26 October 2006
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) of Monash University, Professor Edwina Cornish, today welcomed the State Government's $43 million road safety package, saying it would help Victoria continue to lead the way in the vital field.
Professor Cornish said it was an excellent example of how research funding could translate into positive outcomes for the community.
The Director of the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), Professor Ian Johnston, said a key reason Victoria was at the forefront of road safety was continued cooperation between researchers and policy makers.
"We have been working hard to ensure researchers, practitioners in relevant government departments and industry, and policy makers all combine to put science-based solutions to road safety problems quickly into practice," Professor Johnston said.
Part of the State Government's package was $3.25 million for further research into serious injury and intersection crashes, including a major project by MUARC to improve understanding about intersection crashes.
Professor Johnston said that despite a substantial fall in absolute numbers in deaths and serious injuries on our roads over the past decade, the proportion of casualty crashes at intersections had remained unchanged.
About 250,000 serious injuries and deaths have occurred in intersection crashes in Australia over the past 10 years. Worldwide, intersections crashes have caused 1.2 million deaths and 50 million injuries in the past decade.
Professor Johnston said that in the Melbourne metropolitan area about half of all serious casualty crashes happened at intersections, this figure is just over 20 per cent in rural areas.
"This situation has not changed in 10 years -- and this is testament to the need for a radical rethink of intersection safety," he said.
The MUARC project funded by the State Government will investigate different intersection designs.
"Saving lives and preventing injuries is just as important as congestion management and traffic flow," Professor Johnston said.
MUARC researchers will examine alternative designs and operations in the advanced driving simulator and then conduct field trials to counteract the most common driving errors at intersections.
Professor Ian Johnston is available for interview. For further information contact MUARC Senior Media Communications Officer Ms Allison Harding on 0419 302 520.
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