Traffic Inj Prev [JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Socio-demographic and experiential determinants of observed versus self-reported helmet use among motorcyclists in Northern Ghana: A comparative analysis.
Adjei BN, Nakua EK, Mock CN … +8 more , Alhassan MM, Gyaase D, Gbafu FB, Enuameh YAK, Tetteh AA, Kabanunye MM, Morti LM, Donkor P
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Nov · PMID 41259420 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the socio-demographic and experiential determinants of observed and self-reported helmet use among motorcyclists in northern Ghana. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 381...
OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the socio-demographic and experiential determinants of observed and self-reported helmet use among motorcyclists in northern Ghana. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 381 motorcyclists at twelve randomly selected fuel stations in Tamale in March-April, 2021. Motorcyclists were first observed on actual helmet use and then interviewed face-to-face. Modified Poisson regression was used to assess the factors associated with observed helmet use, self-reported helmet use, and over-reporting of helmet use. RESULTS: Observed helmet use was 21.3% while self-reported helmet use was 37.8% and rate of over-reporting was 31.0%. Multivariable analysis revealed the prevalence of helmet use among motorcyclists who had license was twice higher when observed (aPPR (adjusted prevalence rate ratio) =2.14, 95%CI = 1.28-2.59) and 55% higher when self-reported (aPPR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.13-2.12). Prevalence among those who owned a helmet was twice higher when observed (aPPR = 2.24, 95%CI = 1.05-4.77) and 78% higher when self-reported (aPPR = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.17-2.70). Over-reporting of helmet use was 51% lower among respondents aged 30 to 39 years (aPPR = 0.49, 95%CI = 0.25-0.96) compared with those below 20 years, 54% lower among those who had tertiary education compared with those with no formal education (aPPR = 0.46, 95%CI = 0.23 - 0.93). Over-reporting was 53% higher if the motorcyclist had an additional helmet (aPPR = 1.53, 95%CI = 1.00-2.36). CONCLUSION: The study reveals a significant disparity between observed and self-reported helmet use; however, possession of rider's license and helmet ownership were significant determinants of both observed and self-reported helmet use. Interventions to promote increased licensing and helmet ownership are warranted.
Analyzing the severity of motorcycle single-vehicle crashes on rural roads under diverse lighting conditions.
Wei F, Sun L, Guo Y … +4 more , Zhang X, Ma Y, Guo D, Xu Y
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Nov · PMID 41223437 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Motorcycle crashes are prevalent in rural areas of China. While the specific sequence of factors contributing to single-vehicle motorcycle crashes on rural roads in different lighting conditions has not yet be...
OBJECTIVE: Motorcycle crashes are prevalent in rural areas of China. While the specific sequence of factors contributing to single-vehicle motorcycle crashes on rural roads in different lighting conditions has not yet been deeply revealed. A 3-year (2020-2022) crash database from Shandong Province, China, was used to explore the causal chain of motorcycle single vehicle collisions. The analysis focused on motorcycle single-vehicle collisions that occurred on rural roads, which were classified into three distinct lighting conditions: daylight, dark-with-streetlight, and dark-no-streetlight. METHODS: Firstly, a random parameters approach with heterogeneity in means and variances (RPL-HMV) was constructed. It was used to explore the factors that influence crash severity, including rider characteristics, crash details, road conditions, environmental factors, and temporal aspects. Secondly, based on the output of RPL-HMV, the association rule mining method (ARM) was employed to conduct in-depth research on the chain of factors that affects the severity of crashes. RESULTS: The results revealed that under daylight conditions, the majority of single-vehicle motorcycle collisions were associated with factors including rider age, road alignment, collision with fixtures (collision F), and visibility. Most crashes occurring in dark-with-streetlight conditions were attributed to factors such as alcohol influence, weather conditions, collision F, collision with non-fixed objects (collision NF), rider gender, and road alignment. The majority of crashes in dark-no-streetlight conditions were linked to factors such as road surface conditions, rollover incidents, and visibility limitations, all of which were contributing factors to the severity of the crashes. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of ARM and RPL-HMV methods can capture the chain effect of crash causes, which helps to more fully restore the true scene of traffic crashes. Moreover, this study provides valuable guidance for policymakers and traffic safety experts in designing more effective safety measures.
Causation analysis of serious road traffic accidents in Sichuan Province of China based on a hybrid HFACS-CN model.
Zhang S, Xiong H, Li X … +3 more , Yuan H, Zhang D, Liu Q
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Nov · PMID 41223434 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: For the precise analysis of human factors and their interactions in serious road traffic accidents in Sichuan Province of China and to promote the prevention of such accidents. METHODS: Based on investigation...
