AustroadsNews | May 2017 

Welcome to the May 2017 edition of AustroadsNews. If you have been forwarded this email you can subscribe here to receive future updates.

Contents

• Supporting the introduction of automated vehicles

• Verifying the connection between road design and road safety

• Better understanding bicycle safety at roundabouts

• Webinar: Austroads' Road Asset Data Standard

• 2017 Austroads Bridge Conference papers now online

• Future Challenges of Changing Agricultural Equipment webinar now online

• Introducing the Pedestrian Facility Selection Tool webinar now online

• BITRE Road Safety Reports

• Celebrate World Metrology Day 2017

• ARSC2017

• Upcoming workshops + conferences

Supporting the introduction of automated vehicles

Australian and New Zealand road agencies and operators are preparing for the introduction of automated vehicles (AVs).

Austroads has published a report investigating the potential changes needed to the way road networks are managed to consistently support and optimise the outcomes from the introduction of AVs.

The project reviewed international and local documents and initiatives and consulted a range of stakeholders to determine the emerging requirements for AVs to operate on public and private road networks (including urban and rural areas).

The report, Assessment of Key Road Operator Actions to Support Automated Vehicles, captures key issues in three broad categories:

• Physical infrastructure: physical attributes, road pavement and structures, signs and lines, roadworks.
• Digital infrastructure: data management, positioning services, and communication technologies
• Road operations: network management approaches such as Movement and Place, standards, guidelines, and regulations and roadworks.

The report concludes with high level guidance for road agencies and operators. There are obvious challenges in providing practical guidance to agencies in a still evolving and changing environment, and some of the guidance, although still relevant, may be beyond the purview of individual road operators.

Webinar: 16 June 2017 |12:00-1:00 pm AEST

Join us for an online presentation about the Assessment of Key Road Operator Actions to Support Automated Vehicles.

Presented by Stuart Ballingall (Austroads Program Director, Connected & Automated Vehicles) and Scott Benjamin (WSP), this webinar will provide attendees with an overview of the challenges posed by the operation of automated vehicles on public roads. 

No charge, but registration is essential.

Verifying the connection between road design and road safety

Austroads has published a compendium of recent evidence on the relationships between 20 key geometric road design criteria and safety outcomes.

The project reviewed quality research sources and selected references based on the robustness of their methods and their applicability to the project.

The authors selected and reviewed crash modification factors for road design criteria such as horizontal curvature, lane and sealed shoulder widths, sag and crest design values and various longitudinal sight distance requirements.

The review of findings by the Project Advisory Group largely verified the current design criteria values as published in the Guide to Road Design Part 3: Geometric Design.

The report highlights areas for further investigation to refine the current understanding or to enable economic appraisal of potential future changes including economic analysis of the provision of wider shoulders on curves, values of the sideways friction coefficient for curves, and human factors associated with longitudinal sight distance.

Better understanding bicycle safety at roundabouts

Austroads has published a report that investigates how the geometric design components of a roundabout may contribute to bicycle crashes.

National, state and local government strategies are being developed to get more people cycling for their improved health and other economic and social benefits.

Providing more separated, safe and attractive facilities help encourage people to ride bicycles, however there are some treatments, in particular some roundabout layouts and alignments, that pose both a real and perceived crash risk and deter people from taking up cycling.

2017 Austroads Bridge Conference papers now online

The 162 papers from the 10th Austroads Bridge Conference are now available on the Austroads publications website.

A large zipped folder of all papers and the program can be downloaded or the Program and Papers can be accessed individually.

The papers have proved very popular since they were uploaded with more than 13,000 downloaded by people from around the world.

Future Challenges of Changing Agricultural Equipment webinar now online

This webinar, held in late April, addresses the road safety and infrastructure challenges posed by the operation of agricultural vehicles and equipment on public roads including: 

• size and mass of the current agricultural fleet, and the trends that will impact on size and mass in the future
• typical access needs of agricultural vehicles, equipment and combinations across the major industry sectors
• potential risks to road safety and infrastructure
• major policy challenges in accommodating the needs of the agricultural industry
• recommended options for future policy development.

The webinar was presented by Adam Ritzinger, lead author of the 2016 Austroads report Future Challenges of Changing Agricultural Equipment.

Introducing the Pedestrian Facility Selection Tool webinar now online

This webinar, broadcast in May, provides an introduction to the Austroads Pedestrian Facility Selection Tool and demonstrate how to use it with a fully worked example.

The tool is designed to help Australian and New Zealand practitioners select the most appropriate type of pedestrian crossing based on walkability, safety and economic outcomes. In 2017 the tool was enhanced with more functionality and now includes the most recent economic evaluation parameters for Australia and New Zealand. 

The webinar was presented by Dave Smith and Steve Abley who developed the tool which can be accessed on the Austroads website.

BITRE Road Safety Reports

Road Deaths Australia—Monthly Bulletins

Released mid month - Latest May 2017
This bulletin contains current counts and summaries of road crash deaths and fatal road crashes in Australia. It is produced monthly and published on BITRE's website on or around the 14th of each month. Data are sourced from the road traffic or police authorities in each jurisdiction.

