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PubMed2002

Forfeiture programs in California: why so few?

PROBLEM: It is estimated that at least 75% of suspended or revoked drivers continue to drive illegally. In states like California, there are also a substantial and growing number of people who drive without ever having been licensed. Some states, such as Ohio and California, have enacted vehicle impoundment and forfeiture programs as sanctions to reduce these offenses. Published evaluations indicate that vehicle impoundment laws reduce recidivism and crash rates. However, vehicle forfeiture programs have been less successful, mostly because of low levels of enforcement. METHOD: Police officers and district attorneys from 17 jurisdictions were interviewed by phone or in person to determine current enforcement levels and impediments to more aggressive application of statutory authority. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The survey found that most California jurisdictions are enforcing vehicle impoundments for first-time offenders. However, very few jurisdictions were enforcing the vehicle forfeiture law for repeat offenders. Among the reasons for not enforcing the vehicle forfeiture law was a perception that it was too time-consuming and/or not a priority among prosecutors. However, a number of authorities indicated that the simple vehicle impoundment procedure is often functionally equivalent to forfeiture because many drivers fail to retrieve the vehicle at the end of the impoundment period. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Vehicle impoundment programs are effective mechanisms in deterring illicit driving, and states should be encouraged to initiate vehicle impoundment laws. States could achieve even greater safety benefits if vehicle forfeiture sanctions were extensively used for repeat offenders. However, based on California's experience, the incremental benefits of vehicle forfeiture (over vehicle impoundment) may not be very great.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2004

Alcohol ignition interlock programs.

The alcohol ignition interlock is an in-vehicle DWI control device that prevents a car from starting until the operator provides a breath alcohol concentration (BAC) test below a set level, usually .02% (20 mg/dl) to .04% (40 mg/dl). The first interlock program was begun as a pilot test in California 18 years ago; today all but a few US states, and Canadian provinces have interlock enabling legislation. Sweden has recently implemented a nationwide interlock program. Other nations of the European Union and as well as several Australian states are testing it on a small scale or through pilot research. This article describes the interlock device and reviews the development and current status of interlock programs including their public safety benefit and the public practice impediments to more widespread adoption of these DWI control devices. Included in this review are (1) a discussion of the technological breakthroughs and certification standards that gave rise to the design features of equipment that is in widespread use today; (2) a commentary on the growing level of adoption of interlocks by governments despite the judicial and legislative practices that prevent more widespread use of them; (3) a brief overview of the extant literature documenting a high degree of interlock efficacy while installed, and the rapid loss of their preventative effect on repeat DWI once they are removed from the vehicles; (4) a discussion of the representativeness of subjects in the current research studies; (5) a discussion of research innovations, including motivational intervention efforts that may extend the controlling effect of the interlock, and data mining research that has uncovered ways to use the stored interlock data record of BAC tests in order to predict high risk drivers; and (6) a discussion of communication barriers and conceptual rigidities that may be preventing the alcohol ignition interlock from taking a more prominent role in the arsenal of tools used to control DWI. Whether interlock programs can help public policymakers achieve their expressed goals of substantially reducing the level of impaired driving will remain uncertain until procedural barriers and intransigent judiciary practices can be overcome that provide for more systematic routine use of interlock programs. Despite strong effectiveness evidence in all studies to date, the real potential of this technology to reduce the road toll cannot be estimated until they are more widely adopted.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1997

Effects of age, system experience, and navigation technique on driving with an advanced traveler information system.

This paper explores the effects of age, system experience, and navigation technique on driving, navigation performance, and safety for drivers who used TravTek, an Advanced Traveler Information System. The first two studies investigated various route guidance configurations on the road in a specially equipped instrumented vehicle with an experimenter present. The third was a naturalistic quasi-experimental field study that collected data unobtrusively from more than 1200 TravTek rental car drivers with no in-vehicle experimenter. The results suggest that with increased experience, drivers become familiar with the system and develop strategies for substantially more efficient and safer use. The results also showed that drivers over age 65 had difficulty driving and navigating concurrently. They compensated by driving slowly and more cautiously. Despite this increased caution, older drivers made more safety-related errors than did younger drivers. The results also showed that older drivers benefited substantially from a well-designed ATIS driver interface.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

A behavioral comparison between motorcyclists and a matched group of non-motorcycling car drivers: factors influencing accident risk.

