• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2017

Each year, a number of tourists visit Jeju Island, a popular tourist destination in the Republic of Korea. A large portion of the tourists (about 61%) use a rental car as a means of transportation. With this reason, the number of rental cars registered in Jeju was 15,517 in 2011, while the total number of the rental car has rapidly increased to 26,338 in 2015. For the same period, the number of rental car involved traffic accidents has been doubled. Thus, this study aims to analyze the rental car accidents' characteristics, clarifying primary factors related to rental car accidents in Jeju Island. To do this, 918 rental car accidents and 4,201 non-commercial passenger car accidents that occurred in Jeju island over the two years (2014-2015) were compared, using statistical methods such as chi-square test and z-test. The results show that the characteristics of rental car involved accidents are different from those caused by the passenger cars. Most of the rental car accidents in Jeju were caused by young drivers and drivers who had just obtained their driver's licenses. This study finds that driver immaturity, unfamiliar geography, and driving an unfamiliar vehicle are the main causes of the rental car accidents. Statistical analysis confirms that the characteristics of these accidents appeared significantly different from the passenger cars in terms of human and environmental factors. On the other hand, there is no clear evidence that vehicle-related characteristics are different between rental car and non-commercial passenger car accidents. The implications on transportation safety analysis and effective solutions to prevent rental car traffic accidents are discussed.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.155-163
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• 2012

At present the letter sizes of traffic sign are variously designated as 22 cm through 60 cm, however the basis for determination has not been found so far. Driver's visual acuity for getting a driver licence is required higher than 0.5. In order to interpret the information of traffic signs effectively, the minimum requirement of driver's visual acuity must be applied to determine the letter size of traffic sign. Therefore we reviewed that a driver with visual acuity of 0.5 could read the current letter sizes of traffic sign. In addition, a methodology was developed to determine the letter size of traffic sign satisfied with the driver's visual acuity of 0.5. This study established scenarios that were composed of visual acuity, reaction time, the number of lane and the letter sizes of traffic sign for each scenario were proposed. Current letter size of traffic sign would not be difficult for drivers with minimum visual acuity of 0.5 to recognize the contents or information of traffic signs. The method developed in this research has an advantage that can consider a human factor like driver's visual acuity for the design of traffic signs. There is also a meaning of making a basis for the letter size of traffic sign.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.543-550
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• 2021

Recently, there has been an increase of accidents related to the rise in the use of Personal Mobility Vehicle (PMV). To solve this problem, the National Assembly announced an amendment that restricted the use of PMV to bicycle roads and to prohibited for people under 13 years old to use PMV, but there is no detailed information about travel speed and safety. In this study, a survey was conducted by dividing the group into minors and adults based on the age of obtaining a driver's license to find out the direction of improvement of laws and systems about PMV. Our results showed that adults considered PMV as more dangerous (Adults 5.50, Minors 4.94) and the suggested age for PMV use was lower from minors than adults (Adults 15.70, Minors 13.85). We found that proper travel speed on bicycle roads differed according to the presence of a driveway (Driveway 26.21 km/h, Non-Driveway 23.55 km/h) and minors had higher a travel speed than adults on all types of bicycle road. Also, Helmets for PMV were seen as the most important safety equipment on all types of bicycle road. and the importance of other safety equipment differed according to the presence of a driveway (Driveway Front-Lighting, Non-Driveway Car Horn). Through this study, It proposes that we have to make new regulations about the use of front lights and horns, as well as enforcement measures that differentiate the speed on each bicycle road type as a way to improve the laws and systems for PMV.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2020

