Newsletter of The New Zealand Roadmarkers Federation Inc.
Roadmarking News www.nzrf.co.nz Edition 156 August 2022
Public consultation on safe speeds for SH56 Palmerston North to Ōpiki Reducing unsafe speed limits is the most effective and immediate way to dramatically improve safety on our high-risk roads. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is reviewing speed limits on State Highway 56 between Palmerston North and Ōpiki, and inviting locals and people who regularly travel this route to have their say. Engagement on SH56 speed limits opened Monday 13th June and closed Monday 11th July. Director Regional Relationships Linda Stewart says Waka Kotahi wants everyone who uses this road to get to where they’re going safely. “Waka Kotahi is committed to a vision for Aotearoa where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads. “There are many reasons crashes happen and we need a mix of solutions that all work together to keep people safe. We need everyone making safe choices, in safe vehicles, on safe roads and travelling at safe speeds. “This section of road has previously undergone infrastructure improvements including installation of guardrails and sections of road widening. $150,000 per year is spent on maintenance of the road and it receives regular surface levelling.
“Local insights help us understand how people feel about current speeds in the area, including on roads around their local school, marae, homes, business or workplace.” This information helps Waka Kotahi decide if a speed limit change is the best thing to do to improve road safety, where new speed limits might begin or end, and if any other safety improvements might be needed. The feedback also helps decide if and what speed limit changes will be formally consulted on.
Penlink partners put pen to paper Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency announced in early June 2022 the successful construction partners for delivering Penlink, a new two-lane, proposed toll road in North Auckland. HEB, Fulton Hogan, Aurecon and Tonkin + Taylor met with Waka Kotahi to formally sign an agreement, that saw the group become an alliance to construct the eagerly awaited new connection. The seven-kilometre road and shared path for people walking and on wheels is part of the Government’s $8.7 billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme (NZUP), and will provide better, safer, more reliable transport options for communities across Whangaparāoa, Hibiscus Coast and Silverdale.
“These safety improvements help to reduce the likelihood of someone having a crash, however, we know even the best drivers sometimes make mistakes. Even when speed doesn’t cause a crash, it’s what will most likely determine whether anyone is killed, injured, or walks away unharmed.” In the five years between 2017 and 2021, there were more than 100 crashes on this route, and five people were killed. Waka Kotahi has identified this as a road where safer speeds could make a big difference in preventing deaths and serious injuries.
Mark Kinvig, National Manager Infrastructure Delivery at Waka Kotahi said, “Penlink is a highlyanticipated project that will enhance the lives of those living and working in these growing communities. That’s why we needed the best in the industry, and this alliance brings that skill set and experience to the table.”
Published by: The New Zealand Roadmarkers Federation Inc. Email: admin@nzrf.co.nz Roadmarking News in published by The NZ Roadmarkers Federation Inc. Opinions expressed in Roadmarking News do not necessarily reflect the views of the NZRF
All projects in the New Zealand Upgrade Programme will have targets to reduce construction emissions to meet the Waka Kotahi vision to have a low carbon, safe and healthy transport system. “The Penlink alliance will have a strong focus on reducing construction emissions, with a minimum reduction target of 10 percent and a stretch goal of more than 20 percent,” said Mr Kinvig.
Proposed speed limit changes were consulted on in April and May 2022 after a review found the current speed limits were not safe or appropriate for the road. The new safer permanent speed limits on SH3 Napier Road are: •
• “Waka Kotahi identified that the Wēiti River Crossing would be the largest single contributor to Penlink’s embodied emissions, so exploring innovative solutions and ways to reduce its carbon footprint was a strong focus for the alliance during the procurement process.” During the tendering process the alliance refined the design which now delivers significant improvements from the original bridge, including reducing the number of piers in the Wēiti River, from three to two. This reduces the impact on the marine environment and allows clearer views and passage through the navigation channel.
•
80km/h from 20m north of Sutton Place in Palmerston North to 130m east of Stoney Creek Road 60km/h in the Ashhurst township from 350m east of Hacketts Road to 500m south of Cambridge Avenue 80km/h from 500m south of Cambridge Avenue to 160m northwest of State Highway 57
A variable speed zone will also be installed outside Whakarongo School, using electronic speed signs to activate a 60km/h speed limit during peak school traffic times to help keep tamariki and their whānau safe.
Construction methodologies have been improved, including a reduction in temporary staging which help to minimise greenhouse gas emissions. A lowered entrance to the crossing will better fit with the landscape, enabling 235 metres to be trimmed off the overall crossing, reducing the amount of steel and concrete required. A cable supported crossing reduces the amount of concrete required, significantly reducing construction emissions and the northern pier has also been moved away from the coastal cliff to avoid excavation into the cliff face. The project will provide increased travel choice and reduced vehicle emissions through new separated path for walking and cycling and give people on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula better and faster access to the Northern Busway.
Safer speeds for SH3 Napier Road Journeys for people traveling on State Highway 3 Napier Road between Palmerston North and Ashhurst will soon be safer, with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency announcing new safer permanent speed limits effective from 23rd June 2022.
“Too many people have been killed or seriously injured on this stretch of road and there is community support for safer speed limits to prevent more tragedies,” says Director Regional Relationships Linda Stewart. Between 2011-2020, there were three people killed and 80 injured in crashes on this stretch of state highway. The new safer speed limits are the first of a range of actions that will make this stretch of SH3 safer for everyone. “As well as lowering these speed limits we’re also designing safety improvements between Keith Street and Stoney Creek Road, including new traffic signals and improved walking and cycling facilities,” says Ms Stewart. The setting of the new permanent speed limits on SH3 Napier Road follows engagement with the Police, councils, road user groups and consultation with the public.
“We thank everyone who provided their feedback on the proposed speed limits. “We also acknowledge many people think the speed limit should be even lower than 80km/h between Palmerston North and Whakarongo. We will review the speed limit on this stretch of road again once the infrastructure improvements are constructed, and the traffic signals we’re designing will support a 60km/h speed limit. “In addition, we are now consulting on a proposal to extend the current Palmerston North urban 50km/h speed limit further east on SH3 Napier Road past the Bupa Retirement Village entrance. This idea was raised via consultation feedback and shows the importance of local insights in our consultation process.” Construction of the infrastructure improvements is expected to begin next year, subject to funding approval.
