• 15 Dec 24 Advocacy Incubator: Colombia Leads Latin America in Adopting UN Vehicle Safety Standards Through Effective Road Safety Advocacy.
  
• 4 Dec 24 ABC: Three-quarters of children killed on Queensland roads since 2004 weren't properly restrained, data shows [comment: there were 127 reported fatalities between 2004 and 2023 - it would be useful to know the year-by-year trends because several major changes were introduced during this period including changes to child restraint laws, side head protection for booster seats and  shoulder height markers to assist in choosing the correct child restraint and the time for graduation to the next type of restraint. I support a review of policies but don't agree that Australian requirements are lagging behind other regions.]
  
• 2 Dec 24 Fleetnews: [UK] Road deaths decline but speeding a factor in half of fatalities (see speed control)
  
• 23 Nov 24 The Conversation: Modern cars are surveillance devices on wheels with major privacy risks.
  
• 15 Nov 24 Create: The TAC Safe System: engineering zero road deaths by 2050.
  
• 16 Oct 24 Goauto: ‘Permissions app’ may solve car data privacy.
  
• 12 Oct 24 TAC: Put the headlights on motorcycle safety this October [not sure where the "headlights on" reference came from - my research in 2005 found that headlights were not nearly bright enough to improve daytime conspicuity and there are better alternative such as bright front turn signals]
  
• 30 Sep 24 ABC: Industry says 65pc of caravans, camper trailers illegally overweight, uninsured, dangerous.
  
• 30 Sep 24 BBC: Uber terms mean couple can't sue after 'life-changing' crash [in USA].
  
• 19 Sep 24 SafetyWissen: Subaru installs local 5G Network at Test Course, begins Testing cooperative Driving Automation ("over the horizon" ADAS?) + JLR aiming to increase Driver Understanding for ADAS Systems + Testing begins for Euro NCAP's new Truck Safe Rating
  
• 15 Sep 24 Fleet News: BMW and Mini [new car] deliveries [as well as in-service vehicles] affected by braking system recall - "Among the [1.5 million] affected cars are the BMW X1, X3, X4, X5, X6, and X7 SUVs, the 5 and 7 Series saloons, and the electric iX1, i5 and i7. New Mini Cooper and Countryman models are also included." + Rolls Royce! vehicle.recalls.gov.au for Mini & Alpina
  
• 1 Sep 24: My Submission to the NSW Parliament Inquiry into use of e-scooters, e-bikes and related mobility options.
• 1 Sep 24 The Conversation: Lower speeds on local streets cut deaths and injuries by a quarter in Wales. Over 100 experts want Australia to do the same + Open Letter
• 1 Sep 24 Fleet Newes: Actions, not data, are key to getting the most out of telematics (see also Telematics and Vehicle Safety)
• 1 Aug 24 Japan Today: Toyota acknowledges more certification cheating and apologizes.
  
• 28 Jul 24 Current Issues in Personality Psychology : A desire for a loud car with a modified muffler is predicted by being a man and higher scores on psychopathy and sadism.
  
• 8 Jul 24 Fleet News: New EU vehicle safety regulation and what it means for UK drivers.
  
• 13 Jun 24 ETSC: Cars will need buttons not just touchscreens to get a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
• 4 Jun 24 Japan Today: Toyota admits to improper vehicle testing as quality scandal widens + Law change lets Japanese police crack down on rule-breaking cyclists.
  
• 19 Apr 24 Journal of Transport Geography ($): Car harm: A global review of automobility's harm to people and the environment. (see also Allocating costs and benefits to modes of personal transport )
  
• 19 Apr 24 Japan Today: Toyota to recall over 130,000 Prius hybrid cars due to door glitch.
• 19 Apr 24 CarExpert: Multiple Land Rover and Range Rover models recalled for potential fire risk + CleanTechnica: Land Rovers Keep Catching Fire, But EVs Get [falsely] Blamed For Luton Carpark Fire + DailyMail (!): Range Rover fire which sparked Luton airport car park collapse comes six years after Land Rover destroyed Liverpool's Echo Arena car park
  
• 27 Feb 24 The Guardian: Revealed: car industry was warned keyless vehicles vulnerable to theft a decade ago.
  
• 27 Feb 24 Japan Today: Toyota recalls 280,000 pickups, SUVs in U.S. over transmission problem [engine might still propel vehicle while in neutral]
  
• 27 Feb 24 Fleets News (UK): Research changes police approach to hands-free phone use while driving.
  
• 21 Feb 24 Goauto: ANCAP conundrum for Hyundai i30 sedan [whether to sponsor a swathe of new tests]
  
• 14 Feb 24 The Conversation: E-scooters are linked with injuries and hospital visits – but we can’t say they are riskier than bikes yet.
  
• 30 Jan 24 BBC: Toyota recalls 50,000 US vehicles over airbag 'injury or death' fears.
  
• 24 Jan 24 Goauto: Ford’s RHD F-150 recalled for second time - [owners should] stop driving their vehicles immediately after finding a steering fault with its locally converted model.
  
• 14 Jan 24 Whichcar: The day I properly understood the sobering reality of crash safety and my old car (note that the 2000 Magna only reached a 3-star ANCAP rating "The MITSUBISHI MAGNA perform marginally in the offset crash test (score 6.40 out of 16 ). The passenger compartment was substantially deformed. There was a risk of serious chest injury with both the driver and passenger. Protection from lower leg injury was poor for the driver." - the 1996 Magna was worse.)
  
• 14 Jan 24 ABC: Melbourne doctors call for greater regulation of e-scooters as injuries rise, clogging up hospitals.
  
• 18 Dec 23 RoadSafe (UK):
• Global status report on road safety 2023 [released]
  
• New Vehicle Safety Systems Report highlights the importance of ADAS
• New WHO manual aims to curb dangerous speeding on the world’s roads (see also Speed Control)
  
• 18 Dec 23 Fleet News: Two in five drivers switch off vital vehicle safety features.
  
