Academic literature on the topic 'Roads – Zimbabwe – Safety measures'

In fiscal 2003, the Road Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport in Japan performed demonstration projects concerning diverse and flexible charge measures for toll roads. The goals were to promote the effective use of roads by encouraging traffic to switch from general purpose roads to toll roads, improving roadside environments, mitigating congestion, and promoting traffic safety measures. This study analyzes the results of the 22 projects. As a result of the bureau's efforts, traffic on the toll-free general purpose roads decreased and traffic on the toll roads increased, with traffic congestion in the affected areas subsequently eased. The projects that were intended to eliminate commuter congestion in regional cities were in many cases particularly effective. However, this effectiveness varied according to the setting of the toll and the interchange section, the type of vehicles involved, the discount time zone, and the locational relationship between the general road and the toll road.

Local Governments (LGs), the third tier of government in Nigeria, are expected to maintain infrastructure facilities at the grass root level but most rural communities in Southwest Nigeria are characterized by poorly maintained roads. This study assessed conditions of Moveable Rural Road Maintenance Equipment (MRRME) under LGs in Southwest Nigeria vis-a-vis the safety levels on the rural roads. The study measured, impacts of roads conditions on commercial drivers/riders (cdr) and, level of usage of MRRME for the roads. Questionnaires were used to measure: accident rates and impacts among 250 cdr on 9 selected rural roads; Maintenance Performance Measures (MPM) of MRRME among 430 Senior Technical Officers (STOs) and Senior Finance Offices (SFOs) in 84 LG secretariats. The conditions of MRRME were carried out using observational method. More than 72% of cdr were involved in one crash or another and 89% of them attributed this to bad roads. Less than 26% of MRRME was functional with weak plans/tools put in place for correct maintenance program leading to a high level of MRRMEs’ failures and total neglect. T-test t (428) = -5.146, p = 0.421) found that the opinions of STOs (poor ratings for MPM policy implementation) were not different from that of the SFO. There is the need for safety attitudinal change among cdr. LGs also need empowerment to ensure proper maintenance of MRRME and enhances their availability. These measures among other will reduce accidents death counts on Nigeria rural roads.

The paper considers an assignment and an essence of audit of road traffic safety. As an example, the authors have determined a priority section on federal roads of Krasnoyarsk Territory for conducting the audit. On the basis of detailed analysis of road conditions that affect the risk of accidents appearance and research of road traffic accidents mechanism on that section the authors have developed measures on decreasing accident rate. Efficiency of the proposed measures are verified with the use of PC–Crash program for modeling and reconstruction of road traffic accidents.

The basic approaches for identifying dangerous road sections for prioritizing road safety measures are outlined. The effectiveness of the result depends on how well the areas where the road safety measures need to be implemented are identified. Suggestions for identifying dangerous places on the roads according to the statistics of traffic accidents using the methods of probability theory are given. On the basis of the analysis of statistics on roads with different number of adventures, limit values of the admissible number of adventures on sections of roads of different length are established. It is proved that it is necessary to create a comprehensive approach to solving a complex problem – improving road safety. Оne of the important approaches for the definition of dangerous road sections according to the data of road accidents, which is proposed by the authors, is the method of detection of sections (places) of concentration of road accidents (black spots). The purpose of this article is to: introduce an approach in road safety management to reduce the number of road accidents and the severity of their consequences on Ukraine’s highways by first implementing measures to improve road conditions and improve road organization. The effectiveness of the result in reducing the number of traffic accidents depends on the areas so clearly identified that, in the first place, it is necessary to implement measures to improve road safety. That is why this approach was introduced in traffic safety management. The purposeful financing of measures, aimed primarily at eliminating such sites, will help to reduce the number of road accidents and the severity of their consequences. Keywords: road safety, methods of analysis, dangerous road sections, place of concentration of road accidents, black spots, road accident.

Identification of key indicators that cause safety challenges and vulnerable roads is crucial for improving traffic safety. This paper, therefore, entails to the development of a novel multiphase multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) model to evaluate the vulnerability of urban roads for traffic safety. This was conducted by using data from 17 important roads of a South African city and combining several methods such as CRiteria Importance through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC), data envelopment analysis (DEA), and measurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution (MARCOS). Taking the elements of the DEA method, two new approaches for calculating the weights of criteria, the DEA-1 and DEA-2 models, were formed and integrated with the CRITIC method to obtain the final values of criteria weights. The MARCOS method was applied to evaluate 17 alternatives, for each direction separately. The aim of developing such a model is to use the advantages of obtaining objectivity of criteria weights through linear programming and correlation of values of the collected data. Also, the MARCOS method, as one of the newer and applicable methods, provides additional significance. Extensive sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the model. The findings suggest that there are a certain number of roads that have a high level of safety for both directions, as well as a group of risky roads, which need traffic improvement measures. Thus, the results indicate that the model is sensitive to various approaches and can prioritize vulnerable roads comprehensively based on which safety measures can be taken.

Road safety management begins with a detailed analysis of accidents, which is reflected in Article 24 of the Law of Ukraine “On Road Traffic” which states that when performing repairs and maintenance of roads, streets and railway crossings road maintenance organizations in the first place should take measures for road safety on the basis of accounting and analysis of road accidents, results of inspections and surveys of roads, streets and railway crossings, and especially in emergency and dangerous areas and in places of concentration of road accidents. The problem of reducing the accident rate and reducing the number of victims of road accidents during the maintenance of roads has so far been solved mainly by identifying areas (places) of concentration of accidents with the development of measures to improve road conditions and improve the organization of traffic on them and conducting annual commission spring and autumn inspections of the road network by representatives of road organizations and the police. However, the areas of concentration of road accidents were not fully covered on the road network of local significance due to the lack of accurate reference of the places of accident in the accident registration cards, as well as they were not identified on the streets and roads of cities and other settlements due to the absence of any criteria for their identification and therefore the maximum efficiency from introduction of management of sites (places) of concentration of road accident isn’t reached. The article analyzes the criteria for determining the areas of concentration of accidents on public roads in different periods, examines the dynamics of the number of areas of concentration of accidents and considers other modern opportunities for effective traffic safety management, in particular, inspection (inspection) of existing roads.

In this article, we have discussed safety measures and compensation for road accidents in Tamilnadu. Transport is over whelming mechanical nowadays. India has one of the largest road networks in the world. Road network in India is inadequate, in comparison to the passengers and traffic handled by them. 43% of the roads are unsurfaced. The Ministry of road transport & highways is expected to award road projects with a total length of around 4,500 km worth Rs.50,000 crore in 2020.