Northland schools on the road to safer speeds Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is proposing safer speed limits outside 34 schools across Northland and north Auckland. The proposals are a key focus of the Northland and north Auckland speed review, and a key action under New Zealand’s Road to Zero road safety strategy, which aims to set safer speed limits around all New Zealand’s schools by the end of 2027. Steve Mutton, Director of Regional Relationships Te Tai Tokerau me Tāmaki Makaurau at Waka Kotahi, says keeping students safe from vehicles outside the school gates is the top priority for the review.
more, which is why we are proposing change. There is simply no need for high speeds near schools, especially during the really busy drop-off and pick-up times,” said Mr Mutton. Initially, for schools within the review area, the proposed changes include reducing existing permanent speed limits for some schools and/or using variable speed limits. Variable speed limits are used to reduce speeds at the peak periods when students arrive and depart school, and at other times such as special events outside or around the school when students may be present in numbers. Kimberley Rope-Battcher, Board of Trustees member at Ruawai College in Northland, says the changes couldn’t come soon enough for her school. “The speed cars come past our school is currently 80 km/h which is a real concern for us and our students. It’s just far too fast. I myself have witnessed near misses and desperately want to see change before someone is hurt. We will be providing a submission in full support of these changes and encourage everyone in our community to do the same,” said Mrs RopeBattcher. The changes form part of the Northland and north Auckland speed review that aims to set safer speeds across 11 road corridors most in need of change.
Roundabout puts SH22 on the road to a safer future Safety improvements have come full circle on SH22, with a notorious intersection known for risky manoeuvres and crashes replaced with a $16.4 million roundabout. The Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency project, saw the old “Give Way” intersection at SH22/Glenbrook Road replaced with a roundabout, making the route immediately safer by reducing speeds, and eliminating dangerous right turns for motorists, freight and farm vehicles.
“We heard loud and clear from the community that one of their biggest concerns was the speed people drive past schools. We couldn’t agree
The Minister of Transport joined representatives from Waka Kotahi and local iwi at a special event to celebrate the project and thank those who carried out the mahi.
Dave Van Staden, Waka Kotahi Programme Director - Speed and Infrastructure, said safer and easier access points for this growing community was imperative. “Sadly, 21 crashes were recorded at the site over a four-year period – an unacceptable level of risk for the community and those travelling through the area. “Current and future residents can rest assured that this long-awaited addition to SH22, constructed by a hardworking crew - many of them locals - has made this road corridor significantly safer,” said Mr Van Staden. To support the area’s growth, the new roundabout has also been futureproofed with the addition of path access and crossing points for people traveling through the area on foot.
The new roundabout was funded through Waka Kotahi’s National Land Transport Fund with further contribution made by developer Grafton Downs to provide access to their new development at Paerata Rise. The funding is aligned to New Zealand’s Road Safety Strategy, Road to Zero, a programme of work delivering safety improvements on high-risk intersections and roads across New Zealand, including speed management. In addition to the roundabout, Waka Kotahi has already implemented several safety improvements on SH22, including reduced speed limits and installation of a right-hand turning bay at Jesmond Road. These and other improvements being investigated for the SH22 corridor such as median barriers and lane widening, form part of Waka Kotahi’s Speed and Infrastructure programme. Up to 25,000 vehicles a day use SH22 to connect to SH1, and vehicle numbers are increasing as the local population grows.
First stage of Ara Tūhono - Pūhoi to Warkworth opened with a blessing In late May 2022, Waka Kotahi joined our partners Hōkai Nuku to bless the Arawhiti ki Ōkahu viaduct and artworks as part of opening the southern connection of Ara Tūhono which will give drivers a beautiful new way to move to SH1. Hōkai Nuku Chair, Mook Hohneck noted that the southern section of Ara Tūhono is significant to mana whenua as the alignment passes through the occupation areas of our tupuna/ancestors. The artwork of 15 silhouettes sits north of Arawhiti ki Ōkahu and acknowledges our tupuna and that we are still here today. “It was a great celebration for mana whenua with our Tiriti o Waitangi partners. The artworks are a visible reminder of our cultural footprint on a road of significance.”
Richard Didsbury, Northern Express Group (NX2) Chair who attended the dawn ceremony, was pleased to see this first stage open and be part of an important moment in the project’s timeline. He said he was especially proud to be involved in the blessing and to be present with Hōkai Nuku and the project team to see this magnificent structure, measuring 330m in length and 25 metres wide ready to be used. He said there is an undeniable ‘wow’ factor when you drive State Highway 1 and see this big new structure. When it opens next year, the new Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway will extend the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) 18.5km from the Johnstones Hill tunnels to just north of Warkworth. It will vastly improve the safety, connectivity, and resilience of the transport network between Northland and Auckland, helping to boost the economic potential of the Northland region.
Council bills forestry companies as roads 'fall to bits' A decision to introduce a targeted rate to help repair roads damaged by logging trucks is winning few friends in Taranaki. Stratford District Council says the roads - some of which were designed for horse and cart - cannot cope with 50 tonne trucks and forestry operators need to contribute to their upkeep, but critics say the council has had decades to fix them. Ian Coombe farms beef cattle in remote East Taranaki well off State Highway 43 - better known to many as the Forgotten World Highway. He said the condition of Puniwhakau Rd was "diabolical", but he did not necessarily blame the logging operators. "When the road starts getting small holes you ring the council and they may send someone out and then when the hole gets so big that we've seen logging trucks and trailers get stuck in the holes then they come out, so they're throwing good money after bad all the time. They don't act straight away." The forestry companies were in the gun for the state of his local bridge, however. "A logging truck came through, cut the corner and ripped one whole side of the bridge off. "We've got to bring cows, calves and things across the bridge not on a daily basis but quite regularly. "We've got to drive over it and it's 20 or 30 feet [six to nine metres] straight down off that side, so it's quite scary for my partner and other people." Coombe said when forestry began in the area, the council told the operators 'you plant the trees and we'll look after the roads' - but it had not happened.
Now, the Stratford District Council is targeting the owners of 26 forestry plantations - aiming to raise $100,000 a year from them in rates. In one case, the owner of a 4000-hectare plantation could see their rates jump from just over $4000 to more than $20,000.
Fluid deadlines and faulty bolts among factors that stress road builders Rusting bolts, failed asphalt tests and Covid-19 are all contributing to rising costs on major highway projects, but savings have been made. Between them, four of the biggest projects have exceeded their original estimated costs by about $300 million. But the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway will open this month with a price tag $140m less than was allocated seven years ago, helping rein the increases in. All four roads though are well over time compared to the original timeframes: Hamilton and Bayfair to Baypark in Tauranga are three years late; Pūhoi-toWarkworth Ara Tūhono motorway is at least two years late; and Pekapeka to Ōtaki at least 16 months late. Latest Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency estimates are that the four will together cost $2.4 billion, compared to original estimates of $2.1b. Inflation over several years accounts for some of that, but not all, and the rises erode the cost-benefit ratios used to help justify construction in the first place.
