bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Helmet safety for Indonesian children
Authors: Jagadeesh Santhosh
Published: November 2015

Global road traffic accidents (RTAs) account for around 1.2 million fatalities annually and alarmingly, 30-40% of these fatalities are children [24]. Even in the UK, 60% of child deaths are from RTAs. In Asia, up to one third of these deaths are due to two-wheelers [24]. Helmets can help reduce fatalities by 25% but studies show compliance as low as 20% in Indonesia. Aims and objectives of the study were to find out why people don’t wear helmets and how to prevent head injuries in Indonesia by assessing the knowledge and attitudes of the public.
Observations and interviews were carried out in Jakarta after thorough ethical consideration by the University of Leeds and the Indonesian Ministry of Health. Three observational sittings at the same location recorded characteristics of helmet use with simple analysis. Interviews featured structured questions on the knowledge and attitudes of helmet safety of students and the public. Results were then coded thematically.
Observations showed low helmet use for females and children compared to adult males. Many non-wearers were also passengers. Interview results showed poor awareness of the regulations and compliance amongst the public, especially with young males, women, children, and at night. Barriers to compliance of children discussed included the overlying culture amongst Indonesians passed down by parents, the lack of enforcement by parents and police, and peer pressure. Unavailability of correctly fitting helmets for children also affected usage and police stated they were unsure and inconsistent about enforcement on children.
Findings on the cultural barriers were consistent with previous studies and emphasise the importance of injury prevention to reduce global child mortality. Recommendations discovered involved media campaigns to target children using influential members. To improve the reliability, further research should be carried out in other Asian countries targeting children directly.
Analysis of facial injuries requiring ophthalmological care due to frontal vehicle collisions
Authors: Hitosugi Masahito , Furukawa Satoshi , Morita Satomu
Published: November 2015

Motor vehicle collisions are responsible for a large number of ocular injuries. Although ocular injuries require an early ophthalmological examination at the time of trauma to detect any type of ocular dysfunction, some ophthalmological abnormalities are not detected after the facial injury owing to failure of referral ophthalmologists. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of requiring ophthalmological care by evaluating the patterns and severity of ocular and severe facial injuries from real-world vehicle collisions in Japan.

We collected data on vehicle passengers with any facial injuries who were involved in frontal collisions. Data were obtained from in-depth data records from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA), Japan from 1993 to 2005. Collision information and victims’ medical data were reviewed.

The 226 victims had a mean age of 33.3 ± 14.9 years with an equivalent barrier speed of 35.2 ± 13.0 km/h. Thirty (13.3%) victims suffered ocular injury or fractures in the upper or middle face (OIFF). Victims with OIFF had a significantly higher severity of injuries, especially in the face and lower extremities, and suffered from a higher speed of collisions than those without OIFF (p<0.001). Victims wearing seat belts had a significantly lower prevalence of having OIFF than those not wearing seat belts. Most of the victims with OIFF (29/30) were involved in collisions without deployment of airbags.

To prevent severe ocular injuries, correct use of seat belts with airbag deployment is required. Additionally, the present study enhances that more victims with OIFF are cared for by ophthalmologists immediately after the collision, improving their quality of life and preventing conflicts owing to inadequate medical management.
In-depth study of spinal injuries from real world vehicle crashes in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Khalaf Alshammari Naif , M. Hassan Ahmedali
Published: November 2015

Effective injury mitigation measures can only be developed once a clear understanding of the problem has been obtained. The factors which contribute to the problem and hence the solution are based of analysis of real world data.
The incidence of spinal injuries in traffic accidents has been identified to be a significant problem in Saudi Arabia and Gulf Countries (GCC). However, a detailed database, which could offer data from real world accidents, does not exist in this region from the world. Thus, the main aim of this study is to develop a sufficiently in-depth database, which can then be interrogated to address the problem of spinal injuries in Saudi Arabia.
In this study, data on 778 spinal injuries (AIS ≥ 2) sustained by 552 casualties in 512 vehicle crashes collected from the city of Riyadh has been discussed and analysed. The primary crash factors, which might influence the occurrence and severity of spinal injuries, have been examined.
In conclusion, the results obtained by this study can contribute significantly towards understanding the cause of spinal injuries and coming up with safety measures to mitigate them, especially in Saudi Arabia.
Multi-sectorial collaboration on child passenger safety promotion
Authors: (Minyan) Cui Monica
Published: November 2015

Background:
Traffic injury is a major risk factor among children
• Traffic injury is a leading cause of injuries among Chinese children aged 0 to 14.1
• Nowadays, family car ownership has reached 60 million in China2

Objectives:
• Raise the public awareness on child passenger safety and correct usage of car seats, especially among parents through multi-sectorial collaboration