OBJECTIVE: For the precise analysis of human factors and their interactions in serious road traffic accidents in Sichuan Province of China and to promote the prevention of such accidents. METHODS: Based on investigation reports of serious road traffic accidents, human factors identified by using the human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS) were incorporated into a complex network (CN) model. The Entropy Weight-TOPSIS (EW-TOPSIS) method and evaluation metrics, including degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and PageRank value, were applied to assess node importance. Furthermore, risk degree was introduced to rank the importance of causal edges within the network. Robustness analysis was used to validate the effectiveness of these importance assessment methods. RESULTS: Causal factors "lack of personal safety awareness", "vehicle equipment degradation", and "failure to provide training" have high comprehensive importance. The top 3 contributing edges are ("failure to provide training", "lack of personal safety awareness"), ("inadequacy of safety management system", "failure to provide training"), and ("speeding", "accident consequence"). CONCLUSIONS: The importance of nodes in the causal network is more effectively identified by an EW-TOPSIS-based comprehensive analysis than by a single evaluation metric. The edge importance ranking method based on risk degree is particularly suitable for analyzing causal edges. The insights provided by this study enrich the limited literature on serious road accidents, enabling traffic management authorities and enterprises to implement targeted safety measures to mitigate road traffic accident losses.
Impact of roadside distributed photovoltaic systems on driver glare.
Xi J, Feng T, Cao S … +2 more , Liu X, Ding T
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Nov · PMID 41223428 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: With the widespread application of photovoltaic technology in transportation infrastructure, the potential threat to driving safety posed by glare generated by roadside distributed photovoltaic systems has bec...
OBJECTIVE: With the widespread application of photovoltaic technology in transportation infrastructure, the potential threat to driving safety posed by glare generated by roadside distributed photovoltaic systems has become a concern. This study aims to evaluate the varying degrees of glare caused by the azimuth(Orient), tilt angle (Tilt), observation point height (Height), and vehicle position on the photovoltaic section (Distance). METHODS: The Transformer attention mechanism was used to weight the input features, explore the correlation and importance between features, and the extracted features were concatenated with the original features to form a new feature set. The concatenated feature data were used to train Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) models. RESULTS: The RF model after feature processing achieved Coefficient of determination () values of 0.831 and 0.907 on the test sets, respectively, with lower Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) indicators, showing better overall performance. Therefore, the improved RF model was selected for predicting driver glare duration. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that Orient is the most important feature affecting glare, which should be prioritized in the installation of photovoltaic systems. For highway photovoltaic installations, priority should be given to Orient, which can alleviate the situation during periods of high glare. Moreover, Tilt adjustment balances power generation and reduces glare. In addition, the directional offset from the lane at curves or exits further ensures driving safety.
Edible cannabis use on simulated driving performance.
Won NY, Bird S, Wrobel J … +2 more , Brown T, Brooks-Russell A
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Nov · PMID 41223382 · Full text
OBJECTIVE: To assess driving performance after consuming edible cannabis using a driving simulator, examining frequency of use, THC dose, and rural versus urban settings. METHODS: Adults in Denver, Colorado ( = 88), betw...
OBJECTIVE: To assess driving performance after consuming edible cannabis using a driving simulator, examining frequency of use, THC dose, and rural versus urban settings. METHODS: Adults in Denver, Colorado ( = 88), between 25 and 55 years old, were recruited from November 2023 to July 2024 and assigned to groups based on past 90-day cannabis use: daily ( = 29), occasional ( = 30), or no recent use (i.e., comparison group; = 29). This within-subjects study compared driving performance (i.e., speed, lane departures per minute, and standard deviation of lateral placement (SDLP)) using a validated driving simulator (miniSim) at baseline and two post-consumption tests (52 and 119 min). Linear mixed models were used to evaluate performance. RESULTS: Daily-use group drove slower than the occasional-use group (decrease in average speed from pretest of 2.49 mph (urban, < 0.01 post-1); 1.80 mph ( = 0.02 post-2)) and the comparison group (decrease in average speed from pretest of 2.70 mph (urban, < 0.01 post-1); 2.68 mph (urban, < 0.01 post-2)). Lane departures increased in the occasional-use group from 0.17 at pretest to 0.47 in post-1 and 0.40 in post-2 ( < 0.01). Their rural SDLP increased: post-1 (29.37 cm, < 0.01), post-2 (29.81 cm, < 0.01), versus pretest (25.45 cm). This group had significantly greater change in lane departures than both the comparison group (0.26, < 0.01) and daily-use group (0.34, < 0.01) in post-1. In post-2, the change remained greater than the daily-use group (0.20, = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Our study found significant changes in driving performance following edible cannabis use, including findings related to effect duration, use frequency, and road settings. The occasional-use group showed greater impairment than daily-use group, suggesting tolerance contributes to outcomes beyond THC concentration alone.
Analysis of injury severity of single-vehicle and two-vehicle crashes involving lightweight vehicles (K-car) in Japan: A random parameters approach with heterogeneity in means.
Wang L, Lee JJ, Hu J … +3 more , Mao S, Yang Y, Kim J
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Nov · PMID 41223339 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the factors influencing injury severity in crashes involving lightweight vehicles (K-cars) in Japan, addressing safety concerns arising from their structural vulnerability. It aims to...
OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the factors influencing injury severity in crashes involving lightweight vehicles (K-cars) in Japan, addressing safety concerns arising from their structural vulnerability. It aims to overcome limitations in prior research by developing a disaggregated analytical framework that separately examines single-vehicle and multiple two-vehicle crash scenarios (K-car vs K-car, K-car vs regular car, K-car vs truck) and explicitly accounts for unobserved heterogeneity. A further objective is to test the transferability of findings across these distinct crash types. METHODS: The study utilized nationwide crash data (2020-2022) from Japan's National Police Agency involving at least 1 K-car. Injury severity was consolidated into a binary variable (casualty vs no-injury). Five separate random parameters probit models with heterogeneity in means were developed to analyze single-vehicle crashes, 3 types of two-vehicle crashes, and an aggregated dataset of all crashes. These models assessed the influence of temporal, environmental, roadway, vehicle, and driver characteristics on injury outcomes. To validate the analytical approach, an out-of-sample prediction method was employed to quantify the prediction bias and assess the transferability of models across crash types. RESULTS: The model accounting for heterogeneity demonstrated a superior goodness-of-fit. Key findings included the following: Older drivers exhibit a dichotomous risk profile, facing higher injury risk in single-vehicle crashes but lower risk in two-vehicle crashes. In addition, medians with only painted lines are associated with more severe outcomes than those with physical barriers. Out-of-sample prediction analysis confirmed that the models are not transferable across crash types, underscoring the necessity of type-specific modeling. CONCLUSIONS: Safety analysis for lightweight vehicles must be disaggregated by crash type while accounting for unobserved heterogeneity. The study reveals complex factors, such as the dichotomous risk profile of older drivers, which demand targeted policy interventions. These research findings provide an evidence-based framework for developing effective countermeasures, including enhanced driver assistance systems and improved roadway designs, to comprehensively improve the safety of lightweight vehicles.
Investigating determinants of injury severity in motorcycle-vehicle crashes using interpretable machine learning models.
Wei S, Zhang G, Li L … +2 more , Hu N, Zhang Y
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Nov · PMID 41212797 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Due to inherent vulnerability, motorcyclists sustain more severe injuries in motorcycle-vehicle crashes. Although previous studies have analyzed diverse factors affecting injury severity of crashes involving a...
OBJECTIVE: Due to inherent vulnerability, motorcyclists sustain more severe injuries in motorcycle-vehicle crashes. Although previous studies have analyzed diverse factors affecting injury severity of crashes involving a motorcyclist, few have been available to uncover how the factors and inherent interactions affect the motorcyclists' injury severities in motorcycle-vehicle crashes comprehensively. Thus, the study aims to investigate determinants of injury severity from multiple dimensions. METHODS: The study utilizes the machine learning models and the Random Parameters Logit model with Heterogeneity in Means (RPLM-HM) to explore the key factors contributing to injury severity sustained by motorcyclists. As an optimal machine learning model, CatBoost is used with the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method to reveal the potential interaction between the crucial multidimensional factors. RESULTS: Results indicate that 1) factors such as angle crash, elderly motorcyclists, high-speed limit, and risky behavior, are linked to a higher probability of severe injuries, 2) conversely, some features, including young motorcyclists, elderly drivers, wet road, and morning, are associated with reduced probability of severe injuries, and 3) there are interaction effects between the factors regarding the characteristics of motorcyclists, drivers and accident circumstances. CONCLUSIONS: The findings could help put forward targeted countermeasures to better manage motorcyclists, drivers, and road facilities for improving the traffic safety of motorcyclists.
In-depth analysis of 26 child fatalities in 2017-2022 CISS vehicle crashes.
Viano DC
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Nov · PMID 41212788 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: The study analyzed 26 child passenger fatalities in 6 years of motor vehicle crashes in 2017-2022 CISS (Crash Investigation Sampling System). METHODS: NHTSA online database of CISS crashes was searched for fat...
OBJECTIVE: The study analyzed 26 child passenger fatalities in 6 years of motor vehicle crashes in 2017-2022 CISS (Crash Investigation Sampling System). METHODS: NHTSA online database of CISS crashes was searched for fatalities of 0-35 mo (month old), 3-5 yo (year old) and 6-12 yo children in 2017-2022 CISS. Each case was downloaded and summarized for: 1) vehicle make, model and year and crash damage, 2) the road type, weather and lighting conditions, 3) the pre-crash maneuvers, crash types and directions of impact, 4) the number of occupants in the vehicle and demographics of the driver, right-front passenger and child, 5) the seating position, child seat and restraints and 6) the injury severity, death, body region, type and source. RESULTS: There were 6 fatalities of 0-35 mo, 10 of 3-5 yo and 10 of 6-12 yo children. The fatal crashes involved older vehicles (12.9 ± 6.4 years old) in multi-impact collisions (3.1 ± 1.9 events) with four or more occupants (4.4 ± 1.9). All crashes occurred on a freeway. Most drivers were belted females. None used alcohol-drugs. Few drivers caused the multi-vehicle crash (2/6). All 0-35 mo were in rear seats, but none was judged properly restrained. Two-thirds had a rear facing child seat. Most had head/brain injuries. Most crashes occurred on a freeway. Most drivers were belted males. Many used alcohol-drugs. Most drivers caused a single-vehicle crash (8/10). All 3-5 yo were in rear seats, but only half were judged restrained. Many were using lap-shoulder belts. Few had forward facing child seats. All had head/brain injuries. Most crashes occurred on two-lane roads or at intersections. Most drivers were belted females. Some used alcohol-drugs. Most drivers caused a single-vehicle crash (7/10). Two-thirds of 6-12 yo were in rear seats; one-third were right-front passengers. Over half were judged restrained by lap-shoulder belts. None had a booster seat. Many had head/brain injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Most vehicles (65.4%) were ≥10 years old. They were driven by a mix of Hispanics, Blacks or Whites involving 4 or more occupants in multi-impact collisions. There was a transition in crash characteristics with the child's age: typically had a female driver without alcohol-drugs not causing the crash on a freeway, typically had a male driver many with alcohol-drugs causing the crash on a freeway and typically had a female driver some with alcohol-drugs causing the crash on a two-lane road or intersection. There is a need for education tailored to gender, race and SES of drivers of older vehicles to avoid aggressive, risk-taking speeding and to properly restrain children, particularly with many occupants in the vehicle. Vehicle and child-seat manufacturers need to focus on head protection in rear seats.