Local roads (district roads) constitute an important part of the road network in Poland, making up around 29.7 % (124,945 km) of all public roads. In 2017, 10,578 accidents, which is 35.7% of all accidents in Poland, took place on local roads. These roads are used primarily by regular users who are very familiar with the defects of these roads. This means that the effects of the low technical standard of local roads and the insufficient number of road traffic devices on the safety on the road can be partly compensated for by the fact that drivers adjust their behaviour to the conditions on the road. This hypothesis can be verified through developing dependency models of road safety measures of local roads’ and technical characteristics. The article presents the research carried out based on regression models of accident prediction. The models were developed with the use of the data on the road surroundings arrangement (built-up areas, access), road condition and the extent of signposting, including data on speed limits and overtaking as well as risk exposure variables. Due to the incomplete data on accidents and the small number of accidents, different approaches to the modelling of the number of road accidents were applied.

Workers have the right to a safe working environment. This right is encapsulated in the Bill of Rights (1996) wherein strong emphasis is placed on the right to a healthy and safe work environment. The construction industry has been labeled as dangerous owing to regular incidents, serious accidents, and fatalities. Road workers’ safety is at high risk in road construction areas, as they perform their work activities alongside moving vehicles that are often large and sometimes moving at high speed. It was determined that very few secondary sources provided information regarding the safety of South African road construction workers. Therefore, the knowledge obtained from this study contributes to the body of knowledge on the subject matter. To collect data, three descriptive surveys were conducted on two different road construction projects within the Eastern Cape. The survey participants included engineering consultants, contractors, traffic safety officers, general road construction workers, as well as random motorists driving through the work zone. Further data was collected from a speed measuring instrument placed in the work zone of the Port Elizabeth. The findings of this research report indicate that road users are not cognizant of the risk to workers in the work zone and that signage and advance warning signs alone are not sufficient to slow motorists’ speed. A further significant threat to road worker safety, is plant operator visibility. This study recommends that government and construction firms educate the public regarding the risks associated with speeding through a work zone. Construction firms should use electronic speed measuring devices prior to the work zone to make road users aware of their speed in relation to the speed limit. To limit plant related accidents, companies should install sensors or cameras on the rear and side panels of plant, so that plant operators have all round vision. Furthermore, road workers could be educated on the controlled use of their mobile phones to reduce the risks associated with the use of mobile phones inside work zones.

Disagreements regarding to what degree right-turn lanes improve or worsen the safety of intersections and driveways provided the motivation and the need for this study. The objectives of this study were to: a) carry out an in-depth study to determine the safety impacts of right-turn movements in different contexts, and b) develop safety-based volume warrants for right-turn lanes if safety indeed improves. Lack of adequate study on the applicability of past warrants and guidelines for the specific context of right-turn movements made from major uncontrolled approaches at unsignalized intersections, and particularly driveways, on two-lane roadways provided the scope for this study. Five-year historical data of statewide traffic crashes reported on Minnesota's twolane trunk highways were analyzed using binary/multinomial logistic regressions. Conflicts due to right turns were analyzed by fitting least squares conflict prediction models based on the data obtained from field surveys and traffic simulations. The safety impacts of rightturn lanes were determined through crash-conflict relationships, crash injury severity, and crash and construction costs. The study found that the probabilities of right-turn movement related crash ranged from 1.6 to 17.2% at intersections and from 7.8 to 38.7% at driveways. Rear-end, samedirection- sideswipe, right-angle and right-turn crash types constituted 96% of right-turn movement related crashes. Rear-end crash probabilities varied from 13.7 to 46.4% at approaches with right-turn lanes and from 37.9 to 76.9% otherwise. The ratios of rearend/ same-direction-sideswipe crashes to conflicts were 0.759 x 10-6 at approaches with right-turn lanes and 1.547 x 10-6 otherwise. iv Overall, right-turn lanes reduced right-turn movement related crash occurrences and conflicts by 85% and 80%, respectively. Right-turn lanes also reduced crash injury severity, hence, reducing the economic cost by 26%. Safety benefits, in dollars, realized with the use of right-turn lanes at driveways were 29% and 7% higher compared to those at intersections at low and high speed conditions respectively for similar traffic conditions. Depending on roadway conditions, interest rate and construction costs, the safety-based volume thresholds ranged from 3 to 200 right turns per hour during the design hour at intersection approaches, and from 2 to 175 right turns at driveway approaches.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering

Lupane and Hwange districts fall under natural region IV and V and lie in the semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe with low and erratic mean annual rainfall not exceeding 600mm. Seventy percent of Zimbabwe’s population lives in communal areas, whose livelihood is based on agriculture. The communities in these areas mainly practice mixed farming systems. However, crop production is constrained by water availability and suitable production techniques. As a result households in these areas are experiencing worsening levels of household food insecurity. Two irrigation schemes were identified for this study and these are located in these two districts. Tshongokwe irrigation scheme is located in Lupane district and Lukosi irrigation scheme is located in Hwange district and these irrigation schemes are about 25 hectares in size. Lupane and Hwange districts are considered to be one of the most food insecure areas in the country because of the frequent droughts and unreliable rainfall in the region. The major tool of enquiry in this study was the questionnaire which was used to collect data from the households that farm on irrigated land and those that farm on dryland farming. Household and farm characteristics were collected using structured questionnaires with the help of locally recruited and trained enumerators. Agricultural production, household consumption and marketing of agricultural produce were accessed using the questionnaire to establish problems experienced by farmers. The main objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of household food security using a logistic regression model. The model was initially fitted with thirteen variables, selected from factors identified by previous researchers that affect food security in communal areas. Six variables were found to be significant at 1, 5 and 10 percent significance level and all had the expected signs except farm size. These factors include access to irrigation, farm size, cattle ownership, fertilizer application, household size and per capita aggregate production. The results obtained were further analyzed to compute partial effects on continuous variables and change in probabilities on the discrete variables for the significant factors in the logistic regression model. Analysis of partial effects revealed that household size, farm size, cattle ownership and per capita aggregate production lead to a greater probability of household being food secure. Change in probability results showed that having access to irrigation and using fertilizer can increase the probability of household being food secure The findings of this study highlight a positive and significant relationship between access to irrigation, fertilizer application, cattle ownership, per capita aggregate production to household food security. Household size and farm size have a negative and significant relationship on household food security. This study shows the effectiveness of irrigated farming over dryland farming in the semi-arid areas. The results show increased agricultural production, crop diversification and higher incomes from irrigation farming as compared to dry land farming. Irrigation farming has enabled many households to diversify their source of income and generate more income. Irrigation has enabled households with irrigation not only to feed themselves throughout the year but also to invest on non-agricultural goods and services from incomes received from crop sales Based on the results from the logistic regression model, it can be concluded that household size, farm size, per capita aggregate production, cattle ownership, fertilizer application and access to irrigation have a positive effect on household food security and the magnitude of changes in conditional probabilities have an impact on household food security.

