No abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of using a driving simulator to address the motor aspects of pre-driving skills with young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A group of neurotypical control participants and ten participants with ASD completed 18 interactive steering and pedal exercises with the goal to achieve error-free performance. Most participants were able to achieve this goal within five trials for all exercises except for the two most difficult ones. Minimal performance differences were observed between the two groups. Participants with ASD needed more time to complete the tasks. Overall, the interactive exercises and the process used worked well to address motor related aspects of pre-driving skills in young adults with ASD.

In the US, teenage drivers have an increased risk of being involved in crashes. To address this, post-license advanced driving programs have emerged. This study gains teenagers’ perspective of a post-license defensive driving program focused on a hands-on introduction to emergency braking, skid recovery and the dangers of distracted driving. The teenagers completed a survey immediately following the program and a phone interview three months later. The open-ended survey and phone interview items reflect the program’s key concepts. During the follow-up phone interview, the majority of teenagers reported using the skills experienced and half of the participants who participated in the phone interview reported using skills that they learned to avoid a crash. Almost all teenagers reported anticipating or changing their driving behaviors, specifically by reducing distractions, having a heightened awareness and changing their driving position. The survey and follow-up phone interview results suggest that the teenagers benefited from the skills introduced and, from the teenagers’ perspective, has helped them avoid crashes.

S U M M A R YA series of small depth charges was detonated along a transect from New Zealand to Antarctica over a period of 3 days in late December of 2006. The hydroacoustic signals were recorded by a hydrophone deployed near the source and at a sparse network of permanent hydrophone stations operated by the International Monitoring System (IMS), at distances up to 9600 km. Our purpose was to determine how well signal characteristics could be predicted by the World Ocean Atlas 2005 (WOA05) climatological database for sources within the Antarctic circumpolar current (ACC). Waveforms were examined in the 1-100 Hz frequency band, and it was found that for clear transmission paths, the shot signals exceeded the noise only at frequencies above 20-30 Hz. Comparisons of signal spectra for recordings near the source and at the IMS stations show that transmission loss is nearly uniform as a function of frequency.Where recorded signal-to-noise ratios are high, observed and predicted traveltimes and signal dispersion agree to within 2 s under the assumption that propagation is adiabatic and follows a geodesic path. The deflection of the transmission path by abrupt spatial variations in sound speed at the northern ACC boundary is predicted to decrease traveltimes to the IMS stations by several seconds, depending on the path. Acoustic velocities within the ACC are predicted to vary monthly, hence the accuracy of source location estimates based only on arrival times at IMS stations depends on the monthly or seasonal database used to predict traveltimes and on whether we account for path deflection. However, estimates of source locations within the ACC that are based only on observed waveforms at IMS hydrophones are highly dependent on the configuration of the IMS network; a set of shots observed only at an IMS station in the Indian Ocean and another in the South Pacific was located to within 10 km in longitude, but was poorly constrained in latitude. Several sets of shots observed only at IMS hydrophones in the Indian Ocean were constrained to within 55 km in latitude but were poorly constrained in longitude.

Traffic-related crashes impact drivers of all ages. Post-license driving classes have emerged to equip drivers with higher level skills needed to prevent and avoid emergency situations. A performance driving center offers teenage and adult car control classes designed to address defensive driving skills through both classroom instruction and hands-on practice on a closed-road track. To obtain the views from teenagers and adults, both groups completed a survey immediately after their classes, and the adults completed a phone interview six months later. Results from the teenage and adult survey showed that both groups reported the most important topics learned during the car control class were skid recovery, using the antilock braking system (ABS) and looking where the car should go. Both teenagers and adults reported that they plan to significantly change their driving behaviors, especially those concerning seating, hand and mirror positions. Overall, after the class, the teenagers and adults felt “moderately competent” in their ability to perform the exercises practiced during the class, which increased from the rating of “not competent” prior to the class. The results from the phone interview with the adults suggest that ABS braking was the most important topic six months later. ABS braking was also the single-most reported skill used after the class and the self-identified skill most used to avoid a crash. The phone interview showed that the adults accurately predicted their use of the behaviors (seating position, vision, distractions, etc.) and turned those behaviors taught during the class into habits of their daily driving. Overall, the results from the teenage and adult survey, as well as the phone interview with the adults, suggest that the participants benefitted from the knowledge and skills gained from the one-day car control class.