Source and prevention of fetal deaths in motor vehicle crashes.
Viano DC
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41171213 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Fetal deaths were analyzed for how they occurred in motor vehicle crashes investigated by NHTSA (new research) and published findings were evaluated from side impact safety research (review of pertinent litera...
OBJECTIVE: Fetal deaths were analyzed for how they occurred in motor vehicle crashes investigated by NHTSA (new research) and published findings were evaluated from side impact safety research (review of pertinent literature). The aim was to improve protection of the fetus and pregnant occupant. METHODS: Crashes involving fetal deaths were analyzed from the 2000-2015 NASS-CDS (National Automotive Sampling System-Crashworthiness Data System) and 2017-2022 CISS (Crash Investigation Sampling System). Each case was downloaded and summarized for the vehicle, pre-crash maneuvers, crash type, maternal seating position and injuries. RESULTS: Eighteen (18) fetal deaths were available over 14 years and have a weighted incidence of 2,582 (184 ± 260 fetal deaths per year) in 2000-2018 model year vehicles. Near-side impacts were the most frequent crash type (57.8%) with the armrest-door the most common source (80.8%) of fetal death by loading the side of the pregnant abdomen. Several deaths involved side curtain and seat airbag deployments. The side airbags did not extend down over the armrest or extend forward enough leaving the pregnant abdomen without airbag coverage. Published sled tests with anesthetized animals found the abdomen was protected with a 1.1 kN crush force armrest in 32.2 km/h (20 mph) side-sled tests. A 3.7 kN crush force armrest caused AIS 4 (critical) injuries. The animal test results were confirmed in published side-sled tests with the BioSID dummy. Production vehicle armrests were tested in a published study. Eighteen of 20 (90%) had 9.5 ± 3.8 kN crush force. This is stiffer than the abdomen and deforms the abdomen in a side impact. An area of pregnant abdomens was defined on the side interior covering the 95 percentile female at 9 months pregnancy. It extends 430 mm forward and 250 mm above the H-point of the 5 female with the seat full rear and full down. The area requires energy absorbing materials or an airbag. Lap-shoulder belts were not a common source of fetal death. Modern seatbelts are sophisticated compared to those in 1980s-90s vehicles. Pretensioners tighten the lap belt on the thighs and the shoulder belt is load-limiting. Early research inferred seatbelt-related mechanisms for fetal deaths in frontal crashes. That inference is outdated with modern restraints. CONCLUSIONS: The most beneficial area for fetal protection involves reducing side loading of the pregnant abdomen where larger airbag coverage and load-limiting side interiors are needed. Modern seatbelts with dual pretensioners are not a common source of fetal death.
A mechanistic approach to modeling omnidirectional motorcyclist injury risk.
Schubert A, Campolettano ET, Scanlon JM … +2 more , McMurry TL, Unger T
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41160882 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: As of 2022, motorcyclist fatalities in the United States had risen 38% since 2010, representing 15% of all U.S. traffic fatalities. Recently developed injury risk models have sought to better predict injury po...
OBJECTIVE: As of 2022, motorcyclist fatalities in the United States had risen 38% since 2010, representing 15% of all U.S. traffic fatalities. Recently developed injury risk models have sought to better predict injury potential for certain collision configurations involving motorcycles using relative speed as a primary predictor variable. Advancing the state-of-the-art, this study developed injury risk models for motorcyclist collisions with passenger vehicles across all planar configurations and incorporated biomechanically-relevant predictor variables including a novel speed parameter. METHODS: We analyzed real-world crash data from the German In-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS) (1999-2023) to examine motorcyclist injury patterns and create injury risk functions at the MAIS2 + F, 3 + F, 4 + F, and 5 + F levels. Biomechanically relevant variables, including age ( a spline function), sex, and a geometric-based assessment of motorcyclist post-impact response (i.e., potential for a normal projection), were considered. , combining passenger vehicle and motorcycle speeds while accounting for reduced engagement associated with frictional effects in side impacts, was employed as an important predictor. We analyzed the impact of reweighting the dataset to German national statistics, addressing GIDAS' bias toward severe and fatal collisions. RESULTS: The dataset comprised 2,499 passenger-vehicle to motorcycle collisions, of which 59% involved contact with the front of the passenger vehicle, 25% the side, and 16% the rear. 37% of motorcyclists sustained AIS2 + F injuries and 11% sustained AIS3 + F injuries. At the MAIS3 + F level, the lower extremities were the most commonly injured body region, followed by the thorax and head. Age significantly influenced injury risk at MAIS2 + F and MAIS3 + F levels. A potential normal projection was associated with higher injury risk, significant only for MAIS2 + F. emerged as the sole significant predictor for higher severity levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of incorporating biomechanical factors and refined speed metrics into motorcyclist injury risk models. The proposed demonstrated strong predictive capability, offering a more comprehensive approach for assessing injury potential across varied crash configurations.
