ECIS Reports
THE ENHANCED CRASH INVESTIGATION STUDY (ECIS)
Through sponsorship and support from the Victorian Transport Accident Commission (TAC), the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) with leading local and international partners established the Enhanced Crash Investigation Study (ECIS).
The Enhanced Crash Investigation Study (ECIS) had two objectives:
- To provide the TAC with insight into how serious injury crashes occur.
- To identify crash prevention measures and those that would be effective in preventing occupants of vehicles being seriously injured once a crash occurs.
Injured drivers admitted to The Alfred Hospital and The Royal Melbourne Hospital were enrolled to the ECIS program. The data collection period for these crashes was mid-2014 to end-2016. The findings of the ECIS program are presented over four reports. These reports can be downloaded by following the links below.
We encourage the four ECIS reports to be read in order. This will ensure a comprehensive understanding of the rationale, design, data collection methods and findings of the ECIS program. This will provide a strong basis for understanding the strengths and limitations of the study, and how the findings can be best applied.
ECIS REPORTS AND FACT SHEETS
ECIS REPORT 1 | OVERVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF CRASH TYPES, INJURY OUTCOMES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS This report provides the rationale for the ECIS program, and a description of the study methods and key findings. Findings include details of the crashes and injury outcomes overall and by crash type, an analysis of contributing factors for both crash occurrence and injury severity, and a detailed examination of the safety of Victoria’s road transport system as it applies to drivers and occupants of passenger vehicles. This Report aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of serious injury crashes. The findings form the basis of identifying future road safety countermeasures aimed at eliminating serious injuries. The ECIS Report 1 is available to download from the MUARC ECIS webpage – click here. Published: 20 November 2020. |
ECIS REPORT 2 | SPEED, CRASH RISK AND INJURY SEVERITY This report examines the role of speed in shaping crash risk and injury severity. The report examines five key questions: 1. The relationship between the speed limit and travel speed; 2. The relationship between travel speed and the risk of involvement in a crash that results in one or more involved drivers being hospitalised; 3. The relationship between travel speed and vehicle speed at impact, the frequency of pre-crash avoidance actions and the effect, if any, of these actions on the speed of the vehicle at impact; 4. The relationship between impact speed and injury severity, and 5) The injury reduction benefit of lower impact speeds. A case series approach was used to illustrate the potential benefits of reduced travel speed, speed limit compliance and impact speed on crash and injury severity outcomes. Key inputs to this analysis are the estimates of travel speed and impact speed obtained through the crash reconstruction process and the ‘free travel speed’ data obtained from ECIS Control Study drivers. The Report presents practical examples of the effect of reducing travel speed on crash outcomes using crash reconstruction methods. The ECIS Report 2 is available to download from the MUARC ECIS webpage – click here. Published: 16 December 2022. |
ECIS REPORT 3 | UNDERSTANDING CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES USING CRASH CHAIN ANALYSIS This report aims to highlight key safety gaps and trauma risk in the road transport system in Victoria that lead to serious injury. The focus of the report is two-fold: 1. identifying factors associated with serious injury crashes occurring, and 2. identifying factors associated with serious injury, given that a crash occurs. Analysis is presented by crash type using a road trauma ‘integrated safety chain’ model developed during the ECIS program. The Report sets the basis for ECIS Report 4. The ECIS Report 3 is available to download from the MUARC ECIS webpage – click here. Published: 16 December 2022. |
ECIS REPORT 4 | IDENTIFICATION OF COUNTERMEASURES TO ADDRESS SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES This report identifies interventions and actions aimed at reducing the incidence of serious injury sustained in crashes in Victoria. Interventions are focussed on short-to-medium term actions, as well as setting a path towards the longer-term vision of creating an inherently safe road transport system. Countermeasures are presented across the phases of the crash, from before a driver enters a vehicle through to recovery from injuries sustained in the crash. This analysis highlights where, and by what means, reductions in serious injury can be achieved. The ECIS Report 4 is available to download from the MUARC ECIS webpage – click here. Published: 16 December 2022. |
FACT SHEETS | Five ‘Fact Sheets’ were prepared that highlight select key findings from the ECIS program (Click below to download) |
FACT SHEET 1 | |
FACT SHEET 2 | The regulating role of speed in determining the safety of the road transport system. |
FACT SHEET 3 | |
FACT SHEET 4 | |
FACT SHEET 5 | Injuries sustained by ECIS drivers and associated financial costs and impacts. |
Click HERE to download all five ECIS Fact Sheets in a single pdf file.
Fact Sheets published 16 December 2022.
For further information, please contact:
Associate Professor Michael Fitzharris
Email: michael.fitzharris@monash.edu
