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This article outlines a capacity review of Romania’s national road infrastructure and road safety in general. Romania’s road fatality rate per 100,000 population has improved overall from a 2008 high of around 15 to the current 2019 value of 9.6. However, the rate has flat-lined with no real improvement for the last decade, stalling at around 9.7 over the period 2011- 2019 and around double the EU rate. Moreover, Romania’s total annual number of road deaths has remained at an average of around 1900 fatalities per annum over this period. Romania has been the worst performing country in the European Union (EU) in recent years, and one of the worst performing countries compared to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations in terms of road safety. The review performed in 2016 found inadequate political leadership and commitment to effective actions to reduce road fatalities, fragmented government road safety activities across a number of regulatory entities, speed limits set at levels that exceed internationally accepted survivable limits, weak traffic law enforcement including a lack of speed enforcement cameras resulting in a failure of drivers to comply with speed limits, and a lack of structured programs to implement human error tolerant road infrastructure constructed according to Safe System principles. A series of recommendations from the capacity review were adopted (as described here) since 2016, although much remains to improve road safety in Romania.

The Australian Census of Population and Housing includes a responder’s Method of Travel to Work for Persons (MTWP) on Census Day. With some exceptions, responders can select multiple modes of transport. In Australia and overseas, this data has been used to estimate mode share and the proportion of Australians who utilize various active transport modes. This is especially true for cycling as there are scant data sources for Australian cycling exposure. The aims of this paper are to discuss weaknesses of MTWP data and the appropriateness of MTWP data to estimate cycling in Australia, and to assess changes in MTWP data relative to the introduction of bicycle helmet legislation. The use of MTWP data to estimate Australian cycling is limited due to: (1) data collection occurring on single days in winter once every five years, (2) it is not possible to identify a primary mode of transport, and (3) the 1976 data was not a full enumeration. MTWP data estimates about 1.5% of Australians cycle while other data sources are much higher ranging from 10% to 36%. With regard to bicycle helmet legislation, comparisons were made for each state/territory for the census immediately preceding helmet legislation and the following census. Overall, the proportion of cyclists among active transport users is similar from pre- to post-legislation (relative change=+1%, 95% CI: -13%, +18%), although all but two states/territories estimate an increase in cycling. In conclusion, the Australian government should invest in routinely collecting high-quality mobility data for all modes of travel to assist in the decision-making and assessment of road safety policies.

There has historically been very little data on cycling in Australia. This lack of data has made it difficult to track whether cycling has changed over a long period of time. The number of cycling trips per day per person increased by 25.1% from the Day-to-Day Travel in Australia 1985/86 Survey to the 2011 National Cycling Participation Survey, while the Australian population 9 years of age and older has increased by 58.5%. The crude rate estimates a 20% reduction in cycling relative to population; however, this analysis does not account for changing Australian demographics during that time. When the rates of cycling are age-sex standardised, cycling trips in Australia increased by an estimated 11.0% (95% CI: 10.8%, 11.1%). The estimated increases in cycling trips, both in raw numbers and age-sex adjusted rates, support increased investments in cycling in Australia.

The 10th of April, 2020 marked the end of United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety. The target for this Decade was to reduce global road fatalities by 50% of the projected deaths of around 1.9 million – to below 900,000 deaths. However, by the year 2016 we saw the global road fatality toll rise to 1.35 million – and we still have around 1.35 million deaths per year

Using data from the Australian Naturalistic Driving Study (ANDS), this study examined patterns of secondary task engagement (e.g., mobile phone use, manipulating centre stack controls) during everyday driving trips to determine the type and duration of secondary task engaged in. Safety-related incidents associated with secondary task engagement were also examined. Results revealed that driver engagement in secondary tasks was frequent, with drivers engaging in one or more secondary tasks every 96 seconds, on average. However, drivers were more likely to initiate engagement in secondary tasks when the vehicle was stationary, suggesting that drivers do self-regulate the timing of task engagement to a certain degree. There was also evidence that drivers modified their engagement in a way suggestive of limiting their exposure to risk by engaging in some secondary tasks for shorter periods when the vehicle was moving compared to when it was stationary. Despite this, almost six percent of secondary tasks events were associated with a safety-related incident. The findings will be useful in targeting distraction countermeasures and policies and determining the effectiveness of these in managing driver distraction.

