Education and propaganda of Road Safety

EDUCATION AND PROPAGATION OF ROAD SAFETY

ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION

• Road safety is no accident.
• The aim of road safety education is to reduce the risk of injury and death from road trauma and to lay the foundations for safe road use throughout life.
  
• Education of road safety is an essential component of national road safety council meetings
• Road safety education is the program of educational activities around road safety that is provided in a formal education setting
• In order to be effective, road safety education must be evidence-based.
• Adult-led learning and peer collaboration are powerful instruments in road safety engineering because of the influence of social interaction on learning
• Road safety education covers all measures that aim at positively influencing traffic behaviour patterns, with an emphasis on:
• Promotion of knowledge and understanding of traffic rules and situations
• Improvement of skills through training and experience 
• Strengthening and/or changing attitudes towards risk awareness, personal safety and the safety of other road users" 

• Traffic education as a measure is used for all kinds of road user groups and for all sorts of road safety issues. 
• In order to determine if road safety education is effective, a focus is needed on age groups and problem behaviour for which a large number of educational programmes have to be developed and few evaluation studies have to be done.  

PROPAGATION OF ROAD SAFETY

• The concept of road safety should be embraced and propagated by the Government, responsible corporate citizens, transporters, individual motorists and pedestrians because they are all prone to road accidents 
• It is of utmost importance to propagate road safety in order to disseminate good practices in road safety among various sections of the population with the aim of improving traffic flow and reducing accidents.
• Spreading of road safety information to the entire community is possible through small clips on the television, announcements in the radio, banners, hoardings at critical junctions
• Propagation of road safety can also be done by offering compulsory training sessions to serial offenders of traffic rules
  

Road safety enforcement

ROAD SAFETY ENFORCEMENT 

• Road rules will only be obeyed if people believe that not obeying them will result in unwanted outcomes like fines or license cancellation. 
• The police is responsible for enforcing road rules and should be trained and given the tools (such as speed detection and alcohol testing equipment) to do their job properly 
• It is generally accepted that enforcement influences driving behaviour through two processes
• General deterrence 
• General deterrence occurs when road users obey road rules because they perceive a substantial risk of being detected and punished if they don’t
  
• Specific deterrence.
• Specific deterrence occurs when someone who has broken the rules is punished and stops the unlawful behaviour as a result.

• Enforcement of road rules should be aimed primarily at causing general deterrence because then it is not necessary for police to catch and punish road users for them to be encouraged to obey the rules. 

  To cause general deterrence, enforcement should be

• accompanied by publicity
• unpredictable and difficult to avoid
• a mix of highly visible and less visible activities
• continued over a long period of time.

Road safety legislation

 ROAD SAFETY LEGISLATION

• The existing Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, an imperial legislation, proved to be inadequate in addressing the systemic challenges plaguing the road transport sector and has failed to ensure road safety for the people of India. Hence, the Supreme Court of India in August 2013 called the problem of road crashes in India a National Emergency.
• Road traffic in India currently operates within the legal framework established in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.  
• The sudden demise of Mr. Gopinath Munde, Union Minister for Rural Development, in a road crash in New Delhi on June 3, 2014 prompted the then newly elected government into promising new legislation with strong provisions for road safety, which would repeal the inadequate law currently in existence. 
• Following a major campaign led by SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF) including written appeals from Members of Parliament to the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India introduced the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Parliament on August 9, 2016, to address the issue of road safety in India.
• The SLF's ten point policy solution focuses on:
1. Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) and Non Motorised Transport (NMT)
2. Protection of children during commute
3. Robust and Scientific Accident Investigation and Data Management
4. Stringent punishment for faulty road design and engineering
5. Transparent, centralised and efficient driver licensing system
6. Mandatory driver training
7. Strict regulation of Heavy Motor Vehicles
8. Stringent punishment for drunk-driving and overspeeding
9. Stringent punishment for violation of helmet and seat-belt laws
10. National Lead Agency

The following are the difference between the old motor vehicle act (1988) and the latest motor vehicle act (2019):

NB: Old act refers to Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 and New act refers to Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019

1. While the old act had no provision for the safety of pedestrians and non-motorised road users, the new act gives power to state governments to regulate the activities of pedestrians and non-motorised road users in a public place.
2. While the old act did not have any provision to protect children during the commute, the new act makes it mandatory for every child to be secured by a safety belt or a child-restraint system. The new law also makes the accompanying adult accountable by imposing a penalty of Rs. 1000.
3. The amendment bill of 2019 requires every child above the age of 4 years to wear a helmet when being carried on a motorcycle
4. While the old act had no provision to recall vehicles that were old, unsafe or harmful to the environment. the new bill empowers the central government to recall vehicles that do not meet standards.
5. The new act allows for establishment of testing agencies for issuing certificates of approval

• Under the old act, a person may have multiple licenses from different states and is exempt from the test if he/she possess the driving certificate issued by any institution recognised by the state government
• The renewal of transport licenses has been increased to five years from three years.
• The renewal of transport licenses has been increased to five years from three years.
•  The renewal of transport licenses for hazardous goods has been increased to three years from one year

Road safety issues and various measures for road safety

ROAD SAFETY ISSUES

• The agencies, contractors or consultants involved in design, laying down and maintenance of roads,
• Research shows that the risk of being involved in a traffic crash increases with every kilometer traveled in a personal vehicle
• Increased use of public transport improves accessibility, thereby improving road safety.
• Vehicles could potentially damage the health and safety of road users, because of design flaws
• Many traffic offenses in India, such as drunk driving and speeding, currently have low penal provisions.
• Road traffic crashes are an epidemic in India and this is not only a public health issue but also an economic one. 
  

VARIOUS MEASURES FOR ROAD SAFETY

• Improved road safety has been demonstrated through effective central legislation
• Using public transport is an effective way of improving road safety
• The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill
• proposes creating a board with representation from state governments to advise central and state governments on road safety and traffic management. 
• clearly links infrastructure design to safety
• empowers the central government to come up with national transport policy, which would help develop a framework for planning, granting permits and setting priorities for the road transport sector
• proposes a new category of permits that will help scale up public transport services in cities as well as rural areas.
• empowers the government to ask manufacturers to recall motor vehicles if they could potentially damage the health and safety of road users, whether because of design flaws, emissions or other features
• imposes enhanced penalties will act as a deterrent and improve safety.
• would also create a Motor Vehicles Accident Fund that provides compulsory insurance to all road users including drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians
• protects “Good Samaritans,” anyone who assists a crash victim by providing emergency medical or non-medical support, from any civil or criminal action
• For offenses committed by juvenile drivers, the bill proposes that the guardian or owner of the vehicle would be guilty.

