Research Projects

Projects
Road Safety Research Program
Simulation & Human Factors Program
Injury Prevention Program
Main Roads Program

Our research goals and purpose

The WACRSR's purpose is to conduct high-quality research to educate, inform, and facilitate the reduction of crash and injury on WA roads, using the Safe Systems Approach. This innovative approach has changed the way we think about road safety entirely, taking a bigger picture view of interactions between different parts of the road transport system – road quality, the ways we use roads, the speed we travel at and the vehicles we use – so that human mistakes do not have to result in death or serious injury.

One day, we'd like to see road-related harm to the Western Australian community eliminated entirely. This may seem like an impossible task, and it is one we do not take lightly. However, we have brought together the best minds to achieve it.

“A genuinely transformational change is needed to move away from approaches that amount to a coping mechanism to one that proactively fixes the problem once and for all.”

National Road Safety Strategy

Projects

Current Projects

WACRSR Advanced Driving Simulator
Understanding the use and road safety implications of e-Rideables in WA
Reducing young driver fatigue
Exploring influences on WA drivers’ perceptions of safe speeds
Road Safety interventions for school-aged children: a systematic review
What are the elements and characteristics of effective road safety education?
Assessing the impact over time of road safety campaigns in Western Australia
Evaluation of Road Safety Treatments
Evaluation of a Road Safety Tool
Delivering a population based intervention to reduce young driver crashes: the FEEDBACK trial

Current Projects under Main Roads WA

Safety assessment of Western Australia’s smart freeways – Kwinana Freeway Northbound Farrington road to Narrows
Detailed Analysis into Crashes on South Western Highway (SWH) in the South West region of Western Australia.
Predicting traffic volume on WA's local network
Evaluation of the safety benefits and cost effectiveness of the Metropolitan Intersection Crash (MIC) Program in Western Australia from 2012/13 to 2021/2022
Efficacy and safety performance of ‘sharks teeth’ road markings
Zig Zag Line Marking Evaluation - data analysis
Operational Characteristics of Turbo Roundabouts

Human Factors Projects

Driving performance and self-regulation practices in drivers with dementia (RSC)
Using telematics to reduce risky driving behaviour in young, regional drivers (RSC)
Safety considerations – personal mobility device (Transport and Main Roads QLD/Road Safety Commission)
Evaluating in-vehicle alcohol interlocks (Department of Transport)
Evaluating the Keys4Life Program (SDERA/RSC)

Main Roads WA

A comprehensive analysis of daytime and night-time crashes in WA from 2010 to 2020 (Main Roads)
A safety assessment of horizontal curves on the WA rural road network (Main Roads)
Effectiveness of the Metropolitan Intersection Program (Main Roads/Road Safety Commission)
Evaluation of the State Black Spot Program using advanced statistical methods (Main Roads)

Simulation Studies

Cycling safety on urban roads through simulation

Future project opportunities

Evaluating the impact of alcohol hangover on attention and hazard perception
ADHD, Executive Functioning and Obtaining a Driver’s License: A Qualitative Study
The Relationship Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Theory of Mind on Driving Experiences for Individuals in Western Australia
Are more dynamic road signs safer: A driving simulation study
Does listening to music reduce inattentional blindness for motorcycles?
Comparing presence versus impairment testing in driver safety and occupational health and safety protocols as it relates to specifically to cannabis; cost, benefits, drawbacks and efficacy
Improving Road Safety for Vulnerable Road Users with simulation systems and Autonomous Vehicles

Road Safety Research Program

Our road safety research will provide the evidence to guide policies and interventions that save lives on WA roads.

Project

Safety considerations - personal mobility devices (PMD)

The aim of the study is to assess key safety characteristics of PMD to enable them to be safely used on different forms of public infrastructure.

Project

Evaluating in-vehicle alcohol interlocks

This project will measure the effectiveness of in-vehicle alcohol interlocks in deterring drink driving and the reoffending rates of those who have left the program.

Project

Evaluating the Keys4Life Program

The Keys4Life Program is a pre-driver education program which focuses on safer road use for young drivers. Our evaluation will examine the reach and effectiveness of Keys4Life as well as participant satisfaction with the Program.

Project

Countermeasures for inattentional blindness

Drivers who crash into motorcycles often claim that they did not see them coming. Our research aims to identify countermeasures to address the biological limitation which hinders our ability to perceive things unless we are deliberately looking out for them.

Project

Expanding the Safe System model

Previous road safety predictive risk models have used road infrastructure and speed limit variables in predicting risk, with other elements of the safe system not considered. The aim of this research is to identify other sources of data that could be used to create a more accurate predictive model.

Project

Effectiveness of the Metropolitan Intersection Program

Almost 50% of all casualty crashes in WA occur at metropolitan intersections. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the Metropolitan Intersection Program in terms of the net reduction in crash severity, frequency and costs.

Simulation/Human Factors Program

Our human factors/simulation research studies will examine how aspects of human behaviour affect road safety, including driver distraction and fatigue.

Project

Cycling safety on urban roads through simulation

We are investigating the impact of simple, low cost road treatments on rider performance and safety at roundabouts and on curved roads using a state-of-the-art bicycle simulator. This could lead to significantly improved cyclist safety in WA. This study is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage grant and is being undertaken in Western Australia and Victoria.

Project

Making intersections safer through simulation

This experimental study will use a state-of-the-art driving simulator to assess driver performance and errors when driving through an intersection treated with a novel low-cost treatment design. This study is funded by a UWA Faculty of Health Science grant.

Injury Prevention Program

Our injury prevention research will examine the contributing factors to injuries, their outcomes and determine effective countermeasures to prevent injuries.

Project

Using telematics to reduce risky driving behaviour in young, regional drivers

A randomised controlled trial of 200 young drivers from the Great Southern, South West and Mid-West regions of WA will be undertaken to assess the impact of providing personalised feedback to young drivers about their risky driving behaviour, via the UA-APP.

Project

Vision impairment and injury on the road

This population-based study will link a customised WA ophthalmologic database to morbidity, mortality, crash and trauma databases in order to determine the effect of vision loss on the incidence, risk factors and circumstances of road-related injuries. This study is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery grant.

Project

Driving and dementia

This study aims to assess driving performance, self-regulation and mobility for drivers with mild dementia, compared to that of older drivers without dementia. This study is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage grant.

Project

Driving habits, exposure and patterns in Busselton

WACRSR are taking part in the driving component of this long-running population health study. We will collect information on driving history, habits, exposure and self-regulation practices from 25 to 79-year-olds who are licensed to drive a motor vehicle in the Shire of Busselton.

Main Roads Program

The Main Roads Western Australia fellowship will provide reliable and objective information for future investments in developing road safety infrastructure strategies.

Project

A comprehensive analysis of daytime and night-time crashes in WA from 2010 to 2020

This project will compare daytime and nighttime crashes (number, type, injury severity, location, environmental, temporal and road characteristics and other relevant attributes) from 2010 to 2020.

Project

A safety assessment of horizontal curves on the WA rural road network

The aim of the study is to assess all curves on the rural network to determine if there is evidence of increased crashes on horizontal curves of certain radius and length.