Centre for Automotive Safety Research conference papers
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Item Metadata only A Microsimulation Model of Truck Speeds on Grades(CD-ROM, 2002) Fry, J.; Woolley, J.; Taylor, M.; Canadian Society for Civil Engineers. Annual Conference (30th : 2002 : Montreal, Canada)A microsimulation model of acceleration and speed for five vehicle classes on upgrades and downgrades is presented in this paper. Special emphasis is placed upon the interaction of b-double trucks with other vehicles in the traffic stream. A review of existing literature reveals several common findings in previous research, which are used as the basis of the model. The details of necessary calculations involved in the modeling process are shown along with the required background constants. A speed profile of b-doubles on upgrades up to ten per cent is shown. Finally a preliminary study of the effect of replacing semi-trailers with b-doubles in the traffic stream is presented. It is concluded that changing the ratio of b-doubles to semi-trailers under isolated gradient effects does not significantly alter the mean travel times of the entire traffic stream.Item Metadata only A model for determining injury risk on the basis of impact speed, using vehicle data from variable-speed impact tests(International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury, 2014) Gockowiak, K.; Anderson, R.; Searson, D.; International Research Council on the Biomechanics of Injury (IRCOBI) (10 Sep 2014 - 12 Sep 2014 : Berlin, Germany)This paper discusses a model that estimates the effect of a change in impact velocity on vehicle impact response. The motivation of the study is to develop a model that will be able to predict occupant injury risk over a range of speeds based on performance in standard crash tests. The model comprises a tipped equivalent square wave (TESW) acceleration pulse to model the vehicle acceleration that is dependent on impact speed. The model was used to analyse data from five full‐width rigid‐barrier impact testing carried out at five speeds. Analyses were selected to investigate the relationship between impact speed, vehicle dynamic crush and mean impact acceleration. The results suggest that it is possible to model vehicle impact response (specifically the magnitude of dynamic crush and mean vehicle impact acceleration) using a bi‐linear, impactvelocity‐ dependent relationship, based on a limited number of crash tests. Models such as these may provide a means of integrating assessment of vehicle crashworthiness with the assessment of primary safety technologies designed to reduce the speed of crashes.Item Metadata only A pilot study of cyclist conspicuity(Australasian College of Road Safety, 2012) Raftery, S.; Grigo, J.; Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference (2012 : Wellington, NZ)Cyclist conspicuity has been identified as an important safety issue for cyclists, particularly with regard to drivers’ detection of cyclists. The aim of this research was to obtain information regarding the conspicuity of cyclists through the development and pilot testing of an observational methodology. Roadside observations were undertaken at four sites selected to capture cyclists commuting to the Adelaide CBD. Observations were undertaken once at each site with two sites capturing cyclists during the peak morning commuting period (between 8-9:30am) and two sites capturing cyclists travelling during the peak afternoon commuting period (between 4-6pm). Observers recorded information regarding cyclists use of available infrastructure, bicycle type, sex, estimated age, bicycle light use, helmet use, clothing type, frontal conspicuity, and rear conspicuity. The methodology proved suitable for the purpose of data collection although some modifications or improvements were identified. A total of 526 cyclists (78% male) were observed, the majority of whom were aged in the estimated range of 30-59 years. With regard to conspicuity 45% of cyclists were found to have high frontal conspicuity due to conspicuous clothing (39%) or the use of a high-visibility vest (6%), while findings with regard to rear conspicuity were much less favourable – 79% of cyclists were identified as having low rear conspicuity. Furthermore, over half (54%) of those cyclists identified as having high frontal conspicuity were found to have their (what should have been high) rear conspicuity obscured due to the use of backpacks or incorrectly worn high-visibility vests. The influence of cyclists’ characteristics are investigated further and the implications of these findings for cyclist safety and possibilities for future research are discussed.Item Metadata only A program for monitoring vehicle speeds in South Australia(RTA New South Wales, 2009) Kloeden, C.; Woolley, J.; Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing & Education Conference (2009 : Sydney, Australia)A