Distracted driving is widely recognised as a significant threat to the safety of all road users. Age-related declines in a range of sensory, cognitive and physical processes can, however, make older drivers particularly vulnerable to risks associated with distraction. While traditionally viewed as a younger driver issue, distracted driving among the older driver cohort is predicted to increase as future generations of older drivers drive more often, and for longer, and embrace technology in increasing numbers. This paper discusses current knowledge regarding why older drivers are particularly vulnerable to the effects of distracted driving and reviews recent research on older driver distraction engagement and its impact on their driving performance. Also presented, is an Australian case study of older driver secondary task engagement using data from the recently completed Australian Naturalistic Driving Study (ANDS). This case study examined patterns of secondary task engagement during everyday trips among 48 older (60+), middle-aged (43-49 years) and young (22-31 years) drivers. The findings suggest that Australian older drivers do engage in a large number of secondary tasks when driving; however, there is evidence that they self-regulate the type and timing of these tasks.

A systematic review was undertaken to summarise bicycle helmet laws (BHL) enacted around the world, when they were introduced, available information regarding enforcement fines and whether they were later repealed. Jurisdictions with some form of BHL were identified using several sources including European Commission, Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, government websites, and news articles. Wikipedia and advocacy group websites were also searched, but material was included only if verified from other sources. Road safety organisations in countries with existing BHL were also contacted. Information regarding date BHL was introduced, age of riders required to wear a helmet, what fines apply, and where and when BHL was modified or repealed, were gathered. There are currently 28 countries in total that have a helmet bicycle law. When the data is broken down in terms of countries, states, and cities, there have been at least 273 bicycle helmet laws enacted all over the world. Nine countries have bicycle helmet laws that apply to all ages as well as half of Canadian provinces, some US cities, urban travel in Chile and Slovakia, and interurban travel in Israel and Spain. To date, seventeen jurisdictions have modified their laws and only two laws have been fully repealed (Mexico City and Bosnia and Herzegovina). Although often presented as unique to cycling in Australia or New Zealand, bicycle helmet legislation has been enacted in many locations around the world. These laws are also robust with less than 1% of these laws (two instances) being fully repealed.

Each year around ten to twelve fatalities occur as a result of truck rear underruns in Australia and New Zealand. The injuries are usually horrific. Any car impact protection devices such as crumple zones, frontal airbags, or pre-tensioning belts are completely negated by an obvious mismatch between truck with an extended rear frame and a car’s crashworthiness systems. Given both Australia and New Zealand have adopted a ‘Safe System Approach’ road safety strategy, all such foreseen fatalities need to be addressed if a design countermeasure can be implemented. Despite the need for a standard having been recognised for some decades, there has been no effective legislation or Australian Design Rule requiring truck rear under run barriers. It was not until this year (2017) that the redrafted AS/NZ 3845.2 standard set out a crash test performance requirement for such barriers. This is the first time anywhere in the world such a dynamic crash test requirement has been specified in any official document agreed to by regulators. Brief details of the crash test matrix, the criteria for a barrier to be compliant with the standard and the basis on which requirements were established for a truck rear underrun protection device (barrier) is presented. A five star ANCAP rated car crashing into AS/NZS 3845.2 compliant truck rear underrun barriers at speeds of up to around 70 km/h are now survivable.

Quad bikes or All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) continue to be a significant cause of serious injuries and fatalities in many countries. Of particular concern are injury incidents related to quad bike use on-roads. Results from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Quad Bike Performance Project identified that most commercial quad bikes tested, demonstrated an oversteer steady-state handling characteristic. A mathematical relationship exists between a vehicle’s oversteer characteristic and a ‘critical speed’ at which the quad bike is at risk of suddenly losing control. Theoretical analyses indicated that the critical speed for the tested quad bikes ranges between 26 km/h and 35 km/h. Computer simulations were also performed to determine whether quad bikes can safely interact with speed humps and roadside structures such as kerbs and traffic islands. The simulations indicated that quad bikes could traverse on-road speed humps without displacing the rider off the seat. However, traversing roadside structures such as a kerb or a pedestrian island, resulted in the displacement of the rider off the seat and in one instance a rollover. The results suggest that quad bikes are unsafe for on-road use where speed limits have been set to 50 km/h or more and where there are road features such as kerbs and traffic islands that need to be negotiated by the rider. In summary, quad bikes are vulnerable to the speeds and roadside structures found in the on-road environment.

Speeding is a well-known contributing factor to the severity and frequency of crashes in Jordan. Speed choice decisions among Jordanian drivers were studied using a self-reporting survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were carried out in this study. The findings showed that almost half of surveyed drivers reported speeding. The most common reason for drivers deciding to reduce their speed was for safety. A regression analysis showed that previously receiving speeding fines for males appeared to have a significant association with receiving traffic fines in general. Speeding should be targeted through strict enforcement and legislation in Jordan. Gender-differentiated measures from the survey indicate males should be targeted for enforcement. Road safety policy-makers could consider adopting the Safe System Approach to address speeding issues in Jordan.

Road safety remains a serious problem for the community. Road traffic crashes rob us of too many of our young and productive members of our society, and constitute one of the major causes of premature death and injury. Most concerning is that these deaths and injuries are almost always preventable. Tracking of changes in road fatalities over the years shows that road safety has improved markedly over the last century and especially since the early 1970's. Initiatives like compulsory seat belts and random breath testing have reduced fatality rates from over 25 per 100,000 population to currently just over five per 100,000. The gains have slowed significantly over the last two decades and our road safety countermeasures have not had the same impact as previously. The wins are getting harder to achieve. In addition, questions are being raised about the effects of road traffic crashes on injury; especially serious injury. And questions should be asked. First because we really don't have good data on injuries due to road crashes since the focus has always been on road deaths. Second, it is likely that at least some of our efforts to reduce fatalities may actually increase serious injury. Some of our countermeasures act less on preventing crashes and more on limiting damage to the person. This, we fear may be resulting in greater numbers of people with serious longer term injury due to road traffic crashes. We need to know: a) whether this is so, and b) the nature of crashes that results in serious injury so we can prevent them.

The Australian Naturalist Driving Study (ANDS) is being carried out by a Transport and Road Safety (TARS) team led by Professors Raphael Grzebieta and Ann Williamson. Drivers will be observed within and around their vehicles using the so-called Naturalistic Driving Study research method. The ANDS team will be instrumenting around 400 cars in Sydney and Melbourne to continuously record data from within and outside the vehicles on driver and road user behaviour, in normal and safety-critical situations. They will then analyse this data to develop new and novel countermeasures for reducing road deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads. This is the first study of this magnitude and sophistication being carried out in Australia.

The cause of serious and fatal thoracic injuries in passenger vehicle rollover crashes is currently not well understood. Previous research on thoracic injuries resulting from rollover crashes have focused primarily on statistical analysis of crash data. This study seeks to develop a better understanding of where in the rollover sequence thoracic injuries may occur. To do this, a real-world passenger vehicle rollover crash where the driver sustained serious bilateral thoracic injuries was reconstructed. Multi-body analysis was used to determine the vehicle’s pre-trip trajectory and to obtain the vehicle’s position and kinematics at the point of trip. This information was then used to prescribe the motion of the vehicle in a finite element analysis. A finite element model of the EuroSID-2re anthropomorphic test device was placed in the driver’s seat. Four simulations, each with the anthropomorphic test device positioned in different postures, were performed. Rib deflection, spinal acceleration, and thoracic impact velocity were obtained from the anthropomorphic test device and compared to existing thoracic injury assessment reference values. From the analysis, lateral thoracic impact velocity indicates that a serious thoracic injury is likely to have occurred when the driver impacted the centre console during the vehicle’s fourth quarter-turn.

Bicycle helmets are designed to mitigate head injury during a collision. In the early 1990's, Australia and New Zealand mandated helmet wearing for cyclists in an effort to increase helmet usage. Since that time, helmets and helmet laws have been portrayed as a failure in the peer-reviewed literature, by the media and various advocacy groups. Many of these criticisms claim helmets are ineffective, helmet laws deter cycling, helmet wearing increases the risk of an accident, no evidence helmet laws reduce head injuries at a population level, and helmet laws result in a net health reduction. This paper reviews the data and methods used to support these arguments and shows they are statistically flawed. When the majority of evidence against helmets or mandatory helmet legislation (M:HL) is carefully scrutinised it appears overstated, misleading or invalid. Moreover, much of the statistical analysis has been conducted by people with known affiliations with anti-helmet or anti-MHL organisations.

