The paper is focused on the influence of driving behaviour on fuel consumption and the subsequent environmental impacts. The main issue is to estimate the economic and environmental costs connected with the forced deceleration or stopping and the subsequent acceleration of a motor vehicle in urban traffic. Authors introduce a physical model of a vehicle with variable parameters that allows the calculation of economic and ecological losses in congestions on the basis of data generated by an arbitrary floating car. The losses include the lost kinetic energy of a vehicle during the forced braking, accelerated degradation of vehicle components, the loss of time of drivers and passengers and the increased ecological footprint. Energetic costs are estimated from the vehicle engine efficiency with which the fuel energy is transformed during an acceleration to kinetic energy of a vehicle lost during braking. Further, these costs are estimated from fuel calorific value and fuel price. Costs resulting from the degradation of vehicle components are estimated from their average stated lifetime.
The article deals with the issue of vegetation, particularly mature vegetation, along transport routes. Since rather heated discussions on this topic have recently appeared, particularly in relation to road safety, the authors of this article decided to present this issue in wider context and from various viewpoints. The starting point for this issue is mentioned in the introduction. The next part deals with the history of planting tree alleys in the Czech Republic. Subsequently, a brief summary of advantages and drawbacks of mature vegetation along transport routes is presented. The next part of the article discusses the environmental bases and, last but not least, the article deals with the impact of mature vegetation on road safety.
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