Search

Motorcycles are the main form of urban transport in some low- and-middle-income countries and dominate traffic. In high-income countries they are used for both transport and recreation. There are complex relationships among motorcycle type, rider characteristics, purpose of riding and distance ridden which influences the magnitude and nature of the resulting safety issues. Inexperience and risk-taking combine with the lack of protection provided to riders and road environment deficiencies to increase the likelihood and severity of crashes. Wearing good quality helmets and road improvements are the most promising measures to improve motorcyclist safety. Keywords Moped, Motor scooters, Motorcycle safety, Motorcycle rider licensing, Motorcycle rider training, Older riders, Returning riders, Vulnerable road users

The Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q) is a leading and internationally recognised research institution in road safety. It was established in 1996 as a joint initiative of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC). The vision of CARRS-Q is for a safer world in which injury-related harm is uncommon and unacceptable. CARRS-Q builds new scientific understanding that enables regulatory authorities, policy makers, educators and communities to frame strategic choices about applied future actions. Clear proactive input to relevant national research priorities is a key element of the research strategy and staff belong to many major road safety policy groups at the state and federal level. This background informs our submission to the current Inquiry. This submission has been submitted in response to the resolution by the House of Representatives and the Senate that a Joint Select Committee on Road Safety be appointed to inquire into and report on: (a) measures to support the Australian Parliament’s ongoing resolve to eliminate road crash fatal and serious injuries with a focus on ways to achieving Vision Zero by 2050; (b) the effectiveness of existing road safety programs across Australia; opportunities to improve them and encourage broader take-up of effective approaches; (c) opportunities for government policy in health, education, industry, transport and other areas to contribute to road trauma elimination, integrating Safe System principles; (d) opportunities to embed road trauma prevention across Australian Government portfolios and agencies; and (e) opportunities to reduce road trauma in the workplace, working with Work Health and Safety agencies and employers across Australia; including a focus on heavy vehicles and the gig economy. CARRS-Q staff have also contributed to submissions to the Inquiry by the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) and th

(1) Background: Passenger vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) functionalities are becoming more prevalent within vehicle fleets. However, the full effects of offering such systems, which may allow for drivers to become less than 100% engaged with the task of driving, may have detrimental impacts on other road-users, particularly vulnerable road-users, for a variety of reasons. (2) Crash data were analysed in two countries (Great Britain and Australia) to examine some challenging traffic scenarios that are prevalent in both countries and represent scenarios in which future connected and autonomous vehicles may be challenged in terms of safe manoeuvring. (3) Road intersections are currently very common locations for vulnerable road-user accidents; traffic flows and road-user behaviours at intersections can be unpredictable, with many vehicles behaving inconsistently (e.g., red-light running and failure to stop or give way), and many vulnerable road-users taking unforeseen risks. (4) Conclusions: The challenges of unpredictable vulnerable road-user behaviour at intersections (including road-users violating traffic or safe-crossing signals, or taking other risks) combined with the lack of knowledge of CAV responses to intersection rules, could be problematic. This could be further compounded by changes to nonverbal communication that currently exist between road-users, which could become more challenging once CAVs become more widespread.

Objective: Speeding in work zones is common and poses significant safety hazards to motorists and workers. Previous studies have demonstrated that speeding is reduced when workers are visible to the drivers, suggesting that concern for the safety of workers influences drivers’ speed choice. Conversely, the extent of speeding when workers are not visible suggests that drivers underestimate the increased risk of crashes or other damage to their vehicles associated with the poorer road conditions common at roadworks (loose surfaces and debris, narrower lane width and drop-offs etc.). To better understand the factors influencing drivers’ speeds in work zones, this paper examined the extent to which drivers’ speed choices are influenced by their perceived likelihoods of injuring workers and damaging their own vehicles. Methods: Driver-nominated speeds and perceived likelihoods of worker injury and vehicle damage were collected in an online survey of 405 drivers from Queensland, Australia, by showing photographs of 12 real-world work zones. The data were analyzed using regression techniques to examine the factors influencing driver-nominated speeds and likelihood of speeding. Results: The results supported the hypothesis that both drivers’ perceived likelihood of injuring workers and damaging vehicles strongly influence their nominated speeds (p < 0.001). Young and middle-aged drivers nominated 2.5–6.3 km/h higher speeds than older drivers (p < 0.001). Car drivers who also held truck licenses nominated 4.5 km/h higher speeds (p < 0.001) and 81% higher odds of nominating speeds higher than posted limits (p < 0.001) than car-only licensed drivers. Drivers nominated lower speeds at road curves (12.1 km/h lower speed and 53% lower odds of speeding, p < 0.001), if adjacent areas of travel lanes were unpaved or had loose materials (11.5 km/h lower speed and 66% lower odds, p < 0.001), and when workers were visible in work zones (1.4 km/h lower speed, p = 0.004, and 27% lower

Driver education providers may utilise technologies such as driving simulators to augment their existing courses. Understanding the perceptions that young drivers and parents have of simulators may help to make simulator-based driver education more accepted and more likely to be effective. Young drivers and parents completed an online questionnaire that included a “simulator invention” visualisation task. Items based on the Goals for Driver Education framework investigated perceptions of the most appropriate skill type, while others examined the most suitable target group for simulator training, and timing in relation to completing a formal driver education course for simulator training to occur. Both groups perceived that simulators were most appropriate for training a combination of physical, traffic, psychological, and social driving skills with learner drivers during attendance at a novice driver education program. Young drivers and parents had similar perceptions regarding the amount that each skill type should be trained using a simulator. Understanding the perceptions of young drivers and parents, and especially those who are somewhat naïve to the use of driving simulators, may aid in the introduction and administration of simulator training and may increase the effectiveness of driver education as a crash countermeasure.

Objectives: Violations of road rules are common in bicycle-motor vehicle crashes, but little is known about how much this results from lack of knowledge of the rules. This article addresses the research questions of how well do drivers know the road rules related to interacting with cyclists, and what factors influence their level of knowledge. Methods: An online survey compared drivers who reported riding bicycles on Queensland roads in the previous 12 months (“cyclists”: n = 2,839) and those who did not (“drivers”: n = 4,070). A list of 10 plausible road rules (four were not actual rules) relating to interactions between motor vehicles and bicycles was presented, and participants were asked “Which of the following road rules applies in Queensland?” The response options for each item were “Yes,” “No,” and “I don’t know”. Results: The percentages correct varied markedly across the rules, from 86.5% to 38.7% for cyclists and from 72.2% to 20.9% for drivers. Incorrect responses were generally more common than “Don’t know” responses (cyclists: 22.3% incorrect, 9.8% “Don’t know”; drivers: 29.9% incorrect, 19.6% “Don’t know”). The hierarchical regression analysis confirmed that cyclists had better road rule knowledge than drivers. In the cyclist-only model, more frequent riding was significantly associated with better road rule knowledge but explained only 3% of the total variance. Older cyclists and those living in more urbanized areas had better knowledge but age and location of residence together added only 1% to the variance explained. In the driver-only model, knowledge was better for male, older, more educated participants and those living in more urbanized areas but these variables together accounted for only 5% of the variance. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that improving knowledge of some current road rules could be beneficial for cycling safety but for some other rules, improved knowledge could be detrimental for cycling safety and changing

Cyclists are often passed by motor vehicles in low-cycling countries where most riding occurs on roads. When passing events occur, the lateral passing distance (LPD) between motor vehicles and bicycles is critically important for objective and subjective safety. This systematic review identified 42 papers reporting 36 independent studies of LPD. Seven papers reported sufficient information to be included in meta-analyses for four different variables; road width, speed limit, on-road bicycle lanes compared to no bicycle lanes and bus versus car. The meta-analyses showed significant positive relationships between LPD and road width, and between LPD and speed limit; and smaller LPDs when cyclists were passed by buses rather than cars. The effect of on-road bicycle infrastructure was inconsistent. Studies that considered cyclist factors such as gender or type of cyclist showed mixed results. Seven out of eight studies found that the closer the cyclist rode to the kerb, the larger the LPD. Lastly, the passing strategy chosen by drivers (accelerative or flying) also showed mixed results. The results of the review are consistent with the predictions of the Multiple Comfort Zone model which predicts that the distance a driver leaves between their vehicle and other road users will be based on attempting to maintain their own comfort zone. Other motor vehicles pose a greater risk to drivers than bicycles, therefore the distance a driver chooses between their vehicle and a bicycle may be compromised if there are other vehicles present or if the available travel space is restricted. As governments around the world grapple with increasing health costs caused by physical inactivity, bicycle riding is being encouraged. Given the importance of the passing manoeuvre for cyclist safety, when designing infrastructure to foster cycling, factors that influence LPD should be considered.

