M.Ing. / Traffic has become an extreme irritation and costly entity to deal with in recent years. Gone are the days where one could simply widen roadways to increase flow rates due to space constraints. Traffic costs countries billions of dollars per annum and thus the need to alleviate traffic congestion. Many technologies are currently available that can be used to lower the traffic density at an intersection, one of them being the use of cameras. Not only are digital cameras dropping in price, but the associated cost of maintenance is low. Distance information of a scene can thus be calculated via a visual system and from this information advanced control can be implemented in order to maximise traffic flow through an intersection. A traffic simulator was coded and analysed in order to validate the use of a visual system for increasing the amount of cars passing through the intersection per unit time over the current fixed timing system. Two different algorithms were compared to the current fixed timing scheme using a traffic simulator. The results showed that an improvement can be achieved over the current fixed timing scheme (of up to 19.92%). The use of stereovision as a method of attempting to monitor traffic flow is discussed. Vehicles were tracked using 13 trackers and the distance away from the stereo setup was calculated and compared to the actual distance away from the stereo setup. The best results found that with a baseline distance of 1500mm the average error in determining the distance of a vehicle was 16.46m. Although this error is quite large, it is still possible to monitor traffic flow using stereo vision with these inputs. Some of the issues that may cause these errors are camera quality, camera calibration and variable lighting conditions.

The limitations in en-route Air Traffic Control today are generally accepted as being the workload and performance of the controller. This method of operation is known as the 'manual control process'. The manual control process is an open loop form of control, that relies heavily on controller judgement and decision making. Future developments in ATC, that use twoway datalink, and integrate air and ground systems, are expected to be delayed. This leaves the manual control process to manage the projected growth in air transport demand. An analysis was carried out of the manual control process on two sectors at the London Area & Terminal Control Centre at West Drayton. Particular attention was given to understanding complexity, the functions that controllers perform, decision making and information sources. A systems approach was taken to the analysis and used multidisciplinary research techniques. The study used naturalistic data collection. Both the ground and airborne systems were reviewed, and developments found within them, that can benefit the control process. An analysis of incidents in en-route ATC was also conducted. Proposals are made that can support an enhanced control process. These were modelled, and the results indicated that reductions in controller workload are attainable. The changes to the control process involve more close control of the vertical plane, and improved and more precise information being made available to the controller. It is suggested that aircraft flight management systems are used as a control tool, and system requirements are proposed.

Each year, thousands of people are killed as a result of an automobile collision. In 2016 alone, collisions killed approximately 37,461 people; this is nearly double the number of murders reported by the UCR for the same year. Additionally, motor vehicle related harms result in billions of dollars of expenses each year. In order to maintain roadway safety, many police departments increase traffic enforcement to deter drivers from engaging in negative driving behaviors. Using a deterrent framework, I study the effects of one traffic unit’s outcome on traffic collisions and motor vehicle safety crimes in the City of Paducah, Kentucky. Equipped with four years of longitudinal data, collisions and motor vehicle safety crimes are compared during intervention and non-intervention periods. Independent Sample T-Tests are used to determine the association between increased traffic enforcement and the outcome variables. Next, a One way ANOVA, and subsequent Post Hoc tests are used to determine the differences between 3 separate time periods. The results suggest that as traffic enforcement increased during the intervention period, collisions and DUI offenses decreased when compared to the pre-intervention phase; while the number of collisions increased after the intervention, DUI offenses continued to decrease. Offenses for speeding 15 mph above the speed limit and disregarding a traffic control device increased during the intervention period, when compared to pre-intervention levels and decreased after the intervention period, suggesting a positive relationship with traffic enforcement. These results are discussed in relation to deterrence theory. Finally, limitations and avenues for future research are addressed.

