1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/02/2004   
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Contents >> Transport >> Accidents, injuries and fatalities

Accident costs include loss of life or injury to persons, and the destruction of, and damage to, equipment and infrastructure. Transport-related deaths fell by 6% between 1997 and 2001. The majority of deaths (92% in 2001) were associated with road transport. Table 22.22 shows the number of transport-related deaths for each of the transport modes in the six years to 2002.

22.22 DEATHS(a) FROM TRANSPORT ACCIDENTS
Mode(b)
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Motor vehicles(c)
1,296
1,287
1,319
1,427
1,382
1,346
Pedestrians
388
369
373
359
352
308
Pedal cyclists
56
44
44
27
45
39
Rail
3
8
10
4
5
5
Water
50
39
57
51
49
49
Air
48
63
50
43
61
32
Other(d)
197
176
158
104
110
129
Total
2,038
1,986
2,011
2,015
2,004
1,908
(a) Based on the International Classification of Deaths, Edition 10 (ICD-10). Data in this table relate to year of registration of death and are based on death occurring up to one year following a transport accident. Data will therefore differ from the traffic fatalities shown in tables 22.23, 22.24 and 22.26 as data in those tables are based on year of occurrence of transport-related deaths which occur within 30 days of an incident.
(b) Mode of transport of deceased persons.
(c) Involving motor vehicles driven on public roads.
(d) Includes riders of animals, agricultural equipment, all-terrain vehicles, industrial and construction vehicles, and unspecified transport accidents.
Source: State and territory Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Road traffic accidents

Accidents involving fatalities

The number of accidents involving fatalities in 2002 was 3% below the number in the previous year (table 22.23). This was despite increased numbers of such accidents in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.

As well as fewer accidents involving fatalities, the number of deaths was also lower in 2002, but only declined by 1%. The number of persons killed from road traffic accidents in 2002 (1,723) was the lowest recorded since 1950.

22.23 ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING FATALITIES
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
ACCIDENTS INVOLVING FATALITIES
1994
552
345
364
143
195
52
36
15
1,702
1995
563
371
408
163
194
53
56
14
1,822
1996
538
382
338
162
220
53
58
17
1,768
1997
525
346
322
123
184
29
56
17
1,602
1998
491
348
257
152
199
47
59
20
1,573
1999
506
345
273
132
188
47
44
17
1,552
2000
543
373
275
151
184
38
48
16
1,628
2001
486
404
296
137
151
52
43
15
1,584
2002
510
361
283
138
159
34
40
8
1,533
PERSONS KILLED
1994
646
377
418
159
211
59
41
17
1,928
1995
620
418
456
181
209
57
61
15
2,017
1996
581
417
385
181
247
64
72
23
1,970
1997
576
377
361
148
197
32
60
17
1,768
1998
556
390
279
168
223
48
69
22
1,755
1999
577
383
314
151
217
53
49
19
1,763
2000
603
407
317
166
212
43
51
18
1,817
2001
524
444
324
153
165
61
50
16
1,737
2002
570
397
322
154
179
36
55
10
1,723
Source: Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Monthly Fatalities Database.

Road traffic fatalities

The Australian average fatality rate from road traffic accidents per 100,000 persons fell marginally from 8.9 in 2001 to 8.8 in 2002, continuing the decline since 1970, when the rate was 30.4 accidents per 100,000 persons. Road traffic deaths per 100,000 persons in the Northern Territory in 2002 were significantly higher than the national rate, at 27.8 deaths per 100,000 persons (table 22.24). The Australian Capital Territory had the lowest rate of fatalities (3.1 per 100,000 persons) in 2002. Tasmania recorded the greatest drop in fatalities per 100,00 persons, from 12.9 in 2001 to 7.6 in 2002 (a fall of 41%).

