The Big Impact
Edition 1, March 2014
From the Director
Welcome to the first edition of Big
Impact for 2014. In this issue, we highlight
findings from the largest study of heavy
vehicle crashes in Australia and also
discuss a new research facility that is being
established with the support of the
Department of Defence. The new research
facility will enable MUARC to continue and
extend its research in the area of heavy
vehicle transport safety.
Our recently published paper on heavy
vehicle safety, is a culmination of 4 years of
research involving a collaboration of
academics, government and industry
partners. The research focused on the role
of driver payment, driver schedules, truck
configuration and the role of sleepiness
and sleep disorders on the risk of heavy
vehicle crashes. Key findings from the
study point to necessary changes in
scheduling of trips along with increased
frequency of breaks to reduce the
challenges associated with the
monotonous task of driving. We
encourage you to review the findings
highlighted in this issue and subsequent
papers published from this large study (see
publication listing in this issue).
Our annual MUARC lecture will be held
next week. Prof Stanton’s lecture on
autonomous vehicles is particularly
pertinent given the speed at which this
technology is developing; and for which
the opportunities for road safety are
important.
We look forward to the opportunities
this year will bring; particularly
collaborations with you all.
Professor Mark Stevenson
Director, MUARC
www.monash.edu/miri/muarc
Heavy vehicle publications.
Stevenson M, Elkington J, Sharwood L, Meuleners L, Ivers R, Boufous S, Williamson A, Haworth N, Quinlan M, Grunstein R, Norton
R, Wong K. The role of sleepiness, sleep disorders and the work environment on heavy vehicle crashes in two Australian States.
American Journal of Epidemiology, 2013 DOI:10.1093/aje/kwt305.
Sharwood L, Elkington J, Meuleners L, Ivers R, Boufous S, Stevenson M. Stimulant use and crash risk in long distance commercial
vehicle drivers: a case control study. British Medical Journal 2013; 346:f1140 doi: 10.1136.
Sharwood L, Elkington J, Stevenson M, Wong K, Meuleners L, Ivers R, Haworth N, Grunstein R. Assessing sleepiness and sleep
disorders in Australian long distance commercial drivers: self-report versus an ’at home’ monitoring device. Sleep, 2012; 35(4):
469-475.
Sharwood L, Elkington J, Stevenson M, Wong K. Investigating the role of fatigue, sleep and sleep disorders in commercial vehicle
crashes: a systematic review. Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety, 2011, 22(3):24-29
Australian study analyses the
causes of truck accidents
Approximately one in five deaths on Australian roads involves a heavy vehicle.
A study led by Prof Mark Stevenson
studied the causes of truck accidents
between 2008 and 2011 in New South
Wales and Western Australia: looking at
issues ranging from sleepiness; driving
experience; payment of rates; use of
stimulants to stay awake; health of driver
and truck characteristics such as provision
of cruise control, antilock braking etc.
The study shines a spotlight onto the
trucking industry and how and why its
accident rate is so high.
The study – published in the American
Journal of Epidemiology – looked at 530
heavy vehicle drivers who had recently
crashed and 517 heavy vehicle drivers
who had not. Drivers’ crash histories, truck
details, driving schedules, payment rates,
sleep patterns and measure of health were
collected. Subjects were also required to
wear a nasal flow monitor to measure
sleep apnoea over one night to measure
sleepiness.
The study found that long-distance
truckers are almost three times more likely
to get in an accident when they drive
during midnight-to-dawn hours with few
breaks. Driving for more than three hours a
night can contribute to performance errors
equivalent to driving with a blood alcohol
concentration of 0.08.
Safety devices on the trucks were also
linked to crash rates. For instance, the
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www.monash.edu/miri/muarc
researchers found not having anti-lock
braking systems on a truck was tied to a
50 percent higher risk of crashing. Lack of
cruise control was tied to a 64 percent
higher risk. Also travelling with an empty
load in an articulated truck was associated
with an almost two fold increase in having
a crash. According to Professor Stevenson
this may be attributed to factors such as
speed associated with time restrictions
imposed to pick up a new load and/or
finish a shift.
The truckers were recruited at rest
stops along heavily travelled truck routes in
New South Wales and Western Australia.
Drivers in both groups answered questions
related to sleep, driving and lifestyle habits
during a 40-minute interview. They also
wore a sleep monitor for one night.
Participants were in their mid-40s, on
average.
Truckers who had been driving for less
than eight hours had about half the odds
of crashing as those further into their trip.
