Vision-Based Road Rage Detection Framework in Automotive Safety Applications.

Drivers' road rage is among the main causes of road accidents. Each year, it contributes to more deaths and injuries globally. In this context, it is important to implement systems that can supervise drivers by monitoring their level of concentration during the entire driving process. In this paper, a module for Advanced Driver Assistance System is used to minimise the accidents caused by road rage, alerting the driver when a predetermined level of rage is reached, thus increasing the transportation safety. To create a system that is independent of both the orientation of the driver's face and the lighting conditions of the cabin, the proposed algorithmic pipeline integrates face detection and facial expression classification algorithms capable of handling such non-ideal situations. Moreover, road rage of the driver is estimated through a decision-making strategy based on the temporal consistency of facial expressions classified as "anger" and "disgust". Several experiments were executed to assess the performance on both a real context and three standard benchmark datasets, two of which containing non-frontal-view facial expression and one which includes facial expression recorded from participants during driving. Results obtained show that the proposed module is competent for road rage estimation through facial expression recognition on the condition of multi-pose and changing in lighting conditions, with the recognition rates that achieve state-of-art results on the selected datasets.

Self-reported mindfulness, cyclist anger and aggression.

Anger is a common behaviour exhibited by road users when one's goals are perceived to have been blocked by another. Recent research has demonstrated that, generally, cyclists tend to deal with anger in constructive ways. However, when anger does manifest, it can result in behaviours that increase their crash risk. Amongst motor vehicle drivers, mindfulness levels have been associated with less anger and appear to mediate anger and associated aggression. The current study sought to understand whether mindfulness has similar associations with anger and aggression in a sample of cyclists. A total of 583 cyclists (males = 68 %) completed an online questionnaire that sought information on their levels of mindfulness, current mindfulness practices and tendencies for anger and aggression while cycling. The relationships between these were then examined using structural equation modelling. The results showed that cyclists with higher mindfulness levels tended to report less anger across a range of situations (e.g., interactions with pedestrians, cyclists, motor vehicle drivers and police). Both direct and indirect (through anger) relationships were found between mindfulness and aggression, again showing that more mindful cyclists tended to engage in less frequent aggression. These findings align with recent research investigating this relationship amongst motor vehicle drivers and suggest that mindfulness may be a promising strategy to reduce or avoid anger and aggression in cyclists.

[Toxoplasmosis and behavioural changes (French translation of the article)]. / Toxoplasmose et modifications du comportement humain.

Nearly one-third of the planet's population is affected by T. gondii infection. In ophthalmology, toxoplasmosis is even considered to be the most common cause of posterior uveitis of infectious origin. Humans are only an intermediate host, and T. gondii needs to infect cats for its sexual reproduction. All the elements increasing the risk of predation by the definitive host are then favourable to the parasite. Numerous experimental animal model studies have shown that T. gondii infection is associated with predatory risk behaviours such as an attraction of infected mice to cat urine. Infection with the parasite is associated with a demethylation of the promoters of certain genes in the cerebral amygdala of the intermediate hosts, modifying dopaminergic circuits associated with fear. Similarly, T. gondii has been linked to behavioural changes in humans. Toxoplasma infection is classically associated with the frequency of schizophrenia, suicide attempts or "road rage." A more recent study shows that toxoplasma infection prevalence was a consistent, positive predictor of entrepreneurial activity. Fear of failure would be less important in infected individuals, who are more willing than others to start their own business. These elements shed interesting light on behaviours and their possible relationship with toxoplasmosis, which is generally considered benign in adults.

Toxoplasmosis and behavioural changes.

Nearly one-third of the planet's population is affected by Toxoplasma gondii infection. In ophthalmology, toxoplasmosis is even considered to be the most common cause of posterior uveitis of infectious origin. Humans are only an intermediate host and T. gondii needs to infect cats for its sexual reproduction. All the elements increasing the risk of predation by the definitive host are then favourable to the parasite. Numerous experimental animal model studies have shown that T. gondii infection is associated with predatory risk behaviours such as an attraction of infected mice to cat urine. Infection with the parasite is associated with a demethylation of the promoters of certain genes in the cerebral amygdala of the intermediate hosts, modifying dopaminergic circuits associated with fear. Similarly, T. gondii has been linked to behavioural changes in humans. Toxoplasma infection is classically associated with the frequency of schizophrenia, suicide attempts or "road rage". A more recent study shows that toxoplasma infection prevalence was a consistent, positive predictor of entrepreneurial activity. Fear of failure would be less important in infected individuals, who are more willing than others to start their own business. These elements shed interesting light on behaviours and their possible relationship with toxoplasmosis, which is generally considered benign in adults.

