This report compiles the results from the project Theme Environmental risks. More specifically, the project concerned how different transport related environmental risks influence different road users and how their behaviour influence the environment. The project aimed at preparing for interdisciplinary research about environmental risks at VTI. The project was divided into three parts. The first subproject aimed at compiling literature about transport related environmental risks from psychological and economic perspectives, and in the second subproject a willingness to pay study was outlined where both economic and psychological principles were considered. In the third subproject, a simulator study was outlined. The focus was to study environmental effects of driving under controlled circumstances in the driving simulator. The report is divided into two parts. In part 1, the results from the literature review and the proposal for a willingness to pay study are described (subproject 1 and 2). This part is written in English. Part 2 contains a project outline for a simulator study in the form of an research project application (project 3). This part is written in Swedish.

VTI has observed seat belt use in a number of towns in Central Sweden since 1983. In the original selection of measuring sites, the emphasis was placed on heavily trafficked roundabouts with both through traffic and local traffic. The intention from the beginning was to study passenger cars with back seat passengers since it was expected that these would be affected by a seat belt law a few years later. The observations last year were made over a total of nine days in August-September 2007, approximately one day per measuring point. The total number of vehicles observed was over 58,200 passenger cars and 5,700 other vehicles. When VTI commenced its measurement series in 1983, seat belt use by adult passengers in the back seat was a modest 10%. It increased in one jump to 60% when the law on seat belt use by adults in the car as a whole came into force on 1 July 1986. Today, about 80% of all adult back seat passengers use a belt. The corresponding level for children in the back seat has been consistently about 10-15 percentage points higher, maybe even more last years. In 2007, 94% of all children in the back seat wore a seat belt.

Syftet med Vintermodellen är att beräkna och värdera de väsentligaste konsekvenserna för trafikanter, väghållare och samhälle av olika strategier och åtgärder inom vinterväghållningen. Huvudrapporten är i sig en sammanfattning av de rapporter som beskriver Vintermodellens olika delmodeller. Navet i Vintermodellen är Väglagsmodellen, som utgående från väderdata, vidtagna väghållningsåtgärder och trafik beräknar väglaget timme för timme under vintersäsongen. Väglagsmodellen styr beräkningarna i de olika effektmodellerna: Olycksmodellen, Framkomlighetsmodellen, Fordonskostnadsmodellen, Miljömodellen och Modellen för väghållarkostnader. I Olycksmodellen beräknas olyckskvoter, olyckstyper och konsekvenser, allt kopplat till olika väglag och deras varaktigheter.

I Framkomlighetsmodellen beräknas olika väglags effekt på medelhastigheter och restider.

I Fordonskostnadsmodellen beräknas kostnader för bränsleförbrukning och korrosion på grund av vägsalt.

I Miljömodellen beräknas konsekvenserna för vägnära vegetation av vägsalt.

I Modellen för väghållarkostnader beräknas dels direkta kostnader för åtgärderna, dels kostnader för skador och slitage på beläggning, vägmarkeringar etc. som följd av vinterväghållningsåtgärder.

The aim of the Winter Model is to estimate and put a value on the most important impacts of the strategies and measures in winter road management for road users, road management authorities and society at large. The main report itself is a summary of the reports that describe the submodels in the Winter Model. The hub of the model is the Road Condition Model which, on the basis of weather data, undertaken road management measures and traffic, calculates road conditions hour by hour during the winter season. The Road Condition Model controls calculations in the effect models: Accident Model, Accessibility Model, Vehicle Cost Model, Environment Model and Model for Road Management Costs. The Accident Model calculates accident rates, accident types and consequences, all coupled with different road conditions and their duration. The Accessibility Model calculates the effect of different road conditions on mean speeds and trip times. The Vehicle Cost Model calculates the costs of fuel consumption and corrosion due to road salt. The Environment Model calculates the impacts on roadside vegetation due to road salt. The Model for Road Management Costs calculates both the direct costs of the measures and the costs of damage to, and wear of, road surfacing, road markings etc as a result of road management measures.

Tunnels for road and street traffic become increasingly important for  transport provisions, primarily in large cities. Currently, there are in  Stockholm and Gothenburg high-volume tunnels in the primary road network. In  addition, many new tunnels will soon be finalised or are planned both in  Stockholm and Gothenburg. The exhaust emissions in road tunnels may not  exceed certain limits. Road tunnels are equipped with ventilation systems to  make sure that limits for air quality are not exceeded, primarily emissions  of NO2. The ventilation systems are dimensioned using data on maximum  expected emissions per unit of time. VTI has obtained a commission from the  Swedish National Road Administration (SNRA) to develop a model for  calculation of exhaust emissions in tunnels, which in addition shall take  into account oversaturated conditions. 

Currently, SNRA has no satisfactory  model for calculations at hourly level. The objective of the development  effort has been to formulate a calculation model for travel speeds and  emissions in motorway tunnels, to be used when tunnel ventilation systems are  dimensioned. For a complete structure, the model shall provide individual  tunnel tube emission data for hourly traffic, split upon homogenous - from  the viewpoint of traffic engineering - road links and ventilation segments.  This report describes the results of the development project for calculation  of emissions in tunnels. The completed model comprises two parts, one for  calculation of speed and corresponding hourly flow at given demand level and  one for calculation of emissions, using hourly flows and speed as input data.  For each part, there is a computer program with user manual. Test runs of the  model for some basic typical tunnel cases, has been carried out to illustrate  the results of the total model. The total emissions of NOx (kg/km) as a  function of traffic flow have been calculated for different degree of traffic  load. In addition, the model has been validated by comparisons of calculated  NOx values from the model with measured NOx values in three different  tunnels: the Gnistäng tunnel and the Tingstad tunnel in Gothenburg and the  Southern Route tunnel in Stockholm.

