AMA SA goes inside Adelaide’s ‘crash lab’
AMA SA’s Road Safety Committee visited the Centre for Automotive Safety and Research to discuss engineering and behavioural solutions that would make roads safer for all users.
The confronting video below was filmed inside the vehicle test laboratory at the Centre for Automative Safety and Research (CASR) in Kent Town.
It’s a simulation of a child being struck by a vehicle travelling at a speed of 40 kilometres per hour.
The object propelled at the car’s bonnet represents a child’s head.
Members of AMA SA’s Road Safety Committee (RSC) witnessed the demonstration from behind safety glass during a visit to CASR on Friday 21 February.
It was part of a tour of the facility led by CASR Director Associate Professor Jeremy Woolley, who we are lucky to have sit on our RSC as an invited member.
CASR is internationally recognised as a leading independent research organisation in road safety. Its expert team conducts high-quality research, enabling informed decision-making in the development and implementation of road safety measures and policies.
A/Prof Woolley and CASR Lab Manager Andrew van den Berg demonstrated the different types of ‘head form’ and ‘leg form’ crash tests which are conducted at the site. They also explained how small modifications in vehicle manufacturing can have a significant bearing on pedestrian safety.
RSC members discussed behavioural issues, like speeding and drink driving, which contribute to serious road crashes. They also spoke about the engineering solutions in cars which would improve road safety.
A/Prof Woolley expressed the need to make event data recorders (EDRs) – or vehicle black boxes – mandatory in Australia. At the moment EDRs are installed at the manufacturer’s discretion in Australia and there is no standard protocol.
The RSC, which is chaired by Dr Monika Moy, stands alone in Australia as the only AMA committee dedicated to road safety advocacy. It includes members from a range of stakeholder groups including RAA and South Australia Police. The Committee is tasked with identifying and acting on matters related to road safety, trauma, medical assessment for driving and general road safety advocates.
Dr Moy thanked A/Prof Woolley and CASR for welcoming AMA SA to its facility.