《交通工程专业英语》(17)-Unit17 Road Traffic Safety

TextEnglishforTrafficEngineeringUnit17RoadTrafficSafetyRoadTrafficSafetyRoadtrafficsafetyreferstothemethodsandmeasuresusedtopreventroadusersfrombeingkilledorseriouslyinjured.Typicalroadusersincludepedestrians,cyclists,motorists,vehiclepassengersandpassengersofon-roadpublictransport(mainlybusesandtrams).Roadtrafficcrashesareoneoftheworld’slargestpublichealthandinjurypreventionproblems.AccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO),morethan1millionpeoplearekilledontheworld’sroadseachyear.AreportpublishedbytheWHOin2004estimatedthatsome1.2millionpeoplewerekilledand50millioninjuredintrafficcollisionsontheroadsaroundtheworldeachyearandwastheleadingcauseofdeathamongchildren10to19yearsofage.trafficsafety 交通安全RoadTrafficSafetyThereportalsonotedthattheproblemwasmostsevereindevelopingcountriesandthatsimplepreventionmeasurescouldhalvethenumberofdeaths.ThestandardmeasuresusedinassessingroadsafetyinterventionsarefatalitiesandKilledorSeriouslyInjured(KSI)rate,usuallyperbillionpassengerkilometers.Countriescaughtintheoldroadsafetyparadigm,replacesKSIratewithcrashrate—forexample,crashespermillionvehiclekilometers.VehiclesafetySafetycanbeimprovedinvarioussimplewaystoreducethechanceofanaccidentoccurring.Avoidingrushingorstandinginunsafeplacesonthebusorcoachandfollowingtherulesofthebusorcoachitselfwillgreatlyincreasethesafetyofapersontravellingbybusorcoach.halve[hɑːv]fatality[fəˈtælɪtɪ]paradigm[ˈpærədaɪm]coach[kəutʃ]vt.二等分；把……减半n.死亡；灾祸n.范例；样式；模范n.旅客车厢；长途汽车RoadTrafficSafetyVarioussafetyfeaturescanalsobeimplementedintobusesandcoachestoimprovesafety,includingsafetybarsforpeopletoholdonto.Safetycanbeimprovedbyreducingthechancesofadrivermakinganerror,orbydesigningvehiclestoreducetheseverityofcrashesthatdooccur.Mostindustrializedcountrieshavecomprehensiverequirementsandspecificationsforsafety-relatedvehicledevices,systems,designsandconstruction.Thesemayinclude:(1)Passengerrestraintssuchasseatbeltsandairbags.(2)Crashavoidanceequipmentsuchaslightsandreflectors.(3)DriverassistancesystemssuchasElectronicStabilityControl.severity[sɪˈverɪtɪ]specification[ˌspesɪfɪˈkeɪʃn]restraint[rɪˈstreɪnt]reflector[rɪˈflektə(r)]ElectronicStabilityControln.严重；严格；猛烈n.规格；说明书；详述n.抑制；克制；约束；限制n.反射器；反射光的物体电子稳定控制RoadTrafficSafetyU.S.roadcasualtystatisticsshowthatmotorcycleridersare9timesmorelikelytocrash,and17timesmorelikelytodieinacrash,thancardrivers.Thehigherfatalityriskisdueinparttothelackofcrashprotection(unlikeinenclosedvehiclessuchascars),combinedwiththehighspeedsmotorcyclestypicallytravelat.AccordingtoU.S.statistics,thepercentageofintoxicatedmotorcyclistsinfatalcrashesishigherthanotherridersonroads.Helmetsalsoplayamajorroleinthesafetyofmotorcyclists.In2008,theNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministration(NHTSA)estimatedthehelmetsare37percenteffectiveinsavinglivesofmotorcyclistsinvolvedincrashes.casualty[ˈkæʒjuəltɪ]intoxicate[ɪnˈtɔksɪkeɪt]fatal[ˈfeɪtl]helmet[ˈhelmɪt] n.意外事故；伤亡人员vt.使喝醉；使中毒adj.致命的；重大的；命中注定的n.钢盔；头盔RoadTrafficSafetyTheInsuranceInstituteforHighwaySafetyproposesrestrictionsfornewdrivers,including:a“curfew”imposedonyoungdriverstopreventthemdrivingatnight,anexperiencedsupervisortochaperonethelessexperienceddriver;forbiddingthecarryingofpassengers;zeroalcoholtolerance;raisingthestandardsrequiredfordrivinginstructorsandimprovingthedrivingtest;vehiclerestrictions(e.g.,restrictingaccessto“high-performance”vehicles);asignplacedonthebackofthevehicletonotifyothernovicedrivers;andencouraginggoodbehaviorinthepost-testperiod.curfew[ˈkəːfjuː]chaperone[ˈʃæpərəun]notify[ˈnəutɪfaɪ]novice[ˈnɔvɪs] n.