Developing the logical cross-sectoral framework of local SDGs project targeting safety and sustainability

Localization of sustainable development goals (SDGs) was given a boost at the 2019 Seville commitment, which highlighted the importance of local governments on sustainability. Various cities worldwide are at different stages of the localization program. Therefore, in this paper, we discuss two small cities in India that have advanced towards collectively achieving certain targets in SDGs 3, 9, and 11, despite having a small budget, limited human resources, and less international exposure. By utilizing the plan, do, access or analyze, report, and utilize (PDARU) cycle and logic model, we accessed the methods that led to the development of SDG-oriented street designs. The findings show that consensus building of different stakeholders eases data collection and analysis. Residents are adamant to adopt SDGs, but once they are sensitized, they become willing to contribute towards their realization. This exchange of ideas among different government sectors and the residents depicts a cross-sectoral cooperation that is a backbone in localizing SDGs. Despite the fact that social and environmental issues are more dire today, residents understand economic issues better because they directly affect their livelihood in the short run. Therefore, to set realistic localized goals, baselines must reflect residents' short and long-term requirements. Furthermore, by focusing on the top three problems of the locality, other problems are either directly or indirectly addressed. To create a similar strategy in other cities, a back-casting Theory of Change was adopted to propose a methodology for implementation.     

Experimental study on microbubble ejection method for frictional drag reduction

The formation of air bubbles ejected through a single hole in a flat plate was observed in uniform flow of 2–10 m/s It was confirmed that the size of the air bubbles was governed by main flow velocity and air flow rate. According to previous experiments, the size of the bubbles is an important factor in frictional drag reduction by microbubble ejection. Usually bubbles larger than a certain diameter (for example 1 mm) have no effect on frictional drag reduction. Three different methods were proposed and tested to generate smaller bubbles. Among them, a 2D convex (half body of an NACA 64-021 section) with ejection holes at the top was the best and most promising. The diameter of the bubbles became about one-third the size of the reference ejection on a flat plate. Moreover, the bubble size did not increase with increasing flow rate. This is a favorable characteristic for practical purposes. The skin friction force was measured directly with a miniature floating element transducer, and decreased drastically by microbubble ejection from the top of the 2D convex shape.     

Mobility as a service for road traffic safety in a high use of motorcycle environment

Mobility as a service is expected to contribute to a safer, more efficient and sustainable transport by putting the right modes in the right places and connecting them intermodally. The aim of mobility as a service in a local context (MaaS-LC) is to build safety awareness and enhance road traffic safety, and it was developed by combining both a Safety Index and a Walkability Index. The Safety Index was derived from traffic accidents and volume data while the Walkability Index is the result of connections and places in the surroundings. As a case study, a trial experiment was conducted in Phuket, Thailand, which depicted the characteristics of the South and Southeast Asia region. The results showed that the usability and useful information on the MaaS-LC application could influence and change the travel behavior of people. Moreover, the difference between transit users and private vehicle users was how they considered walkability. This study concluded that this app could raise people's safety awareness. Nonetheless, it has yet to show an influence on people regarding their choices of transportation.     

A video-based approach to promote safe driving among foreign visitors to Japan

Recently, the demand for car rentals has been increasing at tourist destinations in Japan due to their convenience and the high degree of freedom they offer. On the other hand, there is a problem of a dramatic rise in the number of traffic accidents involving drivers from countries with different traffic customs and cultures from Japan. In order to examine measures to reduce the traffic accident risk of foreign drivers visiting Japan, an animation video to promote safe driving was created and its educational effects were tested in this article. First, through a driving survey of foreigners and a review of preceding studies, we identified information on Priority, Speed, and Comprehension (PSC) that must be learned by foreign visitors to reduce their accident risk. Next, drawing from the technique of branded contents in order to enhance the effects of educational videos, we created a short video that conveys the PSC philosophy that should be understood for safe driving in Japan. We then tested the educational effects of the video by conducting a survey of Taiwanese people. The results show that strengthening the video's appeal leads to improvements in educational effects and therefore safety awareness. We also realized that the effect was particularly significant among young people in their twenties. Lastly, the rent-a-car businesses evaluated the videos and basing on their input, we summarized effective ways for foreign rent-a-car users visiting Japan to use the video.     

A new approach to cross-sector cooperation in road safety through a comparison of policies in selected countries

Statistics from the databases of various countries and international organizations show that road accident rates and fatalities have fallen since the 1970s. With demographic changes taking place in many developed countries, however, accident and accident-risk patterns have changed in the last two decades. This study aims to introduce a new approach to cross-sector cooperation with the hope of making road safety more holistic and sustainable. The authors compare the road safety policies of three selected countries based on various categories, using a simple quantitative method. The results show some fragmentation within the policies, illustrating the need for a new road safety approach. The effort to reduce road traffic accidents by 50% by the year 2020 has also increased the pressure on stakeholders to meet this goal. This paper's contribution toward the 2020 goal lies in its recommendation of a new approach to road safety that will enlighten stakeholders on probable missing links in road safety.