Background: Mandatory helmet legislation (MHL) for cyclists became effective in New Zealand (NZ) on 1 January 1994. Assessments of the NZ MHL have led to conflicting conclusions regarding its effectiveness at reducing cycling head injury and risk of fatality. These studies also differ in their use of analytic approaches and data sources. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to systematically review all studies that assess the NZ MHL in accordance with quality criteria for assessing population-based interventions. Data Sources: A search of Medline, Scopus and Web of Science for peer-reviewed articles from 1994 to 9 September 2014 was conducted. Study Selection: Documents were independently extracted by two reviewers and limited to original articles in peer-reviewed journals that assessed the NZ MHL in terms of cycling head injury. Results: The results from three of the four included studies indicated a positive effect of MHL for increasing helmet wearing and reducing head injuries. However, the findings of these studies must be interpreted within the context of methodological limitations. Conclusion: We believe more high quality evaluations are needed to provide evidence for an objective assessment of MHL in NZ.

Road trauma identified using hospital admission records or police-reported crashes are susceptible to changes in policy and resourcing. This research compares temporal trends in police, hospital and linked police-hospital records for non-fatal road trauma for road users by injury severity during 2001 to 2009 in New South Wales, Australia. Hospital records showed significantly increasing injury trends for motorcyclists and pedal cyclists (6.3% and 5.5%) and significantly decreasing trends for motor vehicle occupants and pedestrians (1.7% and 2.2%) per year whereas, for police-reported crashes, there were significant decreases for pedal cycle, motor vehicle and pedestrian casualties (1.5%, 3.8% and 5.2%), and a significant increase for motorcyclists (1.8%) per year. Differences in the annual percent change over time between hospital and police-reported crashes are evident which may influence policymaking. Policy makers should endeavour to review road casualty trends from a range of data collections to inform policy development regarding road safety.

This study uses linked police-reported road crash and hospitalisation datasets to establish the patterns of serious injury sustained by occupants of passenger vehicle rollover crashes in New South Wales, 2001 to 2011. A total of 10,876 casualties were identified that were injured in crashes where rollover was the primary event. The injury patterns are compared with in-depth rollover crash investigations using United States data, where injury mechanisms were identified in an effort to establish rollover crash test protocols and identify appropriate areas for vehicle improvements to ameliorate serious injuries. The aim of the present study is to establish similarities between patterns of serious injury to the head, spine and thorax between Australia and the United States, such that the lessons learned with regards to injury mechanisms, test protocols and vehicle performance requirements may be shared and used to improve vehicle rollover crashworthiness in both countries. General descriptors of rollover crash incidence, characteristics and determinates of serious injury in NSW are also reported.

Vehicle rollovers account for a large percentage of the total fatalities in vehicle crashes. The high fatality rate related to vehicle rollovers clearly indicates the extent of the problem. In Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy for the decade 2011-2020, one of the requirements for safer vehicles is the development of a dynamic rollover test protocol. Although the nature of the severe injuries occurring during vehicle rollovers is known, the actual causes are still mostly unknown. In this regard, the Jordan Rollover System (JRS) is a device that could be used to investigate in a testing environment what happens to occupants during a typical vehicle rollover. This paper describes a modelling effort to simulate vehicle rollover dynamic testing using the JRS. A Finite Element (FE) model that accurately reproduces the geometry and functionality of the JRS testing rig was initially built. The model was then validated against an actual test involving a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). The FE model proved to be capable of replicating both the vehicle dynamics and deformation occurring during an actual rollover test with the JRS rig. The developed FE model will be a valuable tool to investigate different crash scenarios by varying the initial vehicle roll, pitch, yaw angles and roll rate. In particular, simulations will be able to identify the ability of the rig to replicate crashes under initial conditions derived from real-world rollover crashes, which may be significantly more severe than the test rig has to date been used for.

The LS-DYNA/USA (Underwater Shock Analysis) coupled finite element codes are being investigated as a tool for predicting the local response of compliant plate structures subjected to far-field underwater explosion.