•  Based on evidence provided by World Resources Institute (WRI) a road safety and sustainable mobility awareness program called Safer by design through opinion pieces workshops and trainings for civil society groups and trucking and taxi associations helps build consensus that sustainable mobility plays an important role in improving road safety.

Latest tools and techniques used for traffic management

LATEST TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Traffic management is the organisation, arrangement, guidance and control of both stationary and moving traffic, including pedestrians, bicyclists and all types of vehicles. Its aim is to provide for the safe, orderly and efficient movement of persons and goods, and to protect and, where possible, enhance the quality of the local environment on and adjacent to traffic facilities

Some of the software currently being used in India for traffic management are listed below:

• Automatic Number Plate Recognition (APNR) - APNR system is a state-of-the-art, real time Optical Character Recognition (OCR) based vehicle monitoring system, to provide automatic number plate recognition or license plate recognition for tracking and identification of vehicles. The system analyses a video stream in real-time from the camera and processes the analysed video stream for automatic number plate recognition function. The processed license plates are stored in a database and can be verified against a number of user-defined criteria. The system can be deployed at toll booths, entry/exit traffic surveillance and for law enforcement applications for tracking hot-listed / stolen / suspected / wanted vehicles
• Following are the features of the APNR
• Detects and reads license plates automatically in real time
• Real-time 24/7 city surveillance solution
• Can be integrated with other security modules
• Multiple entry points can be integrated together to a single central module
• Red Light Violation Detection (RLVD) - RLVD is a video based red light enforcement system. It comprises of an overview camera and the ANPR camera. The overview camera shows the entire violation scenario and the ANPR camera captures the number plate of the violating vehicle. The system takes input from the traffic lights and starts capturing red light violations as soon as the traffic signal turns red. It comes with a state-of-the-art user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) for seamless operation. Its features are summarised below:
• Video based red light violation detection system
• Consists of APNR camera and overview camers
• Violation evidence capturing module
• Automated 24 / 7 operation

• Speed enforcement system (SES) -  SES is a state-of-the-art video based speed violation detection system. It determines the vehicle speed by calculating the time between two frames of the vehicle and captures the image of the number plate of the violating vehicle. This system does not use the conventional sensors like radars, inductive loop or laser for detecting the speed. It comes with a state-of-the-art user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) for seamless operation. The GUI provides images of the vehicle and the number plate, text conversion of number plate after OCR, along with date, time and location of the offense. The features of this system are listed below:
• Video based speed violation detection system
• Can give average speed of vehicle between two reference points
• System can be used for hot-listed and wanted vehicles
• Reads upto speeds of 120 kmph with high accuracy.

 Parking Management System (PMS) - Finding and managing parking is a serious problem for cities across the country. A Parking Management System has a high level of customisation depending on the customers needs. The system provides a superior system of security and reliability with complete access to data management. It is designed to meet the needs of controlled parking areas by reducing the effort of people searching for parking slots and increasing revenues for parking facility. It is a comprehensive system comprising of 

• parking sensors
• gateways
• revenue management and
  
• central software for administrative reporting and analytics
  

Exclusive bus lanes and closing side streets

EXCLUSIVE BUS LANES AND CLOSING SIDE STREETS

Exclusive bus lanes

• As the name suggests, an exclusive bus lane is a lane restricted to buses on certain days and certain times. It may also be used to speed up public transport that would otherwise be held up due to traffic congestion.
• Separating buses from other vehicles in dedicated lanes protects then from traffic congestion and delays while improving the reliability of services.
• The smoother driving also saves fuel and makes buses a more appealing mode of travel during peak hours.
• Exclusive bus lanes are highly visible and typically marked-out.
• Any other vehicle that strays into a bus lane is liable to be fined

Closing side streets

• A side street is a quiet, often narrow street which leads off to a busier street
• A side street is a street that intersects a main street and ends there. 
• It is generally of little importance to through traffic.
• Being the last mile of the road system, it generally carries little traffic
• Side streets are generally residential in use and character.
• Side streets may be used for vehicular parking

Motorist information Systems

MOTORIST INFORMATION SYSTEM

• Urban traffic has increased tremendously in the past few years leading to frequent congestion. 
• Simply increasing the number of roads will not help the situation.
• It is here that Motorist Information System that is based on modern information technology can assist in reducing traffic congestion and improving traffic flows and safety.
• There is a significant potential to improve traffic conditions on urban roads and highways by making use of information technology
• With use of information technology in traffic engineering, the concept of "MOTORIST INFORMATION SYSTEM" came into existence
• Motorist Information System helped in improvement of existing facilities with improved traffic management schemes
• Several urban trips are poorly designed resulting in unnecessary delays.
• Better use of existing facilities can be achieved by providing information to motorists regarding alternative paths and actual traffic conditions on their route by using a combination of side-way signals and on-board systems.
• Examples of Motorist Information Systems
•  Pretrip Information Systems, 
• Roadside displays, 
• Traffic Information Broadcasting Systems, and 
• Electronic Route Guiding Systems.
• The main characteristics of these technological advances are:
• reduced costs and
  
• increased capabilities enabling efficient data collection and processing large amounts of data for detailed and sophisticated analysis and control
• Various Motorist Information Systems being used in different corners of the world are listed below:
• AUTOGUIDE in England
• ALI-SCOUT in Germany
• AMTICS IN Japan and
• PATHFINDER in the United States of America
• However, despite all the advantages mentioned above, it has been seen that there are diminishing marginal returns as more information is provided.

Tidal flow operation methods

 TIDAL FLOW OPERATION METHODS

Tidal flow operation is a traffic management process whereby the carriageway width is shared between the two directions of travel in near proportion to the flow in each direction.