It is more evidence of the skyrocketing costs for roading that forced the government last year to increase what it puts into the New Zealand Upgrade programme by $1.9 billion, to $8.7b, and to pull the pin on several of the programme's biggest projects, notably the Mill Rd highway in Auckland.
"All our roading systems could benefit from some upgrades in terms of safety and this government has put a lot of emphasis on it ... But it's about having money to do the work. It's terrible to think that when people have lost their lives, but that's the reality."
The numbers for the four highways are: • Pūhoi-to-Warkworth - original estimate $710m and opening October 2021; new estimate $877m, equal to $47m per kilometre, to open 2023 • Pekapeka to Ōtaki - approx $320m, Nov 2020; $445m, $34m per km, late 2022 or early 2023 • Bayfair to Baypark - $102m, late 2020; $262m, $109m per km, late 2023 • Hamilton - $974m, June 2019; $837m, $38m per km, July 2022 At Pūhoi and Ōkahu, a quality control consultant "has reported on galvanised bolts ... which are rusting and remedial works are required", a report in January said. Motorists have been driving across the Ōkahu Viaduct since May. Waka Kotahi said it was up to the builders to deliver a safe highway.
Speed limits on highway where seven people died under review The highway south of Picton where seven people died in a head-on collision this month was a road with "issues", but it was not the main focus for those tasked with looking after Marlborough's roads. The Marlborough Regional Transport committee meets three times a year to thrash out priorities for the region's roads. They actually met two days before the fatal crash on State Highway 1. Committee chairperson, and councillor, Francis Maher said their main focus, or something they were "looking at seriously", was a stretch of highway south of Blenheim, at Riverlands, where a driver died in a crash in 2020. That crash was one of three fatal crashes in the space of a fortnight on the south Marlborough highway, over a 20-kilometre stretch. Meanwhile, a three-vehicle crash at Riverlands, in May that year, put five people in hospital.
Francis Maher says when upgrading roads the reality is it's about having the money. The government last year set aside $2.9 billion for roads nationally, as part of its Road to Zero campaign. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said there had been five fatalities and 21 serious injury crashes in the past decade over the 26km from Picton to Seddon. Side barriers were installed between Picton and Blenheim, from 2013 to 2018, for $2.5 million. The findings of the engineering assessment earlier this year would inform any future decisions on changes to speed limits, a Waka Kotahi spokesperson said. But she said it was too early to tell if there was a section or sections to prioritise at this stage. "The study's technical assessment findings are completed. Consultation, if approved, for an interim speed management plan, could occur late 2022 or early 2023," the spokesperson said. At this stage, there was no suggestion speed played a part in the fatal crash on 19th June, but Maher said the region's roads would be "a lot safer at a lower speed".
Broken road funding system leaves provinces to fend for themselves Opinion: Neil Holdom New Plymouth mayor. The status quo on road funding and financing is reaching a crisis point. After more than a decade of requests a controlled pedestrian crossing is finally being installed at Inglewood to help our school children to safely cross State Highway 3 each day. Strangely Waka Kotahi, the government’s roading agency and an organisation claiming to be dedicated to improving safety on our national highways, steadfastly refused to take on this project until New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) came up with the money and agreed to projectmanage it.
Stepping back from congestion, the safety issues at both ends of Egmont Rd have been highlighted by our people as critical risks needing attention along with the intersection of SH3 and Mangorei Road. The Egmont Road SH3 intersection at Bell Block is the sight of frequent accidents and congestion and it is only a matter of time until someone is killed. Egmont Village School has rightly asked for the speed limited to be reduced to 50kph given the growth in the area and the risks to small children of huge traffic volumes coming through at 70kph. Strangely Waka Kotahi is talking about a high level of commitment to safety enhancements for Taranaki funded out of its road to zero campaign. However Egmont Road/SH3 is not mentioned in any of its plans, a reflection of a cookie cutter approach to asset and safety management driven out of offices in Wellington and Palmerston North. We have to acknowledge Waka Kotahi for finally stepping up to address the issues between Waitara and Bell Block but note the investment only followed years of sustained pressure.
Records looking back over the past decade show Waka Kotahi has generated far more revenue from fuel tax and road user charges than it invests back in Taranaki, reallocating our share of revenue to the big cities as congestion, safety issues and road surfaces in Taranaki deteriorate. While it is disappointing, this is the reality we deal with and so NPDC determined to make further investments on Waka Kotahi’s network over the next few years, knowing that if we don’t step up nobody will. Anyone travelling through the intersection of Coronation Ave and Cumberland St during school drop-off and pick-up knows we have another issue there and we plan to install traffic lights in the next few years. We also have a problem at the poorly designed northbound off-ramp from SH3 to Bell Block which struggles to accommodate right turning traffic. So again NPDC will fund traffic lights on a national highway to fix a problem Waka Kotahi acknowledges but refuses to address. There is a pattern here.
Later this year mayors, chairs and councillors from all around New Zealand come together for their national conference and the annual general meeting of Local Government New Zealand. I will be presenting a document at that meeting to every mayor and council in New Zealand, seeking their support for an independent review of the way Waka Kotahi funds roads in New Zealand. My expectation is that virtually every council in New Zealand will support this proposal to Government because even in places like Auckland, where they get the largest share of road funding, the government’s contribution to road maintenance is not sufficient to maintain the condition of the roads. Roads are quite literally being run to failure. We have seen this in Taranaki over the past decade and if you study the numbers and the maintenance budgets, contractual arrangements and quality assurance safeguards it is clear things are likely to get steadily worse.
While there are clearly some in Wellington who view provincial roads as a liability, we recognise they are critical productivity infrastructure bringing our people, businesses and products closer to the rest of New Zealand and the markets we rely on. The more efficient and reliable our roads are, the better the lifestyle and economic output of our region is. Having spent 20 years in the business of renovating infrastructure I’ve committed to supporting Waka Kotahi to be a more effective and efficient asset manager. The best way to do that right now is to place sustained scrutiny on their funding and processes, highlighting the reality of a broken system which is already negatively impacting our people and deteriorating.
