ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
POSSIBILITY OF ADAPTING SOME
ROAD SAFETY MEASURES
SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED IN VICTORIA
TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
by
Peter Vulcan
Max Cameron
Narelle Mullan
David Dyte
September 1996
Report No. 102
ii
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE
Report No.
102
Date
September 1996
ISBN
0 7326 0682 9
Pages
57+18
Title:
Possibility of adapting some road safety measures successfully applied in Victoria to
South Australia
Author(s)
Peter Vulcan
Max Cameron
Narelle Mullan
David Dyte
Type of Report & Period Covered:
General, 1989-95
Sponsoring Organisation(s):
Enforcement Strategies Working Party of the South Australian Road Safety Consultative
Council through the Office of Road Safety, Department of Transport, South Australia
Abstract:
In Victoria, during the period 1989 to 1992 there was a reduction of 49% in fatalities and
nearly 40% in persons admitted to hospital. These reductions have generally been maintained
through to 1995. The fatality rate in Victoria has averaged approximately 23% below that in
South Australia since 1990, while during the previous 20 years, the South Australian rate was
below the Victorian rate about half the time. Hence it is considered feasible for South
Australia to further reduce road trauma, possibly by adapting to its own environment some of
the measures which were found to be successful in Victoria.
An analysis has shown that in addition to a downturn in the economy, the two factors which
have contributed most to the reduction in road deaths and injuries in Victoria were increased
enforcement supported by major publicity directed at drink-driving and excessive speeding.
This study has examined current practice and future plans in South Australia in relation to
drink-driving and speed enforcement to identify any aspects where adaptation of the Victorian
experience may be appropriate to further reduce road trauma. Ten recommendations have been
made, which if implemented are expected to result in further reductions in road trauma, with the
benefits considerably greater than the implementation costs.
Key Words:
Road trauma reductions, random breath
testing, speed cameras, enforcement,
publicity,
Reproduction of this page is authorised
Disclaimer
This report is disseminated in the interest of
information exchange. The views expressed here are
those of the authors, and not necessarily those of
Monash University
Monash University Accident Research Centre,
Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia.
Telephone: +61 3 9905 4371, Fax: +61 3 9905 4363
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
iii
Contents
1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 The Task ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Comparison of Road Fatalities in South Australia and Victoria ....................................... 2
1.3 Comparison of Blood Alcohol Content............................................................................. 4
2. FACTORS IN REDUCTION OF ROAD TRAUMA IN VICTORIA ...................................... 5
2.1 Reductions in Road Casualties.......................................................................................... 5
2.2 Relatively Small Reductions for Measures Directed at Small Target Groups .................. 6
2.3 Speed Camera Program..................................................................................................... 6
2.4 Random Breath Testing Program....................................................................................... 8
2.5 Publicity Campaigns ......................................................................................................... 9
2.6 Modelling Monthly Serious Casualty Crashes ................................................................ 13
2.7 Estimated Benefits and Costs .......................................................................................... 13
3. THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SITUATION.......................................................................... 15
3.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Co-ordination Arrangements ........................................................................................... 15
3.3 Strategic Planning ........................................................................................................... 15
3.4 Speed Control Program................................................................................................... 16
3.5 Drink Driving Control Program...................................................................................... 17
3.7 Additional Resources Required...................................................................................... 23
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 24
APPENDIX A DEMERIT POINTS FOR SPEED CAMERA OFFENCES .............................. 27
APPENDIX B EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS.......................................................................... 29
APPENDIX C RANDOM BREATH TESTING OPERATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA..... 37
APPENDIX D PROPOSAL...................................................................................................... 41
ATTACHMENT “Analysis of Reductions in Victorian Road Casualties, 1989 to 1992”
iv
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
Figures
FIGURE 1 FATALITIES AND INJURIES AS A P ERCENTAGE OF 1987 LEVELS, VICTORIA 1987-1995................................... 1
FIGURE 2 NUMBER OF FATALITIES PER 10,000 REGISTERED VEHICLES,
VICTORIA VS . SOUTH AUSTRALIA , 1970-1995 ................................................................................................. 3
FIGURE 3 NUMBER OF FATALITIES PER 100,000 P OPULATION, VICTORIA VS . SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1970 - 1995............. 3
FIGURE 4 P ERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS AND MOTORCYCLISTS* WITH BAC > 0.05G/100ML,
VICTORIA VS . SOUTH AUSTRALIA , 1977-1995 ................................................................................................. 4
FIGURE 5 MONTHLY NUMBER OF TRAFFIC INFRINGEMENT NOTICES (TINS) ISSUED FOR SPEEDING OFFENCES DETECTED BY
SPEED CAMERAS, VICTORIA JAN 1989 - JUNE 1996 ........................................................................................ 7
FIGURE 6 NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS PER MONTH, VICTORIA 1989-1995 ...................................................... 8
FIGURE 7 TAC ROAD SAFETY TELEVISION ADVERTISING : TARPS PER MONTH BY THEME IN MELBOURNE,
NOV 1989 - DEC 1995.................................................................................................................................... 12
FIGURE 8 OBSERVED VS. P REDICTED MONTHLY SERIOUS CASUALTY CRASHES USING MODELS
ESTIMATED ON 1983-93 DATA , MELBOURNE, HIGH ALCOHOL HOURS .......................................................... 13
FIGURE 9 ESTIMATED REDUCTIONS IN SERIOUS CASUALTY CRASHES ATTRIBUTABLE TO
VARIOUS FACTORS IN VICTORIA ....................................................................................................................... 14
FIGURE 10 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1995/96) WITH THE NUMBER OF DRIVERS AND
MOTORCYCLISTS WITH KNOWN BAC>0.05G/100 ML (1990-94), SOUTH AUSTRALIA ................................... 20
FIGURE 11 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ROAD SAFETY TELEVISION ADVERTISING: TARPS PER MONTH BY THEME
IN ADELAIDE, J AN 1993-JUNE 1996 ............................................................................................................... 21
FIGURE B1 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1995/96) WITH THE NUMBER
OF DRIVERS AND MOTORCYCLISTS INVOLVED IN CRASHES
WITH KNOWN BAC>0.05G/100 ML (1990-94),
SOUTH AUSTRALIA .............................................................. 29
FIGURE B2 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1995/96) WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS
AND MOTORCYCLISTS INVOLVED IN CRASHES WITH KNOWN BAC>0.05G/100 ML (1990-84), SOUTH
AUSTRALIA ...................................................................................................................................................... 30
FIGURE B3 P ERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS AND MOTORCYCLISTS WITH BAC > 0.05G/100ML WITHIN SOUTH AUSTRALIA ,
1986/87 - 1995/96........................................................................................................................................ 31
FIGURE B4 12 MONTH MOVING TOTAL OF NUMBER OF SERIOUS CRASHES IN ADELAIDE STATISTICAL DIVISION
BY HIGH AND LOW ALCOHOL HOURS, J AN 1983 - JUNE 1995 ........................................................................ 35
FIGURE B5 12 MONTH MOVING TOTAL OF NUMBER OF SERIOUS CASUALTY CRASHES IN THE REST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
BY HIGH AND LOW ALCOHOL HOURS, J AN 1983 - JUNE 1995 ....................................................................... 35
FIGURE C1 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1992/93) WITH THE NUMBER OF DRIVERS AND
RIDERS WITH KNOWN BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)................................................................................................ 37
FIGURE C2 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1993/94) WITH THE NUMBER OF DRIVERS AND
RIDERS WITH KNOWN BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)................................................................................................ 37
FIGURE C3 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1994/95) WITH THE NUMBER OF DRIVERS AND
RIDERS WITH KNOWN BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)................................................................................................ 38
FIGURE C4 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1992/93) WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS
AND RIDERS WITH KNOWN BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)........................................................................................ 38
FIGURE C5 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1993/94) WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS
AND RIDERS WITH KNOWN BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)........................................................................................ 39
FIGURE C6 COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS (1994/95) WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS
AND RIDERS WITH KNOWN BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)........................................................................................ 39
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
v
Tables
TABLE 1 MEDIA P LACEMENT EXPENDITURE BY TAC FOR ROAD SAFETY ADVERTISING IN VICTORIA 1990-93 .............. 11
TABLE 2 THE EXTENT OF SPEED CAMERA OPERATIONS IN VICTORIA AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA , 1993 ............................ 16
TABLE 3 NUMBER OF RANDOM BREATH TESTS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA , 1981/82 TO 1995/96 ...................................... 18
TABLE 4 NUMBER OF RBT TESTS PER 100 LICENCED DRIVERS,
VICTORIA AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA , 1989-1995 ............................................................................................. 18
TABLE 5 NUMBER OF RBT TESTS PER 100 POPULATION ................................................................................................. 19
TABLE 6 TELEVISION TARPS FOR ROAD SAFETY ADVERTISING
IN ADELAIDE AND MELBOURNE, 1993-1995 ................................................................................................... 22
TABLE B1 P ERCENTAGE OF DRIVER AND MOTORCYCLIST CASUALTIES WITH KNOWN BAC,
SOUTH AUSTRALIA , 1990-1994 ..................................................................................................................... 33
TABLE B2 P ERCENTAGE OF DRIVER AND MOTORCYCLIST CASUALTIES
WITH BAC OVER 0.05G/100 ML, SOUTH AUSTRALIA , 1990-1994 ................................................................. 33
vi
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In undertaking this study, the consultants were given extensive information by a wide range of
people involved with road safety in South Australia, who gave freely of their time, in some
cases conducted further analyses and provided copies of publications which contained further
valuable information. Particular thanks for their assistance is given to:
In alphabetical order:
Superintendent Graham Barrett
Inspector Graeme Barton
Sergeant Michael Delany
Mr. Michael Gramps
Mr. Lou Heidenreich
Superintendent Bob Howie
Ms. Christine Hunter
Senior Sergeant Rick Laslett
Mr. Ross McColl
Asst. Comm. Neil McKenzie
Inspector Tom Osborn
Mr. John Spencer
Mr. Chris Thomson
Mr. Fred Tiong
Mr. John Walker
Dr. Michael White
Officer in Charge, Traffic Services
Officer in Charge, Northern Command Traffic
Traffic Resource Sergeant
Office of the Liquor Licencing Commissioner
Manager, Speed Cameras
Office in Charge, Far North Division
Office of Road Safety
Traffic Technical Resource Section
Manager, Traffic Research and Intelligence Section
Operations Support Command, S.A. Police
Officer in Charge, Southern Command Traffic
Acting Manager, Office of Road Safety
Royal Automobile Association of S.A.
Office of Road Safety
Office of Road Safety
Office of Road Safety
The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the
persons who provided advice and information about South Australian road safety activities.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
vii
viii MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In Victoria, during the period 1989 to 1992 there was a reduction of 49% in fatalities and
nearly 40% in persons admitted to hospital. These reductions have generally been maintained
through to 1995. The fatality rate in Victoria has averaged approximately 23% below that in
South Australia since 1990, while during the previous 20 years, the South Australian rate was
below the Victorian rate about half the time. Hence it is considered feasible for South
Australia to further reduce road trauma, possibly by adapting to its own environment some of
the measures which were found to be successful in Victoria.
An analysis has shown that in addition to a downturn in the economy, the two factors which
have contributed most to the reduction in road deaths and injuries in Victoria were:
• increased RBT using high visibility “booze buses”, supported by massive publicity;
• progressive introduction of 54 new speed cameras, supported by publicity.
