Background: Drug use among the driving population is a major hazard to road safety and has been the subject of widespread research worldwide. In an attempt to detect and appropriately prosecute “drug-drivers”, the UK has made legislative changes and has introduced Field Impairment Tests (FIT) in the Railway and Transport Safety Act 2003. These FIT, which are identical to the Standardised Field Sobriety Tests (SFST), were devised in the USA in the 1970s to identify clinical signs of impairment due to alcohol intoxication, but were not designed or intended to identify drug-related driving impairment. Concerns have been expressed that FIT are too difficult for their stated function, and are also inappropriate tests, since although they have been validated for alcohol effects they have never been validated for the effects of drugs. This thesis has sought to clarify matters and has questioned the validity of FIT by testing two opposing hypotheses – 1) FIT are reliable and valid tests of drug-related impairment to drive - and drug-free individuals perform well on all tests. 2) FIT are not reliable and valid tests of drug-related impairment to drive - and are too difficult for some groups of drug-free individuals to perform. Methods: A questionnaire was designed and a postal survey was undertaken of 960 Forensic Medical Examiners (FMEs) who were asked to give their opinion on the Field Impairment Tests (FIT). The responses of the FMEs were analysed in detail (chapter 3). FIT were then carried out on three separate groups of 100 subjects in police custody who were all known to have used no drugs for a period of at least 8 hours prior to the testing process (chapter 4). Group A subjects were opiate dependent; Group B were subjects who received legally prescribed methadone; Group C individuals denied any form of drug use. All study groups were simultaneously examined using conventional psychomotor tests, and the results were compared using detailed statistical analysis with logistic regression and summative scores. Results: Returned FME questionnaires showed 63% of FMEs considered the tests “about right” but a significant number (p<0.0001) of 33% of FMEs stated FIT were “too difficult”. The studies on subjects in custody clearly showed 82% of group A; 44% of group B; and 19% of group C were unable to complete FIT satisfactorily, although only 12% of group A; 2% of group B; and 3% of group C were unable to successfully perform conventional psychomotor and cognitive tests. These findings clearly supported the assertions held by 33% of FMEs surveyed that FIT were too difficult for their stated purpose and that poor performance in FIT could not be regarded as definitive evidence of drug-related impairment in driving ability. VII Conclusions: The results of the research studies conducted have provided very strong support in favour of hypothesis 2) FIT are not reliable and valid tests of drug-related impairment to drive - and are too difficult for some groups of drug-free individuals to perform. In an attempt to overcome the problems in respect of FIT, specific proposals have been offered including the introduction of a new battery of more relevant clinical tests of impairment (CTI); a change in the method and manner in which the proposed new tests are applied; and possible legislative and administrative measures which might be introduced to more appropriately and effectively tackle this on-going hazard to road safety.

Many cities across the globe are working to facilitate cycling as a sustainable transportation mode through changes to public policy and investments in infrastructure. Examining the costs and benefits of both driving and cycling using the cost benefit analysis (CBA) framework developed in Copenhagen provides an opportunity to identify private and social costs associated with these modes of transport with respect to environmental, social, and economic impacts. This paper outlines the methods used to calculate the per-kilometre costs of driving and cycling in Calgary, Canada, utilizing real-world data and methods from Canadian and global best-practice with the Copenhagen CBA framework as a guide. Transportation costs were calculated for travel time, vehicle ownership, health, collisions, air pollution, climate change, noise, roadway degradation, congestion, and winter maintenance for both driving and cycling. When the costs borne by both individuals and society are calculated for Calgary (in 2015 Canadian dollars) driving costs $0.83 per kilometre and cycling costs $0.08 per kilometre. When the social costs of transport are isolated, the cost of driving one kilometre is $0.10, while cycling one kilometre generates a net social benefit of $0.35. The results of this research show that the Copenhagen CBA framework can be applied in jurisdictions outside Denmark to calculate environmental, social, and economic costs of driving and cycling.

The paper describes the design of a prototype vehicle used by Dana Holding Corporation as a mobile laboratory for the development of Spicer® PowerBoost® hydraulic-hybrid powertrain technology. A telehandler vehicle was selected due to its versatility. Starting from the high-level requirements, design choices from the powertrain layout to the control architecture are discussed. The hydraulic-hybrid powertrain system is described, and its performance is analyzed based on representative driving cycles.