Experimental study on the effectiveness of warning methods for expressways in wind-sand environments.
Wang F, Deng W, Sun L … +3 more , Duan W, Yang H, Wang C
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41144578 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Wind-Sand Environment (WSE) poses a serious threat to driving safety on expressways, particularly as sand-covered road surfaces and reduced visibility significantly increase driving risks. Therefore, scientifi...
OBJECTIVE: Wind-Sand Environment (WSE) poses a serious threat to driving safety on expressways, particularly as sand-covered road surfaces and reduced visibility significantly increase driving risks. Therefore, scientifically sound and effective early warning methods are crucial for ensuring vehicle safety in wind-sand conditions. This study systematically evaluates the effectiveness of seven conventional warning methods-fixed warning sign (Sign.A), deceleration marking (Sign.B), reflective road stud (Sign.C), variable speed limit sign (Sign.D), variable message board (Sign.E), voice warning (Sign.F), and guidance sign (Sign.G)-across blowing sand sections, accumulated sand sections, and blowing-accumulated sand sections through driving simulation tests, integrating vehicle dynamics, driving behavior, and physiological indicators. METHODS: Thirty drivers were recruited for a driving simulation experiment, and their driving behavior data under different scenarios were collected, including five types of metrics: average driving speed, standard deviation of longitudinal acceleration, standard deviation of extreme steering wheel angles, entropy value of steering wheel angles, and extreme value of Electroencephalography (EEG) β/α waves (β/α). The Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method was employed to determine objective weights, and a Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (CRITIC-TOPSIS) comprehensive evaluation method was constructed to assess the effectiveness of warning methods, yielding the effectiveness ranking of each warning method. RESULTS: Through CRITIC-TOPSIS closeness analysis (value range: 0.206-0.839), the effectiveness rankings of seven warning methods in different driving environments were obtained. Among them, Sign.D and Sign.E exhibited the most significant warning effects across the three test environments, with the guiding speed reduction reaching up to 54.4% on sand-dust sections (100.36 km/h to 52.26 km/h, 114.8 km/h to 52.33 km/h), and their mental workload was significantly lower than that of other warning methods. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers robust theoretical support for optimizing the layout of traffic facilities on expressways in sandstorm-prone regions. Specifically, it recommends prioritizing the deployment of variable speed limit signs and variable message signs, phasing out inefficient guidance signs, and optimizing the configuration of traffic facilities to significantly enhance expressway traffic management efficiency and driving safety.
Differential blink patterns as biomarkers: Quantifying visual cognitive load in curved tunnels with varied radii.
Han L, Gu P, Zhou H … +1 more , Du Z
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41144570 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effects of curved tunnel geometries with varied radii on drivers' visual cognitive workload, utilizing differential blink patterns as biomarkers. The research seeks to quanti...
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effects of curved tunnel geometries with varied radii on drivers' visual cognitive workload, utilizing differential blink patterns as biomarkers. The research seeks to quantify how tunnel curvature influences drivers' visual cognitive load and to identify potential biomarkers for assessing driving safety in curved tunnel environments. METHODS: Thirty licensed drivers with diverse driving experiences participated in the study. Eye movement data, including blink frequency, blink duration, inter-blink interval, and pupil diameter after blink, were collected using a Dikablis Pro eye tracker while participants drove through four curved tunnels with varying radii (185, 251, 493, and 1380 m) in Yunnan Province, China. A three-way repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted to analyze the effects of tunnel radius, turning direction (left vs. right), and tunnel zone (entrance, middle, exit) on these blink metrics. RESULTS: The study revealed significant main effects of tunnel radius, turning direction, and tunnel zone on all blink metrics. Specifically, as tunnel radius decreased, drivers exhibited lower blink frequency, shorter blink duration, longer inter-blink intervals, and larger pupil diameters after blinking, indicating increased visual cognitive load. Left turns were associated with higher cognitive load compared to right turns, as evidenced by lower blink frequency, shorter blink duration, longer inter-blink intervals, and larger pupil diameters. Blink patterns also varied dynamically across tunnel zones, with the entrance zone eliciting the highest cognitive load, followed by the middle and exit zones. CONCLUSIONS: Differential blink patterns serve as reliable biomarkers for quantifying visual cognitive load in curved tunnels. Tunnel radius, turning direction, and tunnel zone significantly influence drivers' visual cognitive workload. These findings provide valuable insights for tunnel design and safety evaluations, emphasizing the need to consider geometric constraints and directional factors to reduce cognitive load and enhance driving safety.