Disagreements regarding to what degree right-turn lanes improve or worsen the safety of intersections and driveways provided the motivation and the need for this study. The objectives of this study were to: a) carry out an in-depth study to determine the safety impacts of right-turn movements in different contexts, and b) develop safety-based volume warrants for right-turn lanes if safety indeed improves. Lack of adequate study on the applicability of past warrants and guidelines for the specific context of right-turn movements made from major uncontrolled approaches at unsignalized intersections, and particularly driveways, on two-lane roadways provided the scope for this study. Five-year historical data of statewide traffic crashes reported on Minnesota?s twolane trunk highways were analyzed using binary/multinomial logistic regressions. Conflicts due to right turns were analyzed by fitting least squares conflict prediction models based on the data obtained from field surveys and traffic simulations. The safety impacts of rightturn lanes were determined through crash-conflict relationships, crash injury severity, and crash and construction costs. The study found that the probabilities of right-turn movement related crash ranged from 1.6 to 17.2% at intersections and from 7.8 to 38.7% at driveways. Rear-end, samedirection- sideswipe, right-angle and right-turn crash types constituted 96% of right-turn movement related crashes. Rear-end crash probabilities varied from 13.7 to 46.4% at approaches with right-turn lanes and from 37.9 to 76.9% otherwise. The ratios of rearend/ same-direction-sideswipe crashes to conflicts were 0.759 x 10^6 at approaches with right-turn lanes and 1.547 x 10^6 otherwise. Overall, right-turn lanes reduced right-turn movement related crash occurrences and conflicts by 85% and 80%, respectively. Right-turn lanes also reduced crash injury severity, hence, reducing the economic cost by 26%. Safety benefits, in dollars, realized with the use of right-turn lanes at driveways were 29% and 7% higher compared to those at intersections at low and high speed conditions respectively for similar traffic conditions. Depending on roadway conditions, interest rate and construction costs, the safety-based volume thresholds ranged from 3 to 200 right turns per hour during the design hour at intersection approaches, and from 2 to 175 right turns at driveway approaches.

The United States has the world?s largest road network with over 4.1 million miles of roads supporting more than 260 million of registered automobiles including around 11 million of heavy trucks. Such a large road network challenges the road and traffic management systems such as condition assessment and traffic monitoring. To assess the road conditions and track the traffic, currently, multiple facilities are required simultaneously. For instance, vehicle-based image techniques are available for pavements? mechanical behavior detection such as cracks, high-speed vehicle-based profilers are used upon request for the road ride quality evaluation, and inductive loops or strain sensors are deployed inside pavements for traffic data collection. Having multiple facilities and systems for the road conditions and traffic information monitoring raises the cost for the assessment and complicates the process. In this study, an integrated system is developed to simultaneously monitor the road condition and traffic using in-pavement strain-based sensors, which will phenomenally simplify the road condition and traffic monitoring. To accomplish such a superior system, this dissertation designs an innovative integrated sensing system, installs the integrated system in Minnesota's Cold Weather Road Research Facility (MnROAD), monitors the early health conditions of the pavements and ride quality evaluation, investigates algorithms by using the developed system for traffic data collection especially weigh-in-motion measurements, and optimizes the system through optimal system design. The developed integrated system is promising to use one system for multiple purposes, which gains a considerable efficiency increase as well as a potential significant cost reduction for intelligent transportation system.
USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation)
MPC (Mountain-Plains Consortium)

Moreover, two issues that have not explicitly been addressed in prior studies are; (1) the possibility of predicting VR crashes using traffic data collected from the Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) sensors installed on Expressways and (2) which traffic data is advantageous for predicting VR crashes; LDs or AVIs. Thus, this research attempts to examine the relationships between VR crash risk and real-time traffic data collected from LDs installed on two Freeways in Central Florida (I-4 and I-95) and from AVI sensors installed on two Expressways (SR 408 and SR 417). Also, it investigates which data is better for predicting VR crashes. The approach adopted here involves developing Bayesian matched case-control logistic regression using the historical VR crashes, LDs and AVI data. Regarding models estimated based on LDs data, the average speed observed at the nearest downstream station along with the coefficient of variation in speed observed at the nearest upstream station, all at 5-10 minute prior to the crash time, were found to have significant effect on VR crash risk. However, for the model developed based on AVI data, the coefficient of variation in speed observed at the crash segment, at 5-10 minute prior to the crash time, affected the likelihood of VR crash occurrence. Argument concerning which traffic data (LDs or AVI) is better for predicting VR crashes is also provided and discussed.; The results revealed that gender, age, road type, visibility condition, and familiarity with VSL signs were the significant factors affecting the likelihood of reducing speed following CMS/VSL instructions in reduced visibility conditions. Other objectives of this survey study were to determine the content of messages that would achieve the best perceived safety and drivers' compliance and to examine the best way to improve safety during these adverse visibility conditions. The results indicated that "Caution-fog ahead-reduce speed" was the best message and using CMS and VSL signs together was the best way to improve safety during such inclement weather situations. In addition, this research aimed to thoroughly examine drivers' responses under low visibility conditions and quantify the impacts and values of various factors found to be related to drivers' compliance and drivers' satisfaction with VSL and CMS instructions in different visibility and traffic conditions. To achieve these goals, Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approaches were adopted. The results revealed that drivers' satisfaction with VSL/CMS was the most significant factor that positively affected drivers' compliance with advice or warning messages displayed on VSL/CMS signs under different fog conditions followed by driver factors. Moreover, it was found that roadway type affected drivers' compliance to VSL instructions under medium and heavy fog conditions. Furthermore, drivers' familiarity with VSL signs and driver factors were the significant factors affecting drivers' satisfaction with VSL/CMS advice under reduced visibility conditions. Based on the findings of the survey-based study, several recommendations are suggested as guidelines to improve drivers' behavior in such reduced visibility conditions by enhancing drivers' compliance with VSL/CMS instructions.; This study is concerned with the safety risk of reduced visibility on roadways. Inclement weather events such as fog/smoke (FS), heavy rain (HR), high winds, etc, do affect every road by impacting pavement conditions, vehicle performance, visibility distance, and drivers' behavior. Moreover, they affect travel demand, traffic safety, and traffic flow characteristics. Visibility in particular is critical to the task of driving and reduction in visibility due FS or other weather events such as HR is a major factor that affects safety and proper traffic operation. A real-time measurement of visibility and understanding drivers' responses, when the visibility falls below certain acceptable level, may be helpful in reducing the chances of visibility-related crashes. In this regard, one way to improve safety under reduced visibility conditions (i.e., reduce the risk of visibility related crashes) is to improve drivers' behavior under such adverse weather conditions. Therefore, one of objectives of this research was to investigate the factors affecting drivers' stated behavior in adverse visibility conditions, and examine whether drivers rely on and follow advisory or warning messages displayed on portable changeable message signs (CMS) and/or variable speed limit (VSL) signs in different visibility, traffic conditions, and on two types of roadways; freeways and two-lane roads. The data used for the analyses were obtained from a self-reported questionnaire survey carried out among 566 drivers in Central Florida, USA. Several categorical data analysis techniques such as conditional distribution, odds' ratio, and Chi-Square tests were applied. In addition, two modeling approaches; bivariate and multivariate probit models were estimated.; Underground loop detectors (LDs) are the most common freeway traffic surveillance technologies used for various intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications such as travel time estimation and crash detection. Recently, the emphasis in freeway management has been shifting towards using LDs data to develop real-time crash-risk assessment models. Numerous studies have established statistical links between freeway crash risk and traffic flow characteristics. However, there is a lack of good understanding of the relationship between traffic flow variables (i.e. speed, volume and occupancy) and crashes that occur under reduced visibility (VR crashes). Thus, another objective of this research was to explore the occurrence of reduced visibility related (VR) crashes on freeways using real-time traffic surveillance data collected from loop detectors (LDs) and radar sensors. In addition, it examines the difference between VR crashes to those occurring at clear visibility conditions (CV crashes). To achieve these objectives, Random Forests (RF) and matched case-control logistic regression model were estimated. The results indicated that traffic flow variables leading to VR crashes are slightly different from those variables leading to CV crashes. It was found that, higher occupancy observed about half a mile between the nearest upstream and downstream stations increases the risk for both VR and CV crashes. Moreover, an increase of the average speed observed on the same half a mile increases the probability of VR crash. On the other hand, high speed variation coupled with lower average speed observed on the same half a mile increase the likelihood of CV crashes.
ID: 030423512; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-210).
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering
Engineering and Computer Science

