FOR5006 - Traffic medicine - 2017

6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Postgraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Organisational Unit

Forensic Medicine

Coordinator(s)

Associate Professor Morris Odell

Dr Sanjeev Gaya

Quota applies

This unit is quota restricted. Selection is on a first-in, first enrolled basis. For further information please contact the Postgraduate Course Administrator via email postgrad.courses@vifm.org or phone 03 9684 4115.

Unit guides

Offered

Southbank

  • Second semester 2017 (Online)

Synopsis

The aim of this unit is to present the medical issues applicable to road safety. The topics covered include the law and policing practices, driving skills and the impact of alcohol, other drugs and medical conditions on these skills, the effects of ageing on fitness to drive, interpretation of traffic injuries, the principles of traffic engineering and road trauma epidemiology.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Describe the history of road trauma and analyse the efficacy of counter measures introduced to combat the road toll;
  2. Evaluate the relationship between road safety legislation and policing practices to traffic medicine and road safety;
  3. Predict and evaluate the effects of a range of medical conditions upon driving skills with particular reference to licensing;
  4. Outline the known effects of various blood levels of alcohol and other drugs upon driving skills, and how their likely effects apply to traffic medicine;
  5. Identify road safety implications for ageing road users;
  6. Interpret common injury patterns resulting from road trauma.

Assessment

  • Hurdle introductory activity (0%) (hurdle)
  • Essay assignments 4 x 15 % each (3000 words total) (60%) (hurdle)
  • Casebook/Workbook (1500 words) (15%)
  • Case presentation (15 minutes) (25%)

Hurdle Requirement: introductory activity; Unit Coord asks students to provide short bio outlining previous & current experience/work etc

Workload requirements

It is expected that students will need to undertake approximately 12 hours of study per week over the semester. This will include contact time, private study, assessment tasks (case studies, assignments) and, where possible, involvement in casework. Students are required to attend all workshops offered at the Department of Forensic Medicine during the semester.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Off-campus attendance requirements

Compulsory 2 day workshop.

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Prerequisites

This is a postgraduate course restricted to registered medical practitioners.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at: