Michael Fitzharris

Monash University (Australia) · Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC)

Recent advances in vehicle technology permit the real-time monitoring of driver state to reduce distraction-related crashes, particularly within the heavy vehicle industry. Relatively little published research has evaluated the human machine interface (HMI) design for these systems. However, the efficacy of in-vehicle technology depends in large pa...

Objective: This paper aimed to investigate the robustness of driver cognitive workload detection based on electrocardiogram (ECG) when considering temporal variation and individual differences in cognitive workload. Background: Cognitive workload is a critical component to be monitored for error prevention in human-machine systems. It may fluctu...

Driver fatigue and distraction are major road safety issues globally; developing driver state detection and warning technology to help reduce impairment-related incidents is a promising approach. The aim of this case study was to design an effective Human Machine Interface (HMI) for a near-market driver warning system primarily aimed at commercial...

To understand the current prevalence of aggressive acts on Australian roads, a large cross-sectional survey was conducted inviting drivers from all Australian jurisdictions to participate. A stratified sampling procedure was undertaken to ensure the age and gender distributions were representative of each jurisdiction. Participants were asked to re...

To understand the current prevalence of aggressive acts on Australian roads, a large cross-sectional survey was conducted inviting drivers from all Australian jurisdictions to participate. A stratified sampling procedure was undertaken to ensure the age and gender distributions were representative of each jurisdiction. Participants were asked to re...

Objective: Motorcycles and mopeds, often referred to as powered 2-wheelers (PTWs), play an important role in personal mobility worldwide. Despite their advantages, including low cost, space occupancy, and fuel efficiency, the risk of sustaining serious or fatal injuries is higher than that for occupants of passenger cars. The development of safety...

Objective: Fractures are a common injury among motorcycle riders and can have serious health implications. Impact protection (IP) has been designed to help prevent fractures, yet there are conflicting opinions as to whether this IP does in fact help prevent fractures in real-world crashes. This work aimed to (1) use simulated dummy impacts to exami...

Objective: Rural roads are characterized by hazardous roadsides and suboptimal geometry yet allow for high travel speeds and unfavorable impact angles. In Victoria, 25% of persons seriously injured and 52% of fatalities occur on rural roads, with 30% occurring at intersections. In the United States, almost twice the number of traffic fatalities occ...

Objective: Crash and injury surveillance studies have identified a range of rider-related factors, including age, sex, licensure, training and experience, as being associated with motorcycle crash risk. The aim of this study was to establish whether these previously identified factors were associated with crash involvement in an Australian-based po...

Research question / Starting point for investigation: The improvement of motorcycle and moped riders’ safety is in the European agenda. Regrettably, the current scattered approach adopted by the industry and the academia is inefficient. The identification of a shared motorcycle safety roadmap may optimise the efforts of the stakeholders. To contrib...

Objective: This study used medicolegal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to four key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users, and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity. Methods: The Coroners Court of Victoria'...

Background: Drink-driving and alcohol-related crashes are a significant problem globally. Alcohol interlocks are used to prevent drivers with a blood alcohol concentration above a pre-determined level from starting their vehicle, making the technology highly effective in preventing drink-drive episodes. While alcohol interlocks are commonly used i...

Objective: This study used medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU, aged 65 years and older) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to four key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity. Method: The...

Introduction: Motorcyclists represent an increasing proportion of road users globally and are increasingly represented in crash statistics. Soft tissue injuries are the most common type of injuries to crashed motorcyclists. These injuries can be prevented through the use of protective clothing designed for motorcycle use. However, the quality of s...

Motorcycle riders are over-represented in road fatalities in Australia. While riders represent 18% of the road users killed each year, motorcycle registrations constitute only 4.5% of the registered vehicle fleet. The Motorcycle Rider Behaviour Questionnaire (MRBQ) was developed with a view toward understanding behaviours likely to be associated wi...

Objective Laboratory studies have demonstrated that impact protectors (IP) used in motorcycle clothing can reduce fracture severities. While crash studies have reported IP are associated with reduced likelihood of soft tissue injury, there is little evidence of their effectiveness in reducing fracture likelihood. This discrepancy might be related t...

Background: Vehicle speed is a major contributor to road trauma, both in terms of increased crash risk and injury severity. In Australia, approximately one third of fatal crashes occur in speed zones of 100km/h. This proportion has remained the same, despite the reduction in the number of road fatalities over the past decade. To drive further redu...

Objective: Real-time driver monitoring systems represent a solution to address key behavioral risks as they occur, particularly distraction and fatigue. The efficacy of these systems in real-world settings is largely unknown. This paper has three objectives: 1) to document the incidence and duration of fatigue in real-world commercial truck driving...

