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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

A Multilevel Study Of Driving Behavior And System Performance- Harnessing Large-Scale Naturalistic Driving And Conventional Safety Data, Amin Mohammadnazar Dec 2021

A Multilevel Study Of Driving Behavior And System Performance- Harnessing Large-Scale Naturalistic Driving And Conventional Safety Data, Amin Mohammadnazar

Doctoral Dissertations

The performance of a transportation system highly depends on the drivers’ behavior because driving behavior is one of the main causes of traffic accidents and one of the key factors in fuel consumption and vehicle emissions studies. Specifically, the focus of this dissertation is on aggressive driving who not only put their selves and others at risk but also contribute more to greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, the development of advanced sensors, connected vehicles (CVs), location-based services (LBS) provided unprecedented access to new high-resolution microscopic-level data which can be used to evaluate and monitor instantaneous driving behavior and safety performance of …


Modeling Driver Distraction Mechanism And Its Safety Impact In Automated Vehicle Environment., Song Wang Dec 2021

Modeling Driver Distraction Mechanism And Its Safety Impact In Automated Vehicle Environment., Song Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Automated Vehicle (AV) technology expects to enhance driving safety by eliminating human errors. However, driver distraction still exists under automated driving. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has defined six levels of driving automation from Level 0~5. Until achieving Level 5, human drivers are still needed. Therefore, the Human-Vehicle Interaction (HVI) necessarily diverts a driver’s attention away from driving. Existing research mainly focused on quantifying distraction in human-operated vehicles rather than in the AV environment. It causes a lack of knowledge on how AV distraction can be detected, quantified, and understood. Moreover, existing research in exploring AV distraction has mainly …


Understanding The Safety Impacts Of Left-Turn Infrastructure On The Vulnerable Driving Population, Francis Tainter Jul 2021

Understanding The Safety Impacts Of Left-Turn Infrastructure On The Vulnerable Driving Population, Francis Tainter

Doctoral Dissertations

The severe impact of roadway fatalities has remained a significant concern for researchers in recent years. As of 2015, traffic fatalities were the leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15 and 20 years old and a significant safety concern for drivers over the age of 65 years old (otherwise known as the “vulnerable” driving population). Intersection-related crashes have also remained prevalent in these demographic categories. Through four primary crash data evaluations, this dissertation explores the safety implications on the “vulnerable” driving population in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Through the utilization of newly developed crash data linkage …


The Impact Of Vision Zero Initiatives On Road User Safety In New York City, Alex C. Phares, Md Amdad Hossen, Kakan Dey Jun 2021

The Impact Of Vision Zero Initiatives On Road User Safety In New York City, Alex C. Phares, Md Amdad Hossen, Kakan Dey

Mountaineer Undergraduate Research Review

Despite modern vehicles, improved transportation infrastructure, and advanced traffic signals, more than 36,000 Americans die from traffic crashes every year1. With the goal of reducing traffic fatalities to zero, New York City (NYC) adopted Vision Zero (VZ) initiatives in 2014 and has deployed 23 categories of countermeasures, ranging from road improvements to training and community outreach programs2. In this research, trend analysis and hypothesis tests were done on NYC traffic fatality data for three main categories of roadway users: motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, to evaluate the success of the VZ initiatives. It was found that annual fatalities of both motorist …


Nighttime Pedestrian Fatalities Across The United States And Their Relationship With Built Environment And Socioeconomic Factors: Gis-Based Analysis And Assessment, Amir Tarighi Apr 2021

Nighttime Pedestrian Fatalities Across The United States And Their Relationship With Built Environment And Socioeconomic Factors: Gis-Based Analysis And Assessment, Amir Tarighi

Civil Engineering ETDs

Fatalities from motor vehicle collisions are the fifth leading cause of years of lost life worldwide (Foreman et al., 2018) and are a great concern for all communities. This road safety crisis has been especially pronounced for U.S. pedestrians over the last decade. National records show that between 2010 and 2019, pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. increased 44% while all other traffic fatalities increased only 4% and more than fifty percent of pedestrian fatalities occurred in dark lighting conditions. This study analyzed the relationship between pedestrian fatality locations at night and five demographic characteristics of those locations including population density, …


Evaluation Of Orange Pavement Striping For Use In Work Zones, Erin Lammers-Staats, William Staats, Ken Agent Feb 2021

Evaluation Of Orange Pavement Striping For Use In Work Zones, Erin Lammers-Staats, William Staats, Ken Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Interstate widening projects are commonplace in Kentucky, and safety is of primary concern within the project work zone. Past experience with long work zones revealed two critical safety issues: driver confusion due to unclear pavement markings and a lack of continuous work zone signage for motorists indicating they are still within a work zone. This concern is heightened in transition and taper areas. Highly visible markings in an alternative color other than standard yellow or white might better distinguish the proper travel path for motorists and prevent drivers from returning to normal driving behavior and speeds once they get through …