Young drivers can be made safer by driver-assist systems, MUARC report shows

The following content is sourced from MUARC here.

The number of crashes involving young drivers will substantially reduce when the fitment of driver-assist technologies is maximised in Australia, a MUARC report has found.

The research compared the benefits of autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep active assist systems (LKAA) and electronic stability control (ESC) for novice drivers compared to those with experience.

It was found that that 14% of young driver injury crashes could be saved if there was 100% fitment, which is 75% greater than the saving estimated for experienced drivers.

Furthermore, 15% of young driver Property Damage Only (PDO) crashes could be saved if there was 100% fitment of the technologies. This saving is 50% higher than that estimated for experienced drivers.

The results showed ESC has the potential to double its current young driver PDO crash savings to approximately 400 per year and AEB was estimated to have the potential to save almost 1,200 young driver PDO crashes per year.

The 2020 value of the potential PDO and injury crash savings from 100% fitment of ESC, LDW and AEB to young driver vehicles in Australia was estimated at $313 million.

In New Zealand, the additional proportion of injuries preventable by 100% fitment for young drivers was estimated to be 28%, 23% and 21% for fatal, serious and minor injuries respectively. This compared to equivalent estimates of 24%, 18% and 16% for non-novice drivers.

The cost savings for New Zealand was an estimated $135 million.

Given the effectiveness of driver-assist systems at reducing young driver crashes, the MUARC report provides support for mandating driver-assist systems in the vehicles driven by young drivers or, alternatively, to initiate educations programs that encourage greater uptake of these technologies.

The mandate or programs would have their greatest proportional benefits in crash avoidance and injury mitigation within young-driver-involved large SUV and commercial vehicle crashes.

To read the full report, please click here.