Motorcyclists and a matched group of non-motorcycling car drivers were assessed on behavioral measures known to relate to accident involvement. Using a range of laboratory measures, we found that motorcyclists chose faster speeds than the car drivers, overtook more, and pulled into smaller gaps in traffic, though they did not travel any closer to the vehicle in front. The speed and following distance findings were replicated by two further studies involving unobtrusive roadside observation. We suggest that the increased risk-taking behavior of motorcyclists was only likely to account for a small proportion of the difference in accident risk between motorcyclists and car drivers. A second group of motorcyclists was asked to complete the simulator tests as if driving a car. They did not differ from the non-motorcycling car drivers on the risk-taking measures but were better at hazard perception. There were also no differences for sensation seeking, mild social deviance, and attitudes to riding/driving, indicating that the risk-taking tendencies of motorcyclists did not transfer beyond motorcycling, while their hazard perception skill did.

Acceleration↗
PubMed2004

Road rage experience and behavior: vehicle, exposure, and driver factors.

Road rage has generated increasing public concern. Research has shown that victimization and perpetration of road rage is more common among males and younger drivers. We aimed to extend the understanding of determinants of road rage to driving exposure and vehicle factors, based on a 20022003 population survey of 1,631 regular drivers in Ontario, Canada. Regression analyses revealed that number of times drivers reported experiencing road rage in the previous 12 months was significantly greater for males, younger respondents, and those residing in Toronto. Also, victimization was significantly greater for drivers who did all their driving on busy roads and increased with number of kilometers driven on a typical week; however, type of vehicle driven was not significant. Number of times road rage perpetration was reported in the past 12 months was significantly greater for males, younger respondents, and those residing in Toronto, and lower for those in the Eastern and Northern region. Road rage perpetration increased significantly with number of weekly kilometers driven and was significantly greater for drivers who are always on busy roads and lower for those who never drive on busy roads, and higher for high-performance vehicle drivers. Even after controlling for driving exposure, road rage victimization and perpetration were highest for drivers in Toronto, where the pace of life may be more demanding. As expected, high-performance vehicle drivers reported more road rage perpetration. These individuals may experience more frustration when they are prevented from using the full performance capacities of their vehicles by crowded urban roadways.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Perceived risk among parents concerning the travel situation for children with disabilities.

The aim of this study was to describe perceived risk among parents concerning the travel situation for children with disabilities, in addition to their self-reported knowledge of regulations and standards. The results from the present questionnaire study showed that entering and exiting the vehicles often required manual assistance and, thus, was perceived as risky, creating worry among parents. Parents were also worried about professional drivers' lack of knowledge about the child, incautious driving behaviour and lack of adequate safety measures. A poor postural sitting position was a problem in all vehicles. Half of the parents lacked knowledge about the regulations and standards for school transportation and Special Transport Systems. Lack of information seems to be one underlying reason for the parents' worries. Comprehensive information, focused on the special needs of children with disabilities in their transportation, would probably reduce the parents' worries significantly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Driving patterns before and after hospitalization for heart disease.

Persons hospitalized with heart disease were licensed as often in the pre-hospital period and drove slightly (but not significantly) fewer miles than did healthier persons of similar age, sex and neighborhood. After discharge, those who returned to driving reduced their mileage and drove under different conditions. This occurred both because of overall changes in life style (e.g. retirement) associated with illness and because of health effects on driving per se. In fact, while activities changed, the methods of transportation used to accomplish these remained the same, with driving oneself being the preferred mode. Physicians advised patients only about driving during the immediate recovery period rather than with an eye toward long-term safety risk. Few people reported their heart condition to the Department of Motor Vehicles. A functional severity score based on primary and comorbid conditions was developed to distinguish individuals with different amounts of impairment relevent to driving.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

An investigation of behavioural adaptation to airbags and antilock brakes among taxi drivers.

