Road safety, a major cause of death and injury worldwide, is a public health and social development issue. Since 2023, Uttarakhand police have used an “Internet Meme Strategy” on social media to promote road safety. The study aims to evaluate the Uttarakhand police department’s “Safety on the Roads” campaign via its Facebook page, which uses internet meme posts and non-meme posts to raise awareness about road safety issues, including speeding, drink driving, and red light violations. The objectives were: establish how the Uttarakhand police department uses internet memes about road safety on its Facebook page to promote the “Safety on the Roads” campaign, how followers perceive memes visually and verbally, and how the insights from meme posts differ from non-meme posts. The study used a quantitative, descriptive-comparative design; a survey (assessed awareness, behaviour change, responsibility, and visual and verbal features) (n=384, aged 18-29 years: 59.6% male; 40.4% female). In addition, all internet posts were evaluated for visual and verbal characteristics by university-educated visual experts (n=5) affiliated with the faculties of arts and cultural studies at Indian universities. From January to December 2023, 25 road safety posts (i.e., 16 internet memes and 9 non-memes) were analysed. The independent variable was the type of content (internet meme posts vs. non-meme posts), while the dependent variables included perception (visual and verbal characteristics), exposure, and engagement. A series of independent sample t-test found that internet meme posts had significantly higher reach, impressions, and engagement compared to non-meme posts (p<.05). Internet meme posts, particularly posts that use humour and are widely shared, can be powerful communication tools because they are concise, relatable and may contribute to reducing both reported and unreported crashes.

In the most recent 2020 edition of the Austroads Guide to Road Design Part 6, important amendments were made to the required working width values for public domain extruded concrete road safety barriers. These changes deviated from the narrower widths that some Australian states, particularly Queensland, had adhered to for decades. During the transition, many completed road designs followed the previous standards for concrete barrier working width, raising concerns among asset owners about whether the residual risk is acceptable – especially when the barrier shields bridge piers or other critical roadside structures. The catastrophic risk of bridge collapse could result in serious injury or even fatality among other road users. To address this challenge, two extrapolation methods were developed based on the only available crash testing for a single slope concrete barrier. These methods retain the profile of the public domain single slope concrete barrier commonly used in Queensland but achieve a reduced working width by increasing the barrier height. Practitioners would benefit from this evidence-based approach when the existing or designed cross-section is constrained and the structure is at risk of impact. The relevant design guidance and considerations have been discussed to establish the conditions for use. The outcome of this study has been summarised in a technical note published by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads for practitioners to consider under the domain of Design Exception.

Road traffic crash outcomes for young drivers are worse compared to more experienced drivers, with crashes accounting for 1 in 5 deaths for people aged 15-24 years in Australia. However, the choice of motor vehicle and how they influence driving behaviour and driving outcomes is relatively unknown for young drivers. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of vehicle characteristics on the driving behaviour of young drivers while also considering demographic characteristics. A sample of 35 young drivers used in-vehicle telematics to record their driving behaviour over one month. The numbers of harsh braking events were recorded for each trip and vehicle characteristics were compared across demographic characteristics. Linear mixed models (LMM) were then used to determine whether vehicle characteristics (vehicle weight, engine power, model year and vehicle safety ratings) had significant relationships with braking behaviour, when the demographic characteristics and trip length were controlled for. The LMM indicated that vehicles with higher engine power and vehicles with a higher safety rating were associated with a lower number of harsh braking events. Vehicle characteristics differed significantly across genders. However, the inclusion of demographic variables in the above braking behaviour models failed to improve their fit. Driving behaviour models using in-vehicle telematics data typically include demographic variables. The results of this study highlight the value of including vehicle characteristic variables in understanding the braking performance of young drivers, suggesting that these variables should be considered in future driving behaviour analyses.

The coding of road crashes is designed to identify patterns of contributing factors for the development of countermeasures. In Australia, crash type is defined by the last vehicle movement before the first crash impact. This coding system was originally based on police data for motor vehicle crashes but did not distinguish between vehicle types. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy of current crash coding practice when applied to motorcycle crashes. This was a population-based study of 1,479 motorcycle crashes reported in Tasmania between 2013-2016. All crashes were recoded based on details from police reports and the revised codes were compared to those assigned by the road authority. The defining role of the last vehicle movement was suspended in cases where it excluded other prior contributing factors identified in the police report. Almost half of the motorcycle crashes were reclassified to incorporate additional information from the police reports including contributing factors or prior events that are characteristic of motorcycle crashes. These factors had been excluded in the original coding due to the last vehicle movement protocol. The last vehicle movement is not an appropriate method for classifying motorcycle crashes. Training in crash reporting for police and road authorities should include awareness of the different contributing crash factors for different vehicle types and the importance of accurate crash data for the development of targeted countermeasures. The addition of motorcycle specific crash categories and subcodes to the coding systems is also recommended.