This study has examined current practice and future plans in South Australia in relation to
drink-driving and speed enforcement to identify any aspects where adaptation of the Victorian
experience may be appropriate to further reduce road trauma.
The following recommendations are made:
1.
That the development of action plans for the implementation of “Road Safety S.A.” now be
undertaken as an important next step.
2.
That consideration be given to extending the demerit points system to speed camera
offences because of its likely deterrent effect, particularly for habitual offenders.
3.
That South Australia considers a change in the method of operation which would not
require speed cameras to be visible, while maintaining the current relatively high level of
TINs issued for speeding offences detected by cameras.
4.
That an evaluation be undertaken of the effect on casualty crashes of the South Australian
laser speed detector initiative, where every speed offender is to be breath tested.
5.
That all possible efforts be made to increase the number of random breath tests in Adelaide
to about double present levels, preferably by increased use of highly visible bus based
testing.
6.
That random breath testing outside Adelaide be increased and supported by appropriate
publicity in accordance with the rural safety strategy currently being developed in South
Australia.
7.
It is recommended that use continue to be made of the high quality data available at both the
Office of Road Safety and the Traffic Intelligence Section to plan and monitor that RBT
operations are undertaken at times which reflect the incidence of alcohol related crashes.
8.
That resources be allocated to double the exposure of television advertisements, which
support the speed camera and random breath testing programs.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
ix
9.
That research be undertaken to investigate the relative effectiveness of a TAC style
advertisement (graphic and highly emotive), which supports speed camera or RBT
enforcement and an existing South Australian advertisement, when exposed at
approximately the same levels, say 800 TARPs per month, under similar conditions of
enforcement.
10. That the development of advertisements in South Australia be based on testing and retesting of a range of concepts with members of the target groups, through group discussion
research to ensure that messages are relevant to them and that they are positively received.
It is expected that implementation of these recommendations is likely to result in further
reductions in road trauma, with the benefits considerably greater than the implementation costs.
x
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
POSSIBILITY OF ADAPTING SOME ROAD SAFETY MEASURES
SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED IN VICTORIA TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
The Task
The Enforcement Strategies Working Party of the South Australian Road Safety Consultative
Council, through the Office of Road Safety, Department of Transport, South Australia has
requested the Monash University Accident Research Centre to investigate and report on the
extent to which there is scope to apply in South Australia some of the measures which have
been successful in reducing road trauma in Victoria. A copy of the Centre’s proposal for the
project is at Appendix D.
In Victoria during the period 1989 to 1992 there was a reduction of 49% in fatalities and nearly
40% in persons admitted to hospital resulting from road crashes. These new low levels have
generally been maintained through to 1995 (Figure 1).
120%
100%
Percentage of
1987 Level
80%
60%
40%
Fatalities
20%
Serious Injuries
Other Injuries
0%
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
Year
Figure 1
Fatalities and Injuries as a Percentage of 1987 Levels,
Victoria 1987-1995
In order to limit the duration and costs of this study, it is was agreed that it be limited to the two
main areas where success in reducing road trauma in Victoria has been evaluated and
documented, namely programs aimed at the reduction of drink driving and speeding. If in
undertaking the study it becomes apparent that there is scope for further significant road trauma
reductions in other areas, these will be outlined.
This report describes the significant issues in the development and implementation of the two
Victorian programs, i.e.
•
intensified random breath testing through introduction of high visibility “booze buses”,
and
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
1
•
progressive introduction of 54 new slant radar speed cameras
•
with massive multi-media publicity support for each program.
The report then examines current practice and future plans in South Australia in relation to drink
driving enforcement (particularly RBT) and speed enforcement particularly speed cameras and
laser speed detection. The use of publicity to support these programs is also examined.
Recommendations are made for additions or changes to the current or planned S.A. programs,
or new programs related to drink-driving and speeding which are likely to be effective in
reducing road trauma.
1.2
Comparison of Road Fatalities in South Australia and Victoria
Progress in road safety is usually measured in terms of fatality rate, i.e. deaths per 100,000
population or per 10,000 registered vehicles (a proxy for distance travelled which is not
available accurately each year).
Comparison between States and nations is generally also made using these rates, although care
should be taken in such comparisons because factors such as population density, vehicles per
head of population, topography, level of unemployment and some road laws can also affect
these rates. For example, South Australia could be expected to have a somewhat higher fatality
rate than Victoria because it has a lower population density (a much larger area with a smaller
population), although the average distance travelled per registered vehicle in S.A. is slightly
less than in Victoria, namely 14,100 versus 15,200 km p.a. (Survey of Motor Vehicle Usage).
Also because South Australia, presumably for mobility reasons, allows drivers to obtain a
licence at age 16 years (versus 18) and has set speed limits on many open roads at 110 km/h
(versus 100 km/h), it could expect to have a somewhat higher fatality rate than Victoria.
Nevertheless, the fatality rates in South Australia and Victoria were very similar in 1970,
before most of the scientifically based road safety initiatives were introduced in both States.
Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the South Australian rate was below the Victorian rate for 8
of the 12 years between 1970 and 1981, and in Figure 3 for 6 of these 12 years. Again in 1988
and 1989, South Australia achieved a lower fatality rate than Victoria. Thus the comparison in
fatality rates provides an indication of the extent to which South Australia could expect to
achieve further reductions in its fatality rate. It can be seen from Figures 2 and 3 that since
1989, the gap between the South Australian and Victorian rates has widened, and since 1990
the Victorian rates have averaged about 23% (per vehicle 23.3%, per population 22.7%) lower
than the South Australian ones.
2
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
9
8
Victoria
South Australia
Fatalities per 10000 Registered Vehicles
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
95
94
93
92
91
90
89
88
87
86
85
84
83
82
81
80
79
78
77
76
75
74
73
72
71
70
0
YEAR
Figure 2
Number of Fatalities per 10,000 Registered Vehicles,
Victoria vs. South Australia, 1970-1995
35
30
Victoria
South Australia
Fatalities per 100,000 Population
25
20
15
10
5
95
94
93
92
91
90
89
88
87
86
85
84
83
82
81
80
79
78
77
76
75
74
73
72
71
70
0
YEAR
Figure 3
Number of Fatalities per 100,000 Population,
Victoria vs. South Australia 1970 - 1995
Hence it seems feasible for South Australia to expect to lower its fatality rate by approximately
23%, possibly by adapting to its own environment, some of the measures which have been
shown to be associated with the large reduction in road deaths and injuries in Victoria from
1989 to 1992. This report discusses some of these measures, but other initiatives specifically
suitable to South Australia may also be appropriate.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
3
1.3
Comparison of Blood Alcohol Content
Another measure which can be used to compare progress in dealing with drink driving is the
percent of drivers and motorcyclists killed (with a known BAC) whose BAC exceeds 0.05%.
Figure 4 shows these for South Australia and Victoria. While there is considerable variation
from year to year (because of the relatively small numbers involved) and the 1994 and 1995
figures for South Australia show considerable improvement on earlier years, it seems there is
some scope for further reductions in BAC levels.
60%
Victoria
South Australia
40%
with BAC > 0.05
Percentage of Drivers and Motorcyclists
50%
30%
20%
10%
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
0%
Year
* Percentage taken from drivers and motorcyclists who have a known BAC, ie have been tested
Source for South Australia: Draft report on Operation of RBT, Office of Road Safety, July 1996.
Figure 4
4
Percentage of Drivers and Motorcyclists* with BAC > 0.05g/100ml,
Victoria vs. South Australia, 1977-1995
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
2.
FACTORS IN REDUCTION OF ROAD TRAUMA IN VICTORIA
2.1
Reductions in Road Casualties
As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the fatality rate in Victoria had shown little reduction from
1980 to 1988. In September 1989 it appeared that if the trend in road deaths for the previous
nine months continued, the total for that year would exceed 800 for the first time in 10 years.
A series of measures were introduced commencing at the end of September, which saw the road
toll peak at 776 deaths in 1989 and drop progressively to 396 in 1992. It has been maintained
at about 407 (±7%) through to 1995. Figure 1 shows that there were similar reductions, though
not quite as large, in serious injuries and other injuries.
This section discusses the main factors which have been associated with the large reduction in
both deaths and injuries during the period 1989 to 1992 and have maintained them at these low
levels through to 1995.
In addition to the downturn in the economy, the measures which are considered to have
contributed to these reductions include:
•
New Speed Cameras, supported by publicity;
•
Increased Random Breath Testing, supported by publicity;
•
Bicycle Helmet Wearing Law;
•
Lowering of 110 km/h freeway speed limit;
•
Improvements to the road system through treatment of accident black spots; and
•
Special enforcement campaigns.
Evaluations have been done on each of the above measures, except the last one and key aspects
of these evaluations are presented in the attached paper “Analysis of Reductions in Victorian
Road Casualties, 1989 to 1992” (Cameron, et.al., 1994)
It can be seen from the attached paper that the major contributions to the reduction in road
trauma were from the new speed cameras supported by publicity, the increased random breath
testing supported by publicity and the downturn in the economy which occurred during the same
period. Before discussing these in more depth, the smaller effects of the other measures will be
briefly discussed.
In addition to the effect of the road safety measures, it is important to realise that various
Australian and overseas studies have shown that it is possible to construct models which link
downturns in economic activity with reductions in road fatalities, taking into account changes in
road safety measures and other relevant factors (Cameron and Newstead, 1993). The Monash
University Accident Research Centre has constructed a model which estimates that the
downturn in the economy as measured by increased unemployment, contributed about 13.5% to
the reduction in serious casualty crashes in 1992 and the reduction in alcohol sales a further
10.6% (Cameron et.al., 1994).
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
5
2.2
Relatively Small Reductions for Measures Directed at Small Target Groups
Three of the measures were directed at a relatively small part of overall road casualties, thus
while they were shown to be highly effective in reducing casualties their contribution to the
overall reductions in any one year was relatively small.
Thus while the bicycle helmet law in its second year was reported to be associated with a 70%
reduction in the number of bicyclists with a head injury killed or admitted to hospital, this only
represented less than 1% of serious casualties (Cameron et.al., 1994b).
Similarly, while the reduction of the speed limit on high standard rural and outer metropolitan
freeways from 110 to 100 km/h was estimated to be associated with a 19% drop in the casualty
accident rate, this corresponded to a drop of some 39 fatal or serious injury accidents per
annum, i.e. about ½% of the total (Sliogeris, 1992).
In regard to progressive improvements to the road system, particularly at locations or along
routes with a bad casualty accident record, earlier studies have shown reductions in casualty
accidents of 10-50% have been achieved, yielding very high benefit cost ratios (Cameron,
et.al., 1994). However in the period 1989 to 1992, each year’s program has added a reduction
of less 1% to the cumulative total reduction in serious casualty crashes.
Finally, the special Police blitzes which were implemented for up to one week during several
high accident periods of the year (e.g. Christmas/New Year, Easter, Queens Birthday weekend)
often directed at certain types of road use, have not been evaluated because their duration was
too short and thus their target is only a few percent of the total annual road toll. Hence, their
total contributions could only be a few percent of the annual total.
Hence, while each of the above four measures had a valuable effect on its own relatively small
target group, their contribution to the total reductions in road trauma from 1989 to 1992 was
relatively small, and was ignored in the modelling of the effect of the major factors which
contributed to these reductions.