Methods:
• Introduce global evidence-based safety messages and technology into China
• Maximize limited resources to enhance the program impact by collaboration with multi-sectors

Results:
• Public Awareness
- Launched an ad by collaboration of Shanghai Police and had the ad aired on all the bus lines in Shanghai
- Held media events with a private sector support, advocating in-and around the car safety for children, which gained 121 media reports
• Education to parents and children
- Educational curriculum was developed for education to parents and children by a support from a private sector
- The curriculum was delivered to over 1000 kindergarten teachers
• Correct usage of the car seat
- “Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)” course was introduced into China, with 34 technicians in China now
- With supports from Police, CDC, Education Bureau and a hospital, we held 4 check events, checked over 40 cars.
- Four car seat check stations were set-up.

Conclusion:
With the multi-sectorial collaboration, we were able to have the ad to the public with free of charge, to have the curriculum covering all Shanghai kindergartens and to have the car seat check station set-up, too.

Reference:
1. NCNCD Child of China CDC, Safe Kids China, Injury Prevention Promotion, 2012.
2. People's Health Publishing House, NCNCD of China, Safe Kids China, Child Passenger Safety, 2014
Thermoelectric effect for auto industry
Authors: Hamad Bothina , Al-Yamani Hashem
Published: November 2015

The revolution of auto industry has led to an exponential increase in energy consumption, mainly fossil fuel, which motivated scientists to search for alternative clean, safe and sustainable energy resources. One of the promising energy sources is that produced as a byproduct from operating vehicles. This thermal energy can be harvested and reused as a viable secure source of electricity by utilizing thermoelectric (TE) devices. The TE solid state devices are designed using two dissimilar materials, p- and n-type semiconductors, connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel [1]. They can be designed to convert thermal energy from a temperature gradient into electrical energy (Seebeck effect), where carriers diffuse from the hot to the cold side creating a voltage drop and a current flow.
Semiconductor materials potentially produce superior thermoelectric devices due to their higher ratio of electrical to thermal conductivity as compared to metals since the latter possess low Seebeck coefficients of 10 μV/K [2]. In this work, we present two types of thermoelectric materials designed from intermetallic Fe2VAl Heusler alloy, which comprise a new class of TE materials that are promising for many auto industry applications. This alloy was not carefully investigated in the past and did not receive significant attention yet [3].
Thermoelectric calculations showed that Fe2VAl has both p-type and n-type thermoelectric properties, which is necessary to design TE devices that consist of alternating legs of the two materials. The Seebeck coefficient has maximum values between (20 – 125) μV/K for the p-type and (19 –90) μV/K for the n-type, in the temperature range from 100 K to 800 K.

References:

[1] B.C. Sales, Science 295, 1248 (2002).
[2] T. M. Tritt and M.A. Subramanian, MRS BULLETIN 31, MARCH 2006
[3] Kanchana et al., Phys. Rev. B 80, 125108 (2009).
Teaching traffic safety in Qatari schools: Expectation and reality
Authors: Naji Ebtisam
Published: November 2015

Introduction
In pursuit of the realization of the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) and to ensure the
success of the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Qatari higher authorities have assigned
paramount importance to instilling and prorogating traffic awareness among the various
community groups and school students.
Thus, the establishment of the National Committee for Traffic Safety (NCTS) headed by His
Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in which the relevant authorities in Qatar
have been accomplished. The National Committee for Traffic Safety has prepared a general
educational framework for traffic safety program, familiarizing students of all age groups with
many of the traffic safety concepts to ensure instilling the needed traffic awareness.
This study aims at identifying the effectiveness of the application of the general educational
framework of the traffic safety program on experimental basis in some governmental and private
schools in Qatar (2015-2013) in preparation to introducing it to all schools in the coming years (if
the outcome of the pilot project is proved positive).
Study Approach
This study will be made as part of the assessment of the implementation of the procedural
action plans for teaching traffic safety in Qatar. The study will include conducting a survey among
school principals, teachers, parents and students, and measuring the impact of the acquisition
of traffic safety knowledge on the students› behavior by examining the school zones and how far
the traffic safety measures are applied. It will also follow-up the extra-curricular activities carried
out by students outside the classroom.
Study Expectations
The results of this study are expected to contribute to the enhancement and improvement of
the general framework of the proposed educational content before its application on all Qatari
schools. As expected in this study, many government and private entities are to be engaged in the
preparation of the teaching aids and awareness films to ensure the effective application of the
traffic safety concepts on schools.
It is also expected that the development of the framework would include the following
aspects: preparation of teaching aids, production of awareness films appropriate for each age
group and preparation of illustrative pictures and workshops designed to educate teachers
before the application of the educational framework. It also aims to improve school zones to
enhance traffic safety around schools in accordance with the international safety standards and
measures among other improvements.

