IThe Development of Traffic Engineering in Australia

M cars first appeared on Australian roads in about 1900, and road laws, as they are known today, began to evolve soon after. For several years traffic control in Australia was largely a police responsibility, but by the mid to late 1930sthe principles of traffic engineering, including the need to consider the road, the vehicle, the driver, and the traffic rules as an integrated system, were being enunciated, although the term “traffic engineering” was not yet being used. ” Immediately after World War II there was considerable interest in traffic engineering in Australia. The second half of the 1940s saw the beginning of a long period of significant population growth, including immigration, large-scale development, and a substantial increase in motor vehicle ownership and use. Several technical papers appeared, and they all emphasized the need to collect, analyze, and understand traffic data as an essential base for road planning, design, and operation. In 1947, the first engineering position in Australia with the word “traffic” in it was created when one of the state road authorities appointed a traffic and location engineer. During the 1950s, traffic engineering grew rapidly in Australia, and by the end of the decade, it was firmly recognized and practiced throughout the nation. Since 1960 and continuing today, there have been many significant developments in the theory and practice of traffic engineering, and traffic engineering applications have substantially increased. ‘-’ Traffic Studies