宵禁n.女伴；行为监督人v.伴护；当行为监护人vt.通告；通知；公布n.初学者；新手RoadTrafficSafetyWhilegovernmenthasprimaryresponsibilityforprovidingsaferoads,thechallengesofdevelopmentandequityrequirethatallsegmentsofsocietyengageandcontribute,includingtheprivatesector.Privateandpublicsectorcoalitions,likeTogetherforSaferRoads(TSR)andtheRoadtoZeroCoalitionexisttoworkalongsidegovernmentpoliciestoadvancethebusinesscaseofhavingsaferroads;theyhelpcompaniesmeettheirdutyofcaretoemployeesandminimizefleet-relateddangerstothewidercommunity.Saferroadsalsobenefitbusinessbyimprovingemployees’healthandsafety,byprotectingassets,reducingproductivitylossesandhealthcarecosts,andenhancingtheefficiencyandeffectivenessofsupplychains.equity[ˈekwətɪ]engage[ɪnˈgeɪdʒ]coalition[ˌkəuəˈlɪʃn] n.公平；公正vt.吸引；引起注意vi.从事；参与；参加n.联合；结合；同盟ExercisesTrueorfalse.Roadtrafficsafetyreferstothemethodsandmeasuresusedtopreventroadusersfrombeingkilledorseriouslyinjured.Roadtrafficcrashesaretheworld’slargestpublichealthandinjurypreventionproblems.Safetycanbeimprovedbyreducingthechancesofadrivermakinganerror,orbydesigningvehiclestoreducetheseverityofcrashesthatdooccur.Thehigherfatalityriskofmotorcycleridersisentirelyduetothelackofcrashprotection.TheStateofSafetyReportfromtheNationalSafetyCouncilhasbeennoticedthatmoreseriouscollisionsoccuratnight.ExercisesCompletethefollowingsentences.Typicalroadusersinclude__________,__________,__________,__________andpassengersofon-roadpublictransport(mainlybusesandtrams).AreportpublishedbytheWHOin2004estimatedthatsome1.2millionpeoplewerekilledand50millioninjuredin__________aroundtheworldeachyearandwastheleadingcauseofdeathamongchildren10to19yearsofage.Thestandardmeasuresusedinassessingroadsafetyinterventionsare__________,usuallyperbillionpassengerkilometers.In2008,TheNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministration(NHTSA)estimatedthe__________are37percenteffectiveinsavinglivesofmotorcyclistsinvolvedincrashes.NHTSAistheabbreviationof__________.ExercisesAnswerthefollowingquestions.Whatisthedefinitionofroadtrafficsafety?Whatdotypicalroadusersinclude?Whyaremotorcycleridersmorelikelytocrash?Whatarethemeasurestoimprovesafetyonvehicledesign?Whoisresponsiblefortheconstructionofroadsafety?ReadingMaterialEnglishforTrafficEngineeringRoadsideSafetyRoadsideSafetyHistoryofroadsidesafetyRoadsidesafetydesign,asonecomponentoftotalhighwaydesign,isarelativelyrecentconcept.Mostofthehighwaydesignfundamentalswereestablishedbythelate1940s.Additionalrefinementsweremadeinthe1950sand1960swiththedevelopmentoftheInterstatesystem.Thesecomponentsincludedhorizontalalignment,verticalalignment,hydraulicdesignandsightdistancetonamesomeofthemorecommonhighwaydesignelements.Roadsidesafetydesigndidnotbecomeamuchdiscussedaspectofhighwaydesignuntilthelate1960s,anditwasthedecadeofthe1970sbeforethistypeofdesignwasregularlyincorporatedintohighwayprojects.RoadsideSafetyThebenefitsofroadsidesafetyRoadsidedesignmightbedefinedasthedesignoftheareaoutsidethetraveledway.Somehavereferredtothisaspectofhighwaydesignasoff-pavementdesign.

