January 2002 Volume 83 Number 1
"serving the protectors"
| January 2002 Volume 83 Number 1 "serving the protectors" |
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| By Mark Carroll, PASA Assistant Secretary |
The issue of police vehicle safety is certainly on the Victoria Police (VicPol) agenda. The VicPol Police Vehicle Safety Symposium 2001 was held on November 7 and 8, 2001 at Monash University and Calder Park Raceway.
The purpose of the symposium was to receive a critical presentation of the outcomes of the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) review of the VicPol Fleet Phase 2 report. Additional speakers on the first day complimented the outcomes and recommendations of this report.
MUARC had been engaged by VicPol first, to conduct an analysis of vehicle handling and stability for the different types of vehicles in the VicPol fleet. Second, MUARC was to assist in defining selection and performance criteria for police vehicles generally. This engagement followed the deaths – on duty – of Senior Constable Mark Bateman and Constable Fiona Robinson. The pair died in a “divvy-van” crash in May 2000.
The second day was held at Calder Park National Race Circuit. The day was designed to bring together vehicle manufacturers, vehicle components and other safety equipment in an expo setting, and to open the track for driving vehicles and conducting evaluation trials.
VicPol Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon opened the symposium and reminded the audience that, as police officers spend enormous amounts of time in vehicles, the employer had a duty of care to them. Obligations and responsibilities are further placed on police officers for the care and safety of persons in their custody, including prisoners in transit. She said the research presented by MUARC would underpin any changes to Victoria’s fleet.
Research project leader, George Rechnitzer, referred to the Vision Zero programme adopted in Sweden, where an enviable community record on road safety had been achieved with a right-vehicle, right-time, right-place philosophy which focussed on human value versus cost/benefit.
The model relied on pro-active design of vehicles and the road system to minimize conflict and maximize safety equipment in the event of a crash. Driver training was acknowledged as a major component in the quality-assurance approach in use.
Author of the MUARC phase one report on Rollover and Stability, Shane Richardson, discussed safety in a performance specification context. Bateman and Robinson’s deaths were directly attributable to poor vehicle stability caused by a high centre of gravity. This engineering flaw in the Victorian divvy van was perpetuated because there was no continuity in design of the total package used by police. Mr Richardson recommended coding of police vehicles into four classifications:
Consequently, vehicles would be specially selected at purchase to perform specific tasks based on the four classifications.
VicPol commander, Gary Jamieson, presented The future of police vehicle safety for Victoria Police and highlighted that safer police vehicles are an integral part of any public-safety strategy. The VicPol intent to vehicles would now foster:
Further, VicPol gave an absolute commitment to distance itself from design, development and construction of vehicle components. This would be left to the experts rather than “in-house” manipulation of vehicles to suit specific purposes. To achieve these outcomes, VicPol would segment the fleet to the market place in return for safety, research and development, innovation, construction and design.
A number of other speakers presented topics, including issues of driver training, risks associated with modifying vehicles, and the broad-ranging implications of the MUARC research. (The Australasian Centre For Policing Research co-sponsored the event and should be able to assist with more information.)
The symposium was a valuable education in relation to VicPol’s future directions on police vehicle design, construction and purchase. However, the lack of a legitimate national standard for police vehicle designs that has recognition and is rigidly adhered to is a concern to the Police Association. Compounding this is the issue of budgets and bean counters, and their influence on vehicle safety and/or design.
Clearly, VicPol is adopting a different approach. The transparency and honesty in its commentary at the symposium was refreshing. The implementation of the MUARC findings may place VicPol as a “market leader” within the policing industry on vehicle safety in Australasia.
The MUARC report will be released in December 2001. It is independent. Its credibility appears ensured through the comprehensive research, testing and analysis of the data gathered. It has the potential to benchmark police vehicle safety.
However, the codification and specification recommendations are not enforceable. This might be the challenge for all police unions and the Police Federation of Australia.
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