A Social Network Analysis of Alcohol-Impaired Drivers in Maryland: An Egocentric Approach

In Maryland, about 40 percent of highway fatalities are related to drunk-driving. Although various programs are in place to curb the incidence of alcohol-related fatalities, success has not been significant.

In the past decade, researchers, in particular sociologists and applied anthropologists, have become more inclined towards social network analysis (SNA) in understanding human behavior. They consider that personal, household, and social-structural attributes are manifested in human behavior. In order to have effective change in personal behavior, it is important to understand the social network of the individuals in addition to their personal and household attributes.

A social network is defined as a group of social actors who interrelate or exchange information with one another. The study of an actor with SNA provides a better understanding on how an actor of particular characteristics communicates between and among the members within the network.

This study attempts to understand

• the personal, household, and social structural attributes of alcohol-impaired drivers of Maryland;
• how communication and activity-travel patterns emerge from social networks; and
• how change in knowledge level in networks influences or modifies behavior.

The study will use the egocentric network approach, relying on survey research to unveil the underlying social structure of first-time DWI offenders.

This approach concentrates on specific actors (alcohol-impaired drivers: called egos), and those who have relations with them, called alters (Carrasco et. al., 2006). It requires data composed of two-levels: i) drivers’ characteristics and overall network features; and ii) an ego-alter level, constituted by the characteristics of each alter and alter-ego ties with reference to drinking episodes.

Impaired-drivers will be interviewed with a structured questionnaire. After assessing their frequency of activity-travel with reference to social hours or drinking, we will select one alter with the highest frequency of activity-travel with the ego with regards to social drinking for an additional interview. The selected alters will be interviewed with a separate questionnaire that is relatively shorter than the egos’ questionnaire.

Index Terms: Impaired drivers, aggressive behavior, aggressive drivers, accident rates, accident severity, accidents, highway safety, Maryland, research projects

Start date: August 8, 2008
End date: August 31, 2009
Status: Active
Contract/Grant Number: SP808B4E
Total Dollars: 193,419
Source Organization: Maryland Department of Transportation
Date Added: October 26, 2007

Sponsoring Organizations:
Maryland State Highway Administration
707 N. Calvert Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

Morgan State University
National Center for Transportation Management, Research and Development
Montebello D-206
1700 E. Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21251

Performing Organization:
Morgan State University
National Center for Transportation Management, Research and Development

Project Managers:
Hua Xiang
Phone: 410- 545-2953
Email: hxiang@sha.state.md.us

Liza Aguila-Lemaster
Phone: 410- 787-4076
Email: laguilalemaster@sha.state.md.us

Principal Investigators:
Ashraf Ahmed
Email: ashraf.ahmed@morgan.edu

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Trip Generation Studies for Special Generators

The main resource for determining how many vehicle trips will be added on to surrounding roadways as a result of new development is the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual.
 
This manual contains rates from a composite of trip generation studies across the country. It is updated approximately every five years, and new data is incorporated in the form of additional studies or new land use types.

Although this resource is widely accepted as the standard for trip generation, it has several weaknesses.

• Since the manual draws from studies across the country, the rates may not accurately reflect what happens here in Maryland.
• In addition, it is difficult for the manual to keep up with new or unusual land use practices.

Some land uses that we have identified as being inadequately represented by ITE are town center (with or without transit access) and retirement or senior (55+) housing developments. The main objective of this research is to determine the effects of the two aforementioned special generators on surrounding roadways and nearby transit.

Index Terms: trip generation, Institute of Transportation Engineers, vehicle trips, retirement, housing, senior housing, suburban town centers, Maryland, research projects

Start date: February 27, 2008
End date: February 7, 2009
Status: Active
Contract/Grant Number: SP808B4J
Total Dollars: 157,645
Source Organization: Maryland Department of Transportation
Date Added: March 13, 2008

Sponsoring Organizations:
Maryland State Highway Administration
707 N Calvert Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
 
Morgan State University
National Center for Transportation Management, Research and Development
Montebello D-206
1700 E. Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21251

Performing Organization:
Morgan State University
National Center for Transportation Management, Research and Development

Project Managers:
Hua Xiang
Phone: 410-545-2953
Email: hxiang@sha.state.md.us

Lisa Shemer

Principal Investigator:
Mansoureh Jeihani
Phone: 443-885-1873
Fax: 443-885-8324
Email: mansoureh.jeihani@morgan.edu

Subjects:
Operations and Traffic Management
Planning
Highways

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The Influence of Custodial Care of Children Among Elderly African Americans on Their Travel Behavior and Transportation Needs

This project analyzes the increasing trend of elderly-headed households who have partial or sole custody of children under the age of eighteen. The analysis will allow for a better understanding of this often-neglected group, who typically relies on public transportation or the transportation assistance of others.

To provide a better understanding of their travel behavior and travel needs, data from the 2002 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) will be analyzed, exploring variables such as age, gender, race, income, region of the country, and household structure.

The project will also examine a variety of travel descriptors such travel mode, person trips, vehicle trips, and both work and non-work trips.

In addition, we will conduct research on elderly focus groups who are engaged in "second parenthoods" in Baltimore City in order to understand how "second parenthoods" affect their travel behavior and needs, and the new transportation technologies that may be necessary in order to meet their needs.

Lastly, limited comparisons will be made controlling for household structure, between the travel behaviors of otherwise comparable groups at different lifecycle stages.

Start Date: July 1, 2007
End Date: December 31, 2008
Status: Active
Contract/Grant Number: 0608-002

Sponsoring Organization:
National Center for Transportation Management, Research, and Development
Morgan State University

Performing Organization:
National Center for Transportation Management, Research, and Development
Morgan State University

Principal Investigators:
Robert J. Smith, Ph.D.
Phone: 443-885-3494

Stella Hargett, Ph.D.
Phone: 443-885-3411

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Implementation of the Concrete Maturity Meter for Maryland

The study “Use of Maturity Meters in Concrete Acceptance” evaluates different types of maturity technologies and the ability of lab-developed correlation curves to predict the strength of the same concrete mix on subsequent projects.

The preliminary results have shown that the maturity concept is viable and that correlation curves can accurately estimate in-place concrete strength.

This study will be to develop a specification that will allow the use of the maturity meter method in Maryland.

Start date: September 25, 2008
End date: September 30, 2009
Status: Active
Contract/Grant Number: SP708B4K
Total Dollars: $30,069
Source Organization: Maryland Department of Transportation
Date Added: February 27, 2007

Index Terms: concrete, concrete strength, concrete maturity, concrete maturity predictions, concrete mixtures, Maryland, maturity meters, research projects

Sponsoring Organizations:
Maryland State Highway Administration
2323 West Joppa Road
Brooklandville, MD 21022

National Center for Transportation Management, Research and Development
Morgan State University, Montebello D-206
1700 East Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21251

Project Managers:
Hua Xiang
Phone: 410- 545-2953
Email: hxiang@sha.state.md.us

Rodney Wynn
Phone: 410-545-2918
Fax: 410-209-5015
Email: rwynn@sha.state.md.us

Performing Organization:
Morgan State University
School of Engineering
Cold Spring Lane and Hillen Road
Baltimore, MD 21239
 
Principal Investigator:
Robert Johnson
robert.johnson@morgan.edu
 
Subjects:
Construction
Materials
Research
Highways