The role of safety in modal choice and shift: A transport expert perspective in the state of Victoria (Australia).

Background: Previous research showed differences in the exposure to risk from using different modes of transport and that modal choice can significantly impact road safety outcomes. Though, a modal shift to a safer mode is not commonly discussed as part of road safety strategies.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the perspectives of transport policymakers about the role of safety in modal choice and if it can be one of the main factors for modal choice and shift.

Quantifying the Foregone Benefits of Intelligent Speed Assist Due to the Limited Availability of Speed Signs across Three Australian States.

By being able to communicate the speed limit to drivers using speed sign recognition cameras, Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) is expected to bring significant road safety gains through increased speed compliance. In the absence of complete digital speed maps and due to limited cellular connectivity throughout Australia, this study estimated the forgone savings of ISA in the event that speed signs are solely relied upon for optimal advisory ISA function. First, speed-related fatalities and serious injuries (FSI) in the Australian states of Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland (2013-2018) were identified, and published effectiveness estimates of ISA were applied to determine the potential benefits of ISA.

Restraint Use for Child Occupants in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The overall objective of the current study was to investigate the behaviours and knowledge of parents/carers in relation to safe child occupant travel in the Emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A community survey was completed by 786 participants who were responsible for the safety of 1614 children (aged 10 years and younger). The survey included questions related to the type, frequency and appropriateness of restraint use for their eldest child.

Low speed limits in residential areas in Melbourne, Australia.

This study set out to provide pretrial data for use in evaluating the benefits of lower speed limits in a local residential area in Melbourne. An online survey was conducted to assess community views among residents to the proposed trial on a number of relevant issues, along with speed measurements at more than 70 road sites in the region. The findings showed a degree of support for reducing the speed in local streets in the trial region, even though most respondents thought the current speed limit (40 km/h, 25 mph) was about right.

The extent of backover collisions internationally.

This study reports good consistency in international comparisons of the number and severity of backover crashes. More than half occurred to pedestrians aged 60 years and older. Children less than 9 years comprised 5% of these crashes with a similar percent aged 10 to 19 years.

Medical review licensing outcomes in drivers with visual field loss in Victoria, Australia.

Background: Good vision is essential for safe driving and studies have associated visual impairment with an increased crash risk. Currently, there is little information about the medical review of drivers with visual field loss. This study examines the prevalence of visual field loss among drivers referred for medical review in one Australian jurisdiction and investigates factors associated with licence outcome in this group.

An evaluation of the red-light camera programme in the city of Dammam, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of red-light cameras in Dammam, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two methods were used to assess changes in crash risk at the intersections at which the red-light camera programme had been operating. Geospatial analysis was used to visualize trends in road crash density over the geographical region of Dammam and a pre--post-camera crash analysis was undertaken.

Restraint use in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: This study set out to examine seat belt and child restraint use in the Dammam Municipality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, based on the premise that an increase in seat belt use would significantly reduce personal injury in traffic crashes. It was expected that local data would help identify intervention strategies necessary to improve seat belt use in the region.

Methods: The research involved 2 methodologies.

Effectiveness of motorcycle antilock braking systems (ABS) in reducing crashes, the first cross-national study.

Objectives: This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of motorcycle antilock braking systems (ABS) in reducing real-life crashes. Since the European Parliament has voted on legislation making ABS mandatory on all new motorcycles over 125 cc from 2016, the fitment rate in Europe is likely to increase in the coming years. Though previous research has focused on mostly large displacement motorcycles, this study used police reports from Spain (2006-2009), Italy (2009), and Sweden (2003-2012) in order to analyze a wide range of motorcycles, including scooters, and compare countries with different motorcycling habits.

Evaluation of the benefits of vehicle safety technology: the MUNDS study.

Real-world retrospective evaluation of the safety benefits of new integrated safety technologies is hampered by the lack of sufficient data to assess early reliable benefits. This MUNDS study set out to examine if a "prospective" case-control meta-analysis had the potential to provide more rapid and rigorous analyses of vehicle and infrastructure safety improvements. To examine the validity of the approach, an analysis of the effectiveness of ESC using a consistent analytic strategy across 6 European and Australasian databases was undertaken.

Injuries among powered two-wheeler users in eight European countries: a descriptive analysis of hospital discharge data.

Powered two-wheelers (PTWs--mopeds, motorcycles, and scooters) remain the most dangerous form of travel on today's roads. This study used hospital discharge data from eight European countries to examine the frequencies and patterns of injury among PTW users (age≥14 years), the predicted incidence of the loss of functional ability, and the mechanisms of the head injuries observed (all in light of increased helmet use). Of 977,557 injured patients discharged in 2004, 12,994 were identified as having been injured in PTW collisions.

Demographics, Velocity Distributions, and Impact Type as Predictors of AIS 4+ Head Injuries in Motor Vehicle Crashes.

The objective of the study was to determine differences between the United States-based NASS and CIREN and Australia-based ANCIS databases in occupant-, crash-, and vehicle-related parameters for AIS 4+ head injuries in motor vehicle crashes. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine roles of the change in velocity (DV), crash type (frontal, far-side, nearside, rear impact), seatbelt use, and occupant position, gender, age, stature, and body mass in cranial traumas. Belted and unbelted non-ejected occupant (age >16 years) data from 1997-2006 were used for the NASS and CIREN datasets, and 2000-2010 for ANCIS.

Modeling occupants in far-side impacts.

