The increasingly urbanized world needs a solution to solve one of the most difficult problems – traffic congestion and safety. Researchers, consultants, and local officials are all attempting to solve these problems with different methods. However, it is apparent that understanding the driving behaviors on the roadway network and implementing roadway configurations accordingly is one of the great solutions. Therefore, the modeling of driving behavior would be the focus of this two-part thesis. Chapter two of this thesis will elaborate on the modeling of various driving behavior types in the microsimulation software by providing an easier-to-calibrate alternative for the driver behavior model in the microsimulation. The calibration method would leverage VISSIM, its highly customizable External driver model (EDM) API, JMP Pro's experiment design and sensitivity analysis, and SSAM's trajectory analysis. Then a set of driver model parameters are produced through sensitivity analysis, which is effective in producing a set of traffic conflicts that matches a preset target. Chapter three of this thesis focuses on simulating aggressive driving behaviors in a microsimulation and driving simulator co-simulation environment. Two co-simulation platforms are demonstrated, and the data collection are done in the VISSIM-Unity platform to collect microscopic driving data and trajectory data from the aggressive driver. Data analysis are performed on both datasets and determine the aggressive driver's safety impact. / Master of Science / The increasingly urbanized world needs a solution to solve one of the most difficult problems – traffic jams and safety. Researchers, engineers, and local officials are all attempting to solve these problems with different methods. However, it is apparent that understanding people's driving behavior on the road and designing the roads and policies to cater to these driving behaviors is one of the great solutions. Therefore, the modeling of driving behavior would be the focus of this two-part thesis. Chapter two of this thesis will experiment with a traffic simulator (which is a tool used for designing and simulating different road configurations like roundabouts and numbers of lanes) and provide an easier and more accurate way to represent various driving styles in the traffic simulator. The calibration method would leverage a driving simulator called VISSIM, an adjustable driver behavior model, a vehicle route tracker, and a vehicle route conflict analysis tool. Then a set of driving behavior parameters would be produced to match the possible traffic accident count in the traffic simulator. Chapter three of this thesis focuses on simulating aggressive driving behaviors in a traffic simulator and driving simulator (like that of those with a steering). Two driving simulator platforms are tested, and the data collection are done in one of the platforms to collect driving data and vehicle route tracker data from the aggressive driver. Data analysis are performed on both types of data and determine the aggressive driver's safety impact.

Este trabalho contém uma revisão bibliográfica atualizada acerca do tema segurança viária; um diagnóstico da situação atual da gestão da segurança viária em Marília e um elenco de ações propostas para a melhoria dessa gestão; um estudo dos acidentes de trânsito ocorridos na cidade, contemplando a identificação dos pontos críticos, a análise das causas dos acidentes à luz das informações contidas nos boletins da ocorrência policial e a apresentação de propostas de ações para redução dos acidentes nesses locais, elaboradas com base em auditorias no campo. Algumas das ações propostas para a melhoria da segurança viária na cidade de Marília são: criação de um órgão específico da Prefeitura para fazer a gestão do trânsito na cidade (incluindo a segurança); implementação de um banco de dados de acidentes informatizado; investimentos nas áreas de Educação e Esforço Legal, utilização da técnica de análise de conflitos de tráfego e de auditoria de campo de forma rotineira pelo órgão gestor, aperfeiçoamento do preenchimento dos boletins de ocorrência de acidentes, através de treinamento dos policiais e eventuais alterações de conteúdo; etc. / This work contains: a bibliographical revision brought up to date concerning the subject road safety; a diagnosis of the current situation of the management of the road safety in Marília and proposal of actions for the improvement of this management; and a study of the traffic accidents occurred in the city, contemplating the identification of the critical points, the analysis of the causes of the accidents based in bulletins of occurrence and some proposals for to reduce the accidents rates in those places based on field auditorships. Some of the actions proposals for the improvement of the road security in the city of Marília are: creation of a specific agency of the City hall to make the management in the transit in the city; implementation of a computerized data base; investment in the area of Education and Efforcement; use ofthe technique of analysis of traffic conflicts and audit of field of routine form for the managing agency; perfectioning of the fulfilling of accident reports, through training of the policemen and eventual alterations the format; etc.