Alcohol, which can easily be obtained in the same way as ordinary beverages, is harmful enough to cause death due to excessive drinking and chronic alcohol intake, so it is important to maintain a proper amount of drinking and healthy drinking habits. In addition, the incidence of behavioral disturbances and impaired judgments that can be caused by chronic alcohol drinking of more than adequate amounts of alcohol is also significant. Accordingly it is very useful for forensic science to check whether the person involved is drunken or is alcoholism state in various accidents. Currently, in Korea, alcohol consumption is determined by detecting the level of alcohol or alcohol metabolism 'ethyl glucuronide (EtG)' in blood or urine samples. However, analysis of alcohol or EtG in blood or urine can only provide information about the current state of alcohol consumption because of a narrow window of detection time. Therefore, it is important to analyze the EtG as a long-term direct alcohol metabolite bio-marker in human hair and to investigate relationship between alcohol consumption and EtG concentration for the evaluation of chronic ethanol consumption. In this study, we established an analytical method for the detection of EtG in Korean hair efficiently and validated selectivity, linearity, limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantification (LOQ), matrix effect, recovery, process efficiency, accuracy and precision using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In addition, the assay performance was evaluated in Korean social drinker's hair and the postmortem hair of a chronic alcoholism. The results of this study can be useful in monitoring the alcohol abuse of Korean in clinical cases and legal procedures related to custody and provide a useful tool to evaluate postmortem diagnosis of alcoholic ketoacidosis in forensics.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.41
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• pp.387-408
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• 2014

South Korea already became an aging society, and is now in the process of becoming an aged society. With increasing elderly population, elderly safety issues such as traffic accidents and elderly suicides are becoming important problems. Elderly victimization are increasing, and elderly safety accident is also becoming an imporotant social problem. The police is doing various activities for elderly safety. The police is conducting programs for the elderly, such as a prevention program for fraud against elderly, and safety checks and traffic safety education for preventing elderly traffic accidents. Also, there's a program of providing regular visits for a lone elderly, expansion of CCTV network and fingerprint registration to prevent elderlies with Alzheimer's disease going missing. However, these programs are not done on a national scale, but rather limited to local police stations. The purpose of this study is to seek police roles for enhancing elderly safety, due to lack of police activity in this area. Recommendation for police roles in enhancing elderly safety is to first conduct routine crackdowns on fraud against elderly and also conduct education programs for preventing fraud. Also, crimes such as elderly abuse is lead by elderly protection agencies, but considering elderly abuse is a crime, the police should take a leading role. Also, to prevent elderly suicide, meticulous management of elderlies with high suicide risk is necessary, and elderly protection areas should be designated to prevent traffic accidents. Also, elderlies should be induced to turn in their driver's license. To conduct these matters of elderly safety, an organization exclusively charged with elderly safety is necessary. Elderly safety is a broad concept, and since police alone cannot handle the task of ensuring elderly safety, the police should take on a leading role in cooperative efforts with various institutions of the government, non-profit organizations and the community to establish a social saftey net for elderly safety.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.107-126
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• 2002

Health sub-centers(HSCs) have played an important role in primary health care in rural area in Korea. The unification of neighboring HSCs was a strategy to improve the role of HSCs. This study was conducted to reveal the efficacy of the unified HSC established in Yangbuk-myeon, Gyeongju-si in1997. The utilization patterns of HSC and its related factors, and satisfaction of consumer on HSC were compared before and after unification of two HSCs in Gampo-eup, Yangnam-myeon using questionnaire survey, and also the statistics of medical care services and public health services were compared. Four hundred forty nine subjects were questioned in survey, 156 from Gampo-eup, 147 from Yangbuk-myeon, and 146 from Yangnam-myeon. Following unification, the utilization rates and the frequency of visits in Gampo-eup declined. In all three areas, chronic illness was the common factor influencing the utilization and change in frequency of visits to the unified HSC. Following unification, aspects of consumer satisfaction, for example; accessibility and affordability decreased in Gampo-eup, but increased in both Yangbuk-myeon and Yangnam-myeon. The statistics relating to medical care, X-ray examination, home visiting service, vaccination, and health education showed an increase for the unified HSC when compared to the sum of the statistics for the previous two. The execution rates for other public health services were the same, or a little decreased. Clinical laboratory examinations and the issuing of civil affair documents were new services offered by the unified HSC. It is concluded, the overall consumer satisfaction with the unified HSC was improved. In Gampo-eup, where after unification there was no HSC, it seemed to be a barrier to accessing the unified HSC. The effect of the unified HSC, in the respect of medical care and public health services, was not as significant as expected at the time of being established. Therefore, the strategies to reenforce the unified HSC should be developed to provide all residents with comprehensive primary health care services.