TRANSPORT GLOSSARY

Greenhouse gases

The atmospheric gases responsible for causing global warming and climate change. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride are the major greenhouse gases.

LPG

Liquid petroleum gas

Motorcycles

Two and three wheeled motor vehicles constructed primarily for the carriage of one or two persons. Included are two and three wheeled mopeds, scooters, motor tricycles and motorcycles with sidecars.

Passenger journey (rail)

A journey made by a passenger, all or part of which was on a train or light rail vehicle. For urban regions, a journey is a point-to-point trip irrespective of the number of vehicles or modes used for the trip. For non-urban travel, a journey is a point-to-point trip but each change of vehicle along the route is counted as a separate journey.

Passenger kilometres

Passenger kilometres is the number of kilometres travelled by vehicle multiplied by the number of occupants in the vehicle. It applies to air, sea, rail and road transportation.

Passenger vehicles

Motor vehicles constructed primarily for the carriage of persons and containing up to nine seats (including the driver's seat) are defined as passenger vehicles. Included are cars, station wagons, four-wheel drive passenger vehicles and forward-control passenger vehicles. Campervans are included in data pertaining to fuel consumption, and average and total distances travelled, but excluded in all other cases.

Registered passenger vehicles

Registered passenger vehicles are defined as those vehicles registered at the date of the Motor Vehicle Census (31 March for years 2001-2009, various times for years prior), or had registration expire less than one month before that date. Motor vehicle registration statistics are derived from data made available by various state and territory motor vehicle registration authorities and reflect the information as recorded in registration documents. Certain vehicles are not included in registration statistics. These include some recreational vehicles intended for off-road use such as trail bikes and sand dune buggies, diplomatic or consular vehicles, vehicles registered by the defence force, and some vintage and veteran vehicles.

Road accident fatalities

A road death is defined as the death of any person within 30 days of a road vehicle accident where death is attributable to injuries sustained during the accident. Note that fatalities in the Northern Territory between the years 1925 and 1961 are excluded from road accident fatality statistics.

Total distance travelled

The total distance travelled is the estimated cumulative distance covered by all registered Australian vehicles. It is an estimated figure that combines motor vehicle registration statistics with statistics from the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, an ABS study examining motor vehicle use in a sample of 16,000 vehicles.

Vehicle kilometres

The distance covered by a single vehicle regardless of the number of occupants within.