Este trabalho contém uma revisão bibliográfica atualizada acerca do tema segurança viária; um diagnóstico da situação atual da gestão da segurança viária em Marília e um elenco de ações propostas para a melhoria dessa gestão; um estudo dos acidentes de trânsito ocorridos na cidade, contemplando a identificação dos pontos críticos, a análise das causas dos acidentes à luz das informações contidas nos boletins da ocorrência policial e a apresentação de propostas de ações para redução dos acidentes nesses locais, elaboradas com base em auditorias no campo. Algumas das ações propostas para a melhoria da segurança viária na cidade de Marília são: criação de um órgão específico da Prefeitura para fazer a gestão do trânsito na cidade (incluindo a segurança); implementação de um banco de dados de acidentes informatizado; investimentos nas áreas de Educação e Esforço Legal, utilização da técnica de análise de conflitos de tráfego e de auditoria de campo de forma rotineira pelo órgão gestor, aperfeiçoamento do preenchimento dos boletins de ocorrência de acidentes, através de treinamento dos policiais e eventuais alterações de conteúdo; etc. / This work contains: a bibliographical revision brought up to date concerning the subject road safety; a diagnosis of the current situation of the management of the road safety in Marília and proposal of actions for the improvement of this management; and a study of the traffic accidents occurred in the city, contemplating the identification of the critical points, the analysis of the causes of the accidents based in bulletins of occurrence and some proposals for to reduce the accidents rates in those places based on field auditorships. Some of the actions proposals for the improvement of the road security in the city of Marília are: creation of a specific agency of the City hall to make the management in the transit in the city; implementation of a computerized data base; investment in the area of Education and Efforcement; use ofthe technique of analysis of traffic conflicts and audit of field of routine form for the managing agency; perfectioning of the fulfilling of accident reports, through training of the policemen and eventual alterations the format; etc.

Despite the facts that vehicle incidents continue to be the most common mechanism for Australian compensated fatalities and that employers have statutory obligations to provide safe workplaces, very few organisations are proactively and comprehensively managing their work-related road risks. Unfortunately, limited guidance is provided in the existing literature to assist practitioners in managing work-related road risks. The current research addresses this gap in the literature. To explore how work-related road safety can be enhanced, three studies were conducted. Study one explored the effectiveness of a range of risk management initiatives and whether comprehensive risk management practices were associated with safety outcomes. Study two explored barriers to, and facilitators for, accepting risk management initiatives. Study three explored the influence of organisational factors on road safety outcomes to identify optimal work environments for managing road risks. To maximise the research sample and increase generalisability, the studies were designed to allow data collection to be conducted simultaneously drawing upon the same sample obtained from four Australian organisations. Data was collected via four methods. A structured document review of published articles was conducted to identify what outcomes have been observed in previously investigated work-related road safety initiatives. The documents reviewed collectively assessed the effectiveness of 19 work-related road safety initiatives. Audits of organisational practices and process operating within the four researched organisations were conducted to identify whether organisations with comprehensive work-related road risk management practices and processes have better safety outcomes than organisations with limited risk management practices and processes. Interviews were conducted with a sample of 24 participants, comprising 16 employees and eight managers. The interviews were conducted to identify what barriers and facilitators within organisations are involved in implementing work-related road safety initiatives and whether differences in fleet safety climate, stage of change and safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes. Finally, questionnaires were administered to a sample of 679 participants. The questionnaires were conducted to identify which initiatives are perceived by employees to be effective in managing work-related road risks and whether differences in fleet safety climate, stage of change and safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes. Seven research questions were addressed in the current research project. The key findings with respect to each of the research questions are presented below. Research question one: What outcomes have been observed in previously investigated work-related road safety initiatives? The structured document review indicated that initiatives found to be positively associated with occupational road