The impact of a child bike seat and trailer on the objective overtaking behaviour of motorized vehicles passing cyclists

IntroductionThe lateral clearance distance of a motorized vehicle while overtaking a cyclist is a key indicator of safety. This lateral clearance distance has never been measured for cyclists transporting a child. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the behaviour of motorized vehicles in overtaking cyclists with and without a child on the same bicycle.MethodsThe lateral clearance distance of the overtaking manoeuvres of motorized vehicles was measured using an instrumented bicycle when performing 19 cycling trips on one single road with two different types of cycling infrastructure (a bike lane and shared lane marking) in the Brussels Capital Region (Belgium). Mixed effect regression was used to examine the effect of cycling condition (cyclist without a child [control], cyclist with a child bike seat and cyclist with a child bike trailer) and secondary independent variables (i.e. cycling infrastructure, peak traffic hours and traffic density) on the lateral clearance distance.ResultsThe mean lateral clearance distance in ‘cyclists without child’ was significantly smaller (117.3 cm) than in ‘cyclists with child’ (128.8 cm) (95%CI [7.2;15.9]). Looking at ‘morning peak traffic hours’ (i.e. 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.) a cyclist with child bike seat was overtaken at greater lateral clearance distances than a cyclist with a child bike trailer or a cyclist without child (p=0.041). Furthermore, the percentage of passing manoeuvres under 100 cm was significantly higher in ‘cyclist without child’ (35.3%) in comparison to ‘cyclist with child bike seat’ (21.8%) and ‘cyclist with child bike trailer’ (21.8%) (Chi2=29.19, p<0.001). No significant differences were found between a shared lane marking and bike lane.ConclusionDrivers of motorized vehicles do adapt their overtaking manoeuvre when they overtake cyclists transporting a child, keeping greater and therefore safer lateral clearance distances. In morning peak traffic hours and/or crowded circumstances the child bike seat can be considered as the safest way to transport a child in terms of lateral clearance distance. In general, with 25.3% overtaking manoeuvres under 100cm, police should monitor compliance with the traffic rules with regard to cyclists, and motorists should be more aware of the overtaking traffic rules.     

Pedestrian distraction from Smartphones: An end-user perspective on current and future countermeasures

Pedestrian distraction from smartphone use is a concern from a road safety perspective. This research examined the effectiveness of current and future potential countermeasures from an end-user perspective by means of interviews and a focus group with smartphone users. Four broad countermeasure categories were identified from a countermeasures review: behavioural; legislation/regulation; infrastructure initiatives and technology advances. Overall it was found that no single countermeasure category was perceived by end-users to be fully effective in removing the road safety risk of smartphone use by pedestrians, but rather an integrated approach that combines elements such as pedestrian infrastructure separation, publicity, legislation and a shared responsibility for safety amongst all road users, was deemed to be the most promising solution. Future work in this area, particularly focusing on countermeasure prioritisation and subsequent deployment, is then outlined.     

工作压力与社会支持对安全绩效的影响

工作压力对安全绩效的影响虽然已经引起学者们的关注, 但迄今为止相关的实证研究却比较少见。本项目将以工作要求-控制-社会支持模型为理论基础, 探索工作压力和社会支持对安全绩效的影响。具体将探讨不同压力源(挑战型压力源和沮丧型的压力源)、安全控制、社会支持(主管支持和同事支持)和群体示范性规范对安全绩效的影响, 以及上述变量之间可能存在的交互作用。研究拟结合访谈、问卷和实验室模拟等方法对上述变量间进行相关和因果关系的探讨。研究结果一方面可拓展安全绩效研究的理论; 另一方面为安全管理实践提供理论依据, 对组织环境下个体与组织安全绩效的改善有积极的现实意义。     

Narcissistic personality and risk perception among Chinese aviators: The mediating role of promotion focus

Optimism bias is a crucial feature of risk perception that leads to increased risk‐taking behaviour, which is a particularly salient issue among pilots in aviation settings due to the high‐stakes nature of flight. The current study sought to address the roles of narcissism and promotion focus on optimism bias in risk perception in aviation context. Participants were 239 male flight cadets from the Civil Aviation Flight University of China who completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory‐13, the Work Regulatory Focus Scale, and an indirect measure of unrealistic optimism in risk perception, which measured risk perception for the individual and the risk assumed by other individuals performing the same task. Higher narcissism increased the likelihood of underestimating personal risks, an effect that was mediated by high promotion focus motivation, such that high narcissism led to high promotion focus motivation. The findings have important implications for improving the accuracy of risk perception in aviation risks among aviators.     

The impact of sleep quality,fatigue and safety climate on the perceptions of accident risk among seafarers

IntroductionSeafaring is an extremely demanding profession that takes place in one of the most dangerous work environments possible. The unpredictable and demanding working conditions foster a high potential for risks and accidents.ObjectivesTo examine how sleep quality, fatigue and safety climate combine to influence perceptions of risk among seafarers.MethodParticipants were 151 seafarers working in the deck or machine departments on board 11 ships belonging to a Norwegian company. Questionnaires were administered at two different time points, approximately one week apart.ResultsPerceptions of risk of personal injuries and ship accidents increase when seafarers are fatigued. We also found that fatigue is related to poor sleep quality and that safety climate predicted both sleep quality and fatigue one week later.ConclusionsThe findings point to the importance for maritime organizations to be cognizant of the causes and consequences of fatigue among their employees, and that that policies and prioritizations are being perceived and interpreted by seafarers and may influence their sleep quality and vigilance when working at sea.     