• 18 Dec 23 Japan Today:
• 17 killed in Philippines bus crash
• Honda recalls over 1.13 million cars due to Denso fuel pump glitch
• Tesla recalls over 2 million vehicles to fix defective system that monitors drivers using Autopilot
  
• 25 Nov 23 Fleet News: How can telematics improve the road safety within your fleet? (see Telematics)
  
• 14 Nov 23 ABC: Elderly man riding motorised wheelchair struck by car and killed in Townsville (see NEW SAFETY STANDARDS FOR MOTORISED MOBILITY DEVICES IN AUSTRALIA - unfortunately moves to implement the standard have stalled partly due to misunderstanding  about "Blue Label" requirements for access to public buses )
  
• 13 Nov 23 The Guardian: BMW, Subaru and Porsche drivers ‘more likely to cause a crash’, study finds
  
• 11 Nov 23 The Conversation: How to never get a speeding fine again — and maybe save a child’s life (see Speed Control)
• 17 Sep23 The Guardian: ‘Bottom of the food chain’: e-scooter riders push for reimagining of Australia’s bike lanes ( see SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL MOTORISED ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES & A National Policy Framework for Alternative Vehicles )
  
• 12 Jun 2023: 10 people have died in a Hunter Valley bus crash - see Busbelts
  
• 6 Jun 23 ETSC: A speed limit on German motorways could bring EUR 1 bn a year in economic benefits (see Speed Control)
  
• 24 Feb 23 Japan News: Toyota to Recall 190,000 Vehicles for Auto Brake Defect.
  
• 3 Feb 23 CASR: CASR's founder appointed Officer in the Order of Australia - congratulations Jack
  
• 6 Jan 23 The Conversation: Why do people tailgate? A psychologist explains what’s behind this common (and annoying) driving habit.
  
• 10 Dec 22 News.com.au: Hyundai ix35 vehicles recalled due to risk of fire.
  
• 23 Nov 22 ABC: Tesla Australia recalls 1,012 vehicles over (steering) fault that could increase 'the risk of an accident causing serious injury or death' + 25 Nov 22 The Guardian: Tesla recalls more than 15,000 Australian electric vehicles over faulty tail lights.
  
• 11 Oct 22 RoadSafe (UK): Fleet Safety Guide and Safer Vehicles Purchasing Policy + Global NCAP: Global NCAP Fleet Safety Guide and Safer Vehicle Purchase Policy 22-23 (PDF)
  
• 6 Oct 22 ABC: Police launch e-scooter safety blitz as man dies in hospital after crash in Melbourne's north +  Privately owned e-scooters legal to buy, illegal to ride as Victoria Police enforces safety blitz - see SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL MOTORISED ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES (2011) and this 2010 project report: A National Policy Framework for Alternative Vehicles
  
• 27 Sep 22 Global Fleet: Bad driving habits could call for new legislation in the US.
  
• 2 Jun 22 ETSC: Opinion: will Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) live up to its promise?
  
• 20 May 22 New Scientist: Driverless cars can be tricked into seeing red traffic lights as green
  
• 14 Mar 22 Canberra Times (see also vehicle roadworthiness):
• Issues identified in about one in seven Marulan Heavy Vehicle Safety Station truck inspections
• Blake's Legacy: Mandated collision avoidance technology would deliver a rapid transformation in heavy vehicle safety
• 21 Feb 22 FleetNews: [Uk Minisiter] Grant Shapps under pressure to introduce EU safety tech rules.
  
• 3 Feb 22 IIHS: Study shows front crash prevention works for large trucks too.
  
• 6 Jan 22 ABC: Tesla recalls more than 475,000 cars because of rear-view camera, bonnet issues + JAPAN Today: Tesla to recall nearly 200,000 cars in China over collision risk.
  
• 29 Dec 21 ACA: Sydney man fined thousands after riding e-scooter on road.
  
• 3 Dec 21 Science ($): Wildlife collisions put a dent in road safety.
  
• 1 Dec 21 ETSC: Intelligent Speed Assistance specifications officially published (by EU) - see speed control
  
• 1 Dec 21 Roadsafe:
• Save Lives Technical Package
• Speed Management Hub (World Bank)
  
• Why is speed hurting so many people?
• 1 Dec  21 Japan Today: Honda turns to AI-powered tech to make roads safer
  
• 4 Nov 21 CASR - new reports:
• The contribution of various levels of speeding to fatal and serious road trauma - The results suggest that low level speeding is not benign and should remain the focus of various road safety interventions, along with all levels of speeding (see Speed)
  
• Collection and analysis of EDR data from crash-involved vehicles: 2020-21 summary report
  
• 21 Oct 21 Transport for NSW: Speed Adviser smartphone app. Updated to: the latest speed zones; the latest non-standard school zones;  the latest non-standard school times and updated school and public holiday calendar - [Beats in-car Speed Assistance System hands-down! See Speed Control]
  
• 1 Oct 21 NRSPP: Quick Fact: Speed.. almost 50% of serious speeding-related crashes occur when a driver is travelling at less than 10km/h above the posted speed limit"
  
• 17 Aug 21 ABC: Elon Musk's Tesla under investigation over Autopilot crashes.(see Autonomous Cars)
• 7 Aug 21 ABC: ACCC launches legal action against Mercedes-Benz over Takata airbag recall.
  
• 30 Jul 21 New Scientist ($): Why self-driving cars could be going the way of the jetpack.
  
• 28 Jul 21 The Conversation: Aggressive marketing has driven the rise of the double-cab ute on New Zealand streets — time to hit the brakes?
  
• 15 Jun 21 AutoAction: Safety expert Dr Michael Henderson awarded Officer in the General Division (AO) in Queens Birthday Awards "For distinguished service to motor vehicle and motorsport safety, and to the prevention of road trauma" [well deserved recognition see - some of the reports below]- Wikipedia article.
  
• 3 Jun 21 The Conversation: Speeding drivers keep breaking the law even after fines and crashes: new research (see Speed Control)
  
• 24 May 21 The Conversation: Slaves to speed, we’d all benefit from ‘slow cities + Busted: 5 myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia.
  