Intelematics partners with Aeris to bring connectivity to Australia and New Zealand Australian connected vehicle services company Intelematics is partnering with global IoT solutions provider Aeris to bring the Aeris Mobility Suite (AMS) connected vehicle platform to local vehicle manufacturers and distributors in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) for the first time. The Aeris AMS platform enables vehicle manufacturers and distributors, from commercial vehicles to cars to micromobility, to rapidly deploy connected services and functionality spanning vehicle health, safety and security, location and convenience. This includes feature capabilities such as stolen vehicle tracking, accident notifications (eCall) services, and remote vehicle services such as lock/unlock and remote start, subscription and payment management and vehicle software updates. Intelematics will provide support for the AMS platform including interface design, application development and technology integration services. “Connectivity is the future for vehicles in ANZ and our partnership with Aeris will help to ensure car manufacturers and distributors can provide the best possible experiences for drivers,” says Intelematics CEO Nick Marks. “This technology exists in new cars sold today, but it remains mostly dormant in Australia and New Zealand as global platforms are too complicated or too expensive to operate in our region, limiting the
ability to provide Australian oriented service offerings and incorporate local partner service providers,” adds Marks. “Utilising Aeris’ platform, we are looking forward to helping our customers switch these features on so our market and consumers can realise the benefits of connected vehicles.” “Globally, there is an increasing expectation from consumers of an integrated, digitised in-vehicle solution that enhances both experience and lifestyle,” says Raj Kanaya, VP/GM, Automotive Business Unit at Aeris. “Our partnership with Intelematics will help ANZ OEMs and distributors meet these expectations and, in turn, will increase brand loyalty and revenue.”
$46 million to fight driver fatigue on country roads The New South Wales Government’s Saving Lives Accelerated Program (SLAP) will invest $46 million to install rumble strips across regional highways in the state to reduce impact of driver fatigue and make roads safer.
The installation of 2,700km of rumble strips – the equivalent of driving from Sydney to Adelaide and back again – will begin by the end of June 2022. New South Wales Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Sam Farraway, said thousands of kilometres of new rumble strips would replace existing reflective markers, under the New South Wales Government’s commitment to making regional roads safer. “Rumble strips are estimated to reduce fatalities and injuries by 15 to 25 percent – particularly in crashes associated with fatigue or distraction,” Mr Farraway said.
“Through the Saving Lives Accelerated Program (SLAP), our Government has committed $46 million over the next three years to install rumble strips and enhance line-marking on key regional routes.
This figure was followed by the 26- to 39-year-old driver bracket (219), the 75 years and over bracket (146), the 65- to 74-year-old bracket (114) and finally the 0- to 16-year-old bracket (61); the latter age group’s figure rose from 45 fatalities in 2020.
“It’s part of our record $14.5 billion investment into regional roads and transport to improve everyday life for people living and working in New South Wales.
On a more positive note, the report showed a 15 per cent decrease in the number of road deaths involving those aged between 40 and 64 years. The most common accident types within this age bracket include nose-to-tail and sideswipe crashes, the report said.
“Our strong economic management means we can invest more in important infrastructure and build what matters.” Mr Farraway said the 2021-22 program included: • • • • • •
Cobb Highway – Hay to Moama Castlereagh Highway – Lithgow to Dunedoo Golden Highway – Singleton to Dubbo Kamilaroi Highway – Quirindi to Bourke Gwydir Highway – Grafton to Moree Oxley Highway – Wauchope to Coonabarabran
Australian Government figures show 2.7 percent increase in road fatalities over 12 months, with speeding the leading cause of accidents A report published recently by Savvy Finance shows Australia’s road fatalities are back to preCOVID levels with a 2.7 per cent spike in the road toll observed over the past 12 months – the largest increase in almost four years.
Australia’s road fatality rate now sits at 4.4 per cent per 100,000 people annually, with speeding listed as the leading cause of fatal accidents. Statistics show 140 drivers that were killed in a road accident over the past two years were travelling at 110km/h or more when they crashed. As noted earlier, most fatalities recorded were male (68 percent) with female casualties significantly lower at 32 per cent. The number of males seriously injured as the result of a road accident (7082) were also higher than those of female road users (3436). Research indicates younger male drivers are at a greater risk of being involved in a fatal road accident owing to a combination of physiological, psychological and behavioural differences that increase the likelihood they will take risks when behind the ‘wheel.
Eleven hundred and thirty-eight people have died in road accidents nationally since February 2021, with a total of 1133 road fatalities recorded during the calendar year. Of those, 559 included the death of the driver – up from 545 driver deaths in the year prior (2020) – 229 involved a motorcyclist, and 179 involved the passenger of a vehicle. There were also 126 pedestrians and 35 cyclists killed on our roads. The statistics show a 20.7 per cent increase in fatalities of road users aged in the 65- to 74-yearold age bracket, with 17- to 25-year-old road users rated as the second-highest age bracket (223). Of the youngest drivers’ group, the majority that died were male.
It is also shown that time of day plays a part in accidents with weekdays (between Monday at 0600 and Friday at 1800) the most dangerous time to be on the road. There were fewer fatal crashes on weekends and during nocturnal hours. Police say speeding, distracted driving and fatigued driving are the three biggest killers on our roads and say younger drivers top the list for using mobile phones while driving. Younger drivers (those aged 18-24) are also twice as likely to receive a speeding fine.
“While speeding is the number one culprit leading to car accidents, the increase in fatalities over the last 12 months is also stimulated by distraction,” said Savvy Finance CEO Bill Tsouvalas.
“It is self-learning. So it can look at pictures inside cars and can start to learn the difference between someone holding a mobile phone, someone holding a packet of cigarettes or a can of Coke.”
“More Australians are experiencing stress from the loss of jobs, financial troubles and lifestyle changes which are causing people to be more distracted behind the ‘wheel.
The $1.5 million investment has been paid for by traffic infringements and it is hoped they will help reduce road casualties and injuries.
"This, combined with a lack of quality sleep and not paying attention, is causing a high climb in road tolls, despite a decrease in the amount of traffic on the road due to lockdowns.”
Western Australia road cameras to target speeding, mobile phone use and seatbelts Western Australian drivers will soon be seeing a new type of road camera popping up across the state, with the technology capable of stinging drivers for more than just speeding. In an Australian first, the mobile point-to-point cameras will be trialled over a three-month period across WA roads – with the capability of targeting speed, mobile phone use and seatbelts. Six of the cameras were activated from July 1st, and will be installed on trailers in and outside of Perth. They also have the ability to be moved to different locations quickly. WA Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said these types of cameras are a great deterrent for reckless drivers. “People are saying they adjust their behaviour when they are afraid of getting caught and they know that cameras are a good deterrent,” he told Nine News.
