Western Australian Centre for Road Safety Research, University of Western Australia
Research - Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Western Australian Centre for Road Safety Research, University of Western Australia Employees
Western Australian Centre for Road Safety Research, University of Western Australia Details
Road safety is a shared responsibility among drivers, passengers, pedestrians, road safety stakeholders, vehicle manufacturers, and technology developers. The Western Australian State Government's "Towards Zero" strategy adopts four cornerstones of the Safe System Approach—safe roads and roadsides, safe road use, safe speed and safe vehicles—to achieve this target. This approach represents a paradigm shift in road safety and takes a holistic view of the road transport system and the interactions of its various elements to create a road transport system in which human mistakes do not result in death or serious injury. Additionally, the Western Australian Centre for Road Safety Research (WACRSR) is acutely aware that road transport has seen some significant developments over the past few years, which will present challenges and opportunities for road safety, particularly in relation to emerging vehicle technology. In particular, the introduction of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on Western Australian (WA) roads is likely to create as yet poorly understood impacts on road safety. While the penetration of AVs into the WA fleet is unlikely to be substantial for some time, it is highly likely that at least some AVs will be on WA roads in the near future. This, coupled with the likelihood that there will be a mix of conventional vehicles and AVs for a long period of time, means that the interactions between new and old vehicle types are likely to be a source of road safety risks that will need to be approached strategically and without delay.These challenges, along with the goals set by the WA government to reduce road injury, highlight the need for WACRSR to provide an impartial and evidence-based response to the existing and evolving challenges. New and innovative insights are critical to support a transformational change.