• 5 Apr 21 Japan Today: Japan scientist awarded Nobel for LED lamp dies at 92 - LED have become an important components of safe vehicle design. In 2003 I pointed out the potential benefits as daytime running lights.
  
• 5 Apr 21: NeuRA and Kidsafe Australia release updated National Child Restraint Guidelines + National Child Restraint Best Practice Guidelines + Downloads here [comment: while the Guidelines make frequent reference to shoulder heights markers the brochure does not refer to them - these are an important guide to determining whether the child is too small or too large for the child restraint]
  
• 25 Mar 21 CASR: Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA): benefit analysis using EDR data from real world crashes - lower predicted savings than previous estimates but still very substantial
  
• 25 Mar 21 IIHS: New crash tests show modest speed increases can have deadly consequences. - see Speed Control
  
• 2 Mar 21 ANCAP: Mitsubishi Express fails to meet safety expectation [zero stars - the 2007 ANCAP rating for the Express was 1 star at a time when it was effectively not possible to award zero stars]
  
• 5 Feb 21 ABC: Hyundai Tucson models face recall over fears engines could catch fire even when switched off
  
• 3 Feb 21 GoAuto: Tesla faces screen test - US safety watchdog warns failures of big screens could be fatal in 160,000 cars
  
• 24 Jan 21 Japan Today: GM teams up with Microsoft on driverless cars.
  
• 9 Jan 21 ABC: Anthony Albanese in hospital after car crash in Sydney's inner west - comment: It looks like Labor Leader Albanese's Camry was side-swiped by the Range Rover. Although not represented by any of the current ANCAP crash tests, it is clear that the stronger structure around the a-pillar due to the frontal offset crash test and side curtains due to the side pole crash test have prevented more serious injuries to the driver (Albanese). A slight change to the impact could have resulted in a narrow offset frontal crash, as conducted by IIHS.
  
• 22 Dec 20 Road Safe (UK):
• Europe exports millions of old, dangerous cars to Africa – UN report
• Latin NCAP latest results [Zero stars for Hyundai HB20 and Ford Ka]
• Van safety Features could save many more lives
  
• New Euro NCAP test protocols identify vehicles that must offer improved protection for other vehicles
  
• 17 Dec 20 Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards 2020 Winners
• The Transport Accident Commission awarded a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its Road to Zero Education Complex initiative -  Road to Zero Education Complex
• 2020 Premier Award Winner: Towards Zero Foundation #50by30 Campaign.
• World-first, life saving, Mobile Phone Detection Camera Programme receives Royal Award [Transport NSW]
• 
  
• 5 Dec 20 Yahoo Finance: Toyota recalls 24,000 cars: Are you affected? [not "cars" - diesel Hilux utes & Fortuner SUVs built around 2018]
  
• 2 Dec 20 DavidJWard.com: Method not Miracles Bring Safety + LinkedIn Richard Woods: No single safety element saved Romain Grosjean in Bahrain..  [ A credit to people like my mentor, Dr Michael Henderson, who wrote the book Safety in Motor Racing in 1968. Ordinary cars are so much safer today due the lessons learned in the motor racing industry. This wikipedia page lists many of Michael's contributions to that outcome.]
• 2 Dec 20 MUARC: Enhanced Crash Investigation Study - p48 "...this finding points to the positive safety benefit of improved vehicle safety and the value of the ANCAP system...."
  
• 2 Dec 20 TAC: Track upgrade to boost car safety (Angelsea, Victoria)
  
• 20 Nov 20 Radiant Vision Systems: Near-Infrared Light for In-Cabin Sensing and Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS).
  
• 9 Nov 20 ANCAP: Let’s re-write the ending - Vehicle safety features have evolved. Today’s technologies (AEB and LSS) can help re-write the ending [Comment: similar trauma savings can be expected from Speed Assist Systems that are also strongly encouraged by ANCAP's rating protocol. Reducing travel speeds by just a few km can prevent many serious injuries. It is disappointing that this was not included in the package]
  
• 2 Nov 20 ETSC:
• AEB systems cut rear-end collisions by 45%
• Insurers warn over risks of hands-off automated driving on UK roads
• Consumer test of e-scooters leads to “get a bike” recommendation
  
• 4 Sep 20 IIHS: Self-driving vehicles could struggle to eliminate most crashes.(see Autonomous Cars)
• 28 Aug 20 Japan Today: Tesla seeks approval for sensor that could detect child left in hot cars.
  
• 22 Jul 20 AAP: Impact speed and the risk of serious injury in vehicle crashes - based on the study described in the 2019 ESV paper: Speeding in crashes in the United States of America: A pilot study using event data recorder information from NASS-CDS
  
• 24 May 20 Sussex Express: Volvo introduces 112mph speed limit on all new models  - not really a road safety benefit but "Every Volvo car will now also come with a Care Key, which allows Volvo drivers to set additional limitations on the car’s top speed — of between 31mph and 112mph — for example before lending their car to other family members or to younger and inexperienced drivers..." (see Speed Control)
  
• 7 Apr 20 ABC: Toyota recall on LandCruiser, Prado and other models over defective fuel pump + ACCC advice.
  
• 4 Mar 20 SMH: Expensive children's car seat catastrophically fails test, ejects dummy.
  
• 13 Jan 20 ABC: Toyota, Mazda and Suzuki issue voluntary recalls for more than 18,000 cars fitted with Takata airbags - built between 1996 & 1999
  
• 2 Dec 19 Interesting Engineering: Vodafone Demos How 5G Improves The Safety of Connected Cars for Urban Mobility for The First Time in Italy - includes ISA
  
• 7 Nov 19 ABC: New urgent recall for BMWs with different type of faulty Takata airbags.
  
• 6 Nov 19 BBC: Uber in fatal crash had safety flaws say US investigators.
  