safety both during and after the intervention period included: a pay rise; driver training; group discussions; enlisting employees as community road safety change agents; safety reminders; and group and individual rewards. Research question two: Which initiatives are perceived by employees to be effective in managing work-related road risks? Questionnaire findings revealed that employees believed occupational road risks could best be managed through making vehicle safety features standard, providing practical driver skills training and through investigating serious vehicle incidents. In comparison, employees believed initiatives including signing a promise card commitment to drive safely, advertising the organisation’s phone number on vehicles and consideration of driving competency in staff selection process would have limited effectiveness in managing occupational road safety. Research question three: Do organisations with comprehensive work-related road risk management practices and processes have better safety outcomes than organisations with limited risk management practices and processes? The audit identified a difference among the organisations in their management of work-related road risks. Comprehensive risk management practices were associated with employees engaging in overall safer driving behaviours, committing less driving errors, and experiencing less fatigue and distraction issues when driving. Given that only four organisations participated in this research, these findings should only be considered as preliminary. Further research should be conducted to explore the relationship between comprehensiveness of risk management practices and road safety outcomes with a larger sample of organisations. Research question four: What barriers and facilitators within organisations are involved in implementing work-related road safety initiatives? The interviews identified that employees perceived six organisational characteristics as potential barriers to implementing work-related road safety initiatives. These included: prioritisation of production over safety; complacency towards work-related road risks; insufficient resources; diversity; limited employee input in safety decisions; and a perception that road safety initiatives were an unnecessary burden. In comparison, employees perceived three organisational characteristics as potential facilitators to implementing work-related road safety initiatives. These included: management commitment; the presence of existing systems that could support the implementation of initiatives; and supportive relationships. Research question five: Do differences in fleet safety climate relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires identified that organisational climates with high management commitment, support for managing work demands, appropriate safety rules and safety communication were associated with employees who engaged in safer driving behaviours. Regression analyses indicated that as participants’ perceptions of safety climate increased, the corresponding likelihood of them engaging in safer driving behaviours increased. Fleet safety climate was perceived to influence road safety outcomes through several avenues. Some of these included: the allocation of sufficient resources to manage occupational road risks; fostering a supportive environment of mutual responsibility; resolving safety issues openly and fairly; clearly communicating to employees that safety is the top priority; and developing appropriate work-related road safety policies and procedures. Research question six: Do differences in stage of change relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires identified that participants’ perceptions of initiative effectiveness were found to vary with respect to their individual stage of readiness, with stage-matched initiatives being perceived most effective. In regards to safety outcomes, regression analyses identified that as participants’ progress through the stages of change, the corresponding likelihood of them being involved in vehicle crashes decreases. Research question seven: Do differences in safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires revealed that management of road risks is often given less attention than other areas of health and safety management in organisations. In regards to safety outcomes, regression analyses identified that perceived authority and perceived shared ownership both emerged as significant independent predictors of self-reported driving behaviours pertaining to fatigue and distractions. The regression models indicated that as participants’ perceptions of the authority of the person managing road risks increases, and perceptions of shared ownership of safety tasks increases, the corresponding likelihood of them engaging in driving while fatigued or multitasking while driving decreases. Based on the findings from the current research, the author makes several recommendations to assist practitioners in developing proactive and comprehensive approaches to managing occupational road risks. The author also suggests several avenues for future research in the area of work-related road safety.