Objectives: Vehicle crashes in work zones are significantly underreported in official crash datasets of many countries, including Australia. This leads to underestimations of work zone crash frequencies and limited understanding of crash causation factors. To address this important gap in the literature, this paper examines historical data from two different sources – police-reported crash data and organizational Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) records – to understand work zone crashes and their characteristics in Queensland, Australia. Methods: WHS data including text fields were cleaned and coded to match police-reported crash data variables for comparative descriptive analysis of a 45-month period. involvement of a moving vehicle that collided with another vehicle, pedestrian, object, or overturned, at a work zone accessible to public traffic. Results: There were more work zone crashes in the WHS data (N¼820) than the police-reported data (N¼128) and the WHS data offered a deeper understanding of incident causes due to the greater breadth of information available. The two data sets varied in terms of the patterns of crash type, the mixes of road users and vehicles involved, and the contributing factors that were identified, highlighting dangers of relying on single sources for understanding crash characteristics. The WHS data appear relatively consistent with the overall work zone safety literature, but their use has limitations regarding processing and reliability. Conversely, police-reported crash data can be analyzed efficiently but they suffer from underreporting and selective reporting. Conclusions: The WHS dataset is a valuable alternative to police-reported crash data for understanding vehicle crash characteristics in work zones, particularly where restrictive reporting criteria lead to inability to identify these crashes in police data. Reliability and utility of WHS data could be improved through advanced reporti

Drivers are often at-fault in collisions with powered and unpowered Two-Wheelers (TW). In this paper, we propose a framework based on the random forest algorithm to investigate whether TW experience influences driver interactions with TWs. Sixty-nine drivers completed a 10-minute driving simulator session which included five interactions based on common car-TW crash types. The TWs were initially positioned in front of, or at right angles to, the driven vehicle. The proposed framework detected a statistically significant difference between drivers with TW experience and those without despite the small sample size.

In-vehicle information systems (IVIS) have increased in popularity and availability in the past five years and are expected to transform the way individuals drive. Therefore, it is important to investigate the potential risks associated with IVIS use, particularly with regards to distracted driving. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate drivers’ engagement with IVIS and related risky driving behaviours. Specifically, the current study explored drivers’ current knowledge and use of IVIS and perceptions of risk, and used the Theory of Planned Behaviour to investigate the psychological factors that influence drivers’ decision-making in relation to its use. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 32 Australian drivers aged 19–70 years who drove vehicles with an IVIS. The results showed that drivers mainly used their IVIS for entertainment (i.e., music) and navigation purposes (i.e. GPS), and lacked comprehensive knowledge of other capabilities. Additionally, drivers do not believe an IVIS is an essential system, and further stated that it would be risky if drivers relied on the IVIS for engagement in driving tasks (e.g., navigation) or non-driving tasks (e.g., mobile phone). Some of the factors that influenced drivers’ decisions to use IVIS were the safety, entertainment, and convenience it offered and the influence of family and friends. Finally, there is evidence that mobile phones are often preferred over IVIS while driving, based on perceptions that IVIS have lower ease of use and usability.

This study examines beliefs about helmet use in adult cyclists from 17 countries participating in the COST Action TU1101 Project (Helmet Optimization in Europe – HOPE). A total of 5,797 respondents were included in the analysis after applying eligibility criteria and data cleaning. Cyclists' beliefs were assessed by 25 items using a 7-point Likert scale. These items were factor analyzed resulting in a four-factor solution (Factor 1: Perceived Benefits and Risk Reduction, Factor 2: Perceived Disadvantages and Barriers to Helmet Use, Factor 3: Perception of Group Norms, and Factor 4: Situation-Dependence of Helmet Use). Results show that both beliefs and helmet wearing behavior differ according to some demographic and cycling-related factors, such as gender, frequency of bicycle use and type of bicycle used. Factor 3 (Perception of Group Norms) and Factor 2 (Perceived Disadvantages and Barriers to Helmet Use) were among the strongest predictors of helmet use, even after controlling for demographic and cycling-related variables. The findings suggest that helmet use promotion should focus primarily on normative beliefs and on the reduction of perceived barriers. Beliefs about helmet use can vary in accordance with the cyclist’s profile, as well as cultural and contextual factors. Assessment of beliefs in specific settings and populations will provide a better basis for planning interventions. The limitations of the present study are mainly related to the instrument used (online survey) and to the differences in sample sizes across countries.

