Advancing Road Safety – a practitioner’s perspective

1. Advancing Road Safety – a practitioner’s perspective David Healy Senior Manager, Road safety 14 June 2007

2. Outline • Victorian context • Strategic approach • Illustrative practice • vehicle safety • infrastructure • speed • Conclusion

3. Victorian context – genuine partners VicRoads VicPol Road maintenance/construction Registration and licensing Legislation and education Enforcement Education Penalty system Technology development Speed camera operations Public and community education Enforcement support New technologies (in-vehicle) TAC Department of Justice

4. Victorian context – trauma trend Victorian road deaths 400 340

5. Victorian context – TAC model Annual vehicle registration care for accident victims TAC Premiums road safety programs road crashes • insurance company owned by government • partner in arrive alive!

6. “” person: - belted - right speed! Strategic approach ? “Safe system” approach gaining ground vehicle In a “”car road and roadside On a “” road Road user

7. Strategic approach – safe system principles • Health and safety are paramount • People make mistakes • People have defined tolerances to serious injury or death So….. • Traffic system needs to be forgiving and • Social contract with users

8. Vehicle safety If we all could drive the very safest car in our class, then … road trauma levels would drop by… A THIRD! Monash University Accident Research Centre

9. Vehicle safety Market-driven model mass media Consumer • Electronic stability program  • Curtain airbags  • Intelligent speed systems  web site ANCAP UCSR Manufacturer demand Safer vehicles

10. Vehicle safety

11. Vehicle safety

12. Vehicle safety Still room for improvement on safety Joshua Dowling, The Sydney Morning Herald, 23/06/06 Page 1 of 2 | Single Page Side airbags could save your life - if you can find a car equipped with them, reports JOSHUA DOWLING. Toyota Yaris ANCAP crash test Toyota has scored top marks for making side and curtain airbags available on its new small hatchback. However, the availability of the life-saving features needs to be improved, says a leading safety expert. The Toyota Yaris is the safest light car ever tested by the Australian New Car Assessment Program, an independent crash testing scheme funded by transport departments and motoring bodies from each state and territory. There is still room for improvement though, as only 10 per cent of all Yaris hatchbacks sold in Australia are equipped with the full safety pack, says Michael Case, the chief engineer of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria.

13. Vehicle safety Directions • Market driven model (with regulatory underpinning) • Showcase new technologies • Leverage OH&S and fleet gateways

14. Safer road infrastructure Road and Road-Sides • Design out error • Accommodate error • Target high-risk locations • Assess outcomes

15. Safer road infrastructure core program innovation innovation innovation evaluation evaluation evaluation research & development 10 year timeframe 20016/2017 2007/2008 Yr 3 Yr 6 Yr 9 $600m program

16. Safer road infrastructure

17. Safe road infrastructure Directions • “Safe System” focus • BCR-driven investment • Invest in innovation • Evaluation critical • Build safety into maintenance/new constructions

18. Speed The challenge? Reduce incidence of “low level” speeding Why? Small changes in speed large changes in trauma How? • Stepped-up enforcement • reduced tolerance • expand operations (+50%) • Reduced default limit in built-up areas • Public education support

19. Speed The campaigns • Instructive • Enforcement • Emotive

20. Speed Directions • Maintain the pressure (enforcement plus public education) • Match limits to environment • Promote new technologies

21. Summary Summary • Focus on “big ticket” issues • Integrated action vital • “safe system” provides the framework for action