Background: Alcohol contributes to approximately 30% of all serious crashes. While the majority of drivers acknowledge the risks associated with drink-driving, a significant proportion of the population continue to engage in this behaviour. Attitudes towards drink-driving as well as personal alcohol consumption patterns are likely to underpin a dr...

Objective: Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is a safety system that detects imminent forward collisions and reacts by slowing down the host vehicle without any action from the driver. AEB effectiveness in avoiding and mitigating real-world crashes has recently been demonstrated. Research suggests that a translation of AEB to powered 2-wheelers co...

Background Motorcyclists are vulnerable road users and with increasing registrations, the number of motorcyclists killed and injured continues to rise. Commonly reported risk factors for crash involvement include the type of motorcycle, the rider’s familiarity with the motorcycle and rider age. However, identifying potential risk factors is only th...

Background Speeding is a key issue for all drivers as it influences both crash risk and crash severity. Young drivers, particularly males, are more likely to engage in speeding behaviour and speeding is a common contributing factor in young driver crashes. Greater understanding of the impact of speed and speeding on young driver crash risk and cras...

Objective. Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) acts to slow down a vehicle when an unavoidable impending collision is detected. In addition to documented benefits when applied to passenger cars, AEB has also shown potential when applied to motorcycles (MAEB). However, the feasibility of MAEB as practically applied to motorcycles in the real world is...

Objective: Pelvic injuries are a serious and commonly occurring injury to motorcycle riders involved in crashes, yet there has been limited research investigating the mechanisms involved in these injuries. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms involved in pelvic injuries to crashed motorcyclists. Method: This study involved in-depth cra...

This paper presents a method to identify inevitable collision states (ICS) specifically for a motorcycle when interacting with an opponent passenger car in typical traffic scenarios. Previous ICS methods were applied to passenger cars or generic vehicles; however, the peculiarities of motorcycles urge the definition of specific methods for these ve...

The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) is a widely used measure of driving behaviours that may increase a driver's risk of crash involvement. However, there are several different versions of the DBQ varying in terms of number of items and factor structure. The aim of the current research was to assess the construct validity of the popular 28-item...

Objective: The elevated crash involvement rate of young drivers is well documented. Given the higher crash risk of young drivers and the need for innovative policy and programs, it remains important to fully understand the type of crashes young drivers are involved in, and knowledge of the lifetime care cost of crashes can support effective policy...

Motorcycle protective clothing can be uncomfortably hot during summer, and this experiment was designed to evaluate the physiological significance of that burden. Twelve males participated in four, 90-min trials (cycling 30 W) across three environments (25, 30, 35 °C [all 40% relative humidity]). Clothing was modified between full and minimal injur...

This study presents a triggering algorithm for a collaborative, motorcycle-to-car collision avoidance system that slows down the car without input of the driver when the collision becomes imminent. The algorithm is based on the concept of inevitable collision states. Example applications of the proposed algorithm were obtained via 2D computer simul...

Injuries resulting from road traffic crashes are a substantial cause of disability and death worldwide. Injured persons receiving compensation have poorer recovery and return to work than those with non-compensable injury. Case or claims management is a critical component of injury compensation systems, and there is now evidence that claims managem...

Objectives: We identified the features of a land use-transportation system that optimizes the health and well-being of the population. Methods: We developed a quantitative system dynamics model to represent relationships among land use, transport, economic development, and population health. Simulation experiments were conducted over a 10-year s...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an injury to the spinal cord from traumatic or non traumatic causes. Data collection on the basis of income allows SCI statistics to meaningfully describe countries within a socioeconomic context. High-income countries have around one-fifth or more of their populations over 60 years of age, whereas lower income countries...

Background/Purpose: The aim of the research was to develop a decision-support tool based on a quantitative system dynamic model to address the policy question that lies at the heart of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety; i.e. how do we stabilise and then reduce the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the world by 2020?...

Motorcycle autonomous emergency braking (MAEB) was recently identified as a promising safety solution, the applicability of which was estimated to be one third of all motorcycle crashes. Further evaluations are needed to clarify the potential benefits of MAEB in real world crashes. In this paper, a new method is presented. The method involves first...

Objective: In 2006, Motorcycle Autonomous Emergency Braking (MAEB) was developed by a European Consortium (Powered Two Wheeler Integrated Safety, PISa) as a crash severity countermeasure for riders. This system can detect an obstacle through sensors in the front of the motorcycle and brakes automatically to achieve a 0.3 g deceleration if the coll...

Study design: Population modelling--forecasting. Objectives: To estimate the global incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). Setting: An initiative of the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) Prevention Committee. Methods: Regression techniques were used to derive regional and global estimates of TSCI incidence. Using the findi...

