road safety

Police in several Australian states have stopped conducting stationary, large-scale random breath tests and drug tests in an effort to protect both officers and the public from transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Police forces in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland this week confirmed their officers will avoid carrying out high-volume booze bus testing, instead relying on targeted testing to catch those driving under the influence.

People who drive expensive cars are less likely to yield for pedestrians crossing the road, a new study out of the United States has found. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Las Vegas, found the cost of a car was a significant predictor of whether or not a driver stopped for a pedestrian.

As Australian children return to school from holidays, new research serves as an important reminder to exercise caution, with school pick-up time found to be a particularly dangerous period on our roads. According to the latest AAMI Crash Index (produced annually), over a quarter of all road incidents in Australia occur in the afternoon, around school pick-up time.

It’s one of the biggest tragedies hidden in road toll statistics. Novice drivers are over-represented in fatal crashes not only because of their inexperience but because they are more likely to be in older and less safe cars. The most recent crash data shows cars built before 2001 represented just 20 per cent of registered vehicles but accounted for 36 per cent of vehicles involved in fatalities nationally.

A new advertising campaign aimed at curbing driver distraction will hit screens shortly, with research showing the number of people caught using the phones illegally on the roads has climbed 20 per cent in the last four years. According to research from NRMA Insurance, a whopping 41,809 people were caught using their phones during FY2017/18, up from 35,370 in FY14/15.