Young drivers and graduated licensing: The Ontario case

Despite improvements in road safety over the past several decades, accident rates remain high for young drivers. One accident countermeasure that is expected to improve the safety record of this group is graduated licensing. The philosophy behind this licensing system is that novice drivers, of whom the majority are young, should be restricted to relatively safe driving environments during the initial learning period. Graduated licensing was implemented in the Province of Ontario, Canada in 1994. The objective of this study is to estimate the potential benefits and costs for young drivers associated with two components of the Ontario graduated licensing package: the late-night driving curfew and the high-speed roadway restrictions. Based on accident and travel data for the year 1988, accident-involvement rates per kilometre driven were calculated for different driver groups for various combinations of time of day and roadway speed limit. These rates were then applied to the expected mobility profiles of young drivers affected by graduated licensing. The results of the study support the late-night curfew and suggest that this component of the licensing package should reduce total accident involvements for the affected group by up to 10 percent and fatal accident involvements by up to 24 percent, while reducing their total driving by only four percent. By contrast, the empirical evidence suggest that the high-speed roadway restrictions are likely to increase accident involvements, and thus it is strongly recommended that this component of Ontario's graduated licensing package be changed.     

浅层地下水开采对高速铁路工程的影响及对策

研究目的：研究掌握浅层地下水开采引起的地面沉降特征及其对高速铁路工程的影响,提出针对性的防治对策与工程措施,供高速铁路勘测、设计及施工参考。研究方法：结合华北平原地面沉降情况,建立浅层地下水开采引起地面沉降的固结沉降模型。研制离心场中地基抽水的模拟和测量系统,进行了离心模型试验,测量抽水过程中粉土地基孔隙水压力和沉降的变化及分布规律,并对比分析了对不同型式桥梁的影响。研究结果：对浅层地下水开采引起的地面沉降机理进行初步分析,基于离心模型试验结果探讨了浅层抽水引起地基沉降的过程和特征,评价了地基不均匀沉降对特殊桥梁形式的影响,并提出了针对性的防治措施和对策。研究结论：浅层地下水开采造成的不均匀沉降对高速铁路工程的影响较大,需通过控制线路附近地下水开采、采取适宜的工程结构措施加以防治。     

Mobile phone use while driving: public opinions on restrictions

This paper reviews two road-user surveys on the use of mobile phones on the road in Finland where the mobile phone ownership rate is highest in the world (70% in August 2000). From 1998 to 1999 the proportion of drivers that chose to use a mobile phone while driving rose from 56% to 68%, while the proportion of phone using drivers who experienced dangerous situations due to phone use rose from 44% to 50%. The proportion of drivers who used their phones in some way to benefit safety on the road remained at about 55%. The youngest, novice drivers had the highest level of phone usage of all age categories. Over 48% of the interviewees believed that the government should ban the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving, and another 27% believed that all types of mobile phone use should be banned while driving. Those drivers who used their phones the most each day were more likely to want some form of restrictions, than those who had lower usage. This is a strong message to the elected lawmakers and raises the problem of exactly how regulatory bodies would go about controlling the future growth of new driver support and non-driving related communication devices in road vehicles. It was concluded that legislating for hands-free use only would be a reasonable course of action. Mandating that the current generation of equipment should be optimized for hands-free use should result in future generations of in-vehicle equipment also being optimized for hands-free use as a minimum criterion.     

对中国未来10年道路交通安全状况分析与初步预测

笔者从中国现代道路交通系统的发展现状与道路交通安全状况出发，以过去10多年中国汽车、摩托车保有量的发展轨迹为基础，对中国未来一定时期（2004～2015年）机动车保有量的发展变化及政府采取不同管理对策条件下的道路交通安全状况的发展水平进行了预测。结果表明：政府管理对策对道路交通安全状况变化具有决定性影响。     

沙漠地区高速公路风积沙路基压实方法研究

我国乃至世界在沙漠公路的设计、施工、试验、检测等方面没有较为全面的规程和规范,以指导沙漠路基的施工。本文结合交通部西部交通建设科技项目,在室内试验研究和理论分析的基础上,通过榆靖沙漠高速公路、陕蒙沙漠高速公路(半幅)及靖王高速公路(沙漠段)试验路及大型室内试槽试验研究成果的基础上,提出了沙漠地区风积沙路基施工压实工艺、方法、压路机的参数等。该研究成果已在陕西几条沙漠高速公路上得到应用,解决了沙漠路基诸多技术难题,为国内沙漠地区公路路基施工规范的编写积累了非常重要的资料,同时也取得了显著的社会效益和经济效益。     

路堤块石自然对流机理的室内模拟试验研究

为研究路堤块石在边界温度周期波动条件下的自然对流发生机理及降温效应的表征参数,采用室内模拟方法对50×50×65cm3尺寸的不同块石试样进行了试验和理论分析,结果表明:平均RAYLEIGH数能描述块石层自然对流的发生情况,不同厚度的块石层将产生不同的对流模式,厚度大的块石层所产生的自然对流降温效应也较大,上层砂砾加下层块石的结构自然对流效应最弱。块石层降温效果取决于块石粒径、层厚及铺筑在路堤中的位置,这一结论对多年冻土地区路堤设计、施工,合理确定块石铺筑层厚、铺筑层位具有现实指导意义。     

A cross-country study of fairness and infringement on freedom as determinants of car owners' acceptance of road pricing

Jakobsson et al. (2000) found that in Sweden public acceptance of road pricing decreases if it is perceived to be unfair and to infringe on freedom. The present study reports a survey investigating whether the same effects are found in the Asian countries of Japan and Taiwan. The results indicate that fairness plays the same role. However, income had a direct effect on acceptance in Taiwan but not in Japan or Sweden.     

柔性桩与土相互作用非线性分析的增量传递矩阵法

对桩侧土采用非线性荷载传递函数,对桩端土采用线性荷载传递函数,同时考虑桩周土所分担的荷载对单桩荷载传递规律的影响,利用增量荷载传递矩阵法及微分方程的近似解法--子域法,推出了刚性承台下柔性桩与地基非线性相互作用的近似解析算式。为了验证该方法的可行性,通过试验将试验结果与有限元结果及该方法所得结果进行了对比,对比表明:该理论解与现场实测值、有限元计算值都非常接近。     

岸边起重机结构表面防腐涂料的发展趋势

良好的表面防腐涂装对保证岸边起重机金属结构长期安全有效工作十分重要。以氟碳面漆取代聚氨酯面漆,可显著提高漆面的耐久性、耐候性、耐腐蚀性,并具有优异的自清洁性和耐冲刷性。要保证氟碳面漆的优异性能,必须选用合适的树脂原料、颜料、溶剂和助剂,并在涂料的生产和涂装施工过程中严格执行工艺要求。