The Accident Countermeasures Research project provides information about the accident reductions that could be expected under New Zealand conditions if particular accident countermeasures are implemented. To achieve this objective, international literature on the effects of accident countermeasures, especially that which examined the impacts of countermeasures on specific accident types and on accident severity, was reviewed. The literature originated from 11 countries, with Australia, USA, the United Kingdom and New Zealand providing the highest number of publications. Particular emphasis was given to information relating to the last five years, but earlier information was also assembled if it was readily available. An overview of the work undertaken in the project, the project findings, and summaries of the information available in the literature are supplied. Full listings of the information collected from the 207 publications reviewed, a full list of references, and one-page summaries of the publications that provide countermeasure statistics by severity and/or by manoeuvre, and the methodology used, are presented. Abstracts, articles and reports about the effectiveness of accident countermeasures were collected and entered into a database file. Accident countermeasures were then categorised according to thirteen categories called features, further subdivided into categories called treatments, and then into area type which identifies their location. Information about the effectiveness of various accident countermeasures was extracted from the publication. Each value of the percentage change in accidents, related to a particular feature-treatment combination, was entered into a second database, and summarised. (Author/publisher)
Abstract