This thesis concerns mechanical and fracture properties of a thin aluminium foil and polymer laminate that is widely used as packaging material. The possibility of controlling the path of the growing crack propagation by adjustment of the adhesion level and the property of the polymer layer is investigated. First, the fracture process of the aluminium foil is investigated experimentally. It is found that fracture occurs at a much lower load than what is suggested by standard handbook fracture toughness. Observations in a scanning electron microscope with a tensile stage show that small-scale stable crack growth occurs before the stress intensity factor reaches its maximum. An examination using an optical profilometric method shows almost no plastic deformation except for in a small necking region at the crack tip. However, accurate predictions of the maximum load are obtained using a strip yield model with a geometric correction. Secondly, the mechanical and fracture properties of the laminate are studied. A theory for the mechanics of the composite material is used to evaluate a series of experiments. Each of the layers forming the laminate is first tested separately. The results are analysed and compared with the test results of the entire laminate with varied adhesion. The results show that tensile strength and strain at peak stress of the laminate, with or without a crack, increase when the adhesion of the adhesive increases. It is also found that a much larger amount of energy is consumed in the laminated material at tension compare with the single layers. Possible explanations for the much higher toughness of the laminate are discussed. Finally, the behaviour of a crack in one of the layers, perpendicular to the bimaterial interface in a finite solid, is studied by formulating a dislocation superposition method. The stress field is investigated in detail and a so-called T stress effect is considered. Furthermore, the crack tip driving forces are computed numerically. The results show that the analytical methods for an asymptotically small crack extension can also be applied for a fairly large amount of crack growth. By comparing the crack tip driving force of the crack deflected into the interface with that of the crack penetrating into the polymer layer, it is shown how the path of the crack can be controlled by selecting a proper adhesion level of the interface for different material combinations of the laminate.

Very little information is known about the impact electrification has on driving behavior, or how drivers charge their electrified vehicles. The recent influx of electrified vehicles presents a new market of vehicles which allow drivers the option between electrical or conventional gasoline energy sources. The current battery capacity in full battery electric vehicles requires planning of routes not required of conventional vehicles, due to the limited range, extended charging times, and limited charging infrastructure. There is currently little information on how drivers react to these limitations. A number of current models of fully electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, transmit data wirelessly on key-on, key-off, and charging events. The data includes battery state of charge, distance of miles driven on gasoline and electric, energy consumed, and many other parameters associated to driving and charging behavior. In this thesis, this data was then processed and analyzed to benchmark the performance and characteristics of driving and charging patterns. Vehicles were analyzed and contrasted based on model type, geographic location, length of ownership and other variables. This data was able to show benchmarks and parameters in aggregate for 56 weeks of electrified vehicle tracking. These parameters were compared to the EV Project, a large scale electrified vehicle study performed by Idaho National Labs, to confirm patterns of expected behavior. New parameters which were not present in the EV Project were analyzed and provided insight to charging and driving behavior not examined in any previous study on a large scale. This study provides benchmarks and conclusions on this new driving behavior, such as large scale analysis of brake regeneration performance and degradation of range anxiety. Analysis of the differences on charging and driving behavior between geographic regions and experience were examined, providing insight to how these variables affect performance and driving and charging patterns. Comparison of parameters established by the EV Project and new parameters analyzed in this report will help build a benchmark for future studies of electrified vehicles.

No description available.

Background. The Swedish government states that participation and influence are among the most fundamental prerequisites of public health. Mobility services provide professional and high quality information, advice, and assessment to individuals with a medical condition or recovering from an accident or injury that may affect their ability to drive, access, or egress a motor vehicle. Although Swedish physicians must report drivers with medical conditions, rehabilitative training for driving licenses following injury or severe medical conditions does not exist within contemporary Swedish healthcare systems. Aim. This study aimed primarily to describe and compare two driving assessment models, i.e., the model used by Traffic Medicine Center (TRMC) Stockholm in 1998 and the model provided by Mobilitetscenter.se (MC.se) Gothenburg in 2007. The study also sought to determine the context of the changed provision of driving assessments and identify the significant components of this change. Method A literature review, synthesised with the author’s research and complemented by practice-based evidence, provided the knowledge base and starting point of this essay. Action research paired with intervention propelled the changes in the provision of mobility services in Sweden between 1998 and 2007. The author used John Ovretveit’s identification of significant change components to illuminate the complex change process that occurred.  Selection of an appropriate list of variables to compare the two assessment models derived from FORUM of Mobility Centres, the umbrella organization of British Mobility Centres that developed national guidelines for driving ability assessments in the UK; the QEF Mobility Centre was a member of that organization. The author used a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview to gather relevant data from the compared centers. Results TRMC aims primarily to provide services for society through its contributions to road safety. A Mobility Center focuses on providing assessment and rehabilitation services, optimizing impaired drivers’ mobility potential and minimizing collision risks. Cognitive assessment at TRMC accounted for a large part of this study’s time allotment. MC.se’s practical driving test in a suitably modified car provides the most significant difference between the two models.  In addition, MC.se has replaced physicians and psychologists with occupational therapists. Conclusion TRMC aims to ensure that current drivers comply with medical driving laws and regulations. MC.se provides assessments that maximize mobility potential and also ensure low collision rates. Thus, safety is balanced against the right to mobility. The study also explores coping strategies, training, adaptations, and choice of vehicle. / <p>ISBN 978-91-85721-58-0</p>

