Hugh Woo - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Hugh Woo

Applied sciences, Feb 3, 2024

Driver distraction is a major contributor to road accidents. A study was conducted to investigate... more Driver distraction is a major contributor to road accidents. A study was conducted to investigate the effects of mobile phone use on the driver's ability to meet the perceptual and cognitive demands of the road traffic environment. The study was conducted on a driving simulator. Participants responded to traffic situations whilst holding a conversation over a mobile phone. The study was repeated without the distraction. Results indicated that mobile phone use increased the length of time needed to respond to traffic situations. Female drivers took longer to respond to traffic situations. Reaction time increased with increasing driver age. Accident records for three cities in China were analysed and 4.5% of accidents involved drivers using a mobile phone. Most people interviewed in Taiwan recognised the adverse effects of mobile phone use on driver safety, but less than half supported a legislative ban.

Transportation Research Record, 2007

Forensic Science International, 2018

Journal of Society For Transportation and Traffic Studies, 2013

Data on the start-up delay of automobiles and motorcycles in different positions were collected a... more Data on the start-up delay of automobiles and motorcycles in different positions were collected at both peak and off-peak hours with and without the red-light countdown display on. For the investigation of green-light countdown display, data of the speed of vehicles passing the stop-line during the last 5 seconds of the green-light phase and during the amber-light phase were collected. Results show that start-up delay of the first automobile behind the stop line with the red-light countdown display on is shorter than that with the countdown display off. There was no significant difference in start-up delay of the first motorcycle behind the stop line regardless whether the countdown display was on or off. In addition, the timing information provided by the red-light countdown display shortened the start-up delay. With the green-light countdown display on, the speed of automobiles rushing through the stop-line during the last 5 seconds of the green-light phase and during the amber-light phase is significantly higher than that with the countdown display off. Drivers are found to rely on the timing information provided by the green-light countdown display to speed their vehicles through the signalized intersection. It was found that more than half of the vehicles rushing through the intersection during the last few seconds of the green-light phase exceeded the speed limit.

York zone safety is currently a major concern to transportation and highway engineers because of ... more York zone safety is currently a major concern to transportation and highway engineers because of the relatively higher rates of accidents in these areas. There is a strong indication that during the next decade, emphasis will be placed on maintenance and rehabilitation of the nation's highways rather than on the construction of new highways. This will result in many more work zones. Unless effective measures are taken to increase safety in these work zones, a significant increase in accident rates will occur. This national phenomenon is also currently being observed in Virginia, where data have indicated that total and fatal accidents are over-represented in urban work zones. A clear understanding of work zone accident characteristics and traffic control devices is however needed to facilitate the development of effective guidelines that will significantly improve safety at urban work zones. Therefore, the Virginia Transportation Research Council undertook a study to determine accident characteristics at urban work zones and to evaluate the effectiveness of traffic control devices in reducing accident rates. All of the sites considered were within urban areas and have no access control; average speeds were between 25 and 48 mph. The traffic control devices evaluated do not include warning signs placed some distance ahead to inform motorists of the approaching work zones. The results indicate that the major influencing factor on accident rates during the construction period on urban multilane highways is the accident rate just prior to the construction period. Also, the use of appropriate traffic control devices has a positive effect on safety in urban work zones, but the effectiveness depends on the type of traffic control used. The results also show that the most effective combination on multilane highways consists of flashing arrows, a flagger, and cones. On two-lane highways, flagmen and either cones, barricades, or static signs are most effective. Any combination not including flagmen, is less effective on two-lane highways than one including flagmen.

Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, 2011

This paper conducts a field survey with cameras at intersections to collect and analyze pedestria... more This paper conducts a field survey with cameras at intersections to collect and analyze pedestrian walking speeds with one factor and multiple factors. Following regression analysis and factor identification, this paper also develops a prediction model for pedestrian walking speed. Results show that the mean speed of male adults is significantly higher than that of female adults in most cases. The mean walking speed of individual crossers is higher than the mean speeds of a group of two people or a group of three or more people. People walk faster on cold days, but slower on rainy days. People tend to increase their walking speed when walking across a wider street or an intersection without pedestrian control devices. In addition, regression analysis shows that the walking speed for pedestrians is significantly affected by the factors of sex, temperature, weather, number of lanes, signal type, and pedestrian phase length.

This study develops a procedure for quantitatively estimating cognitive distraction without invol... more This study develops a procedure for quantitatively estimating cognitive distraction without involving any visual diversions in order to examine the impact of non-visual distractions on driving. Both laboratory and track experiments are conducted. In the laboratory experiment, the mental capacities (measured in bits/sec) for three arithmetic tasks are estimated for each subject using the functional relation between the reaction time and the number of alternatives in choice reaction tasks through a subsidiary task method. The spare capacities are found to correlate significantly with the measures of speed control and physiological load during a lane change negotiation on a test track. Eighteen subjects participated in a two-part experiment. Laboratory experiment results show that the reaction time and the amounts of information are positively correlated, implying that the arithmetic tasks increase the subject's mental capacities. In the track experiment, it is observed that the ar...

