CARRS-Q Research Projects

The statewide implementation and evaluation of the "Under the Limit" rehabilitation program for drink drivers [Fact Sheet]
"Under the Limit" is a Drink Driving Rehabilitation Program available through Magistrates' courts in Queensland. This program was developed and initially implemented as part of a wider community intervention in the Central Queensland Region in 1993. It is delivered through the TAFE system, and is now available throughout the state.

The distance education version of this program is designed for people who are unable to attend the local TAFE college, usually because they live in the more remote regions of the state, but also if their employment or family circumstances make it impossible for them to attend the normal classroom version. The program was recently evaluated and was shown to significantly reduce recidivism rates for serious recidivist drink driving offenders.
Status: completed
Contact: Vic Siskind or Cynthia Schonfeld

Evaluation of the distance education module of the "Under the Limit" drink driving rehabilitation program
The distance education (DE) version of "Under the Limit" drink driving rehabilitation program has been introduced throughout Queensland as an alternative to the classroom version. Process and content evaluation of the DE package is being carried out to establish whether modifications are necessary to develop a more widely (culturally and geographically) acceptable version of the program.
Status: completed
Contact: Cynthia Schonfeld

The road safety implications of unlicensed driving: A survey of unlicensed drivers
This project is examining the road safety implications of unlicensed driving. The objectives of the research are to:
1. investigate the scale and nature of the unlicensed driving problem;
2. examine the personal, social and environmental factors contributing to unlicensed driving;
3. investigate whether there are any systematic differences among unlicensed driver sub-groups, in relation to their on-road behaviour and the factors which influence it;
4. compare the capacity of different theoretical perspectives to explain the behaviour of unlicensed drivers; and
5. identify improvements to current countermeasures and potential initiatives to reduce the incidence of unlicensed driving.
Status: completed
Contact: Barry Watson

A randomised control trial of alcohol ignition interlocks for drink driving offenders in Queensland [Fact Sheet]
Drink driving remains a major contributor to fatalities and injuries on Australian roads and solving this intractable problem is of vital importance. Policy makers have proposed that the use of Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices (BAIIDs), which restrict vehicle use to drivers with a preset BAC is the most promising countermeasure to the problem of the hard core offender. This research proposed a randomised control trial of court mandated BAIIDs to determine the effectiveness of these devices in reducing drink driving by recidivist offenders.

The trial was integrated with the QUT “Under The Limit” rehabilitation program in Queensland courts and Dräger Australia provided the BAIIDs and instrument maintenance support. A model for court mandated BAIIDs is being developed for use across Australia. The development and implementation of the Queensland interlock model has highlighted a number of important logistical issues regarding the successful execution of an interlock program within a judicial setting. These include the need for specific legislation, incentives to increase participation rates and clear protocols for breaches of probation. The first offender to be placed on an interlock order went through the Brisbane Magistrates court on 19.2.01. So far over 150 offenders have been referred by magistrates for assessment. Of these, more than half were assessed by the Community Corrections Officer as not suitable. Forty-six participants have now been placed on the UTL2 (Interlock) order, seventeen have had the interlock device installed, with eleven participants successfully completing their period of driving with an interlock device. A further seventeen participants are completing their period of licence disqualification and the UTL program.

The second component of the program of research (PhD student) involved an in depth examination of the impact of interlocks on offenders, which has identified crucial issues that need to be addressed within future interlock programs. These include offenders’ heavy alcohol consumption levels and general unwillingness to change drinking behaviours. The study has provided valuable information on the experiences and outcomes of interlock installation, which has clear implications for the management of repeat offenders.
Status: completed
Contact: Mary Sheehan or Barry Watson

Injury prevention in young people - Youth and risk taking behaviour [Fact Sheet]
In 2001 the NH&MRC for health research partnerships in injury funded a program of research to address young adults risk taking behaviour. Injury Prevention and Control Australia (IPCA) was established to manage the funding of the research programs. This collaborative program of research on youth and risk taking behaviour is based on a range of studies conducted in Queensland and WA. The studies have a common theme - the issue of risk taking behaviours amongst young people. The research has two phases; an initial first phase of background research which was, along with research literature informed the second phase: developing, implementing, and evaluating an intervention to prevent and reduce risk-taking in young people.