Pedestrians and bicyclists are the most vulnerable road users and suffer the most severe consequences when crashes take place. An extensive literature is available for crash severity in terms of driver safety, but fewer studies have explored non-motorized users' crash severity. Furthermore, most research efforts have examined pedestrian and bicyclist crash severity in urban areas. This study focuses on state roads (mostly outside major urban areas) and aims to identify contributing risk factors of fatal and severe crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists in state roads. Two ordinal regression models were developed (one for pedestrian and the other for bicyclist crashes) to examine crash severity risk factors. Additional models were developed to investigate road and traffic characteristics that could increase the likelihood of fatal crashes. In the model for pedestrian crash severity risk factors such as age, vehicle type and movement, light conditions, road classification, traffic control device, posted speed limit, location of the pedestrian and wet road surface during clear weather conditions are statistically significant. The bicyclist crash severity model indicates that age, crash location, vehicle movement and alcohol intoxication during dark conditions are statistically significant. In terms of road characteristics and traffic conditions, the models suggested risk factors such as arterials, light conditions, posted speed limit, roadways, and high heavy vehicle volume, increased the odds of a crash being fatal. The results seem to suggest that besides improvements in roadway characteristics, additional countermeasures to reduce crash severity for vulnerable users should include separation of vulnerable users from traffic, educational campaigns, more strict control of alcohol intoxicated drivers, and protection strategies of senior pedestrians.

The safety at half-signalized intersections in Portland, Oregon is analyzed in this thesis using 10 years of crash history and analysis of video that was collected at a subset of intersections. A half-signalized intersection has a standard red-yellow-green traffic signal for automobiles on the major road, a stop sign for motorists on the minor road, and a pedestrian signal with actuation for pedestrians and/or bicyclists on the minor road. Although prevalent in Canada, this type of intersection control is not typically found in the United States because the MUTCD explicitly prohibits its use. Half-signal use is limited mostly to two cities in the Pacific Northwest. In Portland, Oregon there are forty-seven intersections where half-signals are used but the last installation was in 1986; Seattle has over 100 intersections with half-signals and installs these in new locations where warranted. To explore the safety records of these intersections in Portland, crash data from 2002-2011 was analyzed. A total of 442 crashes over the ten-year period at half-signals were observed. Sixteen of these 442 crashes involved pedestrians. In the crashes involving pedestrians, significant differences were found between the approach street of the vehicle and whether the pedestrian or driver was at fault. In the crash error reports, it was found that significantly more of the crashes involving pedestrians were the fault of motorists departing from the minor road who collided with pedestrians crossing the major street. Further crash analysis at half-signals was performed by developing matched comparison groups of minor stop controlled and fully signalized intersections. Crash rates were 0.158 and 0.178 crashes per million entering vehicles for 3-leg and 4-leg half-signals and these rates did not differ significantly from the minor street stop controlled and signalized comparison groups. Results from the matched comparison showed that the half-signalized group had more rear-end crashes when compared with the minor stop controlled group. This was the only result that held significance when crash rates were considered. It was also observed that the minor stop controlled group had a higher proportion of angle crashes when compared with the half-signal group but this did not influence the crash severity. Pedestrian crashes were more prevalent in the half-signal group when compared with the fully-signalized group. Pedestrian volumes were not available which would be used to determine if this significant measure is a result of higher pedestrian use at half-signals. In addition to crash analysis, video was captured at five half-signalized intersections totaling 180 hours. Traffic volumes, pedestrian and bicycle volumes, and signal actuations were collected over a twenty-four hour period. Over this twenty-four hour period the five intersections averaged daily counts of 18613 vehicles on the major street, 591 vehicles on the minor street, 263 pedestrians crossing the major street, 285 pedestrians crossing the minor street, 52 bicycles on the major street, 37 bicycles on the minor street, and 126 signal actuations. Twenty-four hour observations from each of the intersections were used to study conflicts and compliance. No conflicts were observed that reflect the left-turning from the minor street pedestrian crashes that were identified in the crash history. Compliance of the half-signal by vehicles and pedestrians was comparable to compliance at fully-signalized intersections found in other studies with one exception. Across the intersections where video was collected, consisting of four 4-leg intersections and one 3-leg intersection, seven left turn on red violations were observed which had a significant impact on the time after red that red light violations were made. It is hypothesized that at half-signals vehicles on the major street make a left turn on the red signal very late into the red phase because there is not a risk of colliding with a vehicle traveling on the minor street since traffic volumes on the minor street are comparably low. The observed left turn on red violations did not put pedestrians at risk since by that point into the signal pedestrians were already clear of the intersection. Finally, a stop compliance logistic regression model was developed at four four-leg intersections to see what factors had an effect on minor street vehicle stop compliance. All 166 hours of video were used to observe vehicles that arrived at the half-signal during the pedestrian phase. The dependent variable collected was whether a vehicle came to an acceptable stop. Independent variables collected included the vehicle's queue position, if it was the peak school period, if there was a vehicle across the street on the minor road, if a vehicle was stopped at the signal on the major street, if a pedestrian was present when the vehicle arrived, and the movement that the vehicle made from the minor street. Independent variables used in the model included the vehicle's queue position, if a vehicle was stopped at the signal on the major street, if a pedestrian was present, and if the vehicle made a right turn at the signal. Pedestrian presence and right turning vehicles had a positive impact on stop compliance. Vehicles being further back in the queue and cars stopped at the signal on the major street had a negative impact on stop sign compliance. In the model, pedestrian presence had the largest positive impact on stop compliance. When pedestrians were present, a motorist on the minor street was four times more likely to stop at the sign.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006.
Michael Meyer, Committee Chair ; Adjo Amekudzi, Committee Member ; Randall Guensler, Committee Member ; David Sawicki, Committee Member ; Michael Dobbins, Committee Member. Includes bibliographical references.

