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Two previous studies performed at Virginia Tech have shown that it is feasible to detect drowsy drivers using driving performance and physiological measures. Therefore, assuming that drowsiness can be detected, it becomes important to develop methods (countermeasures) by which drivers can regain and maintain alertness. The current study was thus undertaken in an attempt to evaluate three subsidiary tasks which differed only in regard to input modality (auditory, tactual, or visual) in terms of: 1) the degree to which they aided the driver by maintaining or restoring alertness; and 2) the degree to which the responses to these tasks could be used to detect drowsiness. Subjective measures of drowsiness were also obtained to provide an additional source of verification of level of drowsiness. To accomplish these objectives, a total of 12 male and female driver-subjects drove a moving-base simulator continuously from 12:30 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. During this time, the subjects performed each of the subsidiary tasks for a 30-minute period; they also drove for a 30-minute period during which no subsidiary task was performed. During the simulated, nighttime, highway driving scenario, 20 driving performance, behavioral, and physiological measures were collected for each 3-minute driving interval, along with 5 subsidiary task measures and subjective alertness ratings. The experimental results indicated that none of the three subsidiary tasks provided an effective means of maintaining driver alertness. However, the results of a second series of discriminant analyses did indicate that driver impairment due to drowsiness could be reliably detected with linear combinations of subsidiary task and driving measures. In fact, promising discriminant models for the auditory and visual tasks were identified which employed a subsidiary task response measure of the number of correct responses to the subsidiary task during each 6-minute driving interval as well as a physiological measure of the subject's heart rate variance; these models showed overall classification error percentages as low as 3% and 8%. Finally, the analyses of the subjective alertness ratings indicated that subjects' ratings were not significantly affected by either the type of subsidiary task performed or time-on-task. / Ph. D.

Lo Chi-yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-51). / Abstract in English and Chinese; questionnaires in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgments --- p.iv / Table of Contents --- p.v / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Why is empirical research on driver sleepiness important? --- p.2 / Prevalence of driver sleepiness --- p.2 / Driver sleepiness as a risk factor for traffic accidents --- p.3 / Why should taxi driver sleepiness be studied? --- p.6 / Variations in sleepiness and vigilance and driving performance within a shift and comparison between daytime and nighttime drivers --- p.8 / "The impact of circadian typology on sleep, sleepiness, vigilance and driving performance" --- p.11 / Bright light exposure --- p.14 / Overview of the present study --- p.18 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Main study --- p.20 / Recruitment and Characteristics of Participants --- p.20 / Procedure --- p.20 / Instruments --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Results --- p.28 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Discussion --- p.36 / References --- p.42 / Figures --- p.52 / Tables --- p.55 / Appendices --- p.62

M.Ing. (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) / Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is proposed to assist drivers tedious manual acceleration or braking of the vehicle, as well as with maintaining a safe headway time gap. This thesis proposes, simulates, and implements a vision-based ACC system which uses a single camera to obtain the clearance distance between the preceding vehicle and the ACC vehicle. A three-step vehicle detection framework is used to obtain the position of the lead vehicle in the image. The vehicle coordinates are used in conjunction with the lane width at that point to estimate the longitudinal clearance range. A Kalman filter filters this range signal and tracks the vehicle’s longitudinal position. Since image processing algorithms are computationally intensive, this document addresses how adaptive image cropping improves the update frequency of the vision-based range sensor. A basic model of a vehicle is then derived for which a Proportional-Integral (PI) controller with gain scheduling is used for ACC. A simulation of the system determines whether the ACC algorithm will work on an actual vehicle.