There are worrying reports of escalating numbers of emergency department presentations by riders and pedestrians with injuries caused by electric scooters (e‐scooters). In Brisbane, injuries involving shared e‐scooters were monitored for about 2 months in early 2019; of the 109 patients for whom data were available, 12 had minor head injuries, three major head injuries, 23 upper limb fractures, and seven lower limb fractures. Not wearing helmets, travelling at more than 30 km/h, and alcohol consumption were identified as significant factors in e‐scooter accidents...

To understand where driver training should focus to contribute to improving the safety of cyclists, this study compared bicycle-motor-vehicle (BMV) crashes involving novice drivers (under 25 years) with those involving experienced drivers in the Australian states of Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia. Novice drivers were involved in only a small proportion of BMV crashes and were not over-represented on a per-license basis. For both driver groups, most crashes happened on lower speed roads, at intersections, and during the day. In contrast to expectations, the distribution of types of BMV crashes differed little between experienced and novice drivers. The absence of major differences between experienced and novice drivers may result from learning opportunities being too infrequent in low-volume cycling countries, but this hypothesis needs further testing. A comparison between Queensland and Victoria showed three situations with a higher proportion of young driver crashes: in the evening in both states, Right through-opposing directions (Victoria only), and From footway-maneuvering (Queensland only). These patterns are likely to be indicative of young driver experiences. When their time on the road increases, so does their exposure to risk and to challenging driving conditions (e.g., driving in darkness). On the other hand, these patterns may also point to effects of legislation on young driver crashes, for instance cycling on the sidewalk in Queensland. The results suggest that training for novice drivers needs to supplement a wider strategy to improve cyclist safety (including infrastructure and traffic management improvements) and that training needs to be tailored to state-specific conditions.

This study used data from the Australian Naturalistic Driving Study to study driver engagement in secondary tasks during every day driving and examine the role that various driver characteristics and driving context variables play in influencing the initiation of secondary tasks. Video from 186 randomly selected trips were viewed to identify a range of secondary tasks and to classify contextual variables at the point of task initiation (e.g. vehicle motion, weather, and light conditions). Results revealed that secondary task engagement when driving is highly prevalent, with drivers spending ∼45% of their driving time engaging in potentially distracting tasks. The results also showed that drivers make a number of strategic decisions regarding when to engage, such as waiting until the vehicle is stationary; however, they do not appear to consider some contextual factors that may impact risks, such as weather and light conditions. The findings will be useful in targeting distraction countermeasures and policies and determining the effectiveness of these in reducing driver distraction.

Purpose Bicycle riding provides a sustainable and affordable solution to many of the significant problems associated with motorised transport and physical inactivity. The provision of infrastructure plays an important role in encouraging people to begin and subsequently continue to ride bicycles and to do so safely. Methodology This chapter describes different types of on- and off-road infrastructure and reviews studies of their effects on rider numbers and safety. In addition, it looks at the roles that end-of-trip facilities and bikeshare programs can play in contributing to bicycle use and general transport sustainability. Findings Infrastructure characteristics can influence both perceived and objective levels of safety. It is important to identify and avoid treatments that increase perceived safety but are actually less safe. The type of infrastructure needed or desired differs between current and potential riders and according to trip purpose. Well-designed marked bicycle lanes on roads can reduce crash rates. Safety at intersections can be improved by: advanced green lights for cyclists, short cuts for right-hand turns, brightly coloured bicycle paths and advanced waiting positions for cyclists. Off-road facilities are generally safer, but intersections with roads must be carefully treated. Shared paths and footpaths are risky for older pedestrians (and older cyclists). Implications In many countries the provision of more infrastructure that increases the perceived safety of riding is needed to encourage cycling, particularly transport cycling and cycling by women.

