16 October 2007
World road safety expert, Dr Claes Tingvall, is set to create debate today when he calls for alcohol detection systems to be installed in all future vehicles in a bid to eradicate drink driving.
Dr Tingvall will state his case in a keynote address at the 51st Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine's (AAAM) Annual Scientific Conference being held in Melbourne.
"Drink driving is still a major problem on our roads, and the installation of alcohol detection systems in vehicles has the potential to save many lives," Dr Tingvall said.
An adjunct professor at the Monash University Accident Research Centre, Dr Tingvall is Director of Traffic Safety at the Swedish Road Administration as well as Chairman of the Board of Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program). He is also a former director of MUARC.
Dr Tingvall has written more than 100 scientific articles on injury epidemiology, car occupant safety and safety policies. His Vision Zero road safety concept has been adopted by many European countries.
This is the first time that AAAM's annual conference, which runs until October 17 at the Sofitel Melbourne Hotel, has been held in Australia. AAAM is a global multidisciplinary organisation dedicated to motor vehicle crash injury prevention and control.
"This world conference is a major coup for Melbourne and it is doubly pleasing to have such a respected road safety expert, Dr Tingvall, as the keynote speaker," MUARC's Chair of Road Safety Professor Brian Fildes said.
AAAM President, Harry Smith, said: "Dr Tingvall has been instrumental in fostering the development of innovative safety related technologies in Sweden and internationally for more than 20 years."
MUARC researchers will be providing papers on a wide range of topics at the conference including the road crossing judgements of young children, the performance of child booster seats in side impacts, a pilot study on seat belt wearing in China, and driving responses of older and younger drivers in a driving simulator.
Members of major scientific and research institutions from around the world will also speak at the conference. These include representatives from PSA Renault (France), the Centre for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA), the Riley Hospital for Children (USA), and Virginia Tech University (USA).
For further information on AAAM's 51st Annual Scientific Conference or to arrange an interview with Dr Tingvall, contact Colin Vickery, Media Officer, MUARC, on 0419 302 520.
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