As far as South Australia is concerned, it already has implemented some of the above measures,
and could expect to gain only relatively small reductions from the others. They are therefore
not discussed further in this report.
The two main measures, namely the new speed camera program and the increased high profile
random breath testing, both supported by publicity will now be discussed.
2.3
Speed Camera Program
New slant radar speed cameras were progressively introduced in Victoria commencing with
four in December 1989 and building to 54 by January 1991. The monthly numbers of speeding
tickets (Traffic Infringement Notices) issued following detection by speed cameras are shown
in Figure 5. The program included an intensive statewide mass media publicity campaign
"Don't fool yourself - speed kills " which aimed to increase the perception of the level of
camera operations and their legitimacy. This multi-media campaign by the Transport Accident
Commission (TAC) involved much larger expenditure than previous road safety campaigns and
is discussed in Section 2.5.
6
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
70000
60000
No. of TINs Issued
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
Apr-96
Jan-96
Jul-95
Oct-95
Apr-95
Jan-95
Oct-94
Jul-94
Apr-94
Jan-94
Jul-93
Oct-93
Apr-93
Jan-93
Oct-92
Jul-92
Apr-92
Jan-92
Jul-91
Oct-91
Apr-91
Jan-91
Jul-90
Oct-90
Apr-90
Jan-90
Jul-89
Oct-89
Apr-89
Jan-89
0
Month
Figure 5
Monthly Number of Traffic Infringement Notices (TINs) Issued for
Speeding Offences Detected by Speed Cameras, Victoria Jan 1989 - June 1996
The evaluation found reductions in serious casualty crashes during low alcohol hours1 of more
than 30% on Melbourne arterial roads and more than 20% on 60 km/h roads outside
Melbourne, but no significant reductions on 100 km/h roads (details in attached paper).
These results are consistent with the use of the cameras which had been mainly (80-90% of
sessions) on arterial roads in 60 km/h zones in both Melbourne metropolitan and country areas.
Their use was also greater in the metropolitan area (70% of sessions) than in the rest of
Victoria.
It is likely that several policy decisions contributed to the success of this program, namely:
•
that the enforcement program would be massive and widespread (an average of about
40,000 TINs per month has been maintained since September 1990);
•
that there would be no warning signs about the presence of a specific speed camera;
•
that the camera threshold for prosecution would be 10% plus 3 km/h above the speed
limit, i.e. 69 km/h in a 60 km/h speed zone and 113 km/h in a 100 km/h zone (this was
changed to 10 km/h in all speed zones in 1993);
•
that there would be massive supporting publicity specifically about the speed camera
program;
•
demerit points were reinstated for speed camera offences (See Appendix A);
•
that speed cameras should generally be placed at locations where there was an accident
problem, hence this was a road safety not a revenue raising program (this did not
always happen during the first year or so);
1
“Low alcohol hours” are defined as Monday-Thursday 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., Friday 6.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.,
Saturday 8.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m., Sunday 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
7
•
2.4
After the initial implementation, in response to public pressure and submissions by the
Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, cameras were not often located on sections of
divided roads with a 60 km/h speed zone, with 85th percentile speeds well above the
speed limit, until these sections had been assessed for appropriateness of the speed
limit. During 1992 and 1993 most such sections of divided roads were progressively
speed zoned to 70 km/h or where service roads were present to 80 km/h.
Random Breath Testing Program
Commencing in September 1989 the use of buses for random breath testing (RBT) was
gradually increased, initially in the metropolitan area using four existing buses and
progressively throughout the State as 13 new purpose-built highly visible “booze buses”
became available during 1990. Increased resources for operating the buses were provided
through the use of Probationary Constables in Training. This resulted in the number of RBT
tests increasing from around half a million in 1989 to over 900,000 in 1990 and over 1,100,000
in 1991. The number of tests per month are shown in Figure 6 for Melbourne and rural
Victoria. Buses had become the primary form of RBT in the metropolitan area by November
1989, while in the rural areas the shift to greater use of buses occurred after October 1990.
Number of Random Breath Tests per Month, Victoria 1989-1995
200000
Rural
180000
Total RBT Tests
Metropolitan
160000
Number of RBT per Month
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
Oct-95
Jul-95
Apr-95
Jan-95
Oct-94
Jul-94
Apr-94
Jan-94
Jul-93
Oct-93
Apr-93
Jan-93
Oct-92
Jul-92
Apr-92
Jan-92
Oct-91
Jul-91
Apr-91
Jan-91
Jul-90
Oct-90
Apr-90
Jan-90
Oct-89
Jul-89
Apr-89
Jan-89
0
Month
Figure 6
Number of Random Breath Tests per Month, Victoria 1989-1995
In December 1989 a major statewide multi-million dollar publicity campaign “If you drink
then drive - you’re a bloody idiot” was launched to support the new RBT operations. Further
media launches and publicity for the new booze buses occurred in April and September 1990.
Details of the publicity campaigns are given in section 2.5.
One evaluation of the effect of the RBT program found reductions in high alcohol hour serious
casualty crashes of 18% in Melbourne and 13% in the rest of Victoria. For fatal crashes in high
alcohol hours a reduction of 24% was found for Melbourne, but no significant effect for the rest
of Victoria. Another study confirmed some of these results (details in attached paper).
8
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
Confining the evaluation to high alcohol hours is reasonable because an average of about 38%
of serious casualty crashes in these hours involve a driver with a BAC over 0.05%, while the
corresponding percentage during the remainder of the week (low alcohol hours) is below 4%.
The larger reductions in the Melbourne area are consistent with the greater amount of RBT
there and also with subsequent studies which have found it difficult to establish a relationship
between the number of random breath tests and casualty reductions in rural areas.
2.5
Publicity Campaigns
Since the first of the high profile publicity campaigns in December 1989, TAC have launched
over 30 graphic road safety campaigns in the Victorian media. TAC decided to market road
safety as though it were a consumer product. This included the use of “brand names” (slogans)
for major road safety themes, messages focused on a single powerful proposition, segmenting
the target groups for advertising, building brand “loyalty” (relevance of the messages), a
structured media mix, and the use of sponsorship and merchandising to support the mass media
publicity.
The development of the television commercials relied heavily on the use of group discussion
research with the respective target groups. The style Do’s and Dont’s resulting from their
research experience are summarised by Forsyth and Ogden (1993). In essence these were:
The “Dos”
“The Dont’s”
Do-be as shocking as you like.
Do-be as emotional as possible.
Do-ensure that any communication leaves us thinking that
“this could happen to me”.
Do-emphasise the link between drink/drive, speed, and
real accidents.
Don’t-concentrate on twisted metal.
Don’t-bore us with statistics.
Don’t-lecture us.
Don’t-threaten us with authority, uniforms or financial
penalties.
Don’t-suggest that we cannot have a drink.
Forsyth and Ogden (1993) also listed a number of other key characteristics which they believed
were responsible for the success of the TAC campaigns. These were:
“1. Consumer marketing approach
We were the first to market road safety as though it were a consumer product.
2.
Major research component
We sought consumer involvement every step of the way. Through concept development,
and then in measuring the effectiveness of communication against target audience.
3.
Outstanding creative
We went to the edge to achieve the credibility and relevance that were critical to effective
communication.
4.
“Pull-through” media weight
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
9
We quickly learnt that consistent exposure to the message was required to cause long term
behaviour change.
5.
Strong Police enforcement
We cannot underestimate the importance of co-ordinating with Police activity. Nor the
importance of Booze Buses, Speed Cameras and highly visible Police presence on our
roads.
6.
Community and media support
A critical factor in putting road safety on the social agenda and maintaining community
debate. We quickly learnt that consistent exposure to the message was required to cause
long term behaviour change.”
TAC have made use of the full range of available media for placement of their advertisements
and supporting messages. Television is the principal medium used by TAC. This medium
represented approximately 70-71% of TAC’s budget for media placement during 1990-92. The
remainder of the media budget is split into approximately 14% press, 7% radio, 5% outdoor
advertising (both stationary and mobile billboards), 2% Sky Channel and 2% cinema
advertising. TAC maintains the same themes and messages in the supporting media as placed
on television at any time.
It is worth noting that TAC have launched no more than 4-5 different television advertisements
each year since their road safety campaigns commenced. In the initial years, when most of the
road safety progress in Victoria was achieved, the advertisements were generally emotive
supporting the enforcement of drink driving and speeding offences. There was also one
informative advertisement on the new “booze buses” and one on the new slant radar speed
cameras.
TAC has learnt that consistent exposure to the message is required to cause long term behaviour
change. Television intensity is measured in terms of Target Audience Rating Points (TARPs).
It is a summation of the Rating Points (i.e. the percentage of persons among the target group in
the viewing area estimated to be watching the specific television channel at the time the
advertisement was shown) for the particular Target Audience of the advertisement (eg. persons
aged 18-39). The monthly TARPs, by theme of the message, of the television advertisements
placed by TAC in Melbourne up to December 1995 are shown in Figure 7. Advertising at
similar levels of intensity has been placed by TAC in Victoria’s country television regions.
Information on TAC's total expenditure on placements in the mass media has been published by
Harper (1991, 1993) for the years 1990-92 and is given in Table 1. It can be seen that a total of
over $16.5 million (in December 1992 prices) was spent on placing TAC’s television
advertisements during these three years.
10
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
Table 1 Media Placement Expenditure by TAC for Road Safety Advertising in Victoria
1990-93
Year
Media
Budget
($m.)
Television
component
(%)
Television Placement
Expenditure ($m.)
Actual
1990
1991
1992
TOTAL
5.5
7.85
9.56
70
71
71
3.85
5.57
6.79
Indexed to
Dec. 1992
4.05
5.67
6.83
16.55
Total
television
TARPs
9413
9342
15497
In addition to these media placement costs were the costs of developing the television
advertisements. These costs averaged $220,000 for the eleven advertisements developed
during 1989-92, with the most expensive costing $425,000 to develop (Cameron et al 1993).
Research by Monash University Accident Research Centre (Cameron et al 1993) found clear
links between the levels of TAC publicity supporting the speed and alcohol enforcement
programs and reductions in casualty crashes when other major factors were held constant. The
road safety effects of TAC publicity with themes not related to enforcement were less clear.
The research included an assessment of the points of diminishing returns for different levels of
TARPs placed. In terms of return on investment by reducing TAC payments to injury claimants,
it was estimated that an investment of 800 TARPs per month on average in "drink-driving"
publicity was economically justified before marginal benefits just equalled marginal costs. It
was also estimated that an investment of 540 TARPs per month on average in a combination of
"speeding" and "concentration" publicity was economically justified. (It has been suggested that
the messages of the "concentration" advertisements may have been confused and interpreted as
speeding-related messages). Higher levels of TARPs per month with these themes may have
been economically justified if the crash savings had been valued by their total social costs.