References
11. Strategy for the State of Qatar 2016–2011
22. National strategy for traffic safety 2022- 2013
33. SWOV institute for road safety research. The effectiveness of road safety education.
Leidschendam, Netherlands, 2006.
44. http://www.moi.gov.qa/site/arabic
55. Transport research laboratory. Road safety education in developing countries. Overseas
road note 17. Berkshire, UK, 1997.
Drivers with visual field defects; diagnosis, health and experiences
Authors: Peters Björn , Henriksson Per
Published: November 2015

Not being able to drive your own car can be devastating for mobility, health, finances and self-esteem. Driving is a visually demanding task (Owsley et al., 2008) and insufficient visual field can lead to revoked license. Acquired brain damage can impair the visual field and stroke is a very common diagnosis among drivers with visual field defects. de Haan et al. (2015) identified several undocumented difficulties among patients with homonymous visual field defects.
License holders with visual field defects and interested in being assessed in a driving simulator were invited to answer a short web questionnaire. During the period December 2013 to June 2015, close to 400 people responded. The group is however not representative for the population of drivers with visual filed defects. Instead, it comprise the subgroup that is most concerned to get a new driver license issued (or to keep the license if it not yet withdrawn).
A vast majority in the studied group was men (83 %). Almost 3 out of 4 were aged 55 years or more. The three most common diagnosis were stroke (39 %), glaucoma (31 %) and diabetes (13 %). General health status, vision and driving ability was self-estimated as very good or relatively good by 90-95 % of the respondents on a 5-grade scale. Weekly distance driven was estimated to 200 km (median). Involvement in accidents with only property damage, near-accidents and personal injury accidents during the period 2008-2013 was experienced by 8 %, 5 % and 1 %, respectively.
Drivers with visual field defects regard themselves as healthy and good drivers. The drivers do often not understand the withdrawal of the driving license; many comments that they had driven for many years without any problems and that they can compensate for the defect by head movements.
References:
Owsley, C., Wood, J., McGwin, G, (2008). A roadmap for interpreting the literature on vision and driving. Survey of Ophthalmology, Volume 60, Issue 3, May–June 2015, Pages 250–262.
de Haan, G A., Heutink, J, Mellis-Dankers, B., Brouwer W H, Tucha O. (2015) Difficulties in Daily Life Reported by Patients With Homonymous Visual Field Defects. Journal of neuro-ophthalmology: the official journal of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.
Authoring critical situations for assessing driving ability among drivers with visual field defects
Authors: Peters Björn , Andersson Jan
Published: November 2015

Driving is a visually demanding task (Owsley, et al., 2008), manifested in visual ability requirements. Sweden, does not allow on road assessment of drivers with visual field defects. However, driving simulators can be used for fitness to drive assessment (Rizzo, 2011) but authoring driving scenarios is a critical task Vardaki et al. (2014). This paper discuss a driving simulator based assessment method aiming to assess drivers with visual field defects.
The driving task includes 37 situations based on well-known critical driving situations along three driving environments: rural, motorway and urban. Most of the situations occur in urban context, e.g. pedestrians crossing the road, vehicles suddenly appearing. Each situation was assessed with a set of critical measures, e.g. brake reaction time, time based safety margins, speed keeping etc. Driving data from almost a hundred drivers, both with and without visual field defects, were collected and analyzed.
The results are currently being analyzed. So far it seems like some situation were better than others, specifically in terms of timing. The possibility to drive at your own pace made some participants drive very careful and others over the speed limit. This had a strong impact on the criticality of the situations and their usefulness in determining driving ability.
The developed situation on rural road worked very well, in terms of timing and criticality. The option to overtake at your own choice on the motorway introduced some variation in behavior that need further consideration. Urban road driving included critical situations difficult to master even for a driver with no visual defect. The next step will be to investigate behavior metrics in term of the ability to discriminate between those with visual field defects and those without.
References:
Rizzo M., (2011) Medical Disorders. Handbook of Driving Simulation for Engineering, Medicine and Psychology, CRC Press.
Owsley, C., Wood, J., McGwin, G, (2008). A roadmap for interpreting the literature on vision and driving. Survey of Ophthalmology, Volume 60, Issue 3, May–June 2015, Pages 250–262.
Vardaki, S, Yannis, G, Papageorgiou, S G, (2014) Assessing Selected Cognitive Impairments Using a Driving Simulator: A Focused Review. Advances in Transportation Studies, Volume 34, University Roma Tre, Pages 105 – 128
Assessment of road safety knowledge and practices among undergraduates in a medical college in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.
Authors: Sheeba Christopher Christina
Published: November 2015