This paper presents the results of a series of small-scale underwater shock experiments that measured the structural responses of submerged, fully clamped, air-backed, steel plates to a range of high explosive charge sizes. The experimental results were subsequently used to validate a series of simulations using the coupled LS-DYNA/USA finite element/boundary element codes. The modelling exercise was complicated by a significant amount of local cavitation occurring in the fluid adjacent to the plate and difficulties in modelling the boundary conditions of the test plates. The finite element model results satisfactorily predicted the displacement-time history of the plate over a range of shock loadings although a less satisfactory correlation was achieved for the peak velocities. It is expected that the predictive capability of the finite element model will be significantly improved once hydrostatic initialisation can be fully utilised with the LS-DYNA/USA software.

Speeding is arguably one of the most prevalent, if not the most prevalent, behavioural factor involved in fatal road crashes. However, the interventions to redress this continuing serious threat to public safety are amongst the most controversial done by governments in Australia. Media outcries of “revenue raising” when speed cameras are installed are deafening. This is despite the voluminous evidence that speed cameras save lives. In early 2012 there were a number of current affairs programs on commercial TV channels and web internet discussions that were blatantly anti-speed camera enforcement. Expert road safety researchers have attempted to present the facts and provide evidence-based opinions about the injury risks of speeding and the safety benefits of speed camera enforcement. Australian community surveys have indicated that the majority of people do understand that speeding is a road safety risk, and they support speed limits and speed enforcement. But broad public and media understanding of the issues are still confounded by misleading publicity and opinionated non-expert mass and social media discussions of views opposing speed enforcement and even views that disagree that speeding is a road trauma risk. This paper explores this phenomenon, discusses issues concerning mass and social media and suggests ways to address the problem.

Recent research into motorcyclist collisions with roadside barriers has indicated that while they are infrequent events, they often result in severe injury outcomes. Impacts with steel guardrail (W-beam) barrier posts have been identified as significant contributors to such injuries. Thoracic injury has been revealed as the body region most frequently seriously injured (AIS 3+), amongst fatal and non-fatal collisions. One approach to help reduce such trauma is to perform numerical simulations of motorcyclist-barrier collisions, and to develop and assess barrier types and barrier modifications and their impact on injury outcomes. The aim of the present study is to validate a human FEM model of a motorcyclist impact with a guardrail post, specifically focusing on the incidence and severity of thoracic injuries. Field-observed cases of motorcyclist-barrier collisions in Australia are identified, where a collision of a motorcyclist sliding into a steel guardrail barrier was fully reconstructed. A numerical model of the THUMS human body model sliding into a steel guardrail barrier is developed using LSDYNA. The biomechanical response of the THUMS model is validated against cadaver experiments of blunt anterior-posterior and lateral impacts to the chest, and against the field-observed collisions. The validated model will be a useful tool to develop and assess barriers and barrier modifications designed to improve the safety of roadsides for motorcyclists.

Increasingly organisations are applying risk management, occupational safety and road safety principles in an effort to reduce the incidence of work-related road crashes and injuries. This paper discusses some of the developments, models and tools that, while at present not all having a strong evidence base, show potential for an active role for employers to advance road safety within their organisations.

I have now visited China on two occasions at the invitation of the Ministry of Public Security and the Asian Development Bank. I was asked to present a number of road safety and crash investigation related topics to an audience made up predominantly of Police from various Chinese Provinces. This is a brief outline of my impressions during those visits. At the outset I must emphasise that I thoroughly enjoyed my brief stays. I learned a lot about China and its traffic problems from a first hand encounter. My hosts were most gracious, kind, and warm. They assisted me in whatever way they could to make my trip and stay as comfortable and pleasant as possible and my presentations run smoothly. I should also emphasise that they too are just as anxious and committed to reducing their embarrassingly high road carnage as quickly and efficiently as possible alongside other road safety committed nations. Indeed, they have already implemented a number of significant road safety strategy solutions and they are searching for more. They have also provided a vision that embraces and concurs with the Swedish “Vision Zero” and Australia’s “Safer Drivers in Safer Vehicles on Safer Roads” concepts. How to ef ficiently implement these concepts to what seems an overwhelmingly difficult and daunting task is what they are seeking and are keen to learn about.