Motor vehicle collisions are one of the leading circumstances of death worldwide and are contributory to the second most common circumstance of death in South Africa, “transport-related deaths”. A total of 3248 transport-related deaths were recorded in Gauteng alone in 2009 and for that reason motor vehicle collisions pose a substantial threat to the South African population. This study was undertaken to determine if specific patterns of injuries in victims of fatal motor vehicle collisions existed. For the purposes of this study, “patterns of injury” can be defined as similar injuries of similar severities repeatedly and predictably occurring in similar body regions. The study consisted of all individuals involved in fatal collisions who fit the inclusion criteria during the period between 13 May 2011 and 1 June 2012. The external, visceral, and skeletal injuries sustained by the individuals involved in fatal motor vehicle collisions were observed via x-ray and photographic procedures performed by the investigator, as well as documentation from the Forensic Medical Practitioner/scribe notes. The South African Police Force attending officer’s affidavit and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Force Accident Reports were used to determine the make and model of the vehicle, the occupant’s position, type of collision and object with which the vehicle collided. The study’s results indicated that distinct patterns of injuries existed for those individuals involved in fatal motor vehicle collisions. The most frequently observed patterns of injuries included either severe head injuries in isolation, severe thoracic and/or abdominal injuries in isolation, or a combination of the two. Distinct patterns of injuries were noted for individuals occupying different types of vehicles but not for individuals occupying different positions within a single vehicle which is contrary to other international findings.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts by coursework and research report in Organisational Psychology Submitted for examination March 2015 / and most efficient way possible. Air traffic controllers perform complex tasks, some of which involve the analysis of visual inputs. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether there is a relationship between visual analysis and performance during the first training course attended by aspiring controllers. The main sample consisted of fifty-one trainees. An additional twenty-five qualified controllers also completed the visual analysis exercises. Visual analysis was assessed using ScreenX and SAMAE’s Scanning and Division of Attention exercises from Leaderware. The Core Content course reports were used as a measure of performance for trainees. Correlations and regressions were performed. The main results showed that the visual analysis scores were related to performance on ten of the fifteen subjects covered during the Core Content course and the overall course average. These findings have implications for the selection of trainees. Secondary analyses found significant differences in the visual analysis abilities of trainees and qualified controllers / MT2016

Este trabalho investiga os efeitos das solicitações do tráfego sobre o desempenho de pavimentos. Dentre vários fatores de tráfego analisados preliminarmente, são selecionados a carga por eixo, a pressão de enchimento dos pneus, o tipo de rodagem, o tipo de pneu e a distribuição da pressão de contato pneu-pavimento. Visando investigar em maior profundidade os efeitos desses fatores, inclusive os de suas interações, efetua-se uma programação fatorial de simulações determinísticas, que inclui também 8 estruturas de pavimento e 5 respostas estruturais: deflexão superficial, deformação horizontal de tração e deformação vertical de compressão na fibra inferior do revestimento asfáltico, deformação vertical de compressão no topo do subleito e tensão horizontal de tração na fibra inferior da camada tratada com cimento, calculadas por 2 programas computacionais (ELSYM5, para análises elástico-lineares, e ILLI-PAVE, para análises elástico-não-lineares). Da análise estatística dos resultados das simulações são obtidos modelos empírico-mecanísticos para cálculo dos Fatores de Equivalência de Cargas. Com esses Fatores de Equivalência de Cargas e mediante utilização do programa de Gerência de Pavimentos HDM III são calculados os impactos econômicos dos fatores de tráfego selecionados sobre as parcelas de custos rodoviários (construção, manutenção e operação). Faz-se análise crítica dos fatores de equivalência de cargas adotados pelas normas brasileiras e internacionais e apresentam-se sugestões para a incorporação dos resultados deste trabalho aos métodos de dimensionamento de pavimentos e de dosagem de misturas asfálticas. No que diz respeito à regulamentação técnica de pesos e dimensões dos veículos rodoviários de carga e à alocação dos custos, investigam-se, em detalhe, as implicações do uso de pneus extralargos em substituição às rodas duplas convencionais, a utilização de pneus com elevadas pressões de enchimento, vários cenários de sobrecarga e a utilização de veículos combinados longos (VCLs). / The effects of traffic loading factors on the pavement performance are studied in this work. Several loading factors are analyzed and the most important ones (axle load, tire inflation pressure, wheel type, and tire-pavement contact pressure distribution) are selected for a more detailed investigation. lt is performed a factorial experiment of deterministic simulations that includes other complementary factors: 8 pavement structures and 5 structural responses (deflection at the top of the surface, horizontal tensile strain and vertical compressive strain at the bottom of the surface, vertical compressive strain at the top of the sub grade, and horizontal tensile stress at the bottom of the cement-treated layer), obtained from 2 computer programs (ELSYM5, for linear elastic analysis, and ILLI-PAVE, for non-linear elastic analysis). Empirical-mechanistic Load Equivalency Factors (LEF) are obtained from the statistic analysis of the factorial experiment. The economic impacts of the selected loading factors on the highway costs (construction, maintenance, and utilization) are calculated using those LEF as input for the Highway Design and Maintenance Standard Model (HDM Ill). The LEF used by Brazilian methods of pavement design are analyzed. Suggestions are made aiming to incorporate the results of this study to the asphalt mix and structural design of pavements, technical regulations and cost allocation procedures. It is discussed the implications of the use of super single tires instead of dual wheels, tire inflation pressures above the values recommended by the tire industry, various scenarios of overloaded trucks, and the traffic of Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs) in Brazilian highways.