• 19 Oct 19 NZ Doctor: Safety initiative set to reduce number of children without car restraints [child restraint donations)
  
• 13 Oct 19 Transport for NSW: Requirements for vehicle frontal protection systems [bullbars] fitted to light vehicles
  
• 7 Oct 19 Cision: Western Express deploys 3,000 E-SMART units [with ISA] to make its truck fleet one of the safest and most innovative in the industry. See Speed Control
  
• 1 Oct 19 Uber: All new vehicles entering the [Uber Australia]  platform [from 1 Oct 2019] must have a 5-star ANCAP safety rating or equivalent [Expands to all vehicles from  1 Oct 2021] (thanks ANCAP)
  
• 28 Sep 19 Japan Today: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones.
  
• 28 Sep 19 The Guardian: Woman suffers head injuries and children injured in NSW bus crash (status of seat belt wearing unknown but the bus would have been equipped with 3-point seat belts)
  
• 23 Sep 19 Japan Today: 22 killed in bus crash in Pakistan (see busbelts)
  
• 23 Sep 19 Register-Herald (West Virginia): Using child safety seats correctly improves survival chances.
  
• 13 Sep 19 New Scientist: A single severe head injury can trigger long-term brain damage (importance of head-protecting side curtains)
  
• 12 Sep 19 New Scientist: The surprising future of driving: cars that spy on your every move (spy?? - see Automated Vehicles and telematics)
  
• 2 Aug 19 Global NCAP: Joan Claybrook's speech at the Global NCAP dinner to celebrate 40 years of NCAP - some fascinting insight into early crash-testing
  
• 1 Jun 19 Intelligent Transport: Are you ready to speed up the roll out of intelligent speed assistance? (see Speed Control)
  
• 28 May 19 ANCAP: Safety prioritised with 5 stars for Toyota HiAce and Nissan Leaf EV, yet the opposite for Jeep Wrangler at 1 star - comment: this is an important outcome for Australian tradies with the 5-star Hiace van providing good occupant protection as well as key crash avoidance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support systems, seat belt reminders for all seats and speed assistance functions that help drivers stay within the speed limits. Congratulations to Toyota!
  
• 21 May 19 ABC: Niki Lauda, Formula One legend and a three-time world champion, dies aged 70.
  
• 17 May 19 The Motor Report: Will Big Brother start limiting Aussie speeds? [the article is totally confused about ISA and top speed limiting]
  
• 2 May 19 ETSC: European Parliament backs new vehicle safety standards - including overridable Intelligent Speed Assistance.
• 29 Apr 19 Japan Today: Rear seats of cars need better safety equipment, study says [IIHS study of US crashes - see also this presentation (pages 18 & 19) and  Rear seat occupant safety from 2007!]
  
• 28 Apr 19 AutobodyNews: Did You Know? Speeding Is a Neglected Problem [in the USA]  + IIHS: Speed limit increases are tied to 37,000 deaths over 25 years + A national forum to develop a model speed management pilot program - see also Speed Control]
• 28 Apr 19 New Scientist: Machine mind hack: The new threat that could scupper the AI revolution. [see autonomous cars]
  
• 18 Apr 19 Japan Times: Japan debuts safety steps for foreign drivers amid rise in accidents.
  
• 5 Mar 19 New Scientist: Tesla’s autopilot tricked into driving on the wrong side of the road.
  
• 22 Mar 19 ABC: Parents urge others to install reversing cameras after toddler run over in driveway [cameras assist but are no substitute for adult supervision]
  
• 18 Mar 19 New Scientist: Hacking just 1 in 10 cars could gridlock all of the roads in Manhattan
  
• 28 Jan 19 AAP ($):
• Updated estimates of the relationship between speed and road safety at the aggregate and individual levels
• Semi-autonomous vehicles: Usage-based data evidences of what could be expected from eliminating speed limit violations
  
• 25 Jan 19 CarAdvice: "SAFETY DOESN'T COME AT A PRICE" IN CHILD SEATS - STUDY
  
• 11 Jan 19 ETSC: MEPs back new road and vehicle safety rules - AEB & ISA to be regulated across Europe
  
• 8 Jan 19 Japan Today: Ford recalls over 953,000 vehicles [globally] to replace Takata inflators.
  
• 3 Jan 19 ABC: Victoria records lowest road toll ever, but is it really possible to get to zero?
  
• 22 Nov 18 SMH: Not ideal: Old cars account for 80 per cent of teenage drivers' deaths.
• 31 Oct 18 ETSC: London introduces bus safety standard, including Intelligent Speed Assistance on all new vehicles + Hype around automated cars is dangerously confusing drivers says Euro NCAP
  
• 21 Oct 18 IOL: Uber launches new Safety Toolkit - "Speed alerts: A feature which reminds drivers and delivery partners to maintain a safe speed within the posted speed limits."
  
• 18 Oct 18 ETSC: Car industry attempting to weaken the European Commission’s proposals on new vehicle safety measures - "Intelligent Speed Assistance: why does ACEA not back a technology currently being sold by a majority of its members?"
  
• 4 Oct 18: Ubicar has introduced a telematics safety product in Australia. Sydney's Northern Beaches Council has a safe driving competition for residents.
• 3 Oct 18 News.com.au: Mazda CX-8 has safety technology that could save your life
  Modern cars have some mind-boggling safety tech these days. But how does it work?
  
• 19 Sep 18 Global NCAP: Stop-the-Crash India - 26th September 2018 - held in conjunction with the Global NCAP World Congress in Delhi.
  
• 29 Aug 18 Japan Today: Self-driving taxi with paying passengers tested in Tokyo in world first  + Rand: How Many Miles of Driving Would It Take to Demonstrate Autonomous Vehicle Reliability? (see also this comment on a Tesla crash)
  
• 22 Aug 18 TfNSW: New bus technical specifications - New requirements (TS150) for warning signs and flashing lights on school buses to apply from February 2019. This is based on the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation. Comment: In 1995 Dr Alec Fisher and I conducted a review of school bus warning systems. (more info, ESV paper) One of the main conclusions was that the yellow turn signals being used on school buses at the time were woefully inadequate for traffic on  high-speed roads on bright days, when their  signal range was typically around 50 metres. We recommended much brighter lights be used and showed that the lights in use on school buses in the USA were suitable. Nothing changed! Tasmania introduced bright lights on its school buses in 1996. The Draft National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual, pubished by the NRTC in 2001, had this note: "Note: for optimum signal range in bright daylight the on-axis intensity is required to be no less than 1500cd. This is about six times brighter than typical turn signals." Several Australian States and Territories picked up these requirements, which were then included in the National Regulations. So... after 30 years our research has become law in NSW.
  
