricultural producers, through subsidies, preferential credit policy, and in some countries, the complete abolition of taxation of entrepreneurial activity in rural areas, which confirms the relevance and national economic significance of the article. In domestic agroeconomic science and practice, there is no scientific concept of state participation in the process of bringing the agricultural sector out of the crisis. Research objectives – consider the development policy of the agricultural sector of the EU countries; study the level of state support for agricultural producers. The purpose of the work is to consider the degree of development of the agricultural policy of the EU countries in the context of ensuring food security. The methods and methodology of the research were general scientific, particular methods of cognition, including the historical and logical, the method of observation and comparison. Shows the main approaches to state regulation of the development of the agro-industrial sector at the level of the European Union as a whole and in the context of member countries; characteristic features and principles that determine the success and integrity of a unified agricultural policy; factors contributing to the productivity of agricultural land; agro-ecological requirements restricting the import of genetically modified products; the main tasks in the development of a new policy of the agrarian sector of the economy; priority directions of regulation of measures to support agricultural producers, integrated development of rural areas, increasing the competitiveness of the EU agricultural sector. The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that this study will allow the state bodies of Belarus to better understand how it is necessary to form an agricultural policy in the context of ensuring food security.

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