• The objective of Tidal flow operation is to provide a cost-effective means of increasing the capacity of a road.
• Tidal flow refers to a road where a lane or lanes can sometimes carry traffic in one direction and at other times in the opposite direction, to help with traffic flow. 
• Traffic signals usually indicate when a lane is open or closed.
• Tidal Flow is also sometimes installed in tunnels or bridges, to allow traffic to be diverted around
• Tidal Flow tends to be used on roads where the flow of traffic is heavy in a certain direction and light in the other at some times, and then reverses at other times.
• Overhead signals will show either a white or green downward arrow when a lane is open and a red cross when a lane is closed.
• The term "Tidal flow" is used in British English while other parts of the world, the term 'reversible lane' is used.
• The benefit of tidal flow (reversible lanes) operation is that the available capacity in each direction of traffic can be varied in response to highly directional inbound or outbound traffic flows.
• An odd number of lanes, usually three to seven, is required for effective tidal flow operation.
• The middle lane operates as a contraflow buffer zone to serve traffic in different directions
• To ensure safe operation of contraflow, lane-use control signals with green arrows and red intersections located at overhead gantries are used wherever a particular movement is prohibited for designated lanes.
• Examples of sites that employ tidal flow operations are
• Aston Expressway (Birmingham, UK)
• Canwick Road (Lincoln, UK)
• London Road (Sheeld, UK)
• Wide boulevards and some freeways in Washington, D.C. (US)
• Coronado Bridge (San Diego, US)
• Tidal Busway (Eugene Oregon, US) 
• Several urban roads in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo (Brazil), part of State Road SC-405 (Florianopolis, Brazil).
  

Advantages 

1. Increase in motorway capacity during peak traffic hour at relatively low cost to governmental organisations
2. Cost of these tidal flow lanes is a fraction of the cost to construct additional motorway lanes 
3. Minimum disruption to traffic
4. Reduction in congestion
5. Safety benefits

Disadvantages 

1. A major disadvantage is is the cost to efficiently control reversible lanes and the confusion to drivers and safety.
2. A disadvantage of reversible flow lanes involves general lack of public awareness. 
3. Traffic flow is potentially confusing
4. Complication of nearby signals
   

One way streets

 ONE WAY STREETS

A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction. One-way streets typically result in higher traffic flow as drivers may avoid encountering oncoming traffic or turns through oncoming traffic. One-way streets are common in city areas. They can be recognized from the signs and markings on the road. Broken white lines separate traffic lanes on one-way streets. Yellow markings are not seen on a one-way street. It is not illegal to reverse into a main road but it is not advisable 

Advantages: 

• increased capacity
• reduced intersection
• conflicts for pedestrians and vehicles
• reduced collisions.
  

Disadvantages:

• longer travel, 
• difficult orientation for out-of-towners, 
• potential for excess speeds
  

Some of the reasons one-way traffic is essential:

• The street is too narrow for movement in both directions and the road users unable to coordinate easily.
• Prevent drivers from cutting through residential streets to bypass traffic lights or other requirements
• to stop (a so-called "rat run")
  

One-way streets eliminate tough left turns through oncoming traffic. Flow is high on one-way streets because there's little reason for cars to slow down.

One-way operation permits much better traffic signal progression for smoother traffic flow. This results in traffic moving at regulated speeds with less stop-and-go driving.
 

This makes it much safer and faster for cross street traffic, bicycles, and pedestrians to cross major streets.

Applications of ITS in Road Accidents

APPLICATIONS OF ITS IN ROAD ACCIDENTS

ITS is an emerging transportation system which is comprised of an advanced information and  telecommunications network for users, roads and vehicles. ITS is the integrated application of advanced Technologies using electronics, computers, communications, and advanced sensors.

The areas where ITS finds applications are:

• Highway management
• Incident management
• Transit management
• Arterial management
• Emergency management
• Electronic payment
• Traveler information
• Crash prevention and safety
• Operations and maintenance
• Road weather management

The benefits of ITS are:

• Safety improvements
• Delay savings
• Throughput
• Customer satisfaction
• Cost savings
• Environmental, etc

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), based on advanced telecommunication and information technology, offers a great potential for improving the road safety situation for all types of road-use. 

ITS  can  influence  all  of  the  key  macroscopic  variables  of  the  road  safety  problem,  i.e.  exposure,  risk,  and  the  severity  of  accident.   

(PDF) Evaluation of Intelligent Transport System in Road Safety.

ITS    is  a  collective  name  for  a  number  of  technology-based approaches  that  are  designed  to  improve  the  quality,  safety and efficiency of transport networks.

Restriction of turning movements

 RESTRICTION OF TURNING MOVEMENTS

The Traffic Engineer is authorized to determine specific intersections at which the operators of vehicles shall not make a right turn, left turn, U-turn, or a right turn against a red or stop signal, and shall place proper signs and/or markings giving notice thereof.

• Raised medians are often considered as an effective technique to restrict turning movement.
• They also provide the added benefit of corridor aesthetics. 
• Turn restriction alternatives effectively address the safety and operational needs of the transportation network. 
• Turn restrictions may be located at:

• Access point
• Roadway and 
• Combined restriction configurations

• The  goal  of  imposing restriction of turning movements  is  to  save  lives  by  identifying  new  safety  strategies  that  effectively  reduce  crashes  and  to  promote  those  strategies  for  nationwide  implementation  by  providing  measures  of  their  safety  effectiveness  and  benefit–cost  (B/C)  ratios. 
• The restriction has been imposed by using physical barriers. 
• Turning movement restrictions are a type of  access  management  strategy  used  to  improve  the  safety  of  stop-controlled  intersections  and  driveways.
• Restricted  and  prohibited  turn  movements  reduce  the  number  of  turning  conflict  points  at  intersections, which are generally known to reduce crash risk. 
• The   median   physically   blocks  turns  into  and  out  of  the  intersecting   street. 
• While  restricting  turns  is  expected  to  provide  a  safety  improvement  in  most  cases,  limited  information  is  available  about  the  quantitative  safety  effects  of  these  practices  and  their  effects  on   downstream   intersections. 
• A  composite  finding  suggested  that,  in  general,  a  raised  median  is  safer  than  undivided roadways, especially on roads with more than 20,000 vehicles per day.

Methods of traffic management measures

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES

Traffic management measures include:

• opening or closure of lanes (e.g. High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, peak lanes)
• intersection control
• ramp metering
• dynamic speed limits, etc. 

In relation to security issues, it can be thought of as re-routing, route closure, traffic information provision, reverse laning, etc. Traffic management is normally performed by traffic management centres. 