• 2 Aug 18 ABC: ACCC issues fresh warning to replace 'ticking time bomb' Takata airbags. + FCAI: Check if your vehicle is affected by the Takata airbag recall.
  
• 1 Jun 18 ETSC: New EU vehicle safety standards could prevent 25,000 deaths within 15 years +  ETSC raises questions over driver understanding of lane change systems + OECD report on automation challenges belief that self-driving vehicles will wipe out 90% of road crashes + Speed awareness courses more effective than fines + US: Fatal collisions with pedestrians increasingly likely to involve SUVs and high-powered vehicles (an excellent package of vehicle safety information)
• 1 Jun 18 ACRS: The latest Journal from ACRS has my article "Telematics and Vehicle Safety"
  
• 25 May 18 Bloomberg: Man Dies After Tesla Crashes Into San Francisco Area Pond (uncertain if it was on autopilot) + Japan Times: Uber ends self-driving program in Arizona after fatal crash, to shed 300 jobs.
  
• 18 May 18 Stop the Crash: Global NCAP and Stop the Crash Partnership welcome new EU regulations on vehicle safety - AEB and ISA. Details at Europa.eu.
  
• 1 May 18 ETSC: OECD study says inappropriate speed responsible for up to 30% of all fatal crashes + European Commission set to announce major new road safety package (16th May) + Latest Euro NCAP five-star rating scheme includes cyclist-detection Autonomous Emergency Braking.
• 1 May 18 ANCAP: Five-year funding for vital car safety program.
  
• 12 Apr 18 ABC: 'Smart' speed bumps installed at Curtin University to punish speeding drivers. See also Badennove: Intelligent Speed Bump
• 3 Apr 18 (A developing theme here?) AFR: Tesla Model X driver death raises questions about autopilot.
  
• 20 Mar 18 ABC: Uber suspends self-driving car tests after pedestrian death in Arizona (Comment: Maybe a condition of self-driving car approvals should be “good” pedestrian protection (impact tests) and good performance in the Euro NCAP pedestrian AEB test - there are now many models that meet these criteria. Update: more details about the crash - it was a Volvo XC90 which had pedestrian AEB but failed to react in time. The XC90 has "acceptable" pedestrian impact protection and so the above suggestion (good protection) would likely not have changed the outcome but clearly it makes sense as a requirement for all driverless cars)
  
• 20 Mar 18 Global NCAP: Make ‘America First’ In Pedestrian Protection Global NCAP Tells Donald Trump (Note that Australia has not signed up to the international pedestrian protection regulation - GTR9 or UN-R127 -  despite claims to have done so in official submissions to WHO: Status Report on Road Safety 2015: pages 46, 67 & 85 - map of Australia should be yellow like the USA)
  
• 16 Feb 18 Transport NSW: Road Safety Plan 2021 - comment: "Only 38 per cent of cars and other light vehicles on NSW roads are Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) 5-star safety rated..." This is actually a remarkably high value for a fleet that is, on average, 11 years old. The 38% prediction aligns with the estimate made in this 2015 ESV paper "Vehicle Safety Trends and the Influence of NCAP Safety Ratings" (which is not referenced in the document).
  
• 6 Feb 18 British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA): Research Reveals Telematics Based [UK car insurance] Policies Almost Reaches One Million Mark (thanks Richard Tooth) - see PHYD insurance.
  
• 1 Feb 18 SMH: Police launch Operation Rolling Thunder crackdown after fatal truck crashes - see these links from the 1980s!
  
• 25 Jan 18 ABC: This is every road death since 1989 - graphic inter-active resource
  
• 5 Jan 18 SMH: Black spot program 'fatally flawed and federal governments complacent' on road safety: expert.
  
• 30 Dec 17 Al Jazeera: Will self-driving cars do more harm than good?
  
• 30 Dec 17 Wards: Facelifts Costly to Some Vehicles’ Safety Ratings + Euro NCAP: Fading Stars (Fiat Punto zero stars)
  
• 15 Dec 17 Fleet Owner (USA): Speeding more prevalent among motorists than truckers, CVSA enforcement blitz find...the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which began a major push to reduce speeding-related vehicle crashes on U.S. roads back in late July by encouraging more aggressive enforcement of speed limit laws and the wider adoption “intelligent speed adaptation systems.”
  
• 5 Dec 17 Badennove: Intelligent Speed Bump + Youtube: This speed bump is filled with liquid that hardens if you go too fast - a clever way to discourage speeding motorists while minimising discomfort to drivers who keep to the speed limit. It uses a dilatant (non-Newtonian) fluid which stiffens if deformed too quickly.
  
• 3 Nov 17 ETSC: Global NCAP looks to boost take-up of speed assistance systems worldwide + Global NCAP: Report of the Seminar on Advancing Speed Assistance Systems.
  
• 22 Aug 17 Transportation today: US should implement new policies to combat motorist deaths due to excessive speeding, NTSB report says + NTSB: Reducing Speeding-Related Crashes Involving Passenger Vehicles..."Intelligent speed adaptation is an effective vehicle technology to reduce speeding...Recommendation: Incentivize passenger vehicle manufacturers and consumers to adopt intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) systems by, for example, including ISA in the New Car Assessment Program."
  
• 17 Aug 17 Courier Mail: Ford Focus recall: Models made between April 2011 and September 2009 featured in safety recall [fuel tank cracking]
  
• 15 Aug 17 ABC: Robot hijacking threat in homes, cars could paralyse robotics industry, cyber expert warns.
  