The concept of smart transportation systems is increasingly becoming critical in addressing the challenges posed by an increasing number of mega cities in both developed and developing regions in maintaining safety, smooth traffic flow, and an environmentally friendly and sustainable urban environment. The Government of Zimbabwe deregulated its transport sector in the early 1990s. This development ushered in the informal public transport operators, locally referred to as ‘kombis'. Major cities such as Harare are characterised by a disjointed and chaotic urban public transport system. The major problems are the impacts this has on the quality of the environment. Currently, the urban public transport system is contributing greatly to both air and noise pollution within the confines of the city, especially in the Central Business Districts. The problem is further exacerbated by the massive importation of used vehicles from outside the country. These developments have resulted in high emission rates of major air pollutants resulting in a deterioration of the ambient air quality especially in the major cities such as Harare. Transportation is a major source of air pollutants. Vehicles are probably the largest single source of pollutants such as hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Other harmful emissions include as lead, benzene, arsenic, aldehydes, sulphates, particulate matter and the secondary creation of ozone. In Harare the number of registered vehicles increased from 192 901 in 1994 to 292 862 and by August 1999 showing that the increase in the number of vehicles is mostly in the cities. This chapter seeks to explore how smart transportation system can be adopted in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. Harare was purposefully selected as it is experiencing rapid urbanization and motorization in the country. Using documentary analysis, discourse analysis and textual analysis, the chapter also describes and examines the challenges, constraints and opportunities of adopting smart urban transportation system in Harare. From this chapter the major conclusions are that the main problem associated with this rapid growth in vehicle population in the major cities is increase concentration of line and area emission sources due to traffic congestion at peak times. The stock of vehicles is quite old and they lack emission control equipment. Major constraints and limitations are observed in the current pieces of legislation. For example, the current Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (1971) does not require vehicles to be fitted with emission control equipment. Most of the vehicles use leaded fuel resulting in emission of the dangerous lead particulate matter in the urban areas. There is therefore an urgent need to design and implement air pollution control measures in the urban areas of the country. It is also critical to develop smart and eco-friendly transportation infrastructures so as to achieve sustainable urban communities. The integration of transportation, land use and decision making is also critical in the achievement of smart transport.

Human error has played a critical role in the events precipitating the road accidents. Such accidents can be predicted and prevented by risk assessment, in particular assessing the human contribution to risk. As part of the Human Reliability Assessment (HRA) process, it is usually necessary not only to define what human errors can occur, but how often they will occur. Lack of understanding of the failure distribution characteristics of drivers on roads at any given time is a factor impeding the development of human reliability assessment and prediction of road accidents in order to take best proactive measures. The authors developed the complete investigation methodology for crash data collection. Furthermore, they have experimentally tested the proposed predictive behavioral characteristics of drivers in light of their instantaneous error rate over the course of driving period to assist processing and analysis of data collection as part of risk assessment. The findings of this research can assist road safety authorities to collect the necessary data, to better understand the behavioral characteristics of drivers on roads, to make more accurate risk assessments and finally to come up with right preventive measures.

In order to reduce accident rate on roads and streets more and more various road safety measures are being imple- mented each year. Nevertheless, road safety problem exists in most countries. For example, even though accident rate in Lith- uania was almost halved (6372 to 3161 yearly accidents) from years 2004 to 2015, fatality rate is still quite high – 8.3 per 100000 people. New regulations, approved in 2008, dictate the need of carrying out road safety audits and road safety inspec- tions for all road and street design projects. This paper presents most common road design errors and methods of fixing those errors based on Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Road Research Institute road safety auditors’ experience from years 2011 to 2016. Most common safety problems are organized and presented in groups ordered by their importance. Recommen- dations on how to improve road safety audit and inspection procedures in the future are formulated, as well as suggestions on improving road project design stage by taking most common flaw priority into consideration.

The school is the primordial nucleus of society, inscribed in the city, in the neighbourhood. On this scale, taking into account road safety around schools and on home-school journeys is a priority. This problematic was applied to the primary school of "TAREK IBN ZIAD" in Guelma city that is located near the primary roads characterized by dense road traffic and mobility practice which cannot be marginalized. This work aims to improve a feeling of belonging and social security, and also, strengthening mitigation measures or setting up specific programs to improve security. To properly conduct this scientific research, an inventory (diagnosis) must be established around the school and its surroundings. Collection of data was based on: a direct observation, a school survey by questionnaire, a series of interviews involving all the actors concerned as sources of information. The results obtained confirm the marginalized situation of the school surroundings. The vast majority of the participants stressed the need to work in partnership with all stakeholders to find sustainable solutions to this recurring problem.

Sustainable mobility is a phrase that began to be used more frequently in Slovenia only after 2010. It is about moving in a sustainable way, including walking, cycling, public passenger transport, and similar forms of participating in traffic. The Ministry of Infrastructure took the first steps towards introducing green transportation at the national level by providing the funding for a comprehensive transportation strategy in the Municipality of Ljutomer. The municipality of Ljutomer has changed the entire system of spatial and traffic planning, which was previously designed traditionally, which meant developing models to increase the flow of vehicles on the roads and adapting the traffic regime to motor vehicles. Since then, several measures have been implemented in Ljutomer in the field of sustainable mobility, which consequently affects the safety and friendliness of the environment in which citizens live.

The Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) system is a safety feature that applies an automatic steering torque to the vehicle steering system to keep the subject vehicle in its lane. Like many other active safety systems, the LKA systems may often experience a performance issue in real road situations. The common LKA performance issues are mainly due to poor quality of the front camera’s curvature data and sudden drops of camera’s detection range. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a two-stage lane keeping control. In this approach, the LKA has two independent algorithms running with a coordination. In the coordination layer, the secondary lane keeping (LK) control has the authority to override the primary LK control if the primary LK fails to maintain the subject vehicle in the current lane due to the above issues. The key aspect of this system is the accurate timing of the secondary LK’s override over the primary LK. The coordination logic between the primary and the secondary LK control, and smooth transition between the controls are also important performance measures. The determination algorithm of the LK initiation and termination plays a key role in achieving the objectives of LKA fail handling. This paper describes these algorithms as well as the path planning and the steering control algorithms. Several vehicle tests were carried out on curved roads. The results show successful and smooth transition from the primary to the secondary LK layer.

<p>The Netherlands is a densely-populated country, with many rivers and roads. As a result, there are many intersections between roads and waterways, and these intersections are heavily used. Movares is a Dutch engineering consultancy and we can draw on over 100 years’ experience with a wide range of bridges and viaducts. We are among the Netherlands’ leading consultants in the field of movable bridges. Our knowledge and experience put us in a perfect position to look after bridges from initial design through to end of service life.</p><p>Many Dutch bridges – both movable and fixed – were built in the 1950s and 1960s, and were not designed for today’s increased, heavier traffic. They are showing symptoms of fatigue and/or no longer conform (demonstrably) to current requirements. As a result, they need to be replaced. The availability of infrastructure is of great economic importance</p><p>At the same time, safety must be guaranteed. Our philosophy: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Our ap-proach – the BridgeDoctor® – allows us to establish the condition of a bridge with the aid of a rapid analysis. In many cases, we can use smart measures to extend the life of a bridge, allowing it to remain in service for several more decades.</p><p>By an inventory based on available information. The aim is to gain insight into the status of the bridges now, but also in the future. On this basis it is possible to predict when the bridge needs to be replaced or, and of course, how and when to intervene constructively. This inventory provides quick answers to questions such as: which bridge is constructively safe and which bridge should be tackled first?</p><p>Maintenance also prevents emergency repairs and saves a lot of money (emergency repair = costly and timely maintenance can lead to less maintenance.</p>

The operation of gas pipelines in utility corridor of a metropolitan city in a developing country has unique challenges. Through this paper, I would like to discuss the threats and mitigation measures in city area pipelines so as to ensure Pipeline Integrity. Excavations keep occurring because of various developmental activities. Construction of Flyovers, roads and subways disturb the pipeline route constantly necessitating Shifting / lowering of operating pipelines. Fault rectification by other agencies sharing the corridor, and proximity of High Voltage lines have also led to incidents resulting in gas leakage. Pipeline Integrity Surveys have been carried out in Delhi area and based on their recommendations, as well as a result of analysis of various incidents that have occurred in the past, a mitigation plan was developed. All the points were complied to ensure the safety and Integrity of pipelines. As can be seen from the various case studies of the past, often risky situations arise due to absence of proper layout design of underground facilities. Liaising with utility corridor agencies and appointing a central regulator for utility corridor, mapping and allocating work permits in the corridor with the help of Geographical Information System (GIS) and other advanced mapping and remote sensors, could become an effective solution. GAIL has developed a GIS for Delhi area pipelines which is proving very useful. To ensure the integrity and safety of the pipeline, a proactive approach is required. Integrity management of Pipelines is a continuous process. Evaluation has to be done constantly and newer steps should be taken each time if required.

High-pressure gas pipelines are vulnerable to damage in the course of building or maintaining other infrastructure, such as roads, water pipelines, electricity or telecommunications cabling. Unlike other countries, there has never been a death or serious injury from a high-pressure gas pipeline strike in Australia and yet external interference continues to be the most common cause of pipeline damage despite a range of technical and legislative measures in place. This research project aims to enhance the safety strategies regarding third party pipeline strikes by giving the pipeline sector a greater understanding of the motivations and priorities of those who work around pipeline assets and so how to work with them to achieve better outcomes. Using data gathered from more than 70 in-depth interviews, we explore empirically alternate understandings of risk amongst a range of stakeholders and individuals that are responsible in some way for work near or around high-pressure gas transmission pipelines in Australia. Outside the pipeline sector, much of the work around pipelines is conducted by those at the bottom of long chains of contractors and sub-contractors. We discuss perceptions of risk held by a range of third party actors whose activities have the potential to threaten gas pipeline integrity. We compare these views with gas pipeline industry perceptions of risk, couched in terms of asset management, public safety, legal and insurance obligations, and reputation management. This paper focuses on how financial risk and so also management of the potential for pipeline strikes is shifted down the third party contractor chain. Added to this, incentives for timely project completion can unintentionally lead to situations where the potential for third party contractors to strike pipelines increases. The data shows that third party contractors feel the time and cost impact of design or project changes most immediately. Consequently, strikes or near misses may result as sub-contractors seek to avoid perceived ‘unnecessary’ time delays along with the associated financial impact. We argue that efforts to reduce the potential for pipeline strike need to be targeted at structural changes, rather than simply aimed at worker risk perception and enforcement of safety compliance strategies.

Sinkholes manifest unpredictably at road crossings long after the completion of pipeline installation. In recent pipeline projects, Alberta Clipper Expansion and Line 4 Extension, over 1200 km of NPS 36 oil pipeline was constructed across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Over 600 road crossings were executed across these provinces utilizing standard industry crossing techniques and under a wide variety of soil conditions. Several months after construction, sinkholes appeared on roads at locations along the centerline of the newly constructed pipeline. It is hypothesized that bores which were observed to have been over-reamed, re-reamed, or had pipe pulled back, may have contributed in development of unconsolidated soil or “voids” in comparison to adjacent native subsurface soil, which then manifested into sinkholes. In other cases, the evolution of voids may have been attributed to pre-existing soil conditions. Since sinkholes pose safety concerns to the public as well as the integrity of the pipeline mitigation, control measures were taken to assess and remediate other locations prior to sinkhole manifestation. An approach to prevent sinkhole manifestation is identifying high-risk crossings, scanning for voids, and void remediation. Identification of high-risk sinkhole manifestation at crossings involved desktop evaluation which was based on: observations noted inspectors’ reports, geotechnical conditions, depth of crossings, the elevation difference between the entry and exit holes, and crossing method. Once prioritized, selected road crossings were scanned for voids using a technology called Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), which is the focus of this paper. Ground-penetrating radar employs a system of radio waves at various frequencies directed at the subsoil. The changing velocities between consolidated and unconsolidated soil provides different views of the subsurface. Factors such as pipeline depth, soil type, and interference, played a factor in the ability to accurately scan for voids. For remediation, the injection of polyurethane foam was used. This paper describes the approach, process, accuracy factors, and findings of Ground-penetrating radar used on pipeline projects.