One of the main issues for traffic management is congestion. Proper traffic management can prevent congestion or reduce the consequences of congestion. For example, rerouting of the other traffic. Congestion occurs when the traffic demand exceeds the road capacity. This can occur when the traffic infrastructure capacity is not sufficient to handle normal (peak) traffic volumes (usually at bottlenecks, such as tunnels, bridges, lane-drops, on-ramps, weaving sections etc.), when the capacity is reduced by e.g. traffic incidents, road works or weather (e.g. rain, snow) or when the demand is higher than usual, e.g. in case of large events or evacuations. Solutions are therefore either reducing the traffic demand or increasing the road capacity. ---- (wikipedia search)

A methodology for traffic management in cities provides for extensive use of computer technologies.

Ttraffic management in the urban street and road network, requires a city-wide management system (intelligent transportation system, ITS).  

Traffic management tasks are not formalized but solved empirically. 

Two basic approaches to development of network mathematical models of traffic flows, based on:

• a set of analytical models and on 
• microlevel simulation models

Capabilities of various software tools have been evaluated to yield a method for forecasting network control actions affecting traffic flows, based on a piecewise-constant approximation of a traffic flow intensity function of time.

Forecasting control actions or cycle shifts to ensure coordinated control on highways is applied.

It is of practical interest to forecasting network control actions in intelligent transportation systems, including in real time and for congested sections of the street-and-road network.

Active traffic management is a method of increasing peak capacity and making traffic flows more efficient and smooth-flowing on busy roadways.

Most roadways include devices intended for traffic control, most of them involving direct communication with the road-user, such as signs, signals and pavement markings.  

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are advanced applications that provide services relating to different modes of traffic management and the ‘smarter’ use of transport networks. They are based on the transfer of information between transport systems to improved safety and performance, including traffic management systems, information systems, warning systems, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Traffic signal controllers are electronic devices located at intersections that control the sequence of the lights. Along with computers, communications equipment, and detectors to count and measure traffic, these controllers are frequently grouped into one system allowing the control of large numbers of traffic signals at intersections approaches to expressways and motorways

 Active traffic management is a method of increasing peak capacity and making traffic flows more efficient and smooth-flowing on busy roadways. Common techniques include DMS, variable speed limits, hard-shoulder running, ramp-metering, etc.

Traffic management measures include:

• Restrictions on turning movements
• One – way streets
• Tidal-flow operations
• Exclusive bus lanes and
  
• Closing side streets
  

Examples of restrictions on turning movements include:

• Restriction on entry or turning during specified timings
•  Restrictions on right or left turns

Advantages of one-way streets are:

• Reduction in the points of conflict
• Increased capacity
• Increased speed
• Facilities the operation of a progressive signal system
• Improvement in parking facilities
• Elimination of dazzle and head-on collision

Tidal-flow operations

• Tidal flow operation is a traffic management process whereby the carriageway width is shared between the two directions of travel in near proportion to the flow in each direction. 

Exclusive Bus Lanes

• A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, often on certain days and times, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion.
• Certain other vehicles may also be permitted, such as taxis, high occupancy vehicles, motorcycles, or bicycles.

Measures in high accident zone  

• Establishing a bicycle zone
• Placing road lighting
• Making a right turn waiting area
• Designating a right turn lane
• Anti-slip coloured pavement
• Placing a right turn arrow signal on the road surface
• Drainage pavement
• Changing the location of a corner curb
• Changing the location of a pedestrian crosswalk 

Travel Demand Management 

List of Techniques commonly adopted:

• Car pooling and other ride-sharing programmes
• Peripheral parking schemes
• Chartered buses (Institutional buses) to serve areas of trip origins to common work place
• Staggering of office hours and flexible time to work
• Internal shuttle service in CBD
• Parking restraint
• Road Pricing
• Entry fee
• Priority for buses in traffic
• Restrictions on entry of trucks during day time

Traffic Demand Measures

PULL MEASURES

Pull measures aims at attracting road users to alternative modes. Examples of pull measures are:

• Traffic management
• Improvement of alternative modes
• Integrated multi-mode transport system
• New technologies
• Park and ride facilities
• Improvement of alternative modes
• Public transportation
• Para-transit
• Bicycling/walking
• Traffic management
• Effective use via traffic engineering measures

• New technologies
  
• Intelligent Transportation System
• Low emission vehicle
• New underground delivery system
  

PUSH MEASURES

 Push measures tries to demoralize car users. Examples of push measures are:

• Increasing vehicle occupancy
• Influencing time and need of travel
• Creating deterrence by introducing charges
• Imposing restrictions and
• Land use and urban planning

The following measures are taken-up for traffic management demand at the demand side

• Reducing the number of vehicles by modal change and HOV
• Redistributing the number of vehicles by changing time and space of travel

Pedestrian safety issues

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ISSUES

Each year, more than 2,50,000 pedestrians lose their lives on the world's roads. Globally, pedestrians constitute 22% of all road deaths. Millions of people are injured in traffic related crashes while walking. 

Few people become permanently disabled due to traffic accidents causing suffering, grief along with economic hardship.

Pedestrian collisions are both predictable and preventable. 

The key risks to pedestrians are:

• driver behaviour (speeding and drunk driving)
• infrastructure (lack of side walks, crossings, raised medians)
• vehicle design (unforgiving features to pedestrians in-case they are struck)
• poor trauma care services

Pedestrian safety is described by:

• the magnitude of pedestrian deaths and injuries
• key risk factors
• ways of assessing the pedestrian safety situation in a given setting and prepare an action plan
• selection, design, implementation and evaluation of effective interventions

Pedestrian safety stresses on the importance of comprehensive and holistic approach that includes

• engineering
• legislation
• enforcement and
• behavioural measures

There exists a disproportionate involvement of pedestrians, cyclists and motorised two-wheelers in road traffic injuries. Almost 22% of people killed on world's roads are pedestrians. Governments are recommended to take into consideration the needs of all road users including pedestrians and cyclists while designing roads and related infrastructure along with land use planning and transport services.