On any given day, almost 3400 people die globally due to road traffic accidents. The global status report from WHO in 2013 estimates that in India alone approximately 231,000 people are killed due to RTAs yearly. The majority of the victims are unfortunately children, elderly and innocent pedestrians. Due to these astonishing numbers, in 2014 the UN General Assembly, in union with a dozen countries, adopted a resolution of “Improving global road safety”. The aim of this study is to assess the basic road safety knowledge and practices among the youth in a medical college in Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu. The data was collected through a cross sectional study using a semi structured questionnaire which was distributed to around 300 medical students. The data collected was then analyzed using standard statistical tests through SPSS. Of the 300 students, around 170 (56.6%) were female and 130 (43.3%) were males. All students were in the age range of 20-25 years. Overall safety awareness was more among the male population (76%) as compared to the female (70%). Majority (73%) of the participants also had a decent knowledge of safe road practices such as maintaining speed limits, wearing seat belts, waiting in zebra crossings, observing traffic signals and road signs. Majority (72%) also knew that talking, listening to loud music can be distracting during driving and driving under the influence can be fatal. However, approximately 40% of these same students admitted that they don’t put their knowledge to use and frequently fail to practice proper road safety. Thus, this study illustrates the need not only to provide education about road safety but to provide training and instigate stronger roles of local governments to implement these safer road practices. Only then can we effectively reduce the occurrence and morbidity of RTAs.
Developing efficient traffic safety law enforcement programmes
in rapidly developing countries
Authors: Yannis George , Mavromatis Stergios , Laiou Alexana
Published: November 2015

This presentation focusses on the analysis of the fundamental characteristics of traffic enforcement systems for the improvement of traffic safety and the development of a framework of principles and proposals for enforcement programs of selected traffic violations in rapidly developing countries. The methodology used includes a wide review of international literature as well as processing, evaluation and ranking of particular enforcement actions of traffic violations such as speeding, non-use of seat belt and helmet, drinking and driving and mobile phone use. A framework of principles is developed along with special actions within the integrated enforcement programs of selected violations with special emphasis to the particular driver behaviour and safety characteristics in the rapidly developing countries (pedestrian and motorcycle safety, inadequate infrastructure, lack of road safety culture).
Ambulance use among road injury victims: results from Pakistan National Emergency Departments Surveillance
Authors: Zia Nukhba , Rahim Khan Uzma , Abdul Razzak Junaid
Published: November 2015

Ambulance use in low-and middle-income countries is very low. This study assesses characteristics of road traffic injury (RTI) victims coming to emergency departments (EDs) by ambulance and compares with RTI victims coming via alternative modes of transportation.

The Pakistan National Emergency Departments Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) was a surveillance conducted in seven major tertiary-care EDs in six main cities of Pakistan from November 2010-March 2011. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was carried out to investigate the factors associated with ambulance use in RTI patients. The variables used for regression gender, age groups, cities, hospital type, road user type and disposition. There were four age categories; ≤18 years, 19 -45 years, 45 – R years and ≥65 years. RTI patients were divided into two road-user groups; VRUs (pedestrian, motorcycle driver and passenger, bicyclists) and non-vulnerable road-users (non-VRUs) including four-wheel vehicles’ driver and passengers. Level of significance was set at 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained at all participating sites.

Pak-NEDS enrolled 9769 RTI patients. The mode of arrival was known for 92.2% (n=9009) RTI patients, of which 9.1%(n=821) were brought to the ED by ambulance. The mean age was higher in the ambulance group (33.3±16.9 versus 28.8±14.1 years, p-value <0.001). The most common road-user in the ambulance group was motorcycle drivers (n=201,24.5%) and pedestrians (n=3131,38.2%) in the non-ambulance group. Head and neck injuries (n=240,32.9%) in ambulance and upper limb injuries (n=2470, 34.3%) in non-ambulance group were common. There were 3.7% (n=23) deaths in the ambulance group and only 0.6% (n=38) in the non-ambulance group. Patients of all age groups were more likely to use ambulance compared to those >65 years of age (p-value<0.001) adjusted for gender, cities, hospital type, road use type and disposition. The adjusted odds ratio of utilizing ambulances for VRUs was 1.3 times higher than non-VRUs (p-value0.008).