Das Risiko, im Straßenverkehr getötet zu werden, ist für Motorrad-Aufsassen vielfach höher als für andere Verkehrsteilnehmer. Dabei spielt das Verhalten der Motorradfahrer eine zent-rale Rolle. In Abhängigkeit von ihrer Fahrkompetenz können Fahrer durch entsprechendes Agieren und Reagieren kritische Situationen und Unfälle vermeiden. Zur Analyse des Fahrerverhaltens in Situationen individuell unterschiedlicher Kritikalität wurden Versuchs-fahrten mit Motorradfahrern unterschiedlicher Fahrerfahrung auf einem abgesperrten Test-gelände und im öffentlichen Straßenverkehr durchgeführt. Dazu wurde ein Versuchsmotor-rad mit Messtechnik ausgestattet, um detaillierte Informationen zum Fahrer, zum Fahrzeug und zur Umgebung zu erfassen. Die Probanden wiesen große Unterschiede im Fahrerverhal-ten auf, was in den meisten Fällen auf die unterschiedlichen Fahrerfahrungen der Teilneh-mer zurückzuführen ist. Durch detaillierte Analysen des Fahrerverhaltens konnten fahrer-spezifische Defizite festgestellt und entsprechende Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten aufgezeigt werden. Auf Basis dieser Erkenntnisse wurden Konzepte zur Unterstützung des Fahrers bei der Erweiterung seiner Fahrkompetenz beim Motorradfahren aufgestellt. Die Konzepte se-hen eine aus Standardmanövern und Realverkehrsfahrten kombinierte Schulung bzw. ein kombiniertes Training vor. Im Rahmen dessen werden dem Fahrer vor, während oder nach der Fahrt direkt oder indirekt (über eine Begleitperson) relevante Informationen im Hinblick auf entsprechende Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten zur Verfügung gestellt. Darüber hinaus wur-de ein kompakter Datenrekorder prototypisch entwickelt, womit die Grundlage für den prak-tischen Einsatz geschaffen wurde.

Road safety is one of the world’s largest challenges. New technologies have made roads both safer, but also more dangerous as people to a greater extent drive distracted. The Swedish startup Consenz AB aims to solve this by creating a hardware/software system of connected Head Up Displays (HUDs). The purpose of this thesis isto create concepts of aftermarket HUDs that can help Consenz create their first hardware. More specifically this thesis focuses on creating a device that can fit into most vehicles and provide an appropriate image. The work followed a version of the Double diamond design process, with four parts. In the first two parts the challenge was assessed, and a set of requirements made. In the second half of the project concepts were generated and evaluated from the requirements made in the first half. The first part of the project was aimed at gathering knowledge about the topic, the market today and its potential customers, this was done by contacting various stakeholders, documenting car interiors, and reading research and regulations around the topic. The second part of the project evaluated available display technologies and together with the first part, resulted in a set of requirements for the second half of the project. The third part of the project used a number of concept generation methods to create several concepts. These concepts were evaluated and narrowed down to two concepts. In the final part of the project these concepts were refined and evaluated. The work resulted in two concepts, physical models of the concepts and a recommendation for which concept to continue with. / Trafiksäkerhet är en av världens största utmaningar. Ny teknik har gjort vägar både säkrare men också farligare eftersom människor i större utsträckning kör distraherade. Svenska startupen Consenz AB vill lösa detta genom att skapa ett hårdvaru- / mjukvarusystem med anslutna Head Up Displays (HUD). Syftet med denna uppsats är att skapa koncept för eftermarknads-HUD som kan hjälpa Consenz att skapa sin första hårdvara. Mer specifikt fokuserar projektet på att skapa en enhet som passar in i de flesta fordon och som ger en lämplig bild. Arbetet följde en version av Double Diamond design processen, med fyra delar. I de två första delarna utvärderades problemet och en uppsättning krav ställdes. Under andra halvan av projektet genererades och utvärderades koncept utifrån de krav som ställts under första två delarna. Den första delen av projektet samlade kunskap om utmaningen, marknaden idag och dess potentiella kunder, detta gjordes genom att kontakta olika stakeholders, dokumentera bilinteriörer och genom att studera texter kring området. Den andra delen av projektet utvärderade olika displayteknologier och tillsammans med den första delen resulterade det i flera krav. Den tredje delen av projektet använde olika konceptgenereringsmetoder för att skapa flera koncept. Dessa koncept utvärderades och begränsades till två koncept. I den sista delen av projektet förfinades och jämfördes dessa koncept. Arbetet resulterade i två koncept, fysiska modeller av koncepten och en rekommendation för vilket koncept att fortsätta med.