In the past four years, 2294 West Australians have been killed or seriously injured in crashes involving speed, not wearing a seatbelt or inattention. No fines will be issued during the three-month trial period, which is due to end after September. “It is a trial, so there will be no infringements issued. We will collect a lot of information and stats and we will share that,” Mr Warner said. However, if the cameras stick around after the trial, many drivers could be facing some hefty fines if they get snapped doing the wrong thing. Speeding fines range from $100 to $1200, and a driver can cop up to seven demerit points depending on the severity of the offence. Being caught touching or holding a mobile phone while not in a cradle to make, receive or end a voice call will set you back $500 and three demerit points. This penalty rises to $1000 and four demerit points if a person is caught creating, sending or looking at a text, email, social media, photo, video or anything similar. Being caught without your seatbelt will result in a $550 fine and four demerit points. This fine can increase to $900 depending on if any of your passengers are also unrestrained. However before any fines for infringements found via the cameras could be issued, the WA government would need to amend the law. “At the moment the law says we can used cameras to detect speeding and red light traffic offences (only),” Mr Warner said.
Sydney council's plan to reduce all roads to 40km/h A plan to lower the speed limit on dozens of Sydney roads has been met with resistance from residents. The Inner West Council wants to reduce the speed on all roads, from main thoroughfares to quiet streets to 40km/h in the name of pedestrian safety. "When you cut the speed limit by 10kms... the risk of death basically halves," Inner West Councillor Tim Stevens said.
"Realistically, we are living in the congested inner west and it's hard to get beyond 30 or 40 anyway… let's make the speed limit reflect our roads and make them safer." The 40 limit is currently being rolled out in parts of Double Bay and Edgecliff, and it is already in place in North Sydney, Chatswood, Parramatta, and the CBD. However, this is the first time a blanket speed reduction will impact an entire local government area. State run arteries such as Marrickville Road will not be impacted but all smaller streets will drop down under the plans. Pedestrian Council of Australia said people will adjust quickly, but Katrina Usman from the NRMA said there is another approach. "When it comes to setting speed limits one size doesn't fit all… all streets is a bit extreme. Maybe just ones closer to popular areas," Usman said. Transport for NSW will make the final call, and said it supports the plan in principle but will work with the council on a staged plan.
Australian parliamentary road safety report finds tech needs support to properly reduce road toll An Australian federal parliamentary report into road safety says numerous hurdles stand in the way of a technology-based reduction of the national road toll. The report was compiled with the assistance of safety bodies such as the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA), Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF) and Monash University’s Accident Research Centre (MUARC).
It makes recommendations pertaining to road-user education, law enforcement, state and government funding, intergovernmental cooperation, licensing requirements and the affordability of in-car safety technology. Submissions to the committee responsible for the report suggested poor road planning, insufficient or outdated cyclist and pedestrian infrastructure, substandard road maintenance programs – especially in regional areas – and technologyderived driver complacency were key contributors to the country’s rising road toll. The report recognised the safety and driver assistance technologies offered in newer vehicles and commended the work of some safety bodies in mandating the systems in selected vehicle categories. However, it said that such strategies were of little benefit to low-income road users (who tend to drive older vehicles) and those in remote regional areas, where incompatible road infrastructure negated several benefits of such systems. To this end, the report called for subsidies to be offered to motorists in such circumstances.
It also acknowledged that many owners of vehicles equipped with potentially life-saving safety and driver-assistance technologies did not understand how the systems worked or had become too dependent on the technologies.
road accidents. In-depth data, which is logged by vehicles’ electronic management systems, has been downloadable from many car and truck models for several years. In some cases, law enforcement has subpoenaed this information.
The report cautioned that advanced driverassistance and autonomous driving systems may lead to driver complacency, with the HFESA saying many drivers place unrealistic expectations on the technologies.
This includes detailed data on brake application, ABS activation, throttle position, vehicle speed, steering angle, selected gear and, in the more recent applications, which drive mode is selected, whether radar-controlled assist systems were activated (including cameras) and much more.
HFESA’s submission was reiterated by ANCAP, which said that some automated systems could result in people disengaging with the driving process, adding that such technologies should strive to maintain the attention of drivers and, importantly, that they should be educated on how such systems were bound to respond at critical moments. ARSF went further, saying technology training would be particularly beneficial to drivers who had acquired their licences long before the advent of active safety systems. It also proposed that terminology related to such technologies be standardised. In addition, MUARC raised concerns relating to the capacity of telecommunications infrastructure in the context of connected autonomous vehicles and on maintaining and improving existing road infrastructure such as markings and traffic signs and signals. While recognising potential limitations owing to the scale of Australia’s road network, it said that, considering all existing active driver assistance and safety technologies were in some way reliant on such infrastructure, roads needed to be maintained to the highest possible standard to ensure that the vehicle technologies would operate optimally.
The NHTSA wants access to the data in vehicles’ event data recorders (EDRs), specifically, motorvehicle event data recorders (MVEDRs). An MVEDR is similar to an accident data recorder (ADR), which is installed in some motor vehicles to record information related to traffic collisions – it is colloquially referred to as a black box (so named after recorders used in the aviation industry). EDRs must meet federal standards as described within the US Code of Federal Regulations. An EDR refers to a simple, tamper-proof, read-write memory device whose role is limited compared to more sophisticated recorders such as digital tachographs in Europe or electronic logging devices in the US. According to Autonews.com, modern trucks use EDRs that are triggered by electronically sensed problems (faults) in the engine or a sudden change in wheel speed. One or more of these conditions may occur because of a collision. Information from such devices can be collected after an accident and analysed to help determine what the vehicles were doing before, during and after the event.
NHTSA hopes to collect more detailed crash data from car manufacturers The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has said it wants carmakers to collect more crash data from event data recorders (EDRs) – otherwise known as "black boxes." The NHTSA believes that motor vehicles’ rapidly increasing onboard computer power can be better utilised to help understand the actions that lead to
“The NHTSA has this week proposed a new requirement that black boxes increase data collection to 20 seconds of pre-crash information at a higher frequency rate. They want more information than is currently harvested to aid investigations, law framing and implementation,” the report said.
