•Sixty-eight percent (68.2%) of road traffic collision deaths in Botswana are considered preventable.•The majority of deaths (45%, n=384/909) occurred at the scene.•Head injury in combination with ...haemorrhagic shock was the commonest cause of death at 47.3% (n=430/909).
Road traffic collisions (RTC) are a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Botswana. To our knowledge no research has been conducted in Botswana to investigate preventable deaths that occur as a result of RTCs. The aim of this study is to establish the rate of preventable deaths from RTCs in the greater Gaborone area in Botswana. This was a 5-year retrospective study conducted at the forensic pathology department for the greater Gaborone area, in Botswana. Nine hundred and nine (909) forensic pathology reports were retrieved. Sixty-eight percent (68.2%) of RTC deaths were considered preventable. Head injury in isolation and in combination with other injuries accounted for 87.6% (796/909) of deaths. Haemorrhagic shock was present in 70.2% (638) of all documented injuries. Another documented injury contributing to fatal RTCs was high spinal cord injury. This injury was documented in 13.1% (119/909) of all deaths. We recommend the implementation of a comprehensive trauma system in Botswana to reduce the number of deaths from RTCs.
Hydrogen (H2) is being explored as a fuel for passenger vehicles; it can be used in fuel cells to power electric motors or burned in internal combustion engines. In order to evaluate the potential ...influence of a future H2-based road transportation on the regional air quality in Europe, we implemented H2 in the atmospheric transport and chemistry model LOTOS-EUROS. We simulated the present and future (2020) air quality, using emission scenarios with different proportions of H2 vehicles and different H2 leakage rates. The reference future scenario does not include H2 vehicles, and assumes that all present and planned European regulations for emissions are fully implemented.
We find that, in general, the air quality in 2020 is significantly improved compared to the current situation in all scenarios, with and without H2 cars. In the future scenario without H2 cars, the pollution is reduced due to the strict European regulations: annually averaged CO, NOx and PM2.5 over the model domain decrease by 15%, 30% and 20% respectively. The additional improvement brought by replacing 50% or 100% of traditionally-fueled vehicles by H2 vehicles is smaller in absolute terms. If 50% of vehicles are using H2, the CO, NOx and PM2.5 decrease by 1%, 10% and 1% respectively, compared to the future scenario without H2 cars. When all vehicles run on H2, then additional decreases in CO, NOx and PM2.5 are 5%, 40%, and 5% relative to the no-H2 cars future scenario. Our study shows that H2 vehicles may be an effective pathway to fulfill the strict future EU air quality regulations.
O3 has a more complicated behavior – its annual average decreases in background areas, but increases in the high-NOx area in western Europe, with the decrease in NOx. A more detailed analysis shows that the population exposure to high O3 levels decreases nevertheless.
In all future scenarios, traffic emissions account for only a small proportion of the total anthropogenic emissions, thus it becomes more important to better regulate emissions of non-traffic sectors.
Although atmospheric H2 increases significantly in the high-leakage scenarios considered, the additional H2 added into the atmosphere does not have a significant effect on the ground level air pollution in Europe.
•European air quality improves in the future due to emission regulations.•When road traffic is converted to H2, air quality improves further.•H2 leaked into the atmosphere does not have a large negative impact on air quality.
This study aims to explore trends of NOx (NO + NO2) pollution over ten years (2004–2013) at an urban monitoring station at Yongsan in Seoul, Korea. The mean concentrations (in nmol/mol) of NO, NO2, ...and O3 measured over the entire study period were 25.3 ± 7.30, 36.9 ± 1.76, and 17.5 ± 1.31, respectively. The decadal trend of these pollutants exhibited statistically significant, but contrasting, results with downward NO and NOx trends and upward O3 trends throughout the study period. Correlation studies and principal component analysis (PCA) explained association of NO and NO2 with traffic related pollutants (CO, PM, and SO) at a statistically significant level while O3 exhibited patterns correlated with meteorological parameters. The overall results of this study indicate that the decadal trend of NO and NO2 was highly dependent on automotive related pollution, while O3 concentration was influenced by both the availability of NO and meteorological conditions.