The regional differences in road safety parameters have been attributed to cultural and economic factors. Nevertheless, there are differences in road safety outcomes between countries with similar cultural backgrounds and income levels. The current study examines this fact by considering the role of governance quality in the relationship between culture, income level, and driver behaviours. In this study, we modelled driver behaviour scores from 65 countries with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, Schwartz’s cultural values, and the worldwide governance indicators from the World Bank’s database. Hayes’ PROCESS macro was utilised to analyse the moderation roles of governance quality and income level in the relationship between culture and driver behaviours. High governance quality can prevent or discourage drivers to commit non-speeding violations. Governance quality could regulate the relationship between cultural variables, income level, and driver behaviours. The Power Distance dimension was associated with non-speeding violations in high-income countries with medium or low governance quality. The embeddedness value was associated with speeding behaviours in countries with low governance quality and high/medium income. Governance quality is a critical factor of road safety in high- and middle-income countries. Where there is a lack of qualified governance to establish and enforce rules and individuals have access to social and material power, the culture becomes the determinant of aberrant driver behaviours. This is the first study relating governance quality to driver behaviours at the country level. The implications and limitations of the study were acknowledged.

Developing a comprehensive framework for instructional risk communication is crucial for effectively addressing the public’s risk perception and behavioural intention in road safety risks. Drawing upon the IDEA model as the theoretical framework, this study investigated the effectiveness of social media messaging by traffic police in China to advocate and popularise the use of child restraint system (CRS). Findings from an online quasi-experiment indicated that compared to the explanation-based (status quo) message, instructional risk messages designed according to the receiver-centred IDEA model were significantly more effective in raising parents’ risk perception, perceived importance of CRS, and perceived self-efficacy. Importantly, these messages appear to have some impact in encouraging parents to consider engaging in appropriate child passenger protection behaviours in a road safety risk situation. Additionally, that there is no statistically significant interaction effect between message type and various socio-demographic traits, suggests that additional expense and time of crafting customised messages may not be necessary. Theoretical and practical implications for road safety risk researchers and communicators are also discussed.

The evidence for the effectiveness of alcohol interlock programs (AIP) was examined. Interest centred on understanding the individual impact of specific elements that can be incorporated within a program. The overall aim was to formulate the optimal design for an alcohol interlock program. An exploratory review of the literature was conducted to inform the development of a model AIP program. This model design can be used to inform the development of new AIP, guide evaluations of existing AIP, and suggest improvements to AIP. Four key metrics of the effectiveness of AIP were identified: offence recidivism, crashes, breath test violations, and program participation. Two factors have a positive impact on participation: reducing cost, and shorter suspension periods in exchange for participation in the program. There is significant evidence that alcohol interlocks reduce drink driving recidivism while installed, and some evidence that they reduce crashes. However, there was a reduction in impact once the device was removed from the vehicle, and recidivism may return to pre-instalment levels unless additional measures are included in the program. An education and treatment component appears to be important for reducing post-program recidivism. Key elements of this education and treatment component include a focus on separating drinking and driving, use of interlock data in counselling and therapy, and the ability to provide a range of therapeutic approaches that vary in intensity, and which can be escalated based on interlock performance data and guided by standardised alcohol assessment instruments.

Auckland's road safety performance deteriorated significantly with death and serious injury crashes increasing by more than 70% between 2014-2017 compared to the previous five years. A fifth of all pedestrian related crashes in Auckland occurred at existing zebra crossings. In response, the Mass Action Pedestrian Improvement Programme (MAPI) delivered 37 upgrades of existing at grade crossings to raised zebra crossings over 2018/19 financial year and since this time, Auckland Transport have upgraded more than 100 crossings across the network. This paper discusses the research and evaluation that were undertaken to inform the design and implementation of MAPI and to determine safety outcomes and impacts. Key learnings from the programme and the challenge of balancing safety benefits, community acceptance, and the efficient operation of the network, are discussed.

The Safe System approach was adopted in Victoria in 2004. It has since been the cornerstone of every road safety strategy and action plan, most recently the Victoria Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. Despite the absence of extensive and conclusive evidence, it is apparent that the limited integration of the Safe System approach into our road and transport management system has hindered its capacity to significantly reduce serious road trauma. In this project, five workshops were delivered by HA Consulting and Road Safety Victoria (RSV) to diagnose what implementation blockers exist and how road safety management systems and stakeholders could be enabled to implement the Safe System approach. Over 60 representatives attended the workshops from key road safety stakeholders and players. The anonymous workshop exercises identified a high personal alignment to the Safe System principles, a range of systemic practical day-to-day blockers, and suggestions for what could enable better Safe System aligned decision making. An improvement roadmap of concept-level projects was developed to address Safe System implementation blockers and implement the identified enabling measures.