No Brasil, estudos apontam aumento de quase 30% no número de acidentes de trânsito em rodovias federais de 2008 a 2010 sendo que, no último ano, os veículos de carga, especificamente, estiveram envolvidos em 88.963 acidentes. Relata-se que muitos motoristas profissionais têm estreitos prazos de entrega a serem cumpridos e, portanto, se veem obrigados a dirigir por longo período de tempo e/ou sem paradas para descanso. A fim de atingir tal objetivo, alguns motoristas acabam recorrendo ao uso de anfetaminas, estimulantes do SNC, popularmente conhecidas como \"rebite\". Análises toxicológicas utilizadas para verificar o uso de drogas por motoristas de caminhão em estudos epidemiológicos, por exemplo, baseiam-se em testes de triagem utilizando imunoensaios, cujos resultados positivos são confirmados por técnicas de espectrometria de massas. Os testes disponíveis no mercado para a triagem detectam a presença de anfetamina, que pode ser proveniente da biotransformação de alguns medicamentos. Entretanto, motoristas de caminhão relatam também o uso dos anorexígenos Dualid® S, Inibex® S e Hipofagin® S, cujo princípio ativo é a dietilpropiona, que se biotransforma diretamente em fenilpropanolamina e, portanto, não é detectada pelos testes de triagem convencionais, o que pode gerar resultados falso-negativos e, assim, subestimar o número de casos positivos em uma pesquisa. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi o desenvolvimento e validação de um método para detecção de anfetamina, dietilpropiona e femproporex, por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC-DAD) e a posterior aplicação deste método em amostras de urina coletadas de caminhoneiros. A extração líquido-líquido da urina (2,0 mL) foi realizada com éter etílico (4,0 mL) e a validação seguiu o guia do United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Os limites de detecção e quantificação encontrados foram 120 e 150 ng/mL respectivamente. O método mostrou-se preciso, com coeficientes de variação inferiores a 15% e a recuperação para os três analitos foi superior a 50%. A linearidade abrangeu a faixa de 150 ng/mL a 1000 ng/mL (r2 > 0,99) e para a dietilpropiona e anfetamina foi utilizado o coeficiente de ponderação 1/y devido à heteroscedasticidade apresentada. Entre as amostras analisadas (n=385), nove foram positivas para anfetamina e uma, para femproporex e anfetamina. Através da aplicação de questionário, foi traçado também o perfil sociodemográfico dos entrevistados. O método desenvolvido se mostrou preciso e sensível, podendo assim ser utilizado em estudos epidemiológicos e testes em ambientes de trabalho para a análise de anfetamina, dietilpropiona e femproporex em urina / In Brazil, studies indicate an increase of approximately 30% in the number of traffic accidents on federal highways, from 2008 to 2010 and, in 2010, cargo vehicles, specifically, were involved in 88,963 accidents. In fact, many professional drivers have tight deadlines to be met and, therefore, are forced to drive for long periods of time and/or without rest stops. In order to achieve this goal, some drivers end up resorting to the use of amphetamines, CNS stimulants, popularly known in Brazil as \"rebite\". Toxicological analyses used to verify the use of drugs by truck drivers in epidemiological studies are based on immunoassays screening tests and positive results are confirmed by mass spectrometry techniques. The commercially available screening tests detect the presence of amphetamine, which can be derived from the biotransformation of some drugs. However, truck drivers also report the use of anorectic Dualid® S, Hipofagin® S and Inibex® S, whose active compound is diethylpropion, which metabolizes directly to phenylpropanolamine. Therefore it is not detected by conventional screening tests, which can generate false-negative results and underestimate the number of positive cases. Thus, the aim of this study was the development and validation of a method for the detection of amphetamine, diethylpropion and fenproporex by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD) and the subsequent application of this method in urine samples collected from truck drivers. The liquid-liquid extraction of urine (2.0 mL) was carried out with diethyl ether (4.0 mL) and the validation was performed according to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime guidelines. The limits of detection and quantification were 120 and 150 ng/mL, respectively. The method was precise, with coefficients of variation less than 15% and the recovery for the three analytes was greater than 50%. The linearity covered the range of 150 ng/mL to 1000 ng/ml (r2 > 0.99) and for diethylpropion and amphetamine it was applied the weighting factor 1/y due to heteroscedasticity. Among the analyzed samples (n=385), nine were positive for amphetamine and one tested positive for femproporex and amphetamine. Sociodemographic profile of the interviewees was obtained through the application of questionnaires. The developed method proved to be accurate and sensitive, and thus can be used in epidemiological studies and in workplace drug testing