Este trabalho investiga os efeitos das solicitações do tráfego sobre o desempenho de pavimentos. Dentre vários fatores de tráfego analisados preliminarmente, são selecionados a carga por eixo, a pressão de enchimento dos pneus, o tipo de rodagem, o tipo de pneu e a distribuição da pressão de contato pneu-pavimento. Visando investigar em maior profundidade os efeitos desses fatores, inclusive os de suas interações, efetua-se uma programação fatorial de simulações determinísticas, que inclui também 8 estruturas de pavimento e 5 respostas estruturais: deflexão superficial, deformação horizontal de tração e deformação vertical de compressão na fibra inferior do revestimento asfáltico, deformação vertical de compressão no topo do subleito e tensão horizontal de tração na fibra inferior da camada tratada com cimento, calculadas por 2 programas computacionais (ELSYM5, para análises elástico-lineares, e ILLI-PAVE, para análises elástico-não-lineares). Da análise estatística dos resultados das simulações são obtidos modelos empírico-mecanísticos para cálculo dos Fatores de Equivalência de Cargas. Com esses Fatores de Equivalência de Cargas e mediante utilização do programa de Gerência de Pavimentos HDM III são calculados os impactos econômicos dos fatores de tráfego selecionados sobre as parcelas de custos rodoviários (construção, manutenção e operação). Faz-se análise crítica dos fatores de equivalência de cargas adotados pelas normas brasileiras e internacionais e apresentam-se sugestões para a incorporação dos resultados deste trabalho aos métodos de dimensionamento de pavimentos e de dosagem de misturas asfálticas. No que diz respeito à regulamentação técnica de pesos e dimensões dos veículos rodoviários de carga e à alocação dos custos, investigam-se, em detalhe, as implicações do uso de pneus extralargos em substituição às rodas duplas convencionais, a utilização de pneus com elevadas pressões de enchimento, vários cenários de sobrecarga e a utilização de veículos combinados longos (VCLs). / The effects of traffic loading factors on the pavement performance are studied in this work. Several loading factors are analyzed and the most important ones (axle load, tire inflation pressure, wheel type, and tire-pavement contact pressure distribution) are selected for a more detailed investigation. lt is performed a factorial experiment of deterministic simulations that includes other complementary factors: 8 pavement structures and 5 structural responses (deflection at the top of the surface, horizontal tensile strain and vertical compressive strain at the bottom of the surface, vertical compressive strain at the top of the sub grade, and horizontal tensile stress at the bottom of the cement-treated layer), obtained from 2 computer programs (ELSYM5, for linear elastic analysis, and ILLI-PAVE, for non-linear elastic analysis). Empirical-mechanistic Load Equivalency Factors (LEF) are obtained from the statistic analysis of the factorial experiment. The economic impacts of the selected loading factors on the highway costs (construction, maintenance, and utilization) are calculated using those LEF as input for the Highway Design and Maintenance Standard Model (HDM Ill). The LEF used by Brazilian methods of pavement design are analyzed. Suggestions are made aiming to incorporate the results of this study to the asphalt mix and structural design of pavements, technical regulations and cost allocation procedures. It is discussed the implications of the use of super single tires instead of dual wheels, tire inflation pressures above the values recommended by the tire industry, various scenarios of overloaded trucks, and the traffic of Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs) in Brazilian highways.

Abstract not available

viii, 102 leaves : ill., 3 pams in back pocket / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.) from the Dept. of Mathematics, University of Adelaide, 1968

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida International University, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-119). Also available online via the Florida International University website (http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/).