22.24 ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITIES
2001
2002
no.
per 100,000 population(a)
per 10,000 motor vehicles registered(b)
no.
per 100,000 population(a)
per 10,000 motor vehicles registered(b)
New South Wales
524
7.9
1.4
570
8.6
1.5
Victoria
444
9.2
1.3
397
8.1
1.2
Queensland
324
8.9
1.4
322
8.7
1.3
South Australia
153
10.1
1.5
154
10.1
1.4
Western Australia
165
8.6
1.2
179
9.3
1.3
Tasmania
61
12.9
1.8
36
7.6
1.1
Northern Territory
50
25.0
4.9
55
27.8
5.3
Australian Capital Territory
16
5.0
0.8
10
3.1
0.5
Australia
1,737
8.9
1.4
1,723
8.8
1.3
(a) Estimated resident population at 30 June.
(b) Number of registered motor vehicles and motor cycles (excl. tractors, caravans, plant and equipment) at 31 March.
Source: Australian Demographic Statistics, December Quarter 2002 (3101.0); Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, 31 March 2002 (9309.0); Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Monthly Fatalities Database.

International comparison of road traffic fatalities

Australian fatality rates are compared with those for other selected OECD nations in table 22.25. Australia's rate of 9.4 road traffic-related fatalities per 100,000 persons in 2000 is similar to the rates in Canada (9.5), Germany (9.1), Switzerland (8.3), and Japan (8.2). It is considerably below the rates in the Republic of (South) Korea (21.8), Poland (16.3), the United States of America (15.2), Spain (14.5), France (13.6) and New Zealand (12.1). Australia's rate is, however, markedly higher than Sweden (6.7) and the United Kingdom (6.0).

In relation to fatalities per number of registered vehicles in 2000, Australia (at 1.5) is on par with many other OECD countries. For the countries listed, the Republic of (South) Korea has the highest fatality rate per 10,000 registered vehicles (at 7.8 persons killed).

In relation to the number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle km travelled, Australia's fatality rate (1.0) is slightly higher than the rates in Canada and the United States of America (both 0.9), but below the rates for the other listed nations, and around one-quarter of the rate for the Republic of (South) Korea (3.9).

22.25 ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITIES, International comparisons - 2000
Persons killed
Total population
Country
no.
per 100,000
of population
per 10,000
registered vehicles
per 100 million
vehicle km travelled
millions
Australia
1,817
9.4
1.5
1.0
19.3
Canada
2,917
9.5
1.6
0.9
30.8
France
8,079
13.6
2.4
1.5
59.2
Germany
7,503
9.1
1.5
1.2
82.2
Japan
10,403
8.2
1.3
1.3
126.7
Korea, Republic of (South)
10,236
21.8
7.8
3.9
46.9
New Zealand
462
12.1
1.8
n.a.
3.8
Poland
6,294
16.3
4.5
n.a.
38.6
Spain
5,776
14.5
2.5
n.a.
39.7
Sweden
591
6.7
1.2
n.a.
8.9
Switzerland
592
8.3
1.3
1.1
7.2
United Kingdom
3,580
6.0
1.2
n.a.
59.8
United States of America
41,821
15.2
1.9
0.9
275.1
OECD median
-
11.0
1.9
1.3
-
Source: Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Rail and water transport accidents

There were 49 deaths associated with water transport accidents in 2002, unchanged from the number of deaths in 2001. There were five rail transport accident-related deaths recorded in 2002, also unchanged from the number of deaths in the preceding year.

Air accidents

Accidents and fatalities

Since 1991, the number of aircraft accidents has declined by 49%, from 322 in 1991 to 164 in 2002 (table 22.26). In 2002 there were 34 fatalities, a fall of 33% compared with 2001, and considerably lower than the number of annual fatalities recorded during the early-1990s.

22.26 AIR TRANSPORT, Accidents and fatalities(a)
Accidents
Fatalities
1991
322
54
1992
310
66
1993
318
67
1994
266
64
1995
267
51
1996
243
51
1997
254
38
1998
227
56
1999
196
49
2000
222
46
2001
201
51
2002
164
34
(a) Includes accidents in Australia and to Australian registered aircraft overseas. Excludes ballooning accidents.
Source: Australian Transport Safety Bureau.



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