Road Safety Web Links - Australia and the World

by Vehicle Design & Research Pty Ltd Sydney, Australia

Quick links to my vehicle safety priorities:

• Speed control devices for vehicles. Half of all road fatalities occur at impact speeds under 55km/h. Inappropriate speeds are just as dangerous as high speeds. 
• Presentation to Staysafe 13 Oct 03 (800K pdf). 
• Presentation on speed control and DRLs at WHO road safety day (7 Apr 04) (700K PDF).  
• Jul 06: SpeedAlert  - PDA or mobile phone displays speed zones and alerts driver to speeding and school zones - Sydney region. 
• Question: Half of all fatal car accidents occur at or below what impact speed?
• In-vehicle Intelligent Speed Advisory Systems - pre-print of paper for the 20th International Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles. March 2007 (1Mb PDF)
• What's hot in road safety -vehicles that obey the speed limits (1Mb PDF) - presentation based on ESV paper
• 7 May 09 SpeedAlert: Would you like to help us Beta trial one of the most revolutionary Speed Limit Awareness software products in Australia?
• Nov 09:  Low Range Speeding and the Potential Benefits of Intelligent Speed Assistance  (600K PDF preprint of conference paper).  12% of casualty crashes  would be saved if  those who regularly drive between 2 and 10km/h over the speed limit obeyed the speed limits. Fatality savings would be much higher.

Review of the world's first passive ISA sat-nav device with a national speed limit database - the Navig8r M35 with SpeedAlert™ Passive Intelligent Speed Assist. 99% of the time I do NOT need a navigator map. 100% of the time I DO need speed limit information.This little unit displays the speed limit and beeps if you creep over the speed limit by more than 5km/h. It has a SpeedAlert mode where only speed limit information is displayed and no map - reducing distraction. The built-in speed limit database covers most populated areas of Australia. Update: Just tried out an M35 in Canberra, which has confusing speed limits.  It worked very well and saved a lot of stress.

• Child restraints (comprehensive research reports available online). PROTECTING CHILDREN IN CAR CRASHES: THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE - ESV03. [Australian] National Transport Commission:  Stronger laws for the safer restraint of children + Report out for public comment. A Safe Ride Height Line for Child Car Occupants
• Daytime running lights (DRL) - the latest designs of dedicated front lights are very promising. The instant you see headlights at night you know that a vehicle is approaching. DRLs work in the same way during the day - separating an approaching vehicle from visual clutter. DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FOR MOTORCYCLES - ESV05
  
• Driveway safety - the danger to young children from reversing vehicles (not just SUVs). THE DANGER TO YOUNG PEDESTRIANS FROM REVERSING MOTOR VEHICLES - ESV03
• Choosing safer vehicles for young drivers -  discussion paper, updated Nov 05(PDF) "... about half of the young drivers who died in a vehicle that is in the least safe group would be alive today if they had been driving a vehicle from the safest group"  Putting this another way: Of the 3000 young drivers or passengers (17-25) who are expected to die on Australian roads during the next decade, at least 600 would survive if they were in a safer vehicle. In effect, this is the difference between a 2 or 3 star ANCAP rating and a good 4 star or 5 star rating.
• RTA brochure: Young Driver Safety - has tips about safer vehicles
• "When it comes to the crunch" 6MB Quicktime movie of a presentation to high school students showing how physics can be used to understand car crashes.
• Encouraging the Purchase of Safer Vehicles - series of reports prepared for West Australian Government
• At the Victorian Police Vision 237 Conference on 17 November 2009 I made the suggestion that father's should be required to swap cars with their son for that deadly first year on P-plates - maybe not a practical suggestion but something to get them thinking about safer cars.
• ESV05 paper: THREE POINT SEAT BELTS ON COACHES - THE FIRST DECADE IN AUSTRALIA NTC Oct 07:  Seatbelt retrofit Code for safer buses - A voluntary guideline will protect bus owners and the public against sub-standard seatbelt retrofit practices. See also this report on retrofitting seat belts to buses. Preliminary report on the Grafton bus crash, 20 October 1989 (scanned text)  
• 
• ESV05 paper: Side Impacts and Improved Occupant Protection (some results of recent ANCAP pole tests). Presentation at Renault Road Safety Seminar in Sydney, March 2005: It's Curtains (and ESC) for Rollovers.(2Mb PDF). 
• Electronic stability control - review of research and regulations - prepared for NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, 2005. 
• Copy of my report now on ChooseESC website. 
• Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries: List of Australian vehicles with Electronic Stability Control (updated URL). 
• REALITY CHECK ON ESC: The effectiveness of ESC depends on local conditions (it is much more effective on wet and icy roads) - see the notes on page 16 of this report: In-vehicle safety technologies -  picking future winners! (2008 Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference). Claims of savings of 25% or more for fatalities apply to certain types of crashes, such as single vehicle crashes,and to European roads . Overall savings from 100% uptake of ESC in Australia are likely to be much less than this - my revised estimate is 9% of serious crashes and maybe 15% of fatalities. ESC is obviously worth having but there are other measures, such as ISA and DRLs, that could achieve similar savings. In any case, it will take until at least 2020 before half of the cars on Australian roads have ESC (average age of Australian fleet about 10 years). ESC cannot be retrofitted whereas ISA (advisory) and DRLs can be retrofitted to any car today and so benefits could be achieved much earlier than with ESC. These issues were not considered in my 2005 report.
• Apr 06: Talk by colleague Michael Griffiths on these topics.

