Key findings

Cost effectiveness of safety features A methodology for estimating and comparing the benefit/cost ratio of safety features has been developed. The methodology was applied to more than 60 safety features, based on information derived from a substantial literature search.

18 of these stood out as having relatively favourable benefit/cost ratios. These are considered to be priority safety features.

Priority safety features that are readily available are: driver airbag, side airbag with head protection, ABS brakes, cargo barrier in wagons and vans and front passenger airbag Priority safety features that are not generally available as optional equipment are: headlights “on” alarm or automatic headlights or daytime running lights, seat belt load limiters for front seats, side airbags for the rear outboard seats, speed alarm (set by driver), seat belt pretensioner for front seats, anti-submarining seat design and hazard lights activating in a severe crash.

Priority safety features that are rarely available in Australia are: top speed limiter (set at 120km/h), seat belt interlock (smart alarm), high transmittance glazing, knee bolster/padding and laminated or shatter-proof glazing for all windows.

Impediments to the uptake of priority safety features

An analysis was conducted of the availability of safety features on new vehicles, the attitude of car purchasers towards safety and the degree to which motor dealers go to promote these features.Key findings were: 

•  A lack of awareness of vehicle safety and the significant differences in crashworthiness between vehicles. This may be associated with the perception that all vehicles are "safe".
• A lack of understanding of the extra protection that some safety features can be expected to produce. In particular, there is very little to guide consumers about the safety benefits of a better equipped variant.
•  Impediments to ordering vehicles with non-standard safety features - price, long delivery times, pressure from salespeople

Fleet vehicles account for more than half of all new vehicle purchases. The extra issues concerning fleets are:

• Senior managers in corporations are often not aware of the hidden costs of accidents and the benefits of specifying safer vehicles. Budgets for new vehicle purchases are closely controlled but the costs of accidents are rarely monitored. 
• Fleet managers are unable to get away from day to day problems and so do not usually have time for implementing safety initiatives. ·
• Occupational health and safety personnel could give much greater attention to workrelated road crashes. 
•  Fringe Benefit Tax provisions encourage the purchase of commercial vehicles that generally offer inferior occupant protection to that of large cars.

Safety characteristics of the West Australian fleet

A method of estimating the proportion of vehicles with certain safety features was developed and applied to the West Australian light vehicle fleet, using a snapshot of WA registration records in November 2001.

There are encouraging trends with the uptake of driver airbags, front passenger airbags and ABS brakes. By 2001 the uptake of these features was similar to that in Europe. Uptake of side airbags was, however, well behind Europe.

An analysis of crashworthiness ratings, derived from real-world crashes in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland (the "Used Car Safety Ratings"), revealed a general improvement for the West Australian fleet during the 1990s, with the notable exception of small cars.

Some small cars that became very popular in the mid 1990s have a serious injury rate (proportion of drivers killed or hospitalised) at least twice that of the fleet average.

It is a concern that these cheap cars are now coming onto the second hand market and are likely to be purchased by high-risk driver groups.

Policy implications and recommendations

There are limitations to the degree, and particularly the swiftness, with which safety can be improved through regulation (either State or Federal). Strategies that use market forces to achieve safety outcomes are likely to be more successful and timely.

A list of potential action has been developed to address each of the key issues identified from this project. These action lists involve several stakeholders and it is recommended that they be consulted so that policies and strategies can be further refined.