Critics of the emotional approach used in the TAC advertisements have argued that while the
research described in Cameron, et. al., (1993) has found links between the levels of TAC
publicity supporting speed and alcohol enforcement programs and reductions in the relevant
casualty crashes, the research has not proved that other styles of advertisements, when used at
the same high levels of intensity would not have similar effects. This argument is theoretically
correct although it does not assist those who make decisions about the style of road safety
publicity to be used, in order to ensure the best outcome for the funds invested.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
11
2 5 0 0
TARPs per Month
2 0 0 0
1 5 0 0
1 0 0 0
5 0 0
Nov-95
Aug-95
May-95
Feb-95
Nov-94
Aug-94
May-94
Feb-94
Nov-93
Aug-93
May-93
Feb-93
Nov-92
Aug-92
May-92
Feb-92
Nov-91
Aug-91
May-91
Feb-91
Nov-90
Aug-90
May-90
Feb-90
Nov-89
0
Month
Drink-Driving
Figure 7
Speed
Concentration
Seat Belts
Fatigue
Motorcycle
TAC Road Safety Television Advertising: TARPs per Month by Theme in Melbourne, Nov 1989 - Dec 1995
2.6
Modelling Monthly Serious Casualty Crashes
After separate studies had reported the reductions in fatal or casualty crashes associated with
specific programs implemented in the period from late 1989 to 1992, it was decided to develop
models linking monthly serious casualty crashes with the main operational measures of the
speed camera and RBT programs, including supporting publicity. The effects of the economy
were also included in these models.
Four separate models were developed to cover high alcohol hours and low alcohol hours
separately for Melbourne and the rest of Victoria. The details are given in the attached paper
(Cameron, et.al., 1994). Figure 8 shows the model fitted to the monthly totals of serious
casualty crashes in Melbourne during high alcohol hours. This model was able to explain 78%
of the monthly variation, using the following explanatory factors:
•
number of random breath tests during month
•
retail alcohol sales during month
•
drink driving Adstock in month (a measure derived from TARPs)
MELBOURNE : HAH
Number of serious casualty crashes
350
300
250
200
150
100
May93
Sep93
Jan-93
May92
Sep92
Jan-92
May91
Sep91
Jan-91
May90
Sep90
Jan-90
May89
Sep89
Jan-89
May88
Sep88
Jan-88
May87
Sep87
Jan-87
May86
Sep86
Jan-86
May85
Sep85
Jan-85
May84
Sep84
Jan-84
Jan-83
0
May83
Sep83
50
Month
Actual
Predicted
Figure 8
Observed vs. Predicted Monthly Serious Casualty Crashes
Using Models Estimated on 1983-93 Data, Melbourne, High Alcohol Hours
In order to obtain an estimate of the effect of each of the factors on the total serious casualty
crashes in Victoria, these four models were combined. The results up to 1992 are shown in
Table 4 of the attached paper (Cameron, et.al., 1994). Figure 9 shows these results, extended
to 1993 and also includes the effect of the accident blackspot program which was calculated
separately and then added to the model.
2.7
Estimated Benefits and Costs
Figure 9 provides estimates of the percentage reductions in crashes involving death or hospital
admission in Victoria during each of the years 1990 to 1993 due to the speed camera and
random breath testing programs (including the supporting mass media publicity in each case).
The estimated total saving in these serious casualty crashes during the four years was 10,820.
(In addition, there were probably considerable savings in the less serious injury crashes, but
these have been omitted from this assessment.)
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
13
1990
1992
1991
1993
0
Speed Camera TINs
Speed &
Concentration
Publicity
Bus-based RBT
-10
-20
Reductions (%)
RBT Publicity
-30
Alcohol Sales
total
31.1%
Accident Black Spot
total
42.7%
-40
Unemployment
total
46.6%
-50
total
49.3%
-60
-70
Figure 9
Estimated Reductions in Serious Casualty Crashes
Attributable to Various Factors in Victoria
The average social cost of a serious casualty crash, using the human capital approach, has been
estimated as $200,000 in 1992 prices. Thus the total benefits from the two programs during
1990-93 is estimated to be $2160 million.
During the years 1989/90 to 1992/93, the total cost of the increased random breath testing and
speed camera programs, including the supporting publicity and establishment of the Traffic
Camera Office and its operating costs, is estimated to have been $98 million over the same four
years (Vulcan 1993).
The total estimated benefits of $2160 million from the two programs during 1990 to 1993 could
be compared with the total program costs of $98 million during the years 1989/90 to 1992/93
(note the slightly different timings of the four year period considered in each case). When this
comparison is made, it can be seen that there is a benefit/cost ratio of 22:1 (ignoring
discounting of future benefits).
During the four years 1989/90 to 1992/93, TAC committed a total of $41.5 million to drinkdriving and speeding publicity and to other support for the two programs, usually in the form of
equipment. The average TAC payment to persons killed or injured in serious casualty crashes
has been estimated as $88,660 in 1992 prices (Cameron et al 1993). Thus the total saving to
TAC in terms of reduced injury compensation payments, due the RBT and speed camera
programs and supporting publicity during 1990-93, was about $960 million. This can be
compared with the investment by TAC of $41.5 million in those programs. The comparison
suggests that TAC's return on investment from its contribution to these programs was about 23
times TAC's outlays (ignoring discounting of future benefits).
14
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
3.
THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SITUATION
3.1
Introduction
This section of the report was compiled after having the benefit of interviews with the persons
listed under Acknowledgements, study of the information, data and reports provided by them
and some exploratory analyses described in Appendix B.
In seeking additional data for some of these analyses we were impressed by the range of
detailed information and its immediacy, which is available from the Traffic Intelligence Section
of the South Australia Police. This is a most useful resource, whose value for traffic
enforcement planning, monitoring, evaluation and strategy development should not be
underestimated.
3.2
Co-ordination Arrangements
It was found in Victoria that effective co-ordination arrangements were essential in achieving a
statewide approach to the reduction in road trauma.
The arrangements for co-ordination of road safety in South Australia on a “whole of
government basis” are excellent.
The Road Safety Chief Executive Officers Group ensures that road safety is given appropriate
priority, using a whole of State approach, in the planning and program of those organisations
which are able to affect road safety, namely: Education, Health, Local Government, Police and
Transport.
The Road Safety Consultative Council is able to utilise the wide range of expert knowledge
which is available in the community and bring together a range of views from within and
outside government. As such it should ensure that the Chief Executive Officers Group and
through them the Minister are given the best possible advice.
The organisational arrangements for delivery of effective and efficient services within the South
Australia Police and within the Department of Transport appear to be appropriate, but detailed
review of these arrangements is considered to be beyond the terms of reference of the
Consultant’s brief.
3.3
Strategic Planning
“Road Safety SA” - the strategic plan for road safety in South Australia till the year 2000
provides an excellent overall strategic direction. However, it states in Section 9.0:
“Achievement of these outcomes cannot occur unless specific action plans are
detailed. These action plans will indicate resource requirements, timelines and
performance outcomes.
The development of action plans is the next stage of the ‘Road Safety SA’
strategy”.
Recommendation 1: That the development of action plans for the implementation of “Road
Safety S.A.” now be undertaken as an important next step.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
15
The South Australian Police (SAPOL) Traffic Strategic Plan 1995-2000 outline the strategies
required by the SAPOL in order to meet the objectives of “Road Safety SA” and the targets for
the year 2000, in the context of the SAPOL Corporate Plan and the 1995 SAPOL Traffic
Review. It provides the basis for actions by SAPOL needed to implement the strategies.
3.4
Speed Control Program
The method used by the Traffic Research and Intelligence Section for identifying sites which
should be considered for speed camera operations, based primarily on speed related crash data
is excellent. The opportunity for the camera operators to vary the locations to take account of
operational and occupational safety requirements is necessary. The opportunity to include
substantial complaint sites is appropriate, provided it is not allowed to dominate the overall
program, and primary emphasis continues to be placed on speed related black spots.
The recent addition of expert traffic intelligence analysis, adapting some of the techniques
developed for crime intelligence analysis, is an interesting innovation, which has considerable
potential. It should perhaps be evaluated after a one to two year period.
As shown in Table 2, the extent of speed camera operations, as measured by the number of
kerbside hours of operation and number of Traffic Infringement Notices issued per licensed
driver is the highest in Australia (Hendrie and Ryan, 1995). The level of operations should
therefore be considered as entirely appropriate, although further reductions in road trauma
could be expected, if additional kerbside hours and TINs were achieved. This is based on the
finding in Victoria that the reduction in casualty crashes was related to the number of TINs
issued.
Table 2 The Extent of Speed Camera Operations in Victoria and South Australia, 1993
State
South Australia
Victoria
Number of
TINs/year
(1993)
178,000
639,000
No of TINs issued
per population
18-79 yrs, p.a. *
0.16
0.15
Camera
Hours/year
(1993)
25,211
63,340
Annual Camera
Hours per 100,000
population**
1,725
1,420
* Source: Review of Road Safety Practices in Australia and Recommendataions for Western Australia,
D. Hendrie and A. Ryan (1995)
** Source: The Strategic Role of Enhanced Enforcement in the NSW Road Safety Strategy, R. Taylor.
It should be noted that Victorian research has found that the actual detection and punishment of
speeding drivers through the issue of TINs is the key mechanism in the Victorian speed
enforcement program. As outlined in Appendix A, this effect is against the background of the
Victorian demerit point system through which drivers accumulate points for all speeding
offences (camera-detected or otherwise) and hence face the sanction of licence loss if multiple
offences are committed. The threat of licence loss is considered to be an important element of
the specific deterrence of speeding in Victoria.
Hence, the overall deterrent effect of the speed camera program is likely to be severely affected
by the fact that in South Australia the demerit points system does not apply to offences detected
by speed cameras. Under the present system, these Traffic Infringement Notices for speeding
can be regarded by offenders as “just another cost of motoring”.
Recommendation 2: That consideration be given to extending the demerit points system to
speed camera offences because of its likely deterrent effect, particularly for habitual offenders.
16
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
It should also be noted that Victorian speed camera operations are covert in nature, the cameras
being placed inside unmarked parked cars without any warning signs before or after the camera
site. While Cameron et al (1995) have concluded that the principal mechanism through which
the Victorian speed camera program achieves its effects is specific deterrence (ie. the actual
detection and punishment of speeding drivers), it does not follow that a program based on
visible speed cameras will achieve the same crash reduction effects across broad areas, even if
that program detects a commensurate level of speeding drivers. Research on crash reductions
due to speed cameras in NSW, where the Police are required to operate the cameras from
marked cars accompanied by signs, has only been able to show effects at the camera sites
specifically (Graham 1993).
In South Australia, the speed camera operations are not quite as covert as in Victoria but less
visible than those in N.S.W. For example, the use of signs in South Australia after (but not
before as is the case in N.S.W.) a motorist has passed a speed camera seems to be a good idea.
Also while the cars for the camera operator in South Australia originally had Government
number plates and were generally of the same make/model, since speed camera operations have
been taken over by the Police Security Services Division, a range of different makes/models of
vehicles are used and they have ordinary number plates.
The operating procedures for the speed cameras among “General Prohibitions” state that they
should “not (be) hidden behind bushes, buildings or any other obstacles, except when
occupational health and safety dictates a location cannot be worked any other way, e.g. Mount
Barker Road below the freeway”. It may be desirable for this probhibition to be lifted.
Recommendation 3: That South Australia considers a change in the method of operation which
would not prohibit speed cameras from being hidden, while maintaining the current relatively
high level of TINs issued for speeding offences detected by cameras.