Thissignificantreductionisduetoseveralfactors.Motorvehiclesaremuchsafertodaythantheyhavebeeninthepast.Protectedpassengercompartments,paddedinteriors,occupantrestraints,andairbagsaresomefeaturesthathaveaddedtopassengersafetyduringimpactsituations.Roadwayshavebeenmadesaferthroughimprovementsinfeaturessuchashorizontalandverticalalignments,intersectiongeometry,traversableroadsides,roadsidebarrierperformances,andgradeseparationsandinterchanges.RoadsideSafetyDriversaremoreeducatedaboutsafevehicledrivers’operationasevidencedbytheincreaseduseofoccupantrestraintsandadecreaseindrivingundertheinfluenceofalcoholordrugs.Allthesecontributingfactorshavereducedthemotorvehicledriver’sfatalityrate.StrategicplanforimprovingroadsidesafetyAlmostallfixed-objectcrashesinvolveonlyonevehicleandoccurinbothurbanandruralareas.Treeswerebyfarthemostcommonobjectsstruck,accountingforapproximatelyhalfofallfixed-objectfatalcrashes.Utilitypoleswerethesecondmostcommonobjectsstruck,accountingfor12percentofallfixedobjectcrashes,followedbytrafficbarrierswith8percent.Furthermore,for2008,18percentoffixed-objectcrashesinvolvedvehiclesthatrolledover,while18percentinvolvedoccupantejection.RoadsideSafetyIn1998,AASHTOapprovedtheirStrategicHighwaySafetyPlan,whichprovidedobjectivesandstrategiesforkeepingvehiclesontheroadwayandforminimizingtheconsequencewhenavehicledidencroachontheroadside.TheNationalCooperativeHighwayResearchProgram(NCHRP)alsohaspublishedaseriesofguides,calledtheNCHRPReport,toassiststatesandlocalagenciesintheireffortstoreduceinjuriesandfatalitiesintargetedemphasisareas.TheseguidescorrespondtotheemphasisareasoutlinedinAASHTO’sStrategicHighwaySafetyPlan.Avehiclewillleavetheroadwayandencroachontheroadsideformanyreasons,includingthefollowing:RoadsideSafety(1)Driverfatigues.(2)Driverdistractionorinattention.(3)Excessivespeed.(4)Drivingundertheinfluenceofdrugsoralcohols.(5)Crashavoidance.(6)Adverseroadwayconditions,suchasice,snoworrain.(7)Vehiclecomponentfailure.(8)Poorvisibility.Regardlessofthereasonforavehicleleavingtheroadway,aroadsideenvironmentfreeoffixedobjectsandwithstable,flattenedslopesenhancestheopportunityformotoristtoregaincontrolofhisvehicleandreducecrashseverity.Theforgivingroadsideconceptallowsforerrantvehiclesleavingtheroadwayandsupportsaroadsidedesigninwhichtheseriousconsequencesofincidentsarereduced.RoadsideSafetyThroughdecadesofexperienceandresearch,theapplicationoftheforgivingroadsideconcepthasbeenrefinedtothepointwhereroadsidedesignisanintegralpartofthetransportationdesignprocess.Designoptionsforreducingroadsideobstacles,inorderofpreference,areasfollows:(1)Removetheobstacles.(2)Redesigntheobstaclessotheycanbesafelytraversed.(3)Relocatetheobstaclestopointswheretheyarelesslikelytobestruck.(4)Reduceimpactseveritybyusinganappropriatebreakawaydevice.(5)Shieldtheobstacleswithlongitudinaltrafficbarriersdesignedforredirectionorusecrashcushions.(6)Delineatetheobstaclesifthepreviousalternativesarenotappropriate.RoadsideSafetyExperiencingasignificantnumberofrun-off-the-roadcrashes,oneon-roadwaysafetyfeaturethatisbecomingmoreprevalentnationwideistheuseofrumblestripstosupplementpavementedgelines.Theseindentationsintheroadwayshouldersalertmotoriststhroughnoiseandvibrationthattheirvehicleshavedepartedthetraveledwayandaffordthemanopportunitytoreturntoandremainontheroadwaysafely.Severaltransportationagencieshavereportedsignificantreductionsinsingle-vehiclecrashesafterinstallingshoulderrumblestrips.ExercisesTrueorfalse.Roadsidesafetydesigndidnotbecomeamuchdiscussedaspectofhighwaydesignuntilthelate1960s,anditwasthedecadeofthe1970sbeforethistypeofdesignwasregularlyincorporatedintohighwayprojects.Utilitypoleswerebyfarthemostcommonobjectsstruck,accountingforapproximatelyhalfofallfixed-objectfatalcrashes.Driversaremoreeducatedaboutsafevehicledrivers’operationasevidencedbytheincreaseduseofoccupantrestraintsandadecreaseindrivingundertheinfluenceofalcoholordrugs.Severaltransportationagencieshavereportedsignificantincreasesinsingle-vehiclecrashesafterinstallingshoulderrumblestrips.Experiencingasignificantnumberofrun-off-the-roa