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Publicizing safety ratings of vehicles can motivate manufacturers to prioritize safety and help consumers choose safer vehicles, leading to safer fleets. The benefits of primary safety technologies that prevent crash occurrence are not currently incorporated in current ratings in a way that values their safety benefits consistently. We aimed to propose a method for assigning weights for each safety technology to account for established safety benefits using published effectiveness and prevalence from real-life data. To illustrate this method, we present a worked example calculated using crash and injury data from Australia and New Zealand. The method proposed attenuates the weights for given safety technologies where two or more safety technologies fitted to the same vehicle are effective for the same types of crashes. In the worked example using Australasian data, large SUVs were estimated to have the largest safety increment from the fitment of all the technologies considered compared to vehicles without these primary safety technologies, with an almost 17% reduction in crash occurrence. Cars with all the technologies fitted had estimated average crash reduction of between 11% and 12%. Different market groups have different crash patterns, so the safety attributable to safety technology fitment differs at the market group level. This study presents an approach for providing a summary measure of crash avoidance according to the fitment of safety technologies. If this measure is combined with an estimate of secondary safety (whether derived from existing crash and injury data or from new car crash assessment programs), the combined estimate then represents the important elements of safety provided by the vehicle. The methods presented here form a rational basis for assigning safety ratings to represent the benefits of swiftly developing safety technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study used medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU, aged 65 years and older) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to 4 key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users, and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity.Method: The Coroners' Court of Victoria's (CCOV) Surveillance Database was searched to identify and describe the frequency and rate per 100,000 population of fatal ORU crashes in the Australian state of Victoria for 2013-2014. Information relating to the deceased ORU, crash characteristics and circumstances, and risk factors was extracted and analyzed.Results: One hundred and thirty-eight unintentional fatal ORU crashes were identified in the CCOV Surveillance Database. Of these fatal ORU crashes, most involved older drivers (44%), followed by older pedestrians (32%), older passengers (17%), older pedal cyclists (4%), older motorcyclists (1%), and older mobility scooter users (1%). The average annual rate of fatal ORU crashes per 100,000 population was 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.0-10.2). In terms of the crash characteristics and circumstances, most fatal ORU crashes involved a counterpart (98%), of which the majority were passenger cars (50%) or fixed/stationary objects (25%), including trees (46%) or embankments (23%). In addition, most fatal ORU crashes occurred close to home (73%), on-road (87%), on roads that were paved (94%), on roads with light traffic volume (37%), and during low-risk conditions: between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. (44%), on weekdays (80%), during daylight (75%), and under dry/clear conditions (81%). Road user (RU) error was identified by the police and/or the coroner for the majority of fatal crashes (55%), with a significant proportion of deceased ORUs deemed to have failed to yield (54%) or misjudged (41%).Conclusions: RU error was the most significant factor identified in fatal ORU crashes, which suggests that there is a limited capacity of the road system to fully accommodate RU errors. Initiatives related to safer roads and roadsides, vehicles, speed zones, as well as behavioral approaches are key areas of priority for targeted activity to prevent fatal ORU crashes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Vehicle safety rating systems aim firstly to inform consumers about safe vehicle choices and, secondly, to encourage vehicle manufacturers to aspire to safer levels of vehicle performance. Primary rating systems (that measure the ability of a vehicle to assist the driver in avoiding crashes) have not been developed for a variety of reasons, mainly associated with the difficult task of disassociating driver behavior and vehicle exposure characteristics from the estimation of crash involvement risk specific to a given vehicle. The aim of the current study was to explore different approaches to primary safety estimation, identifying which approaches (if any) may be most valid and most practical, given typical data that may be available for producing ratings.Methods: Data analyzed consisted of crash data and motor vehicle registration data for the period 2003 to 2012: 21,643,864 observations (representing vehicle-years) and 135,578 crashed vehicles. Various logistic models were tested as a means to estimate primary safety: Conditional models (conditioning on the vehicle owner over all vehicles owned); full models not conditioned on the owner, with all available owner and vehicle data; reduced models with few variables; induced exposure models; and models that synthesised elements from the latter two models.Results: It was found that excluding young drivers (aged 25 and under) from all primary safety estimates attenuated some high risks estimated for make/model combinations favored by young people. The conditional model had clear biases that made it unsuitable. Estimates from a reduced model based just on crash rates per year (but including an owner location variable) produced estimates that were generally similar to the full model, although there