Multigroup invariance of the DAS across a random and an internet-sourced sample.

It is well established that angry and, subsequently, aggressive drivers pose a problem for road safety. Over recent years, there has been an increase in the number of published studies examining driver anger, particularly using the Driving Anger Scale (DAS). The DAS measures six broad types of situations likely to provoke anger while driving (i.e., police presence, illegal driving, discourtesy, traffic obstructions, slower drivers, and hostile gestures). The majority of the recent studies have moved away from traditional paper-and-pencil methodologies, using the internet to collect data, for reasons of convenience. However, it is not yet completely clear whether data obtained from this methodology differs from more traditional methods. While research outside of the driving arena has not found substantial differences, it is important to establish whether this also applies to driving-related research and measures, such as the DAS. The present study used Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) to investigate the invariance of the DAS across a random sample from the electoral roll (n = 1,081: males = 45%) and an internet sourced sample (n = 627; males = 55%). The MGCFA showed the same six-factor solution was supported in both datasets. The relationships between the DAS factors and age, sex, trait anger, and annual mileage were broadly similar, although more significant differences were identified in the internet sample. This research demonstrates that driving measures administered over the internet produce similar results to those obtained using more traditional methods.

Traumatic brain injury and hazardous/harmful drinking: Concurrent and single associations with poor mental health and roadway aggression.

This study describes the association among lifetime traumatic brain injury (TBI) and past year hazardous/harmful drinking, as well as their unique and synergistic effects, on mental health problems and roadway aggression among Canadian adults. A cross-sectional sample of 6074 Ontario adults aged 18 years or older were surveyed between 2011 and 2013. TBI was defined as trauma to the head resulting in loss of consciousness or overnight hospitalization. Past year hazardous/harmful drinking was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. An estimated 13.1% (95%CI:12.0,14.2) adults reported a prior TBI (no hazardous/harmful drinking), 2.7% (95%CI:2.2,3.3) reported a prior TBI while concurrently screening positive for past year hazardous/harmful drinking and 9.8% (95%CI:8.9,10.9) screened positive for hazardous/harmful drinking (no TBI). Men had significantly higher odds of exhibiting all three conditions compared to women, especially for the concurrent class. Younger adults had significantly greater odds of hazardous/harmful drinking, or the concurrent class compared to adults 55 years and older. Adults in any of the three conditions had greater odds for mental health problems and roadway aggression. Concordance of both conditions corresponded to a greater than additive effect and greater odds of mild roadway aggression, than either condition alone. Results show that singly and jointly, these conditions are associated with adverse health and behavioral impediments.

Discrepancy in clinical outcomes of patients with gunshot wounds in car hijacking: a South African experience.

INTRODUCTION: Discrepancy in outcomes between urban and rural trauma patients is well known. We reviewed our institutional experience with the management of gunshot wounds (GSWs) in the specific setting of car hijacking and focused on clinical outcome between rural and urban patients. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted at a major trauma centre in South Africa over an 8-year period for all patients who presented with any form of GSWs in car hijacking settings. Specific clinical outcomes were compared between rural and urban patients. RESULTS: A total of 101 patients were included (74% male, mean age 34 years). Fifty-five per cent were injured in rural areas and the remaining 45% (45/101) were in the urban district. Mean time from injury to arrival at our trauma centre was 11 hours for rural and 4 hours for urban patients (p < 0.001). Seventy-six per cent (76/101) sustained GSWs to multiple body regions. Sixty-three of the 101 (62%) patients required one or more operative interventions. In individual logistic regressions adjusted for sex and number of regions injured, rural patients were 9 (95% CI: 1.9-44.4) and 7 (95% CI: 2.1-24.5) times more likely than urban patients to have morbidities or required admissions to intensive care respectively. The risk of death in rural patients was 36 (95% CI: 4.5-284.6) times higher than that of urban patients. CONCLUSION: Patients who sustained GSWs in carjacking incidents that occurred in rural areas are associated with significantly greater morbidity and mortality compared with their urban counterparts. Delay to definitive care is likely to be the significant contributory factor, and improvement in prehospital emergency medical service is likely to be beneficial in improving patient outcome.

Effect of personality traits on driving style: Psychometric adaption of the multidimensional driving style inventory in a Chinese sample.