Women seem to use the helmet when riding a bicycle less frequently than men. Two possible explanations for this behavior are that 1) it is less appalling to them because of lack of comfort or other reasons, or 2) they use bicycles in a more cautious way than men so they feel that they do not need the helmet as much. The present paper explores these two explanations in 5, 691 cyclists that responded to an online survey conducted in 17 countries as part of an EU COST project. Answers to questions related to the two aforementioned explanations were analyzed graphically and three questions that showed the most conspicuous differences between males and females were identified. These were: 'Helmets are a problem because they disturb your hair', 'I am a fast rider', and 'I am a skilled rider'. The responses to these three questions plus their interactions with the gender of the respondent were used as predictors of the proportion of helmet wear. The results showed that: 1) the three questions predicted the use of the helmet, 2) the interaction between gender and hair disturbance was not significant, and 3) the interactions between gender and being a fast cyclist and being a skilled rider were both statistically significant showing that women that regard themselves as slow riders or skillful riders use relatively less the helmet than men in similar conditions.

Objectives: What are we teaching drivers about safely interacting with cyclists? This is the main objective of the Cycle Aware project. As part of the study, a teaching and learning package is being developed to fill this gap in Australia. Methods: Cycle Aware is a major national project that takes a mixed methods approach to investigate how cyclists are taught to share the road with cyclists when learning to drive. The project has five stages: (1) a national review of the driver licensing documentation; (2) interviews with key stakeholders (n = 35) involved with novice driver education; (3) analysis of cyclist-novice driver crash data to identify the most frequent crash types; (4) develop a teaching and learning package (Cycle Aware Package), and; trial and evaluate Cycle Aware Package. Results: Overall, drivers are taught little about sharing the road with cyclists. Representation of cyclists in government documentation is mixed and mostly negative and interviews identified driver-cyclist tensions related to attitudes and awareness of sharing the road. Crash types were similar among novice and experienced drivers. The Cycle Aware Package is being finalised and will be trialled in South Australia and Northern Territory in early 2019. Conclusions: Cycle Aware will provide new insights into the way drivers are taught to share the road with cyclists. The Cycle Aware Package with interactive online content and driver competencies will facilitate a new approach to addressing this gap among Australia drivers.

• Separating cyclists and pedestrians from motor vehicles improves their safety but sharing paths exposes both to risk • Child and elderly pedestrians are more vulnerable in bicycle collisions • Pedestrians walking dogs, skateboarders and rollerbladers, and pedestrians using headphones or looking at smartphones pose risks to cyclists • Bicycles must have a working bell or horn in Australia and authorities recommend ringing to alert pedestrian

Many studies have identified factors that contribute to bicycle-motor vehicle (BMV) crashes, but little is known about determinants of cyclist injury severity under different traffic control measures at intersections. Preliminary analyses of 5,388 police-reported BMV crashes in 2002-2014 from Queensland, Australia revealed that cyclist injury severity differed according to whether the intersection had a stop/give way sign, traffic signals or no traffic control. Therefore, separate mixed logit models of cyclist injury severity (fatal/hospitalized, medically treated, and minor injury) were estimated. Despite similar distributions of injury severity across the 3 types of traffic control, more factors were identified as influencing cyclist injury severity at stop/give way controlled intersections than at signalized intersections or intersections with no traffic control. Increased injury severity for riders aged 40-49 and 60+ and those not wearing helmets were the only consistent findings across all traffic control types, although the effect of not wearing helmets was smaller at uncontrolled intersections. Cyclists who were judged to be at fault were more severely injured at stop/give way and signalized intersections. Speed zone influenced injury severity only at stop/give way signs and appears to reflect differences in intersection design, rather than speed limits per se. While most BMV crashes occurred on dry road surfaces, wet road surfaces were associated with an increased cyclist injury severity at stop/give way intersections. The results of this study will assist transport and enforcement agencies in developing appropriate mitigation strategies to improve the safety of cyclists at intersections.

