Fact Sheet 6 - Safer Vehicles - Safety of the vehicle fleet and vehicle selection

To optimise the benefits of advances in vehicle design and occupant safety - reducing the severity of casualty injuries and number of road crashes – there needs to be a reduction in the age of the existing vehicle fleet. This would mean more newer, safer vehicles on the road.

Further, if fleet operators buy vehicles with comprehensive safety features there is a flow-on effect to the national vehicle fleet, as fleet vehicles are generally turned over at low mileages and made available to the general public on the second-hand market (Australasian College of Road Safety 2004).

Each year, new vehicles account for around seven percent of the total Australian vehicle fleet (Australian Transport Council 2008, p37). In 1971 the average age of registered vehicles in Australia was 6.1 years. This rose to 10.7 years in 1997 and gradually declined to 10.4 years in 2003 and, as at March 2008, was 9.9 years (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009, p5). The median age of vehicles involved in casualty crashes is around nine years (Australian Transport Council 2008, p37) and this reflects the average age of the vehicle fleet.

While striving for the replacement of the existing fleet with newer and safer vehicles, maintaining the safety and roadworthiness of existing older vehicles is also important.

In Queensland, there are currently mandatory annual inspections for heavy vehicles and twice-yearly inspections for buses, hire cars and taxis. Random roadside inspections are designed to check for safety defects and registration compliance among other motor vehicles. In addition, sellers of registered second-hand vehicles are required to have those vehicles inspected to obtain a Safety Certificate, showing the vehicle is roadworthy at the time it is offered for sale.

While vehicle defects do not contribute to large numbers of fatal crashes in Queensland (less than three percent per year during 2006 to 2008) (Data Analysis Unit 2009), research conducted at RACQ vehicle inspection sites in 2008 suggests that three-quarters of all passenger vehicles less than 10 years old contain one or more safety-related or other important defects, ranging from electrical faults, bald tyres and brake pads to steering and suspension problems. It is of concern to the RACQ that vehicles can pass a safety certificate inspection and still have significant and costly mechanical problems that only a more comprehensive inspection can detect.

The RACQ believes that, if the Queensland Government raised the profile of its random roadside inspection program and stepped up random checks for safety certificates on used cars offered for sale, more drivers would be encouraged to maintain their vehicles in a safe condition 365 days a year. Such an approach would provide the added benefit of detecting more unregistered vehicles that would not be identified through an alternative program of compulsory annual inspection prior to re-registration.

Priorities: Safety of the vehicle fleet and vehicle selection

1. Investigate incentives, such as reducing stamp duty and the luxury car tax (particularly on vehicles offering improved or additional safety features), to reduce the average age of the vehicle fleet including buses and heavy vehicles, so a greater proportion of the travelling public can take full advantage of the safety features built into vehicles.
   
   
2. Encourage policies among public and private sector organisations to purchase fleet vehicles (including heavy vehicles) that meet the highest practicable levels of protection and safety performance for their occupants and other road users, and maintain these vehicles according to manufacturers’ guidelines.
   
   
3. Ensure the aftermarket fitment of internal and external vehicle accessories and modifications is legal, does not reduce the safety performance of the vehicle and does not pose a danger to other road users.
   
   
4. Expand and broaden the system of random on-road vehicle inspections – so that a minimum of 10% of cars, utilities and four-wheel-drives in Queensland are inspected for roadworthiness each year.
   
   
5. Ensure that the Safety Certificate system is strictly policed and audited, including regular spot checks on vehicles offered for sale by dealers and private vendors and the validity of certificates issued.
   
   
6. Continue to educate motorists on when and how to properly maintain their cars, e.g., annual service checks for vehicle quality, defects and emissions.
   
   
7. Encourage the use of freight vehicles that exhibit safer travel dynamics and minimise road damage.

References

Australasian College of Road Safety 2004, Fleet Safety: ACRS Policy Position, Australasian College of Road Safety, Web Document, Accessed 23/01/09: http://www.acrs.org.au/collegepolicies/otherissues/fleetsafety.html

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009, 9309.0 Motor Vehicle Census: Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Australian Transport Council 2008, National Road Safety Action Plan 2009 and 2010, Australian Transport Council, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Data Analysis Unit 2009, Personal Correspondence to RACQ, 03/06/09, Queensland Transport, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Market and Communications Research December 2008, RACQ Safety Policy. Survey: Quantitative Research Report, Market and Communications Research, Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia.

RACQ February 2006, Road Safety Online Survey Results Summary, The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Australia.

RACQ January 2009, Member Issues Monitor Report, The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited, Eight Mile Plains, Queensland, Australia.

Contact

For more information contact RACQ Traffic and Safety on 1300 853 658 or 07 3872 8925, or email traffic@racq.com.au.