New lab has road safety impact

A new University of Adelaide laboratory to help improve pedestrian and road vehicle safety has been opened by Road Safety Minister Tom Kenyon.

The Centre for Automotive Safety Research's new Vehicle Safety Laboratory has been purpose-built in Kent Town and is the only facility of its kind in Australia.

The laboratory focuses on pedestrian crash impact testing and is the official testing facility for the pedestrian component of the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

"Pedestrians make up a significant proportion of all road casualties, accounting within Australia for 16.5% of all road fatalities and 8.5% of all serious injuries," said Professor Mary Lydon, Director of the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR).

"This testing will assist the design of more pedestrian-friendly vehicles. It puts the spotlight on protection offered to pedestrians by different vehicle structures and means we can measure improvements and differences in safety."

Mr Kenyon said: "The State Government has provided substantial investment in CASR over a number of years. The new facilities will allow CASR to expand the range of testing carried out and to supervise postgraduate students in the vehicle testing area."

ANCAP Chair Lauchlan McIntosh said the opening of the new CASR facility in Adelaide would improve ANCAP's internationally recognised crash testing regime in the interests of all Australian road users, including pedestrians and other vulnerable users.

"Pedestrian testing is a major part of ANCAP's crash testing process, and these new CASR facilities will provide a better amenity for the pedestrian tests, which form a part of the overall ANCAP safety rating," Mr McIntosh said. "ANCAP has worked closely with CASR for some years now in testing and providing vehicle safety ratings, and these new premises will only strengthen our relationship."

Mr Tom Phillips, Chair of the CASR Reference Board said: "CASR appreciates the support provided by ANCAP in setting up the new laboratory and is looking forward to continuing to support ANCAP in its excellent work."

The laboratory testing meets global and European regulations, directives and protocols, and includes bull bar testing and development, impact testing of energy-absorbing materials, vehicle interior impact testing, crash reconstruction, high-speed film capture and high-resolution data acquisition.

The University of Adelaide's Centre for Automotive Safety Research is a world-renowned specialised centre for road safety research, carrying out multi-disciplinary research into all aspects of road safety with the aim of reducing the human and social costs of road trauma.

Story by Robyn Mills