The two principles of pedestrian safety are:

• Safe walking and
• Safe system approach

Pedestrians are increasingly susceptible to road traffic injury due to:

• dramatic growth in number of motor vehicles and frequency of their useage
• neglect of pedestrian needs in roadway design and land-use planning leading to increased susceptibility of pedestrians to road traffic injury

Pedestrian vulnerability is further heightened in settings where traffic laws are inadequately enforced
A road traffic crash is a collision or incident involving at-least one road vehicle in motion on a public road or private road to which the public has right of access, resulting in at-least one injured or killed person. Collision could be between:

• road vehicles
• road vehicles and pedestrians
• road vehicles and animals or fixed obstacles or with one road vehicle alone
• collisions include collisions between road and rail vehicles

There is a close association between the walking environment and pedestrian safety. Walking in an environment that lacks pedestrian infrastructure and that permits use of high speed vehicles increases the risk of pedestrian injury. The risk of a motor vehicle colliding with a pedestrian increases in proportion to the number of motor vehicles interacting with pedestrians.
Pedestrian safety measures improve walking environments and contribute to:

• Urban renewal
• Local economic growth
• Social cohesion
• Improved air quality and
• reduction in the harmful effects of noise

In addition, pedestrian safety measures have supplementary benefits for motorists and cyclists. Implementation of safety measures requires commitment and informed-decision making by government, industry, NGOs and international organisations.

Travel demand management

TRAVEL DEMAND MANAGEMENT

Transportation demand management (TDM), or simply demand management, is defined a set of strategies aimed at maximizing traveler choices. In the broadest sense, demand management is defined as providing travelers with effective choices to improve travel reliability.

Travel Demand Management (TDM) practice designs and executes programs that develops and implements a set of strategies that influence travel behavior change so people can get where they need to go with less cost and less impact on the environment.

Traditional and non-conventional TDM approaches include:

• ridesharing
• bicycling
• telework
• transit
• car sharing
• on-demand services and 
• real-time applications

to redistribute commuter travel across alternatives and away from daily peak periods.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) aims to maximize the efficiency of the urban transport system using a wide range of measures that include:

• congestion pricing
• public transport improvement
• promoting non-motorised transport
• fuel taxation and
• parking management.

• TDM is also concerned with urban design and municipal planning. 
• TDM  is still a relatively underused tool despite its powerful reach and transformative potential

The main objective of Transportation Demand Management Strategies is 

• • Reducing traffic congestion
    

  • Conserving energy and reducing emissions

  • Improving community health and fitness levels

  • Achieving equity

  • Boosting urban livability

  • Solving parking problems

  • Enhancing community safety

  • Helping commuters based in rural areas

  • Making alternative transportation more affordable

  The common strategies for enacting a positive change through Transportation Demand Management (TDM) are:

  • Making information about locally available alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles easy to access and use.
  • Marketing the benefits of commuting alternatives to business owners so they encourage their employees to use them.
  • Supporting a diverse range of transportation options, including not only public transit, but also carpooling, vanpooling, ridesharing, walking, cycling, and others.
  • Incentivizing the use of smart, sustainable commuting methods.
  • Discouraging the use of single-occupancy vehicles by introducing tolls and surcharges that increase the cost gap between solo driving and other options.
  • Introducing limits on driver accessibility to key commercial areas of cities with high levels of traffic congestion.
  • Capping single-occupancy vehicle trips, or increasing the average passenger density of privately operated vehicles.
   
• The transformative power of technology is one of the most effective available tools in the fight against traffic congestion along with the environmental and social damage caused by it.
• Transportation Demand Management is an effective solution to the problems of urban transportation 

Parking enforcement and its influence on accidents

 PARKING ENFORCEMENT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ACCIDENTS

• The rapid urbanisation and infrastructural development that have given rise to economic growth and population explosion that have in-turn triggered a plethora of other issues. Parking is one of the most important issues from among those.
• New Motor Vehicle Act of 2019 imposes heavy fines on people who park their vehicles improperly or illegally.

According to the New Motor Vehicle Act of 2019, the following activities are illegal with respect to parking:

• • Abandoning or parking vehicle/trailer at a public place where it may cause obstruction, inconvenience, or puts other people in danger
  • Parking in the no parking zone or places in which parking is prohibited
  • Parking on footpaths or far away from the footpaths
  • On private properties without the owner’s consent
  • On the main road or roads with high-speed traffic
  • On the wrong side of the roadOn the path that has unbroken white lines in the centre
  • In front of the entrance of any premises
  • Near bus stops, schools, or hospital entrances
  • In front of any road signs that could possibly be obstructed with your vehicle
  • Near road crossings, a bend, top of a hill, or near/and on the bridge
  • Near any traffic signal or pedestrian crossings 

  Study on the effect of hefty fines on the  number of traffic accidents and fatalities reveals that it is short-lived and ineffective. The government assumed that imposing fines would make the drivers more careful thereby reducing accidents. Initially road accidents declined but the deterrence effect of penalties was short-lived. One of the causative factors was inability to introduce the law uniformly throughout the country. It was observed that there was an increase in death due to dangerous driving and over-speeding.

  Higher traffic density was assumed to be one of the factors contributing to increased accidents despite imposition of hefty fines. Highways are the deadliest of all roads. The risk on highways is mitigated through electronic enforcement which is mandated by the motor vehicles act. However, the problem lies in non-uniform implementation across the country.
  

Parking

PARKING

•  Parking is an essential component of the transportation system.
• More Parking supply is a magnet for more vehicles. 
• Abundant parking supply gives rise to more parking demand and the vicious demand-supply cycle goes on.  
• A typical vehicle usually needs three different parking spaces
• one at the owner’s residence, 
• second at owner’s office/business place and 
• third at recreational/entertainment facilities. 

