Road safety is an aspect of major concern on road networks, not only on a local scale in South Africa, but also on a global scale. South Africa is experiencing an unacceptably high rate of fatal road traffic crashes and as a result has one of the highest per capita rate of road fatalities in the world. The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 – 2020 was published in 2011 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to guide and assist countries with the improvement of road safety. The management of vehicle speeds is one of numerous important interventions identified in the Global Plan. The technical and economic feasibility of using a specific Road safety is an aspect of major concern on road networks, not only on a local scale in South Africa, but also on a global scale. South Africa is experiencing an unacceptably high rate of fatal road traffic crashes and as a result has one of the highest per capita rate of road fatalities in the world. The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 – 2020 was published in 2011 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to guide and assist countries with the improvement of road safety. The management of vehicle speeds is one of numerous important interventions identified in the Global Plan. The technical and economic feasibility of using a specific technology, namely Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS), to contribute to the overall improvement of road safety on a national level in South Africa were investigated, with particular emphasis on the improvement of road safety through the reduction of fatal road traffic crashes. VAS are part of a range of measures that can be used to curb vehicle speeds, similar to conventional measures like speed cameras and traffic calming devices. VAS technology has seen limited use in South extrapolation of results from SCC’s VAS effectiveness study, and the application of these results to the South African road safety and road user statistics for the one year period March 2011 to March 2012. Key factors relating to speed and general driver obedience were also taken into consideration. It was established that the use of VAS would lead to a moderate reduction in the number of fatal road traffic crashes that occur annually, which in turn holds financial and socio-economic benefits for South Africa. A comparison of selected products available from two South African based electronic road sign manufacturing companies with conventional VAS was also carried out, focussing on product function, use and cost. It has been concluded that it would be technically and economically feasible to introduce VAS on the South African road network to improve the prevailing road safety situation.

The objective of this research is to investigate different propagation models to determine if specified models accurately predict received signal levels for short path 900 MHz spread spectrum radio systems. The City of Denton, Texas provided data and physical facilities used in the course of this study. The literature review indicates that propagation models have not been studied specifically for short path spread spectrum radio systems. This work should provide guidelines and be a useful example for planning and implementing such radio systems. The propagation model involves the following considerations: analysis of intervening terrain, path length, and fixed system gains and losses.

This diploma thesis is focused on the comparison of perception of traffic signs and advertising areas in two different conditions day and night with focus on visual distraction of the driver. The introductory part deals with the analysis of the current state of the elements acting on the driver with an emphasis on mental processes and the senses of drivers affecting traffic safety. The analytical part draws on the videos from driving tests, the whose goals was to monitor the optical reactions of drivers. The resulting data were evaluated with goal to determine the time consuming views of the drivers on individual elements and the compared in different conditions. The last chapter includes the interpretation of the results of the analysis with suggestion of their use to increase traffic safety.

M. S.

The hypothesis is that the recorded noise-imprints of a vehicle at an intersection can be used to identify and accurately time the driving modes of deceleration, idle, slow cruise, and acceleration. This is proven by analyzing and comparing noise-imprints of vehicles at an uncontrolled intersection marked first with a "stop" sign, and then by a "yield" and an experimental "dead slow" sign. By relating the duration of each driving mode to known relations, the overall efficiency of an intersection can be characterized. A new technique for studying various types of traffic conditions at intersections is the result. Initial noise-imprint analysis and comparison shows that a "yield" sign is to be preferred over a "stop" sign to decrease travel time, air pollution emissions, gasoline consumption, and wear-and-tear on the car. The experimental "dead slow" sign is used as a demonstration of the noise-imprint technique upon an unknown situation. The efficiency of a "dead slow" sign proved to be less than that of a "yield" sign, but still greater than that of a "stop" sign.

M.S.

Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the practice of language use on road signs in Switzerland. The language used in public spaces constitutes our image of a specific place to a remarkable degree. We are constantly exposed to signs, whether road signs, advertisements or notifiers. These signs not only convey information such as “Caution”, “Final sale” or “Speed limit 60 here”, but also highlight aspects of culture and, where written text appear on them, aspects of the language(s) used in that area. Language use within the public space enables us to conceptualize, as well as recognize, the ways in which language use occurs, often (but not always) informing us whether a country is monolingual, bilingual or multilingual. In addition, these signs also indicate how language use is linked to other processes such as globalisation, social change and cultural heritage. The main purpose of this thesis was to establish how language is used on road signs in presentday, officially multilingual Switzerland. In this regard, three Swiss cantons (in which bilingual or multilingual societies are found) were investigated as to the language(s) – or lack thereof – which appear on their road signs, as well as to the order in which these languages appear. Specifically, bilingual or multilingual signs, as well as so-called Bildersprache (“picture language”, in other words on a board or plaque with a picture, symbol or other image on it), were studied in these cantons. Data for this research consists of photographic material (taken during visits to the study areas) as well as interview data. It was found that the social and political identities, as well as the economic interests, of language groups in a particular area affect the design and placement of road signs in that area. The results of this study serve as a framework for future research, and the photo material enables us, to a certain extent, to see how an apparently stable language system (such as the multilingualism found in Switzerland) encounters changes due to internal and external influences, but also how creative language can be. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie is die taalgebruik op padtekens in Switserland ondersoek. Die taalgebruik in openbare plekke vorm tot ’n merkwaardige mate die beeld wat ons van ’n spesifieke plek het. Ons word konstant blootgestel aan tekens, hetsy padtekens, advertensies of kennisgewings. Hierdie tekens verskaf nie net inligting soos “Versigtig”, “Finale uitverkoping” of “Spoedgrens 60” nie, maar beklemtoon ook kulturele aspekte en, in daardie gevalle waarin geskrewe teks op tekens verskyn, ook aspekte van taal/tale wat in die betrokke gebied gebesig word. Taalgebruik in die openbare ruimte help ons om die wyses waarop taalgebruik voorkom te konseptualiseer en te herken, en dui gereeld (maar nie altyd nie) vir ons aan of ’n land eentalig, tweetalig of veeltalig is. Verder gee die tekens ook ’n aanduiding van hoe taalgebruik gekoppel is aan prosesse soos globalisasie, sosiale verandering en kulturele erfenis. Die hoof doel van hierdie tesis was om te bepaal hoe taal in die hedendaagse Switzerland op padtekens gebruik word. Drie Switserse kantons (met tweetalige en veeltalige gemeenskappe) is in hierdie verband ondersoek in terme van die taal/tale – of die gebrek daaraan – wat op padtekens verskyn asook die volgorde waarin hierdie tale op die padtekens verskyn. Spesifiek tweetalige of veeltalige tekens asook sogenaamde Bildersprache (“prentetaal”, met ander woorde ’n bord met ’n prent, simbool of ander voorstelling daarop) is in hierdie kantons bestudeer. Die data vir hierdie navorsing bestaan uit fotografiese materiaal (wat verkry is tydens besoeke aan die studie-areas) sowel as inligting wat verkry is deur onderhoudvoering. Daar is bevind dat die sosiale en politiese identiteite, sowel as die ekonomiese belange, van taalgroepe in ’n spesifieke area die ontwerp en plasing van padtekens in daardie area beïnvloed. Die resultate van hierdie studie dien as ’n raamwerk vir toekomstige navorsing en die fotomateriaal stel ons tot ’n sekere mate in staat om vas te stel hoe ’n klaarblyklik stabiele taalsisteem (soos die veeltalige een wat in Switserland aangetref word) veranderinge weens interne en eksterne invloede kan ervaar, maar ook hoe kreatief taal kan wees.

Traffic signs, which are extremely important for traffic safety, aims to regulate traffic by providing information about the characteristics of road and road environment for drivers. The success of traffic signs mainly rely on the easy comprehensibility of its meaning in a short time. Further more, today&rsquo / s global economies and transportation systems emphasize the need for more universial traffic signs which was the main motivation of two main treaties on traffic signs / Vienna Convetion in 1968 and European Aggreement Treaty in 1971, which are signed and followed by Turkey. For an effort to increase traffic safety, a Subcommittee of the Turkish Highway Traffic Safety (THTS) Council requested the determination of comprehensibility of critical signs with higher probability of impact on traffic safety selected by a group of experts from engineers and law enforcement agencies in a survey study. The survey questionnaire included 30 selected traffic signs (including two prohibition signs omitting oblique bar recently changed as a part of the European Union Participation Process) and 9 control group signs, a total of 39 traffic signs, and driver characteristic questions, such as gender, age, educational background, etc. to reveal insights about a) the level of comprehensibility of different groups of traffic signs and and b) driver characteristics that may affect the comprehensibility of these signs. A pilot study in the city of Ankara is conducted over a sample of 1,478 surveys. Answers for the meaning of each sign are coded using a scale of five (opposite, wrong, no comment, partially correct and correct responses). The results showed that the control group signs have very high comprehensibility as expected, while some of the critical signs were not known much, or mistaken for others, even mistaken for opposite meanings. The certain loss of comprehensibility of the traffic signs changed recently is seen in the comparative analysis of the signs before and after the change, as well as significant shift towards an opposite meaning. The significance of driver characteristics (gender, education, occupation etc.) affecting the comprehensibility of the traffic signs varies among traffic signs and characteristics. As the result of this study, (THTS) Council decided to support traffic and driver education more and mass promotion of mis- or un-comprehended signs without searching for more local solutions or versions.

M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering) / The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of SOAP84-simulations of delay and percentage stops at isolated signalized intersections. In the application, capacity was distinguished in terms of lane configuration only. Results at the intersections showed SOAP overestimating both delay and percentage stops by as much as 100%. It is recommended that the same investigations be repeated with more accurate information on the capacity of the intersections.

Exclusive bus lanes and the Transit Signal Priority are often not effective in saturated peak-traffic conditions. An alternative way of providing priority for transit can be queue jumpers, which allows buses to bypass and then cut out in front of waiting queue by getting an early green signal. Utah Transit authority deployed Bus Rapid Transit system at Salt Lake County, Utah along W 3500 S. This research evaluates the impacts of queue jumpers with TSP on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and private vehicular traffic. Four VISSIM models were developed for analysis : Basic scenario, no TSP with queue jumpers, TSP with no queue jumbers, and TSP with queue jumpers. In TQ scenario travel time was reduced between 13.2-19.82% with respect to basic scenario. At the same time, travel time of private traffic increased very little 0.38-3.28%. Two TSP strategies : green extension and red truncation are implemented in this research work. / by R.M. Zahid Reza. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.