Establishing safe driving practice: Improving young learner driver training. This project plans to develop a best-practice model to enable professional instructors to teach essential higher-order skills (e.g. hazard perception) to young learner drivers to establish safe driving behaviours. Australian young drivers aged 17–25 years comprise 13 per cent of the population but 22 per cent of road deaths. More effective teaching models are expected to reduce young drivers’ crash risk when they drive ....Establishing safe driving practice: Improving young learner driver training. This project plans to develop a best-practice model to enable professional instructors to teach essential higher-order skills (e.g. hazard perception) to young learner drivers to establish safe driving behaviours. Australian young drivers aged 17–25 years comprise 13 per cent of the population but 22 per cent of road deaths. More effective teaching models are expected to reduce young drivers’ crash risk when they drive unsupervised. The project aims to develop and assess the effectiveness of the model including the impact on instructor teaching practices, and changes in young driver skills, attitudes, and driving behaviours including crashes and offences. It also aims to assess instructor and young driver perceptions of the model.Read moreRead less
Using self-report data to predict crash risk: how accurate is it and how can it best be used? The aim of this project is to develop better methods to collect self-reported data about motorists' driving behaviour in order to understand the factors associated with road crashes. The results will not only assist to identify 'at risk' drivers but also inform interventions designed to reduce crashes on Australian roads.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101449
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$361,996.00
Summary
Human factors approaches for the safe introduction of autonomous vehicles. This project aims to address potential safety risks arising from the introduction of advanced autonomous vehicles through a novel integration of human factors and computer-based simulation techniques. While automation promises to reduce crashes, the project expects to generate new knowledge about the emergence of risks through interactions between human road users and autonomous vehicles, particularly in the initial trans ....Human factors approaches for the safe introduction of autonomous vehicles. This project aims to address potential safety risks arising from the introduction of advanced autonomous vehicles through a novel integration of human factors and computer-based simulation techniques. While automation promises to reduce crashes, the project expects to generate new knowledge about the emergence of risks through interactions between human road users and autonomous vehicles, particularly in the initial transition period. The expected outcomes include an enhanced capacity to understand how risks emerge in complex systems, and the development of specific policy and regulatory interventions. The project expects to provide significant safety benefits by preventing new types of road crash events.Read moreRead less
Developing and evaluating a theoretically grounded novice driver education program incorporating simulators. Australian young drivers are 13 per cent of the population but account for nearly a quarter of road deaths. This project aims to develop a research informed, theory-driven education intervention that includes a simulator component to improve their driving skills and attitudes. A process and outcome evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness of the training including the impact on how ind ....Developing and evaluating a theoretically grounded novice driver education program incorporating simulators. Australian young drivers are 13 per cent of the population but account for nearly a quarter of road deaths. This project aims to develop a research informed, theory-driven education intervention that includes a simulator component to improve their driving skills and attitudes. A process and outcome evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness of the training including the impact on how individuals learn to drive, changes in skill and attitudes as well as the influence on crashes and offences. It is intended that a second parallel study will adapt the intervention for Indigenous Australians and examine the effectiveness of this adaptation.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100083
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Driving as a model for investigating and improving visual search abilities. Visual search is a fundamental skill that is required in several aspects of everyday life. Driving represents an example of high-stakes search: we must constantly scan the environment in order to identify both potential hazards and informational cues, such as traffic lights and signs. While most drivers are experienced (they have been driving for years) they are not experts (they have no special training or skills); this ....Driving as a model for investigating and improving visual search abilities. Visual search is a fundamental skill that is required in several aspects of everyday life. Driving represents an example of high-stakes search: we must constantly scan the environment in order to identify both potential hazards and informational cues, such as traffic lights and signs. While most drivers are experienced (they have been driving for years) they are not experts (they have no special training or skills); this lack of expertise potentially affects search accuracy and, in turn, road safety. This project aims to use and extend existing models of visual search performance in order to explore factors that influence drivers' visual search abilities, and to identify strategies for reducing these perceptual failures and, in turn, road crashes.Read moreRead less
Application of contemporary systems-based methods to reduce trauma at rail level crossings. Crashes at railway level crossings continue to cause significant trauma across Australia. Despite being a longstanding safety problem, the design and operation of level crossings has not changed considerably for decades. This research will provide an in-depth understanding of road user, environmental and infrastructure-related factors that influence safety and performance at rail level crossings. This wil ....Application of contemporary systems-based methods to reduce trauma at rail level crossings. Crashes at railway level crossings continue to cause significant trauma across Australia. Despite being a longstanding safety problem, the design and operation of level crossings has not changed considerably for decades. This research will provide an in-depth understanding of road user, environmental and infrastructure-related factors that influence safety and performance at rail level crossings. This will be used to develop a world-first model of the level crossing system that is needed to support the development of innovative countermeasures that will improve safety. Reductions in the levels of significant trauma at level crossings, and new public policy for level crossing upgrades, are the intended real-world outcomes.Read moreRead less
Reducing aggression on our roads: testing a comprehensive model of aggressive driving. This project aims to increase our understanding of driver aggression, its causes and how it can be prevented. This will inform development of more effective educational and enforcement measures to reduce driver aggression and resultant road crashes, which have significant social and economic impacts on the Australian community.