Although the overall use of ambulance for RTI patients is very low in Pakistan, however, we found that RTI patients who used ambulance were more likely to be younger and VRUs. Majority of these patients had suffered from head and neck injuries and were more likely to die in the ED.
Global time differences in road traffic injuries among children and adolescents between and 1990 and 2013: Regional and economical perspectives from global burden of diseases study
Authors: Rahim Khan Uzma , Sengoelge Mathilde , Zia Nukhba , A Razzak Junaid , Hasselberg Marie , Laflamme Lucie
Published: November 2015

In 2010, road traffic injuries (RTIs) are the leading cause of deaths in those aged 1-19 years globally and half of those victims are vulnerable road users (VRUs), defined as pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists. Low-income countries account for the highest proportion of VRU deaths. The change in distribution of the burden of RTI during recent decades is unclear.
To highlight changes over time in RTI mortality among children and adolescents VRU and non-VRU globally, by region, and by country income level between 1990 and 2013.
Country-level data were extracted from the global burden of disease study, split into seven geographical regions and four income levels (low-income [LICs], lower-middle [LMICs], upper-middle [UMICs] and high-income [HICs]). Mortality rates for 1990 and 2013 were calculated considering in turn all categories of road users aggregated, VRUs and non-VRUs.
For all road users aggregated, at country level RTI mortality rates decreased sharply within each country income level and each region between 1990 and 2013, but an increase of 21% was found in LMICs of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Mortality rates for VRUs and nVRUs also decreased remarkably except among non-VRUs from LICs where the mortality rates increased by 16%. For VRUs, the reduction in mortality rates was more than twice as high in HICs (58%) and LICs (43%) than in UMICs (20%) or LMICs (23%). Considering country income level within regions revealed increased mortality rates for non-VRUs in LICs of South Asia by (26%) and for both non-VRUs (5%) and VRUs (35%) in the LMICs of SSA
There have been considerable reductions in RTI mortality rates globally and by region of the world since 1990. While there is a need for enhanced RTI prevention globally, these findings call for the intensification of preventative efforts in specific parts of the world.
Medical-psychological assessment of fitness to drive in Germany
Authors: Brieler Paul , Chehadi Omar , Minge Michael
Published: November 2015

Within the German road traffic safety system the Medical-Psychological Assessment (MPA) has a more than 6 decade old history and tradition. According to the German traffic law system a driver has to make sure to drive only in a good physical and mental condition and to obey the traffic regulations. If drivers are sanctioned for driving under the influence (alcohol), driving while intoxicated (illegal drugs) or received offences for reverse or repeated violations to traffic rules etc. they have to pass the MPA before getting their driving license back or to avoid a withdrawal of their driving license. The MPA is an integrated medical and psychological examination usually containing the elements:
- Questionnaire
- Medical examination
- Psychological interview
- Psychophysical computer-based test of cognitive functions
- The examination can be complemented by a driving test in real traffic under defined conditions.
Due to the importance of this measure for the applicants and for traffic safety the MPA has repeatedly been evaluated in terms of its effectiveness (recidivism rates after a probation period of 3 years, data from the Central Index for Traffic Offenders of the Federal Motor Transport Agency). The results show over the years a decrease of the percentage DUI- and DWI-offenders with a relapse (current state A 8 %) and therefore indicate the predictive reliability of the MPA. There are still problems with drivers with multiple traffic offences (speeding, tail gaiting, e.g.), who have a relapse rate of more than 40 %.
Altogether the MPA-system in Germany can be regarded as an effective measure in the German licensing procedure in preventing recidivism and an important approach for improving traffic safety.
Safe Kids/FedEx children pedestrian road safety program
Authors: Juco de la Fuente Jesus
Published: November 2015

The Philippines is a low-middle income country with an estimated population of 102 Million and a 2.18 annual population growth rate. The consequent urbanization has rapidly increased the number of motor vehicles resulting in increased number of road traffic injuries in the country. According to the World Health Organization, next to assault, road traffic crashes are the second leading cause of injury deaths for all ages. Among 0 to 17 years old children, road traffic crashes is also the second leading causes of deaths, next to drowning.
In 2004, Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines (SKWP) and FedEx worked hand in hand to address this problem using a pedestrian safety program called “Walk This Way”. The aims are to educate the children on pedestrian safety and improve the walking environment of the schools thereby improve the safety of children and other road users while on the roads.
SKWP and FedEx started to organize and build coalitions in five cities and used the three E’s - Education, Engineering and Enforcement. For education, it tries to transfer the knowledge by giving training to principals, teachers, children and parents on pedestrian safety. The Engineering component looks into improvements in the walking environment of the children and their guardians to and from the schools by working with concerned government and non-government organizations. The Enforcement component on the other hand seeks to improve implementation of pertinent laws through dialogues, advocacies and events.

