The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released two new reports
today -- one on serious non-fatal injuries that occurred in land
transport accidents, and another on rail safety in Australia.
The first report, Serious injury due to land transport
accidents, Australia 2003-04, shows that in this twelve month
period land transport accidents resulted in 46,862 serious injuries
-- the equivalent of 214,484 bed days in hospital.
Ms Jesia Berry, of the AIHW's National Injury Surveillance Unit
(NISU) said, 'Males had more than twice the rate of non-fatal
injury, 320 per 100,000 population compared to 149 for
females.'
Over half (53%) of the hospital admissions were young people
less than 30 years of age with over a quarter aged 15--24
years.
The four most common types of accidents resulting in
hospitalisation were injury from vehicle collisions (16% of
admissions) or colliding with a stationary object (8%) and injury
of a motorcyclist (7%) or pedal cyclist (6%) while travelling
off-road in a non-collision accident.
The second report, Serious injury due to transport accidents
involving a railway train, Australia 1999-00 to 2003-04, shows
that there were, on average, 206 people seriously injured and the
equivalent of 1,818 bed days in hospital per year due to transport
accidents involving a railway train.
Report author, Dr Louise Flood, also from NISU, said, 'Serious
injury rates involving train accidents were highest among youth and
young adults (15--24 years) and older people (75 plus years) and
'males had 1.6 times the rate of serious injury compared to
females.'
There were on average 55 persons seriously injured due to level
crossing accidents per year. Close to half (44.2%) were car
occupants injured in a collision with a train and about one third
(32.5%) were pedestrians.
10 October 2007
Further information on land transport injuries:
Jesia Berry, 08 8201 7602
Further information on railway accidents:
Louise Flood, or James Harrison 08 8201 7602
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of Serious injury due to
land transport accidents, Australia 2003-04; or Serious injury due to
transport accidents involving a railway train, Australia 1999-00 to
2003-04.