Summary

This report describes crashes in which car occupants were killed as a result of frontal impacts. Frontal impacts account for just under half of road crashes in which car occupants are killed and in Australia over 500 persons were killed in 441 cars involved in fatal crashes in 1990. Various aspects of the crashes and the persons involved are presented for frontal crashes and compared between central (full frontal) and offset frontal impacts, as well as between driver's side offset and passenger's side offset frontal impacts.

Summary

This study investigated the relative importance of youth and lack of driving experience as contributors to the over-representation of young drivers in traffic crashes. Interviews were conducted with drivers aged 16-29 to collect information on their personal characteristics, travel patterns and crash histories. After allowing for differences in exposure (time spent driving), crash involvement was found to be associated with lack of driving experience and with high levels of recklessness. Recklessness was higher amongst younger drivers.

Summary

This Review considers statistical techniques that can be applied to data from mass road traffic databases, concentrating on approaches which do not require ancillary information to the database. Two general problem types are considered: estimation of the degree to which factors affect crash propensity and the evaluation of the effectiveness of factors in reducing injury outcome once the crash has occurred. In both problem types, a number of techniques are identified which promise to provide signifcant advantages over methods currently in use.

Summary

This report examines current casualty crash data collections and makes recommendations for improved data collection methodologies for crashes resulting in hospitalisation and casualty crashes not resulting in hospitalisation. Recommendations include the increased utilisation of health sector data as well as augmentation of police reported crash data.

Summary

This pilot study was undertaken to identify the types of long-term consequences to people involved in road trauma, comprising physical, psychological and social disabilities, impairments, as well as community and financial hardships. In addition, it aimed to develop the most appropriate methodology for collecting data. A literature review was initially undertaken to highlight previous studies undertaken on outcome measures as well as to provide background information.

Summary

Road crashes are an avoidable cause of premature mortaIity and morbidity. Strategies to reduce the number of crashes are often subject to cost-benefit analyses in order to determine where scarce resources are best spent. However, the measure of benefit in these studies is often inadequate, being based on the avoidance of lost production of those killed or injured, savings in hospital costs, or savings in insurance payments. Ideally benefits should be assessed in a manner comparable with costs, such that a cost-benefit analysis may be undertaken.

Summary

This report aims to identify effective and practicable strategies to reduce driver fatigue in the long distance bus and coach industry. Information was collected using consultations with industry representatives and a survey of 250 drivers, to determine the extent of the problem and attitudes to a range of possible solutions. Results are analysed across a range of different operational and employment conditions.

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Summary

This study of a Drink Drive Education Program conducted by the Warrnambool Regional Association for Alcohol and Drug Dependence Inc. (WRAADD) between April 1, 1991 and March 30, 1992 produced a profile of an average drink drive offender from a rural community. Some trends can be seen. The drink drive offenders are male, young and capable of achieving high blood alcohol levels (BACs) and then considering themselves fit to drive. Few relationships were found between predicted indicators of problem drinking.

Summary

The purpose of the project was to document and evaluate current Australian practice in the assessment of drivers with disabilities.

Summary

This report discusses the implementation of a new procedure called Truncated Ordinal Regression (TOR). The technique is more general and efficient than the existing methods. It allows for an ordinal scale of injury such as uninjured, severe injury, dead.