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Prediction models have been extensively used in the field of road safety. However, none of these models have yet been particularly applied to injuries related to zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs), which may lead to different outcomes due to their inaudible engines. Using an optimisable classification tree, the aim of this first-ever study was to predict the likelihood of personal injury severities stemming from EV-related crashes on Britain's roads. The prediction model was found to be capable of detecting significant and insignificant factors. These factors provide important insights into how the severity of injuries could be reduced in the future deployment of EVs. Although there was an increased risk for injuries classified as 'slight severity', particularly at lower urban speed limits, several predictors are suggesting that EVs do not pose more of a risk to a certain group. Contrary to popular belief, no convincing evidence was found to suggest that eco-friendly EVs are 'silent killers' for vulnerable road users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of natural river silt treated as a 'waste material' has become the focus of research in the Yellow River flooded area, especially in the field of highway engineering. It is therefore of great significance to study the deformation and stiffness degradation of Yellow River silt (YRS) under long-term cyclic loads. To this end, a series of undrained cyclic triaxial tests on YRS for a large number of cycles (10 000) was carried out using a triaxial apparatus and the effects of confining pressure and cyclic stress ratio on the resilient strain of the YRS were explored. The critical cyclic stress and the critical cyclic stress ratio between the plastic shakedown state and incremental collapse state of the YRS were determined, and the modulus-softening behaviour of the YRS was assessed. The results of this study not only provide theoretical support for the long-term engineering performance of YRS, but also provide theoretical guidance for the cyclic response of all similar types of subgrade soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]