Attention to safety and health are of ever-increasing priority to industrial organizations. Good Safety is demanded by stockholders, employees, and the community while increasing injury costs provide additional motivation for safety and health excellence. Safety has always been a strong corporate value of DuPont and a vital part of its culture. As a result, DuPont has become a benchmark in safety and health performance. Since 1990, DuPont has re-engineered itself to meet global competition and address future vision. In the new re-engineered organizational structures, DuPont has also had to re-engineer its safety management systems. A special Discovery Team was chartered by DuPont senior management to determine the “best practices’ for safety and health being used in DuPont best-performing sites. A summary of the findings is presented, and five of the practices are discussed. Excellence in safety and health management is more important today than ever. Public awareness, federal and state regulations, and enlightened management have resulted in a widespread conviction that all employees have the right to work in an environment that will not adversely affect their safety and health. In DuPont, we believe that excellence in safety and health is necessary to achieve global competitiveness, maintain employee loyalty, and be an accepted member of the communities in which we make, handle, use, and transport products. Safety can also be the “catalyst” to achieving excellence in other important business parameters. The organizational and communication skills developed by management, individuals, and teams in safety can be directly applied to other company initiatives. As we look into the 21st Century, we must also recognize that new organizational structures (flatter with empowered teams) will require new safety management techniques and systems in order to maintain continuous improvement in safety performance. Injury costs, which have risen dramatically in the past twenty years, provide another incentive for safety and health excellence. Shown in the Figure 1, injury costs have increased even after correcting for inflation. Many companies have found these costs to be an “invisible drain” on earnings and profitability. In some organizations, significant initiatives have been launched to better manage the workers’ compensation systems. We have found that the ultimate solution is to prevent injuries and incidents before they occur. A globally-respected company, DuPont is regarded as a well-managed, extremely ethical firm that is the benchmark in industrial safety performance. Like many other companies, DuPont has re-engineered itself and downsized its operations since 1985. Through these changes, we have maintained dedication to our principles and developed new techniques to manage in these organizational environments. As a diversified company, our operations involve chemical process facilities, production line operations, field activities, and sales and distribution of materials. Our customer base is almost entirely industrial and yet we still maintain a high level of consumer awareness and positive perception. The DuPont concern for safety dates back to the early 1800s and the first days of the company. In 1802 E.I. DuPont, a Frenchman, began manufacturing quality grade explosives to fill America’s growing need to build roads, clear fields, increase mining output, and protect its recently won independence. Because explosives production is such a hazardous industry, DuPont recognized and accepted the need for an effective safety effort. The building walls of the first powder mill near Wilmington, Delaware, were built three stones thick on three sides. The back remained open to the Brandywine River to direct any explosive forces away from other buildings and employees. To set the safety example, DuPont also built his home and the homes of his managers next to the powder yard. An effective safety program was a necessity. It represented the first defense against instant corporate liquidation. Safety needs more than a well-designed plant, however. In 1811, work rules were posted in the mill to guide employee work habits. Though not nearly as sophisticated as the safety standards of today, they did introduce an important basic concept — that safety must be a line management responsibility. Later, DuPont introduced an employee health program and hired a company doctor. An early step taken in 1912 was the keeping of safety statistics, approximately 60 years before the federal requirement to do so. We had a visible measure of our safety performance and were determined that we were going to improve it. When the nation entered World War I, the DuPont Company supplied 40 percent of the explosives used by the Allied Forces, more than 1.5 billion pounds. To accomplish this task, over 30,000 new employees were hired and trained to build and operate many plants. Among these facilities was the largest smokeless powder plant the world had ever seen. The new plant was producing granulated powder in a record 116 days after ground breaking. The trends on the safety performance chart reflect the problems that a large new work force can pose until the employees fully accept the company’s safety philosophy. The first arrow reflects the World War I scale-up, and the second arrow represents rapid diversification into new businesses during the 1920s. These instances of significant deterioration in safety performance reinforced DuPont’s commitment to reduce the unsafe acts that were causing 96 percent of our injuries. Only 4 percent of injuries result from unsafe conditions or equipment — the remainder result from the unsafe acts of people. This is an important concept if we are to focus our attention on reducing injuries and incidents within the work environment. World War II brought on a similar set of demands. The story was similar to World War I but the numbers were even more astonishing: one billion dollars in capital expenditures, 54 new plants, 75,000 additional employees, and 4.5 billion pounds of explosives produced — 20 percent of the volume used by the Allied Forces. Yet, the performance during the war years showed no significant deviation from the pre-war years. In 1941, the DuPont Company was 10 times safer than all industry and 9 times safer than the Chemical Industry. Management and the line organization were finally working as they should to control the real causes of injuries. Today, DuPont is about 50 times safer than US industrial safety performance averages. Comparing performance to other industries, it is interesting to note that seemingly “hazard-free” industries seem to have extraordinarily high injury rates. This is because, as DuPont has found out, performance is a function of injury prevention and safety management systems, not hazard exposure. Our success in safety results from a sound safety management philosophy. Each of the 125 DuPont facilities is responsible for its own safety program, progress, and performance. However, management at each of these facilities approaches safety from the same fundamental and sound philosophy. This philosophy can be expressed in eleven straightforward principles. The first principle is that all injuries can be prevented. That statement may seem a bit optimistic. In fact, we believe that this is a realistic goal and not just a theoretical objective. Our safety performance proves that the objective is achievable. We have plants with over 2,000 employees that have operated for over 10 years without a lost time injury. As injuries and incidents are investigated, we can always identify actions that could have prevented that incident. If we manage safety in a proactive — rather than reactive — manner, we will eliminate injuries by reducing the acts and conditions that cause them. The second principle is that management, which includes all levels through first-line supervisors, is responsible and accountable for preventing injuries. Only when senior management exerts sustained and consistent leadership in establishing safety goals, demanding accountability for safety performance and providing the necessary resources, can a safety program be effective in an industrial environment. The third principle states that, while recognizing management responsibility, it takes the combined energy of the entire organization to reach sustained, continuous improvement in safety and health performance. Creating an environment in which employees feel ownership for the safety effort and make significant contributions is an essential task for management, and one that needs deliberate and ongoing attention. The fourth principle is a corollary to the first principle that all injuries are preventable. It holds that all operating exposures that may result in injuries or illnesses can be controlled. No matter what the exposure, an effective safeguard can be provided. It is preferable, of