The Road Freight Industry accounts for 1 to 5 percent of most countries GDP (AECOM International Development, 2011). According to e-Natis there was 321 056 Trucks (Heavy load Vehicle GVM > 3500 kg) in South Africa by November 2009 (Arrive Alive, 2009). This relative big industry, according to the statistics, influences most other industries value chains. Vehicles are driven by trucks drivers, making driving trucks their living. These drivers have their own lifestyles and ways that they go about. This study focusses on the risk factors of truck drivers’ lifestyles, especially long-distance truck drivers. This mini-dissertation draws attention to the limited research done on lifestyle risk factors and occupational hazards of long-distance truck drivers in South Africa. Most of the legislation regulating road transport is old and outdated, and any existing legislation is not being enforced. The goal of the study is to draw closer attention to the impact of certain lifestyle risk factors, social behaviours and occupational stressors on the lives of long-distance truck drivers, their close families and communities. The research was based on a comprehensive literature review as well as an empirical investigation done in the Gauteng province. A total of 150 long-distance truck drivers participated in the empirical investigation, by completing anonymous questionnaires. It is the researcher’s hope that this mini-dissertation will aid the betterment of long-distance truck drivers’ lives, general health and to make South African roads safer for all road users. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The Road Freight Industry accounts for 1 to 5 percent of most countries GDP (AECOM International Development, 2011). According to e-Natis there was 321 056 Trucks (Heavy load Vehicle GVM > 3500 kg) in South Africa by November 2009 (Arrive Alive, 2009). This relative big industry, according to the statistics, influences most other industries value chains. Vehicles are driven by trucks drivers, making driving trucks their living. These drivers have their own lifestyles and ways that they go about. This study focusses on the risk factors of truck drivers’ lifestyles, especially long-distance truck drivers. This mini-dissertation draws attention to the limited research done on lifestyle risk factors and occupational hazards of long-distance truck drivers in South Africa. Most of the legislation regulating road transport is old and outdated, and any existing legislation is not being enforced. The goal of the study is to draw closer attention to the impact of certain lifestyle risk factors, social behaviours and occupational stressors on the lives of long-distance truck drivers, their close families and communities. The research was based on a comprehensive literature review as well as an empirical investigation done in the Gauteng province. A total of 150 long-distance truck drivers participated in the empirical investigation, by completing anonymous questionnaires. It is the researcher’s hope that this mini-dissertation will aid the betterment of long-distance truck drivers’ lives, general health and to make South African roads safer for all road users. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Tragically, traffic accidents involving drivers, motorcyclists and pedestrians result in thousands of fatalities worldwide each year. For this reason, making improvements to road safety and saving people's lives is an international priority. In recent years, this aim has been supported by Intelligent Transport Systems, offering safety systems and providing an intelligent driving environment. The development of wireless communications and mobile ad hoc networks has led to improvements in intelligent transportation systems heightening these systems' safety. Vehicular ad hoc Networks comprise an important technology; included within intelligent transportation systems, they use dedicated short-range communications to assist vehicles to communicate with one another, or with those roadside units in range. This form of communication can reduce road accidents and provide a safer driving environment. A major challenge has been to design an ideal system to filter relevant contextual information from the surrounding environment, taking into consideration the contributory factors necessary to predict the likelihood of a crash with different levels of severity. Designing an accurate and effective pre-crash system to avoid front and back crashes or mitigate their severity is the most important goal of intelligent transportation systems, as it can save people's lives. Furthermore, in order to improve crash prediction, context-aware systems can be used to collect and analyse contextual information regarding contributory factors. The crash likelihood in this study is considered to operate within an uncertain context, and is defined according to the dynamic interaction between the driver, the vehicle and the environment, meaning it is affected by contributory factors and develops over time. As a crash likelihood is considered to be an uncertain context and develops over time, any usable technology must overcome this uncertainty in order to accurately predict crashes. This thesis presents a context-aware pre-crash collision prediction system, which captures information from the surrounding environment, the driver and other vehicles on the road. It utilises a Dynamic Bayesian Network as a reasoning model to predict crash likelihood and severity level, whether any crash will be fatal, serious, or slight. This is achieved by combining the above mentioned information and performing probabilistic reasoning over time. The thesis introduces novel context aware on-board unit architecture for crash prediction. The architecture is divided into three phases: the physical, the thinking and the application phase; these which represent the three main subsystems of a context-aware system: sensing, reasoning and acting. In the thinking phase, a novel Dynamic Bayesian Network framework is introduced to predict crash likelihood. The framework is able to perform probabilistic reasoning to predict uncertainty, in order to accurately predict a crash. It divides crash severity levels according to the UK department for transport, into fatal, serious and slight. GeNIe version 2.0 software was used to implement and verify the Dynamic Bayesian Network model. This model has been verified using both syntactical and real data provided by the UK department for transport in order to demonstrate the prediction accuracy of the proposed model and to demonstrate the importance of including a large amount of contextual information in the prediction process. The evaluation of the proposed system delivered high-fidelity results, when predicting crashes and their severity. This was judged by inputting different sensor readings and performing several experiments. The findings of this study has helped to predict the probability of a crash at different severity levels, accounting for factors that may be involved in causing a crash, thereby representing a valuable step towards creating a safer traffic network.

