Evaluation of new technology

Evaluation of new technology is critical to quantify advances in vehicle safety performance. The first evaluation of new technology conducted by the VSRG was published in 1999 and evaluated airbags - see AIRBAG TECHNOLOGY IN AUSTRALIAN PASSENGER CARS: SOME PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM REAL WORLD CRASH INVESTIGATIONS. Since then a range of crash avoidance technologies have been evaluated including ABS, ESC, reversing camera and parking sensors. Links to these evaluations are found in the list of publications below.

Evaluation airbags

  • Barnes, J., Morris, A., Fildes, B. and Newstead, S. “AIRBAG EFFECTIVENESS IN REAL WORLD CRASHES” Proceedings of the 2001 Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, Melbourne, November 2001.


    This paper presents results from a sample of 383 belted drivers and 129 belted front seat passengers involved in frontal crashes. Of the drivers 253 vehicles were involved in crashes where the airbag deployed and 130 vehicles were non-airbag equipped. Analysis of the data identified an overall reduction in the number of injuries sustained by drivers in the airbag-equipped vehicles for all frontal crashes and it was concluded that airbags in frontal crashes are contributing to the reduction in driver injuries and also cost to society.

  • D’Elia, A. & Newstead, S. EVALUATION OF VEHICLE SIDE AIRBAG EFFECTIVENESS IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol 54(2013), pp67-72.


    The objective of this study was to use detailed injury information from insurance injury compensation claims data linked to Police reported crash data to determine the effectiveness of side airbags in reducing the risk of death or injury for occupants involved in side impact crashes in Victoria, Australia based on the specific body regions that side airbag systems are designed to protect. It was found that head and torso-protecting dual airbag systems designed to protect the head, neck, face, chest and abdomen are highly effective in reducing driver death or injury due to near side crashes.

  • Deery, H., Morris, A, Fildes, B. and Newstead, S.: AIRBAG TECHNOLOGY IN AUSTRALIAN PASSENGER CARS: SOME PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM REAL WORLD CRASH INVESTIGATIONS: Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol 1(2), pp121-128, 1999.


    There has been little evidence of airbag effectiveness in terms of field accident investigations. This paper presents some preliminary results from an ongoing case-control study of crashed vehicles equipped with Australian airbag technology (supplementary airbags in combination with seatbelt webbing clamps). Analyses revealed significant reductions in the cost of injury and a strong indication of a reduction in overall injury severity among the airbag cases. Indications of airbag benefits were also found in terms of a reduction in the probability of sustaining a moderate and severe injury.

  • D'Elia, A., Scully, J. & Newstead, S. EVALUATION OF VEHICLE SIDE AIRBAG SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 312, 2012.


    The aims of this study were to quantify the effectiveness of side airbags in reducing the risk of death and injury for occupants involved in side impact crashes comparing two data sources: Australasian Police crash data alone versus detailed injury information from Victoria linked to Police reported crash data.  The first data source was inadequate for the evaluation of side airbag effectiveness. A key outcome using the second data source was that combination airbags were associated with statistically significant reductions of 61% in the odds of death and injury to the head, neck, face and thorax in struck side crashes (with a 95% confidence interval of 27% to 79%).

Evaluation ESC

  • Scully, J. & Newstead, S. EVALUATION OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL EFFECTIVENESS IN AUSTRALASIA Accident Analysis and Prevention, 40,6 (2008), 2050–2057.


    The aim of this study was to use available crash data from Australia and New Zealand to evaluate the effectiveness of ESC in reducing crash risk and to establish whether benefits estimated from overseas studies have translated to the Australian and New Zealand environments. It was found that ESC reduced the risk of single vehicle crashes in which the driver was injured by 68% for 4WDs compared with 27% for passenger cars. The effect of ESC on multiple vehicle crashes in Australia and New Zealand was not clear.

  • Scully, J.E. & Newstead. S.V. FOLLOW UP EVALUATION OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL EFFECTIVENESS IN AUSTRALASIA. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 306, 2010.


    This study evaluated the effectiveness of ESC systems in reducing crash risk in Australia and New Zealand. This was a follow up to an earlier evaluation with the present study making use of a greater quantity and range of crash data. The results were consistent with the evaluation carried out previously.

  • Scully, J. & Newstead, S. PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEMS IN AUSTRALASIA. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 271, 2007.


