Enhanced Crash Investigation Study (ECIS)
"Regulation, based on scientific investigation and research, promotes safety within the transport sector." Associate Professor Michael Fitzharris, Associate Director, In-depth Crash Investigations and Transport Regulation
Project Overview
In 2014 TAC committed $8 million to the MUARC Enhanced Crash Investigation Study (ECIS) as part of its strategy to reduce road trauma by 30% by 2022.
The ECIS team collected nearly 1900 data points on each of the 400 crashes. This information was used as the basis for determining the factors that contributed to the crash occurring, as well as understanding how injuries occur. The full ECIS database contains 3460 variables, including crash reconstruction analysis, detailed injury information and health data, as well as safety countermeasures for each identified crash contributing factor and injury causation risk factor.
The findings of the study will help underpin Victoria's efforts to implement the Safe System approach to road safety. The Safe System aims to prevent road deaths and injuries by ensuring Victorians are safer drivers, driving safer cars, on safer roads and at safer speeds.
Each of the 400 cases sees survivors of serious injury accidents interviewed about the cause of the crash and how it happened. This is followed by an investigation of the crash site as well as the type of injuries incurred. Each crash is reconstructed using sophisticated technology, which includes retrieving data from recorders that are built into modern cars to record the five seconds leading up to a crash, much like black boxes in aeroplanes.
The ECIS forms part of Victoria's 'Safe System' project, which aims to prevent road deaths and injuries through education, infrastructure improvements and promoting the purchase of safer cars.
For ECIS Reports, click here.