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Article
Publication date: 17 August 2015

Stephen M. James and Bryan Vila

Fatigue associated with shift work is a well-established and pervasive problem in policing that affects officer performance, safety, and health. It is critical to understand the…

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Abstract

Purpose

Fatigue associated with shift work is a well-established and pervasive problem in policing that affects officer performance, safety, and health. It is critical to understand the extent to which fatigue degrades officer driving performance. Drowsy driving among post-shift workers is a well-established risk factor yet no data are available about officer injuries and deaths due to drowsy driving. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of fatigue associated with work shift and prior sleep on officers’ non-operational driving using laboratory experiments to assess post-shift drowsy driving risks and the ability of a well-validated vigilance and reaction-time task to assess these risks.

Design/methodology/approach

Experienced police patrol officer volunteers (n=78) from all four shifts of a medium-sized city’s police department were tested using a within- and between-subjects design to assess the impact of fatigue on individual officers, as well as the impact of different work shifts, on post-shift driving performance. Controlled laboratory experiments were conducted during which participants drove high-fidelity driving training simulators on two occasions: immediately following five consecutive 10:40-hour patrol shifts (fatigued condition) and again 72 hours after completing the last shift in a work cycle (rested condition).

Findings

Generalized linear mixed-model analyses of driving performance showed that officers working night shifts had significantly greater lane deviation during post-shift, non-operational driving than those working day shifts (F=4.40, df=1, 150, p=0.038). The same method also showed that easy to measure psychomotor vigilance test scores for reaction time predicted both lane deviation (F=31.48, df=1, 151, p < 0.001) and collisions (F=14.10, df=1, 151, p < 0.001) during the simulated drives.

Research limitations/implications

Simulated driving tasks done by participants were generally less challenging than patrol or off-duty driving and likely underestimate the impact of fatigue on police driving post-shift or during extended shifts.

Originality/value

This is the first experimental research to assess the impact of shiftwork, fatigue, and extended shifts on police post-shift drowsy driving, a known risk factor for shift workers in general.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 38 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2020

Thomas Kundinger, Phani Krishna Yalavarthi, Andreas Riener, Philipp Wintersberger and Clemens Schartmüller

Drowsiness is a common cause of severe road accidents. Therefore, numerous drowsiness detection methods were developed and explored in recent years, especially concepts using…

Abstract

Purpose

Drowsiness is a common cause of severe road accidents. Therefore, numerous drowsiness detection methods were developed and explored in recent years, especially concepts using physiological measurements achieved promising results. Nevertheless, existing systems have some limitations that hinder their use in vehicles. To overcome these limitations, this paper aims to investigate the development of a low-cost, non-invasive drowsiness detection system, using physiological signals obtained from conventional wearable devices.

Design/methodology/approach

Two simulator studies, the first study in a low-level driving simulator (N = 10) to check feasibility and efficiency, and the second study in a high-fidelity driving simulator (N = 30) including two age groups, were conducted. An algorithm was developed to extract features from the heart rate signals and a data set was created by labelling these features according to the identified driver state in the simulator study. Using this data set, binary classifiers were trained and tested using various machine learning algorithms.

Findings

The trained classifiers reached a classification accuracy of 99.9%, which is similar to the results obtained by the studies which used intrusive electrodes to detect ECG. The results revealed that heart rate patterns are sensitive to the drivers’ age, i.e. models trained with data from one age group are not efficient in detecting drowsiness for another age group, suggesting to develop universal driver models with data from different age groups combined with individual driver models.

Originality/value

This work investigated the feasibility of driver drowsiness detection by solely using physiological data from wrist-worn wearable devices, such as smartwatches or fitness trackers that are readily available in the consumer market. It was found that such devices are reliable in drowsiness detection.