Alcohol consumption and speeding: A study on motorcyclists involved in crashes in northeastern Brazil.
Dos Santos WJ, Leite Rolim Filho E, de Ceballos AGDC … +6 more , Magalhaes PDCA, Oliveira JVL, Santos VDC, de Carvalho JMD, Monteiro TCT, Barbosa RM
Traffic Inj Prev · 2026 · PMID 41144515 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between alcohol consumption and speeding at the time of the crash among motorcyclists admitted to a trauma hospital in northeastern Brazil. METHODS: This analytical...
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between alcohol consumption and speeding at the time of the crash among motorcyclists admitted to a trauma hospital in northeastern Brazil. METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2023 to January 2024 with motorcyclists who experienced traffic crashes and were admitted to the Traumatology department of a public hospital in Recife (northeastern Brazil). Upon collecting the victims' sociodemographic data (e.g., sex, age, race, level of education, parental status, and income), we analyzed the association between alcohol consumption and speeding at the time of the crash, crude odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The OR was also adjusted for sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: Of the 303 participants, 95.7% ( = 290) were male, 71.1% ( = 209) were aged 18-39 years, 66% ( = 200) had no children, 75.3% ( = 228) identified as being black or brown, and, among those that informed their income ( = 290), 83.8% ( = 243) earned less than Brazilian two minimum wages. Our findings also showed that the association between alcohol consumption on the day of the crash and speeding was positive and statistically significant (OR = 9.63, 95% CI = 5.37-17.26). After adjusting for confounding variables (age, parental status, and income), motorcyclists who consumed alcohol were ten times more likely to speed (OR = 10.03, 95% CI = 5.19-19.37). CONCLUSIONS: Riding a motorcycle under the influence of alcohol is associated with an increased likelihood of speeding at the time of the crash.
Vehicle trajectory prediction based on the integration of long- and short-term spatiotemporal features and trajectory optimization.
Ji P, Chen J, Chi R
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41144236 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: With the continuous advancement of autonomous driving technology, accurate vehicle trajectory prediction plays a crucial role in preventing potential traffic collisions. To address the limitations of existing...
OBJECTIVES: With the continuous advancement of autonomous driving technology, accurate vehicle trajectory prediction plays a crucial role in preventing potential traffic collisions. To address the limitations of existing methods-specifically the insufficient exploitation of historical trajectory information and the inaccurate modeling of multi-vehicle interactions-this study proposes a method that combines multi-scale feature extraction with trajectory optimization, enabling precise prediction of target vehicle trajectories. METHODS: Targeting urban roads and highway scenarios with naturalistic driving data, surrounding interactive vehicles are first identified using the Pearson correlation coefficient, and historical feature inputs are selected the Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC). The proposed CTS-Informer model integrates CNN and TCN decoders to capture local and long-range spatiotemporal dependencies from historical trajectories. It further leverages Informer's sparse attention and self-attention distillation to model global motion trends. Finally, a trajectory correction and smoothing module refines the output for enhanced continuity and realism in the predicted target vehicle trajectory. RESULTS: The proposed model was validated on the NGSIM dataset, demonstrating superior performance over existing baseline methods. For a 5-s prediction horizon, the model achieved a 25-48% reduction in ADE and a 12-42% reduction in RMSE. Component ablation experiments further showed that removing the CNN, TCN, or trajectory correction and smoothing module led to a performance drop of 12.8-32.6%, highlighting the contribution of each module to overall accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that the CTS-Informer model delivers strong long-term prediction performance, with each component contributing effectively to overall accuracy. The results validate the effectiveness of multi-scale spatiotemporal feature fusion for extended-horizon prediction. Furthermore, the model provides reliable trajectory boundaries, providing robust reference input for autonomous driving decision-making systems.
Pupil area variation and visual adaptation of drivers in urban short underpass tunnels: A field study.
Wang S, Mei J, He S … +1 more , Chen Y
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41118638 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Visual changes experienced by drivers in tunnel environments are critical to driving safety. However, most existing research focuses on highway tunnels and typical urban tunnels, while the visual characteristi...
OBJECTIVE: Visual changes experienced by drivers in tunnel environments are critical to driving safety. However, most existing research focuses on highway tunnels and typical urban tunnels, while the visual characteristics associated with urban short underpass tunnels remain relatively underexplored. This study aims to investigate the variations in drivers' pupil area in urban short underpass tunnels, examine the significant differences across tunnel zones, and clarify their implications for driving safety. METHODS: This field experiment is conducted in three urban short underpass tunnels, involving 35 participants. Continuous pupil area data are collected throughout tunnel, and the speed of pupil area change is calculated. A Boltzmann regression model is applied to fit pupil area changes at tunnel entrances and exits. In addition, the levels of dark and light adaptation are evaluated. RESULTS: Drivers' pupil responses begin to change during the downhill zone leading into the tunnel, approximately 3 to 4 s before reaching the entrance portal. Inside the tunnel, pupil area does not remain stable but instead increases and then rapidly decreases. The dark adaptation process is longer in distance but involves smaller changes in pupil area compared to the light adaptation process, which occurs over a shorter distance but with greater variation. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental transitions in urban short underpass tunnels significantly affect drivers' pupillary responses. When designing or improving the tunnel safety, special attention should be given to the downhill zone and the zones near the tunnel exit.