“The current requirement is for five seconds of pre-crash data at a slower collection rate for vehicles with EDRs.” “The agency had studied adopting the regulation for more than three years and was supposed to have finalised the new data-collection rules by 2020.” “Black box data is a key tool for NHTSA investigations, including crashes where advanced driver assistance systems are suspected as a factor.” NHTSA says the data provides a "comprehensive snapshot" of driver actions before a crash and can help "improve future vehicle designs and (lead to the implementation of) more effective safety regulations." The agency has already used EDR data in US court cases. According to the Autonews report, in 2019, under the Trump administration, the NHTSA withdrew a 2012 proposal to require EDRs in all new cars because it said automakers had voluntarily installed the devices in nearly all (of their contemporary) vehicles.
deaths among those on foot, the highest total in 40 years. Although leaders like Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have repeatedly warned of a “national crisis” in roadway safety, they seldom emphasize its uniquely American nature. Roadways in Canada, the European Union, Japan and Australia have generally grown safer in recent years — both before the pandemic and during it. Why did the US become a global outlier in its failure to improve road safety? Urban Institute researcher (and occasional Bloomberg CityLab contributor) Yonah Freemark explored this question in his new analysis of roadway death trends in France and the United States, as well as in a second post that focuses on vehicle weight fees. After years of moving in tandem with the US, French fatality rates plummeted during the last 30 years, while American streets grew more dangerous.
“In 2006, NHTSA required for automakers that installed EDRs to collect certain data, including vehicle speed, crash forces at the moment of impact, whether an air bag deployed or if the brakes were applied in the moments before a crash and if seat belts were fastened,” the report said. NHTSA estimates that 99.5 percent of new vehicles have EDRs. The new rules are expected to pass Congress in the US and take effect in September 2023. Honda has already voluntarily commenced voluntarily collecting EDR data on the status and operation of advanced driver-assistance systems. Other carmakers are expected to follow suit before the legislation is enacted.
As US road deaths rise, France is safer than ever. Why? - Yonah Freemark Traffic deaths in the US surged at an annual rate of 10.5 percent last year, the fastest pace on record, to an estimated 42,915 fatalities. Pedestrians are at particular risk; 2021 saw an estimated 7,265
Today, the average US resident is around three times as likely to die while traveling on a highway or street than a French resident. Freemark estimates that the US would have seen 387,000 fewer roadway deaths since 1994 if its traffic death rate had mirrored the French decline. As the toll on the streets draws broader media attention and brings fresh demands for policy changes, Bloomberg CityLab’s David Zipper spoke with Freemark about what lessons US leaders could take from their counterparts in France. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Let’s start with the basics. How similar have roadway death rates been in France and the USA over the last 50 years? In the period between the mid-1970s and the early 1990s, the United States and France were tracking
each other extremely closely in traffic deaths. They both declined by 31 percent between 1979 and 1994. What drove that decline during the 70’s and 80’s? There were a number of important automotive safety improvements that occurred in both countries. One was the widespread adoption of the seatbelt, and another was the steady implementation of airbags. Roadway infrastructure upgrades with better lighting and signage also helped prevent deaths. And there was something of a crusade against drunk driving that made a difference in both countries. Then what happened? Well, what matters most to me when comparing traffic safety across countries is the extent to which the transportation system is contributing to people’s deaths, which is the per capita death rate. On that basis, you are now almost three times as likely to be killed on the road in a car, as a pedestrian, or as a cyclist in the United States than you would be in France. The same trend can be seen if you look at deaths per vehicle miles traveled. In 1990, the average French person was twice as likely to die as an American for every mile traveled, but today the average French person is 40 percent safer than the average American. Today there are around eight roadway deaths in France for every billion miles driven, while in the USA there are about 14. I chose to look at France because I speak French and know the country well. But when you look at data collected by organizations like the OECD, you find that the United States is the only country that has been seeing rising death rates since the mid2010s. Even Russia — a large and not very wealthy country — has seen a decline in its death rate. What steps did France take that the US did not? For one thing, in 2002 France implemented automated speed camera enforcement on many highways and local roads all over the country. I got a ticket from such a camera, I’m embarrassed to say, and it was expensive — several hundred Euros. It was automatically sent by mail to where I was staying. Notably, there was a dramatic decline in traffic death rates in France in 2002 and 2003, falling from about 23 deaths per billion miles travelled to 15. Another differentiator is France’s investment in pedestrianizing many streets and areas of center cities. These are zones where there are more
people walking around, so if you close them to traffic you’re likely to prevent injury. In recent years Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris has grown famous in urbanist circles for reallocating space to pedestrians and cyclists. How long have French cities been pedestrianizing? From a transportation perspective, Paris actually wasn’t a particularly high performer until recently. You had cities like Bordeaux, a large city in the southwest, which in the mid-1990s decided to pedestrianize huge portions of their central city. That approach was generalized to a lot of other places too. The process has accelerated in the last few years, but it goes back a long way, and it’s definitely played a role improving safety. Another difference with the USA is France’s widespread adoption of traffic circles. They’re so common that the areas outside of cities are often called la France des ronds points, or “the France of traffic circles.” You could argue they’re not the best for pedestrians or cyclists, but roundabouts are extremely effective at reducing car crashes. How about differences in vehicles and vehicle regulations in France? Gasoline is significantly more expensive there — does that play a role in the US having more gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks? Yes, one explanation is the high cost of gas. The bigger the vehicle, the more you’ll have to spend to get around because you’re powering a bigger car — until recently, when electric vehicles emerged. In the European Union overall, the average car sold has 25 percent less vehicle weight than in the USA. That’s important, because a person is far more likely to die if they’re hit by a heavier car. Beyond the price of gas, France has two policies that are quite relevant for US policymakers who are looking for instructive lessons. First, since 2008 the French have applied a carbon tax to the purchase of new cars based on the inefficiency of that car. That tax can be up to 40,000 Euros or 50 percent of the car purchase price. And there is a separate vehicle weight fee too, correct? Yes, in the last few years they passed a law that creates an extra fee for the heaviest cars on top of that carbon tax. The weight tax applies to vehicles exceeding 1,800 kilos, about 4,000 pounds. That would include a majority of the medium and large SUVs and trucks sold in the USA if we had a similar tax.