The Walk This Way Program has been implemented in 6 cities in the span of 11 years, 5 in a given year. In 2014 a modified approach, the Young Road Safety Advocate Program (YRSAP) was introduced. This “peer to peer” approach enlists senior outstanding students to teach younger students in their own schools. The last two years saw the training of about 900 outstanding students on pedestrian safety who in turn taught approximately 100,000 younger students. The Safe School Zone Project was developed in 2009 and was able to improve four (4) public elementary schools through road safety environment education and the installation of road signs and permanent barriers.
Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines through the partnership with FedEx has been recognized in the country in the field of injury prevention programs. SKWP has been invited by the Department of Health to be a member of the Technical Working Committee on Violence and Injury Prevention. Coalitions with the various cities and elementary schools have helped increase the knowledge of over a Million children on pedestrian safety. The National TV Networks have recognized and utilized SKWP in discussions about Road Safety and has become a main resource on the recently enacted helmet law for children. National and local governments together with the involved non-government organizations have looked to Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines as a key organization in Children’s Safety Programs.
Surveillance in the service of safety
Authors: Jooma Rashid
Published: November 2015

The World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention of 2004 recommended that the newly motorizing countries establish road injury surveillance to define the burden, identify high-risk groups, plan intervention and monitor their impact. Despite its stated importance in the literature, very few examples of sustained surveillance systems are reported from low income countries. This presentation shares the results of an urban RTI surveillance program that has been running for the past 8 years since 2007 in the emergency departments of five major hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.
We describe the process of establishing the road injury surveillance system incorporating a multi-institution research group including physicians and transportation engineers. Data was collected from 5 city-wide hospitals with details of the injury, severity scoring and information of the circumstances of the crash. Site visits supplemented this data and the results were disseminated to municipal authorities along with low cost engineering solutions to rectify hazards in the road network.
In the 8 years between 2007 and 2014, 262,269 road injury victims were registered by the surveillance system. Though 76% of the injuries were categorized as “minor”, 20% led to hospital admission and in 3% deaths occurred. The information on location of crashes and site visits led to an extensive catalogue of road network hazards and their rectification led to demonstrated reductions in crash frequency. Data was also used for safety advocacy in groups found to be vulnerable in the surveillance, such as motorcyclists, road sweepers and school going pedestrians.
We demonstrate that a functional RTI surveillance program can be established and effectively managed in a developing country. The data collected and analyzed from the victim’s perspective can be a potent tool for effecting safety education and hazard rectification.
Reference:
Razzak J.A. , Shamim M.S. , Mehmood A. , Hussain S.A., Ali M.S. & Jooma R. (2012). A successful model of Road Traffic Injury surveillance in a developing country: process and lessons learnt. BMC Public Health, 12: 357
Qatar Red Crescent and road safety
Authors: Mohamad Abu Rasheed Hadi , Khaled Youssef Agha Mohamed
Published: November 2015

Road safety is a major public health concern. Between 2008 and 2010 an average of 220 people were killed each year and over 550 people were seriously injured in the State of Qatar because of road crashes.

Qatar Red Crescent (QRC), as a member of The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) which is the host of The Global Road Safety Partnership, has identified the road safety as one of its priorities to save lives and build safer communities.

Methods used:

• Advocate the prioritization of road safety on government's agenda. Internal road safety culture for the staffs and volunteers.
• Public awareness campaigns on safe road use. Road safety education for students.
• First aid courses for drivers, police officers, and the general public.

QRC advocated for road safety through its involvement in the National Traffic Safety Committee. QRC volunteers and staffs, about 2500, committed to the ten road safety commitments of IFRC. The "On the Road of Safety" and "For a Safe Driving" public awareness campaigns targeted 5000. QRC school
program promotes safe road practices between students, teachers, staffs, and the parents through the students. It targeted 1650 in 2014. QRC first aid training for students program "I am a paramedic" trained 16200 students between 2008 and 2015. QRC provides first aid training, with a special
chapter about road safety, for about 4500 yearly. QRC assisted in writing the first aid chapter of the new driving manual in the State of Qatar. QRC is in the process of establishing partnership with the ministry of interior to provide first aid training for police officers and driving schools students.

QRC will continue to have a strategic attention to continuous public education about road safety and first aid to bring death and injury down.

References:

1. Global road safety partnership annual report 2013
2. Qatar National Road Safety Strategy 2013 -2022
3. IFRC 2010-2011 road safety program
Using big data safety analytics for proactive traffic management
Authors: A. Abdel-Aty Mohamed
Published: November 2015