Journal of Society for Transportation and Traffic Studies, 2013

Pedestrian traffic accidents cause high fatality rates because of the frailty of the human body. ... more Pedestrian traffic accidents cause high fatality rates because of the frailty of the human body. This studypresents an analysis of a total of 1090 pedestrians’ fatalities from 2005 to 2007 in Taiwan. Data wereobtained from the traffic accident reports filled by the police. The framework of epidemiology is used toclassify the variables into three sectors, namely human, time and locations and to analyze the data bydescriptive statistics, chi-square test and a logistic regression. A logistic regression model is then built todetermine the odds ratio. A typological analysis is utilized to identify the correlation of all significantvariables, which is based on a multiple correspondence analysis. Applying logistic regression and multiplecorrespondence analyses, the relationship between pedestrian fatal traffic accidents and their characteristicswas further investigated. The object is to identify the pattern of pedestrian fatalities, such as time, weather,location, and signal type, the stat...

A methodology for evaluating the capacity of a toll plaza was developed, and level-of-service (LO... more A methodology for evaluating the capacity of a toll plaza was developed, and level-of-service (LOS) criteria for toll area traffic were established. LOS for toll facilities should be quantified for several reasons. First, quantification of the LOS would enable designers to evaluate design alternatives using accepted standards. Second, it would provide a scientifically sound basis for comparing traffic operations of various facilities. Third, it would furnish a means to evaluate before-and-after conditions and thus determine the effectiveness of any improvement. Finally, it would give the general public and legislative representatives a readily understandable and yet scientifically established measure of overall performance. Traffic data at the four plazas of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike in Virginia were collected using synchronized video cameras. The capacity of the toll booths was found to range from 600 to 750 passenger cars per hour, depending on the type of toll collection. ...

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Feb 3, 2015

Iatss Research, Oct 1, 2001

Many recent investigations and reports revealed that mobile phone use while driving may seriously... more Many recent investigations and reports revealed that mobile phone use while driving may seriously affect traffic safety. The increase rate of mobile phone ownership in Taiwan was the first among Asian countries for year 2000, with about 4 sets per 5 persons. A study was initiated by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to examine and investigate the influence of mobile phone use while driving in order to determine the legislation needs. Data were collected in four areas: driving reaction test using a simulator, accident reports, questionnaires to drivers involving an accident, and a general public opinion survey. It was found from the driving simulator test that the reaction time for drivers using mobile phones is significantly longer. Age and gender were also found to affect the reaction time. For a four-month period in three selected cities, 3,075 accident reports were examined to reveal that either involved driver carried a mobile phone in 676 cases, and either involved driver was using it in 133 cases. Unsurprisingly, drivers who do not own mobile phones are more inclined to support the ban of using mobile phones while driving. Although the majority of the general public is aware of the adverse effects of using a mobile phone while driving, only 44.2 percent of the responders support a legislative ban. Based on the conclusions of this study, the Legislative Yuan of Taiwan passed a law to ban the use of handheld mobile phones while driving in

Transportation Research Record, 1991

Immediately after the occurrence of a road traffic accident, investigators need to measure items ... more Immediately after the occurrence of a road traffic accident, investigators need to measure items relating to position, distance, length, width, height, etc, such as the position and length of wheel tracking, positions and heights of obstructions, stopping points of vehicles and distances among fixed objects. Collecting field data at an accident scene can

Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2006

This study investigated the effectiveness of administrative lifetime driver's license revocation ... more This study investigated the effectiveness of administrative lifetime driver's license revocation (ALLR) and its impact on offenders, based on a two-stage survey of 768 offenders. It was found that after ALLR had been imposed, 23.4% of these offenders were still driving almost the same as before, 59.8% drove significantly less frequently, and only 16.8% of the offenders gave up driving completely. The results of logistic regression models showed that offenders' compliance with ALLR was significantly correlated with their personal characteristics (age, income), penalty status (incarceration, duration of ALLR), and the need to drive for working, commuting and shopping. Elderly and low-income offenders were more likely to abide by the ALLR restriction. The application of the generalized estimating equations (GEE) model was used to identify the determinant factors affecting offenders' driving mileage, and to effectively estimate the driving mileage reduction as a result of the ALLR. It was found that ALLR is fairly effective in keeping offenders off the road, but that it may reduce their ability to make a living, resulting in the less fortunate becoming more helpless.

Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2011

This study explored the driving behaviors and crash risk of 768 drivers who were under administra... more This study explored the driving behaviors and crash risk of 768 drivers who were under administrative lifetime driver&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s license revocation (ALLR). It was found that most of the ALLR offenders (83.2%) were still driving and only a few (16.8%) of them gave up driving completely. Of the offenders still driving, 67.6% experienced encountering a police roadside check, but were not detained or ticketed by the police. Within this group, 50.6% continued driving while encountering a police check, 18.0% of them made an immediate U-turn and 9.5% of them parked and exited their car. As to crash risk, 15.2% of the ALLR offenders had at least one crash experience after the ALLR had been imposed. The results of the logistic regression models showed that the offenders&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; crash risk while under the ALLR was significantly correlated with their personal characteristics (personal income), penalty status (incarceration, civil compensation and the time elapsed since license revocation), annual distance driven, and needs for driving (working, commuting and driving kids). Low-income offenders were more inclined to have a crash while driving under the ALLR. Offenders penalized by being incarcerated or by paying a high civil compensation drove more carefully and were less of a crash risk under the ALLR. The results also showed there were no differences in crash risk under the ALLR between hit-and-run offences and drunk driving offences or for offenders with a professional license or an ordinary license. Generally, ALLR offenders drove somewhat more carefully and were less of a crash risk (4.3 crashes per million km driven) than legal licensed drivers (23.1 crashes per million km driven). Moreover, they seemed to drive more carefully than drivers who were under short-term license suspension/revocation which previous studies have found.