How to define the accident risk level of car drivers by combining objective and subjective measures of driving style

Perceived risk can be defined as the expectation of being involved in a traffic accident. Traffic risk perception is often subjectively evaluated being risk perception as highly individual, and depending on experiences with accidents. For this reason, a subjective measure of risk level can be useful. On the other hand, accident risk level can be measured also through objective measures, consisting in kinematic parameters defining the driving style. At this aim, it is very important to analyse instantaneous and geo-referenced travelling kinematic parameters of the vehicle recorded by real tests on the road.The aim of this paper is to identify the accident risk level of each driver based on a methodology combining both subjective and objective parameters. Specifically, by using the proposed methodology the risk can be measured immediately by using only the kinematic parameters adopted when driving; we defined three levels of risk of being involved in a road accident (low, medium, and high risk). We retain that our research can give a contribution in terms of improvement of road safety, because the distorted perception of risk level is one of the main causes of road accidents. Very often, drivers are not aware of the risk taking; therefore, it is necessary to raise the awareness of drivers to have safer driving. The proposed method can be useful for informing the driver on the level of risk he/she assumes, so that he/she can take the necessary precautions next time that will cover that stretch of road.     

Safe travel: Passenger assessment of trust and safety during seafaring

Across two studies, this paper explores passengers’ knowledge and perceptions of safety and risk during voyage at sea. Study 1 showed that, although overall safety knowledge can be considered good, some differences exist between groups of passengers. Younger passengers and passengers on shorter trips generally have less safety knowledge than older passengers and passengers on longer trips. Study 2 addressed the effects of two different formats of presenting safety relevant information on passengers’ perception of trust, safety and risk on board. Results showed that passengers receiving an in vivo safety demonstration and teaching session reported being better informed about safety and expressed higher levels of trust in the crew compared with passengers receiving on board video-only safety instructions. Thus, although video modelling can be an easy and inexpensive way to deliver safety information our results suggest that additional personalized and live demonstration quickly builds confidence and trust from passengers that represents an important asset for commercial transportation companies.     

An ecological stance on risk and safe behaviors in children: The role of affordances and emergent behaviors

Unintentional injuries are a major cause of disability and death among children. Initial strategies to address child safety issues have primarily either focused on the environment, trying to identify “risk environments”, or on the individual, trying to identify “at risk children”. More recently, the interaction between child and environment is starting to be addressed in order to enhance the understanding of childhood injuries. The present review suggests a framing of these studies in ecological theory, which implies that children with certain characteristics perceive certain affordances in the environment. In this context, risk may be considered a relational concept. The literature on risk prevention is reviewed and the role of caregivers in managing affordances is emphasized.     

Attitudes of learner drivers toward safety at level crossings: Do they change after a 360° video-based educational intervention?

In light of the growing number of level crossing accidents and the limited prevention programmes, this study examined relationships among attitudes toward traffic rules, impulsiveness, and behavioural intentions at level crossings. It explored the behavioural effects of an educational programme newly developed within the framework of the Croatian national safety project “Implementation of measures to improve the safety of the most vulnerable traffic participants at level crossings“. The programme aimed to change risky attitudes and behavioural intentions of learner drivers at level crossings. It consists of a safety lecture accompanied by pictures, videos and the exposition to a 3D virtual reality film shot at a real level crossing, which allows the participant to experience, from the driver’s perspective, safe and risky crossings. The programme was implemented in 11 driving schools. First, 285 participants (62.8% men) answered a questionnaire measuring safety attitudes toward traffic and impulsiveness, then they attended a lecture and participated in the virtual reality experience. Finally, they answered a questionnaire measuring planned future behaviour at level crossings. The results showed that attitudes toward level crossing risk significantly predicted intended driving behaviour at level crossings. Furthermore, the 360° video-based educational intervention altered the relationships connecting attitudes toward level crossings and risky driving behaviour at level crossings. The practical implications of these results are discussed.     

Who’s more angry? Comparing driver anger and aggression within work and personal driving contexts

Anger and driver aggression increase crash risk. However, how these manifest according to the purpose of the journey (work vs personal) and the unique relationships between sources of anger and aggressive expressions of that anger is under-researched. The current study examined the relationships between different types of anger and aggression, recent crashes and infringements between drivers who drive mainly for work with those who drive mainly for personal reasons.Participants (N = 630) completed an online questionnaire reporting their driving anger tendencies across situations of travel delays, danger and hostility from others, frequency of aggressive driving (using the vehicle, verbal or physical) and crash and infringements in the previous year. Drivers were classified as work or personal drivers based on the percentage of the time they drove for each reason. Relationships between anger sources and aggression types were examined using Structural Equation Modelling, comparing models between the two groups. The relationships between aggression and safety outcomes were explored using Mann-Whitney U tests.The relationships between anger and aggression were similar across work and personal drivers. However, some group differences in the situations that contributed to anger and aggression were identified. Aggression was more frequent for drivers who drove mainly for work and had received a traffic violation, compared to those who had not received a traffic violation.These findings can inform the development of targeted interventions to manage the triggers of anger and aggression. Interventions are likely to impact work and personal drivers; thus, could target employers and road transport authorities.