The initiative to purchase 100 laser speed detectors, bringing the total to 133 units is to be
commended, and it is likely that the decision to breath test every speeding offender will have
benefits for both control of speeding and drink-driving. It is appropriate that this decision be
given widescale publicity, as is planned, and then strictly enforced. The consultants are not
aware of any definitive evaluation in Australia of the effect on casualty crashes of this method
of operation and recommend that an evaluation of this be undertaken. It may be appropriate for
such an evaluation to be funded nationally because its results would be of national significance.
Publicity to support the speed control program is another important element of the overall
deterrent system and is discussed in Section 3.6.
Recommendation 4: That an evaluation be undertaken of the effect on casualty crashes of the
South Australian laser speed detector initiative, where every speed offender is to be breath
tested.
3.5
Drink Driving Control Program
As shown in Table 3, the total number of random breath tests in South Australia progressively
increased from its introduction in 1981 until 1988/89, but has exceeded that total only once (in
1990/91) and has declined in recent years. Similarly the total metropolitan tests peaked in
1987/88 and the total country tests in 1989/90.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
17
Table 3 Number of Random Breath Tests in South Australia, 1981/82 to 1995/96
Year
1981/82
1982/83
1983/84
1984/85
1985/86
1986/87
1987/88
1988/89
1989/90
1990/91
1991/92
1992/93
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
Adelaide
Country SA
Total
46045
11303
57348
82555
16069
98264
123953
14867
138820
120477
15361
135838
116699
18494
135193
124583
20825
145408
251571
30504
282075
231669
55530
287199
219592
62105
281697
242396
51715
294111
222926
49865
272791
199809
49020
248829
187987
48178
236165
179969
50376
230345
174513
53620
228133
Note: In Tables 3, 4 and 5 the numbers for South Australia do not include drivers breath tested after being
detected for speeding using laser speed detectors or stopped for speeding cautions.
Table 4 below compares the number of RBT tests per 100 licensed drivers in South Australia
and Victoria since 1989. It can be seen that in 1989 and 1990 the rates of testing per licensed
driver in S.A. were greater than in Victoria, but since 1989 those in S.A. have fallen by 24%
while those in Victoria have risen by 260%. As shown in Table 4, the number of RBT tests in
S.A. would need to be increased about 2.5 times to reach current rates in Victoria or nearly
double to reach the 1992 Victorian rates.
Table 4 Number of RBT Tests per 100 Licenced Drivers, Victoria and South Australia,
1989-1995
Number of Tests
Year
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
SA
265,345
289,047
290,921
266,081
240,232
241,827
220,031
VIC
518,431
920,523
1,112,669
1,193,311
1,521,292
1,795,985
1,671,278
Number of tests per 100
licensed drivers
SA
VIC
29.6
16.0
31.8
25.3
30.8
38.9
28.2
41.6
25.4
46.4
25.1
57.0
22.6
57.6
Source : Office of Road Safety, S.A., Parliamentary Report on Operation and Effectiveness of RBT.
In order to obtain a comparison between the extent of random breath testing in Adelaide and
Melbourne and between the rest of South Australia and the rest of Victoria, Table 5 has been
prepared. The rates have been calculated using the populations of both capital cities and of the
rest of the State, because comparable figures for licensed drivers are not readily available. It
can be seen that the trends are similar to those for the whole State comparisons, with the
Adelaide rate having dropped to approximately half the Melbourne rate and the rest of South
Australia rate to less than 30% of the rest of Victoria rate.
18
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
Table 5 Number of RBT Tests per 100 population, 1989/90 to 1994/95
Year
1989/90
1990/91
1991/2
1992/93
1993/94
1994/95
Adelaide
21.0
22.9
20.9
18.7
17.5
16.7
Melbourne
14.3
25.8
26.0
29.4
36.4
34.0
Rest of SA
16.0
13.3
12.8
12.5
12.3
12.8
Rest of VIC
19.9
21.8
28.0
31.1
37.3
45.0
Population figures as at 30 June from ABS Demography Statistics Quaterly Publication. Cat #3101.0
Based on the experience in Melbourne that the reduction in serious casualty crashes in high
alcohol hours (essentially night-time) is related to the number of “bus based” random breath
tests, it could be expected that doubling the number of random breath tests in Adelaide,
primarily through the use of highly visible buses, is likely to reduce the number of serious
casualty crashes considerably. If the Melbourne relationships were to hold for Adelaide, a
reduction in serious casualty crashes during high alcohol hours of about 10% could be
expected.
It is therefore recommended that all possible efforts be made to increase the number of random
breath tests to approximately double present levels of RBT in Adelaide. It is acknowledged
that this would be a major task, given the many other duties expected of the South Australia
Police and the limited resources. However it has been calculated in Victoria that the total
benefits (in terms of reduced cost of crashes) are many times greater than the actual costs (in
terms of police time and equipment).
Recommendation 5: That all possible efforts be made to increase the number of random breath
tests in Adelaide to about double present levels, preferably by increased use of highly visible
bus based testing.
The recent practice of undertaking very high profile large scale RBT operations in the Adelaide
metropolitan area at times when a larger than usual level of drink driving is expected, is likely
to be highly effective both as a specific deterrent and as a general deterrent. In order to
maintain this general deterrence, it is of course, necessary that such operations are repeated at
unpredictable times, even if the operations are of a smaller size or shorter overall duration than
the several major operations staged since December 1995.
The practice of undertaking high profile random breath testing operations associated with large
sporting events such as football, cricket, racing, etc. is also likely to have an important general
deterrent effect, particularly if the booze buses are seen (setting up or cruising) when people
are going to these events. The intention to undertake these activities should be given wide
publicity before the event.
The results of increased random breath testing in rural S.A. are a little more difficult to predict
because the mechanism for reduction of serious casualty crashes during high alcohol hours in
Victoria outside Melbourne are not fully understood. Furthermore, there are greater differences
between rural S.A. and rural Victoria than between Adelaide and Melbourne. Nevertheless it
is likely that an increase in random breath testing in country cities and towns will be effective
in reducing serious casualty crashes, particularly in view of the South Australian testing rates
being less than one third of the Victorian rate. The S.A. rural enforcement and education
strategy which is being developed will be important in this matter.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
19
While it is probably beyond the scope of this report to specify how the increased number of
random breath tests should be achieved the following could be considered:
•
setting of increased targets for each district
•
increased use of the booze buses, particularly in metropolitan Adelaide
•
joint operations between neighbouring stations in country areas, possibly supported by
additional traffic staff from Adelaide.
In Victoria the cost of overtime, meals and accommodation for additional random breath testing
by metropolitan based police in country areas has been funded by the Transport Accident
Commission, which recognised the benefits in terms of reduced claims which would result. In
NSW such activities have been funded by the Roads and Traffic Authority.
Recommendation 6: That random breath testing outside Adelaide be increased and supported
by appropriate publicity in accordance with the rural safety strategy currently being developed
in South Australia.
The question has been asked as to whether the times of operation of random breath testing are
appropriate given the known distribution of drink driving throughout the week. An exploratory
analysis has been conducted in Appendix B. Figure 10, taken from Appendix B, compares the
total number of random breath tests by hour of the week with the number of driver and
motorcyclist casualties with known BAC exceeding 0.05g/100 ml. It shows that the allocation
of RBT operations by time of week generally matches the incidence of drink driving crashes,
except that more tests could be carried out during the “build up” periods 2.00 to 8.00 p.m. on
Saturday afternoons, 4.00 to 8.00 p.m. on Thursdays, 2.00-4.00 p.m. on Fridays and during the
high alcohol crash periods, 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. on Friday “nights”, 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.
on Saturday “nights” and perhaps 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. on Sundays.
25000
Monday
Sunday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
70
Number of Tests
50
15000
40
30
10000
20
5000
10
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6am-8am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
0
6am-8am
0
Hours of the Day
No. of Tests
No. of Drivers & Riders > 0.05
Figure 10
Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1995/96)
with the number of drivers and motorcyclists
with known BAC>0.05g/100ml (1990-94), South Australia
20
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
Number of Drivers and Riders with BAC > 0.05
60
20000
Figure B2 in Appendix B also shows the very high percentage of drivers and motorcyclist
casualties with a known BAC exceeding 0.05g/100 ml in the hours after midnight. The decision
on how far into the early morning hours the RBT operations should continue is a matter of
judgement. It may be that after 2.00-4.00 a.m., patrol operations are preferred, because
deterrence is unlikely to be as effective with drivers at the high BAC levels generally found at
that time. However it is important that a situation does not exist where it is common knowledge
among drinkers that “the RBT operations always cease at 2.00 a.m.”
Recommendation 7: That use continue to be made of the high quality data available at both the
Office of Road Safety and the Traffic Intelligence Section to plan and monitor that RBT
operations are undertaken at times which reflect the incidence of alcohol related crashes.
3.6
Publicity
In recent years, South Australia has had a number of major road safety campaigns with drinkdriving and speeding themes. The “You’ll be sorry” campaign, aimed at increasing the
perceived risk of detection of drink-drivers and the likely consequences, was used from
December 1993 to June 1995. A new campaign with the slogan “Drink Drive: What’ll it be?”
was introduced in late 1995 and has been used in conjunction with high Police activity during
Christmas and Easter. A speeding-related campaign with the slogan “Speeding - Think about
the impact” was launched in late April 1995.
The development of the television campaigns has in general terms adopted the approach used
by several other Australian States (and by Victoria up to 1989) which is based on some of the
published literature in psychology and communications theory.
Each of these campaigns was based on television advertisements, some with informative, nonemotive messages, and six different versions with the same theme. Radio advertisements, with
the same messages as television, billboards and other media have been used to support the
television advertisements. The monthly television TARPs, by theme of the message, achieved
in Adelaide during the period 1993 to June 1996 are shown in Figure 11.
2500
Drink-Driving
School Crossing
Speed
Bicycle
2000
TARPs
1500
1000
500
May-96
Mar-96
Jan-96
Nov-95
Sep-95
Jul-95
May-95
Mar-95
Jan-95
Nov-94
Sep-94
Jul-94
May-94
Mar-94
Jan-94
Nov-93
Sep-93
Jul-93
May-93
Mar-93
Jan-93
0
Month
Figure 11
South Australian Road Safety Television Advertising: TARPs per
month by theme in Adelaide, Jan 1993-June 1996
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
21
Table 6 shows a comparison of the total television TARPs achieved by road safety advertising
in Adelaide and Melbourne, respectively, during 1993-95. It can be seen that the intensity of
road safety advertising in Adelaide was, on average, less than half that in Melbourne during the
period.
Table 6 Television TARPs for Road Safety Advertising in Adelaide and Melbourne,
1993-1995
1993
1994
1995
TOTAL
Adelaide
Melbourne
2881
4877
6618
14376
11834
7656
11617
31107
Adelaide
/Melbourne
24%
64%
57%
46%
In summary, there are three major differences in road safety publicity practice in South
Australia compared with Victoria. The first is the use of advertisements generally with an
informative style compared with the graphic, more emotive style principally used by the TAC
in Victoria. The second is the relatively large number of different television advertisements
used (around six per theme) compared with Victoria (a total of 4-5 different advertisements per
year, representing 1-3 advertisements per theme in a year; see section 2.5). The third is,
apparently, the lower level of intensity of all television advertising (and even lower level per
advertisement, given their larger number) in South Australia compared with Victoria.