The following studies are included in Phase 1:

Queensland longitudinal study of risk taking behaviours (PASS)
This 12-year outcome study of traffic and other offence data and hospitalisations is being conducted on a representative statewide sample of 4,500 young people first recruited at age 14-15 years in 1988 and who completed a detailed questionnaire at that time. A followup survey was conducted 3 years later, and more recently the outcome data is being gathered.
Status: completed
Contact: Vic Siskind or Cynthia Schonfeld

Risk taking behaviour among sibling pairs
This study examined"contagion of risk-taking" between adolescents, focusing on drug and alcohol use, brawling and suicidal behaviours. The study built on the two waves of data available from the Qld Sibling Study, which is based on a sample of over 1,100 young people. Adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years were interviewed in 1995 and then re-interviewed in 1999. Issues relating to neighbourhood context, family structure, peer networks, attitudes, behaviours (both criminal and non-criminal) and victim-status were explored.

The Sibling Study comprised a sample of mixed-sex sibling pairs spread across three cohorts: a school-based population cohort (681 respondents), a Family Services or Offender cohort (227 respondents) and a community or "at risk" cohort (161 respondents). This study was carried out by John Western and Emma Ogelvie at the University of Queensland.
Status: completed
Contact: Mary Sheehan

The WA young driver study
This study aimed to identify the extent to which behavioural factors contribute to the risk of motor vehicle crashes, convictions and certain infringements, as well as to determine whether the driving experience (being involved in a crash or receiving a conviction) has an effect on young drivers' risk taking behaviours.

The study comprised a sample of 1,796 young Western Australian drivers: 1,277 from the Perth metropolitan area who were aged 17 years when recruited in 1997, and 519 rural drivers of the same age who were recruited in 1998.

This study was carried out by Mark Stevenson and Peter Palamara from the University of Western Australia.
Status: completed
Contact: Mary Sheehan

This project was conducted in 2 phases: (a) Upon leaving a drinking establishment, patrons were asked to answer a brief semi-structured interview about their attitudes to driving and walking under the influence of alcohol; and (b) a detailed questionnaire which was developed from the responses from the brief interviews, and aimed to assess the attitudes of young people about drink walking in particular, and more generally in comparison to drink driving. Participants were recruited from local universities, TAFEs and community groups (eg. sporting clubs).
Status: completed
Contact: Colin Edmonston

Aggressive driving behaviour
There have been three programs of research in this area to date. The first two listed are directly concerned with aggressive driving and the results of these studies will inform Phase II of the IPCA research on injury prevention. The third investigates the manner in which car owners/drivers view their vehicle as 'territory' and the implications of this for driver behaviour.

This study is independent of the IPCA research, but does provide an understanding of another aspect of aggressive driving behaviour.

Where does driver aggression begin and end? The on and off-road factors associated with aggressive driving
The research involves two studies aimed at exploring the person-related and situational factors contributing to aggressive driving behaviour by young drivers. Study One involved the conduct of several focus groups to explore the nature of aggressive driving in Queensland. Additionally, this study sought to address the subsequent displacement of aggression to and from the on-road environment. Study One also aimed to develop a model of aggressive driving behaviour to assist with further research in the field. Study Two of the research involved surveying 1000 participants throughout Queensland. The questionnaire aimed to test the proposed model with a view to informing the design of appropriate driver education modules.
Status: completed
Contact: Sharon O'Brien or Barry Watson