was more spread in the estimates. The best replication of the full model estimates was generated by a synthesis of the reduced model and an induced exposure model.Conclusions: This study compared approaches to estimating primary safety that could mimic an analysis based on a very rich data set, using variables that are commonly available when registered fleet data are linked to crash data. This exploratory study has highlighted promising avenues for developing primary safety rating systems for vehicle makes and models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:Pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users in terms of their risk of serious injury when involved in a collision with a vehicle. In Australia, around 200 pedestrians are killed in road crashes annually and over 2,000 are seriously injured. The objective of the current study was to analyze pedestrian death and injury risk by body region across 10 light passenger and commercial vehicle market groups in Victoria, Australia. Methods:This study utilized police-reported crash data linked to insurance injury compensation claims data during the period 2001–2010 to determine whether pedestrian injury outcome is a function of colliding vehicle type. Logistic regression models were developed to measure the risk of pedestrian death or injury as a function of vehicle market group for 4 body region groupings, namely, all body regions; the head, face, or neck; the thorax; and the lower extremities (including pelvis). Results:Analysis focused on head, face, or neck injury found that pedestrians struck by small cars, people movers, large sport utility vehicles (SUVs), vans, or utility vehicles had statistically significantly higher odds of death or injury compared to large cars. When the analysis focused on thoracic injury, it was again found that pedestrians struck by large SUVs and vans had statistically significantly higher odds of death injury compared to large cars. In particular, the odds of death or thoracic injury is 74.4% higher for large SUVs compared to large cars. Analysis focused on lower extremity injury found no market group with statistically significant different odds of death or injury compared to large cars at the 5% level; however, medium cars and vans were found to have statistically significantly lower odds of death or lower extremity injury at the 10% level. Conclusions:The results suggest that the increasing popularity of vehicles such as SUVs has the potential to lead to an increase in the level of pedestrian road trauma. With the general trend toward the use of larger vehicles, the results provide validation of the importance of improved vehicle design and the incorporation of new pedestrian safety features. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: This study used medicolegal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to four key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users, and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity.Methods: The Coroners Court of Victoria's Surveillance Database was searched to identify coronial records with at least one deceased ORU in the state of Victoria, Australia, for 2013-2014. Information relating to the ORU, crash characteristics and circumstances, and risk factors was extracted and analyzed.Results: The average rate of fatal ORU crashes per 100,000 population was 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.0-10.2), which was more than double the average rate of fatal middle-aged road user crashes (3.6, 95% CI 2.5-4.6). There was a significant relationship between age group and deceased road user type (χ2(15, N = 226) = 3.56, p < 0.001). The proportion of deceased drivers decreased with age, whereas the proportion of deceased pedestrians increased with age. The majority of fatal ORU crashes involved a counterpart (another vehicle: 59.4%; fixed/stationary object: 25.4%), and occurred "on road" (87.0%), on roads that were paved (94.2%), dry (74.2%), and had light traffic volume (38.3%). Road user error was identified by the police and/or coroner for the majority of fatal ORU crashes (57.9%), with a significant proportion of deceased ORU deemed to have "misjudged" (40.9%) or "failed to yield" (37.9%).Conclusions: Road user error was the most significant risk factor identified in fatal ORU crashes, which suggests that there is a limited capacity of the Victorian road system to fully accommodate road user errors. Initiatives related to safer roads and roadsides, vehicles, and speed zones, as well as behavioral approaches, are key areas of priority for targeted activity to prevent fatal older road user crashes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. A significant 41% reduction in real-world backover crashes was found for Australian vehicles with reversing cameras. A range of driver and pedestrian maneuvers was found and 11 crash scenarios were identified in backover collisions. Mandating the fitting of reversing cameras to all vehicles and enhancements would likely enhance the safety of pedestrians in reversing maneuvers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] There are considerable costs associated with periodic vehicle inspection programmes. [•] The inspection frequency doubles when the vehicle reaches 6 years old. [•] This was associated with an estimated 8% reduction in crashes (95% CI 0.4% to 15%). [•] Vehicle faults identified fell by 13.5%, consistent with a modest crash rate reduction. [•] The safety benefits of the doubled inspection frequency do not appear to be justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Side airbag systems were first introduced into vehicles around 1995 to help protect occupants from injury in side impact crashes. International studies have shown that side airbags are effective in reducing the risk of death and injury, however, serious injuries can still occur even when side airbags deploy. The objective of this study was to use detailed injury information from insurance injury compensation claims data linked