Introdução: A fobia de dirigir é caracterizada como uma fobia específica do tipo situacional e causa sofrimento aqueles que a sentem, não só pelo impacto na rotina, dificultando a mobilidade, mas pelo sofrimento físico e cognitivo causados. Objetivos: Levantar o perfil sociodemográfico e clínico geral de quem procura ajuda para tratar a fobia de dirigir, analisar e comparar os perfis relacionados aos desfechos, com a finalidade de identificar as variáveis que poderiam predizer o abandono do tratamento. Métodos: O estudo foi realizado em duas fases: estudo transversal, descritivo com 1.640 pacientes que buscaram tratamento para Fobia Específica de Dirigir e estudo transversal, de uma coorte retrospectiva, com 1.541 pacientes, do sexo feminino, submetidos a tratamento psicoterápico para esta fobia e que alcançaram os desfechos Sucesso ou Insucesso. Todos os dados foram coletados dos formulários de pacientes atendidos em uma clínica especializada, entre 2008 e 2016, cadastrados no Research Eletronic Data Capture (REDCap), transportados para o Statisctical Package for Social Science for Windows (SPSS) e suas variáveis submetidas a análise descritiva e testes estatísticos do Qui-quadrado de Pearson, Exato de Fisher, Teste T ou Teste não Paramétrico. Resultados e Conclusão: Considerando a primeira fase, variáveis como sexo, estado civil, escolaridade, ocupação, aquisição da Carteira Nacional de Habilitação, dificuldades técnicas, intenções com o veículo, reações fisiológicas, posse de um veículo, treinamento após a aquisição da habilitação, histórico de acidentes, diagnósticos psiquiátricos e presença de outras fobias, assemelham-se aos achados da área. Outras variáveis levantadas diziam respeito, particularmente, à amostra estudada e não puderam ser comparadas. Na segunda fase, as variáveis que se mostraram estatisticamente significativas e que poderiam ser consideradas preditoras para interrupção do tratamento relacionavam-se ao estado civil separado, baixo nível de escolaridade, ocupações braçais, aquisição mais tardia da CNH, maior queixa de medo, idealização da direção como uma ação que traria liberdade e autonomia, mais do que facilidades na rotina, experiência de acidentes leves como motoristas e com vítimas como passageiros, mais diagnósticos psiquiátricos, mais fobias relacionadas à avaliação social, mais medo de nadar e maiores chances de abandono de tratamentos de longa duração / Introduction: The driving phobia is characterized as a specific phobia of the situational type and causes suffering for those who feel it, not only in the impact on their routine, hindering their mobility, but in the physical and cognitive suffering that it causes. Objectives: To find the socio-demographic and general clinical profile of those seeking help to address their phobia, analyzing and comparing outcome-related profiles in order to identify the variables that could predict treatment withdrawal. Methods: The study was carried out in two phases: a descriptive cross-sectional study of 1640 patients who sought treatment for Specific Driving Phobia and a cross-sectional study of a cohort retrospective of 1541 female patients undergoing psychotherapeutic treatment for this phobia that have reached Success or Failure. All data were collected from patients forms seeing at a specialized clinic, between 2008 and 2016, and enrolled in the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), then transferred to the Statistical Package for Social Science for Windows (SPSS) and its variables submitted to descriptive analysis and statistical tests of Pearson\'s chi-square, Fisher\'s Exact, T-Test or Non-Parametric Test. Results and Conclusion: Considering the first phase, variables such as gender, marital status, education, occupation, validation of the national driver\'s license (CNH), technical difficulties, intentions with the vehicle, physiological reactions, vehicle´s ownership, accidents history, psychiatric diagnoses and presence of other phobias, resembles the findings in the area. Other variables raised are, in particular, the sample studied that could not be compared. In the second phase, variables that were statistically significant and could be considered as predictors of treatment withdrawal were related to a separated marital status, low level of education, manual labor, later CNH validation, fear complaint, idealization that the driving action would bring freedom and autonomy, more than the conveniences of routine, experience in small accidents while drivers and victims were passengers, more psychiatric diagnoses, more phobias related to social assessment, more fear of swimming and greater chances of abandoning long treatments

Traffic simulation has become an invaluable part of the traffic engineering toolbox. However, the majority of driver models are designed to recreate traffic performance based on interactions among vehicles. In keeping with this pursuit, most are fundamentally built to avoid collisions. This limits the applicability of using these models for addressing safety concerns, especially those regarding pedestrian safety performance. However, by explicitly including some of the sources of human error, these limitations can, in theory, be overcome. While much work has been done toward including these human factors in simulation platforms, one key aspect of human behavior has been largely ignored: driver distraction. This work presents a novel approach to inclusion of driver distraction in a microsimulation or agent-based model. Distributions of distraction events and inter-distraction periods are derived from eye-glance data collected during naturalistic driving studies. The developed model of distraction is implemented -- along with perception errors, visual obstructions, and driver reaction times -- in a simulated mid-block pedestrian crossing. The results of this simulation demonstrate that excluding any of these human factors from the implemented driver model significantly alters conflict rates observed in the simulation. This finding suggests that inclusion of human factors is important in any microsimulation platforms used to analyze pedestrian safety performance.

