The risk of serious injury, based on distance travelled, is more
than 10 times greater for people travelling by car compared with
those travelling by rail, according to a new report released today
by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Local Government.
The report, Serious injury due to transport accidents involving
a railway train, Australia, 2001-02 to 2005-06, showed that just
one rail user was seriously injured per 100 million passenger
kilometres travelled in 2005-06. Ten car occupants were seriously
injured in crashes on a public road per 100 million vehicle
kilometres travelled in the same year.
Jesia Berry of the Institute's National Injury Surveillance Unit
said, 'There was an average of 190 persons seriously injured and
1,600 bed days per year due to transport accidents involving a
train. Many more car occupants were seriously injured in crashes on
public roads. About 16,000 car occupants were seriously injured per
year, contributing 80,000 bed days.'
Most of the hospitalisations due to a transport accident
involving a train were in three states: New South Wales (37%),
Victoria (36%) and Queensland (17%).
Serious injury rates were highest among young people 15-19 years
of age and people 70 years and older, and males accounted for 57%
of the hospitalisations.
Rail users made up two-thirds of the hospitalisations due to
transport accidents involving a train. Rail users were most
commonly injured while boarding or alighting and by falling inside
the train or falling from the train.
Pedestrians injured in a collision with a train accounted for
16% of hospitalisations. Car occupants accounted for 12% of those
injured in a collision with a train and a further 5% were occupants
or riders of other motor vehicles, including trucks, pick-up trucks
or vans, buses and motorcycles.
For about one-quarter of those seriously injured in an accident
involving a train, the accident occurred at a level crossing. There
were on average 50 people seriously injured per year in level
crossing accidents.
Serious injury rates due to a level crossing accident were
highest among young adults 20-24 years of age and males accounted
for two-thirds of the hospitalisations. Over half of all the
hospitalisations resulting from level crossing accidents were in
Victoria.
Friday 15 August 2008
Further information: Jesia Berry, AIHW, tel.
(08) 8201 7626
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. (02) 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of Serious injury due to
transport accidents involving a railway train, Australia, 2001-02
to 2005-06.