Previous research has indicated that safety measures may lead to behavioural adaptation (also termed risk compensation) among road users, partly or completely offsetting the intended safety effects. There is, however, limited knowledge about characteristics of safety measures possibly determining the occurrence of behavioural adaptation. The present study addresses the relationship of driving behaviour to two different kinds of in-car safety equipment, airbags and antilock braking systems (ABS). It is hypothesized that accident-reducing measures like ABS are compensated for to a larger extent than injury-reducing measures like an airbag. On-road unobtrusive measurements of speed, headway, lane occupancy, lane changes, and variability of lateral position were performed on 213 taxis, on the basis of video recordings of traffic travelling to Oslo airport. The behavioural data were matched to questionnaire information collected when the taxis arrived at the airport. In addition to information regarding ABS and airbags, the drivers reported personal background information and answered questions about driving behaviour. Taxis with ABS had significantly shorter time headways than taxis without ABS. There were no relationships with speed, possibly because dense traffic during the observation period may have prevented the drivers from driving at their preferred speed. Simple comparisons also showed fewer lane changes and a lower rate of seat-belt use among drivers of taxis with ABS. However, multiple regression analyses indicated that the latter effects might be explained by driver background factors or by car characteristics other than ABS or airbag. The headway results support the hypothesis of larger compensation for accident-reducing than for injury-reducing measures.

Air Bags↗
PubMed1986

Learner drivers with spina bifida and hydrocephalus: the relationship between perceptual-cognitive deficit and driving performance.

This study investigated the relationship between perceptual-cognitive skills and driving performance in a group of eleven learner drivers disabled by spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Perceptual-cognitive skills assessed include figure-ground discrimination, visual scanning/tracking, spatial orientation, language, reasoning and memory ability. Following ten hours driving tuition in suitably adapted cars, driving performance in off-road manoeuvres and in-traffic situations was measured. Results showed that the perceptual-cognitive skills of this group were in the low average or below average range compared to a non-handicapped population. Spearman Rank Order Correlations between clinical tests and driving performance indicated that although certain tests correlated with off-road manoeuvres, no perceptual measures were reliable indicators of in-traffic driving. There were indications that practical measures of spatial orientation and reasoning ability may be more relevant to some aspects of driving than tested perceptual skills. Memory for road signs, landmarks and routes was also investigated. Accurate retention seemed more dependent on general reasoning ability than tested aspects of memory functioning. It is suggested that as clinically tested perceptual skills do not seem to be reliable indicators of driving performance, an individual's test results should not be used to deter him from learning to drive.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Laboratory investigation of effect of acute doses of nomifensine on a simulated aspect of night-time car driving performance.

1. Six healthy volunteers received single doses of either nomifensine 100 mg, nomifensine 50 mg or placebo at weekly intervals in a randomized double-blind crossover study. 2. Subjects were subjected to a simulated test of car driving at night. 3. Testing lasted about 1.5 h and consisted of measuring responses to light stimuli, a modification of a test designed by Baker & Theologus (1972). 4. Nomifensine 100 mg reduced the latency of response significantly when compared with placebo (P less than 0.05). Nomifensine 50 mg had no significant effect. 5. It was concluded that nomifensine was unlikely to impair night driving performance.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Validation of the standardized field sobriety test battery at 0.08% blood alcohol concentration.

OBJECTIVE: A field study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) battery to assist officers in making arrest decisions at blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) below 0.10%. BACKGROUND: The SFST Battery was validated at 0.10% BAC in 1981, but since then many states have reduced statutory limits for driving while intoxicated to 0.08% BAC. METHODS: During routine patrols, participating officers followed study procedures in administering SFSTs, scoring results, making arrest/no arrest decisions, and completing a data collection form for each of the 297 motorists evaluated during the study period. The officers' final step in each case was the administration of an evidentiary breath alcohol test. RESULTS: Overall, officers' decisions were correct in more than 91% of the cases at the 0.08% BAC level. Cohen's kappa tests found all officers' scores to be within the categories of "substantial" and "near perfect" agreement, indicating low variance among the officers and a high degree of interrater reliability. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide evidence of the validity of the SFST Battery as an accurate and reliable decision aid for discriminating between BACs above and below 0.08%. APPLICATION: The SFST Battery presently is used by law enforcement officers throughout the United States to help make roadside arrest decisions for impaired driving.

Alcoholic Intoxication↗
PubMed1992

[The treatment of drunk drivers].

Conviction for a drunk driving offence entails automatic disqualification. A doctor's certificate recommending the approval or disapproval of driver's license renewal would seem to be a crucial prerequisite in the rehabilitation of an offender. Together with educational programmes, fines and imprisonment, such actions vis-à-vis driving licenses would seem to be feasible adjuncts to rehabilitation, though their implementation would naturally need to be varied according to the severity of alcohol dependence and the risk of recurrent drunk driving.

Alcoholic Intoxication↗
PubMed2005

Epilepsy, driving and confidentiality.

