Safety

Warwick Keating, SMEC - Interaction of Human Centred Design and Perceptual Countermeasures

Warwick Keating

Associate Transport Planner | SMEC

Warwick is an Associate Transport Planner at SMEC, based in their Melbourne Office. He has experience on projects at different stages of a project lifecycle, including strategic planning, development, delivery and operations.  

Warwick's experience has come from undertaking undertaken advisory, project management and design management roles for public and private sector clients. 

Interaction of Human Centred Design and Perceptual Countermeasures

Human Centred Design is a philosophy that influences the design of products, services, systems, and experiences that addresses the core needs of those who experience a problem.  

Perceptual Countermeasures is a road treatment design philosophy that seeks to change a road users instinctive behaviour before a hazard is perceived.   The interaction between these two approaches to road safety can be capitalised upon to provide an improved outcome for both road users and asset operators.

My presentation will demonstrate how SMEC has used Human Centred Design to assess the provision of new roadside infrastructure and how it can be used in the future to influence motorcyclist behaviour on country roads and drivers in an urban road tunnel.

Michael Langdon, TMR - Analysis of the risk of motorist rear-end collision at raised priority crossings - Initial findings of a new safety treatment

Michael Langdon

Senior Advisor | TMR

Michael Langdon is a Senior Advisor on Cycling and Walking issues with the Traffic Engineering Team of the Engineering & Technology Branch of the Infrastructure Management and Delivery Division of the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).

He has expertise in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure design, technical publications, technical training, traffic data analysis, and project management. 

e has spent the last 15+ years working on cycling and walking projects for TMR analysing travel behaviours, undertaking safety reviews and infrastructure usage evaluations. Previous work has included: Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Cost Benefit Analysis, Principal Cycle Network Planning, Cycle Strategy Development, Regional Transport Planning, Transport Social Marketing, Passenger Transport Strategy, and Community Transport Development.

Michael's full biography is available here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-langdon-25735b16/

Analysis of the risk of motorist rear-end collision at raised priority crossings - Initial findings of a new safety treatment

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has recently implemented and developed technical guidance on the design of priority crossings for people who walk and ride bicycles at intersections of terminating (minor) streets.

These crossings have been implemented on Principal Cycle Network Priority Routes (PCN-PR) across Queensland and are designed to provide a higher level of service and safety to all path users but so far have only been implemented in limited numbers in Queensland. 

Concerns have been raised that these intersection treatments may exacerbate the rear-end collision risk for motorists on the continuing (main) road insofar as they increase the likelihood turning motorists will reduce speed and give way to people who walk or ride bicycles crossing the terminating street. To determine if this was the case, an observational study of path user/vehicle interactions was undertaken at high-traffic intersections, and the results analysed. 

This presentation will give a state-wide overview of the design and operation of priority crossings, road rules, behavioural observations and the results of the analysis of vehicle/path user interactions at intersections with priority crossings.

Mark McDonald, TMR - Factcheck: zebras, wombats and false sense of security.

Mark McDonald

Principal Technologist | TMR

Mark has over 20 years experience encompassing the many aspects planning, design and road safety. Mark has specialised in designing for people riding bikes, walking and motorcycling for over 10 years and has a strong interest in evidence based practice and climate smart travel. 

Recent work in the cycling space has included risk assessments, level of service assessments, profile assessments, roundabout research, publication of guidelines and standards, training and design advice to projects.

Factcheck: zebras, wombats and false sense of security.

Decisions on how transport agencies provide for people walking to safely cross roads has been greatly influenced by historical research, that has in the past not adequately examined behavioural data in relation to design. 

This presentation will look at the different types of unsignalised pedestrian crossing treatments, behavioural responses of both drivers and people crossing and analyse the road safety implications. The presentation will discuss considerations relevant to safety, including: Control of crash forces, Analysis of crash braking patterns, the impact of uniform pavement marking on reaction times, Speed and yield rates and Crash reduction factors. 

This presentation will give a review of safe system and evidence-based research relating to unsignalized crossings for people walking or riding bikes. It will answer the questions: Who are we relying on? What is the safety evidence? Is a false sense of security supported by evidence?