Driving style is an important factor in driving psychology, which is useful for effectively evaluating driving behaviors. Exploring driving style in a Chinese sample could help understand the overall situation of Chinese drivers. This study aims to develop a measurement of driving style fit for the Chinese situation and to validate the validity and reliability of this scale. In this study, 296 drivers from China completed the Chinese version of the multidimensional driving style inventory (MDSI), the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) as well as several questions about socio-demographic information. After testing the assumed structure by a confirmatory factor analysis, and adjusting the structure, a brief version of Chinese version of MDSI with twelve items categorized into four driving styles, namely, risky style, angry- high-velocity style, careful style and anxious style was revised. The validity and reliability of the scales were acceptable. The results showed that driving styles were closely correlated with self-reported driving behaviors. Specifically, risky style, angry- high-velocity style, and anxious style are all positively associated with dangerous driving behaviors. Meanwhile, careful style was positively associated with positive driving behaviors and negatively correlated with dangerous driving behaviors. Anxious was also found to be negatively associated with fines. For personality, we found a positive relationship between risky, angry- high-velocity, careful and anxious styles and the personality traits that often have negative effects on driving, such as extraversion and neuroticism. Meanwhile, these three styles were negatively correlated with conscientiousness and agreeableness in general. In addition, careful style was positively correlated with conscientiousness and agreeableness. The current study shows convincing evidence for the validity and reliability of the brief MDSI-C and develops a useful tool for identify the driving style of Chinese drivers for future research and relevant departments of road safety.

Prevención de lesiones infantiles por accidente de tráfico / Child injury by traffic accident prevention

La prevención de los accidentes de tráfico es un tema de gran trascendencia social y un asunto de primera magnitud en salud pública. El grupo PrevInfad presenta en este documento la actualización de sus recomendaciones para la prevención de las lesiones por accidente de tráfico en niños y adolescentes, publicando en este caso un documento totalmente nuevo, que puede ser consultado en su versión íntegra en la página web del grupo (previnfad.aepap.org). La metodología incluye el diseño de un marco analítico, la formulación de preguntas estructuradas, la búsqueda y el análisis de la bibliografía. Dentro del apartado de accidentes de tráfico se van a considerar los ocasionados en vehículos a motor con el niño como pasajero o con el adolescente como conductor de ciclomotores u otros vehículos, los sufridos por peatones y las lesiones por caídas de bicicleta o por colisión de estas con vehículos a motor. También se incluye a los niños que se inician en la competición de ciclomotor. Es evidente que gran parte de las acciones preventivas corresponden a otros estamentos, si bien el pediatra tiene el deber de actuar como consejero y como grupo científico

Traffic accident prevention is an issue of social relevance and a very important public health matter. The working group PrevInfad presents in this document the update of its recommendations for traffic injury prevention in children and adolescents. The published document is brand new and can be consulted in full on the group's website (previnfad.aepap.org). The methodology includes the design of an analytic framework, the formulation of structured questions, the search of the evidence and the analysis of the bibliography. Traffic accidents are considered those caused in motor vehicles with the child as a passenger or with the adolescent as a driver of motorcycles or other vehicles, the accidents suffered by pedestrians and the injuries by falls from bicycles or from collision of bicycles with motor vehicles. The document also includes children that initiate into motorcycle competition. Many of the preventive actions concern to other levels, nevertheless the pediatricians must act as advisers and as scientific group

Vigilancia de lesiones ocasionadas por siniestros viales en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires / Surveillance of injuries caused by road accidents in Buenos Aires City

En la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y con el fin de dar respuesta a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible así como al compromiso de Gobierno de reducir un 30% las víctimas fatales por siniestros viales, se desarrolló el Primer Plan de Seguridad Vial de la Ciudad. El mismo, se basa en un enfoque ético por el cual, las muertes o lesiones graves son inaceptables y pueden ser prevenidas. Para este fin, el Observatorio de Seguridad Vial dependiente de la Subsecretaría de Movilidad Sustentable y Segura, junto con la Subsecretaría de Atención Hospitalaria de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y con la Gerencia Operativa de Epidemiología dependiente de la Subsecretaria de Planificación Sanitaria, han comenzado a trabajar de manera conjunta para relevar los datos de lesiones por siniestros viales dentro del Sistema Hospitalario de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. El presente informe busca caracterizar la ocurrencia de estos eventos a través de: la gravedad de la lesión, las características sociodemográficas y el tipo de usuario de la vía al que representan los traumatismos graves y fatales ocasionados por un siniestro vial, en los trece hospitales de agudos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. (AU)