The study found that:
Drivers who had been involved in a
crash compared to controls who had not
had a crash were more likely:
• to have used caffeinated drinks to stay
awake in the previous month (69%
versus 44% in controls)
• have less than ten years driving
experience (41% vs 20%)
• only 59% had more than ten years
driving experience compared to 80% of
those who had not had accidents
The study was a collaboration between
The George Institute (Sydney), Curtin
University (CMARC) (WA), The University of
NSW, Queensland University of Technology
(CarrsQ) and the Woolcock Medical
Research Institute (Sydney)
New defence simulation laboratory at
Monash University
The human factors and simulation laboratory at the Monash University Accident Research Centre
(MUARC) has recently expanded, thanks to our on-going partnership with the Defence Science and
Technology Organisation (DSTO).
The laboratory simulates a class of
defence land vehicle that is being provided
through Project LAND 121, which will
deliver a networked and integrated
capability and will see the delivery of
vehicles with a generational advancement
on current fleet technology. The project will
deliver around 7,500 protected and
unprotected vehicles across the range of
lightweight, light, medium and heavy fleet
segments.
The simulated vehicle features two
motion-based chairs that move in sync
and that can simulate a range of motion
provided by military vehicles in sealed and
unsealed roads. The right hand seat is the
driver while the left hand seat is typically
for a commander who can interact with a
touch screen battle management system
(BMS).
The new lab also uses software that is
designed to simulate military environments
(VBS-2). “This laboratory is a great addition
to our existing simulation suite that
includes both portable and mid-range
driving simulators,” said Professor Mike
Lenné, Associate Director – MUARC’s
Human Factors.
As part of our new multi-year agreement,
the team at MUARC will be working with
DSTO to conduct research in three primary
areas. Firstly, exploring workload,
performance and fatigue in crews and the
impact on both individual and crew
performance in driving and related military
tasks. Secondly, to explore the role of
training technologies in affording and
constraining the acquisition of the required
knowledge, skills and abilities required to
effectively operate vehicles and associated
sub-systems. Thirdly, to examine the role
of training and related interventions
designed to enhance the safe and
economical employment of vehicle
platforms. MUARC has two PhD students
working on the program already and are
looking to build a strong program in the
short term.
www.monash.edu/miri/muarc
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Designer of adaptive cruise control for
Jaguar to speak in Melbourne
Professor Neville Stanton, the Chair
of Human Factors Engineering at the
University of Southampton in the UK,
will give the MUARC Annual Lecture on
Tuesday March 4 at 10 am.
Professor Stanton is currently funded
by Jaguar and the European Union to
conduct research into highly automated
vehicles and was instrumental in designing
new human interfaces such as Adaptive
Cruise Control for Jaguar.
The MUARC lecture will be at the
Monash University Law Chambers in the
city.
Contact 03 9905 4021 to RSVP.
Below is a sample of other recent MUARC publications
Trotter, M., Salmon, P.M., Lenne,
M.G., 2013, Impromaps: applying
Rasmussen’s Risk Management
Framework to improvisation incidents,
Safety Science [P], vol 64, Elsevier BV,
Netherlands, pp. 60 70.
Trotter, M., Salmon, P.M., Lenne,
M.G., 2013, Improvisation in complex
sociotechnical systems a systems
phenomenon, Journal of Battlefield
Technology [P], vol 16, issue 2, Argos
Press, Australia, pp. 13 20.
Trotter, M., Salmon, P.M., Lenne, M.G.,
2013, Improvisation: theory, measures
and known influencing factors,
Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics
Science [P], vol 14, issue 5, Taylor &
Francis Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 475
498.
Vlahodimitrakou, Z., Charlton, J.L.,
Langford, J.W., Koppel, S.N., Di
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www.monash.edu/miri/muarc
Stefano, M., Macdonald, W.A., Mazer,
B., Gelinas, I., Vrkljan, B., Porter, M.M.,
Smith, G.A., Cull, A., Marshall, S.C.,
2013, Development and evaluation of
a Driving Observation Schedule (DOS)
to study everyday driving performance
of older drivers, Accident Analysis and
Prevention [P], vol 61, Elsevier, UK, pp.
253 260.
Young, K.L., Salmon, P.M., Cornelissen,
M., 2013, Distraction induced driving
error: an on road examination of
the errors made by distracted and
undistracted drivers, Accident Analysis
and Prevention [P], vol 58, Elsevier Ltd,
United Kingdom, pp. 218 225.
Young, K.L., Salmon, P.M., Cornelissen,
M., 2013, Missing links? The effects
of distraction on driver situation
awareness, Safety Science [P], vol 56,
Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 36 43.
Further information
Monash University Accident
Research Centre (MUARC)
Building 70, Clayton Campus
Monash University, VIC 3800
Telephone: +61 3 9905 4371
Email: miri-enquiry@monash.edu