• Parking facilities are a major cost to society. 
• As the numbers of vehicles in the city explode, parking becomes a public nuisance, swallowing all available spaces meant for other road users as well as creating a demand for all available open spaces to be turned into parking lots. 
• One car parking occupies space equivalent to one affordable housing unit in India.
• Traffic management and parking policy are closely interlinked. 
• Rather than having a reactive parking policy, one that constantly changes with the ever-increasing numbers of vehicles, the policy itself needs to ensure a reduction in the need for parking and supports more strategic planning objectives. 
• It is therefore necessary to strike a balance between the need to provide parking space and the need to locate it in such a manner as to encourage the use of sustainable modes of transport. 
• Parking spaces (on-street and off-street) have to be selected so as to have least impact on the flow of traffic. 
• The parking policy should encourage  use of alternative modes of transport and reduce motor vehicle use (thereby reducing traffic congestion, accidents and pollution). 
• It should have the ability to accommodate new traffic management concepts and respond to traffic problems. 
• It should promote appropriate use of land with promotion of environment friendly measures. 
• It should discourage the use of private mode of transport while encouraging efficient use of available parking spaces, aid in evolving a better transportation system, build a strategy to reduce congestion, pollution, and help the public transport system to grow.
• The policy should help the city in becoming more ‘people friendly’ than ‘vehicle friendly’.
•  The creation of parking infrastructure requires not only funds and technology but also cooperation of vehicle owners. 
• Concepts like
•  car free day,
•  congestion taxes,
•  vehicle free zones etc. need to be promoted by such interest groups. 

• Public education, awareness campaigns and public participation programmes  play an important role establishing a new policy.
• There can be many types of parking problems, including
• inadequate or excessive supply, 
• too low or high prices inadequate user information, and
• inefficient management. 

• Too much of parking supply is harmful. 
• Parking requirements should reflect each particular situation, and should be applied flexibly. 
• As much as possible, users should pay directly for parking facilities. 
• Parking should be regulated to favour higher priority uses and encourage efficiency. 
• Innovative concepts for traffic demand management should be applauded and adopted. 
• Parking management programs should be widely applied to prevent parking problems. 
• Parking management is a tool of travel demand management. 
• It complements sustainable transport initiatives and hence should be implemented in a parallel manner. 
• Development of ‘parking-only’ structures is more appropriate while commercial development in parking structures should not be permitted. 
• Multi-storey parking should be complemented by limited, time-slotted on-street parking and higher rates. 
• Without imposing these measures, multi-storey parking will fail to reduce congestion on the streets and will be a futile exercise.
  

Tests on driver and vehicles

TESTS ON DRIVER

A driving test is administered to test a person's ability to drive.a motor vehicle. It is a requirement to obtain a driver's license. It generally consists of two parts. A theory test to check the candidate's knowledge regarding the latest traffic rules and a road test to test a persons driving ability under normal operating conditions. The driving tests are normally standardised tests.The written test  typically consists of questions related to road signs and traffic laws of the country. The requirements of the driving test generally comprises of:

• driving back and forth through a set of traffic cones
• reversing around a corner or into a parking space, with or without a trailer or semi-trailer, or with an extra one for multi-rig road trains
• Turning and leaving controlled junctions with trailer and/or with an extra one for multi-rig road trains
• emergency stops or evasive maneuvers
• maintaining a motorcycle stable at low speed
• Parallel Parking (with a maximum of 2 separate forward movements)
• Reverse Angled parking (cars, trucks and road trains)
• Three-point turns (in 3 movements)
• Uphill starts, downhill curbside parking with gear shifts
• Gear shifts moving off green lights (manual cars and trucks only)
• Lane changes
• Entering and leaving intersections (from give ways, stop signs, roundabouts)/

Other tests may be required, such as an eyesight test or a reaction test. These may be part of the theory test or the practical test or may be separate tests. 

TESTS ON VEHICLES

The following is the list of tests to be carried-out on vehicles with respect to safety of driver / passengers / occupants

• Engine oil
• Before starting the engine, the oil level should be checked daily. 
• The oil being used should be checked for the right viscosity in case of  operating the vehicle in extreme heat or cold.
• Air pressure in tires
• Visually confirmation of tires verifies if the tires are properly inflated.
• In addition, tires should be checked for signs of damage or unusual wear 
• A tire gauge should be used to confirm that all tires are inflated to manufacturer recommendations.
• Spare tire
• Tire gauge should be used to confirm that the spare tire is inflated to recommended pressure.
• The spare tire should be constantly rotated in order to achieve even tire wear
  
• Tread depth in tires
• A tread depth gauge should be used to check tread depth of all tires.
• The Motor Vehicle Act requires that tires be replaced when tread depth wears to 1.6 mm.
• Tires should be replaced tires when tread depth is 3.2 mm.
  
• Head lights
• Constant checks should be performed to ensure hi-beams, low-beams and fog lights work.
  
• Tail lights
•  Constant checks should be performed to ensure that tail lights work
  
• Turn signals
•  Visual test or use of lumino scope to ensure proper functioning of turn signals
  
• Emergency signals
• Functioning of emergency signals is validated by visual inspection. 
• Before venturing out, the functioning of emergency signals should be verified
  
• Windshield
• The windshield should be carefully inspected for any cracks, splinters and clear vision before venturing on any journey
  
• Wipers
• The fitment and functioning of the wipers can be verified visually
• The condition of wipers (including level and effectiveness of cleaning fluid) is essential especially in case of dusty / misty / wet conditions
  
• Heater / Defroster
• While testing the windshield defrosting and defogging system, the test procedure involves
• Warm-up procedure for cold weather starting.
• Engine speed shall not exceed 1,500 rpm in neutral gear
• The windshield wipers may be used during the test if they are operated without manual assist.
• The defroster blower may be turned on at any time.
• Horn
• Horn is an essential safety feature fitment on all the vehicles.
• The Horns shall be complying with the requirements of IS:1884 –1993.
• The measurement of the sound pressure levels shall be made using a sound
  level meter in accordance with IS : 9779 – 1981.
• The sound pressure level of the background noise and wind noise must be
  at least 10 dB(A) below the sound level to be measured.
• Sound levels should be between 83 dB(A) to 112 dB (A) for horns fitted on 2 wheelers or 3
  wheelers of a power less than or equal to 7 kW.
• Sound levels should be between 93 dB (A) to 112 dB (A) for the horn fitted on all other
  motor vehicles including tractor, 2 wheelers and 3 wheelers of a power greater than 7 kW.
  
• Seat-belts
• Five essential safety checks for seat belts are listed below
• Webbing - check for nicks, cuts, webs and holes
  
• Buckle - check for damage and loose connection to the vehicle
  
• Retraction - check by pulling the seat belt with a jerk thereby locking it in position
  
• All ages adjuster -Check the adjuster to position it above occupant's shoulder height
  
• Twisting  - Twisted seat belts cause greater harm to the occupant as the seat belt takes the entire impact on the twisted area instead of distributing it over the entire seat belt.
  