program designed to monitor the speed behaviour of motorists commenced at 132 sites in South Australia in 2007. The sites selected included sites with historical measurements supplemented by new sites to give a broad range of road types. Individual speed and vehicle classification data was collected for one week on local, collector and arterial roads in metropolitan and rural areas. Surveys on a subset of 52 roads in built up areas conducted to evaluate the impact of the 50 km/h Default Urban Speed Limit were used to monitor trends dating back to 2002. The 132 sites measured in 2007 established a benchmark more representative of the road network as a whole. The paper discusses some initial comparisons with previous datasets and general points of interest in mass speed datasets from a road safety research perspective.Item Metadata only A stated preference survey for investigating route choice behaviour in Adelaide(CD-ROM, 2004) Furusawa, H.; Woolley, J.; Yue, W.; Australasian Transport Research Forum (27th : 2004 : Adelaide, Australia)Item Metadata only A study of head injury in fatally injured child pedestrians(Institution of Engineers, 2000) Brown, J.; Gorrie, C.; Waite, P.; Gibson, T.; Anderson, R.; Griffiths, M.; Impact Biomechanics Australia Conference: Neck Injury 2000 (16 Mar 2000 : Sydney, Australia)Item Open Access Abrasion resistance of motorcycle protective clothing worn by Australian motorcyclists(Australasian College of Road Safety, 2015) Meredith, L.; Clarke, Elizabeth,; Fitzharris, M.; Baldock, M.; de Rome, L.; Brown, J.; Australasian Road Safety Conference (ACRS) (14 Oct 2015 - 16 Oct 2015 : Gold Coast, Qld)Motorcycle crashes represent a significant health burden to the community, accounting for 22% of serious casualties on Australian roads each year. In addition, it is well known and accepted that motorcyclists are significantly overrepresented in crashes given that motorcycle usage accounts for only one percent of vehicle kilometres travelled (ATC, 2011; BITRE, 2009). Soft tissue injuries are the most common injuries experienced by crashed motorcyclists (NSAI, 1998, 2003, 2010). Protective clothing has been developed to help prevent these injuries, yet the performance of protective clothing in Australia is still variable (de Rome et al., 2011). In Australia, while there are no design standards for motorcycle protective clothing, there are non-mandatory Australian Guidelines for manufacturing. However, the guidelines specify the use of an abrasion testing machine which is not designed for the purpose of testing motorcycle protective clothing. Therefore, at present in Australia, there are no mechanisms in place to help maintain a high quality of performance. There is a European Standard for motorcycle protective clothing and this Standard specifies the general requirements for clothing intended to protect the rider against mechanical injury. This Standard (EN13595) was developed from work undertaken by Woods who examined crash damage to 100 motorcycle suits (99 leather and 1 Kevlar) and observed where damage most frequently occurred as well as the type of damage. Based on the damage distribution, a clothing template was developed that specified four zones, each with different levels of protection dependent upon the clothing’s ability to resist the main types of damage: burst, cut, abrasion and tear. (Woods, 1996a, 1996b). It is still unknown how well the performance of materials in the laboratory tests of EN13595 relates to the performance of clothing in real world motorcycle crashes. With a larger variety of fabrics currently available to motorcycle riders, the performance of clothing in the real world may have varied since Woods developed the Cambridge Abrasion machine in 1996. There is a need to validate the observations on which the EU Standard requirements are based, particularly using a greater range of materials and more modern materials. Additionally, there has been no study since the work of Woods (Woods, 1996b) that examines the adequacy of the test methods. The objective of this study was to address this gap and, as abrasion resistance is considered to be the highest priority compared to other damage types (Meredith, Brown, Ivers, & de Rome, 2013), this study set out to determine whether the approach taken to assess abrasion resistance in the EU Standard is appropriate. Specifically, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the abrasion resistance performance of the clothing worn by the motorcycle riders when tested as required in EN13595 and the probability of real world injury outcome.Item Metadata only Abrasion resistance performance of clothing worn by Australian motorcyclists(IRCOBI, 2016) Meredith, L.; Hurren, C.; Clarke, E.; Fitzharris, M.; Baldock, M.; De Rome, L.; Olivier, J.; Brown, J.; International Research Council on the Biomechanics of Injury (2016 IRCOBI) (14 Sep 2016 - 16 Sep 2016 : Malaga, Spain)Item Open Access The accuracy of driver accounts of vehicle accidents(2004) Versteegh, Sean; Road Safety Research, Policing and Education (14-16 November 2004 : Perth, Australia); Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Eyewitness evidence is often used in court and by researchers to reconstruct the events of a road accident. That eyewitnesses are often unreliable has long been known, but the extent of eyewitness reliability and the variables that affect reliability are not well understood within the field of road accident investigation. This study investigated the accuracy with which crash involved drivers could recall the pieces of information that are often required by crash investigators to reconstruct and understand the causes of a vehicle accident. Driver reports of vehicle speed, weather conditions, time of crash, impact points and vehicle position and movements have been assessed for accuracy against objective physical evidence and crash reconstructions based on this physical evidence. The results of this study show that drivers recall many of the events of a crash and the details of their environment accurately. However, drivers significantly underestimate their travelling speed. A number of factors were identified that influence the amount of information that drivers recall and the accuracy of this information.Item Open Access Active / passive safety - applying integrated solutions to rollover crashes(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2007) Kloeden, C.; McLean, J.; Ponte, G.; International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (20th : 2007 : Lyon, France); Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Rollover crashes are investigated to identify ways in which active and passive safety solutions might be applied most effectively. Results of at-scene investigations of rural crashes by a research team and police reports of all crashes are reviewed. 236 crashes to which an ambulance was called, including 64 rollover cases, were investigated in the at-scene study, conducted on rural roads in South Australia. During a similar period police reports were compiled on 163,578 crashes, including 2,653 rollover cases. Injuries were sustained in 50% of the rollover cases but in only 18% of all other reported crashes (crashes resulting in a casualty or property damage of more than $1,000 were required to be reported). About half of the single vehicle rollover crashes in both studies occurred on straight roads; in the at-scene study after the vehicle drifted onto the unsealed shoulder. In almost every such case the vehicle yawed out of control before rolling. This is illustrated by photographs of the yaw marks and the final position of the vehicles, together with scale plans of these vehicle motions. The percentage of crashes which resulted in rollover increased with the posted speed limit: 5% at 80 km/h to 31% at 110 km/h. Vehicle factors relevant to crash and injury causation are also addressed. Combining information from these two studies overcomes to some extent their individual limitations, of small sample size in one instance and less detailed data in the other. These studies illustrate, among other matters, the type and frequency of situations in which stability control can be expected to prevent rollover crashes in a region where the roads are rarely wet, together with the importance of limiting travelling speed.Item Open Access Advisory intelligent speed adaptation in government fleet vehicles(Government of Western Australia, 2011) Doecke, S.; Anderson, R.; Woolley, J.; Truong, J.; Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference (2011 : Perth, Australia)This paper details an economic analysis of the fitment of advisory intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) devices to state government fleets. Four devices were considered; two dedicated ISA devices, a navaid device that incorporates ISA functionality and a factory fitted multimedia centre that incorporates ISA functionality. Two installation scenarios were explored: the first where the ISA device can be taken from a government vehicle about to be sold and placed into a new government vehicle that has just been bought; the second where the device remains in the vehicle after it is sold to the public. The crash savings attributed to ISA were calculated by using the results of the New South Wales ISA trial and the Kloeden risk curve for travel speed. It was concluded that advisory ISA has the potential to reduce casualty crashes in government fleets by 20%. It was estimated that this would save 171 casualty crashes involving state government vehicles and $31.6 million in crash costs per year. The navaid device that incorporates ISA functionality would be the most cost effective, having a payback period of around a year in both scenarios considered.Item Metadata only Alcohol and road traffic crashes in the Western