This thesis studies structural dynamic system identification in a frequency-based framework. The basic consideration stems from the fact that frequencies may generally be measured with higher accuracy than other pertinent modal data such as mode shapes; however only a limited number of frequencies may be measured in the conventional context of natural frequencies. Being able to measure extra frequencies is a key to the success of a frequency-based method. The main part of the thesis is therefore organised around the involvement of the so-called artificial boundary condition (ABC) frequencies to augment the frequency dataset for general structural damage identification. In essence, the ABC frequencies correspond to the natural frequencies of the system with additional pin supports, but may be extracted from specially configured incomplete frequency response function matrix of the original structure without the need of physically imposing the additional supports. In the first part of the research, a particular focus is placed on the actual extraction of these ABC frequencies from physical experiments through effective modal testing, data collection, data processing and analysis. The influences of key processes involved in a typical modal experimental procedure, including high-fidelity measurement of the (impact) excitation input, averaging, windowing, and an effective use of post-processing techniques, particularly the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) technique, are scrutinised in relation to the extraction of the ABC frequencies. With appropriate implementation of testing and data processing procedures, results demonstrate that all one-pin and two-pin ABC frequencies from the first few modes can be extracted with good quality in a laboratory setting, and the accuracy of extracted ABC frequencies is comparable to natural frequencies of corresponding orders. A comprehensive study is then carried out to investigate the sensitivities of ABC frequencies to damages. Two-pin ABC frequency sensitivity is formulated by extending the expression of anti-resonance sensitivity. On this basis, the mode shape contribution is adopted as a criterion for the selection of more sensitive ABC frequencies to be employed in detailed parameter identification or finite element model updating procedures. The soundness of using ABC frequencies in structural parameter identification and the effectiveness of the above ABC frequency selection method are subsequently examined through case studies involving laboratory experiments and the corresponding FE model updating. Furthermore, a preliminary study is carried out to examine the possibility of formulating ABC frequency-based damage indicator, herein with an analogy to the mode shape curvature, for direct damage assessment. As an extended investigation in the general framework of frequency-based dynamic identification, in the last part of the thesis, a complex dynamic system, namely a railway bridge under moving loads & masses, is evaluated with regard to the various frequency characteristics involved. The variation of the natural frequencies of the bridge-moving mass system, as well as the presence of the apparent frequencies from the trainloads, are analysed in detail. Besides simplified theoretical analysis, a computational model is developed to simulate the combined bridge-moving vehicle/train system, where the vehicle mass is coupled with the bridge via surface contact. The model is verified by comparison with field measurement data and theoretical predictions. Parametric studies enable a clear identification of the correlation of the frequency contents between the response and the trainload, and provide new insight into the significance of the so-called driving and dominant frequencies. It is found that much of the dynamic response phenomena, including the resonance effect, may be explained from the view point of the frequency characteristics of the trainload pattern, which is governed primarily by the ratio between the carriage length and the bridge length. Finally, a resonance severity indicator (the Z-factor) is developed for the assessment of the resonance effect in the railway bridge response when the trainload moves at a resonance speed. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed methods are effective for the determination of the critical speed and the resonance effects, including the situations where a significant carriage mass is incorporated.

The great advancements in technology are transforming cars into the next digital frontier, redefining people’s lifestyle around mobility. The thesis intended to push further on this trend, exploring new interaction paradigms and creating delightful experiences in future self-driving vehicles. With a cross-discipline scope, the formula is to blend digital information into physical form and material, blurring the boundary between the car’s interior and interface. As the conclusion, I learned that a constant harmony between virtual and physical world is the key for designers to create natural and intuitive experiences with technology. The final result is an autonomous interior concept with multi-sensory user experiences. The core interface, as the physical manifestation of the car’s artificial intelligence, interact with users emotionally, offering its amazing capability in assistance. The in-car environment is evolved with sensors and displays, providing intuitive access to dedicated functions and immersive content.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1986 G35 / Master of Science / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering