ROAD SAFETY GROUP PROGRAMS 1986/87 -- 1988/89 ., ,:j '~ ., ·1 Road Traffic Authority November 1986 G{R 8(;,- 1,3 ROAD SAFETY GROUP PROGRAMS 1986/87 - 1988/89 NOVEMBER 1986 Road Traffic Authority REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Report No: Report Date: ISBN pages GR/86/13 November 1986 o 7306 0071 8 17 Title and sub-title: ROAD SAFETY GROUP PROGRAMS 1986/87 - 1988/89 Author(s> Type of Report & Period Covered: ROAD SAFETY GROUP GENERAL performing Organisation<s> - sponsoring Organisation Name and Address: ROAD TRAFFIC AUTHORITY Executive Group/Steering committee: working Group/Study Team: Abstract: This report presents an overview of Road Safety Group road safety programs and research projects for the 1986/87 - 1988/89 period. The programs are classified into eight categories: Education and Publicity Training and LicenSing Alcohol and Drugs Speed Enforcement .. The Young Driver Unprotected Road Users Accident Monitoring and Analysis Names of contact people for each area are provided in the event that more detailed information is required. Key Words: Disclaimer: (IRRD except where marked*) Safety, Activity Report, This report is disseminated in Research project, the interests of information Road Traffic Authority*, exchange. The views expressed Victoria* are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the RTA. Project No: Project Name: program Name: Supplementa~y Information: Performing organisation Report Reference No. Reproduction of Form and completed page is authorised. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY 1 2.1 ~urriculum Units 1 2.2 Curriculum Unit Evaluation 2 2.3 Publicity 3 2.4 Community Education Programs 3 2.5 Zero BAC Alcohol Education programs 4 ~3 ~ (J ::-----TRAININ~-AND LICENSING -5 3.1 Motorcycle Rider Training and Licensing 5 3.2 Revised Car Learner Permit/Licence Procedures 6 3.3 Review of Practical Drive Test 6 3.4 Driver Instructor Training and Licensing 7 3.5 Identification of Cost-Effective Driver 7 Training strategies 3.6 Heavy Vehicle Training and Licensing 7 4.0 ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 7 4.1 R.B.T (Implementation and Evaluation) 7 4.2 Zero BAC Evaluation 8 4.3 Alcohol Control policy 8 4.4 Relicensing of Convicted Drinking Drivers 8 4.5 Alcohol Interlocks 8 4.6 Drugs 9 4.7 Breath Testing Devices 9 5.0 SPEED 9 5.1 Speed Management strategy Task Force 9 5.2 Truck Speed Limit Change Evaluation 10 6.0 ENFORCEMENT 10 6.1 Enforcement Techniques 10 7.0 THE YOUNG DRIVER 11 7.1 Young Driver Measures 11 7.2 Evaluation of New written Licence Tests 11 7.3 Restraints 11 8.0 UNPROTECTED ROAD USERS 12 8.1 Pedestrian and Bicyclist Accident Project 12 8.2 Evaluation of Motorcycle Training and 13 Licensing .Scheme 8.3 Bicycle Helmet Usage Research 13 8.4 Footpath cycling 13 9.0 ACCIDENT MONITORING AND ANALYSIS 14 9.1 Development of Accident Monitoring Systems 14 9.2 Unsafe Driving Actions Study 14 9.3 Rural Accident Study 14 9.4 Accident Data - Road Traffic Information 15 Data Base 1.0 INTRODUCTION This document provides an overview of Road Safety Group road safety programs and research projects for the current and next two financial years. The programs are classified into eight categories; ( i ) Education and Publicity (ii) Training and Licensing (iii) Alcohol and Drugs ( i v) Speed (v) Enforcement (vi) The Young Driver (vi i) Unprotected Road Users (viii) Accident Monitoring and Analysis It should be pointed out that the programs listed below do not represent all road safety programs of the Road Traffic Authority. Programs in the traffic management and vehicle engineering areas have not been presented. Should information on RTA programs in these areas be required, the following persons should be contacted in the first instance; Dr Peter Vulcan Mr Tony Fry Chief General Manager General Manager Road Safety, Regulation & Traffic Management Vehicle Engineering Ph: 811 8350 Ph: 345 4174 2.0 EDUCATION & PUBLICITY (Peter Milne Ph: 810 2645) 2.1 Curriculum Units An integrated program of school curriculum units is being introduced progressively to ensure that road safety materials are available in the classroom at all levels. Units currently in use are: Roadswork - this unit is designed for primary school children aged 5-11 years and relates to children as pedestrians, passengers, and junior off-road cyclists. Bike-Ed - this unit is designed for young cyclists aged 9-13 years, and introduces them to basic mechanics, cycling skills, and survival strategies. Surveys - provides means of teaching a unit of work on survey techniques using a traffic safety theme. (Year 7/8). Survival Trails - a unit focusing on the local area and encouraging students to analyse the journey to and from school and recreation places. Students work towards producing safer ' survi val' trails to follow. (Year 7/8). - 2 - Roads and Traffic - a unit designed to help students acquire an understanding of various aspects of the road system, eg traffic problems, traffic management, traffic controls. (Year 8/9)'. Teenagers, Alcohol and Road Safety - this unit is aimed at encouraging students to adopt sensible drinking behaviour in relation to road use. (Years 8-11). Science and the Road : The Vehicle - this physlcs unit uses the vehicle to convey the teaching of inertia, friction, energy and circular motion. (Year 10). Science and the Road : The Driver - this biology unit is based on the central nervous system and encourages study of the effects of ageing, alcohol, and fatigue on the driver. (Year 10). Legal Studies a package of brochures and information is made available for HSC students in their study of the Motor Car and the Law, an option in the HSC Legal Studies curriculum. (Year 12). Acceptance and use of the available units has varied. For example 64% of schools have a trained Bike-Ed teacher, 93% of schools have obtained 'Teenagers, Alcohol and Road Safety' and 66% of schools have obtained the 'Roads and Traffic' unit. Efforts to increase the use of all curriculum units have been considerably upgraded in 1985/86 through more active promotion by teachers seconded to RTA staff and an additional focus on school councils and school council policies. Development and implementation activities will be ongoing. 2.2 Curriculum Unit Evaluation (Max Cameron Ph: 810 2662) The development of suitable testing materials for use in the impact evaluation of two curriculum units (Roadswork and Science and the Road) were completed during 1985. The Science and the Road materials were then used in a formal evaluation, commenced during the 1986 school year. This is an ongoing program. It is likely that, as other curriculum uni ts are developed and adopted by schools, similar evaluations will be conducted. - 3 - 2.3 Publicity Publici ty is an ongoing program; in 1986/87, major campaigns will be developed in the areas of pedestrian safety, motorcycle safety, bicycle helmet use, holiday driving, road law, occupant restraint and drink-driving. 2.4. Community Education Programs To complement school-based road safety programs, a number of community education programs are conducted on an ongoing basis. In 1985/86 there have been schemes to promote bicycle helmets and the Bassinet Loan Scheme has continued to operate and expand. In 1985 in Victoria, 1,264 cyclists were killed or injured in road accidents. Some 51% of these were children of school age. The wearing of properly designed protective helmets would reduce the number and severity of injuries sustained in bicycle accidents. Three Bicycle Helmet Rebate Schemes have been conducted. The schemes provide purchasers of SAA approved helmets wi th a rebate on presentation of receipts. A bicycle Helmet Wearing Promotion Task Force has been convened to co-ordinate promotional activities (refer to Section 8.3 for helmet usage surveys) . A number of promotional activities have been undertaken during 1985/86 and usage rates among primary school age children and commuter groups have increased significantly; February, 1986 rates were 58.2% and 43.8% respectively. Wearing rates of secondary school aged children remain relatively low at 18.3% and promotional activi ties directed toward this group are planned for 1986/87. Following the successful pilot bassinet restraint scheme conducted in the Ci ty of Knox, a statewide Bassinet Loan Scheme was implemented in May 1984. The scheme involves the hiring of bassinet restraints at a nominal fee to parents of newborn children, distribution points being through many of Victoria's 210 Local Government Municipalities. To the end of September 1986, 197 municipalities had signed the Agreement with the Road Traffic Authority to conduct the scheme and bassinets in use numbered over 12,000. The scheme has proven to be extremely popular among parents and demand has outstripped supply. - 4 - To date, 46 accidents involving loan scheme bassinets have been reported to the Author i ty. None of the babies involved suffered any injuries. In conjunction with these programs a parent education program is conducted. This involves the dissemination of child 'road safety information to parents, health and welfare workers through a lecturing service, telephone advice, and distribution of posters and pamphlets. 2.5 Zero BAC Alcohol Education program In May 1984 legislation was introduced setting a zero BAC limit for drivers on learner permits, those in the first year of a probationary licence and those driving while unlicensed or disqualified. All convicted drivers are required to undergo a program of education approved by the RTA. The RTA conducts a 9roup cou~s~ (which is a 2 1/2 hour small group seSSlon reqUlrlng a high level of participation from the drivers) and a correspondence course for those unable to attend the group session. To August 1986, 319 drivers had attended the group course and 372 had completed the correspondence course.