We obviously don’t have a weight tax like that in the US, but both you and I have written about a first step in that direction: the District of Columbia’s new policy to charge $500 a year to register a vehicle weighing over 6,000 pounds, or 7,000 pounds if it’s an electric vehicle. That policy seems like a drop in the bucket compared to French vehicle fees. That’s absolutely right. I still think D.C. should be given a lot of credit for doing something that no other state or city has done. Most cities don’t have vehicle registration fees, though. It’s also interesting that both the European Union and the US have crash safety ratings program known as the New Car Assessment Program, but only the EU’s program incorporates pedestrian and cyclist safety measures when calculating those ratings. Yes, the use of specific tests designed to assess pedestrian and cyclist injury could play a big role in saving lives. To what extent were these various French and European Union policies enacted specifically to improve road safety, as opposed to other goals like protecting the environment or improving urban quality of life? My perception is that many of the changes that have occurred in France have been about improving the environment, reducing pollution and creating more vibrant city centers — all of which are only marginally about safety. They have this nice side effect of contributing to the decline in fatalities that we’d like to see in the USA. But we haven’t enacted those policies in this country, because there’s been this idea that American society is so dependent on cars that we can’t make such dramatic changes. Are there particular lessons from the French experience that are applicable and actionable in the USA right now, as we face an unprecedented spike in traffic deaths? In the US, that surge has been particularly acute among non-drivers. There’s been a massive rise in pedestrian deaths over the last few years, often occurring in central cities. Among cyclists too. Absolutely. The French experience suggests to me that if you enact safety measures in center cities to create beautifully designed spaces, to add vegetation, to provide incentives for shops and restaurants to be opened up to plazas, you will end
up with a more dynamic community with a citizenry that is more likely to walk and bike — and one that has fewer people dying on its roads. In France, those types of pedestrianizations have been supported by both left-wing and right-wing governments at the local level. Bordeaux’s mayor was a famous right-wing politician named Alain Juppé, and he’s the guy who promoted the pedestrianization of that community, which has done incredibly well over the last few years. Does a right-wing mayor of Bordeaux who believes in pedestrianization offer lessons for today’s US Republican party? I think the experience of French cities like Bordeaux is instructive for Americans who believe that prioritizing walkers and bikers is going to be to the detriment of a city’s economic health. A lot of people are conservative because they believe that it’s important to make sure that we have an economy that is growing and supports small business. There’s no disrespect there; that’s a positive thing. If one of your core principles is to encourage the health of businesses, then what I can say is that evidence from France demonstrates that businesses do great in conditions where pedestrians and cyclists are prioritized.
No easy task for advanced driver assistance systems to read road markings correctly It is not always easy for advanced driver assistance systems to read road markings. Sunshine, shadows and rain are just some of the factors that can affect readability. The systems are also occasionally confused by longitudinal cracks. VTI researcher Sara Nygårdhs is project manager for Autonomous Vehicles and Road Markings (AVRM). Launched somewhat belatedly in spring 2021, the project is expected to be completed by July 2023. The client is NordFoU via the Danish Road Directorate and the project is being implemented by a consortium including Ramboll in Sweden and the Danish Technological Institute. The objective is to identify the necessary requirements for road markings in the Nordic countries to ensure that advanced driver assistance systems work reliably. “Generally speaking, there is much to be gained by collaborating within the Nordic region, rather than
each country coming to its own conclusions,” says Nygårdhs. AVRM is divided into three parts: firstly, a literature study, then a pilot study and, finally, a main study. The literature and pilot studies are now complete and there are already concrete results that point in a specific direction. “We already know from the literature study that various weather conditions are worth studying, and this is confirmed by the pilot study. Having taken measurements of road marking visibility onboard vehicles, as well as supplementary handheld measurements, we can see that there are many parameters that affect automatic reading.”
Sara Nygårdhs, sara.nygardhs@vti.se VTI, Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute
The rapid increase of E-scooters translates into more accidents E-scooters have shown to be a new popular mode of transport. VSO Consulting for the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration’s research fund has investigated different aspects of e-scooters such as use and accident risk.
Many factors affect advanced driver assistance systems. Sunshine, rain, and shadows may have an impact, as well as road repairs. Cracks running longitudinally can make it difficult for advanced driver assistance systems to interpret data on adjacent road markings, while glare has also been shown to have unwelcome effects both during the daytime and at night. The main study will begin during 2022, although exactly when is not known. Sara Nygårdhs is hopeful that it will get underway by the summer. The task of the third part of the project is to “formulate recommended specifications to ensure that road markings are effectively readable”. (Quoted from project plan.) In all likelihood, this will not be the easiest task to accomplish. “Given the difficulties we are already aware of, we realise that it may be difficult to determine unambiguous minimum requirements. The fact that advanced driver assistance systems do not rely solely on road markings but also other data on the road environment makes it difficult to isolate the particular effects of road markings.”
In recent years, e-scooters have been making their way as a new active mode of travel. There is number of things to keep in mind when introducing new modes of transport, as they can become extremely popular in a short period of time, as has been shown with e-scooters. Almost two thousand e-scooters are for rent in Iceland’s capital area today and the e-scooters have also been distributed, in smaller quantities, to municipalities in the countryside. Privately owned e-scooters have also increased significantly and an e-scooter can be found in 12 percent of Reykjavík’s households. Most e-scooter users prefer to travel on bike lanes and paths, away from car traffic. In Icelandic surveys, 44 percent say they have tried escooters and 12 percent of regular users say they want to use them on streets where the maximum speed is 30 km/h or lower, which is not allowed today. All modes of transport involve certain risks, but the frequency of accidents due to e-scooters varies depending on the situation in each country. Figures have been published ranging from 10 up to 136 accidents per million driven kilometers. In the summer of 2020, there were 149 people who sought help at Landsspítali’s emergency
department, and a large part of the accidents could be traced to excessive driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, a driver who loses balance or due to uneven surfaces. The cause of many accidents on e-scooters can be traced to the surface, which underlines the importance of building infrastructure for e-scooters in municipalities. 45 percent of those who sought emergency care in 2020 were under 18 years of age. Increased training and instruction in the use of escooters has been shown to reduce the risk of accidents, as one third of the injured were testing the e-scooter for the first time and another 30 percent of the injured had used the e-scooter 1- 9 times before. A French study also shows that about 40 percent of e-scooter users in French towns are foreign tourists, who are probably used to other traffic cultures and rules. Traffic rules on e-scooters vary from country to country, but most of them are such that the speed should be limited to 20-25 km/h and that the use of light is important. To ensure the safety of users of e-scooters and other road users, various things can be done, either by laws and regulations or kind recommendations. Laws and regulations can be for example, to introduce a minimum age for escooter riders, a reduction in the maximum speed, the closure of e-scooter rental services on Friday and Saturday evenings, increased requirements for protective equipment, where e-scooters can be driven, the size and age of users or increasing fines for traffic offenses. While friendly recommendations could include the use of bicycle bells, nailed tires in the winter or “pop-up” gatherings where e-scooters are taught in a safe area e.g., on a closed street. Companies that rent out electric scooters have also repeatedly undergone improvements to their electric scooters to increase user safety and durability of equipment. For rented e-scooters, there are often GPS meters that can locate the e-scooters with an accuracy of up to 2.5 meters. Since the e-scooters can share their location with their owners, it is possible to use a digital fence, which has the property that it is possible to ban or slow down the traffic of escooters when entering a predetermined area. It is also possible to prevent them from being parked in certain places and give a discount on a trip if an escooter is returned in certain places, e.g. for the construction of an e-scooter parking lot.