Motorcycle Safety

Released May 2017
This information sheet provides an overview of the current status of motorcycling safety in Australia. In 2016 motorcyclist deaths increased by 22 per cent, to 248 deaths (almost 1 in five road deaths). This represents an increase of 7.4 per cent on the National Road Safety Strategy base years (2008-2010).

Fatal Heavy Vehicle Crashes Australia—Quarterly Bulletins

Released May 2017
This quarterly publication tracks counts of fatal crashes that involve heavy vehicles. During the 12 months to the end of March 2017, 217 people died from 196 fatal crashes involving heavy trucks or buses. 

The National Measurement Institute cordially invites you to attend In Conversation, a special panel discussion to mark World Metrology Day 2017.

Monday 22 May 2017 from 7:30am to 9:00am
36 Bradfield Road, Lindfield, Sydney, NSW

In Conversation will focus on the role of measurement in supporting our transportation system. Measurement techniques used in the transport sector are dynamic and diverse, including measurements for speed regulation, navigation, the sale of fuel and maintenance of transport devices, to name but a few. This forum will explore the many ways in which accurate measurements can result in improved transport outcomes. The discussion will also cover ways in which transport and measurement experts can work together in this changing sector.

ABC's award-winning journalist Sophie Scott will facilitate a panel discussion with three experts in the area:

• Mr Nick Koukoulas - Chief Executive, Austroads
• Mr Mark McKenzie - Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association
• Dr Mark Ballico - Section Manager, Mechanical, Thermal and Optical Standards, National Measurement Institute Australia.

A light breakfast will be provided before In Conversation. For catering purposes, please register your attendance by Thursday, 18 May 2017.

Laboratory tours will be available immediately following In Conversation.

There is no charge for attendance and all are welcome, so forward the link below to friends or colleagues who may be interested.

We look forward to seeing you there!

ARSC2017 

Perth, 10-12 October 2017

The 2017 Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC2017) will be held in Perth from Tuesday to Thursday 10-12 October 2017. The Australasian College of Road Safety, Austroads, ARRB and Curtin Monash Accident Research Centre are proud to support the largest road safety-dedicated conference in the Southern Hemisphere.

With a theme “Expanding our horizons”, ARSC2017 will showcase the regions’ outstanding researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and industry spanning the issues identified in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety:

• Road Safety Management
• Infrastructure
• Safe Vehicles
• User Behaviour
• Post-Crash Care.

Upcoming Workshops + Conferences

5th International SaferRoads Conference | 21-24 May 2017, Auckland, New Zealand

NEW World Metrology Day 2017 - In Conversation |  Breakfast and Panel Session, 22 May 2017 from 7:30- 9am, Lindfield, Sydney, NSW

National Electronic Tolling Forum 2017 | 23-25 May 2017, Sydney, NSW

IPWEA Australasian Fleet Conference | 23-25 May 2017, Brisbane, Queensland

NEW Austroads Webinar: Data Standard for Road Management and Investment in Australia and New Zealand | 1 June 2017, 11am-12:30pm AEST, Online,  no charge but registration essential

IPWEA NSW Emerging Technologies in Public Infrastructure Conference | 15-16 June 2017, Sydney, New South Wales

NEW Austroads Webinar: Assessment of Key Road Operator Actions to Support Automated Vehicles | 16 June 2017, 12-1 pm AEST, Online,  no charge but registration essential

Trucking Australia 2017 | 21-23 June 2017, Darwin, Northern Territory

ASCP 4th Concrete Pavements Conference | 16-18 July 2017, Kingscliff, New South Wales

Australasian Corrosion Association Brian Cherry International Concrete Symposium | 26-27 July 2017, Melbourne, Victoria

Institute for Sensible Transport Road User Pricing Seminar | 8 August 2017, Sydney, NSW

Institute for Sensible Transport Road User Pricing Seminar | 10 August 2017, Melbourne, Victoria

2017 AAPA International Flexible Pavements Conference | 13-16 August 2017, Melbourne, Victoria

AITPM National Traffic and Transport Conference | 15-17 August 2017, Melbourne, Victoria

Australasian Road Safety Conference | 10-12 October 2017, Perth, Western Australia

Concrete 2017 | 22-25 October 2017, Adelaide, South Australia

ITS World Congress | 29 October-2 November 2017, Montréal, Canada

Australasian Tunnelling Society Conference 2017 | 30 October-1 November 2017, Sydney, NSW

IRF World Road Meeting | 14-17 November 2017, Delhi, India

ADVI 2nd International Driverless Vehicle Summit | 15-17 November 2017, Adelaide, South Australia

28th Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) International Conference | 29 April - 2 May 2018, Brisbane, Queensland

World Road Association's 8th Symposium on Pavement Surface Characteristics: SURF 2018 | 2-4 May 2018, Brisbane, Queensland

IABMAS 2018 | 9-13 July 2018, Melbourne, Victoria