Australia, crashes

Initial analysis of the Murchison meteorite that crashed in Australia in 1969 appeared at the time to answer two important questions. Careful study of die common amino acids found on the meteorite indicated that they were racemic (equal L and D). This established their extraterrestrial origin since the amino acids on Earth are L. In addition, it supported the intuitive notion that in space, in the absence of life, there is no intrinsic bias toward L- or D-amino acids. The findings from the Murchison meteorite lent support to the hypothesis of seeding the Earth with amino acids. 

Alcohol and risk of crash involvement Drivers with high BAG (Blood Alcohol Content) in their blood have more chance of being killed than those with zero BAG (sober drivers). Hakkert Braimaister (2002) provided a review of many studies and reported that the risk in traffic will increase rapidly with BAG. Such results have given the basis for setting BAG limits in many countries (e.g.. 08 g/dl). Thoresen et al. (1992) have shown a positive correlation between the total number of fatalities in Victoria state in Australia with alcohol sales and inverse relationship with random BAG breath testing. 

Fitzharris, M., FUdes, B. (2007). Analysis ofthe potential crash reduction benefits of electronic brake assist, early warning systems, and the combined effects for pedestrians. Melbourne, Australia Monash University Accident Research Centre for the Automotive Collaborative Research Consortium. 

There are many other hazards for aircraft and aviation operations. One growing issue involves automation for aircraft. There are opportunities for error. Systems may reduce pilot attention and overload training needs. Built-in software and data errors can lead to flight irregularities and crashes. For example, in Australia, a pilot keyed the wrong load data into a computer, overloading a plane by several tons. Pilots of an Asiana Airlines flight that struck the end of a runway at the San Francisco International Airport on... 

There is converging evidence that driver distraction is a significant road safety issue and as more commrmication, entertaimnent and driver assistance systems proliferate the vehicle market, the incidence of distraction-related crashes is expected to escalate. In North America, Ettrope and Japan, driver distraction is a priority issue in road safety. However, the significance of driver distraction as road safety issue has only recently been recognized in Australia. 

The current lack of crash data in Australia is preventing an accurate assessment of the number of people being killed and injured in distraction-related crashes. Police report forms, therefore, need to be amended to record data about distracting activities. Many new vehicles are equipped with event data recorders that could also be used to automatically record information about the use of telematics systems (e.g., what controls were being operated just before a crash). This would help to clarify the role of these devices in crashes. In the meantime, regular exposure surveys need to be developed, administered and analysed to determine what, when, where, why, and how drivers engage in distracting activities. 

Gordon, C. (2005), A Preliminary Examination of Driver Distraction Related Crashes in New Zealand, in eds Faulkes, I. J., Regan, M. A., Brown, J., Stevenson, M. R. and Porter, A., Driver Distraction Proceedings of an International Conference on Distracted Driving, Sydney, Australia , 2-3 June. Canberra, ACT Australasian... 

A similar pattern of risk during the early independent driver period has been demonstrated for casualty crashes in Victoria, Australia (VicRoads, 2008), casualty crashes per month in New Zealand (NZ Ministry of Transport, 2010), crashes by... 

FIGURE 13,1 Drivers in casualty crashes by years licensed in Queensland, Australia 2001-2003 data. (From Queensland Transport. 2010. Safe Driving in Queensland Learner Driver Handbook. Brisbane, QLD Queensland Government. With permission.)... 

Charlton, J.L., Koppel, S., OdeU, M., Devlin, A., Langford, J., O Hare, M., Kopinathan, C. et al. 2010. Influence of Chronic Illness on Crash Involvement of Motor Vehicle Drivers (No. 300). Melbourne, Australia Monash University Accident Research Centre. 

Oxley, J., Corben, B., Pddes, B., O Hare, M., and Rothengatter, T. 2004. Older Vulnerable Road Users—Measures to Reduce Crash and Injury Risk. Melbourne, Australia MU ARC. 

The third dimension is the human measure. Here the approach is the same as that in Australia and the Netherlands the human being is liable to error and the human body can only absorb forces and accelerations/decelerations to a limited extent. Concerning this aspect, it is explicitly stated that the amount of energy in crashes must be limited through the reduction of driving speeds and collision speeds. 

Although monocular vision does not preclude driving in general, many countries restrict commercial driving to people with binocular vision (e.g., Australia, see Horton and Chakman, 2002 USA, see FMCSA, 2001). Critical reviews of research tiiat compared the crash rates of monocular drivers with that of binocular drivers have for the most part concluded that monocular drivers are no worse than binocular drivers (Bartow, 1982 North, 1985 Owsley and McGwin, 1999). In one study that was conducted on California heavy vehicle drivers, Rogers et aL (1987) did find that monocular drivers had more crashes than binocular drivers, but the latter tended to under-report their crashes. This anomaly was due to the fact that monocular California drivers did not drive outside of California, because they did not comply with the Federal vision requirement of binocular vision. The binocular drivers did drive outside of California, but their California license records did not include tiieir out-of-state crashes. 

But we can always speculate that if we had good screening tools, then a relicensing process would be appropriate. It appears that even in that case, there is no justification for retesting. Torpey (1986) used crash data from Victoria, Australia, and applied some cost estimates to calculate the benefit-to-cost ratios for vision testing and medical examinations. For her calculations she assumed that (1) impaired vision and medical conditions are responsible for... 

Fildes, B. N. and S. J. Lee (1993). The Speed Review Road Environment, Speed Limits, Enforcement, and Crashes. CR 127 (FORS), CR 3/93 (RSB). Road and Traffic Authority of New South Wales, Australia, Sept. 

Kloeden, C. N., A. J. McLean, V. M. Moore and G. Ponte (1997). Traveling speed and the risk of crash involvement. Technical Report. NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit, The University of Adelaide, Australia. 

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