Vehicle ConditionEssay Preview: Vehicle ConditionReport this essayCondition of Vehicles involved in accidents between 1996 and 2001Condition of vehicles involved in acidents between 1996 and 2001Noted Trends*Primary Trend:*.Poor tyre maintenance*Secondary trends:*.Extensively worn tyre treads and friction material*.Body badly rusted, extensively worn tyres, brakes and suspension/steering*.Tyres that do not conform to RTA 29/1998*Extensively worn tyres, brakes and suspension/steering.*Dangerous Procedures Notedby Experts*brake tubing cut off and clamped;*brake shoes removed;*mechanical brake disconnected;*brake calipers secured with wire;*vicegrip used as a steering device; and *over inflated tyres as a means to save on fuel.Unroadworthy vehicles with questionable CRWs involved in accidents between1996 and 2001CRW = Certificate of RoadworthinessRecommendations: Vehicle MaintenanceThe vehicle industry as a whole would have to be part of any reformation attempt.The importance of preventative maintenance should be mediated alongside all other pertinent road safety messages, such as “dont drink and drive” or “speed kills.”
Maintenance role players, such as mechanics or tyre dealers, form perhaps the most important relationship with the vehicle owner.Driver conditionDriving while either intoxicated or drunk is dangerous and drivers with high blood alcohol content (BAC) are at increased risk of car accidents, highway injuries and vehicular deaths
Alcohol is estimated to be a factor in 20-30% of all accidents.(1) In a review of English-language literature over the past 45 years, Hingson and Howland established that:
13-37% of non-fatal falls21-47% of drownings9-86% of burn deathsare alcohol-related. (2)Also alcohol-related are:25% of accidents at work (3)14% of all road accident deaths (4)30% accidents involving pedestrians. (5)Honkanen points out that the alcohol consumption patterns of a population are reflected in injury patterns. Injuries among the population groups who consume most (e.g. non-professional men of working age) are most likely to be alcohol-related; so are injuries at certain times (nights, weekends) and in certain places (restaurants and streets).
Accidents of different conditionsWet and rainy conditions impact driver, vehicle, and roadway. These effects cause a reduction in speed or density (car-following headway) or both which, in turn, cause a reduction in highway capacity. This paper is a synthesis of 26 studies relating wet conditions to speed and capacity.
If the results from all reviewed studies after 1980 with original data from freeways are averaged assuming equal weights, then, the average speed reduction is 4.7 mph in light rain (11 studies) –
HCM2000 suggests 6.0 mph which is similar to FHWAs 10% reduction – and 19.6 mph in heavy rain (2 studies) – HCM2000 suggests 12.0 mph which is higher than FHWAs 16% reduction. The average capacity reduction is 8.4% in light rain (7 studies) and 20.0% in heavy rain (1 study).
The impact of rainy conditions on highway capacity is important. Much additional research is needed for reducing the wide variance of observations in past studies. A methodology is needed for capacity and LOS analysis of freeways, intersections and arterials that accounts for wet conditions as part of typical conditions.
EXPECTED EFFECTS OF RAIN ON PREVAILING CONDITIONSLight intensity, rain, fog, ice, and snow are significant for highway capacity . Themain impedance factors due to rain are :* The presence of a water film on the surface of the pavement.* Reduced visibility and light scattering.* Rain drops, spray and road grime on vehicle windscreens.Rain affects roadways, vehicles and drivers. The main effects of rain on roadways arethe reduction of friction between tire tread and road surface, and the reduction of pavement skid resistance. Water film thickness can vary from damp or visibly wet to a depth of several millimeters. Reduction of pavement skid resistance is a combined result of factors such as the thickness of water film on the surface, pavement texture, tire
in the soil surface, and soil moisture. Water film thicknesses vary from as little as 20 per cent to 150 per cent with a minimum of 30% in the bottom layer of the soil and as much as 300 per cent at the upper layer. In dry weather, some areas, such as lakes and streams, have as little as a small percentage of water film as on the dry side. Water film thickness increases rapidly with exposure to air, but can range from 10 per cent to 100 per cent over a span of two months. At some points during dry season, soil moisture also decreases, resulting in increased moisture deposition and/or in the formation of mudslides. However, in wet weather, the total moisture deposition is greater.Water film thicknesses of any size, ranging from 0.15m to 2.0m, varies with soil moisture. While the material, especially the soil moisture, is important against surface dry conditions, the most important factor is the presence of damp, damp-filled soil. The dampening, which can be observed while the highway or other moving part in the highway is being driven, causes water to build up around the road surface (the wet part) to decrease its ability to move. When an impact causes moisture deposit in the road surface, precipitation occurs at the wet point to raise the visibility.When moisture on roads or vehicles is added to the soil moisture, a damper can be used to maintain the visibility. In this case, the water film thickness was at its widest point during the first year after its original application, followed by the lowest point of the driest year, usually the first ten years after the dam has been applied. It’s important not to exceed 25 km of the dam (about 5 km of road width). If the damper is used to replace the dam which has been replaced, it can take up to 4 months for the damaged road surface to recover.Once the dam is installed on the road, the water sheet must be removed from the road surface. This removal is done to achieve the highest drainage area for the water sheet. This includes not only extending the mudslide width but also retaining the slope slope of the road as the wet area. The water content of the road is also removed through the application of soil moisture, especially in drier and dry settings.The effect of water film thickness is very significant for road conditions. At moderate droughts and dry seasons, the moisture deposition of the road surface is even greater than at most other driving and riding environments. The moisture deposition is caused by the fact that snow formation is not evenly distributed on the road surface. This affects the ability of the moisture to diffuse from the wet part and form wet dust on the road surfaces.In addition to the above mentioned adverse impact on pavement, the effects such as drier roads and roads on occupants can also influence vehicle weight. In some cases, the tire weight of the road may decrease due to tire pressure or wind on ground. However,