Express routes in North America are becoming more crowded, both in traffic density and in visual clutter. Higher demand for driver attention is a possible concern for regulators. Advertising signs add to this demand on visual attention. This study focused on the glance behavior of 25 drivers at various advertising signs along an expressway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The average duration of the glances for the subjects was 0.57 s [standard deviation ( SD) = 0.41], and in total there was an average of 35.6 glances per subject ( SD = 26.4). Active signs that contained movable displays or components made up 51% of the signs and received significantly more glances (69% of all glances and 78% of long glances). The number of glances was significantly lower for passive signs (0.64 glances per subject per sign) than for active signs (greater than 1.31 glances per subject per sign). The number of long glances was also greater for active signs than for passive signs. Sign placement in the visual field may be critical to a sign being noticed or not. Empirical information is provided to assist regulatory agencies in setting policy on commercial signing.

Regular audit of MEDEVAC response should be routine for Medical Operations staff, in order to ensure the optimal casualty care pathway from point of wounding to field hospital.

IntroductionThe use of weapons of mass destruction against civilian populations is of serious concern to public health authorities. Chemical weapons are of particular concern. A few studies have investigated medical responses in prehospital settings in the immediate aftermath of a chemical attack, and they were limited by the paucity of clinical data. This study aims to describe the acute management of patients exposed to a chemical attack from the incident site until their transfer to a medical facility.Methods and analysisThis international multicentric observational study addresses the period from 1970 to 2036. An online electronic case report form was created to collect data; it will be hosted on the Biomedical Telematics Laboratory Platform of the Quebec Respiratory Health Research Network. Participating medical centres and their clinicians are being asked to provide contextual and clinical information, including the use of protective equipment and decontamination capabilities for the medical evacuation of the patient from the incident site of the chemical attack to the moment of admission at the medical facility. In brief, variables are categorised as follows: (1) chemical exposure (threat); (2) prehospital and hospital/medical facility capabilities (staffing, first aid, protection, decontamination, disaster plans and medical guidelines); (3) clinical interventions before hospital admission, including the use of protection and decontamination and (4) outcomes (survivability vs mortality rates). Judgement criteria focus on decontamination drills applied to any of the patient’s conditions.Ethics and disseminationThe Sainte-Justine Research Centre Ethics Committee approved this multicentric study and is acting as the main evaluating centre. Study results will be disseminated through various means, including conferences, indexed publications in medical databases and social media.Trial registration numberNCT05026645.