BACKGROUND Associations between traffic pollution on the street of residence and a range of respiratory and allergic outcomes in children have been reported in developed countries, but little is known about such associations in developing countries. METHODS The third phase of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was carried out in 13- to 14-year-old and 6- to 7...

The effect of trucks on the level of service is determined by considering passenger car equivalents (PCE) of trucks. The current version of Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) uses a single PCE value for all tucks combined. However, the composition of truck traffic varies from location to location; therefore, a single PCE value for all trucks may not correctly represent the impact of truck traffic at...

Using two years of crash and average annual daily traffic data we examine the locations and conditions linked to truck-involved crashes (accidents). A binomial logit model is used to describe how the probability that a crash involves a truck is a function of the percentage of annual average daily traffic that is accounted for by trucks, time of day, day of the week, weather conditions, mix of t...

The issue of truck accidents on urban freeways is a vital concern for both traffic managers and the general public. The passage of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 and recently the North American Free Trade Agreement has increased the numbers of large combination vehicles on the highway system. The rise in truck volume (defined as vehicles exceeding 4.5 Mg (10,000 lbs), the int...

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of projected truck traffic on the highway system of Texas in consideration of the social and economic vitality of the State. The study included the evaluation of the costs and benefits for a twenty-year planning horizon. Alternative scenarios of future truck traffic were assessed. The study did not consider the effects of changes in the size...

This short article presents control designs of truck braking system. It describes design comparisons among the simple internal model control (SIMC), Ziegler-Nichol (ZN), Cohen-Coon (CC) methods, and the proposed bacterial-foraging-tabu-search (BFTS) metaheuristics. The proposed BF-TF algorithms are explained. The article also presents simulation results and discussions. Keywords—truck braking c...

BACKGROUND While cyclists and pedestrians are known to be at significant risk for severe injuries when exposed to road traffic accidents (RTA) involving trucks, little is known about RTA injury risk for truck drivers. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to analyze the injury severity in truck drivers following RTAs. PATIENTS AND METHODS Our local accident research unit prospectively docume...

BACKGROUND Concerns were raised about the possibility of a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in a truck assembly plant. AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in a group of truck assembly workers. METHOD A cross-sectional study of 461 truck assembly workers was carried out using a modified version of the Nordic questionnaire and the...

Abstract: Each year more than 40,000 people die as a result of highway crashes, and 1 in 8 of those fatalities involve commercial motor vehicles. USDOT has set an ambitious goal of a 50 percent reduction in truck-related facilities by the end of this decade. Meeting that goal will involve finding ways of improving the performance of all elements of the system – the driver, the roadway, and the ...