Background: Research identifies age, experience, exposure and motorcycle type as contributing factors to motorcycle crashes, but the prevalence of these factors in the rider population is unknown. This study quantifies the characteristics of riders in NSW. Method: Motorcyclists (n=506) were surveyed at 25 motor registries across NSW. A multi-stage...

Study design: Literature review. Objectives: Update the global maps for traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) and incorporate methods for extrapolating incidence data. Setting: An initiative of the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) Prevention Committee. Methods: A search of Medline/Embase was performed (1959-Jun/30/2011). Enhancement o...

Introduction: Strategies to reduce the crash and injury risk of motorcyclists depend on the accurate identification of causal and risk patterns, including demographic and behavioral factors and exposure. This study was designed as a snapshot of the motorcyclist population in NSW to produce a profile of their characteristics. The aim was to obtain m...

Background Driver inattention and distraction represent major challenges for road safety. Although both are believed to increase crash risk, there is currently limited information on their role in crashes. Aims This study aimed to investigate driver inattention and distraction in serious casualty crashes using data from the Australian National Cras...

Background Road traffic accidents are a leading cause of death and disability in the Republic of Botswana. Fatality rates increased by 383% (per 10 000 vehicles) from 1975–1998, with recent estimates indicating a 50% higher fatality rate per population than the global average. Few studies have systematically examined the characteristics of crashes...

Background: Little is known about the contribution of protective clothing worn in motorcycle crashes to subsequent health-related outcomes, impairment and quality of life. Methods: A prospective cohort of 212 adult motorcyclists were recruited following motorcycle crashes in the ACT over 12 months from June 2008. Participants were interviewed, the...

Understanding individual factors associated with return to work (RTW) post-injury is an important goal of compensation systems research. The aim of the present study was to determine factors associated with time to return to work following acute unintentional injuries. A prospective cohort study was conducted in Victoria, Australia. The cohort comp...

Little is known about the contribution of protective clothing worn in motorcycle crashes to subsequent health-related outcomes, impairment and quality of life. A prospective cohort of 212 adult motorcyclists were recruited following presentations to hospitals or crash repair services in a defined geographic area in Australia between June 2008 and J...

Injuries are a major source of mortality and morbidity in China with approximately 66 million citizens requiring emergency medical care. Trauma registries provide the basis for quality assurance processes and inform the treatment of the injured patient. Against the backdrop of the recently established Chinese National Injury Surveillance System, th...

Pre-hospital triage protocols are an important component in the treatment of injured patients. The aim was to determine the level of, and factors associated with, adherence to the pre-hospital trauma triage criteria for urban patients transported in New South Wales, Australia. This retrospective study included patients injured in urban areas who we...

Background: Apart from helmets, little is known about the effectiveness of motorcycle protective clothing in reducing injuries in crashes. The study aimed to quantify the association between usage of motorcycle clothing and injury in crashes. Methods and findings: Cross‐sectional analytic study. Crashed motorcyclists (n=212, 71% of identified eligi...

Apart from helmets, little is known about the effectiveness of motorcycle protective clothing in reducing injuries in crashes. The study aimed to quantify the association between usage of motorcycle clothing and injury in crashes. Cross-sectional analytic study. Crashed motorcyclists (n=212, 71% of identified eligible cases) were recruited through...

Table S1. Description of categories used to classify identified research papers. Table with a description of categories used to classify identified research papers, including high level subject domain, primary focus of paper, and subject categorisations.

Table S2. Number and percent (%) of articles identified by category. Table with number and percent of articles by classification category.

Injuries represent a significant and growing public health concern in China. This Review was conducted to document the characteristics of injured patients presenting to the emergency department of Chinese hospitals and to assess of the nature of information collected and reported in published surveillance studies. A systematic search of MEDLINE and...

The objective of the study was to determine differences between the United States-based NASS and CIREN and Australia-based ANCIS databases in occupant-, crash-, and vehicle-related parameters for AIS 4+ head injuries in motor vehicle crashes. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine roles of the change in velocity (DV), crash type (fro...

While helmet usage is often mandated, few motorcycle and scooter riders make full use of protection for the rest of the body. Little is known about the factors associated with riders' usage or non-usage of protective clothing. Novice riders were surveyed prior to their provisional licence test in NSW, Australia. Questions related to usage and belie...

Graduated licensing schemes (GLS) have been found to reduce the crash risk of young novice drivers, but have demonstrated less success with novice motorcycle riders. This study aimed to examine the riding experience of a sample of Australian learner riders to establish the extent and variety of their riding practice during the learner stage. Riders...