Research at the Monash University Accident Research Centre has shown that levels of intensity
of TAC advertisements, with themes supporting enforcement aimed at drink-driving and
speeding, can be linked with road trauma reductions. Thus it is recommended that South
Australia increase the exposure levels of their road safety advertising with these themes to
levels commensurate with Victoria that is approximately double the present levels.
Furthermore, to maximise the exposure of each advertisement it would be desirable to make use
of no more than 4-5 different advertisements each year.
Recommendation 8: That resources be allocated to double the exposure of television
advertisements, which support the speed camera and random breath testing programs.
It is possible that the style and content of the TAC television advertisements, which support
speed camera or RBT enforcement, is also important to their effectiveness at the levels of
exposure used in Victoria. Hence, as part of an expansion of publicity to support enforcement,
it may be appropriate to undertake research to investigate the relative effectiveness of a TACstyle advertisement and an existing advertisement, when exposed at levels of intensity as
recommended above.
Recommendation 9: That research be undertaken to investigate the relative effectiveness of a
TAC style advertisement (graphic and highly emotive), which supports speed camera or RBT
enforcement and an existing South Australian advertisement, when exposed at approximately the
same levels, say 800 TARPs per month, under similar conditions of enforcement.
The TAC television advertisements have been carefully developed through extensive concept
development research, involving group discussion research of initially a relatively large
number of concepts, and then re-testing of the selected concepts as they are further developed.
22
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
This type of developmental research is considered to be an important factor influencing the
effectiveness of TAC-style advertising.
Recommendation 10: That the development of advertisements in South Australia be based on
testing and re-testing of a range of concepts with members of the target groups, through group
discussion research to ensure that messages are relevant to them and that they are positively
received.
3.7
Additional Resources Required
Some of the recommendations made in this chapter will require little or no additional resources
for their implementation.
One, namely, the extension of the demerit point system to speed camera offences will
presumably need changes in legislation and will also require additional Police time in handling
of the paperwork which identifies the offender. This is difficult to quantify but the information
could be obtained from the Victoria Police if a decision is made to proceed with this important
recommendation.
The main additional resources which would be required are discussed below.
Doubling of the number of random breath tests in metropolitan Adelaide would require an
additional 175,000 random breath tests. The S.A. Police has advised that the additional
equipment for this and also to increase the number of random breath tests in rural areas by an
additional 50,000 tests would cost $0.89 million. The additional annual recurrent costs for
both these tasks have been estimated as $0.89 million.
Information supplied by the Office of Road Safety showed that during 1995 approximately $0.8
million was spent on placement of television advertisements relating to drink driving and
speeding. Doubling this expenditure on placement would be expected to cost approximately
another $0.8 million p.a. In order to maintain the existing ratio between television, radio and
outdoor, there would be a need to increase the expenditure on the latter two media, but this has
not been quantified here. The cost of the recommended research could probably be partially
covered by producing somewhat fewer different television advertisements.
The costs of implementing the rural enforcement and education strategy directed at speeding and
drink driving would need to be costed separately when that strategy is fully developed.
In summary, the total cost of implementing the two most expensive recommendations of
doubling RBT in Adelaide and in rural S.A., together with the doubling of expenditure on
publicity supporting RBT and speed cameras is approximately $1.69 million per annum, plus a
single expenditure of $0.89 million for equipment.
Based on the results obtained in Victoria, the savings in costs of crashes and the associated
road trauma could be as high as 20 times the expenditure, but because South Australia is
starting from a much better road safety situation than Victoria was in 1989, with many of the
measures already partially implemented, a figure of ten times the expenditure may be a more
realistic expectation.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
23
REFERENCES
Australian Bureau of Statistics (1993) Survey of Motor Vehicle Use Australia, Catalogue
No. 9208.0
Cameron, M.H., Haworth, N., Oxley, J., Newstead, S. & Le, T. (1993) Evaluation of
Transport Accident Commission road safety television advertising, Monash University
Accident Research Centre, Report No. 52.
Cameron, M.H. & Newstead, S.V. (1993) ‘Modelling of some major factors influencing road
trauma trends in Victoria 1989-92’, Paper presented at Road Safety Researchers’ Conference,
Adelaide.
Cameron, M.H., Newstead, S.V. & Gantzer, S. (1995) ‘Effects of enforcement and supporting
publicity programs in Victoria, Australia’. Proceedings of the International Conference on
Road Safety in Europe and Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), Prague, The Czech
Republic, September, Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.
Cameron, M., Newstead, S. & Vulcan, P. (1994) ‘Analysis of reductions in Victorian road
casualties, 1989 to 1992’, Proceedings 17th ARRB Conference, Part 5, pp 165-182.
Cameron, M.H., Vulcan, A.P., Finch, C.F. & Newstead, S.V. (1994b) ‘Mandatory bicycle
helmet use following a decade of helmet promotion in Victoria, Australia - an evaluation’,
Accident Analysis & Prevention, 26(3), pp325-337.
Forsyth, I. & Ogden, E.J.D. (1993) ‘Marketing traffic safety as a consumer product in Victoria,
Australia’, Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, T92, pp 1437-1442.
Graham, A. (1993) Evaluation of speed camera operations: Preliminary accident analysis,
Internal report, Road Safety Bureau, Roads and Traffic Authority, New South Wales.
Harper, G. (1991) TAC Road Safety Campaign. An entry into the AFA Advertising
Effectiveness Awards, Grey Advertising, Melbourne.
Harper, G. (1993) Marketing Road Safety 1991/92, An entry into the 1993 AFA Effectiveness
Awards, Grey Advertising, Melbourne.
Hendri, D. & Ryan, G.A. (1995) Review of road safety practices in Australia and
recommendations for Western Australia, Road Accident Prevention Research Unit, University
of Western Australia, Report No. RR41.
Office of Road Safety, S.A. (1996) Parliamentary report on operation and effectiveness of
RBT, Department of Transport, South Australia.
Road Safety Committee (1994) Inquiry into the Demerit Point System, Parliament of Victoria.
Sliogeris, J. (1992) 110 km per hour speed limit. Evaluation of road safety effects,
VicRoads, Road Safety Division, Report GR 92-8.
South Australian Road Safety Consultative Council (1995) Road Safety SA. A strategic plan
for road safety in South Australia till the year 2000, Government of South Australia.
24
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
Taylor, R. (1994) ‘The strategic role of enhanced enforcement in the NSW Road Safety
Strategy’, Proceedings National Road Safety Research and Enforcement Conference,
Fremantle, Western Australia, 13-14 November, pp19-28.
Vulcan, A.P. (1993) ‘The road toll in Victoria - An objective analysis’, Proceedings of the
Road Safety Forum, Melbourne.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
25
APPENDIX A
DEMERIT POINTS FOR SPEED CAMERA OFFENCES
One of the important elements of the speed control program was the extension of the demerit
point system to cover speed camera offences. In 1985, the time of the introduction of speed
cameras in Victoria, it was decided that demerit points should not apply to camera based
offences and, on equity grounds, they would not apply to other speed offences of less than 30
km/h over the limit. The same decision was also applied to red light cameras. This decision
was applied administratively and had the consequence of making the demerit point scheme
virtually ineffective (Road Safety Committee, 1994).
In late 1989, as part of the package of measures related to the purchase of the new speed
cameras and the setting up of the traffic camera office, it was decided to restore the application
of demerit points to speed camera offences (and red light camera offences).
In July 1993, the Victorian Parliamentary Road Safety Committee began an inquiry into the
demerit points scheme. In its report, dated November 1994, it concluded that the demerit points
for speed camera offences should remain and at their present levels. These are the same as for
other speeding offences, agreed nationally, namely:
Offence
Exceeding speed limit by 15 km/h or less
Exceeding speed limit by 15-30 km/h
Exceeding speed limit by 30-45 km/h
Exceeding speed limit by 45 km/h or more
Points
1
3
4
6
The Road Safety Committee inquiry reported that as at September 1993, only about 55% of all
infringements detected by the Traffic Camera Office resulted in issuing of a Traffic Infringement
Notice (TIN) and of that number only about 70% of drivers have their demerit points correctly
allocated, (i.e. about 38% of detected infringements). Despite the large number of offences for
which demerit points were not successfully allocated, there was a massive increase in the
number of drivers reaching 12 demerit points from about 300 in June 1990 to about 9,500 in
March 1993. Over the same period the proportion of drivers with one or more demerit points
increased from 6% to 32%, i.e. to about 1 million drivers (Road Safety Committee, 1994).
Analysis by VicRoads of a sample of drivers reaching 12 points found that about 75% of their
offences were for speeding.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
27
APPENDIX B
EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS
B.1
Appropriate Times for Random Breath Testing Operations
It is desirable that drivers perceive there is a reasonable chance of being tested at an RBT
station at any time after drinking. This means that RBT operations should be highly visible in
the hours when drivers are on their way out to drink and continue to be so while there are
relatively large numbers of drink drivers about.
Figure B1 shows the number of random breath tests for each two hour period of the week for
1995/96 (Compiled from data generously provided by the Traffic Intelligence Office, S.A.
Police - Mr. Ross McColl.), together with the number of drivers and motorcyclists involved in
crashes with a known BAC > 0.05, by hour of the week. (Compiled from data generously
provided by the Office of Road Safety, S.A. Dept of Transport - Mr. Fred Tiong.) Figure B2
shows the same information about random breath tests in 1995/96, but with the percentage of
drivers and motorcyclists with a known BAC greater than 0.05.
25000
Monday
Sunday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
70
Number of Tests
50
15000
40
30
10000
20
5000
Number of Drivers and Riders with BAC > 0.05
60
20000
10
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6am-8am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
0
6am-8am
0
Hours of the Day
No. of Tests
No. of Drivers & Riders > 0.05
Figure B1 Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1995/96) with
the number of drivers and motorcyclists involved in crashes
with known BAC>0.05g/100ml (1990-94), South Australia
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
29
90.0%
25000
Sunday
Tuesday
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Friday
80.0%
20000
Number of Tests
60.0%
15000
50.0%
40.0%
10000
30.0%
Percentage of Driver and Riders with
BAC > 0.05
70.0%
20.0%
5000
10.0%
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
8pm10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
8pm10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
8pm-
10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
8am-
10am
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
8pm-
10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
8pm10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
8pm10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
0.0%
4am-6am
0
Hours of the Day
No. of Tests
% Drivers & Rriders > 0.05
Figure B2 Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1995/96) with
the percentage of drivers and motorcyclists involved in crashes with known
BAC>0.05g/100ml (1990-84), South Australia
Based on Figure B1, it seems that the allocation of RBT operations by time of week generally
matches the incidence of drink driving crashes, except that more tests could be carried out
during the “build up” periods, 2.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. on Saturday afternoons, 4.00-8.00 p.m. on
Thursdays, 2.00-4.00 p.m. on Fridays and during the high alcohol crash periods, 10.00 p.m. to
a.m. on Friday nights, 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. on Saturday nights, 10.00 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. on
Thursday nights and perhaps 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. on Sundays. The decision on how far into
the early morning hours the RBT operations should continue is a matter of judgement. It may be
that after 2.00-4.00 a.m., patrol operations are preferred, because deterrence is unlikely to be
as effective with drivers at the high BAC levels generally found at that time. However it is
important that a situation does not exist where it is common knowledge among drinkers that “the
RBT operations always cease at 2.00 a.m.”