The advent of the Big Data era has transformed the outlook of numerous fields in science and engineering. The transportation arena also has great expectations of taking advantage of Big Data enabled by the popularization of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The challenges in the transportation system are many, ranging from increase in travel demand, growth in congestion, need to improve safety to the reality of limited resources. Thus there is a need for more Pro-Active Traffic Management to dynamically manage recurrent and non-recurrent incident-related congestion based on prevailing traffic conditions. Processing this large data requires different analytical and data mining techniques. The presentation addresses several concepts and examples of using big data analytics. Dr. Abdel-Aty presents examples from many projects currently ongoing at the University of Central Florida (UCF). These projects deal with applications of big data analytics in safety and operation. The speech shows examples of UCF research using big data in safety analysis, adverse weather conditions and safety planning. Real-time safety, operation and adverse weather analysis are presented. For example, the viability of monitoring and improving traffic safety and operation on urban expressways in Central Florida using real-time Microwave Vehicle Detection System (MVDS) data is researched. From the perspectives of volume, velocity and variety, the MVDS should be regarded as one of the main sources of Big Data. The detection system archives spot speed, volume, lane occupancy, and vehicle type per lane on a minute basis. Real-time safety risk evaluation was developed for several expressways based on these data. Other big data applications involve combination of census, planning, safety, roadway and land use data to improve safety planning. This extensive research shows the promise and possibilities for the development of real time applications to primarily improve road safety in the context of Pro-active traffic management. It also demonstrates the transformation occurring in safety research and applications based on big data.
An integrated data-centric innovations strategy for tackling road safety in Qatar
Authors: Abu-Dayya Adnan
Published: November 2015

The Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) has defined an integrated innovations strategy for developing and deploying local solutions and applications that tackle road safety in Qatar and the region. This strategy is based on utilizing distributed data and connected devices to deliver intelligent user-centric services and applications that will tackle different problems contributing to road accidents in Qatar and the region. In this presentation we will review key elements of this strategy, solutions, and applications that have been deployed to-date in Qatar and the ones which are under-development and pilot deployments. In particular, we will highlight the progress made in deploying a national traveler info system for delivering relevant location-based services and alerts, and a national telematics platform and services in support of monitoring driver performance. In addition, we will review the solutions being developed and deployed to minimize the use of mobile phones while driving for both consumers and enterprise segments which are part of the Salamtek (Innovations for Distracted Driving) national initiative which was launched in 2014. Finally, we will discuss the progress made in realizing a connected vehicle program in Qatar (based on using standard-compliant car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication protocols and technologies) and the significant potential impact in reducing road accidents in Qatar.
Traffic public health impacts: Crashes and beyond
Authors: Abu-Lebdeh Ghassan
Published: November 2015

Traffic crashes are the obvious and tragic outcome of a complex process of which traffic, human factors, roadway engineering and surrounding environment are all contributing factors. Traffic operations, however, inflict more physical and psychological harm on human health, albeit, it is not immediately obvious as crashes. Some of those harms show symptoms over longer terms, possibly a lifetime. That, however, does not change the fact that such harms are serious infractions of public health and community wellbeing. Is there a case for traffic medicine to expand scope and involve coverage of other traffic harms? Literature and studies have now clearly demonstrated the strong direct and indirect influence of transport planning, design, and operations- including travel choices and traffic operations--on public health including traffic crashes. Beyond crashes, long term-health impacts of transport decisions and practices are now established facts. This talk will make the point that the scope of traffic safety need to move beyond the prevention (and management) of serious crashes and injuries to the promotion and adoption of transport policies and traffic operation measures that, in addition, preserve and promote public health and community wellbeing in a broader sense. It is argued that such policies and measures will, in the mid- to long-term and as a matter of necessity and logical connectedness, result in travel decisions—as in trip making and mode and route choices—and traffic operation measures—as provision of space and junction control—that, collectively, foster calmer and more equitable thus “healthier” traffic operations. The result is both short- and long-term public health improvements including reduced risks of serious crash injuries. A case study of health impacts of traffic congestion is presented.
While reduction of serious crash is an urgent need the world around, the notion of traffic polices and operations as a tool to promote public health is not as obvious nor has it been part of the domain of traffic/transportation engineering or planning. The case is made that traffic operations impact public health and community wellbeing well beyond crashes, and that the professions of traffic/transport and public health collaboratively must adopt a more holistic approach to traffic safety and health: one that goes beyond immediate concerns with serious traffic crashes to one that promotes long-term healthy living of which managing serious crashes is only a part. Towards this end, changes in policies, culture, education, planning, engineering, and systems operations will be necessary, as is a systems approach.
A study on crossing speed profiles of pedestrians at signalized crosswalks
Authors: K. M. Alhajyaseen Wael , Iryo-Asano Miho
Published: November 2015

Pedestrian–vehicle conflicts are one of the most important safety concerns especially at intersections. Of total traffic fatalities, 30% and 36% are pedestrians in Qatar and in Japan, respectively (National Police Agency in Japan, 2015). Although pedestrians at signalized intersections are given priority during the green phase, turning vehicles in conflict often do not give the right of way to pedestrians but tend to compete for it. Furthermore, long crosswalks, short green times, and other reasons may cause pedestrians to rush or suddenly change their speed without paying attention to the surrounding conditions (Iryo-Asano et al. 2014). The sudden changes in pedestrian behavior while crossing cannot be predicted by the driver, which can cause severe conflicts. Therefore, the possible behavioral changes of pedestrians should be studied so that surrogate safety measures such as post-encroachment time can be quantitatively estimated to provide a reliable assessment of pedestrian–vehicle conflicts and their severities.

