Are speed enforcement cameras more effective than other speed management measures? The impact of speed management schemes on 30 mph roads

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of the impact of various types of speed management schemes on both traffic speeds and accidents. The study controls for general trends in accidents, regression-to-mean effects and migration, separately estimating the accident changes attributable to the impact of the schemes on traffic speed and on traffic volume. It was found that, when judged in absolute terms, all types of speed management scheme have remarkably similar effects on accidents, with an average fall in personal injury accidents of about 1 accident/km/year. In terms of the percentage accident reduction, however, engineering schemes incorporating vertical deflections (such as speed humps or cushions) offer the largest benefits: at 44%, the average reduction in personal injury accidents attributable to such schemes, is twice that at sites where safety cameras were used to control speeds (22%) and they were the only type of scheme to have a significant impact on fatal and serious accidents. Other types of engineering scheme (with a fall of 29% in personal injury accidents) were on average less effective in reducing accidents than schemes with vertical features but more effective than cameras. All types of scheme were generally effective in reducing speeds, with the largest reductions tending to be obtained with vertical deflections and the smallest with other types of engineering schemes.     

Are speed enforcement cameras more effective than other speed management measures? An evaluation of the relationship between speed and accident reductions

In this paper, models are developed which enable a prediction of how the impact of speed management schemes on accidents varies both with speed changes and with site and scheme characteristics. It was found that, the impact of schemes with vertical deflections is independent of the change in mean speed: an accident reduction of 44% is predicted by the model irrespective of the impact on speed. For cameras and other types of engineering schemes, a simple relationship between the change in mean speed and the consequent change in accidents is available. For the range of mean speeds typically found on 30 mph roads, the percentage accident reduction per 1 mph speed reduction is around 4% for cameras and 7-8% for schemes with horizontal features. While larger percentage accident reductions are achieved per 1 mph speed reduction on lower speed roads, larger speed reductions and larger overall percentage accident reductions are obtained on roads with higher before mean speeds. It is possible to predict both changes in speeds and accidents before treatment using the models derived from this study and these models confirm that schemes with vertical deflections are most effective in reducing both speeds and accidents.     

Deal or no deal: Can incentives encourage widespread adoption of intelligent speed adaptation devices?

Given the burden of injury, economic, environmental and social consequences associated with speeding, reducing road traffic speed remains a major priority. Intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) is a promising but controversial new in-vehicle system that provides drivers with support on the speed-control task. In order to model potential system uptake, this paper explores drivers’ preferences for two different types of ISA given a number of alternative fiscal incentives and non-fiscal measures, using a stated preference approach. As would be expected with such a contentious issue, the analysis revealed the presence of significant variations in sensitivities and preferences in the sample. While a non-negligible part of the sample population has such strong opposition to ISA that no reasonable discounts or incentives would lead to them buying or accepting such a system, there is also a large part of the population that, if given the right incentives, would be willing or even keen to equip their vehicle with an ISA device.     

Reductions in driver speed using posted feedback of speeding information: social comparison or implied surveillance?

Reducing driver speed has an essential role to play in traffic safety. This study measured the effect of a roadside sign, in a 50 km/h zone, that consecutively displayed one of three messages:

1. The average speed at the site: this message was designed to induce “social comparison” whereby drivers may reduce their speed in order to comply with the behaviour of the majority.

2. A warning that drivers’ speeds were being measured: this was intended to imply surveillance whereby drivers may reduce speed in order to avoid possible enforcement action.

3. A combination of both messages, to see if both together would have a greater effect than either alone.

The speed of drivers travelling along a busy urban road (11,500 cars daily in each direction) was measured using inductive loop detectors. The proportion of drivers travelling 60 km/h or less increased with all three messages, suggesting that both social comparison and implied surveillance are mechanisms by which driver speed may be reduced. However, the speed reductions were not as great as in previous studies of feedback signs. This may be due to differences in the existing safety culture.     

Modulation effects of collagen ? on the structure of electrochemically deposited hydroxyapatite coating

In this work, collagen ? was introduced as an additive to the dilute electrolyte used for direct electrochemical deposition of hydroxyapatite (HA) coating, and its modulation effects on the morphology and crystal structure of the HA coating were examined by SEM and XRD, respectively. Collagen I-modified HA coating was found to exhibit a micro-porous structure, formed by the ordered arrangements of ultra-fine HA crystals. The crystal structure of the modified HA coating was demonstrated to be similar to that of the natural bone. Further compositional studies using FTIR spectroscopy supported the integration of the collagen into the HA coating.     

Investigations on a brass armour: Authentic or forgery?

