Summary

The report examines the application of resources and means of maximising enforcement strategies for road safety. Human factors, the law, policing, and mechanical design are analysed as part of the road safety system. Contributions from police in Australia and other countries are included. The results of the analysis identify the complex interactions between human factors and the road environment, and the conclusions list a number of strategies for the development of road safety enforcement policy that takes these into account.

Summary

Data from the Australian Federal Police on traffic offences in the ACT and data from the National Capital Development Commission on road crashes in the ACT were combined to form a database linking offence histories and crash histories of drivers. Various summaries of this data are examined to determine relationships between offence histories and crashes. Two statistical techniques were applied to the data to obtain relationships which might be used to identify drivers who are in the future more likely to be involved in a crash.

Summary

This study analyses the way Australian television represents traffic-related incidents. It focuses on programs watched by school-age children and describes the nature and frequency of those incidents from which children might possibly learn about road safety. The data was collected by analysing five weeks of television programs watched by large audiences of school-age children. In all programs, the predominant type of activity depicted is driving which is also the most dangerous activity.

Summary

This report evaluates the quality of the risk exposure data base derived from the Survey of Day-to-Day Travel in Australia 1985-86. Repunching a 1.6% sample of the survey forms and comparing with the original data sets revealed a less than 1% error rate. Car licence and car driver information had an acceptable error rate but was less accurate than the main body of data. Links between files on the IP Sharp system had been implemented correctly. Three sets of weight are defined for the database.

Summary

A pilot study was undertaken in the Hunter region of Australia during 1985-86 to determine feasibility, benefits and costs of alternate databases to be used for analysis of the medical outcomes of road traffic crashes. Results are reported for the most cost-effective option, the linking of existing, routinely collected data from two different sources: police traffic crash records and the discharge summaries for hospital in-patients. The method of linking these files in the absence of unique personal identifiers, names or addresses is described.

Summary

A theoretical model of the process of general deterrence is constructed, and tested against data collected as part of an evaluation of the impact of the introduction of random breath testing (RBT) in New South Wales, Australia in December 1982. The model entails a specification of the causal links between police activity and media publicity, and behaviour change. The model goes beyond utility theory in the conceptualisation of the processes whereby an individual may choose between driving after drinking and alternative modes of action.

Summary

The report describes a series of nine barrier crash tests performed on behalf of the Federal Office of Road Safety to investigate frontal impacts on forward-control vehicles, or vans. Existing safety requirements for vans and current frontal impact protection standards in Australia and overseas are discussed as a background to the test programme.

Summary

Rehabilitation programmes for drink drivers have been established in many places in Australia and New Zealand. The available literature suggests that if maximally effective in changing behaviour, rehabilitation programmes may have a limited impact on both road safety and alcohol related problems. There is an urgent need for further research evaluating the cost-effectiveness of such programmes.

Summary

Touche Ross Services was commissioned by FORS to develop core questions and administrative mechanisms for running bi-annual, national surveys on community attitudes to road safety, and to administer the first survey. This is a report of results from the first survey. Issues covered in the first survey include drink driving, causes of crashes,safe driving skills, urban vs. rural crash risk, perceptions of police enforcement, etc.