This thesis looked at traffic crashes in the emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to establish the current situation in road safety and ways of improving it. A global overview of road safety literature revealed that standards of road safety vary widely by region. Key indicators like fatality rate and risk (Jacobs et al, 2000) were found to be higher in most neighbouring Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries (10-25 fatalities/100,000 pop., 3-5 fatalities/10,000 motor vehicles) than in the best-performing Western countries (6 fatalities/100,000 pop., 1 fatality/10,000 motor vehicles). Interventions and countermeasures to tackle specific road safety issues were reviewed from international studies. Countermeasures were chosen with consideration for the local situation in Dubai within the categories of Human, Environmental and Vehicle factors. Examples of selected measures include offending driver punishment (Human), Electronic Stability Control (Vehicle) and central barriers (Environment). These measures were mostly studied in different environments to those in Dubai so the aspect of knowledge transfer between areas of different cultural and environmental conditions was discussed. Data from real world injury crashes (as collected by Dubai Police and the Roads & Transport Authority) over twelve years (1995 2006) were subject to macroanalysis in SPSS to identify the main issues over the past decade. 18,142 crashes involving 30,942 casualties and 48,960 vehicles were analysed at the outset. The following issues were among the main concerns: - High proportion of fatal crashes out of all injury crashes (13.5% compared to 1.4% in the UK); - Most fatal crashes involved a single vehicle hitting a pedestrian; - Most injury crashes involved a single vehicle; - Inconsiderate driving was the most common crash cause cited by the police. Countermeasures found in the literature to counteract these problems were then suggested for application and the estimated savings from applying them were calculated. Savings were quantified as either reductions in casualties or injury crashes. Furthermore, cost savings for the calculated reductions were estimated using existing UK crash costs due to the scarcity of UAE crash cost estimates. Calculation of the estimated improvement in safety if these countermeasures were applied retrospectively meant a reduction of 4,634 injury crashes and 1,555 casualties over the 12-year period with an estimated cost saving of approximately £368 million or 2.7 billion Dirhams. To refine this method more detailed data on crashes were required and collected from the dedicated crash investigation team files in Dubai Police for 2006 and part of 2007. This new dataset (300 crashes) was put into a purpose-built database with over 140 fields and subject to microanalysis to more accurately match the problems and interventions. Six interventions were matched to individual cases in the database where they would have positively altered the outcome. This process was verified by independent crash experts and investigators. The benefits from these six countermeasures were then weighted to calculate the benefits for the whole crash population over a year. Examples of specific interventions included guardrails along the roadside; grade-separated crossing facilities for pedestrians; Electronic Stability Control and speed cameras. The estimated total reduction in crashes was 2,412 annually with calculated savings of £40 million or 280 million Dirhams. This was the first time this geographical area was studied in such depth and detail to allow the calculation of benefits from interventions matched to known road safety issues. Various limitations were encountered such as the unavailability of GIS basemaps and the continuously changing infrastructure and population of Dubai. Numerous areas of further work were identified. Such work areas include hospital studies for collecting injury data to compare with police data; changing vehicle standards so that they are better suited to local crash types; the calculation of crash and injury costs based on local figures; vehicle fleet analysis for comparing different vehicle segments and exposure; and improved data collection and storage methods.