A copper-based armour, supposedly excavated in Eastern Georgia and tentatively dated to the I–II century AD, was investigated with the aim of checking its authenticity. The finding consisted of several pieces, mostly in a good state of conservation: helmet, lorica musculata (i.e. muscled cuirass), forearm guards, pterygies (covering the lower body and thighs), shin greaves and a spear tip. The combination of conventional metallography with in situ and non-destructive investigations (including Time of Flight Neutron Diffraction (ToF-ND)) on the front of the lorica, on one of the pterygies and on the spear tip showed that the composition and microstructure of the armour was not fully homogeneous. However, the results from the muscled cuirass are fairly coherent and raise suspicion about the authenticity of the piece, namely because of the (i) presence of metallic Al in the alloy, in solid solution with Cu, (ii) prevalence of an as-cast microstructure, which lead to a heavy weight as well to the need for a high amount of metal by comparison to hammered sheet and (iii) presence of an artificial patina, combined with earthy deposits which are not explainable if the original patina was removed before artificial patination for aesthetical reasons.     

Cooperative warning systems: The impact of false and unnecessary alarms on drivers’ compliance

Cooperative warning systems have a great potential to prevent traffic accidents. However, because of their predictive nature, they might also go along with an increased frequency of incorrect alarms that could limit their effectiveness. To better understand the consequences associated with incorrect alarms, a driving simulator study with N = 80 drivers was conducted to investigate how situational context and warning urgency jointly influence drivers’ compliance with an unreliable advisory warning system (AWS). The participants encountered several critical urban driving situations and were either assisted by a 100% reliable AWS, a 60% reliable AWS that generated false alarms (without obvious reason) or a 60% reliable AWS that generated unnecessary alarms (with plausible reason). A baseline drive without any assistance was also introduced to the study. The warnings were presented either only visually or visual-auditory. In line with previous research, drivers’ compliance and effectiveness of the AWS was reduced by false alarms but not by unnecessary alarms. However, this so-called cry wolf effect (Breznitz, 1984) was only found in the visual-auditory condition, whereas there was no effect of warning reliability in the condition with visual AWS. Furthermore, false but not unnecessary alarms caused the participants to rate the AWS less favourably during a follow-up interview. In spite of these negative effects of false alarms, a reduction in the frequency of safety-critical events (SCEs) and an earlier braking onset were evident in all assisted drives compared with that of non-assisted driving, even when the AWS was unreliable. The results may thus lower concerns about the negative consequences of warning drivers unnecessarily about upcoming traffic conflicts if the reasons of these alarms are comprehensible. From a perspective of designing AWS, we recommend to use less urgent warnings to prevent the cry wolf effect.     

The Impact of a Radical Innovation on Business Models: Incremental Adjustments or Big Bang?

In this paper we study the impact of a radical technological innovation on business models. Do firms react by adjusting their business models incrementally, through iterative steps? Or do such innovations lead, instead, to a big bang of new innovative business models that are all adopted and experimented with by the industry? To answer these questions, we analyze the impact of digitization—a radical innovation—on business models in the recorded music industry. Using an economic analysis of the effects of digitization, we begin by building five potential digital business models for the music industry. Then, using data from a survey on a sample of French record companies, we map these record labels on our digital business models. Our analysis suggests that digitization has led to a big bang of business models in the music industry, rather than to incremental adjustments of the existing business model.     

Trademark or patent? The effects of market concentration,customer type and venture capital financing on start-ups’ initial IP applications

We analyse the initial IP applications of 4,703 start-ups in the U.S., distinguishing between trademark and patent applications. Our empirical results show that start-ups are more likely to file for trademarks instead of patents when entering markets with a higher market concentration. Furthermore, we find that start-ups that are primarily active in business-to-consumer markets instead of business-to-business markets are more likely to file trademarks. Finally, the involvement of a venture capitalist (VC) affects the initial IP application. VC-backed start-ups are more likely than other start-ups to file initial IP in the form of trademarks rather than patents. This paper contributes to research on the use of IP rights in start-ups and to the literature on new venture strategy.     

Does ICT have symmetric or asymmetric effects on CO2 emissions? Evidence from selected Asian economies

Information and communication technology (ICT) has played an important role in the socio-economic development of human societies but, this development has come with some potential hazards to the environment. However, the experts are divided over this issue, some consider that ICT has exerted a favorable impact on environmental quality whereas; others think that ICT has posed serious threats to the environment. Hence, this study is another effort in exploring the impacts of ICT on CO₂ emissions in 9 selected Asian economies which are the top contributors in polluting the environment in the Asian continent for the period of 1990–2018. All previous studies have one thing in common that the impact of ICT on CO2 emissions is symmetric. Whereas, in this study, we have not only relied on the symmetry assumption but also tested the asymmetric impact of ICT on CO₂ emissions. The number of countries in which ICT significantly affects the CO₂ releases has not changed much in our linear and non-linear models. However, the short-run impact asymmetry in the effects of increased and decreased use of ICT is approved in almost half of the countries, and in long run, these asymmetric impacts further strengthened and observed in more than half of the countries.     

High thermal conductivity of polymers: Possibility or dream?

