Search results for "SAF"

Risk exposure to vibration and noise in the use of agricultural track-laying tractors.

2016

Human exposure to mechanical vibration may represent a significant risk factor for exposed workers in the agricultural sector. Also, noise in agriculture is one of the risk factors to be taken into account in the evaluation of workers’ health and safety. One of the major sources of discomfort for the workers operating a tractors is the noise to which they are exposed during work. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of exposure to whole-body vibration for the operator driving track-laying tractors in vineyard orchard and the noise level. The experimental tests were performed with six different track-laying tractors coupled with the same rototilling machine. The results showed that…

Distraction of cyclists: how does it influence their risky behaviors and traffic crashes?

2018

BackgroundUndisputedly, traffic crashes constitute a public health concern whose impact and importance have been increasing during the past few decades. Specifically, road safety data have systematically shown how cyclists are highly vulnerable to suffering traffic crashes and severe injuries derived from them. Furthermore, although the empirical evidence is still very limited in this regard, in addition to other human factors involved in cycling crashes, distractions while cycling appear to be a major contributor to the road risk of cyclists.ObjectivesThe main objectives of this study were, first, to explore the prevalence and trends of cycling distractions within an international sample o…

La 'federofobia' en europa

2008

Carving Out Other Narratives : Textual Treatment in Jonathan Safran Foer's Tree of Codes

2017

Acceptance of truck platooning by professional drivers on German highways. A mixed methods approach.

2020

Abstract Truck platoon driving is a current branch of automated driving, which has the potential to radically change the work routine of professional drivers. In a platoon system, one truck (semi-)automatically follows a lead truck with a reduced distance, which produces significant savings in fuel and enables better traffic flow. In a current application of truck platoon driving, the following vehicle operates at level-2 automation. Thus, the driver of the following truck merely has to supervise the semi-automated system, which takes over steering and speed control when engaged. Level-2 truck platoon driving had not been tested with professional drivers in real traffic before. We hypothesi…

Truck Platooning Under Real Traffic Conditions: First Insights on Behavioral Adaptations and Gap Preference of Professional Drivers.

2020

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate (1) how different gap sizes are perceived by professional truck drivers under real traffic conditions and (2) whether semi-automated platoon driving leads to changes in driving behavior of subsequent manual driving. Background Platoon driving is a current branch in the development of automated driving in which two or more vehicles build a convoy. The lead vehicle is controlled manually while following vehicles are electronically coupled to it and drive semi-automated with small gaps in order to achieve a better traffic flow and potential fuel savings. Method In a real road experiment, 10 trained professional truck drivers completed a total o…

On-Road Study of Fatigue Management Strategies in Long-Haul Truck Drivers

2014

The current study investigated what strategies long-haul truck drivers use to mitigate fatigue at the wheel. A group of 52 truck drivers participated in the study in which drivers’ fatigue at the wheel was measured by a well-validated self-rating scale (the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale) and the use of fatigue countermeasures by a diary for a period of two consecutive workweeks including day and night-time trips. Results showed that the drivers more frequently used fatigue countermeasures while fatigued at the wheel but most of these countermeasures, with the exception of caffeine, can be regarded as inefficient (e.g., opening a window). The results indicate that long-haul truck drivers resp…

Smart vs conventional motorways: environmental impact assessment under realistic traffic conditions

2020

Abstract This research aims at assessing the environmental impacts exerted by a smart motorway compared to those of a traditional motorway. The study has global policy implications: it takes into account the impacts due to the construction and maintenance of the infrastructure and the environmental effects produced by the traffic emissions, taking into account smart technologies and truck platooning regulation. Through a classical LCA approach, 1 km-long smart motorway with 2 m-high embankment was assumed as the functional unit for the analysis. A realistic traffic condition has been considered. A comparison between environmental effects produced by the use of virgin material and by Reclaim…

Design of a new high energy rear underrun protective device

2008

In recent years the vehicle design field has followed a progressive evolution by focusing its main interest on passive and active safety levels. One of the most injurious cases for the safety of passengers is the crash between a car and a heavy vehicle (truck). Generally, in fact, when such an occurrence happens, the greatest damage is suffered by the passengers of the car. This is because of the considerable structural difference between the two vehicles and the lack of devices to reduce the injuries of the car passengers. In this work, as a consequence of the previous considerations, we deal with the design of a new protective system for heavy vehicles over 3.5 tons. The new rear underrun…

Are long-haul truck drivers unusually alert? A comparison with long-haul airline pilots.

2020

Abstract Background Recent studies suggest heavy vehicle drivers self-estimate their sleepiness unexpectedly low during night duties. The present study compared sleepiness ratings of long-haul truck drivers with those of long-haul airline pilots during night and non-night duties. In addition, the correspondence between self-rated manifest and predicted latent sleepiness was examined in the two groups. Methods Twenty-two drivers and 33 pilots participated. Their working hours, sleep, on-duty sleepiness, and use of sleepiness countermeasures were measured in naturalistic conditions. Predictions of latent sleepiness were based on the measurements of working hours and sleep using the Sleep/Wake…