Annual performance indicators of enforced driver behaviours, 2002

Abstract

The Centre for Automotive Safety Research at the University of Adelaide was commissioned by Transport SA to produce a report quantifying the effects of selected enforced driver behaviours: drink driving, speeding and restraint use, in South Australia for the calendar year 2002. The level of random breath testing (RBT) has increased substantially such that the annual average rate of testing was 2 tests for every 3 licensed drivers in 2002. An inverse relationship between detection rates and publicity expenditure suggests current publicity campaigns are supporting enforcement operations. Overall, speeding detection rates in 2002 decreased, especially speed camera detection rates. However, speeding detection rates were heavily influenced by police enforcement strategies and practices. Rural speed surveys indicated that the mean free speed decreased from 2000 to 2002 on 100km/h roads but showed no meaningful change on 60km/h and 110km/h roads each year. Determining the effectiveness of restraint use enforcement was very difficult because no specific restraint enforcement campaigns were undertaken. In the absence of available restraint enforcement details, the number of restraint related offences committed annually was used to provide a rough estimate of enforcement activities. Reasonably consistent observational surveys were useful in providing an indication of restraint wearing rates over time in a number of regions. The surveys indicated that both metropolitan and rural wearing rates increased in 2002 to a level of 96 per cent, just above the national target of 95 per cent.