Comparison of Figure B1 with similar data on random breath testing operations for 1992/93,
1993/94 and 1994/95 which are given in Appendix C show that the pattern of these operations
has been similar for the past four years, although there has been a small, but appropriate shift of
some operations from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to Friday nights.
Figure B2 reinforces the fact that the percentage of drivers with an illegal BAC is very high
from about 9.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. on most nights, but the scheduling of random breath testing
should probably be based on the number of drivers with an illegal BAC rather than the
percentage is shown in Figure B1.
It has been suggested that Figures B1 and B2 could be re-plotted using the total number of hours
of random breath testing operation for each two hour period of the week rather than the total
number of random breath tests, because the latter depends not only on the level of police RBT
activity but also on the number of motorists on the road at any given time.
This is a good idea and could be done using the excellent data available at the Traffic
Intelligence Office. It was however not possible to obtain the data in the form required for this
in the timeframe for this report. The primary purpose of presenting these charts in Figures B1
30
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
and B2 was to illustrate how the data available can be presented to assist in planning and
optimising RBT operations. If such additional charts are prepared, it would probably be
desirable for them to be compiled separately for Adelaide and rural South Australia, or even
separately for each Region.
B.2
Blood Alcohol Content of Drivers and Motorcyclists Killed
In Figure 4 of Section 1.3 it was shown that the percentage of drivers and riders killed with a
BAC greater than 0.05g/100 ml in South Australia has been greater than that in Victoria in each
year since 1984. This section examines the extent of the problem in Adelaide and in rural South
Australia.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) for drivers and motorcyclists killed and tested, has been
provided by the Traffic Intelligence Service, South Australia Police for Adelaide and country
S.A. separately, by financial years. The results in Figure B3, show that the main problem in
recent years has been in country S.A., but with some improvement in the last two years.
70%
Adelaide
Country SA
60%
South Australian Total
40%
with BAC >0.05
Percentage of Drivers and Motorcyclists
50%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1986/87
1987/88
1988/89
1989/90
1990/91
1991/92
1992/93
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
Year
Figure B3 Percentage of drivers and motorcyclists
with BAC > 0.05g/100ml within South Australia, 1986/87 - 1995/96
B.3
High and Low Alcohol Hours in South Australia
In Section 2, it was explained that it has been found useful for purposes of analysis in Victoria
to separate casualty crashes into high alcohol hours and low alcohol hours. An attempt has
been made to do the same for South Australia.
Data on blood alcohol content, where known, of drivers involved in casualty crashes from 1990
to 1994 was supplied by the Office of Road Safety. This is summarised in Table B1.
As shown in Table B2, if high alcohol hours are defined as those where more than 10% of
drivers with a known BAC exceed 0.05, then the high alcohol hours are:
Sunday 5.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. (Monday)
Monday 5.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. (Tuesday)
Victoria
[4.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.]
[6.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.]
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
31
Tuesday 6.00 p.m. to 4.00 a.m. (Wednesday)
Wednesday 7.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. (Thursday)
Thursday 6.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. (Friday)
Friday 6.00 p.m. to 7.00 a.m. (Saturday)
Saturday 3.00 p.m. to 9.00 a.m. (Sunday)
[6.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.]
[6.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.]
[6.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.]
[4.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m.]
[2.00 p.m. to 10 a.m.]
These are similar but not quite the same as those used in Victoria which are shown in [square
brackets] above.
32
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
Table B1 Percentage of Driver and Motorcyclist Casualties with Known BAC, South Australia, 1990-1994
One Hour blocks
DOW
Sunday
12-1am 1-2am
2-3am
3-4am
4-5am
5-6am
6-7am
7-8am
8-9am 9-10am 10-11am 11-12pm 12-1pm 1-2pm
2-3pm
3-4pm
4-5pm
5-6pm
6-7pm
7-8pm
8-9pm 9-10pm 10-11pm
65.7% 63.5%
60.2%
77.0%
69.0%
70.0%
76.6%
67.4%
53.7%
56.1%
58.4%
54.0%
63.9%
64.1%
60.8%
57.8%
59.4%
58.5%
54.9%
56.7% 55.2%
54.3%
55.7%
11-12am
54.8%
Monday
72.7% 33.3%
64.0%
62.5%
50.0%
66.7%
59.2%
45.4%
27.5%
39.7%
43.0%
46.9%
43.5% 46.5%
38.5%
41.7%
49.0%
37.2%
54.0%
61.2%
67.4%
46.7%
67.9%
75.6%
Tuesday
57.1% 54.5%
62.5%
72.7%
75.0%
64.3%
47.2%
41.8%
30.1%
38.5%
41.4%
43.5%
48.3% 42.2%
50.9%
42.6%
47.1%
39.4%
50.7%
55.4%
55.8%
56.6%
56.9%
56.7%
Wednesday
60.4% 57.7%
60.0%
68.8%
58.3%
50.0%
50.5%
44.6%
36.7%
42.7%
45.5%
41.2%
48.9% 36.3%
46.4%
41.0%
44.7%
46.0%
56.9%
58.8%
66.3%
55.7%
55.8%
60.0%
Thursday
55.9% 80.8%
63.9%
57.1%
66.7%
71.4%
55.1%
46.2%
30.9%
35.7%
48.1%
54.2%
40.7% 47.9%
42.5%
41.3%
44.5%
39.5%
51.8%
52.2%
52.9%
70.1%
50.6%
59.5%
Friday
57.6% 65.5%
58.5%
70.0%
60.6%
58.1%
58.0%
48.1%
34.0%
40.9%
42.9%
46.5%
45.7% 51.8%
46.1%
39.8%
43.2%
47.4%
56.3%
62.6%
61.0%
62.2%
60.3%
59.3%
Saturday
65.3% 63.2%
59.8%
76.4%
70.9%
74.4%
60.0%
48.2%
46.6%
54.8%
58.3%
51.1%
55.3% 50.7%
55.9%
51.8%
48.5%
58.7%
61.3%
59.9%
65.4%
67.7%
67.1%
59.3%
Table B2 Percentage of Driver and Motorcyclist Casualties with BAC over 0.05g/100ml, South Australia, 1990-1994
One Hour blocks
DOW
12-1am 1-2am
2-3am
3-4am
4-5am
5-6am
6-7am
7-8am
8-9am
60.0%
62.9%
30.6%
31.0%
11.1%
1.7%
4.8%
1.3%
5.9%
4.2%
2.9%
3.7%
9.8%
18.8%
29.4%
24.7%
43.8%
39.2%
28.2%
35.3%
40.0%
27.8%
2.4%
2.3%
3.6%
1.6%
2.9%
0.0%
4.4%
6.3%
1.4%
4.3%
6.0%
11.8%
18.1%
18.9%
14.5%
32.1%
30.2%
38.7%
5.6%
0.0%
3.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.2%
1.3%
3.5%
4.9%
6.8%
6.5%
17.5%
26.4%
17.0%
29.8%
34.1%
44.1%
Sunday
51.1% 60.6%
66.1%
64.9%
Monday
33.3% 57.1%
62.5%
40.0%
Tuesday
45.8% 41.7%
70.0%
50.0%
33.3%
9-10am 10-11am 11-12pm 12-1pm
1-2pm
2-3pm
3-4pm
4-5pm
5-6pm
6-7pm
7-8pm
8-9pm
9-10pm 10-11pm 11-12am
Wednesday
55.2% 40.0%
50.0%
45.5%
0.0%
0.0%
3.7%
3.6%
0.0%
1.2%
1.2%
0.0%
1.9%
1.4%
3.8%
6.0%
3.8%
9.0%
8.9%
16.4%
35.4%
32.2%
37.5%
59.3%
Thursday
39.4% 52.4%
56.5%
50.0%
43.8%
24.0%
7.4%
1.9%
1.0%
0.0%
1.1%
0.0%
1.1%
6.2%
2.2%
3.0%
6.9%
9.6%
16.4%
13.7%
15.1%
26.5%
36.4%
54.5%
Friday
63.3% 71.1%
62.5%
50.0%
55.0%
44.4%
9.2%
7.7%
6.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2.0%
1.9%
3.4%
4.7%
5.2%
4.7%
8.3%
14.1%
18.3%
28.7%
39.2%
37.5%
45.0%
Saturday
60.4% 61.2%
81.6%
69.1%
71.8%
68.8%
35.7%
7.4%
7.3%
5.4%
2.6%
0.8%
6.3%
1.8%
9.2%
12.2%
14.6%
17.2%
26.9%
35.9%
35.6%
46.0%
46.8%
47.1%
Shaded cells denote High Alcohol Hours (HAH)
Percentages based on those with known BAC.
During these hours, an average of 40% of drivers with known BAC exceed 0.05 and during the
remaining hours of the week (low alcohol hours) only 4 % of drivers with a known BAC
exceed 0.05.
Figure B4 shows the 12 month moving total of serious crashes in Adelaide separately for high
alcohol hours and low alcohol hours. There was a progressive reduction in high alcohol hour
serious crashes between 1987 and 1992, with little progress since then. Similarly for low
alcohol hours there have been progressive reductions from late 1990 to mid-1995, but with the
greater slope since early 1991.
900
Low Alcohol Hours
800
High Alcohol Hours
Number of Crashes
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
Jun-95
Mar-95
Dec-94
Sep-94
Jun-94
Mar-94
Dec-93
Sep-93
Jun-93
Mar-93
Dec-92
Sep-92
Jun-92
Mar-92
Dec-91
Sep-91
Jun-91
Mar-91
Dec-90
Sep-90
Jun-90
Mar-90
Dec-89
Sep-89
Jun-89
Mar-89
Dec-88
Sep-88
Jun-88
Mar-88
Dec-87
Sep-87
Jun-87
Mar-87
Dec-86
Sep-86
Jun-86
Mar-86
Dec-85
Sep-85
Jun-85
Mar-85
Dec-84
Sep-84
Jun-84
Mar-84
Dec-83
0
Year Ending
Figure B4 12 month moving total of number of serious crashes in Adelaide
Statistical Division by High and Low Alcohol Hours, Jan 1983 - June 1995
Figure B5 shows the same data for the rest of South Australia. In this case, the main reductions
in both high alcohol hour and low alcohol hour serious crashes occurred from about December
1990 to mid 1993, although the low alcohol hour crashes had a further reduction in the year
commencing June 1994.
Hours January 1983 to June 1995
700
Low Alcohol Hours
High Alcohol Hours
600
Number of Crashes
500
400
300
200
100
Jun-95
Mar-95
Dec-94
Sep-94
Jun-94
Mar-94
Dec-93
Sep-93
Jun-93
Mar-93
Dec-92
Sep-92
Jun-92
Mar-92
Dec-91
Sep-91
Jun-91
Mar-91
Dec-90
Sep-90
Jun-90
Mar-90
Dec-89
Sep-89
Jun-89
Mar-89
Dec-88
Sep-88
Jun-88
Mar-88
Dec-87
Sep-87
Jun-87
Mar-87
Dec-86
Sep-86
Jun-86
Mar-86
Dec-85
Sep-85
Jun-85
Mar-85
Dec-84
Sep-84
Jun-84
Mar-84
Dec-83
0
Year Ending
Figure B5 12 month moving total of number of serious casualty crashes
in the rest of South Australia by High and Low Alcohol Hours,
Jan 1983 - June 1995
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
35
In general terms, there have been considerable reductions in all four categories of serious
crashes since 1986, with the largest reductions during 1991 and 1992, and no further reductions
in high alcohol hour serious crashes in either Adelaide or rest of state after that. The low
alcohol hour serious crashes have continued to decrease in the 2½years up to June 1995.
The extent to which the downturn in the economy contributed to the reductions observed during
1991 and 1992 is difficult to determine other than by modelling. Such modelling of downward
trends may be possible in a similar way as was done in Victoria, to take account of various
factors such as number of random breath tests, number of speed camera infringement notices,
level of supporting publicity, the effect of changes in the economy and any other relevant
factors. However, this is a complex and expensive exercise which may only be warranted as
part of a major evaluation of the effect of various measures.
36
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
APPENDIX C
RANDOM BREATH TESTING OPERATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
25000
Monday
Sunday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Friday
70
60
Number of Tests
50
15000
40
30
10000
20
5000
Number of Drivers and Riders with BAC > 0.05
20000
10
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6am-8am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
0
6am-8am
0
Hours of the Day
No of Tests
No. of Drivers & Riders > 0.05
Figure C1 Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1992/93)
with the number of drivers and riders with known BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)
70
25000
Monday
Sunday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Thursday
Saturday
Friday
60
15000
40
30
10000
20
5000
10
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6am-8am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
0
MN-2am
0
6am-8am
Number of Tests
50
Number of Drivers and Riders with BAC > 0.05
20000
Hours of the Day
No. of Tests
No. of Drivers & Riders > 0.05
Figure C2 Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1993/94)
with the number of drivers and riders with known BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
37
25000
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
70
60
Number of Tests
50
15000
40
30
10000
20
5000
Number of Drivers and Riders with BAC > 0.05
20000
10
6pm-8pm
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6am-8am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
6am-8am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
6pm-8pm
0
6am-8am
0
Hours of the Day
No. of Tests
No. of Drivers & Riders > 0.05
Figure C3 Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1994/95) with
the number of drivers and riders with known BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)
25000
Monday
Sunday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
90.0%
80.0%
20000
Number of Tests
60.0%
15000
50.0%
40.0%
10000
30.0%
Percentage of Driver and Riders with
BAC > 0.05
70.0%
20.0%
5000
10.0%
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
8am10am
4am-6am
8pm10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
8am10am
4am-6am
8pm10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
10am
Noon-2pm
8am-
4am-6am
8pm-
10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
8am10am
4am-6am
8pm10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
8pm10pm
MN-2am
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
0.0%
4am-6am
0
Hours of the Day
No of Tests
% Drivers & Rriders > 0.05
Figure C4 Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1992/93) with
the percentage of drivers and riders with known BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)
38
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
MN-2am
No. of Tests
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
8am10am
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
20000
15000
60.0%
50.0%
10000
40.0%
30.0%
5000
0
20000
15000
60.0%
50.0%
10000
40.0%
30.0%
5000
0
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Percentage of Driver and Riders with
BAC > 0.05
Saturday
Percentage of Driver and Riders with
BAC > 0.05
Friday
Noon-2pm
8am10am
Noon-2pm
Friday
8am10am
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Thursday
Noon-2pm
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
10am
8am-
4am-6am
Thursday
8am10am
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
Wednesday
10am
MN-2am
10pm
8pm-
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
10am
8am-
4am-6am
Wednesday
8am-
4am-6am
MN-2am
10pm
8pm-
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
Tuesday
8am-
No. of Tests
10am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
8am10am
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
8am10am
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Tuesday
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
Monday
8am10am
8am10am
Noon-2pm
Monday
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Sunday
Noon-2pm
MN-2am
4am-6am
Number of Tests
Sunday
8am10am
4am-6am
MN-2am
8pm10pm
4pm-6pm
Noon-2pm
25000
8am10am
4am-6am
Number of Tests
25000
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Hours of the Day
% Drivers & Rriders > 0.05
Figure C5 Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1993/94) with
the percentage of drivers and riders with known BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)
Saturday
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Hours of the Day
% Drivers & Rriders > 0.05
Figure C6 Comparison of the number of Random Breath Tests (1994/95) with
the percentage of drivers and riders with known BAC > 0.05 (1990-94)
39
40
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
APPENDIX D
PROPOSAL
POSSIBILITY OF ADAPTING SOME ROAD SAFETY
MEASURES SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED IN VICTORIA TO SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
Background
The Enforcement Strategies Working Party of the South Australian Road Safety Consultative
Council, through the Office of Road Safety, Department of Transport, South Australia has
requested the Monash University Accident Research Centre to report on the extent to which
there is scope to apply in South Australia some of the measures which have been successful in
reducing road trauma in Victoria.
In Victoria during the period 1989 to 1992 there was a reduction of 49% in fatalities and nearly
40% in persons admitted to hospital resulting from road crashes. These reductions have
generally been maintained since 1992, although there was some increase in fatalities in 1995
(Figure 1), which has continued into 1996.
Fatalities and Injuries as a Percentage of 1987 Levels
Victoria 1987-95
Percentage of 1987 Level
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
Fatalities
Serious Injuries
Other Injuries
20%
0%
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
Year
Figure 1
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
41
Research by the Monash University Accident Research Centre has attributed the major
proportions of these reductions to two major programs:
• greatly increased random breath testing through introduction of 13 new “booze buses”,
supported by massive publicity;
• 54 new slant radar speed cameras yielding approximately 40,000 additional Traffic
Infringement Notices per month, supported by massive publicity.
In addition, a considerable reduction was associated with the downturn in the economy as
measured by level of unemployment, and by the progressive reduction in retail alcohol sales. A
smaller but progressively increasing contribution was made by the accident blackspot program
since 1989. These reductions are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2
Current Road Safety Situation in South Australia
This section has been prepared based on an examination of the following documents supplied
by the Office of Road Safety and South Australia Police as well as preliminary discussions
with the Enforcement Strategies Working Party, of the Road Safety Consultative Council:
1. South Australian Road Crash Facts 1994, Office of Road Safety, South Australia.
2. South Australia Police, Traffic Strategic Plan 1995-2000.
3. South Australian Road Safety Consultative Council, Road Safety SA. A strategic
plan for road safety in South Australia till the year 2000, Government of South
Australia, 1995.
4. Harrison, R. Evaluation of speed media/enforcement campaign - post media
survey, Harrison Market Research Pty. Ltd., S.A., 1995.
5. Meeting the Road Safety Challenge. Introducing the South Australian Road Safety
Consultative Council.
6. Information on RBT in South Australia provided by the Office of Road Safety.
7. Traffic Intelligence Service, Traffic Matters, January 1996, S.A.
42
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
8. Traffic Intelligence Service, Monthly Traffic Statistics, June, 1995, S.A.
9. Traffic Intelligence Service, Traffic Statistics, July1994-June, 1995, S.A.
It is obvious that “Road Safety SA” provides a comprehensive strategic plan for road safety in
South Australia and that a wide range of worthwhile programs are already in place or are
planned. There are also effective arrangements for co-ordination of road safety and for
delivery of specific programs.
The areas where the Victorian experience may be of value in efforts to further reduce road
trauma in South Australia, appear to be primarily in relation to drink-driving and of excessive
speeding.
It is noted that in 1995 there were 220,031 random breath tests conducted in SA, which
corresponds to 22.6% of licensed drivers (compared with a rate of 57.6% in Victoria). On the
other hand, it is understood that pro-rata usage of speed cameras and issue of speeding offence
notices in S.A. is about the same level as in Victoria, but the method of operation and the
associated legislation regarding demerit points are different. Similarly since the introduction of
laser guns in South Australia on 1/9/95 there has been a significant increase in the breath testing
of motorists who commit speeding offences. The Police are committed to breath testing all
motorists stopped for laser gun offences. This initiative is uniquely South Australian and will
no doubt positively influence the driver testing ratio.
Proposed Study
In order to provide a draft report by 7 August and to limit the total costs of this study, it is
proposed that it be limited to the two main areas where success in reducing road trauma in
Victoria has been documented, namely programs aimed at the reduction of drink driving and
speeding.
If in undertaking the study it becomes apparent that there is scope for further significant road
trauma reductions in other areas, these will be outlined in the report and if of interest, they
could be the subject of a further study.
The report will describe the significant issues in the development and implementation of the
two Victorian programs, i.e.
• intensified random breath testing through introduction of high visibility “booze buses”, and
• progressive introduction of 54 new slant radar speed cameras
• with massive multi-media publicity support for each program.
The report will include co-ordination arrangements and overall funding levels.
The report will then examine current practice and future plans in South Australia in relation to
drink driving enforcement (particularly RBT) and speed enforcement particularly speed
cameras and laser speed detection. The use of publicity to support these programs will also be
examined, including the method of development of the commercials, their main themes and
tracking of their reach and comprehension by the target audiences.
The report will then suggest additions or changes to the current or planned S.A. programs, or
new programs related to drink-driving and speeding which are likely to be effective in reducing
road deaths, injuries or crashes. Account will be taken of the differences between Adelaide
and Melbourne and between country South Australia and country Victoria in making these
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
43
suggestions. An attempt will be made to estimate the likely benefits from such programs in
relation to the additional expenditures involved.
In order to undertake the study, information about the extent of drink driving and speeding in
South Australia will be needed, including details of past, existing and planned programs aimed
at reducing these and where available, their estimated effectiveness and costs. It is assumed
that the Office of Road Safety will arrange for the supply of this information. A list of specific
items is at Attachment A.
Staff of the Monash University Accident Research Centre will spend approximately five days in
Adelaide in discussions with key persons involved and in collecting any further information
required.
A draft report will be supplied by no later than 5 August and a presentation based on the report
will be made to the Working Party in Adelaide on 7 August and then to the Road Safety
Consultative Council on 8 August. Twenty copies of the final report will be supplied no later
than two weeks after receiving comments on the draft report.
Personnel
The study will be undertaken by Professor Peter Vulcan, Director, MUARC and Mr. Max
Cameron, Senior Research Fellow, MUARC. Peter has had 26 years’ experience in road safety
research and policy. He was a member of the Victorian Road Safety Co-ordination Council
during the period when the successful Victorian initiatives were implemented. Max has been
involved in road safety research for about 30 years, and in recent years has been involved in
evaluation of the effects of a wide range of road safety measures. C.V.s are at Appendix B.
Graduate research assistants will provide assistance to the project as needed.
44
MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE
Appendix A
(to Appendix D)
INFORMATION REQUESTED
For each year since 1989 (or preferably since 1984):
1. Number of RBT tests per month, if possible for Adelaide and rest of State separately
2. Number of hours of RBT operations per month
3. For drivers killed, and if possible drivers admitted to hospital, blood alcohol content for
each year.
Retail alcohol sales
Results of annual speed surveys at a number of sites in different speed zones.
Number of traffic offence notices issued for speeding per month, if possible for Adelaide and
rest of State separately.
Road safety publicity
A videotape copy of all advertisements since 1989 (preferably earlier).
Information on weekly or monthly TARPS for each TV advertisement
Annual expenditure on publicity for TV, radio, press, billboards, other, if possible separately
for development of commercial and placement.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
45
ATTACHMENT
“Analysis of reductions in Victorian road casualties, 1989 to 1992’
from the Proceedings of the 17th ARRB Conference,
Part 5, pp 165-182.
ADAPTING ROAD SAFETY MEASURES TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
47