Advancing Road Safety – a practitioner’s perspective

David HealySenior Manager, Road safety

14 June 2007

Outline

Victorian context

Strategic approach

Illustrative practice

vehicle safety

infrastructure

speed

Conclusion

Victorian context – genuine partners

Road maintenance/constructionRegistration and licensingLegislation and education

Department of

Justice

VicRoads VicPol

TAC

EnforcementEducation

Penalty systemTechnology developmentSpeed camera operations

Public and community educationEnforcement support

New technologies (in-vehicle)

Victorian context – trauma trend

Victorian road deaths

300

320

340

360

380

400

420

440

460

Ro

ad

To

ll 400

340

Victorian context – TAC model

insurance company owned by government partner in arrive alive!

Annual vehicleregistration

TACcare for

accident

victims

road safety

programs

road

crashes

Premiums

Strategic approach

Road user

vehicle

road and

roadside

“Safe system” approach gaining ground

“” person:- belted- right speed!

In a “” car

On a “” road?

Strategic approach – safe system principles

Health and safety are paramount

People make mistakes

People have defined tolerances to serious injury or death

So…..

Traffic system needs to be forgiving

and

Social contract with users

If we all could drive the very safest car in our class, then …

road trauma levels would drop by…

A THIRD!

Monash University Accident Research Centre

Vehicle safety

Vehicle safety

Market-driven model

ANCAP

UCSR

Consumer

Safer vehicles

Manufacturer

mass media

web site

demand

Electronic stability program

Curtain airbags

Intelligent speed systems

Vehicle safety

Vehicle safety

Still room for improvement on safety

Joshua Dowling, The Sydney Morning Herald, 23/06/06 Page 1 of 2 | Single Page

Side airbags could save your life - if you can find a car equipped with them, reports JOSHUA DOWLING.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Toyota Yaris ANCAP crash test

Toyota has scored top marks for making side and curtain airbags available on its new small hatchback. However, the availability of the life-saving features needs to be improved, says a leading safety expert.The Toyota Yaris is the safest light car ever tested by the Australian New Car Assessment Program, an independent crash testing scheme funded by transport departments and motoring bodies from each state and territory.There is still room for improvement though, as only 10 per cent of all Yaris hatchbacks sold in Australia are equipped with the full safety pack, says Michael Case, the chief engineer of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria.

Vehicle safety

Vehicle safety

Directions

Market driven model (with regulatory underpinning)

Showcase new technologies

Leverage OH&S and fleet gateways

Safer road infrastructure

Road and Road-Sides

Design out error

Accommodate error

Target high-risk locations

Assess outcomes

Safer road infrastructure

2007/2008 20016/201710 year timeframe

$600m program

core program

research & development

innovation innovation innovation

evaluationevaluationevaluation

Yr 3 Yr 6 Yr 9

Safer road infrastructure

Safe road infrastructure

Directions

“Safe System” focus

BCR-driven investment

Invest in innovation

Evaluation critical

Build safety into maintenance/new constructions

Speed

The challenge?

Reduce incidence of “low level” speeding

Why?

Small changes in speed large changes in trauma

How?

Stepped-up enforcement reduced tolerance expand operations (+50%)

Reduced default limit in built-up areas

Public education support

Speed

The campaigns

Instructive

Enforcement

Emotive

Speed

Directions

Maintain the pressure (enforcement plus public education)

Match limits to environment

Promote new technologies

Summary

Summary

Focus on “big ticket” issues

Integrated action vital

“safe system” provides the framework for action