• 25 Jul 17 ABC: Takata airbag recall process leaves drivers with 'ticking time-bombs', Choice says [Opinion: Although this is a serious issue the number of vehicles with potentially dangerous airbags is very small - it is understood that most vehicles on the Australian recall list have airbag units that are not dangerous but, since it is impossible to determine the defective ones, they all need to be replaced. The main issues have been obtaining a sufficient number of replacement units to meet demand and, in particular, contacting the owners of vehicles that are, in some cases, more than 15 years old. Consumer Reports USA has some useful information on this issue. Frontal airbags have been a key factor in the remarkable improvement in occupant safety over the past two decades - it is estimated that they have prevented more than 2,000 deaths and 20,000 serious injuries to Australian drivers since 1997.]
  
• 28 Mar 17 ABC15: Tempe Police: Self-driving Uber vehicle involved in rollover + Uber to Suspend Autonomous Tests After Arizona Accident.
  
• 20 Feb 17 BBC: Argentina coach crash: At least 19 killed near border with Chile [an example of the potential benefits of 3-point seat belts and rollover strength for buses. Note this horrific crash was not reported in any other western media]
  
• 11 Feb 17 ETSC: EU transport ministers back 'ambitious' vehicle safety improvements.
• 11 Feb 17 AAP ($):
• What’s the law got to do with it? Legislation regarding in-vehicle technology use and its impact on driver distraction
• Implicit attitudes towards risky driving: Development and validation of an affect misattribution procedure for speeding
• Evaluating the effectiveness of active vehicle safety systems
• Safer passenger car front shapes for pedestrians: A computational approach to reduce overall pedestrian injury risk in realistic impact scenarios
• 3 Jan 17 SMH: Minister says help your kids buy a safer car to reduce road toll (see Young Drivers)
  
• Nissan Qashqai gets five-stars, and a reprimand (no AEB)
  
• 
  

• 15 Nov 24 Create: How do you build a hydrogen refuelling station?
• 15 The Conversation: You will soon be able to power your house with your electric car. Here’s how.
• 19 Sep 24 The Guardian: Norway: electric cars outnumber petrol for first time in ‘historic milestone’ (the article refers to "fossil fuel vehicles" (FFV). In my view this term is much more appropriate than "internal combustion engine" (ICE) as it excludes hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. Also the term ICE plays down the pollution from these engines.
• 13 Sep 24 Electrek: Biden-Harris EPA rules save $253B/yr, 202k lives; Project 2025 seeks rollback.
  
• 14 Aug 24 The Guardian: Toyota hybrid among cars found to guzzle more petrol than advertised, study finds.
  
• 28 Jul 24 Create: Is hydrogen a viable fuel source for passenger vehicles?
  
• 4 Jul 24 ABC: Car makers could use New Vehicle Efficiency Standard loophole to rush higher-polluting cars into Australia.
  
• 4 Jun 24 New Scientist: Toxic chemicals from car tyres can get into soil and contaminate food.
  
• 10 Mar 24 The Guardian: Polestar joins Tesla in quitting auto lobby over its campaign against proposed vehicle efficiency standard + SMH ($): Stoush over caps on car emissions heats up.
  
• 9 Mar 24 ABC: Tesla quits FCAI over claims group deceived customers on CO2 scheme.
  
• 28 Feb 24 Goauto: Battle over ‘misleading’ NVES claims.
  
• 21 Feb 24 Goauto: CO2 modelling reveals cracks NVES may produce opposite outcomes for emissions and other unintended consequences [see above item for a counterview]
  
• 14 Feb 24 The Conversation: What would a vehicle efficiency standard for new cars cost – or save – Australian drivers?
  
• 24 Jan 24 Goauto: Ram embroiled in emissions scandal.
  
• 14 Jan 24 ABC: Canada says all cars and trucks must be zero-emission by 2035, leaving the auto industry unhappy.
  
• 14 Jan 23 The Guardian: ‘Paying too much’: what could you save on your holiday road trip if Australia had fuel-efficiency standards? + Five SUVs used up to 13% more fuel on Australian roads than reported in lab + AAA: Real-World Testing delivering for motorists
  
• 13 Nov 23 Drive: Hydrogen-fuelled Toyota HiAce twin-turbo V6 unveiled ahead of Australian pilot program.
  
• 21 Oct 23 ABC: Real-world fuel economy tests to uncover how much worse cars perform on Australian roads
  
• 3 Jul 23 ABC: Why do we keep building roads? 
• 24 Feb 23 The Conversation: Why a shift to basing vehicle registration fees on emissions matters for Australia.
  
• 17 Oct 22 New Scientist: Air pollution raises our risk of a stroke and its later complications.
  
• 27 Sep 22 The Conversation: We may be underestimating just how bad carbon-belching SUVs are for the climate – and for our health.
  
• 27 Sep 22 ABC: Motorists could have saved $5.9bn on fuel if efficiency standards were introduced in 2015
  
• 16 Aug 22 News.com.au: Class action law firm investigates possible breach from carmaker (Hino) over data tampering.
  
• 10 Aug 22 ABC; Motorists could have saved $5.9bn on fuel if efficiency standards were introduced in 2015, The Australia Institute report finds.
• 2 Jun 22 ACEEE: Energy-Efficient Cars Save Travelers Big Bucks on Road Trips.
  
• 28 Mar 22 The Conversation: Thinking of swerving high fuel prices with an e-scooter or e-bike? 5 crucial questions answered.(see also Allocating costs and benefits to modes of personal transport)
  
• 14 Mar 22 New Scientist: Leaded petrol may have lowered the IQ of over half the US population (see also Inventor hero was a one-man environmental disaster - Midgley "invented" lead in petrol and CFC refrigerants!)
• 14 Mar 22 Jpan Today: Toyota subsidiary Hino admits use of fraudulent emissions data.
  
• 21 Feb 22 New Scientist: One in 12 new cases of asthma in children linked to NO2 air pollution.
  
• 12 Nov 21 ABC: Rivian promised the electric ute. Here's why Wall Street is betting on it taking on Tesla.
  