 

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News

Date of posting (on this page) shown. Note most 'news' links have a very limited web life.
Send news tip offs. Manufacturers - if you have some good news please submit it. The media reports tend to concentrate on negative issues.

Consumer Information

NCAP Crash Test Results

"NCAP" stands for New Car Assessment Program. The crashworthiness of new vehicles is evaluated through crash barrier tests and published for the information of new car buyers.

For latest releases see news.

• Master list of NCAP Offset crash tests from US, Europe, Japan and Australia - with links to more than 600 vehicles (well overdue for an update - please see links below for recent crash test results)
• Vehicles that have earned 5 stars under the EuroNCAP protocols
• Index of most launches by ANCAP, Euro NCAP, IIHS and JNCAP - when and where (PDF)
  
Australiasia
• Australasian NCAP. Results are available at RACV (new-new URL!), NRMA  and 
  
TAC:  http://www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au/

• [New] Archive of all published ANCAP datasheets (ANCAP_DATASHEETS) sorted by make and crash action shots (ANCAP_ACTIONSHOTS). All downloads are zipped automatically.
• Also Choice have an ANCAP webpage and database(for subscribers).
• NRMA Insurance: Greensafe Car Profiler.
• Land Transport New Zealand + RightCar
• Consumer.org.nz - New Zealand
• ANCAP Assessment Notes. - clarification and variations to Euro NCAP Protocols.
Europe
• EuroNCAP website European government and motoring organisations with test and assessment protocols in PDF.
• See also TRL,Which?Online and AA
• EEVC + more links.
Asia
• National agency for Automotive Safety & Victims Aid - NASVA (JNCAP) - updated URL
• Korean NCAP and KATRI test center. 
• CATARC/China-NCAP in Tianjin and the SMVIC test centre in Shanghai
USA
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• Index of Status Reports since 1997.
• Status Report Feb 04 (PDF): Test performance predicts vehicle crashworthiness in real-world crashes
• 50 years of road safety research - congratulations
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Crashtest.com for NHTSA and other crash data.
• Safest Cars by Money.com. Comparison tables
• Consumer Reports - Consumers Union of US
General
• (Big) List of organisations associated with consumer crash testing.
• Presentation on the EuroNCAP Assessment Protocol
• Guidelines for Crashworthiness Rating System - technical document about the previous rating system in Australia (rating for structure, restraint systems and head restraints still apply)
• ESV paper on offset crash tests
• IIHS has detailed information about head restraint evaluations. See this Dec 1998 Press Release.
• NHTSA has several reports on Safety Studies.
• Inflatable side curtains can make a big difference
• HowStuffWorks - Airbags, Curtain airbags, seat belts, crash testing.
• Rollover - the hidden history of the SUV.
• RCAR Procedures for assessing head restraint design.
• CASR: Vehicle design for pedestrian protection (5.1M PDF)

Used Car Safety Ratings

Real world crashes are analysed to determine the likelihood of serious injury if a crash occurs. The analysis takes into account non-vehicle factors.
• RACV latest Used Car Safety Ratings.
• Australian Used Car Safety Ratings. MUARC reports 
• Swedish study of star ratings and real world crashes (EuroNCAP)
• Folksam (Sweden) How safe if your car?
  
• IIHS has links to US data.

Other consumer information

• Advice about kids and airbags
• Head Restraint Ratings (NRMA Insurance - Australia)
• Want to know the vehicle purchasing policy of a leading road safety research organisation? See MUARC's policy.
• Choice Magazine - motoring pages (some require a subscription).
• The Consumers Fight  Back Group (USA).
• Public Citizen - Auto Safety.
• Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) Safety page.
• Australian recalls.
• Consumer Reports - Guide to safety features.
• Cars.com About crash tests.
  
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A selection of VDR Reports on road safety topics

•  SCHOOL BUS SEAT BELTS: THEIR FITMENT, EFFECTIVENESS AND COST - Executive summary of a 1994 report (co-authored with Dr Michael Henderson)
• Passenger Car Roof Crush Strength Requirements for Australian Federal Office of Road Safety 1995 (co-authored with Dr Michael Henderson) + associated webpage Physics of rollover crashes with some interesting video snapshots of heads out of windows!
• Flashing Warning Lights on School Buses - 1996 ESV paper with analysis of signal range for various types of bus lights. Co-authored with Dr Alec Fisher. Jan 2006 update: Unfortunately the NSW RTA still allows 'wig wag' lights with very poor signal range (TS142).
• Speed Control Devices for Cars - prepared for NSW RTA, July 1996. See also Speed Control.
• Rotating beacons on emergency vehicles - visual ergonomics shown that rotating beacons are not optimal for many emergency applications 1997
• Notes on the 5th International Symposium on Heavy Vehicle Weights and Dimensions" 1998
• Offset crash tests - observations about vehicle design and structural performance (1998 ESV paper)
• Protecting pedestrians by vehicle design - report on an international conference held in Adelaide in February 1999.
• Bus Accidents in Australia: 1970-1993 prepared for NRTC in 1995.
• Bike Racks on the Front of Buses prepared for ACT DUS 1997 (missing some diagrams)
• Consumer crash tests: the elusive best practice - paper presented at NCAP conference in Germany, Dec 1999. (co-author)
• Administrative Guideline: Assessment of Defective Vehicles - for National Transport Commission, Feb 1999. PDF copy.
• Assessment of Pedestrian Protection Afforded by Vehicles in Australia - paper presented at Impact Biomechanics conference in Sydney on 16 March 2000 (co-author)
• Vehicle roadworthiness and accidents - Submission to the Victorian Parliament Road Safety Committee 2000.
• 'Assessment of Child Restraint Performance in Australia'- paper presented at seminar in Melbourne on 5 Feb 2001.
• SHOULD SAFETY EQUIPMENT BE THE CHOICE OF CONSUMERS RATHER THAN VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS? - June 2001.
• 17th (1998)  ESV papers: Surveys of child restraint use in New South Wales and Injury and deformation trends with offset crash tests.
• GREEN CAR GUIDE: DRAFT RATING PROTOCOL - Prepared for NSW Sustainable Development Authority 2000
•  Devices to Reduce the Risk to Young Pedestrians from Reversing Motor Vehicles (pdf 1.2Mb) MAA Professionals Page  Summary of work. for NSW Motor Accidents Authority 2001 (co-authored with Dr Michael Henderson)
• Summary of bus safety projects - submission to Queensland School Transport Safety Task Force 2001 (co-author)
• Safety of recreational scooters - Vicroads 2001
• Options for crash tests of four wheel drive (SUV) vehicles (400K PDF - prepared for ANCAP 2001)
• Encouraging the Purchase of Safer Vehicles - series of reports prepared for West Australian Government 2002:
• Benefits and costs of vehicle safety features - Part A (pdf 710kb)
• Impediments to greater uptake of safety features- Part B (pdf 381kb)
• Safety Characteristics of the West Australian Fleet- Part C (pdf 232kb)
• Encouraging the purchase of safer vehicles - Main project report (pdf 381kb)
• Heavy vehicle object detection systems - prepared for Vicroads, 2003. Collision warning systems.
• Electronic stability control - review of research and regulations - prepared for NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, 2005. Copy now on ChooseESC website.
• Safety features and fleet vehicles - prepared for NSW RTA in 2003. Includes a review of vehicle-related ITS devices and a benefit/cost analysis of more than 80 safety features.
• Draft National Code of Practice and Engineering Certification Form for Retrofitting Passenger Restraints to Buses.- National Transport Commission 2005 (co-author). The unpublished project report associated with this Code of Practice had further information about bus seat belts.
• DRAFT REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT ON CHANGES TO AUSTRALIAN CHILD RESTRAINT REGULATIONS - National Transport Commission 2007  (co-author)
• Stay Safe Rangers Initiative at Balgowlah Heights Public School: A model “kiss-and-drop” program - Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety– November 2007 (co-author)