to Police reported crash data to determine the effectiveness of side airbags in reducing the risk of death or injury for occupants involved in side impact crashes in Victoria, Australia based on the specific body regions that side airbag systems are designed to protect. It was found that head and torso-protecting dual airbag systems designed to protect the head, neck, face, chest and abdomen are highly effective in reducing driver death or injury due to near side crashes. They were associated with a statistically significant reduction of 41.1% (25.9%, 53.2%) in the odds of death or injury across all body regions; and a 48.0% (28.0%, 62.4%) reduction in the odds of death or injury to the head, neck, face, chest and abdomen. The study did not find any evidence that torso-protecting airbags alone are effective in reducing death or injury. Analysis results indicate that head and torso-protecting side airbag systems in vehicles are a highly effective technology for reducing the risk of death or injury to vehicle occupants in near side crashes. The magnitude of the injury reduction benefits estimated indicate that fitment of this technology to all vehicles should be a high priority and will yield significant savings in overall road trauma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Young drivers persistently have higher crash rates despite various countermeasures targeted at their risk factors and exposures. A potentially high risk situation for novice drivers may feasibly include the driving of high performance vehicles, which are subject to restrictions for probationary and restricted drivers in four Australian States. High performance vehicles are capable of high levels of acceleration and speed, which may encourage unsafe driving behaviours, particularly when driven by novice drivers, who may lack appropriate judgement and experience. This research sought to identify potential safety benefits of restrictions on certain vehicles for novice drivers using crash data from Australia and New Zealand, and vehicle licensing data from New Zealand. Data on crashed vehicles and their drivers were analysed to estimate the prevalence of the high performance vehicles in the fleets considered, particularly when driven by young people. By matching New Zealand licensing data with crash data, it was possible to estimate the risk of these high performance vehicles relative to other vehicles in the fleet. For owners aged under 25, a statistically significant 69% elevated injury crash involvement risk ratio was estimated for the high performance vehicles subject to restrictions in Australia in comparison with their risk with other vehicles controlling for other relevant factors (with 95% CI 30–123%, using owners aged 40–59 as a comparison group). Injuries in the vehicles of young owners of high performance vehicles were estimated to increase compared to their rate in other vehicles by 101% (with 95% confidence interval 69–171%, using owners aged 40–59 as a comparison group). Despite the higher relative risk for the high performance vehicles, they were relatively rare in the fleets studied, and the potential reduction in young driver injury rates from banning these vehicles was estimated to range from 0.4% in New Zealand to 2.5% in the Australian States of Queensland and Victoria. In addition, the potential reductions estimated here also depend on unrealistic assumptions of 100% compliance with regulation and the adoption of less risky driving behaviour in response to lower performance vehicles. Although these vehicles have a statistically significantly higher crash and injury risk than other vehicles when owned by young people, there are considerable costs of implementation and ongoing enforcement in imposing vehicle restrictions for young drivers that may not outweigh these potential safety benefits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective:Because young drivers’ vehicles have been found to offer poor occupant protection in many countries, this study sought to identify the most appropriate audience for information and publicity designed to change purchasing preferences to improve these vehicles and resultant injury outcomes. Methods:An analysis of New Zealand vehicles crashed by drivers aged 19 years or less linked to data on the owner of the vehicle was undertaken. Details on the crashed vehicles were merged with licensing information to identify the owner's age group. Results:It was presumed that most vehicles driven by teens but owned by someone aged 30 to 59 would be owned by a parent of the teen. Only 14 percent of vehicles crashed by teens were owned by teens. Generally, older vehicles with poor crashworthiness were provided for the teenage driver, whatever the age group of the owner. However, cars crashed by teens but owned by their parents were on average almost 2 years younger and had relatively superior crashworthiness than the teenager-owned and crashed vehicles, although their crashworthiness was still poor compared to vehicles driven by older drivers. Conclusions:Evidently, parents are key people in making vehicle purchasing decisions regarding the cars that teenagers drive and should be the main audience for measures to improve the poor secondary safety performance of teenagers’ vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Various systems for rating secondary safety of particular makes and models of vehicles have been developed internationally. These measures generally evaluate crashworthiness (the ability of the vehicle to protect its own occupants in the event of a crash) separately from aggressivity (the harm a vehicle is liable to impose on other road users into which it crashes). This paper describes an approach using Australian and New Zealand data that combines these two facets of secondary safety into one ‘Total Secondary Safety Index’ estimated from real world crash outcomes. The Index estimates the risk of death or serious injury to all key road users in crashes involving light passenger vehicles across the full range