Continuous pedestrian speed profiles were analyzed at signalized crosswalks considering the impact of crosswalk geometry and signal timing. Five signalized crosswalks at three intersections in Nagoya City were videotaped and individual pedestrian maneuvers were extracted by image processing. A stepwise speed function is proposed to identify significant sudden changes in individual pedestrian speed profiles. The locations and timings of these sudden speed change events were analyzed, and the influencing factors were statistically evaluated.

Empirical analysis showed that sudden acceleration events were observed at the entrance points to the pedestrian–vehicle conflict area, which highlights the significance of these events to pedestrian–vehicle conflict analysis. More than a quarter of all acceleration events occurred just after the onset of the pedestrian flashing green signal indication. Furthermore, it is concluded that long crosswalks have higher percentage of speed change occurrence and as a result higher risk of crashes. In this regard, the application of two-stage pedestrian crossing is a potential solution to reduce crosswalk length and the possibility of having unpredicted pedestrian behavioral changes.

In general, the results implied that pedestrian entering speed to crosswalk, necessary speed to finish crossing before the onset of the pedestrian red signal indication, and crosswalk length have a significant impact on pedestrian speed change choices.
References
Iryo-Asano, M., Alhajyaseen, W., and Nakamura, H. (2014) “Analysis and Modeling of Pedestrian Crossing Behavior during the Pedestrian Flashing Green Interval”, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Vol. 99, pp. 1-12.
National Police Agency, Japan, 2015. Fatal Traffic Accidents in 2014, http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?lid=000001129473 (in Japanese).
Trauma systems and their role in enhancing road safety in Qatar
Authors: Al Thani Hassan
Published: November 2015

Trauma systems have been shown to improve outcomes for trauma victims with severe and multiple complex injuries in many Western settings. This same effect have not been adequately demonstrated in rapidly developing economies nor specifically for patients with road traffic injuries [RTI's]. This session will present temporal trends in the development of the trauma system and their effect on RTI patient outcomes in Qatar. A review of each of the components of the trauma system, from pre-hospital services, emergency room care, ICU indicators, quality improvement programs, trauma registry, continuing staff education, clinical research, injury prevention and rehabilitation and their measureable impact in RTI’s will be presented and recommendations will be made for the next steps in the continued development of a national trauma system for Qatar.
Enforcement for road safety in Oman: Evidences from the road safety research program in Oman
Authors: Almaniri Abdulla
Published: November 2015

Oman has undergone a rapid epidemiological transition, and has witnessed substantial social and economic changes in the last four decades. Based on oil revenues, the government of Oman has accelerated the development, in the present context, of road network and rapid growth of motorization. Despite the positive side of the substantial development, however, there are other challenges appeared on the scene that have negative impacts. Today, road traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities are a public health challenge in Oman in terms of immeasurable human suffering along with the huge economic and social costs incurred as well as becoming a burden on health sector i.e. main external cause of morbidity, particularly among young and adults. Oman presents a fertile ground to explore the contributory factors of road traffic crashes and their consequences of injuries and fatalities.

Recognizing the importance of research to understand road traffic injuries and provide effective interventions, The Research Council initiated a strategic program for road safety research within Oman in April 2010, the Road Safety Research Program (RSRP). The main objective of the RSRP is to promote scientific research and build national capacity in road safety research for the purpose of supporting decision makers in implementing evidence-based solutions to combat road traffic injuries in the Sultanate of Oman. The RSRP has operated on the basis of competitive and commissioned research grants as means to promote innovative research projects that would have a direct bearing on reducing the burden of road traffic injuries (RTI) in Oman.

This presentation will highlight major projects funded within the RSRP that address low enforcement and traffic policing as a major intervention for road safety. In particular, this presentation will present findings from projects exploring traffic policing in Oman, evaluation of the deterrence practices for heavy vehicle safety, and traffic enforcement for novice driver safety. The presentation will also present some of the findings of a series of qualitative observations and interviews were conducted in Oman with 47 truck drivers. One objective of these observations was to explore the role enforcement strategies by the police in mitigating the risk of road traffic crashes of heavy vehicles using the deterrence theory. In addition, the presentation will show some of the findings from a study sought to explore the relationship between policing enforcement as well as current licensing system and young driver behavior using Akers' social learning theory. The study was conducted among 1319 Omani young drivers (72.9% Male and 27.1% female). Finally the presentation will discuss the implication of the findings of these studies suggest recommendations for improving deterrence and police enforcement in Oman and the region to improve road safety.