Centre for Automotive Safety Research reports
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing Centre for Automotive Safety Research reports by Author "Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin"
Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Open Access Annual performance indicators of enforced driver behaviours in South Australia, 2003(Centre for Automotive Safety Research, 2007) Wundersitz, Lisa Narelle; Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; Woolley, Jeremy Edwards; McLean, Jack; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)The Centre for Automotive Safety Research at the University of Adelaide was commissioned by the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure to produce a report quantifying performance indicators for selected enforced driver behaviours (drink driving, speeding, restraint use) in South Australia for the calendar year 2003. The total number of breath tests conducted in South Australia in 2003 was 11 percent lower than the level in 2002. However, mobile RBT was introduced for the first time, late in the year, and was found to be a better means of detecting drink drivers than static RBT. Also, spending on anti-drink driving publicity increased markedly in 2003. The year 2003 was significant for the reductions in speed limits introduced in South Australia. Total hours of speed detection decreased by 11 percent, however, due to a marked decrease in the hours of operation of speed cameras in the metropolitan area. The reduction in the use of highly efficient speed cameras was the likely explanation for a 27 percent reduction in the number of drivers charged with speeding offences in 2003. An evaluation of the effect of the reduction in the default urban speed limit revealed that speeds decreased on all roads affected by the change but also, by a smaller magnitude, on arterial roads on which the 60 km/h limit was maintained. Restraint offences increased slightly in 2003 but there were no observational surveys conducted to provide an indication of restraint wearing rates, and so the slight increase in offences could have been due to differences in enforcement. Males were again over-represented in restraint offences and in non-restrained vehicle occupants injured in crashes. The amount of money spent on publicity for restraint use in 2003 was significantly greater than previous years.Item Open Access Annual performance indicators of enforced driver behaviours in South Australia, 2004(Centre for Automotive Safety Research, 2007) Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; Woolley, Jeremy Edwards; Wundersitz, Lisa Narelle; McLean, Jack; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)The Centre for Automotive Safety Research at the University of Adelaide was commissioned by the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure to produce a report quantifying performance indicators for selected enforced driver behaviours (drink driving, speeding, restraint use) in South Australia for the calendar year 2004. The level of random breath testing (RBT) in South Australia in 2004 was higher than all previous years except 2002. An increase in the proportion of all tests conducted using mobile RBT led to an increase in the overall detection rate but interstate comparisons suggest the proportion of testing using mobile RBT should be increased. The abolition of the requirement for mobile RBT to be conducted only during ‘prescribed periods’ should aid this aim. There was a marked increase in the number of drivers detected speeding compared to 2003, which was due to the introduction of dual purpose red light/speed cameras. However, decreasing utilisation of conventional speed cameras in the metropolitan area meant that speed detections were still far fewer than those in 2000-02. No urban speed surveys were conducted in 2004 but rural surveys revealed that reductions in speeds on 60 km/h roads in 2003 were maintained in 2004. The number of restraint offences in 2004 was 15 percent lower than the number in 2003. The amount of publicity supporting restraint use was also lower than in 2003, although the budget was sufficient to support a mass media campaign in both metropolitan and rural areas.Item Open Access Development of peripheral vision tests for driver assessment(Centre for Automotive Safety Research, University of Adelaide, 2005) Burns, Nicholas Ralph; Kremer, S. M.; Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)In the interests of identifying older drivers at higher risk of crashing, with a view to restricting their driving, fitness to drive tests require development and validation. One particular test that makes claim for inclusion in any battery of fitness to drive tests is the Useful Field of View test (UFOV)1. UFOV subtests appear to depend heavily on speed of visual processing, and on indexing crowding in peripheral vision. However, UFOV is a proprietary instrument and other custom software is available for measuring speed of visual processing and crowding in peripheral vision. Sixty participants aged over 60 completed UFOV. They also completed inspection time (IT), a measure of speed of visual processing, and crowding across the visual field (CAVF), a measure indexing effects of strength of crowding in peripheral vision. Thus, the current study compared performance on UFOV, inspection time (IT) and crowding across the visual field (CAVF). The main outcomes here were that the IT and CAVF measures had high test-retest reliability over a period of about one week and did not exhibit statistically significant practice effects. By way of contrast, although UFOV measures were also highly reliable, two of three UFOV measures, Divided Attention and Selective Attention, showed practice effects; the third measure, Processing Speed, showed severe range restriction in the current sample of healthy older adults. Correlations between CAVF, IT and UFOV Selective Attention were very high. These outcomes suggests that IT and CAVF together may well prove appropriate and useful as part of an assessment of fitness to drive. This suggestion needs to be validated by research investigating whether these tests predict crash risk in the same way that UFOV does.In the interests of identifying older drivers at higher risk of crashing, with a view to restricting their driving, fitness to drive tests require development and validation. One particular test that makes claim for inclusion in any battery of fitness to drive tests is the Useful Field of View test (UFOV)1. UFOV subtests appear to depend heavily on speed of visual processing, and on indexing crowding in peripheral vision. However, UFOV is a proprietary instrument and other custom software is available for measuring speed of visual processing and crowding in peripheral vision. Sixty participants aged over 60 completed UFOV. They also completed inspection time (IT), a measure of speed of visual processing, and crowding across the visual field (CAVF), a measure indexing effects of strength of crowding in peripheral vision. Thus, the current study compared performance on UFOV, inspection time (IT) and crowding across the visual field (CAVF). The main outcomes here were that the IT and CAVF measures had high test-retest reliability over a period of about one week and did not exhibit statistically significant practice effects. By way of contrast, although UFOV measures were also highly reliable, two of three UFOV measures, Divided Attention and Selective Attention, showed practice