Graduated licensing schemes have been found to reduce the crash risk of young novice drivers, but there is less evidence of their success with novice motorcycle riders. This study examined the riding experience of a sample of Australian learner-riders to establish the extent and variety of their riding practice during the learner stage. Riders comp...

the burden of falls and fall-related injuries among older adults is well established. Contention surrounds the effectiveness, and hence value, of multi-component fall prevention interventions delivered in the community. using consensus-based analytic guidelines rather than time-to-first fall as the primary endpoint, the objective was to examine the...

Despite the relative lack of motorisation, the African region had the equal highest mortality in 2007 globally, at 32.2 deaths per 100 000 population (WHO 2009). With increasing rates of motorisation, traffic-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are projected to increase by 80%; in contrast, a 30% reduction in deaths in high income countries is ant...

Objective: To explore the relationships between injury, disability, work role and return-to-work outcomes following admission to hospital as a consequence of injury sustained in a road crash. Design and setting: Prospective cohort study of patients admitted to an adult trauma centre and two metropolitan teaching hospitals in Victoria, Australia....

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) are popular in first world health systems despite inconsistent evidence in the scientific literature to support their use. The aim of the current study was to perform a systematic review of economic evaluations of HEMS, in order to determine the economic cost of HEMS and the associated patient-centered b...

Traffic crashes and consequent injuries represent a growing public health concern in India, particularly in light of increasing motorization. Motorised two-wheeled vehicles (MTV) constitute a large portion of the vehicle fleet in India. We report the crash characteristics and injury patterns among a cohort of MTV riders and pillions presenting to h...

This predictive study investigated the effectiveness of Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) systems in reducing road fatalities, due to enabling faster emergency medical services (EMS) notification times, and therefore, the earlier provision of treatment. The cost-effectiveness associated with fleet installation of ACN systems in Australia was also...

General aviation accidents represent 70% to 90% of all aviation accidents. Human error is implicated as a contributory factor in 85% of these crashes. General aviation crashes (N = 169) were analyzed using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) to elucidate the role of error in Australian crashes. Aircrew were more likely to c...

Whilst there has been a significant increase in the amount of consumer interest in the safety performance of privately owned vehicles, the role that it plays in consumers' purchase decisions is poorly understood. The aims of the current study were to determine: how important vehicle safety is in the new vehicle purchase process; what importance con...

To examine the relationship between child weight and vehicle booster seat usage in the context of current Australasian booster seat standards. Questionnaire survey conducted between February and April 2005. A convenience sample of parents with children aged 4-11 years in New South Wales and Victoria completed a questionnaire, reporting on the heigh...

This study investigated the factors associated with the premature graduation into seatbelts for Australian children aged 4-11 years. From 699 child restraint use questionnaires, 195 children were identified as meeting the booster seat height-weight criteria (height: 100-145 cm and weight: 14-26 kg). Of these children, 44% were correctly traveling i...

With increasing rates of survival associated with traffic crashes, a shift to understand the consequences of injury has risen to prominence. This prospective cohort study set out to examine general health status and functional disability at 2 months and 6-8 months post-crash. Participants were otherwise healthy adults aged 18-59 years admitted to h...

While advances in nanotechnology promise to deliver significant benefits to many aspects of health care, there is increasing concern that regulatory regimes do not adequately capture the potential risks associated with this new technology. Concerns have arisen due to preliminary evidence suggesting that some engineered nanoparticles may display und...

Anxiety and traumatic stress symptoms are common post-crash. This study documents generalised anxiety responses post-crash, and examines the association between Acute Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with personality and coping styles. Sixty-two patients aged 18-60 admitted to hospital were interviewed prior to discharge, a...

Recent studies have shown that survivors of road traffic crashes experience significant psychological health difficulties. Perception of another party as being responsible for the occurrence of a crash has been associated with on-going distress and lower psychological well-being. This paper extends this research by examining the influence of percei...

Most licensing jurisdictions in Australia maintain mandatory assessment programs targeting older drivers, whereby a driver reaching a specified age is required to prove his or her fitness to drive through medical assessment and/or on-road testing. Previous studies both in Australia and elsewhere have consistently failed to demonstrate that age-base...

Given both the expected growth in the number of older drivers and their over-involvement in fatal and serious injury crashes, there has been a world-wide call for improved licensing procedures to manage older driver safety. In particular, licensing authorities have been urged to move from mandatory assessment of all older drivers to assessment prac...

Using in-depth, real-world motor vehicle crash data from the United States and the United Kingdom, we aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors associated with thoracic aorta injuries. De-identified National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (U.S.) and Co-operative Crash Injury Study (U.K.) data formed the basis of this re...