Experts Call for Mandatory Black Box Technology in Road Vehicles
A Royal Australasian College of Surgeons crash expert has called for black box monitoring technology to be made mandatory for all road vehicles, trucks and cars included.
According to the body of surgeons, mandating black box technology in all road vehicles will improve road safety by resulting in better driving behaviour and improved road law enforcement.
The RACS is a leading body of surgeons in Australia and having witnessed countless road trauma victims, its members are not satisfied with what is being done to address road safety.
The RACS also believes that the government’s target of a 30 per cent reduction in road deaths is not strong enough and more needs to be done to improve road safety. According to the RACS there would still be over 800 deaths per year if this target were achieved.
The organisation said:
“The target will still result in over 800 deaths per year (and possibly 4,000 to 5,000 serious injuries),” the college notes in its submission to the Senate Inquiry into Aspects of Road Safety.
“For surgeons who see road trauma victims on a daily basis, this is unacceptable.”
Read more at: http://www.fullyloaded.com.au
The RACS has also called on the Federal Government to introduce the following measures:
increase vehicle licensing and road-worthiness checks
fit alcohol-activated interlock devices to all trucks
abandon the current open speed limit trial taking place in the Northern Territory.
Read more at: http://www.fullyloaded.com.au
The surgeons, many of whom see the consequences of road crashes every day in the emergency room, say the government should be diligent in the implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020.
Part of the RACS’ recommendations includes making black box technology a compulsory inclusion for all cars and heavy vehicles on Australian roads. They say this will discourage truck drivers in particular from bad driving practices. And when accidents do occur, the black box will allow for the analysis of the crash.
The RAC went on to explain:
“Having black boxes installed in all vehicles may act as a deterrent to unsafe driving practices, particularly with respect to truck drivers,” it says.
“In addition to improving law enforcement, the technology can be useful in the analysis of crashes, facilitating a better understanding of crash and injury risk factors and mechanisms.”
According to the article on Fullyloaded.com.au there is at least one road crash analyst that agrees with the RACS’ recommendation. The article goes on to quote principal forensic engineer Shane Richardson of Delta-V Experts who believes the black box technology should be introduced. He explained why:
“You can tell exactly who was doing what (in a vehicle), and when,” he says.
Read more at: http://www.fullyloaded.com.au
Although many trucks and some cars on the road already have digital monitoring devices installed as part of independent systems, the mandatory black box technology would make more sense, according to the RACS. Some transport companies are making use of the technology to monitor their employees driving but mandatory inclusion would make law enforcement more effective.