•From the view point of air quality, NO2 is more important than NO due to its greater human health effects.•Further, O3 is an important greenhouse gas making significant contributions to the climate change.•A study has been undertaken to explain the long-term changes in NOx/O3 levels in urban air.•Korea has been actively pursuing policies to reduce pollutant emissions from traffic-related sources.•The decadal trend of NOx was dependent on traffic pollution, while that of O3 on NO and meteorology.
Road traffic is the primary source of environmental noise pollution in cities. This problem is also spreading due to inadequate urban expansion planning. Hence, integrating road traffic noise ...analysis into urban planning is necessary for reducing city noise in an effective, adaptable, and sustainable way. This study aims to develop a methodology that applies to any city for the stratification of urban roads by their functionality through only their urban features. It is intended to be a tool to cluster similar streets and, consequently, traffic noise to enable urban and transportation planners to support the reduction of people's noise exposure. Three multivariate ordered logistic regression statistical models (Model 1, 2, and 3) are presented that significantly stratify urban roads into five, four, and three categories, respectively. The developed models exhibit a McFadden pseudo-R2 between 0.5 and 0.6 (equivalent to R2 >0.8). The choice between Model 1 or 2 depends on the scale of the city. Model 1 is recommended for developed cities with an extensive road network, while Model 2 is most suitable in intermediate and growing cities. On the other hand, Model 3 could be applied at any city scale but focused on local management of transit routes and for designing acoustic sensor installations, urban soundwalks, and identification of quiet areas. Urban features related to road width and length, presence of transport infrastructure, and public transport routes are associated with increased traffic noise in all three models. These models prove useful for future action plans aimed at reducing noise through strategic urban planning.
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•Stratification of urban roads by their urban features•Urban features-based multinomial ordered logistic regression models•Street categorization method for validation measurements of road traffic noise maps
A driver of a vehicle is a main part of “driver – automobile – road – environment” (DARE) system, sustainable functioning of which determines the effectivity and safety of the road traffic. The ...driver as an operatof of DARE system gets most of the information from the road, scilicet from moving and stationery objects on it, traffic signs, traffic lights, condition of the surface and traffic environment. Analysis of the majority of road accidents demonstrates that the weakest part of human-machine DARE system limiting its efficency and reliability is a human. To provide necessary reliability and safety the driver of any vehicle has to be cautious. It is maintained by the appropriate psychophysiological condition which is in turn affected by many factors. In the article the analysis of research works considering the effect of different factors on the vehicle driver’s reliability is presented. The means and methods of research conducting are described. The recomendations on constructing the stand for research of the effect of driver’s psychophysiological condition on road traffic safety are given.
•What is already known on the subjectGlobal morbidity and mortality from road traffic injuries (RTIs) are substantial, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Kenya. RTIs have ...major economic impacts on households, communities, and nations.RTI surveillance is essential for characterizing the burden of and risk factors for RTIs, as well as for implementing and evaluating the impact of public health interventions aimed at reducing RTIs.Many countries, especially LMICs, lack a comprehensive national RTI surveillance system that consistently collects information on key variables necessary for public health action.•What this study addsWe found that RTIs in Nairobi County, an urban setting in Kenya, predominantly affected males and young adults, and we observed that nonuse of safety equipment (i.e., seat belts and helmets) among RTI cases was common.Our study demonstrates that a hospital-based RTI surveillance system is practical in LMIC settings and can provide critical information to guide public health practice and policy. This pilot study also elucidates some challenges related to collecting information on circumstances contributing to RTIs and the need for innovative ways to systematically collect this vital information.
Kenya's estimated road traffic injury (RTI) death rate is 27.8/100,000 population, which is 1.5 times the global rate. Some RTI data are collected in Kenya; however, a systematic and integrated surveillance system does not exist. Therefore, we adopted and modified the World Health Organization's injury surveillance guidelines to pilot a hospital-based RTI surveillance system in Nairobi County, Kenya.
We prospectively documented all RTI cases presenting at two public trauma hospitals in Nairobi County from October 2018–April 2019. RTI cases were defined as injuries involving ≥1 moving vehicles on public roads. Demographics, injury circumstances, and outcome information were collected using standardized case report forms. The Kampala Trauma Score (KTS) was used to assess injury severity. RTI cases were characterized with descriptive statistics.
