Hartley, Rikki J. (2023) Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of current and innovative rural road safety countermeasures implemented in Far North Queensland. [USQ Project]
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Abstract
The rural road network in Far North Queensland is vast, comprising of over 40,000 km of state-controlled roads and 2,000km of local government owned roads. This road network is essential to supporting the economic outcomes for Far North Queensland. This includes domestic and international farming exports and the mining industry. The road network is also essential for social outcomes with 6% of the population in this region living in areas that are classified as remote or very remote. However, the grim reality is that road trauma is a leading cause of death amongst society and over 80% of run-off-road fatalities are on Australian rural road networks. Crash fatality data shows an increase of fatalities by 27% from 2018 and 2022 and increase in hospitalised casualties by 8%.
Recognising the profound connection between road accidents and environmental factors, safety treatments should be selected in a way that will specifically target the root cause of these crashes. With advancements in road safety strategies and techniques, prioritising the reduction of road fatalities is paramount. The core objective of this research is to pinpoint problematic sections along the rural roads of Far North Queensland, known as chainages, and establish a correlation between the causative factors and the environmental conditions of these segments. Subsequently, innovative safety interventions are deployed in these identified chainages to draw a comparative analysis between current and innovative safety measures.
The research outcomes indicate that advancements in road safety can significantly enhance the overall safety of the targeted road sections. An assessment of the current state of these chainage sections revealed that most fell short of meeting the safe system objectives. However, after the implementation of advanced safety treatments, a substantial improvement was observed, particularly in reducing run-off-road type crashes. Furthermore, the findings derived from the Safe System matrix highlight that safety measures emphasising the geometric properties of the carriageway wielded a more substantial influence in enhancing safety compared to guidance treatments such as signage and linemarking. Additionally, this research underscores the existing gap in rural road safety treatments within Far North Queensland and underscores the imperative for further initiatives and projects aimed at enhancing road safety in these remote areas.
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| Item Type: | USQ Project |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Engineering (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Seligmann, Hannah |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Sep 2025 00:58 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Sep 2025 00:58 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Rural; Road Safety; Safe Systems; Austroads; Geometric; Environmental |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52951 |
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