Smart bumper sticker system to combat tailgating

This project aims to improve road safety, reduce rear-end crashes, and encourage a cultural shift toward more respectful driving distances.

Rear-end crashes make up nearly 30% of all road incidents in Australia and around 50% of new CTP injury insurance claims in Queensland. A major contributing factor is tailgating, which remains largely unaddressed by current vehicle safety systems.

To tackle this issue, the project is developing and evaluating a low-cost, intelligent “smart bumper sticker” – an external human–machine interface (HMI) mounted on the back of a vehicle that displays real-time messages to drivers who are following too closely.

The project will:

1. Design and build the smart bumper sticker HMI that detects and responds to unsafe following distances.

2. Test whether this technology can reduce tailgating behaviour and encourage safer driving habits.

By combining innovation and behavioural science, the project explores a practical, scalable solution to one of the most common and costly crash types on our roads.