Characterisation and Prevention of Vibration-Induced Drowsiness in Drivers. The present CIs have demonstrated that vibrational frequencies of 4-7 Hz entrain brainwaves associated with the onset of sleep. Our unpublished pilot data show that higher vibrational frequencies can restore alertness. Thus future vehicle design could dampen 3-8Hz vibrations while higher frequency vibrations could counteract drowsiness or stimulate alertness. This project aims to: i) develop novel equivalent drowsiness c ....Characterisation and Prevention of Vibration-Induced Drowsiness in Drivers. The present CIs have demonstrated that vibrational frequencies of 4-7 Hz entrain brainwaves associated with the onset of sleep. Our unpublished pilot data show that higher vibrational frequencies can restore alertness. Thus future vehicle design could dampen 3-8Hz vibrations while higher frequency vibrations could counteract drowsiness or stimulate alertness. This project aims to: i) develop novel equivalent drowsiness contours for the effects of physical vibration on driver drowsiness that will form the basis of a new industry standard for transportation safety; ii) develop an innovative vibration regime to improve alertness. This research will reduce transportation injuries and deaths by enabling the design of safer transport vehicles.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100372
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,536.00
Summary
Understanding the role of self-regulation in moderating distracted driving. The goal of this project is to combine naturalistic driving and simulation methods to explore the role that driver-initiated adaptive behaviour (self-regulation) can play in mitigating the effects of distraction on driving performance and safety. Driver distraction is a growing threat to road safety worldwide, contributing to approximately one-quarter of all crashes. Distraction is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon and, ....Understanding the role of self-regulation in moderating distracted driving. The goal of this project is to combine naturalistic driving and simulation methods to explore the role that driver-initiated adaptive behaviour (self-regulation) can play in mitigating the effects of distraction on driving performance and safety. Driver distraction is a growing threat to road safety worldwide, contributing to approximately one-quarter of all crashes. Distraction is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon and, despite its impact on safety, our understanding of it is far from complete. The project aims to develop and assess a set of new countermeasures designed to enhance drivers’ self-regulatory behaviour when distracted. The outcomes of the project may reduce the impact of distraction on road trauma in Australia.Read moreRead less
Preventing injuries in crashes involving young drivers: development and evaluation of impulse control training. Road crashes are a leading cause of death and injury for young Australians, at tremendous economic, social and personal cost. This project has the potential to reduce this problem by developing the first driver training to fast-track development of mental processes that contribute to the most serious young driver crashes. Further, the industry partners are committed to translating the ....Preventing injuries in crashes involving young drivers: development and evaluation of impulse control training. Road crashes are a leading cause of death and injury for young Australians, at tremendous economic, social and personal cost. This project has the potential to reduce this problem by developing the first driver training to fast-track development of mental processes that contribute to the most serious young driver crashes. Further, the industry partners are committed to translating the research outcomes into policy and practice. This cutting-edge research will place Australia at the forefront of driver training research, and enhance road safety research capacity.Read moreRead less