• 25 Sep 21 New Scientist: WHO calls for lower limits on air pollution to save millions of lives.
  
• 28 Jul 21 Phys.org: India's poor face outsized air pollution death risk.
  
• 27 Jul 21 ACEEE: To Undo the Damage of Trump Rollbacks, Biden Needs to Set Car Standards Stronger than Obama’s
• 26 Jul 21 ABC: Call for change as illegal e-bikes reaching speeds of more than 100 kilometres per hour + Smart Transport: E-scooters predicted to be involved in up to 200,000 accidents ( see SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL MOTORISED ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES & A National Policy Framework for Alternative Vehicles )
  
• 2 Jul 21 SmartTransport: E-scooters could replace 5m car trips annually in London + UK could become e-scooter ‘market leader’ ( see also A National Policy Framework for Alternative Vehicles )
  
• 1 Jul 21 ACEEE: EPA Can Maximize Fuel Savings of Partially Automated Vehicles.
  
• 9 Apr 21 BoundMotor: SEGWAYS, SCOOTERS, AND SKATEBOARDS: THE NEW ELECTRIFIED URBAN TRANSPORTATION (see also SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL MOTORISED ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES )
  
• 7 Apr 21 The Conversation: Why cities planning to spend billions on light rail should look again at what buses can do (the Brazilian city of Curitiba introduced a rapid bus transit system in the 1990s - Urban Planning in Curitiba ($)
  
• 4 Mar 21 ACEEE: Electric Vehicles Top GreenerCars’ 2021 Ratings as Automakers Push Electrification
  
• 14 Feb 21 Japan Today: Toyota to add electric, plug-in hybrid vehicles next year.
  
• 10 Feb 21 The Conversation: The US jumps on board the electric vehicle revolution, leaving Australia in the dust. + On an electric car road trip around NSW, we found range anxiety (and the need for more chargers) is real.
  
• 5 Feb 21 The Guardian: Make oil firms install electric car chargers in petrol stations, says thinktank.
  
• 5 Feb 21 ABC: Government [finally] releases plans for electric vehicles, not considering cash incentives for new owners - tax disincentives like the luxury car tax remain
  
• 3 Feb 21 GoAuto: Consumption tax answer to EV charging - Payment app developed in Melbourne makes paying for EV charging a painless exercise
  
• 30 Jan 21 Goauto: 100 new free EV charging stations for regional Vic
  
• 30 Jan 21 The Driven: First BYD Han electric sedan lands in Australia ahead of consumer launch.
  
• 28 Jan 21 The Driven: Buyer of Holden’s Australian test site launches three “smart” electric cars.
  
• 24 Jan 21 The Driven: Volkswagen challenges Tesla with new “Trinity” electric vehicle + Israel’s StoreDot unveils “5-minute charge” EV battery.
  
• 14 Jan 21 SmartTransport: Electric car sales soar amid turbulent year.
  
• 9 Jan 21 Science ($): Tire tread particles turn streams toxic.
  
• 8 Jan 21 New Scientist ($): Over 100 cities have made public transport free – others should follow +  Electric cars' best ever year is a tipping point for green transport + Rosamund Kissi-Debrah: Clean air 'Ella's law' would honour her memory.
  
• 8 Jan 21: The Conversation: Distance-based road charges will improve traffic — and if done right won’t slow Australia’s switch to electric cars.
  
• 4 Jan 21 EV Central: Every EV and plug-in hybrid car coming to Australia in 2021.
  
• 29 Dec 20 Japan Today: Toyota releases compact 2-seater EV for corporate users, local gov'ts. [looks like a Smart!]
  
• 5 Dec 20 Japan Today: Japan set to ban sales of new gasoline cars in mid-2030s: reports + Automakers prep for stronger mileage standards under Biden.
  
• 26 Nov 20 The Guardian: 'Disastrous' or a smart move? How Victoria's case for an electric car usage tax stacks up + The Conversation: Think taxing electric vehicle use is a backward step? Here’s why it’s an important policy advance (see my comments at end)
  
• 26 Nov 20 SmartTransport (UK): Widespread support for legalising micromobility vehicles.
  
• 22 Nov 20 The Guardian: 'We'll be left behind': Australia's electric car inertia is getting it nowhere + Caradvice: Victoria will follow South Australia with a per-kilometre usage fee for pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars.
• 20 Nov 20 SAE: Battery Show teems with all things rechargeable.
  
• 4 Sep 20 New Scientist: Asphalt on roads may soon be greater source of air pollution than cars.
  
• 3 Aug 20 The Guardian: Electric cars have few downsides except price. One company is looking to change that.
  
• 21 Apr 20 SAE: GM and Honda to jointly develop Honda’s electric vehicles.
  
• 18 Apr 20 ACEEE: Rollback of fuel efficiency standards will harm U.S. economy and public health for years.
  
• 1 Apr 20 CNN: Obama slams rollback of vehicle emission standards in rare rebuke of Trump.
  
• 20 Feb 20 Renew Energy: Tesla makes it into top 10 most popular car brands in NSW.
  
• 23 Jan 20 Fleet News: Government body says EV revolution can benefit UK’s energy system.
  
• 23 Jan 20 ACEEE: 2020 Hybrids Surge onto Greenest Car List, Joining the Greenest of EVs + New DOE Rule Undercuts a Top US Policy for Saving Energy.
  
• 13 Jan 20 New Scientist: Air pollution exposure may make our bones become weaker
  
• 3 Jan 20 New Scientist: Chinese air quality regulations could put an end to 'new car smell'
  
• 28 Dedc 19 ABC: Our transport system needs fixing, but a tax on electric vehicles isn't the solution.
  
• 6 Dec 19 Fleet News: Air pollution linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
  
• 15 Nov 19 New Scientist: Here's how we can stop a mountain of electric car batteries piling up.
  
• 12 Nov 19 The Conversation: Smart tech systems cut congestion for a fraction of what new roads cost.
  
• 29 Oct 19 The Conversation: The hidden traffic impacts of private schooling.
  