of crash types. This paper describes the rationale and method for producing this Index, together with some estimates for common Australian and New Zealand makes and models of light passenger vehicles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An often asked question regarding vehicle safety is whether vehicle colour has an influence on crash risk and if so, what is the differential in risk between the various colours of vehicles available. The major objective of this study was to assess the relationship between vehicle colour and crash risk through the analysis of real crash outcomes described in Police reported crash data. The study employed induced exposure methods utilising single vehicle crashes as the comparison crash type. It estimated the crash risk associated with each vehicle colour relative to a reference colour which was chosen to be white. Results of the analysis identified a clear statistically significant relationship between vehicle colour and crash risk. Compared to white vehicles, a number of colours were associated with higher crash risk. These colours were black, blue, grey, green, red and silver. The association between vehicle colour and crash risk was strongest during daylight hours where relative crash risks were higher for the colours listed compared to white by up to around 10%. No colour had a statistically significantly lower crash risk than white although crash risks for a number of other colours were not statistically significantly different from white. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to model rollover risk of New Zealand and Australian passenger vehicles to identify which driver and vehicle factors were associated with the highest risk of rollover. A further objective was to test the feasibility and reliability of the quasi-induced risk estimation approach for studying rollover risk. Method: The most appropriate comparison crash type, whose counts formed the exposure measures for the induced exposure risk estimates, had been identified in a previous study to be multi-vehicle crashes in which the vehicle in question had been damaged in the rear. Statistical models were fitted to data from four Australasian jurisdictions from 1993 to 2004 for vehicles involved in rollover crashes and vehicles involved in the comparison crash type. Results: Higher rollover risk was found for those vehicle types with a relatively high center of gravity compared to the width of the wheel track, namely sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and people movers. A particularly high risk of rollover was found when teenagers drove SUVs. Within vehicle market groups, there was evidence of improving rollover safety for newer model vehicles relative to older vehicles and evidence of generally reducing rollover risk over the period studied. Conclusion: The quasi-induced exposure method produced very consistent estimates of rollover risk despite large differences in the crash recording systems and crash type definitions used in the four jurisdictions studied. This provides evidence of the reliability of this approach to crash risk estimation and of the generalizability of the findings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to find a comparison crash type that best represented exposure on the road and to identify situations where the induced exposure risk estimates were likely to be biased. Methods: Counts of crash involvements were compared with distance driven estimates derived from a register of licensed motor vehicles to identify the most appropriate comparison crash type for induced exposure estimation, which is the crash type whose counts are best correlated with vehicle distance driven. Results: The best sets of comparison crashes for disaggregations by driver age and gender and vehicle type were found to be multi-vehicle crashes in which the vehicle was damaged in the rear or multi-vehicle crashes in which the driver was adjudged to be not at fault. Likely bias of induced exposure risk estimates was identified, even for these best sets of comparison crashes, according to vehicle size (with large vehicles underrepresented) and owner age and gender (with young owners and female owners overrepresented). Conclusions: This research identified some important features of crash occurrence useful for making choices of comparison crash types when controlling for exposure. None of the crash types considered as comparison crashes performed perfectly. Even the crash types that seemed to best reflect exposure on the road still appeared to over- or underestimate distance driven according to owner age group, gender, and vehicle size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Electronic stability control (ESC) is an in-vehicle technology aimed at improving primary safety by assisting the driver in avoiding loss of control of the vehicle. The aim of this study was to use available crash data from Australia and New Zealand to evaluate the effectiveness of ESC in reducing crash risk and to establish whether benefits estimated from overseas studies have translated to the Australian and New Zealand environments. The sample analysed included 7699 crashed vehicles fitted with ESC which comprised of 90 different models. Poisson regression was used to test whether the differences in the observed and expected crash counts for ESC fitted vehicles were significant, with exposure being induced from counts of rear end impacts. It was found that ESC reduced the risk of single vehicle crashes in which the driver was injured by 68% for 4WDs compared with 27% for passenger cars. The effect of ESC on multiple vehicle crashes in Australia and New Zealand was not clear. The long-term benefits of fitting ESC to all vehicles in Australia were also investigated based on the estimated single vehicle crash reductions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of occupational death in paramedics. • 24 studies examining ambulance crashes were reviewed. • Crash/injury risks and characteristics (factors) were mapped using a systems thinking framework. • The most commonly identified factors were intersection location, emergency use of the ambulance and non-use of restraints. • There is a need to understand crash factors that go beyond the driver and the immediate environment. Motor vehicle crashes account for the largest proportion of workplace fatalities among paramedics in developed countries. Systems thinking is one approach that is popular when seeking to understand and manage complex road safety issues; however, it has not been applied to ambulance crashes. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine factors associated with motor vehicle crashes involving ambulances, and the extent to which systems thinking has been applied in this area. Crash factors were categorised using the Accident Mapping technique (AcciMap) (based on six hierarchical levels ranging from government to the road environment) and then synthesised according to whether they were crash/injury crash risk factors or characteristics. Of the 24 included studies, most only reported factors associated with the driver and their immediate environment (n = 23). The most commonly identified factors were intersection location, emergency use of the ambulance (lights and sirens operational) and non-use of restraints (all associated with increased risk of crash or injury crash). Two-thirds of studies were at risk of bias. Given the prominence of lower-level factors associated with road users, vehicles, and the road environment, it is concluded that systems thinking approaches would be beneficial to understand ambulance crashes, particularly for higher level system factors. Further research is recommended to i) examine the potential contribution of factors and their interactions that go beyond the driver and their immediate environment and ii) validate the current findings based on the low number of studies and their lack of methodological rigour in examining driver, vehicle and environmental factors. The development of a crash data collection and reporting system in line with system thinking principles is recommended as a first step to support the identification and systemic analysis of contributory factors across the entire sociotechnical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:Modeling crash risk in urban areas is more complicated than in rural areas due to the complexity of the environment and the difficulty obtaining data to fully characterize the road and surrounding environment. Knowledge of factors that impact crash risk and severity in urban areas can be used for countermeasure development and the design of risk assessment tools for practitioners. This research aimed to identify the characteristics of the road and roadside, surrounding environment, and sociodemographic factors associated with single-vehicle crash (SVC) frequency and severity in complex urban environments, namely, strip shopping center road segments. Methods:A comprehensive evidence-based list of data required for measuring the influence of the road, roadside, and other factors on crash risk was developed. The data included a broader range of factors than those traditionally considered in accident prediction models. One hundred and forty-two strip shopping segments located on arterial roads in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, were identified. Police-reported casualty data were used to determine how many SVC occurred on the segments between 2005 and 2009. Data describing segment characteristics were collected from a diverse range of sources; for example, administrative government databases (traffic volume, speed limit, pavement condition, sociodemographic data, liquor licensing), detailed maps, on-line image sources, and digital images of arterial roads collected for the Victorian state road authority. Regression models for count data were used to identify factors associated with SVC frequency. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with serious and fatal outcomes. Results:One hundred and seventy SVC occurred on the 142 selected road segments during the 5-year study period. A range of factors including traffic exposure, road cross section (curves, presence of median), road type, requirement for sharing the road with other vehicle types (trams and bicycles), roadside poles, and local amenities were associated with SVC frequency. A different set of risk factors was associated with the odds of a crash leading to a severe outcome: segment length, road cross section (curves, carriageway width), pavement condition, local amenities and vehicle, and driver factors. The presence of curves was the only factor associated with both SVC frequency and severity. Conclusions:A range of risk factors were associated with SVC frequency and severity in complex urban areas (metropolitan shopping strips), including traditionally studied characteristics such as traffic density and road design but also less commonly studied characteristics such as local amenities. Future behavioral research is needed to further investigate how and why these factors change the risk and severity of crashes before effective countermeasures can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Emergency vehicle drivers are at risk on the road. • Challenges for safety intervention are unique and occur across the system. • Emergency vehicle safety intervention needs to be holistic. The emergency services play an integral role in public health and safety, and operating motor vehicles represents a key activity for these staff. Emergency service workforces are large, and under ever increasing demands. Motor vehicle crashes involving emergency vehicles have been recognized as a serious problem, with emergency and high-risk operating environments routine for these workers. However, given the unique operational structures of these organizations, implementing effective interventions can be difficult. A case study was undertaken with a large emergency service organization in Australia. A mixed methods approach to data collection was