På uppdrag av Vägverket Region Mälardalen har Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut (VTI) studerat effekten av vidtagna åtgärder på gatunätet i fem tätorter. De effekter som studerats har gällt säkerheten, framkomligheten, gas-, partikel- och bulleremissioner från biltrafiken, Vidare har trafikanternas uppfattning om vidtagna åtgärder och deras effekter följts upp. Detta har gjorts via enkäter. De åtgärder som vidtogs var sådana som reducerade bilarnas hastigheter och minskade de oskyddade trafikanternas exponeringssträcka. Cirkulationsplatser, cykelbanor och refuger anlades. På en plats testades en cirkulationsplats med tredimensionellt målad rondell. Andra åtgärder som vidtogs var att upphöja gång-/cykelöverfarter, förbättra belysningen vid gång- och cykelpassager. Platserna videofilmades. Detta material låg till grund för bedömning av trafiksäkerhetseffekten, trafikanträkningar och bestämning av bilarnas hastigheter i punkter där oskyddade trafikanter korsade gatan. Slangmätningar utfördes för att komma åt vägval och restider. Bilarnas körförlopp kartlades på en plats via ”förföljelsebil”. Bilarnas gas- och partikelemissioner beräknades med den s.k. VETOmodellen. Modell användes också för att beräkna åtgärdernas effekt på trafikbullret.

By commission of the Mälardalen Region of the Swedish National Road Administration, the Swedish Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) studied the effect of improvements to streets in five towns. The effects studied related to safety, accessibility, emissions of gases, particulates and noise by vehicles. The views of road users regarding the improvements and their effects were also examined. This was done via questionnaire surveys. The improvements were intended to reduce vehicle speeds and the distance over which vulnerable road users were exposed to vehicular traffic. Roundabouts, cycle tracks and refuges were constructed. At one site a roundabout with a traffic island painted so as to give a three dimensional impression was tested. Other improvement measures were raising of pedestrian/cycle crossings, improvement of lighting at pedestrian and cycle crossings. The sites were videoed. This material was used as the basis in assessing the traffic safety effect, counting road users and determining vehicle speeds at points where vulnerable road users crossed the street. Pneumatic tube measurements were made to determine route choice and journey times. At one site, the driving patterns of vehicles were surveyed via a pursuit vehicle. The gas and particulate emissions of vehicles were calculated with the VETO model. This model was also used to calculate the effect of the improvements on traffic noise.  

Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut (VTI) har studerat effekten av vidtagna åtgärder på gatunätet i fem stycken tätorter. De effekter som studerats har varit säkerheten, framkomligheten och miljöpåverkan (som effekt av gas-, partikel- och bulleremissioner). De åtgärder som vidtogs var fysiska åtgärder med huvudsakligt syfte att reducera fordonens hastigheter och att minska de oskyddade trafikanternas exponeringssträcka. Korsningar höjdes upp, gator smalnades av eller sidoförsköts, olika typer av beläggningar anlades i syfte att förstärka upplevelsen av ett mindre gatuutrymme. Före- och efterstudier genomfördes. Platserna videofilmades. Resultatet av detta låg till grund för bedömningen av säkerhetseffekten och för framkomlighets- och flödesbestämning. Det filmade materialet användes också för att bestämma fordonens hastighetsfördelning på gång- och cykelöverfarter. Bilarnas körförlopp studerades med hjälp av förföljelsebil i några av platserna för att bland annat bestämma åtgärdens hastighetseffekt längs gatan. Bilarnas gas- och partikelemissioner beräknades med den s.k. VETO-modellen. Modell användes också för att förbestämma åtgärdens effekt på trafikbullret. Attitydundersökning genomfördes i platserna för att komma åt trafikanternas uppfattning om åtgärderna.

The Swedish Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) has studied the effects of measures taken on the street network in five towns. The effects studied were safety, trafficability and environmental impact (as the effect of gas, particle and noise emissions). The measures taken were physical measures with the principal purpose of reducing vehicle speeds and reducing the distance over which pedestrians and cyclists were exposed. The levels of intersections were raised, pinch points or chicanes were constructed along streets, different types of surfacings were laid in order to reinforce the perception of a reduced street space. Before and after studies were performed. The sites were videoed. The results of this formed the basis for assessing the safety effect and determining trafficability and vehicle flows. The video footage was also used to determine the speed distribution of vehicles on pedestrian and cycle crossings. The driving pattern of vehicles was studied with the help of the pursuit vehicle at some of the sites in order to determine the speed reducing effect of the measures along the street. The gas and particle emissions of vehicles were estimated using the VETO model. This model was also used to make an advance estimate of the effect of the measures on traffic noise. Attitude surveys were conducted at the sites to determine the opinions of road users concerning the measures.

A PC program named EMV has been developed for describing total exhaust emissions from road traffic on a national or regional level. The model is used by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish National Road Administration for reporting and monitoring total exhaust emissions from road traffic. The program is specially designed to evaluate changes relating to traffic, the vehicle fleet and use of different fuel types and fuel qualities.

Ett PC-program benämnt EMV har utvecklats för beskrivning av totala avgasutsläpp från vägtrafiken på nationell eller regional nivå. Modellen används bl.a. av Naturvårdsverket och Vägverket för redovisning och uppföljning av vägtrafikens totala avgasutsläpp.