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2000

Hye‐Shin Kim

This study examines whether a unique set of emotions may be generated by advertisements for apparel products and brands for a young female target audience. Also studied were the…

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Abstract

This study examines whether a unique set of emotions may be generated by advertisements for apparel products and brands for a young female target audience. Also studied were the effects of emotions on evaluative perceptions of apparel brand advertisements (ad attitude). Test advertisements consisted of 90 advertisements representing 56 different brands. Using an aggregate‐level communication model, all analysis in the study was performed across advertisements, not across people, as sampling units of interest. Findings show a unique set of three emotional dimensions generated by the apparel brand advertisements. Two emotional dimensions, pleasure/activation (eg activation, bored, desired, social affection) and hypoactivation (drowsy, restful, soothed), had a positive influence on ad attitude. The third dimension, domination (anger, fear, irritation, tension), did not have a significant effect on ad attitude, having neither good nor bad effect on evaluations of advertisements.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 4 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 October 2021

Sharanabasappa and Suvarna Nandyal

In order to prevent accidents during driving, driver drowsiness detection systems have become a hot topic for researchers. There are various types of features that can be used to…

Abstract

Purpose

In order to prevent accidents during driving, driver drowsiness detection systems have become a hot topic for researchers. There are various types of features that can be used to detect drowsiness. Detection can be done by utilizing behavioral data, physiological measurements and vehicle-based data. The existing deep convolutional neural network (CNN) models-based ensemble approach analyzed the behavioral data comprises eye or face or head movement captured by using a camera images or videos. However, the developed model suffered from the limitation of high computational cost because of the application of approximately 140 million parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model uses significant feature parameters from the feature extraction process such as ReliefF, Infinite, Correlation, Term Variance are used for feature selection. The features that are selected are undergone for classification using ensemble classifier.

Findings

The output of these models is classified into non-drowsiness or drowsiness categories.

Research limitations/implications

In this research work higher end camera are required to collect videos as it is cost-effective. Therefore, researches are encouraged to use the existing datasets.

Practical implications

This paper overcomes the earlier approach. The developed model used complex deep learning models on small dataset which would also extract additional features, thereby provided a more satisfying result.

Originality/value

Drowsiness can be detected at the earliest using ensemble model which restricts the number of accidents.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-378X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 1902

In the very able and striking address which he recently delivered before the Society of Arts, Sir WILLIAM PREECE insisted that commercial success—whether of a man, of a body of…

Abstract

In the very able and striking address which he recently delivered before the Society of Arts, Sir WILLIAM PREECE insisted that commercial success—whether of a man, of a body of men, or of a nation—is referable to the working of distinct laws, the recognition and study of which may justly be said to constitute a “science of business.” In terms rendered the more severe by their dispassionate and moderate character, Sir WILLIAM referred to the lamentable ignorance displayed by the legislature, by the manufacturer, and by the general public, of what may bo regarded as the most elementary facts and methods upon which such a science must be based. He pointed to the loose and bungling character of our commercial legislation; to the lack of co‐operation and combination; to the nonexistence of a properly organised and effective consular service whereby full information could be supplied and the interests of British trade, both home and colonial, might be studied and advanced; and finally to the lethargy of British producers and manufacturers themselves, who allow foreign competitors to drive them out of even their own home markets without making an effort to discard the old‐fashioned and worn‐out methods which have given those competitors the advantage. Of late years the warning voice has been raised from time to time, but it has been as a voice crying in the wilderness. The remarkable speech delivered at the Guildhall by H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES is fresh in the recollection of those who are not too drowsy or too indifferent to appreciate the vital nature and the magnitude of the evil. In 1891 Lord PLAYFAIR stated that if the Americans were right in principle in the management of some of their commercial concerns, “the whole policy of the United Kingdom was founded on a gigantic error, and must lead to our ruin as a commercial nation.” Sir WILLIAM PREECE is amply justified in attaching severe blame to the British manufacturer and producer. They have allowed “the Americans and the Germans to oust them out of their own markets, not by any superiority in the quality of their goods, but by lower prices, by superior knowledge of the demands of the markets, by the establishment of new markets, by better direct communication with foreign countries, by superior methods in business ways, by establishing regular intelligence departments, and, above all, by possessing and exercising superior commercial technical knowledge,” “and,” continued Sir.WILLIAM, “they must lay aside the commercial habits of their fathers.” With regard to food‐products, for instance, can it be truly said that any adequate steps are taken to secure any satisfactory and permanent improvement of the national food supply with respect to purity and good quality? Has anything been done, with governmental or legislative assistance, to make a systematic study of, and provide authoritative information upon such questions as the sources from which food stuffs are obtained, the adequacy or inadequacy of supplies, the true value of home‐produce and the advantages of utilising colonial products as far as possible? The answers to these questions can only be emphatically in the negative. There is no civilised country in the world in which the producer and vendor of adulterated, impoverished, and inferior articles of food can cany on their nefarious practices with more impunity, in certain respects, than in the United Kingdom, although, originally, we led the way in framing legislative enactments on these all‐important matters. At every port of entry today we might most appropriately set up the old waste‐land notice that “rubbish may be shot here.” As we offer all the necessary facilities, and as they are being taken advantage of more and more, wo might also freely advise that “rubbish should bo manufactured here” as well, What steps do British producers and manufacturers of articles of food take to move with the times, to set their houses in order, to protect themselves, and to enable the public to differentiate between the good and the bad? In the vast majority of instances the attitude they adopt is still one of unmasterly inactivity, except in the direction of unscientific and clumsy advertisement. On this they spend enormous sums without proportionate returns, and in following this course they constantly lay themselves open to condemnatory criticism by the publication of unauthorised and exaggerated statements which, in spit© of CARLYLE'S dictum “mostly fools,” are now merely received by the general public with a shrug of the shoulders. The time has come when, in order not only to develop their trade but in order to keep it, British manufacturers must give evidence of an independent and authoritative character to justify the faith that is presumably in them in recommending their goods to the public. Those who refuse to entertain new ideas and who are content to rest in a semi‐comatose condition on the achievements of the past,—relying merely on the possession of the hitherto reputable “name of the firm,”—by the operation of an inexorable law must inevitably drop out of the race.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 4 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1982