Technology developments, and particularly driving simulators, provide an opportunity to bridge the gap between research and practice in driver training. However, few studies investigate how young people are likely to engage with technologically-augmented driver education using driving simulators. This study surveyed novice drivers aged 18 to 20 with provisional driving licenses (N=273) and investigated their perceptions of what medium and high fidelity simulators could be effective at if included in a driver education course. We found that, despite a large focus on procedural skills, novice drivers thought that simulators could be used also for higher level skills, and that it aligned with their expectations about driver education, which suggests that enhancing this countermeasure with driving simulators would be accepted by novice drivers.

The Australian Naturalistic Driving Study provides immense opportunities for further understanding driver behaviour. Data collection being now completed, and a large subset of the data becoming available to researchers, it becomes important to look at what is available in the data. This paper presents a first attempt to develop a scalable approach for analysing data, by looking at the particular case of vehicle speed and driving location. A preliminary spatial database was created using ~20,000 New South Wales trips, and GPS points were map matched to Australian roads. This approach provides opportunities for studying locations where NSW drivers over-speed.

Many jurisdictions around the world have implemented laws to require a minimum distance when motor vehicles pass cyclists, but research into the factors influencing passing distances has produced inconsistent results, indicating the need for future research. This study examined the factors influencing motorists’ compliance with a legislated bicycle passing distance rule in Queensland, Australia. Unlike the earlier studies, which used volunteer riders to record passing events, this study used a naturalistic study design to record passing events where none of the motorists or the cyclists were aware of being studied. As a result, this study captured the ‘true’ driving and riding behaviours during passing events. The likelihood of non-compliance was greater on higher (70–80 km/h speed limits) and lower (40 km/h) speed roads than 60 km/h roads, at curved road sections, and on roads with narrower traffic lanes. Rider characteristics (age, gender, helmet status, type of clothing, type of bicycle, and individual or group riding) had no statistically significant association with compliance status. The findings indicate that efforts to improve cyclist safety during overtaking events should focus on non-rider related factors, such as roadway infrastructure characteristics.

Minimum passing distance (MPD), or three-foot, laws have been introduced in several countries to reduce the occurrence and severity of crashes occurring when motorists overtake cyclists. However, research into the effectiveness of these laws is lacking. This study was an evaluation of a 2-year trial of a MPD rule in Queensland, Australia. The evaluation comprised of four components; (i) Police officers (n = 21) were interviewed to evaluate the practicality of implementing the rule; (ii) Motorists (n = 4,332) and cyclists (n = 3,013) were surveyed to assess their awareness, attitudes and self-reported compliance; (iii) passing events (n=3,202) were observed at 15 urban, regional, and tourist locations on South East Queensland roads to assess compliance with the rule; (iv) analysis of police crash, injury, and infringement data. Police reported that the rule was difficult to enforce and many motorists surveyed doubted their ability to accurately judge lateral distance. Just over half of the motorists (52.5%) and almost all cyclists (94.7%) agreed with the rule. Most motorists and cyclists surveyed had observed motorists giving cyclists more space when overtaking than 12 months earlier. The observed non-compliance rates were 12.1% at low speed sites (60 km/h or lower speed limits) and 20.9% at high speed sites, suggesting that compliance with the MPD rule was relatively good. It is premature to draw conclusions regarding the road safety benefits of the road rule given the lack of pre-implementation data and detailed crash and injury data. These initial findings, however, suggest that the MPD road rule encourages motorists to provide more space to cyclists and as such, improves cyclist safety.

This report details contemporary practices to mitigate risk and improve safety at road worksites. This research involved three study components: - The safety performance at worksites in Australia and New Zealand was qualitatively benchmarked with comparable international jurisdictions. - Best practice in road worksite safety management was identified through a comprehensive literature review, including manuals from international jurisdictions with comparable or better safety performance, and consultation with 13 international experts. - The findings of the first two studies informed the development of recommendations for improving safety at Australian and New Zealand worksites. The identified best practices are presented in six groups: regulation, traffic signs and informational controls; enforcement related controls; traffic related operational controls; worksite/worker related operational controls; physical protection and separation related controls; and driver education and awareness campaigns. Initial recommendations were discussed with Austroads member agencies to understand degrees of applicability, feasibility, expected potential impact, and level of support in and relevance to their jurisdictions. The final recommendations were developed based on the feedback obtained from these consultations.