Unlabelled: Far-side impacts are not part of any regulated NCAP, FMVSS, or similar test regime despite accounting for 43 percent of the seriously injured persons and 30 percent of the harm in U.S. side impact crashes.

The Whitehorse NoFalls trial: effects on fall rates and injurious fall rates.

Background: the burden of falls and fall-related injuries among older adults is well established. Contention surrounds the effectiveness, and hence value, of multi-component fall prevention interventions delivered in the community.

Objective: using consensus-based analytic guidelines rather than time-to-first fall as the primary endpoint, the objective was to examine the effectiveness of the Whitehorse NoFalls trial on all falls, falls resulting in injury and falls requiring medical care to be sought.

Attitudes towards current and lowered speed limits in Australia.

The present study was concerned with gaining a greater understanding of the Australian community's attitudes towards both the current and proposed lower speed limits. An online survey was administered in four states (Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania), with a total of 4100 respondents recruited. The survey focussed on attitudes towards speed limits for four different road types, and the sample was stratified according to age, gender, and area of residence.

Cost-benefit analysis of an alcohol ignition interlock for installation in all newly registered vehicles.

Objective: This study conducted a cost-benefit analysis of an alcohol ignition interlock device in preventing alcohol-related fatalities and serious injuries when installed in all newly registered vehicles in Australia.

Methods: Benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) were calculated by comparing the benefits associated with the number of road injuries the interlock was predicted to save with the costs associated with installing the device in all newly registered vehicles. Four effectiveness levels were assumed for the interlock, given that the device was not expected to prevent 100 percent of alcohol-impaired driving.

Injury reduction opportunities of far side impact countermeasures.

Over 17,000 non-struck or far side occupants in side and rollover crashes are seriously or fatally injured annually in the US. Although no legal or rating tests exist for far side crashes, test methods including appropriate dummies as well as countermeasures have been recently suggested. The aim of this study was to establish the incidence and risk of injury / fatality as a function of vehicle change in velocity (Deltav) for the most frequent injuries of belted, far side occupants in side impacts.

The potential for automatic crash notification systems to reduce road fatalities.

This predictive study investigated the effectiveness of Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) systems in reducing road fatalities, due to enabling faster emergency medical services (EMS) notification times, and therefore, the earlier provision of treatment. The cost-effectiveness associated with fleet installation of ACN systems in Australia was also evaluated. A range of data sources were used to identify the range of road fatalities that ACN systems could potentially mitigate, with urban and rural crashes analyzed separately, due to the average EMS notification time being slower for rural areas.

Future directions for older driver research.

The Western world is facing a growing proportion of older drivers on our roads as the population ages and, with, it a likely increase in crashes involving seniors. This paper sets out to review what we know about older drivers and what is still unclear and in need of future knowledge and intervention. Issues related to crash epidemiology, licensing, medical fitness-to-drive, the role of new safety technology, and life after the car are briefly reviewed with the aim of identifying key areas for future research and action.

An Australasian model license reassessment procedure for identifying potentially unsafe drivers.

Most licensing jurisdictions in Australia currently employ age-based assessment programs as a means to manage older driver safety, yet available evidence suggests that these programs have no safety benefits. This paper describes a community referral-based model license re assessment procedure for identifying and assessing potentially unsafe drivers. While the model was primarily developed for assessing older driver fitness to drive, it could be applicable to other forms of driver impairment associated with increased crash risk.

How important is vehicle safety in the new vehicle purchase process?

Whilst there has been a significant increase in the amount of consumer interest in the safety performance of privately owned vehicles, the role that it plays in consumers' purchase decisions is poorly understood. The aims of the current study were to determine: how important vehicle safety is in the new vehicle purchase process; what importance consumers place on safety options/features relative to other convenience and comfort features, and how consumers conceptualise vehicle safety. In addition, the study aimed to investigate the key parameters associated with ranking 'vehicle safety' as the most important consideration in the new vehicle purchase.

Booster seat use by children aged 4-11 years: evidence of the need to revise current Australasian standards to accommodate overweight children.

Objective: To examine the relationship between child weight and vehicle booster seat usage in the context of current Australasian booster seat standards.

Design, Setting And Participants: Questionnaire survey conducted between February and April 2005. A convenience sample of parents with children aged 4-11 years in New South Wales and Victoria completed a questionnaire, reporting on the height and weight of their children and the nature of restraint devices used in the family vehicle.

Factors associated with the premature graduation of children into seatbelts.

This study investigated the factors associated with the premature graduation into seatbelts for Australian children aged 4-11 years. From 699 child restraint use questionnaires, 195 children were identified as meeting the booster seat height-weight criteria (height: 100-145 cm and weight: 14-26 kg). Of these children, 44% were correctly traveling in a booster seat, while 56% had been moved prematurely into a seatbelt.

Comparison of PMHS, WorldSID, and THOR-NT responses in simulated far side impact.

Injury to the far side occupant has been demonstrated as a significant portion of the total trauma in side impacts. The objective of the study was to determine the response of PMHS in far side impact configurations, with and without generic countermeasures, and compare responses to the WorldSID and THOR dummies. A far side impact buck was designed for a sled test system that included a center console and three-point belt system.

Driving responses of older and younger drivers in a driving simulator.

This paper reports the findings of a study of younger and older driver behaviour to hazardous traffic manoeuvres in a driving simulator. Hazardous situations on a highway and residential drive were studied and drivers' vision and vehicle performance responses were collected. While all drivers were able to avoid crashes, the finding that older drivers were consistently slower to fixate hazardous stimuli in the driving environment and were slower to respond presents a potentially serious road safety concern.