used to address the primary aim of exploring the challenges, barriers and facilitators for the uptake of fleet safety initiatives in the emergency service organization. Case study data were collected through document analysis, interviews, observations and site visits. This paper identifies a number of challenges associated with implementing effective interventions in emergency service fleets. Despite knowledge of the specific attributes and risk factors of workplace driving, prevention strategies have traditionally been informed by more general road safety approaches and are driver-centric, which is a similar observation for emergency fleets. Factors contributing to risk, as well as challenges in adhering to safe working practices, were identified across all levels of the risk management framework, particularly at the Agency level (training; management of drivers, including volunteers; fleet purchasing decisions), Regulator level (auditing) and Government level (allocation of resources; response time targets; road rules). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated the behavioural, attitudinal and traffic factors contributing to red light infringement by Australian cyclists using a national online survey. The survey was conducted from February to May 2010. In total, 2061 cyclists completed the survey and 37.3% reported that they had ridden through a signalised intersection during the red light phase. The main predictive characteristics for infringement were: gender with males more likely to offend than females (OR: 1.54, CI: 1.22–1.94); age with older cyclists less likely to infringe compared to younger cyclists 18–29 years (30–49 yrs: OR: 0.71, CI: 0.52–0.96; 50+ yrs: OR: 0.51, CI: 0.35–0.74), and; crash involvement with cyclists more likely to infringe at red lights if they had not previously been involved in a bicycle–vehicle crash while riding (OR: 1.35; CI: 1.10–1.65). The main reasons given for red light infringement were: to turn left (32.0%); because the inductive loop detector did not detect their bike (24.2%); when there was no other road users present (16.6%); at a pedestrian crossing (10.7%); and ‘Other’ (16.5%). A multinomial logistic regression model was constructed to examine the associations between cyclist characteristics and reasons for infringement. Findings suggest that some cyclists are motivated to infringe by their perception that their behaviour is safe and that infrastructure factors were associated with infringement. Ways to manage this, potentially risky, behaviour including behaviour programmes, more cyclist-inclusive infrastructure and enforcement are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To assess whether different licensing policies were associated with different fatality levels, the fatality outcomes of older drivers in Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) were compared. In Victoria, there is no age-based assessment required for re-licensing, while in NSW, drivers aged 80years and older are required to provide annual medical certificates and from age 85, are required to pass on-road driving tests. Fatality rates associated with older drivers in each jurisdiction were calculated for the main categories of road users on two bases: per number of target drivers and per number of licensed drivers. When fatality outcomes were considered relative to the number of 80-plus year-olds in the Victorian and NSW populations, there was no significant difference in the overall fatality rate between the two groups. Similarly, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the fatality rate for all other road users and for road users not in the older drivers’ vehicles. When fatality outcomes were considered relative to the number of 80-plus year-old licensed drivers in either Victoria or NSW, Victorian older drivers were associated with a lower overall fatality rate and the difference was marginally statistically significant. Victorian older drivers were also associated significantly lower fatality rate for road users not in the older drivers’ vehicles. Victorian older drivers represented a statistically significant higher risk in one major regard: to their passengers. Victorian drivers aged 80years and older had between two and three times higher passenger fatality rates compared to NSW drivers. However it was also found that Victorian older drivers had a significantly higher passenger occupancy rate than their NSW equivalents. Once Victorian and NSW older drivers’ different passenger occupancy rates were controlled for, there were no statistically significant differences across the two jurisdictions. These findings collectively suggested that age-based mandatory assessment programs do not have demonstrable safety benefits, in terms of either total fatalities or other road user fatalities—thereby broadly confirming the findings from previous research based on older driver crash involvement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a survey of self-regulatory driving practices of 656 drivers aged 55 years and older. Types and prevalence of self-regulatory behaviours were examined and key characteristics of self-regulators were identified. Overall, the majority of drivers reported being very confident in potentially difficult driving situations and relatively few avoided these situations. The most commonly avoided situations were driving at night (25%), on wet nights (26%) and in busy traffic (22%). There was a strong association between drivers’ avoidance of and confidence in specific driving situations (e.g. night driving) and ratings of relevant functional abilities (e.g. vision for night driving). Logistic regression modelling revealed that those most likely to adopt avoidance behaviour were female, 75 years and older, not the principal driver in the household, had been involved in a crash in the last 2 years, reported vision problems and had lower confidence ratings. Implications for promotion of safe driving practices are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]