Person-related and situational factors contributing to the expression of aggression on the roads
This study explored the influence of person-related and situational factors on aggressive driving from within the framework of a frustration-aggression model of aggressive driving (Shinar, 1998). Study One used qualitative methods to investigate the aggressive driving experiences of 25 Australian drivers. This information was then used to design Study Two (N=166). In Study Two, the situational characteristics of an anger-provoking scenario were manipulated across five vignettes to examine the effects of time pressure of the subject driver and the anonymity, age and gender of the 'offending driver' on the anger experienced by the subject, and the resulting behavioural response. The results suggested that situational characteristics of a frustrating road situation influence the amount of anger experienced and the behavioural response. Simultaneously, this study collated person-related information via the Driving Anger Scale (DAS), a widely used measure of trait driving anger. Analysis of this data suggests that the DAS items may lack the situational, or contextual cues, to elicit meaningful measures of driving anger on Australian roads. The first study is completed, but research is continuing as a PhD study.
Status: current
Contact: Sharon O'Brien or Barry Watson

Territoriality and the car
The project titled 'At home on the road? Territoriality and driver behaviour' aimed to explore the relationship that drivers have with their vehicles, the manner in which car owners/drivers view their vehicle as 'territory' and the implications of this for driver behaviour (in particular aggressive and prosocial driving). Specifically, the research aimed to:
- Investigate whether the car is perceived as 'primary territory' (i.e., similar to the way that people relate to their home), under what circumstances this occurs, and how it is manifested.
- Investigate how different categories of driver (e.g., young drivers, parents) perceive the car in territorial terms, and the implications of this for road user behaviour.
- Develop a classification of how drivers interpret common driving situations and examine the relationship between these situations, territorial attachments to the car, and driving behaviour.
- Provide directions for road safety practitioners seeking countermeasures for crashes caused by aggressive driver behaviour.
Status: completed
Contact: Graham Fraine or Mary Sheehan

Phase II of the program primarily involves the following study on an intervention to prevent risk taking in adolescents. In addition, a closely associated study which developed from the Phase I work and will run in parallel with the IPCA funded intervention has been commenced. This second study "Interactions between young people and police: developing strategies for 'best practice' is funded by the ARC with the CMC as an industry partner, and is described later on the webpage.

The design, implementation and evaluation of an intervention program to prevent risk-taking behaviour in adolescents
Phase II of the program involves the development, implementation, and evaluation of two interventions to reduce risk taking and associated injury, based on the findings of Phase 1 studies. The interventions will be implemented in school and community located settings, and will address a range of behaviours covered by the generic target "harming self or others" including: interpersonal violence, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, drink driving, underage drinking, and drug/substance abuse.

The first intervention will be employed in Queensland and will be based on a risk reduction intervention model developed from a literature review and the Phase I findings. It will target high risk youth in school and community settings.

The second intervention will be implemented in Western Australia, and will have a broader public health approach. This intervention will probably be linked with another intervention focusing on preventing a range of health behaviours in adolescents.
Status: current
Contact: Lisa Buckley or Rebekah Chapman

Interactions between young people and the police: developing strategies for "best practice"
This project aims to develop best practice strategies for police service delivery and for the processing of complaints against police. An intervention to promote more successful and positive police - youth interactions will be trialed and evaluated. This project is being implemented in partnership with the University of Queensland and the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC), and is funded through the ARC and the CMC.
Status: current
Contact: Mary Sheehan

Regional drug and alcohol consumption profiles
The aim of this project was to develop 1) alcohol and other drug consumption profiles, and 2) alcohol related behaviour profiles, for the eight Queensland police regions. The primary focus of this report was on alcohol use. However, data on illicit drug use was also compiled where readily available. The project sourced and analysed available data on alcohol sales, liquor licensing, police activity, health service provisions, ambulance activity and relevant Queensland Transport data. A search was made for additional data sources such as the National Drug Household Survey, which assisted in the overview of drug and alcohol behaviours. The material on alcohol and other drug use and associated behaviours was matched to the geographical police regions within Queensland. This information was overlayed by demographic data such as age, gender and other population characteristics of the individual regions.
Status: completed
Contact: Jeremy Davey

