ROAD SAFETY RESEARCH

Malaysia

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS)

Established on 3rd January 2007, MIROS functions as a one-stop centre for the generation and dissemination of road safety information through the print media and a concerted training programme. MIROS carries out studies and evaluates current procedures on road safety to generate information that will form the core of its evidence based intervention programmes to enhance road safety.

Function

 Conduct high impact research that will be translated into road safety policies.

·       Develop national objectives, policies, and priorities for the orderly development and administration of road safety research.

·       Enhance and increase knowledge based on new developments in issues related to road safety.

·       Serve as an audit and accreditation agency in curriculum design and standards on road safety.

·        Propose evidenced based cost-effective interventions/ programmes.

·        Serve as a repository of knowledge and linkage on road safety.

·        Serve as a centre providing consultation and advice on road safety issues.

Role Of Departments & Units

MIROS is headed by a Director General and administratively organised into three Centres and two Divisions. The centres are the Road Engineering and Environment Research Centre, Road User Behavioural Change Research Centre, and the Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Research Centre, while the divisions are the Administration and Finance Division and Publications & Knowledge Management Division.

Road Engineering and Environment Research Centre (REER)

The Road Safety Engineering & Environment Research Centre (REER) is organised into three units:

1. Accident Database and Analysis Unit.

2. Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering Unit.

3. Exposure Control & Travel Survey Unit.

Some of the major objectives of this Centre are to:

1.  Provide for a continuously updated national accident and injury database.

2. Map accident data using geographical codes, Road User Movement (RUM) accident code and digital code.

3.  Undertake diagnostic analysis on road accidents and assessment of safety interventions.

4.  Undertake research on safer road designs and road environment.

5.  Develop traffic models on traffic and transportation fa-cilities.

6.  Carry out survey on vehicle which operate annually to assess Vehicle Kilometer Travelled rate (VKT) and Passenger Kilometer Travelled (PKT).

Road User Behavioural Change Research Centre (RUBC)

RUBC performs in-depth research to help convert negative behaviour road user. From administrative aspect, these research centres fall into 3unit. Each unit sub having research scope and focus more specific which contributed to general objective in enhancing road safety through behaviour more positive. Administratively the Centre is sub divided into:

1. education and training units.
2. design and instrumental units.
3. human factors and accident costing units.

The major objectives of this Centre are to:

1.  Undertake research into the effectiveness of road safety campaigns, traffic calming measures, sociology of transport, enforcement, and psychology of road user behaviour.

2.   Assess the effectiveness of road safety knowledge through education.

3.   Oversee and accredit driving institutes nationwide.

Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Research Centre (VSB)

Administratively, to ensure smooth work flow, the Centre is divided into four units:

1.    Pre & Post Injury Research Unit.

2.    Crash Safety Engineering Unit.

3.    Crash Reconstruction Unit and.

4.    Quality, Safety Health & Environment Unit.

The major objectives of the Centre are to:

1.  Carry out crashworthiness investigation in the mechanics of injury, biomechanics and human tolerance to crash, including reconstruction of injury-related crashes.

2.   Undertake research on trauma care, post-injury treatment, emergency response and pre- and post-crash medical health.

3. Review policies and current approaches towards improving Standard Opera-ting Procedures, Code of Practice and Industrial Standards through technical reports and publications as well as recommendations.

4.   Carry out validation tests on the impact of accidents.

5.   Monitor and audit implementation of SHE.

Administration and Finance

The Administration and Finance Division comprises the Administration, Finance and Contract, and Training and Capacity Building units.

The major tasks of this Division are to:

1.   Formulate and execute guidelines on human resource management and development;

2.  Institute procedures and processes for maintenance of infrastructure and general administration.

3.   Manage finance and accounts and prepare the annual budget.

4.   Manage assets and inventory, planning and asset acquisition through tender or direct negotiations.

5.   Plan, manage and organise staff training courses/workshops for career development, in-service examinations and standardise competency development programmes for all staff.

Publications & Knowledge Management Division

The Publications and Knowledge Management Division is comprise three units:
Publications Unit, IT and Multimedia Unit, and Library and International Linkages.

Among the major responsibilities of the Division are to:

1. Publish and disseminate research output in the form of research reports, investigative reports and codes as well as other publicity materials;

2.   Develop the library as a major repository of road safety resources for the region with extensive linkages with international road safety bodies and research institutions; and

3.   Plan, organise and develop IT infrastructure, application systems for internet and intranet networking and information access and retrieval as well ensure data integrity.