• Rear-view mirrors
• Before turning right or left or moving out to pass or pulling up, always glance back or look through rear view mirror behind and make sure it is safe 
• Check the vehicle and its fixtures every day and when driving, always adjust the rear view and side mirrors
• Objects in the rear view mirror on both sides and behind the vehicle to see that there is nothing around to interfere with movement of the vehicle
• Rear-view mirrors and the field of vision provided by them is a safety
  requirement.
• “Rear-View Mirror” means a device other than a complex optical system, whose aim is to give a clear view towards the rear of the vehicle. It may be interior or exterior
  
• All rear-view mirrors shall be examined visually for harmful defects
• The contours of the reflecting surface shall be of simple geometric form and its dimensions such that it provides, the required field of vision
• The contours of the reflecting surface shall be of simple geometric form and its dimensions such that the mirror provides the required field of vision.
• The test provided shall not be required in the case of any exterior rear-view mirror
• Impact test consists of a pendulum capable of swinging about two horizontal axes at right angles to each other, one of which is perpendicular to the plane containing the “release” trajectory of the pendulum. The end of the pendulum comprises a hammer formed by a rigid sphere with a diameter of 165 ± 1 mm and having a 5 mm thick rubber covering of hardness score A 50.
• The center of percussion of the pendulum coincides with the center of
  the sphere which forms the hammer.
• The reduced mass of the pendulum to its center of percussion is m0 = 6.8 ± 0.05 kg
• The test consists in allowing the hammer to fall from a height corresponding to a pendulum angle of 60° from the vertical so that the hammer strikes the rear-view mirror at the moment when the pendulum reaches the vertical position.
  
• In-cab ergonomics
• Effective cab ergonomics play an important role in driver productivity, safety and health
• Ergonomics plays a critical role to help enable drivers to perform efficiently.
• Sleeper cabs feature seats, steering wheels and pedals that can adjust to comfortably fit any body type.
• Cab ergonomics play a vital role in reducing driver distraction and fatigue.
• Components of In-cab ergonomics include:
• larger windshields and windows for improved visibility
• adjustable tilt 
• telescoping steering wheels, 
• adjustable seat belts, and 
• movable cup holders.
  
• In-cab ergonomics also can help reduce worker injury due to prolonged sitting and repetitive motion
• Ergonomic design can help reduce these exposures. By making cabs more ergonomically friendly and reducing the likelihood of drivers becoming symptomatic from injuries
• Aspects such as steps for egress and entry to the cab signify the importance of a focus on a much-needed safety feature
• Mirror placement can reduce neck strain and leather steering wheel allows a more comfortable grip
• Improved door seals, help provide the driver with a quiet environment
• Ergonomics is shaping a new paradigm of habitability for drivers
• Parking brake
• A parking brake is a special brake used to prevent a motor vehicle from rolling after it has stopped or been parked. 
• It refers to any brake meant to stop a vehicle in an emergency.
• Conducting the test on a monthly basis gives peace of mind, knowing that the vehicle is road-worthy.
• The parking brake can be checked by driving it up a small hill with enough slope for the vehicle to roll freely once the foot is taken off the brake
• The vehicle should start rolling the down the hill
• With the vehicle in motion, the parking brake should be engaged to stop the vehicle abruptly.
• Repeat the same steps in the opposite direction. The parking brake should work in the same way.
• If the parking brake does not stop the vehicle immediately, an in-depth look in the vehicle's brake system is required
  
• Brakes
• To check the efficacy of brakes, the stopping distance at a speed of  30kmph should be less than 13 meters
• Similarly the parking brake should be checked as discussed above
• Leakage of brake oil should be checked frequently
• The type of check for brakes is called "BRAKE TEST"
  
• Instrument panel / Gauges / Warnings
• Instrument panel varies on different vehicles based on manufacturer's specification. However, most instrument panels contain the following
• Speedometer - gives the speed of the vehicle
  
• Odometer - displays distance travelled by the vehicle
  
• Tachometer - displays rotations made by engine at that instant
  
• Fuel gauge - displays the amount of fuel remaining in fuel tank
  
• Gear display - displays the gear currently engaged in vehicle
  
• Turn signal indicators - indicates direction of turn of vehicle (simultaneous blinking in both directions indicates hazard lights)
  
• Active system lights - alerts the driver to parts of the vehicle that are activated
• The instrument panel is a one source stop for the driver regarding the health of a vehicle. 
• Its functionality should be verified by driver every time the vehicle is used. Any malfunction is indicated by loud noise and flashing lights
• Temperature Warning Light indicates that the car's engine is overheated and needs coolant
• Oil Pressure Warning Light indicates that oil level is too low
• Check engine warning light that there is a serious problem with the engine that requiring immediate attention
• Tire pressure warning light indicates that one or more vehicle's tires have low pressure.
• Brake System Warning Light indicates that there is a problem with the brake system
• ABS Warning Light indicates that the vehicle's anti-lock brake system (ABS) has been deactivated due to an issue with the ABS
• Electronic Stability Control Light indicates that the vehicle's traction control is activated to prevent skidding
• Transmission Temperature Warning Light indicates that the transmission's current temperature is higher than normal.
• Battery Warning Light indicates that your vehicle's charging system is not working correctly
• Airbag Warning Light indicates that the vehicle's airbag system is not working properly
• Door Ajar Warning Light indicates that there is a door or the trunk door is open
• Fog Lamp indicates that the vehicle's front lamp is turned on
  
• Body damage
• A vehicle damage report summarizes the overall findings from a vehicle damage assessment. 
• Damage reports are used by owners to support insurance claims
•  A vehicle damage report summarizes
• Details of accident and
• Extent of damage is primarily due to collision, weather-impact, and unintended scratches/ dents
• A good vehicle damage report strengthened by facts, photo evidence, and witness statements
• Battery
• Vehicle battery can be checked using a standard multi-meter and should be checked every time a vehicle is driven
  
• Batteries in vehicles are of two types
• Lead-Acid battery (Old fashioned, uses Strong Acid - corrosive/leakage problems) 
• Maintenance free batteries (Gel based / leak proof / more expensive)
• Lithium-ion batteries (Extremely expensive / very user friendly)
  