Case histories are based on actual medical defence organisation cases, however certain facts have been omitted or changed by the author to ensure the anonymity of the parties involved. This article examines the duties of patients and general practitioners with respect to assessing fitness to drive. In some situations, GPs may need to consider breaching their patient's confidentiality and notifying the Driver Licensing Authority that a patient is unfit to drive.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Vigilance monitoring for operator safety: A simulation study on highway driving.

INTRODUCTION: Alertness of individuals operating vehicles, aircrafts, and machinery is a pre-requisite for safety of the individual and for avoiding economic losses. In this paper, we present a new technique for determining the alertness level of the operator and elaborate the methodology for the specific case of highway driving METHOD: Our hypothesis is that the time derivative of force exerted by the driver at the vehicle-human interfaces can be used to construct a signature of individual driving styles and to discern different levels of alertness RESULTS: In this study, we present experimental results corroborating this hypothesis and introduce a parameter, 'spikiness index,' for the time series data of the force derivative to quantify driver alertness IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The low cost, ruggedness, and low-volume data processing requirements of the proposed technique give it a competitive edge over existing predominantly image processing based vigilance monitoring systems.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2001

Exemption from the make inoperative prohibition. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. Final rule.

NHTSA is taking action to facilitate the modification of motor vehicles so that persons with disabilities can drive or ride in them. The agency is accomplishing this by issuing a limited exemption from a statutory provision that prohibits specified types of commercial entities from either removing safety equipment or features installed on motor vehicles pursuant to the Federal motor vehicle safety standards or altering the equipment or features so as to adversely affect their performance. The exemption is limited in that it allows repair businesses to modify only certain types of Federally-required safety equipment and features, under specified circumstances.

Automobile Driving↗
PubMed2004

Measurement of whole-body vibration in taxi drivers.

In a previous epidemiological study we reported that the prevalence (45.8%) of low-back pain (LBP) and the two-year incidence (25.9%) of LBP in 284 male taxi drivers in Japan was comparable with rates reported for other occupational drivers in which LBP frequently occurs. LBP was significantly related with the level of uncomfortable road vibrations, and, importantly, increased with total mileage. The aim of this study was to measure whole-body vibration (WBV) on the driver's seat pan of 12 taxis operating under actual working conditions. The results were evaluated according to the health guidelines in International Standard ISO 2631-1:1997. Finally, the relation between total mileage and WBV was investigated. The majority of the frequency-weighted r.m.s. accelerations of the taxis fell into the "potential health risks" zone, under ISO 2631-1:1997. It was clear that the taxi drivers were exposed to serious WBV magnitudes. Therefore, occupational health and safety management should be carried out to help prevent adverse health effects in taxi drivers. In particular, reduction of WBV in taxis and shortening of driving time to reduce duration of WBV exposure should be considered. Moreover, because many taxi drivers work 18 h every other day, the shortening of working hours and taking of rest breaks while working should be considered. Frequency-weighted r.m.s. accelerations of taxis had a tendency to decrease as total mileage increased. The relation between total mileage and WBV should be investigated by taking measurements on the floor and the back rest in addition to the seat pan.

Acceleration↗
PubMed2005

Promoting safe and comfortable driving for elders.

Americans are life-long drivers. It is imperative that aging drivers remain on the road safely. This chapter addresses one strategy for achieving this end, namely the utilization of low-tech vehicle modifications for addressing challenges with driving due to functional deficits that normally occur with aging. It focuses primarily on the selection of useful features to be demonstrated in a video intervention in a research project to assess whether watching the video would increase elders' awareness of and likelihood of using the features. The features were chosen with the assistance of a panel of experts in transportation, aging, rehabilitation, and related fields plus a focus group of older drivers. Selecting the features, developing survey instruments, and producing the video constitute Phase I of the study. Phase II investigates whether watching a video would increase older drivers' awareness of such features and motivate them to use any of them. This chapter also includes an overview of Phase II and some comments with respect to high-tech features and the future of automobile travel.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1995

How drivers sit in cars.

This paper presents results from a study to measure the separation of the driver's head and shoulder to various internal features of the car. Drivers were filmed whilst driving in general traffic flow, hence were unaware that they were involved in a study. The results show that certain sub-groups of the driver population are likely to be more at risk for certain impact types. Small females are considerably closer to the steering wheel than the rest of the population, and therefore prone to head strikes in frontal impacts. Large males are likely to interact with the cant rail and B-pillar in side impacts.

Accidents, Traffic↗