Pacific region(1995) Ryan, Gerald Anthony; International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety (13th : 1995 : Adelaide, S. Aust.); Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Item Metadata only Alcohol and the risk of accident involvement(1980) McLean, Jack; Holubowycz, Oksana T.; International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (8th : 1980 : Stockholm, Sweden); Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Item Metadata only Alcohol, driver performance and crash involvement(1997) McLean, Jack; International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS) ( 14th : 1997 : Annecy, France); Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Driver performance has been shown to be affected by low levels of alcohol in the blood. Deterioration in the performance of skills related to driving has been demonstrated at even lower blood alcohol levels. Most drinking drivers have a low or very low blood alcohol level and so one would expect that they would account for a substantial percentage of those drinking drivers who are injured in a crash. However that is not so; drivers with a low BAC comprise a relatively small percentage of those drinking drivers who crash and are injured. The reason for this may lie in the exponential increase in the risk of crash involvement with increasing BAC above a level of about 0.05. This possibility is explored in the paper using data from roadside BAC surveys and the BAC levels of fatally injured drivers and those admitted to hospital in the Adelaide metropolitan area. The implications of the findings for the setting of legal BAC limits, the efficiency of police enforcement, and minimisation of the societal harm caused by drink driving are discussed.Item Metadata only Alcohol, drugs and traffic safety - T'95 : proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Alcohol and Traffic Safety, Adelaide, 13 August - 18 August 1995 / C.N. Kloeden [and] A.J. McLean (eds.)(Road Accident Research Unit, 1995) Kloeden, C.; McLean, J.; Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Item Metadata only Alcohol, travelling speed and the risk of crash involvement(2002) McLean, A.; Kloeden, C.; International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (16th : 2002 : Montreal, Canada)This paper compares the relationship between two factors that are known to affect the relative risk of involvement in a casualty crash: a driver's blood alcohol level and his or her choice of free travelling speed. It is concluded that measures which reduce travelling speeds are likely to be at least as effective in reducing the frequency of casualty crashes in Adelaide as measures which reduce drivers' blood alcohol levels.Item Metadata only Alcohol-involved pedestrians: the Australian experience(1995) Holubowycz, Oksana T.; International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety (13th : 1995 : Adelaide, S. Aust.); Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR)Australian studies of alcohol involvement in pedestrian crashes are reviewed. The paper tabulates the results of these studies with respect to distribution of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), age and sex of intoxicated pedestrians, relationship between age and BAC among both males and females, time of day and day of week of crashes involving intoxicated pedestrians, pedestrian movement and pre-crash drinking patterns. Overall only seven studies were identified. These indicated that 20-30% of pedestrian casualties had a BAC in excess of 150 mg/dL, with alcohol involvement being greater among fatalities. Few of the seven studies presented results pertaining to the other factors listed above. Those that did found that males comprised 60-70% of casualties with a known BAC and 80-90% of those with a BAC exceeding 150 mg/dL. Crashes occurring at night or on weekends were most likely to involve intoxicated pedestrians. Intoxicated pedestrians were hit most commonly as they crossed a road some distance from a traffic control; in those instances where the site had a traffic control, it was rarely used correctly. The one study that reported pre-crash drinking behaviour of intoxicated pedestrians found that about two-thirds had been drinking beer and about one-half had been drinking in a hotel. The paper concludes that knowledge of the characteristics of alcohol-related pedestrian crashes in Australia is inadequate; recommendations are made to address these inadequacies.Item Metadata only An equation for generalising from impact test performance to real-world crashes(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2013) Hutchinson, T.P.; Anderson, R.; Searson, D.; 23rd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) (27 May 2013 - 30 May 2013 : Seoul, Korea)Research Question / Objective: Instrumented headforms are projected at the fronts of cars to assess pedestrian safety. Better information