JOHN S. NICOLIS

Brain‐like structures have evolved by performing signal processing initially by minimizing “tracking errors” on a competitive basis. Such systems are highly complex and at the…

Abstract

Brain‐like structures have evolved by performing signal processing initially by minimizing “tracking errors” on a competitive basis. Such systems are highly complex and at the same time notoriously “disordered”. The functional trace of the cerebral cortex of the (human) brain is a good example. The Electroencephalogram (E.E.G) appears particularly fragmented during the execution of mental tasks, as well as during the recurrent episodes of R.E.M. sleep. A stochastically regular or a highly synchronized E.E.G on the other hand, characterises a drowsy (relaxing) or epileptic subject respectively and indicates—in both cases—a very incompetent information processor. We suggest that such behavioral changeovers are produced via bifurcations which trigger the thalamocortical non‐linear pacemaking oscillator to switch from an unstable limit cycle to a strange attractor regime (i.e. to chaos), or vice versa. Our analysis aims to show that the E.E.G's characteristics are not accidental but inevitable and even necessary and, therefore, functionally significant.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2015

Juliane Domigan, Tavis J. Glassman, Jeff Miller, Heather Hug and Aaron J. Diehr

– The purpose of this paper was to assess a health communication campaign designed to reduce distracted driving among college students within the USA.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to assess a health communication campaign designed to reduce distracted driving among college students within the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing central interviewing techniques, participants were asked qualitative and quantitative items soliciting feedback concerning the efficacy of the messages.

Findings

The findings indicated students understood, believed, found the messages appealing, and thought the campaign discouraged distracted driving. Several themes emerged from the qualitative analysis, including the prominence of the logo, recommendation to use bright colors, and the suggestion to use more intense graphics.

Research limitations/implications

First, the data were collected by conducting interviews, potentially leading to some shortcomings associated with self-reported data. Second, while the results indicated that participants perceived that the messages discouraged distracted driving, none of the central intercept interview items assessed participants’ intentions to change their behavior. Third, a convenience sample was used, and thus the generalizability of the results are limited and warrant further research. Finally, because multiple researchers conducted the interviews, it is possible that data were interpreted differently, which could pose a threat to inter-rater reliability.

Practical implications

Message testing provides practitioners with invaluable feedback in designing effective messages. However, suggestions from the target audience need to be carefully considered before revising messages, as the lay public are not experts in prevention.

Originality/value

Message testing provides health educators with a specific method to receive feedback from the target audience to ensure they understand and are motivated by the message, resulting in a more effective health communication campaign.