In many cities, there are restrictions on how many e-scooters can be rented within the city limits at any given time, and in many cities the rules for their use are regularly changed with increasing knowledge of the use of e-scooters and the consequences of e-scooter traffic. This research was supported by the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration Research Fund.
Ragnar Þór Þrastarson ragnar@vso.is VSO Consulting, Iceland
More people are dying on U.S. roads, even as cars get safer. Here’s why it’s a tough problem to solve New vehicles on sale in the U.S. today are the safest and most advanced ever made, yet roadway fatalities last year reached their highest level in 16 years. The problem is complex: It’s a combination of reckless or distracted driving, largely due to cellphone usage; increased sales of trucks and SUVs; and higher performance of vehicles, among other factors. Plus, the expected proliferation of electric vehicles, with weighty batteries and record performance may not help the issue going forward. “We have a conflicting culture in America around cars,” said Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a consumeradvocacy nonprofit. “People want these flashy, big ticket items and we want to be able to do what we want in our cars, but at the same time, we’re killing each other at a rate (nearly) higher than ever before, and something needs to be done.” An estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2021, a 10.5 percent increase from the 38,824 fatalities in 2020 and the highest rate since 2005, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation. Compared to 2019, fatality rates have increased 18 percent — the highest two-year increase since 1946, when crashes increased 37.6 percent over 1944 levels, according to NHTSA data analyzed by CNBC.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called the situation “a crisis on America’s roadways that we must address together,” while touting efforts by the Biden administration to reverse the deadly trend. But turning around the fatality rate on U.S. roadways isn’t an easy problem to fix. For one thing, safety watchdog NHTSA is infamously slow to adopt new guidelines or laws. And the vehicles consumers are buying now — including increasingly popular electric ones — are faster and heavier than current cars, potentially posing a greater risk to pedestrians and people in older and smaller vehicles. Both the weight and horsepower of vehicles are estimated to be at all-time highs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Those record numbers are particularly concerning to safety advocates. “The heavier the vehicle is and the higher the vehicle is, the more likely it’s going to kill a pedestrian and the more likely it’s not going to be compatible with the little sedan and do some serious damage,” Brooks said.
NHTSA estimates more than 7,300 pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles in 2021, a 13 percent increase compared with the previous year. “The bigger the vehicle, the heavier they are, the more deadly they are during a crash, especially with vulnerable road users like pedestrians and bicyclists,” said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “The trend to drive bigger, heavier trucks is to the detriment of everyone outside of the vehicle.” Electric vehicles pose their own added risk to U.S. roadways. EVs often weigh more than their internal combustion engine counterparts due to the heft of their batteries. Conversely, though, many newer EVs do come equipped with the newest safety technologies. The performance is also higher in many EVs. For example, the over 9,000-pound Hummer EV, which is more than double the weight of an average vehicle, has a Watts to Freedom, or WTF, mode that launches the truck 0-60 mph in about three seconds. The feature can be used anywhere. That’s an acceleration time previously exclusive to sports cars.
The EPA reports the average horsepower of vehicles has steadily increased for more than a decade and is up nearly 80 percent compared with 1975. Preliminary data for the 2021 model year reached an average of 246 horsepower, with some newer performance ones topping 700 horsepower or more.
The research shows that it’s not just the vehicles that are changing.
The average weight has risen, too, as sales of trucks have grown in recent years, and reached a record of more than 4,100 pounds in the 2021 model year, according to the EPA.
Many assumed that fewer miles driven would mean fewer accidents. But in fact drivers were more careless and reckless, and fatalities rose, according to officials and federal data.
While large trucks and SUVs can have luxury price tags and high-tech safety features, their added weight may be particularly dangerous to pedestrians. Such vehicles are more lethal to pedestrians than cars and are substantially more likely to hit pedestrians when making turns, according to studies from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Likewise for 2021, a higher number of fatalities corresponded with an increase of about 325 billion miles driven, or about 11.2 percent, compared with 2020, according to preliminary data reported by the FHA.
“The higher ride height in general gives you a longer view down the road, but one of the tradeoffs, especially in a big vehicle, is the fact that there is a portion of the road immediately in front of your vehicle which is blind to you,” said David Zuby, chief research officer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Americans collectively drove the fewest cumulative miles in 18 years in 2020 when coronavirus lockdowns curtailed travel, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
Despite the additional miles travelled, the fatality rate based on miles driven remained about the same from 2020. Estimates put the fatality rate for 2021 at 1.33 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles travelled, compared with 1.34 fatalities the previous year. Experts say to reverse the fatality trend there needs to be a combination of regulatory and behavioural changes.
Simple driver-based changes, like traveling at lower speeds or buckling up, could help. The NHTSA reports fatalities of unrestrained occupants have increased nearly 21 percent since 2019. “It looks like the major component of this rising fatalities is very behavioural, but that doesn’t mean we can’t stop it. We just have to be willing to,” Brooks said. Vehicle-safety advocates also say standardizing new technologies such as automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring can assist in lowering crashes and fatalities. The majority of fatalities involve vehicles that are 10 years or older and aren’t equipped with the newest safety technologies.
NZTA/NZRF T 8 and T 12 The T 8 and T 12 applicator testing programme is a key component of industry self-regulation. NZTA P 22 specification states in Section 6: At the time of tender contractors shall forward copies of current T/8 certificates for the plant they propose to use on the contract. The applicator(s) certification is to be kept valid for the period of the contract. There is a .pdf version of the applicator certificates associated with each registration line. Originals of certificates are no longer being mailed to contractors and the website register is evidence of registration.
“It takes a while for vehicles with new technologies to infiltrate the population,” Chase said. “That’s why it’s so important that there be a requirement that these technologies be included as standard equipment in new cars, and not just options and in higher-end vehicles, as they are now.”
These can be accessed via a hyperlink off the certificate registration number. The certificates include a photograph of the applicator. T 12 certificates include schedules setting out the scope of certification covering plain flat markings, structured markings and audiotactile markings or any combinations of these.