• Vehicle documents
• The list of documents to be carried by all drivers is as follows
• Registration certificate
• Pollution Under Check (PUC) certificate
• Driving license
• Insurance policy
• Any other required permits like
• Certificate of fitness (of vehicle)
  
• License plate
• vehicle’s license plate is commonly known as ‘a number plate’.
• It is a metal plate which is attached to a vehicle and has the official registration number of a vehicle embossed on it.
• The official license plate number in India consists of 4 different parts, each of which has a specific purpose
• Number plates help anyone to identify a vehicle
• The first part indicates the state or Union territory, this is denoted by two letters.
• The next two digits refer to a district’s sequential number.
• The third part of the license plate is a unique number which helps to identify the vehicle 
• The fourth and final part is an oval logo which reads, “IND”, the acronym for India
  
• Transmission
• The main function of the transmission is to:
• transmit power from the engine to the rear wheels of the vehicle
• make reduced speed available, to rear wheels of the vehicle
• alter the ratio of wheel speed and engine speed in order to suit the field conditions.
• The transmission system consists of clutch, transmission gears, differential, final drive, rear axle and rear wheels
• Combination of all these components are responsible for transmission of power from crankshaft to the rear wheels.
• An automatic transmission system should be checked for:
• Delayed engagement
• Harsh shifting and
• Slippage

• A Manual transmission should be checked for:
• clutch (slip on acceleration, production of burning smell and engage too quickly)
• A continuous variable transmission should be checked for 
• Jerky engagement
• Rattling
• Slipping and
• loud whining noise while cruising
  

• Steering
• The steering system allows the driver to guide the vehicle.
• The steering wheel is connected, via the steering column and a series of pivoted joints, to the suspension system.
• The steering system also requires precise adjustment, as any looseness in the joints can make the steering dangerous
• The steering systems should be inspected:
• at 80,000 km
• as part of annual service
• if tires are replaced or brakes are serviced
• whenever  oil and filters are changed

• Symptoms of faulty steering and/or suspension include
• Nose dives, squats or rolls
• Bottom out
• Bouncing over bumps
• Bumpy ride
• Bump steer
• Over steer / under steer
• Hard steering
• Loose steering
• Car pulls to one side when driving
• Steering wheel jerks
• Steering wheel vibrates
• Steering wheel wobbles
• Noises while turning a corner
• Noises from the power steering unit
• One low corner
• The steering and suspension systems should be checked annually or bi-anually
  

• Engine belts and hoses
• The belts in a vehicle's engine drive components as the air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, alternator and water pump.
• Belts wear and tear over time, and a belt's failure could mean serious damage to the engine or its systems.
• Listen for squealing sounds from the engine when driving. These sounds likely mean one or more belts are worn, loose or damaged.  
• Check belts for signs of wear. This can be done by visually inspect the belts. This is done by pinching, squeezing and twisting them and looking for cracks, fraying, splits or brittle places
• On a serpentine belt visual inspection gives an idea about missing grooves or places where the belt's layers have separated.
• Belts should be checked for places where the rubber is slick or glazed in appearance. Slick spots can cause a belt to slip and may be precursors to overheating and cracking. 
• Pulleys should be inspected for a buildup of rubber deposits, as well as worn spots that could catch the belt and cause it to break. 
• The belts' alignment on the pulleys should be inspected if they line up straight on the pulleys. The belts should  regularly  checked for tension

•  Engine noise
• The following  tests are conducted  to address the problem of engine noise using a engine analyser or dynamo-meter
• Noise level 85 dB
• Vibration
• Leakage
• Missing washers
  
• Performance of engine
  

• Road side emergency / First aid kit
• The  vehicle  must be equipped with a first  aid kit to deal  with (provide first aid) in case of any road side emergency
  
• Windshield washer
• Windshield washing fluid should  be available in order to clean the windshield of any dirt that might accumulate on the windshield during the journey due to dust, mist, fog or rainfall
  
• Coolant level
• The driver should  ensure that sufficient coolant is available inn the coolant tankk in  the engine
• Moreover, the amount of  coolant available should be correctly indicated on the instrument panel
  
• Brake fluid level
• Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic brake and hydraulic clutch applications in vehicles. It is used to transfer force into pressure, and to amplify braking force. 
• Vaporization is a problem because vapor is highly compressible relative to liquid, and therefore negates the hydraulic transfer of braking force which will result in the brakes failing to stop the vehicle.
• For reliable and consistent brake system operation, brake fluid must maintain a constant viscosity under a wide range of temperatures, including extreme hot and cold
• Brake fluid with the wrong viscosity can have fatal consequences for the function of modern brake systems.
• Brake fluid should be tested for water and copper content. Electronic testers and test strips are commercially available to measure both moisture and copper content.  
• Brake fluid is crucial to the safe operation of a vehicle
• Brake fluid a part of regular maintenance routine of a vehicle and should be replaced when necessary
  
• Power steering fluid level
• Power steering makes steering and parking easy
  
•  The amount of power steering fluid is checked by mechanic during tune-up time
• The amount of power steering fluid shoulld be checked when the engine is cold.
• The reservoir that holds your power steering fluid can be found under the hood. It is usually located at the passenger's side of the vehicle.
• It is present in a heavy-duty plastic reservoir, which easily allows checking the fluid level without opening the container
• If the fluid is less, the container should be filled after ensuring that there is no leak
  
• Leak check
•  Small pools or leaks under the vehicle may indicate a number of problem
• Blackish, greasy leaks under the engine area are typically oil
• The leak might also be around the oil drain plug or crankcase and oil pan
• Thick, dark, oily leaks may mean a gear oil leak from a manual transmission, differential, an axle, or the steering gears and should be checked right away.
• Slippery, watery leaks that are green, red, blue, or yellow and coming from under the engine or radiator are likely to be coolant which require the radiator, pressure cap, engine, and hoses to be checked for leaks.
• Oily leaks that are a reddish color or clear and located toward the front could be power steering fluid.
• Light-colored or clear leaks could be brake fluid. Leaky brakes need immediate professional repair.
• Battery acid leaks typically have an odor like rotten eggs. Avoid contact with battery acid and have the battery replaced.
• Fuel leaks are usually recognizable by the gasoline smell. In this case, inspect around the fuel pump and the fuel injectors. If the leak seems to be under the center of the vehicle, it may be the fuel lines, or if it is closer to back, it could be the fluid tank