Review of Random Breath Testing (RBT) in Queensland
CARRS-Q is conducting a comprehensive review of RBT in Queensland, focusing on:
- 'best practice' approaches to RBT;
- the impact of RBT on alcohol-related crashes;
- community perceptions toward RBT and self-reported drink driving behaviour; &
- Police RBT operational and management practices. The aim of the project is to identify strategies to enhance the effectiveness of RBT.
Status: completed
Contact: Barry Watson or Susan Hart

A statewide analysis of injuries and fatalities following road traffic crashes involving motorcycles
Queensland-wide data on injuries and fatalities in persons involved in road traffic crashes involving motorcycles from the QAS Ambulance Integrated Management System (AIMS) were analysed. The ATSB (2003) suggests that there has been a significant increase in fatalities in road traffic crashes involving motorcycles. This project provides valuable and unique information about the incidence of these injuries in Queensland. This project also examines the characteristics and risk factors associated with crashes involving motorcycles to help develop and refine road safety initiatives.
Status: completed
Contact: Jeremy Davey

Enhancing the effectiveness of drink driving rehabilitation
This project had three phases to identify current best practice approaches to drink driving rehabilitation and to assess the degree to which this is reflected in current Victorian policies, practices and effectiveness. The first phase was a literature review into past and current drink driving rehabilitation studies and evaluation of alcohol treatment and assessment. The second phase was a review of drink driving rehabilitation in Victoria which involved a survey of magistrates and stakeholders in the drink driving area in Victoria. The third phase will develop a model of best practice for the current Victorian situation. Based on the findings from the three phases, and in consultation with the RACV, CARRS-Q proposes to undertake further research in future years. Among the issues which warrant further investigation at this stage are:
- An in-depth study of first offenders
- Best practice intervention model for first offenders
- The optimum integration of rehabilitation and alcohol ignition interlock programs
- The impact of drink driving interventions on unlicensed driving.
This project is funded by the RACV.
Status: completed
Contact: Mary Sheehan

Saliva testing: Random roadside drug screening
This project proposes to measure the incidence of drug driving (illicits) in the community, test the reliability of current drug screening technology and pilot the implementation of police roadside detection strategies. Saliva samples will be taken at random from 1000 drivers stopped at RBT sites across Townsville. A self-report measure of recent drug use will also be completed and results compared with matching saliva swab analysis. All positive saliva tests and a subset of negative saliva samples will be sent to a medical laboratory for confirmatory GCMS analysis and quantification. This data will assist in assessing the accuracy of using a roadside drug testing system.
Status: completed
Contact: Jeremy Davey

Alcohol incidence management study
This project will investigate the occurrence and resource impact of alcohol related incidents on operational general duties policing. Using a modified activity log in the target areas the project will quantify the type and number of direct and indirect alcohol related incidents attended by general duties officers over a four-week period. The project will examine and identify the resource allocation in terms of staffing and person hours associated with direct and indirect alcohol related incidents. At this stage it is proposed to use the Metro North Region and the Townsville and Gold Coast Districts representing metropolitan, regional and rural areas of the state.
Status: completed
Contact: Jeremy Davey

Characteristics of speed offenders
This is a pilot study to examine the characteristics of drivers who speed. It is also intended to provide baseline data on speeding recidivism rates in Queensland prior to the introduction of the new speeding penalties and sanctions. Deidentified data will be provided by the Queensland Police Service to allow CARRS-Q to determine the demographic, offence and recidivist characteristics of speeding drivers in Queensland.
Status: completed
Contact: Vic Siskind

Epidemiology and health surveillance of overdose cases: A statewide analysis
Queensland Ambulance Service holds unique whole-of-state drug overdose information. Many of the drug overdose cases which the QAS attends are not recorded by any police or hospital monitoring mechanisms. Thus, there is much current information on drug use patterns and distributions across Queensland that has not been examined. An emerging issue of concern to ambulance and police services is the management of individuals under the influence of illicit drugs other than heroin (example, amphetamines and hallucinogens). A preliminary survey of QAS 2000 data and anecdotal evidence from paramedics suggests that amphetamine induced psychosis and aggression represents a growing problem in Queensland. For agencies such as ambulance, police and health, this information can be used to monitor drug use behaviours and patterns across the state and assist in intelligence and the better application of strategic resources through up-to-date information on geographic and demographic characteristics of illicit drug related attendances.
This study aims to:
- Examine the epidemiology of non-fatal heroin overdose cases across Queensland (1997-2001)
- Monitor other illicit drug presentations 2001-2002.|
- To map (Geocode) all illicit/recreational drug overdose cases in Queensland during these time periods.
Status: completed
Contact: Jeremy Davey