    The aim of this study was to use available Australasian crash data to evaluate the effectiveness of ESC systems in reducing crash risk and to establish whether benefits estimated from overseas studies have translated to the Australian and New Zealand environments. A key outcome from this study was that the fitment of ESC to vehicles in the Australian and New Zealand fleet was associated with a statistically significant 32% reduction in the risk of single vehicle crashes in which the driver was injured.

Other Evaluation of New Technology publications

    This analysis aimed to identify future priority action areas for light vehicle safety by identifying crash types that will not be fully addressed in the future by projected improvements in active and passive safety in the light vehicle fleet. Modelling the likely future crash profile of the light vehicle fleet in Australia identifies target areas for future vehicle design and technology improvements that will assist in achieving the goals of Towards Zero. Analysis was based on the analysis of real-world crash data from 5 Australian jurisdictions overlaying current evidence on vehicle safety feature fitment and effectiveness.
    Rollover crashes result in a high rate of fatal and serious injuries compared to other crash types. In the data studied of vehicles manufactured from 2008 to 2017 in five Australian States and New Zealand, around 23% of drivers involved in such crashes resulted in a fatal or serious injury to the driver. In all crash types, the corresponding proportion was just less than 5%. These types of crashes are therefore particularly important to prevent. This study sought to estimate crash rates associated with the effectiveness of two vehicle technologies useful for preventing rollovers, ESC and RSC.
  • Keall, M.D., Fildes, B. & Newstead, S. (2017) REAL-WORLD EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REVERSING CAMERA AND PARKING SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES IN PREVENTING BACKOVER PEDESTRIAN INJURIES Accident Analysis and Prevention, Volume 99, pp 39-43.


    This study was believed to be the first to assess the real-world safety effectiveness of reversing camera and parking sensor technologies. Data were collated for 3,172 pedestrian injury crashes occurring in Australasia, and comparisons were made of the safety benefits of: reversing cameras, rear parking sensors, both cameras and sensors, and neither technology.  Compared to vehicles without any of these technologies the analysis showed that all three technology configurations were associated with reduced rates of backover injuries.

  • Fildes, B., Newstead, S., Rizzi, M., Fitzharris, M. and Budd, L. EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS ON MOTORCYCLE SAFETY IN AUSTRALIA Monash University Accident Research Centre - Report #327 [September 2015]


    This study assessed the benefits of ABS technology fitted to motorcycles using Australian crash data compared to findings in published international research, and estimated the likely benefits in reduced crashes and injuries in the years ahead.  ABS was found to be highly effective in preventing crashes and injuries to motorcyclists and these findings were consistent with other international research.

  • Budd, L. & Newstead, S. POTENTIAL SAFETY BENEFITS OF EMERGING CRASH AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGIES IN AUSTRALASIAN HEAVY VEHICLES. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 324, September 2014.


    This study estimates the potential crash reduction effects of fitting various emerging safety technologies to heavy vehicles in Australia and New Zealand. Technologies considered included: Electronic Stability Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems, Fatigue Warning Systems and Lane Departure Warning Systems. Benefits were estimated in terms of savings of fatal, serious and minor injuries, as well as for property damage only crashes.

  • Delaney, A. & Newstead, S. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEMS: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN DATA Proceedings 2004 Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, 14-16 November, Perth, Western Australia, Vol 1, 10p.


    This paper assesses the effect of anti-lock brake systems (ABS) on driver injury risk and injury severity through analysis of real crash outcomes reported by Police in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. Information on the presence or absence of ABS on crashed vehicles was provided by participating vehicle manufacturers and matched to the Police reported crash data. ABS braking systems were generally found to have no statistically significant effects on secondary safety outcomes.

  • Burton, D., Delaney, A., Newstead, S., Logan, D. & Fildes, B. EVALUATION OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS EFFECTIVENESS Report PP 04/01, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, 2004.


    The aim of this report was to assess the effect of Anti-Lock Brake Systems (ABS) and Vehicle Stability Control Systems (ESP and VSC) on vehicle occupant injury risk and injury severity both through the analysis of real crash outcomes described in mass crash data and a review of current literature. The overriding conclusion of the study was that ABS seems to be effective in reducing some types of crashes (eg; multi-vehicle, rear-end and head-on crashes) but can lead to increases in others (eg; single-vehicle and rollover collisions).

  • Newstead, S., Watson, L. & Cameron, M. EVALUATION OF VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURE EFFECTIVENESS USING REAL CRASH OUTCOMES. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Technical Report No. 2002/001, August 2002.