Details

Health Education, vol. 115 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 December 2023

James Kanyepe and Nyarai Kasambuwa

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of institutional dynamics on road accidents and whether this relationship is moderated by information and communication…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of institutional dynamics on road accidents and whether this relationship is moderated by information and communication technology (ICT).

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a quantitative approach with 133 respondents. Research hypotheses were tested in AMOS version 21. In addition, moderated regression analysis was used to test the moderating role of ICT on the relationship between institutional dynamics and road accidents.

Findings

The results show that vehicle maintenance, policy enforcement, safety culture, driver training and driver management positively influence road accidents. Moreover, the study established that ICT moderates the relationship between institutional dynamics and road accidents.

Practical implications

The results of this study serve as a practical guideline for policymakers in the road haulage sector. Managers may gain insights on how to design effective interventions to reduce road accidents.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by exploring previously unexplored moderating paths in the relationship between institutional dynamics and road accidents. By highlighting the moderating role of ICT, the study sheds new light on the institutional dynamics that influence road accidents in the context of road haulage companies.

Details

Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2632-279X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2020

Emeka W. Dumbili, Emmanuel Ezekwe and Ogochukwu Winifred Odeigah

The purpose of this paper is to explore polydrug use and the factors that motivate the use of multiple substances among selected young adults.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore polydrug use and the factors that motivate the use of multiple substances among selected young adults.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 23 male and female participants (aged 23-29 years) who use illicit drugs and prescription pharmaceuticals for non-medical purposes were recruited through snowball sampling. Qualitative interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed thematically.

Findings

The use of drug “concoctions” and cocktails was widespread among the participants. Some used what they called Codeine Diet (codeine-based cough syrup mixed with a Coca-Cola® product or malt drink), while others took Gutter Water (a cocktail of cannabis, codeine, tramadol, vodka and juice or water). The use of Monkey Tail (a mixture of local gin, cannabis leaves, stems, roots and seeds) and petrol mixed with glue and La Casera® (carbonated soft drink) combined with Tom-Tom® (menthol-flavoured candy) was also revealed. Pleasure, better highs, the need to experience prolonged intoxication and the use of one drug to douse the effects of another substance motivated polysubstance use.

Social implications

The findings revealed that the reasons why codeine-based cough syrups are mixed with soft drinks (Codeine Diet) include avoiding social discrimination and evading law enforcement agencies. Results suggest that these drug use practices require specifically tailored public health interventions. Social stigmatization against substance users and the use of extra-legal measures by the police should be discouraged to facilitate harm reduction.

Originality/value

This study represents the first qualitative research to explore polydrug use among an understudied Nigerian population.

Details

Drugs and Alcohol Today, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1745-9265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 November 2014

Joaquin José Diez, Daniel Eduardo Vigo, Daniel Pedro Cardinali and Daniel Pérez-Chada

Driving needs high levels of alertness. Increased somnolence is the most important negative influence to maintain proper watchfulness and vigilance. Drowsiness, working conditions…

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Abstract

Purpose

Driving needs high levels of alertness. Increased somnolence is the most important negative influence to maintain proper watchfulness and vigilance. Drowsiness, working conditions and their affective impact must be taken into account to determine driving safety. The purpose of this paper is to assess excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep habits, quality of sleep, stress-related symptoms, and working conditions in a large sample of short-distance bus drivers in the city of Buenos Aires.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a cross-sectional study performed to evaluate sleep habits and obstructive apnea risk in short-distance bus drivers of the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Questionnaires regarding anthropometric data, sleep habits, snoring, daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index, PQSI), working conditions and fatigue and anxiety related to work were administered to professional short-distance bus drivers (n=1023).

Findings

A prevalence of 34.6 percent of obesity and 80 percent of snoring was observed. Mean sleep time during workdays was 6.5±0.1 h and bad sleep quality was reported by 54.6 percent of the subjects. Excessive daytime sleepiness had a prevalence of 48.8 percent and was independently associated with reduced sleep time, increased sleep debt, long time to wake up, snoring, and short resting time along the working day (p<0.05).

Originality/value

Short-distance drivers in Buenos Aires, the largest urban area of Argentina, are a partially sleep-deprived, overweighted population, showing a high daytime somnolence, poor work-rest conditions and high levels of anxiety and fatigue. This association can be very harmful in view of the demanding working conditions considered.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

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