Assessment of the knowledge, attitude, and practices of motorcyclists regarding helmet use in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
E T, Venkatesan KD, R V … +12 more , Kambham SR, K H, Mjv SS, Ramachandran S, Mahendran D, P K, S P, S S, Gopi J, A S, V V, D SL
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41118636 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Helmet use significantly decreases the risk and severity of head injuries and fatalities resulting from road traffic crashes among motorcyclists. This study assesses the prevalence and factors influencing eff...
BACKGROUND: Helmet use significantly decreases the risk and severity of head injuries and fatalities resulting from road traffic crashes among motorcyclists. This study assesses the prevalence and factors influencing effective helmet use among motorcyclists in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 560 motorcyclists, employing a simple random sampling technique. Data regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to helmet usage were collected through a pre-tested, structured questionnaire administered by an interviewer. The analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 21.0. Descriptive statistics were utilized, and socio-demographic information was summarized as a frequency table. A chi-square test was applied for the bivariate analysis of associations between categorical variables. The significance level was established at < 0.05. RESULTS: This study of 640 motorcycle riders revealed a significant disparity between knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding helmet usage. Participants demonstrated high overall knowledge (68.1%) and generally positive attitudes (54.4%). However, actual consistent helmet use was considerably lower at 49.2%. Common barriers cited included perceived discomfort, visual obstruction, and helmet cost. While socio-demographic factors did not significantly correlate with knowledge levels, gender showed a notable association with attitude, with male riders expressing more favorable views. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions to foster positive attitudes and behaviors related to helmet usage among motorcyclists in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Observational study on seatbelt usage among rear-seat passengers in a developing metropolis: Evidence from Pedu intersection, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Amanor WK, Adanu EK, Otoo-Kwofie C … +1 more , Awere E
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41118633 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Seatbelt use is crucial for reducing injuries and fatalities in crashes, yet rear-seat passengers are often neglected in safety studies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Ghana. This study...
OBJECTIVE: Seatbelt use is crucial for reducing injuries and fatalities in crashes, yet rear-seat passengers are often neglected in safety studies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Ghana. This study investigates rear-seat passenger seatbelt usage at the Pedu intersection in Cape Coast. METHODS: A non-intrusive observational survey was conducted for three weeks during peak traffic hours. Utilizing SPSS, this study employed descriptive statistics and a binary logit regression to analyze seatbelt compliance rates and the factors associated with the compliance or defiance in seatbelt use among rear-seat passengers. A sample of 11,288 vehicles was observed, with data collected on passenger gender, vehicle classification, observation time, and day of the week. FINDINGS: This study revealed a critically low rear-seat seatbelt usage rate of 1.1% among passengers. Logistic regression analysis showed that seatbelt use was significantly associated with vehicle type, passenger gender, and day of the week. Passengers in private saloon cars and taxis/Uber/Bolt were more likely to use seatbelts compared to those in pick-up trucks. Additionally, female rear passengers are more likely to wear seatbelts than male rear passengers. Seatbelt use was lowest on Mondays and Tuesdays, with compliance improving as the week progressed toward Friday. CONCLUSION: This study offers insights into seatbelt usage patterns in Ghana, with implications for public safety campaigns, enforcement, and transportation policy to improve road safety for all vehicle occupants.
Beliefs and knowledge about road safety education among kindergarten principals and teachers in Argentina: a qualitative study.
Tosi JD, Minjolou NA, Díaz-Lázaro CM … +2 more , Ledesma RD, Poó FM
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41105439 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Road safety education is essential for preventing traffic injuries and promoting safe behavior from an early age. In this regard, principals and teachers play a key role. This qualitative study explored opinio...
OBJECTIVE: Road safety education is essential for preventing traffic injuries and promoting safe behavior from an early age. In this regard, principals and teachers play a key role. This qualitative study explored opinions and practices associated with early childhood road safety education, from the principals and teachers' perspective. METHODS: The study took place in a city in Argentina (Mar del Plata), where 37 in-depth interviews were conducted with teachers and principals from 13 institutions located in different areas of the city. The following general dimensions were explored: knowledge of regulatory frameworks and road safety guidelines; road safety training; conceptions of road safety education; the role of preschools, parents, and local government; and perceived difficulties in implementing actions. RESULTS: The results showed a low level of knowledge about general road safety regulations and guidelines for children. Two main conceptions of road safety education were identified: a normative approach, focused on obeying rules, and a comprehensive approach, more oriented toward self-care, social protection, and the environment. Principals and teachers emphasized the importance of informational and practical activities and identified a lack of time, resources, training, and government support as the main barriers. They identified the need to involve families, adapt content to the local context, and coordinate efforts with other educational levels. CONCLUSION: The effective implementation of early childhood road safety education depends not only on developing a regulatory framework, but also on improving the knowledge and practices of principals and teachers, establishing comprehensive policies, coordinating the participation of stakeholders, and incorporating supportive measures such as monitoring and oversight.