would be obtained from these and other types of impact tests if performance over the range of expected impact conditions in the field were taken into account. That is, some means is needed to convert from performance in tightly-specified test conditions to what happens in the real-world. Method: Pedestrian impact safety performance of a car is affected by speed, head mass, and the distribution of impact locations over the front of the car. The effects are complicated because bottoming out may occur, that is, the hood or other surface structure may fail to absorb sufficient energy to prevent contact with much stiffer structures beneath it. In turn, the locations are affected by the geometry of the car, the impact speed, and the pedestrian’s stature. The relative frequencies of different speeds, masses, and so on are important inputs to the calculation of an average. Results: The principal result is a theory. This has three steps. The first is to convert the test quantity (e.g., HIC, the Head Injury Criterion) observed in test conditions to what would be observed if (for example) speed or mass were different. The second is to convert the test quantity to something that can be meaningfully averaged --- for example, average dollar cost of HIC or the probability of death corresponding to a given HIC. The third is to obtain the average cost, or average probability of death, by integration over the quantities that vary from crash to crash: speed, head mass, stature, and impact location. Discussion and Limitations: The theory that is developed may be used to calculate, for example, the changes that result if test performance is improved, or the probabilities of different conditions change. With appropriate modification, the theory is applicable to many other forms of testing also. The chief limitation is that good information is required on such things as the dependence of HIC on speed and mass, the dependence of cost on HIC, and the relative frequencies of speeds, masses, and so on. Such information is difficult to obtain. Conclusions: Better representation of the effect of impact conditions on severity is required if a test regime is to provide appropriate incentives for improvement in vehicle design. This paper identifies what information is needed, and shows how it can be used to estimate average real-world performance starting from what is observed in an impact test.Item Metadata only An estimate of the future road safety benefits of autonomous emergency braking and vehicle-to-vehicle communication technologies(ACRS, 2016) Searson, D.; Dutschke, J.; Ponte, G.; Hutchinson, T.; Anderson, R.; Lydon, M.; Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC) (6 Sep 2016 - 8 Sep 2016 : Canberra, ACT)The aim of this study was to examine the consequences of delaying introduction of new technologies on future reductions in fatalities and serious injuries. This was done specifically for Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications, which represent the two most promising technologies in the short-term and medium-term future. The results demonstrate that a delay in introduction, or a slower rate of introduction, can have a significant effect on how long it takes for the benefits to be realised in the greater vehicle fleet.Item Metadata only An evaluation of interventions aimed at increasing restraint use in Whyalla, South Australia(Carrs-Q, 2000) Wundersitz, L.; Kloeden, C.; Walker, J.; Research Policing and Education Conference (2000 : Brisbane, Queensland); Kursius, T.The effectiveness of police and mass media interventions on the rate of restraint use by car occupants in the regional city of Whyalla and in rural South Australia, was evaluated by the Road Accident Research Unit of the University of Adelaide using data supplied by Transport SA. The trial was evaluated by examining observations of restraint use before (February 1998) and directly after the campaign (December 1998) and then three months later following a second campaign (March 1999). These results were also compared with self reported restraint use telephone surveys completed before (May 1998) and directly after the intervention (December 1998). Observed restraint use levels for all vehicle occupants increased in Whyalla from 84 per cent in February 1998, to 93 per cent in December 1998. This increase was maintained four months later after supplementary education and enforcement. The increase brought the level of restraint use in Whyalla up to that of metropolitan Adelaide. Two other rural regions in South Australia also experienced increases in restraint use, but not to the same extent as in Whyalla. Self reporting surveys showed a substantial increase in the knowledge of penalties incurred for seat belt non-compliance following the intervention. The interventions were followed by a large increase in restraint use, at least part of which appeared to result from the interventions.