The influence of visible traffic enforcement on the incidence of other crime: Implications for intelligence-driven crime prevention
There is a growing body of research to suggest that the operations undertaken by police do not necessarily need to be crime-specific to achieve offence reductions (Giacopassi & Forde, 2000; Koper, 1995; Morford et al., 1995; Sherman et al., 1995; Sherman & Weisburd, 1995). Preliminary data tabled by the Queensland Police Service (2002) as part of the Queensland Holiday Period Road Safety Trial [14 December 2001 - 8 February 2002] provided partial support to suggest that this phenomenon may also be occurring in Australia. The increase in police enforcement of traffic laws was associated with a decrease in both traffic-and non-traffic-related offences during the same period, compared with the corresponding period a year earlier (QPS, 2002). Despite anecdotal and circumstantial evidence to suggest that traffic policing has broader enforcement benefits, to date there appears to have been no scientific investigation in Australia examining the potential of visible traffic enforcement to reduce other crime.

The objectives of this project are to:
- Examine the effect of routine traffic enforcement, deployed using traffic-specific intelligence, on overall crime rates [Study 1].
- Determine whether the targeting of visible traffic enforcement at crime "hotspots", deployed using crime-specific intelligence, can heighten this effect [Study 2].
Status: completed
Contact: Jeremy Davey

Illicit drug use and long haul truck drivers
The major investigations into drug driving in Australia have been based on blood samples collected in the early to mid 1990s. This was a valid methodology to gain insights into the level of drug driving in the population at the tim.e The continual reliance on this data, however, does not recognise the huge changes which have occurred over the last five to six years in the culture and incidence of drug use in the Australian population.

The aim of this research is to provide information on the culture of illicit drug use within a specific group. This research can aid the development of education and preventin programs specifically investigate issues associated with health, personal use and safety on the roads related to a truck driving sample.
Status: completed
Contact: Jeremy Davey or Naomi Richards

Evaluation of the National Injury Prevention Plan 2001-2003
Injury is a major cause of death, illness and disability in Australia and represents a significant cost to the health system and the community. In recognition of the preventability of many injuries the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging oversees The National Injury Prevention Plan (NIPP) through the National Public Health Partnership and the Strategic Injury Prevention Partnership.

The NIPP is a broad framework for national activity to reduce the incidence and impact of injury across the population. It aims to focus injury prevention efforts on Priority Areas, strengthen national infrastructure in injury prevention and promote evidence-based interventions. To do so, the NIPP identifies those injury areas that are priorities for immediate action over its duration. For the period 2001-2003 there were four Priority Areas. These were: Falls in Older People; Falls in Children; Drowning and Near Drowning; and Poisoning in Children.

CARRS-Q was successful in tendering to evaluate the NIPP 2001-2003 and agreed to undertake a modified Delphi process together with a critical analysis in 2004. The final report of this evaluation is expected to be complete in September 2004.
Status: completed
Contact: Alexia Lennon

Understanding street racing and "hoon" culture: An exploratory study of experiences
Street racing is an activity which has gained significant media exposure in recent times, highlighting it as a phenomenom of interest from both a road safety and cultural perspective. The aim of the current project is to examine the experiences and thoughts of those who take part in street racing, "hooning" or cruising activities; or who are involved in the policing and formation of policy regarding these behaviours. The project will utilise a number of interviews and focus groups with an aim to develop a framework for a practical and viable intervention.
Status: completed
Contact: Dale Steinhardt

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