Summary Using the simple kinetic formula of thermal conductivity, it is shown that the mean free path is the limiting factor of thermal conductivity. Standard arguments on phonon-phonon interaction lead to realize that isotropic polymers cannot exceed thermal conductivities k 1 W/mK. Orientation of polymers gives a strong enhancement of k in orientation direction, due to the effect of phonon focussing. For the simplest chain, the polyethylene molecule, up to 37 W/mK have been measured. Possible values of 70 W/mK can be extrapolated for material with the modulus of the chain. Even higher values can be envisaged for perfect crystalline material. The integration of such a material must take care of minimizing the boundary resistance to the adjacent solid.     

The impact of third-party remanufacturing on the forward supply chain: a blessing or a curse?

It is widely agreed that the entry of third-party remanufacturers (TPRs) hurts original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) because remanufacturing cannibalises the new product sales. In this paper, motivated by the practice of mobile phone remanufacturing, we develop a game theoretical model to revisit the impact of third-party remanufacturing on a forward supply chain in which one OEM purchases critical components from one dominant supplier. The OEM may operate the remanufacturing business as cost-efficient as the TPR. Our analytical results show that regardless of the OEM’s remanufacturing capability, third-party remanufacturing could be beneficial to the OEM in that the supplier would lower the wholesale price as a response to the entry of the TPR; in addition, compared with the case without remanufacturing, third-party remanufacturing is always detrimental to the supplier, but the supplier should not always attempt to deter the entry of the TPR because third-party remanufacturing could be less detrimental than the OEM’s in-house remanufacturing. Under certain conditions, the two players in the forward supply chain both prefer third-party remanufacturing over in-house remanufacturing. The key intuition driving this finding is that third-party remanufacturing makes the OEM and the supplier allied; while in-house remanufacturing makes them against each other.     

Reactive friction-stir processing of nanocomposites: effects of thermal history on microstructure–mechanical property relationships

The effects of thermal history on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a friction-stir-processed Al–Mg–TiO₂ (3?vol.-%, 20?nm) nanocomposite were studied. It is shown that, with increases in peak temperature, a more uniform distribution of nanoparticles in the metal matrix, and a refined grain structure, are attained. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that the mechanism of grain refinement is influenced by the hard inclusions, changing from discontinuous to continuous dynamic recrystallisation. A fine-grained nanocomposite (average grain size of 3?µm) with a uniform distribution of nanoparticles is obtained after four fully-overlapping passes at 1200?rev?min^?1 and 100?mm?min^?1. Under these circumstances the mechanical properties, including yield stress (95%), tensile strength (36%) and hardness (72%) are significantly enhanced relative to the untreated alloy.     

The impact of collaboration on the technological performance of regions: time invariant or driven by life cycle dynamics?

Increasingly, collaboration between firms as well as science-industry interactions are being considered as important for technology development. Yet, few attempts have been made to analyze the contribution of collaboration, taking into account different stages of the technology life cycle. Our analysis, based on a panel of 197 regions in the EU-15 and Switzerland (time period 1978–2001), provides evidence that, in the field of biotechnology, science-industry collaboration contributes to better technological performance of regions both during the emerging phases (1978–1990) and the growth stages (1991–1999) of the life cycle. Collaboration between industrial partners also contributes to the technological performance of regions during the first phase but is less pronounced during later phases of the technology life cycle. Moreover, the analysis reveals that, as technologies develop over time, the impact of local collaboration is mitigated in favor of collaboration that has an international dimension. This holds true for both science-industry interactions and for collaboration between firms. In consequence, our findings underscore the relevance of incorporating life cycle dynamics (of technologies) when studying the nature and impact of collaboration on the technological performance of regions.     

Has hosting on science direct improved the visibility of Latin American scholarly journals? A preliminary analysis of data quality

Scientometrics - Latin American regional journals have adopted measures to increase both their quality and visibility, among which figures the promotion of their inclusion in international...     

Are airbags a dangerous safety measure? A meta-analysis of the effects of frontal airbags on driver fatalities

A meta-analysis has been conducted of the effectiveness of frontal airbags in reducing driver fatalities, and some potential moderator variables for airbag effectiveness have been investigated. The results confirm the assumption that airbags reduce accident fatalities among belted drivers, but the results are too heterogeneous for drawing conclusions about the size of the overall effect. No support has been found for the hypothesis that airbags increase overall fatality risk, as has been found in the study by Meyer and Finney (Meyer, M., Finney, T., 2005. Who wants Airbags? Chance, 18 (19) 3–16). The results do not seem to be affected by publication bias, and no indications of confounding effects of vehicle characteristics or impact velocity have been found. In frontal collisions belted driver fatalities were found to be reduced by about 22% when all types of airbags are regarded together. The revision of the test criteria for airbags in the USA in 1997 has improved airbag effectiveness. For unbelted drivers airbags are neither effective nor counterproductive, but may increase fatality risk in single vehicle accidents. The results show that there is a lack of knowledge about the effects of airbags in accidents that are not frontal collisions.