<p>Mobilitet genom att köra egen bil ger en ökad livskvalitet. Förekomsten av stroke ökar och för att kunna tillfredställa individens behov av aktivitet och självständighet i transporter finns ett ökat behov av körkortsbedömningar. Restsymtomen efter en stroke kan variera. Därför krävs olika typer av bedömningar. Arbetsterapeuter som är vana att arbeta klientcentrerat och bedöma skilda färdigheter har mycket att tillföra i körkortsfrågor. Syftet med studien var att sammanställa beskrivningar av bedömningsinstrument för körförmåga efter stroke i vetenskaplig litteratur, utifrån författarnas frågeställningar. En systematisk litteraturstudie användes som metod. Femton vetenskapligt granskade artiklar samt en master of science uppsats ingick i studien. Resultat visade en stor mängd bedömningsinstrument, varav majoriteten testade egenskaper på taktisk nivå enligt Michons hierarkiska modell. Ytterst få av instrumenten kunde kopplas till de av författarna efterfrågade kvalitetsaspekterna. Arbetsterapeuternas utgångspunkter var i de allra flesta fall att bedöma färdighet snarare än insikt i frågan om bilkörning. I diskussionen tar författarna upp att arbetsterapeuter är väl lämpade för den här typen av bedömningar trots att tillfälle sällan ges, detta baserat utifrån litteraturgenomgången. Vidare ger författarna förslag på fortsatt forskning i form av utvecklandet av ett nytt bedömningsinstrument som ska baseras på ett arbetsprov för bilkörning som alternativ till uppkörning.</p> / <p>Mobility through driving a car leads to enhanced quality of life. The prevalence of stroke is increasing, and to satisfy the individual’s need for activity and independence in transportation, an increased need of assessments of the ability to drive is apparent. Residual symptoms of stroke vary. There is therefore a need of different kinds of assessments. Occupational Therapists familiar with client-centred assessments and used to assessing various skills can contribute to issues concerning the acquisition of driving licences. The aim of the study was to gather descriptions of tools for assessing the ability to drive after stroke in scientific literature, based on the authors´ questions. A systematic review was the method used. Fifteen scientifically reviewed articles and a Master of Science report were included in the study. The main outcome was that a great number of assessment tools were found, of which the majority tested skills on the tactical level according to the hierarchic model of Michon. Very few of the tools could be related to the requested quality aspects. The occupational therapists´ starting point in most cases was to assess skill rather than insight into the question of car-driving. The authors believe that occupational therapists are well suited for that kind of assessment, based on the results of this study. The authors suggest further research in developing a new assessment tool based on a practical test for car driving as an alternative to the driving test.</p>

Mobilitet genom att köra egen bil ger en ökad livskvalitet. Förekomsten av stroke ökar och för att kunna tillfredställa individens behov av aktivitet och självständighet i transporter finns ett ökat behov av körkortsbedömningar. Restsymtomen efter en stroke kan variera. Därför krävs olika typer av bedömningar. Arbetsterapeuter som är vana att arbeta klientcentrerat och bedöma skilda färdigheter har mycket att tillföra i körkortsfrågor. Syftet med studien var att sammanställa beskrivningar av bedömningsinstrument för körförmåga efter stroke i vetenskaplig litteratur, utifrån författarnas frågeställningar. En systematisk litteraturstudie användes som metod. Femton vetenskapligt granskade artiklar samt en master of science uppsats ingick i studien. Resultat visade en stor mängd bedömningsinstrument, varav majoriteten testade egenskaper på taktisk nivå enligt Michons hierarkiska modell. Ytterst få av instrumenten kunde kopplas till de av författarna efterfrågade kvalitetsaspekterna. Arbetsterapeuternas utgångspunkter var i de allra flesta fall att bedöma färdighet snarare än insikt i frågan om bilkörning. I diskussionen tar författarna upp att arbetsterapeuter är väl lämpade för den här typen av bedömningar trots att tillfälle sällan ges, detta baserat utifrån litteraturgenomgången. Vidare ger författarna förslag på fortsatt forskning i form av utvecklandet av ett nytt bedömningsinstrument som ska baseras på ett arbetsprov för bilkörning som alternativ till uppkörning. / Mobility through driving a car leads to enhanced quality of life. The prevalence of stroke is increasing, and to satisfy the individual’s need for activity and independence in transportation, an increased need of assessments of the ability to drive is apparent. Residual symptoms of stroke vary. There is therefore a need of different kinds of assessments. Occupational Therapists familiar with client-centred assessments and used to assessing various skills can contribute to issues concerning the acquisition of driving licences. The aim of the study was to gather descriptions of tools for assessing the ability to drive after stroke in scientific literature, based on the authors´ questions. A systematic review was the method used. Fifteen scientifically reviewed articles and a Master of Science report were included in the study. The main outcome was that a great number of assessment tools were found, of which the majority tested skills on the tactical level according to the hierarchic model of Michon. Very few of the tools could be related to the requested quality aspects. The occupational therapists´ starting point in most cases was to assess skill rather than insight into the question of car-driving. The authors believe that occupational therapists are well suited for that kind of assessment, based on the results of this study. The authors suggest further research in developing a new assessment tool based on a practical test for car driving as an alternative to the driving test.