effects; the third measure, Processing Speed, showed severe range restriction in the current sample of healthy older adults. Correlations between CAVF, IT and UFOV Selective Attention were very high. These outcomes suggests that IT and CAVF together may well prove appropriate and useful as part of an assessment of fitness to drive. This suggestion needs to be validated by research investigating whether these tests predict crash risk in the same way that UFOV does.Item Metadata only Drink driving enforcement: issues in developing best practice(Austroads, 2003) Harrison, W.; Newman, S.; Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; McLean, Jack; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Drink-driving enforcement is a key component of road safety programs in all jurisdictions in Australasia, with comprehensive enforcement programs that seek both to apprehend offenders and to deter potential offenders. This project was established to provide information to Australasian Police organisations concerning key issues currently confronting effective enforcement programs that target drink driving. The project involved a series of activities: · Identification of the current state of enforcement programs · Ranking and selection of specific issues for further consideration; · Investigation and analysis of these issues · Development of some guidelines for better practice. Broad findings and recommendations are made for drink-driving enforcement program planning, management, resourcing and evaluation.Item Open Access The economic cost and impact of the road toll on South Australia(Centre for Automotive Safety Research, 2005) Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; McLean, Jack; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)The Bureau of Transport Economics (BTE) released a report in 2000 that documented the economic costs of road crashes across Australia in 1996. The present report used the BTE analyses and crash data from 2002 to estimate the annual economic costs of road crashes in South Australia, stating all figures in Australian dollars. It was found that the annual cost to the state is approximately 1.18 billion dollars. The savings to the South Australian economy associated with a relatively modest reduction in road crash injuries (10 fatalities, 100 serious injuries, 1,000 minor injuries) were calculated to be in excess of 60 million dollars.Item Open Access Front side window tinting visual light transmittance requirements(Centre for Automotive Safety Research, 2004) Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; McLean, Jack; Kloeden, Craig Norman; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)The Australasian Branch of the International Window Film Association has lobbied for approval for tinting of front side windows of cars down to a level such that 35% of incident visible light is transmitted through to the driver. South Australia currently has a minimum level of visible light transmittance of 70% for front side windows. This Report explores the safety implications of the proposed greater levels of tinting on front side windows and concludes that road safety would be adversely affected by allowing such a move.Item Open Access Older drivers: Crash involvement rates and causes(Centre for Automotive Safety Research, 2005) Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; McLean, Jack; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)This report presents an analysis of the claims that older drivers are over-represented in road crashes and an examination of the nature of the ‘older driver problem’ in so far as it exists. Four different types of crash rates (crash numbers, crashes per head of population, crashes per licensed driver, crashes per distance driven) are considered, with emphasis placed on problems in interpretation of the various crash rates and what information can be derived from each of them. It is concluded that the crash rates of most importance are total crash numbers and crashes per licensed driver, neither of which were found to feature an over-representation of older drivers. Also addressed in the report is the question of whether the increase in crash rates per distance driven might be a phenomenon associated with older drivers as a whole, or one associated with specific subgroups of older drivers whilst the remainder maintain the relatively low crash rates of middle-aged drivers. Although there are arguments to support the claim that there are high risk subgroups of older drivers, it is nevertheless concluded that high risk older drivers cannot be identified in mass crash data. A third section of the report contains an analysis of a sample of crashes involving older drivers that were investigated as part of an in-depth study into rural road crashes. The factors other than the driver which contributed to the occurrence of the crashes are discussed, illustrating the importance of appropriate road infrastructure for reducing older driver crashes.Item Open Access Rear end crashes(Centre for Automotive Safety Research, 2005) Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; Long, Alexandra Denise; Lindsay, Vicki Lee Ann; McLean, Jack; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Due to the common occurrence of rear end collisions in South Australia, and the costliness of Compulsory Third Party (CTP) claims associated with them, a study was undertaken into the nature of, and possible countermeasures for, rear end collisions. This study included an analysis of five years of police-reported crash data, an analysis of a sample of rear end crashes investigated as part of the CASR metropolitan in-depth crash study, and a literature review concerned with countermeasures for rear end crashes. The most common factors contributing to these types of crashes are the lack of protection for right turning vehicles and the inadequate allocation of attention by drivers to the driving task. Countermeasures are available for both of these contributing factors. Providing greater protection for right turning vehicles requires road-based countermeasures, while the most promising countermeasure for inadequate allocation of attention is the installation in vehicles of collision avoidance systems. However, the latter countermeasure will only be available after further testing and refinement of current prototype systems.Item Open Access Rollover crashes(Centre for Automotive Safety Research, 2005) McLean, Jack; Kloeden, Craig Norman; Ponte, Giulio; Baldock, Matthew Robert Justin; Lindsay, Vicki Lee Ann; van den Berg, Andrew Leo; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)This report analyses data from police reports on crashes, and from an in-depth study of rural crashes, to examine the characteristics of rollover crashes in South Australia. The risk of a single vehicle rollover crash increases markedly at higher travelling speeds and eighty per cent of these crashes in the in-depth study were initiated by the car running at least partially onto the left unsealed shoulder. Road-related countermeasures such as audio-tactile edge lining and sealed shoulders are discussed, as is the increase with travelling speed in the risk of a crash being a single vehicle rollover. The important role of seat belt wearing in protection against serious or fatal injury is confirmed yet again. The report concludes with a brief review of the literature on the design of vehicles in relation to rollover crashes, including the benefits of electronic stability control.