Of the 1,840 RTI cases reported during the seven-month period, 73.2% were male. The median age was 29.8 years (range 1–89 years). Forty percent (n = 740) were taken to the hospital by bystanders. Median time for hospital arrival was 77 min. Pedestrians constituted 54.1% (n = 995) of cases. Of 400 motorcyclists, 48.0% lacked helmets. Similarly, 65.7% of bicyclists (23/35) lacked helmets. Among 386 motor vehicle occupants, 59.6% were not using seat belts (19.9% unknown). Seven percent of cases (n = 129) reported alcohol use (49.0% unknown), and 8.8% (n = 161) reported mobile phone use (59.7% unknown). Eleven percent of cases (n = 199) were severely injured (KTS <11), and 220 died.
We demonstrated feasibility of a hospital-based RTI surveillance system in Nairobi County. Integrating information from crash scenes and hospitals can guide prevention.
•Helmet wearers were significantly older than non-wearers•Helmet use was associated with a significantly lower risk of head injury and higher GCS score•‘Fall from cycle’ was the most common injury ...mechanism.•‘Cyclist v Vehicle’ collisions showed the most severe injury characteristics•Future interventions could target driver and cyclist education and helmet promotion campaigns
This study aims to characterise cycling related injuries presenting to a major trauma centre located within a region with the highest rates of cycling in the UK.
A retrospective analysis of cycling related trauma admissions occurring between January 2012 and June 2020 was performed. Our institution's electronic patient record system was used to collect relevant data for analysis including age, gender, mechanism of injury, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) on arrival, incident date and time, injured body regions, 30-day mortality, helmet use and intubation rate. Comparison was made between groups of patients based on mechanism of injury.
A total of 605 cycling related trauma cases were identified, with 52 being excluded due to incomplete data. The most common mechanism was ‘fall from cycle’ (53.5%). The ‘cyclist v vehicle’ group was associated with a significantly higher Injury Severity score (ISS), lower GCS and higher intubation rate. Helmet wearers were significantly older than non-wearers and helmet use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of head injury, lower ISS and intubation rate and a higher GCS.
With a likely increase in future cycling uptake, it is crucial that effective interventions are implemented to improve the safety of cyclists. The findings of this study may be used to guide any such intervention. A multi-faceted strategy involving driver and cyclist education, effective road infrastructure changes and helmet promotion campaigns specifically targeting the younger generation could be employed.
Implementation of regulatory standards has reduced exhaust emissions of particulate matter from road traffic substantially in the developed world. However, nonexhaust particle emissions arising from ...the wear of brakes, tires, and the road surface, together with the resuspension of road dust, are unregulated and exceed exhaust emissions in many jurisdictions. While knowledge of the sources of nonexhaust particles is fairly good, source-specific measurements of airborne concentrations are few, and studies of the toxicology and epidemiology do not give a clear picture of the health risk posed. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge, with a strong focus on health-related research, highlighting areas where further research is an essential prerequisite for developing focused policy responses to nonexhaust particles.
Computer vision has evolved in the last decade as a key technology for numerous applications replacing human supervision. Timely detection of traffic violations and abnormal behavior of pedestrians ...at public places through computer vision and visual surveillance can be highly effective for maintaining traffic order in cities. However, despite a handful of computer vision–based techniques proposed in recent times to understand the traffic violations or other types of on-road anomalies, no methodological survey is available that provides a detailed insight into the classification techniques, learning methods, datasets, and application contexts. Thus, this study aims to investigate the recent visual surveillance–related research on anomaly detection in public places, particularly on road. The study analyzes various vision-guided anomaly detection techniques using a generic framework such that the key technical components can be easily understood. Our survey includes definitions of related terminologies and concepts, judicious classifications of the vision-guided anomaly detection approaches, detailed analysis of anomaly detection methods including deep learning–based methods, descriptions of the relevant datasets with environmental conditions, and types of anomalies. The study also reveals vital gaps in the available datasets and anomaly detection capability in various contexts, and thus gives future directions to the computer vision–guided anomaly detection research. As anomaly detection is an important step in automatic road traffic surveillance, this survey can be a useful resource for interested researchers working on solving various issues of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
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