• 28 Oct 19 NewSci: Changing a child's route to school can halve exposure to air pollution.
  
• 28 Oct 19 The Guardian: SUVs second biggest cause of emissions rise, figures reveal,
• 23 Oct 19 The Conversation: To bolster our fragile road and rail system we need to add a ‘micro-mobility’ network - see also SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL MOTORISED ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES
• 12 Oct 19 The Conversation: We thought Australian cars were using less fuel. New research shows we were wrong.
  
• 21 Sep 19 The Guardian: Theft of catalytic converters from hybrid cars surges.
  
• 19 Sep 19 ACEEE: US Government Takes Sledgehammer to Clean Car Rules - "[Trump] administration is revoking California’s waiver to set stricter vehicle emissions standards that more than a dozen other states have adopted...Rolling back fuel economy standards will do nothing to improve traffic safety, as the administration has claimed" + Energy efficiency can slash emissions and get US halfway to climate goals.
• 16 Sep 19 Lifehacker: Why No One Is Beating Tesla's Range
• 12 Sep 19 Japan Today: (European) Car makers near CO2 cliff-edge in electrification race
  
• 9 Sep 19 The Conversation: Clean, green machines: the truth about electric vehicle emissions. See also this report.
  
• 5 Sep 19 ABC: Toyota diesel emissions expose broader problem with car pollution in Australia.
  
• 2 Sep 19 The Conversation: Flexible working, the neglected congestion-busting solution for our cities.
  
• 27 Jul 19 New Scientist: Adding more bioethanol {E10] to petrol is no way to go green
  
• 25 Jul 19 BBC: India turns to electric vehicles to beat pollution.
  
• 14 Jul 19 NewSci: Forget Tesla - China’s BYD is driving the electric car revolution.
  
• 14 Jul 19 The Guardian: Billions of air pollution particles found in hearts of city dwellers.
  
• 10 May 19 The Conversation: How to increase train use by up to 35% with one simple trick (spoiler - more station entrances)
  
• 25 Mar 19 Japan Today: Amnesty International faults electric vehicle batteries as carbon intensive.
  
• 25 Mar 19 New Scientist: Does air pollution really kill nearly 9 million people each year? + James Bond is making the switch to an electric car, so when will you?
  
• 7 Dec 18 NewSci: The best pollution masks for cyclists block half of bad particles.
  
• 7 Dec 18 Science ($): Flawed analyses of U.S. auto fuel economy standards
  
• 29 Oct 18 NewSci: Banning cars in major cities would rapidly improve millions of lives.
  
• 17 Oct 18 The Guardian: 'I leave the car at home': how free buses are revolutionising one French city.
  
• 3 Oct 18 ACEEE: Stormy weather ahead: [USA] Federal agencies begin to roll back efficiency policy - [the rollback and restrictions on states like California] "would waste 14 billion gallons of fuel a year..."
  
• 29 Aug 18 ABC: Electric car growth and greater fuel efficiency spark calls for change to fuel excise funding.
  
• 19 Aug 18 The Guardian: Tesla sues Ontario government for 'unfair' scrapping of electric car scheme.
  
• 2 Aug 18 WMBF News: US [Trump] says driving would be riskier if fuel standards tougher - bizarre claims!
  
• 26 Apr 18 Euro NCAP: New LEAF charging ahead with 5 star result in toughest safety tests to date - "... environmental friendliness need not come at the expense of improved safety."
• 9 Apr 18 ACEEE: ACEEE Denounces Imminent EPA Rejection of Commonsense Light-Duty Standards.
  
• 5 Jan 18 Science ($):  Air pollution's hidden impacts
  
• 20 Feb 17 NBC: Tesla Under Fire After Explosive Crash - an explosive crash in Indianapolis involving a Model S battery-electric vehicle that took the life of a young woman and her boss...
  
• 12 Aug 16 ABC: What should you do if you hit an animal while driving?
  
• 7 Jan 16 News.Com: Car industry needs govt help on emissions [actually the FCAI is suggesting ways governments could reduce emissions - the headline reads like the industry is seeking funding]
  

Earlier Green News.

Safety News Links

• Yahoo Automotive News (mainly business items)
• Auto.com.
• NHTSA Press Releases  Hot Spots and Recall List.
• ETSC's CRASH Newsletter.
• APBNews.
• Fastlane.
• UK AA Recall list
• Australian recalls.
• Scientific American Newsletters - mainly ITS - subscription required.
• Choice - Australian recalls.
• Press clippings from Pedestrian Council of Australia.
• RACV Motoring News.
• GoAuto News.
• Driveandstayalaive news.
• Automotive Digest (AD)
• Auto Insider - Detroit Free Press
• Consumer Reports - Consumers Union of US
• Virtual Fleet Risk Management News- Will Murray.
• InterRegs - regulation spotlight.

Green News Links

• Greenhouse gases and climate change - news and links
• GREEN CAR GUIDE: DRAFT RATING PROTOCOL - Prepared for NSW Sustainable Development Authority April 2000. Includes a proposal for rating electric vehicles.
• Carlines - USA website with PDF reports
• US EPA Mobile Sources.
• California Air Resources Board including Buyer's Guide to Cleaner Cars.
• STAPPA and ALAPCO - US gov agencies
• UK Vehicle Certification Agency ‘New Car Fuel Consumption & Emission Figures’ and Press Release.
• Green Guide to Cars and Trucks - US ACEEE
• FISITA: Automotive Sustainability - Emissions
• Comments about safety and environmental issues with SUVs.
• Australian ABC Environmental News.
• RACV: Cars and the environment
• Environment Daily - transport items.
• Natural Resources Canada: Fuel Consumption Guide.
• NSW DEC Green Vehicles Guide.
• NRMA Greensafe Car Profiler
• www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au - Australian Government
  
• Tax breaks for green cars:
• Netherlands
• Norway?
• USA? (proposed)
• Australia - NSW
• Australia - Federal?
• Van (People mover) Pooling cost comparison.
• Share your ride - car pooling for backpackers
• Wikipedia: Hubbert peak [oil] theory.