Spiral tunnel driving and cognitive load: An eye-tracking investigation into tunnel geometry and traversal effects.
Han L, Zhou H, Gu P … +1 more , Du Z
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41105230 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: Despite the increasing construction of spiral tunnels, the specific scientific problem of how their unique geometric characteristics (length and radius) and travel direction (upward vs. downward) collectively...
OBJECTIVES: Despite the increasing construction of spiral tunnels, the specific scientific problem of how their unique geometric characteristics (length and radius) and travel direction (upward vs. downward) collectively influence drivers' cognitive load remains insufficiently understood, with a lack of systematic quantification using eye movement metrics. This study aimed to evaluate and quantify the cognitive load experienced by drivers navigating spiral tunnels, focusing on addressing this gap by examining the effects of tunnel geometry and travel direction through eye movement metrics. METHODS: A naturalistic driving experiment was conducted with 30 licensed drivers in three spiral tunnels varying in length (1,330, 2,200, and 4,460 m) and radius (1,000, 850, and 700 m). Eye movement data, including fixation duration, pupil diameter, saccade duration, and saccade amplitude, were collected and analyzed to assess cognitive load. RESULTS: Increased tunnel length and decreased radius have been associated with greater cognitive load. Specifically, the average fixation duration in the 4,460-m-long, 700-m-radius Hankou Tunnel is 4.6% higher than that in the 2,200-m-long, 850-m-radius Liuyuan Tunnel and 12.9% higher than in the 1,330-m-long, 1,000-m-radius Nanping Tunnel. The average pupil diameter in the Hankou Tunnel is 3.5% larger than that in the Liuyuan Tunnel and 7.7% larger than in the Nanping Tunnel. The average saccade duration in the Hankou Tunnel is 14.8% longer than that in the Liuyuan Tunnel and 34.0% longer than in the Nanping Tunnel, while the average saccade amplitude in the Hankou Tunnel is 5.0% smaller than that in the Liuyuan Tunnel and 14.0% smaller than in the Nanping Tunnel. Drivers have also experienced higher cognitive load during upward traversal compared to downward traversal, with the average fixation duration during upward traversal being 10.0% higher than that during downward traversal, the average pupil diameter during upward traversal being 4.0% larger than that during downward traversal, the average saccade duration during upward traversal being 10.6% longer than that during downward traversal, and the average saccade amplitude during upward traversal being 5.5% smaller than that during downward traversal. No significant interaction effects have been observed among tunnel length, radius, and travel direction on the eye movement metrics. CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing tunnel design is crucial to minimizing cognitive demands on drivers. Shorter and wider tunnels are recommended, and design features such as enhanced lighting and improved signage should be considered to mitigate the additional cognitive load of uphill driving. These findings have significant implications for enhancing driver safety and performance in spiral tunnels.
Attitude of parents on the use of car seats for their children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abalkhail KA, Aldabeis M, Alghamdi L … +2 more , Almutairi R, Alhindi S
Traffic Inj Prev · 2025 Oct · PMID 41105021 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the leading cause of death among children globally. According to motor vehicle collision reports from the Saudi Ministry of Health, 3,202 children younger than 18 years were...
OBJECTIVES: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the leading cause of death among children globally. According to motor vehicle collision reports from the Saudi Ministry of Health, 3,202 children younger than 18 years were involved in RTAs in 2020, resulting in 587 fatalities. Moreover, the World Health Organization reports that the use of child restraint systems (CRS) can reduce infant deaths by up to 71% globally. This highlights that a major factor influencing the outcome of an RTA is the use of CRS. This study aimed to assess parents' attitudes and awareness regarding the use of CRS, including their perceived benefits and barriers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among parents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with children from birth to 12 years old. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the targeted parents using an online survey. Of the 468 parents, 50.4% were male and 32.7% were between 26 and 35 years old. The questionnaire includes sociodemographic characteristics, a questionnaire to assess parents' practices on using CRS, and a 5-item questionnaire to assess parents' attitudes toward the CRS. RESULTS: Only 34.8% of parents reported having a CRS. The most common barriers to CRS usage were financial constraints and lack of conviction about their importance. Approximately 46.2% of respondents exhibited a positive attitude toward using CRS. The most significant predictors of positive attitudes were higher educational attainment and having a CRS available in the vehicle. CONCLUSIONS: Parents in Riyadh demonstrated a generally favorable attitude toward the use of CRS. However, those with lower education levels and without access to a CRS in their vehicle were more likely to have negative attitudes. Promoting positive attitudes toward CRS may enhance child safety during travel. Therefore, targeted educational campaigns are essential to raise awareness and encourage consistent use of CRS among parents in the region.
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