PDFs of conference papers (with co-authors) and presentations

• Crash testing for safety - possible enhancements to ANCAP test and rating methods - 2008 Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference
• In-vehicle safety technologies -  picking future winners! 2008 Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference
• Pedestrian protection through vehicle design - Pedestrian Colloquium, 26 Nov 07
• Rear seat occupant safety - ACRS Conference, 3 Aug 07
• What's hot in road safety? Vehicles that obey the speed limits - ACRS ISA Seminar, 1 Aug 07
• Protocol for determining suitability of vehicles for older drivers and passengers. Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference Proceedings - 2005
• Young pedestrians and reversing motor vehicles - Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference Proceedings - 2001
• Presentation on speed control and DRLs at WHO road safety day, 7 April 2004 (700K PDF).
• Presentation to Staysafe on Speed Control - 13 Oct 03 (800K pdf)
• Daytime Running Lights Presentation at Sydney Road Safety Conference  on 23 Sep 03 (500K PDF).
• Assessment of child restraint performance in NCAP tests - presentation at Sydney Workshop on 22 Sep 03.
  
• CRASH AND SLED TESTS USING CHILD DUMMIES - Impact Biomechanics 2001
• Potential Use of Crash Test Data for Crashworthiness Research - ICRASH 2002

International Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) - links to PDFs at NHTSA

• A Safe Ride Height Line for Child Car Occupants - preprint of paper for 21st ESV
• Speed limiting trials in Australia - preprint of paper for 21st ESV conference in Stuttgart
• Injury and structural trends during 12 years of NCAP frontal offset crash tests - preprint 21st ESV
• In-Vehicle Intelligent Speed Limit Advisory Systems  - 20th ESV (2007)
• Revised Assessment Protocols and Scoring Methods for the Australian Child Restraint Evaluation Program - 20th ESV (2007)
• DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FOR MOTORCYCLES - 19th ESV (2005)
• THREE POINT SEAT BELTS ON COACHES - THE FIRST DECADE IN AUSTRALIA - 19th ESV (2005)
• SIDE IMPACTS AND IMPROVED OCCUPANT PROTECTION - 19th ESV (2005)
• PROTECTING CHILDREN IN CAR CRASHES: THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE - 18th ESV (2003)
• THE DANGER TO YOUNG PEDESTRIANS FROM REVERSING MOTOR VEHICLES - 18th ESV (2003)
• Surveys Of Child Restraint Use In New South Wales - 17th ESV (2001)
• Injury And Deformation Trends With Offset Crash Tests - 17th ESV (2001)
• Harmonisation Of Australian NCAP With EuroNCAP - Lessons Learned - 17th ESV (2001)
• INTERNATIONAL NCAP PROGRAMS IN REVIEW - 16th ESV (1998)
• EVOLUTION OF AUSTRALIAN NCAP RESULTS PRESENTATION - 16th ESV (1998)
• OFFSET CRASH TESTS - OBSERVATIONS ABOUT VEHICLE DESIGN AND STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE - 16th ESV (1998)
• Flashing Warning Lights on School Buses - 15th ESV (1996)

List of publications and reports 1989-present (52K PDF)

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Publication Note

This page, and associated pages, are provided for guidance only (it started out as my own bookmarks). Please check with local road safety experts for up-to-date information and requirements in your area.

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