Summary

1.1 Background

Summary

This project has reviewed developments in fleet and work-related road safety in Australia, particularly the following areas.

• The extent of the problem.
• Examples of best practice.
• Mechanisms for evaluation.
• Theoretical paradigms and future directions.

From this, the report achieves the following aims.

Summary

The problem of collisions at railway crossings is an on-going one for rail operators, track providers and regulators and road authorities in Australia. While the number of deaths and injuries is small in comparison to other road casualties and has been reduced considerably in recent years, they are the most serious safety issue faced by the rail system in Australia.

Summary

Pedestrians comprise about one in every seven fatalities on Australian roads. Figure 1 shows that of 1,444 pedestrian fatalities throughout Australia between 1998 and 2002, 553 (38 per cent) were males aged 15 to 54 and 449 (31 per cent) were males and females aged 65+. Each of these contributions was well above what would be expected on the basis of population share.

As a result, this monograph focuses on fatalities among male pedestrians aged between 15 and 54 years and not the much smaller number of female fatalities.

Summary

The Christmas/ New Year holiday period has traditionally been associated with a public perception of increased danger on Australian roads. Police enforcement and road safety education are heightened and fatal road crashes are traditionally given increased media attention. This report presents an analysis of the state/territory data relating to fatal crashes occurring during the 2002/03 Christmas/New Year holiday period and compares this with the remainder of the year, to identify both differences and similarities in the two data sets.

Summary

Provides a single reference to frequently used historical road crash data for researchers, policy makers and other interested parties working in the area of road safety. It is based on data sourced from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It contains national data relating to fatal road crashes, population, vehicle registrations and kilometres travelled from 1925 to the present.

Summary

This monograph presents national data on fatal crashes and fatalities that involved an articulated truck. Fatalities include truck occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists, other vehicle occupants and pedestrians. The data are the most recent that were available for analysis in May 2003.

Summary

The objective of the project was to explore the potential economic costs and benefits of changes to speed limits on rural roads in Australia. Net costs and benefits were estimated over a range of mean travel speeds (80 to 130 km/h) for the following road classes:

Summary

Indigenous Australians are over-represented in road fatalities by approximately 3.5 times. Until recently, there has been a lack of research in this area, and quantification of the road safety problem has been difficult due to poor reporting of crashes and complexities with the identification of Indigenous people. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau commissioned this scoping study on behalf of a working group of the National Road Safety Strategy Panel, which is the Indigenous Road Safety Working Group.