course, to eliminate sources of danger, but when this is not reasonable or practical, supervision must specify measures such as special training, safety devices, and protective clothing. Our fifth safety principle states that safety is a condition of employment. Conscientious assumption of safety responsibility is required from all employees from their first day on the job. Each employee must be convinced that he or she has a responsibility for working safely. The sixth safety principle: Employees must be trained to work safely. We have found that an awareness for safety does not come naturally and that people have to be trained to work safely. With effective training programs to teach, motivate, and sustain safety knowledge, all injuries and illnesses can be eliminated. Our seventh principle holds that management must audit performance on the workplace to assess safety program success. Comprehensive inspections of both facilities and programs not only confirm their effectiveness in achieving the desired performance, but also detect specific problems and help to identify weaknesses in the safety effort. The Company’s eighth principle states that all deficiencies must be corrected promptly. Without prompt action, risk of injuries will increase and, even more important, the credibility of management’s safety efforts will suffer. Our ninth principle is a statement that off-the-job safety is an important part of the overall safety effort. We do not expect nor want employees to “turn safety on” as they come to work and “turn it off” when they go home. The company safety culture truly becomes of the individual employee’s way of thinking. The tenth principle recognizes that it’s good business to prevent injuries. Injuries cost money. However, hidden or indirect costs usually exceed the direct cost. Our last principle is the most important. Safety must be integrated as core business and personal value. There are two reasons for this. First, we’ve learned from almost 200 years of experience that 96 percent of safety incidents are directly caused by the action of people, not by faulty equipment or inadequate safety standards. But conversely, it is our people who provide the solutions to our safety problems. They are the one essential ingredient in the recipe for a safe workplace. Intelligent, trained, and motivated employees are any company’s greatest resource. Our success in safety depends upon the men and women in our plants following procedures, participating actively in training, and identifying and alerting each other and management to potential hazards. By demonstrating a real concern for each employee, management helps establish a mutual respect, and the foundation is laid for a solid safety program. This, of course, is also the foundation for good employee relations. An important lesson learned in DuPont is that the majority of injuries are caused by unsafe acts and at-risk behaviors rather than unsafe equipment or conditions. In fact, in several DuPont studies it was estimated that 96 percent of injuries are caused by unsafe acts. This was particularly revealing when considering safety audits — if audits were only focused on conditions, at best we could only prevent four percent of our injuries. By establishing management systems for safety auditing that focus on people, including audit training, techniques, and plans, all incidents are preventable. Of course, employee contribution and involvement in auditing leads to sustainability through stakeholdership in the system. Management safety audits help to make manage the “behavioral balance.” Every job and task performed at a site can do be done at-risk or safely. The essence of a good safety system ensures that safe behavior is the accepted norm amongst employees, and that it is the expected and respected way of doing things. Shifting employees norms contributes mightily to changing culture. The management safety audit provides a way to quantify these norms. DuPont safety performance has continued to improve since we began keeping records in 1911 until about 1990. In the 1990–1994 time frame, performance deteriorated as shown in the chart that follows: This increase in injuries caused great concern to senior DuPont management as well as employees. It occurred while the corporation was undergoing changes in organization. In order to sustain our technological, competitive, and business leadership positions, DuPont began re-engineering itself beginning in about 1990. New streamlined organizational structures and collaborative work processes eliminated many positions and levels of management and supervision. The total employment of the company was reduced about 25 percent during these four years. In our traditional hierarchical organization structures, every level of supervision and management knew exactly what they were expected to do with safety, and all had important roles. As many of these levels were eliminated, new systems needed to be identified for these new organizations. In early 1995, Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont Chairman, chartered a Corporate Discovery Team to look for processes that will put DuPont on a consistent path toward a goal of zero injuries and occupational illnesses. The cross-functional team used a mode of “discovery through learning” from as many DuPont employees and sites around the world. The Discovery Team fostered the rapid sharing and leveraging of “best practices” and innovative approaches being pursued at DuPont’s plants, field sites, laboratories, and office locations. In short, the team examined the company’s current state, described the future state, identified barriers between the two, and recommended key ways to overcome these barriers. After reporting back to executive management in April, 1995, the Discovery Team was realigned to help organizations implement their recommendations. The Discovery Team reconfirmed key values in DuPont — in short, that all injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses are preventable and that safety is a source of competitive advantage. As such, the steps taken to improve safety performance also improve overall competitiveness. Senior management made this belief clear: “We will strengthen our business by making safety excellence an integral part of all business activities.” One of the key findings of the Discovery Team was the identification of the best practices used within the company, which are listed below: ▪ Felt Leadership – Management Commitment ▪ Business Integration ▪ Responsibility and Accountability ▪ Individual/Team Involvement and Influence ▪ Contractor Safety ▪ Metrics and Measurements ▪ Communications ▪ Rewards and Recognition ▪ Caring Interdependent Culture; Team-Based Work Process and Systems ▪ Performance Standards and Operating Discipline ▪ Training/Capability ▪ Technology ▪ Safety and Health Resources ▪ Management and Team Audits ▪ Deviation Investigation ▪ Risk Management and Emergency Response ▪ Process Safety ▪ Off-the-Job Safety and Health Education Attention to each of these best practices is essential to achieve sustained improvements in safety and health. The Discovery Implementation in conjunction with DuPont Safety and Environmental Management Services has developed a Safety Self-Assessment around these systems. In this presentation, we will discuss a few of these practices and learn what they mean. Paper published with permission.

Many small cities and towns in rural states such as Indiana are crossed by arterial highways. The local traffic on these roads, particularly vulnerable road users, face the excessive risk of injury and death. This danger is amplified with local land development, driveways, and on-street parking in town centers. This report presents an Indiana study of the speeding problem on arterial roads passing through small communities. Past research on various countermeasures suitable for the studied conditions were identified and the connection between speed reduction and safety improvements was investigated in a sample of Indiana small towns. Promising speed-reduction measures include speed feedback signs and converging chevrons with speed limit legends marked on the pavement. Point-to-point enforcement is a modern and highly effective alternative that may be applicable on highways passing small towns if the through traffic prevails with limited interruptions. This report provides a method of evaluating the benefits of speed reduction in the studied conditions where the risk of severe injury and fatality is excessive to road users while the frequency of crashes is low. The method includes the proactive estimation of the economic benefit. The results indicate that both the local and through traffic on highways passing a small town benefit considerably from speed reduction even after accounting for the loss of time. An Excel spreadsheet developed in the study facilitates the calculations.