This appendix presents additional summary statistics for unintentional transport injury deaths in 2016–17 that were due to events that occurred in traffic. The deaths included in this appendix are a subset of the unintentional transport injury deaths presented in Transport crashes.
Case selection
Restricting unintentional transport injury deaths to those due to road injury required the following selection criteria to be used:
- The UCoD is classified to ICD-10 (WHO 2016) external cause codes in the ranges V02–V04 (.1), V09.2, V09.3, V12–V14 (.4–.6), V19 (.4–.6, .9), V20–V28 (.4–.9), V29 (.4–.6, .9), V30–V38 (.5–.9), V39 (.4–.6, .9), V40–V48 (.5–.9), V49 (.4–.6, .9), V50–V58 (.5–.9), V59 (.4–.6, .9), V60–V68 (.5–.9), V69 (.4–.6, .9), V70–V78 (.5–.9), V79 (.4–.6,.9), V81.1, V82.1, V82.9, V83–V86 (.0–.3), V87, V89.2 or V89.3 of Chapter XX External causes of morbidity and mortality
- At least 1 MCoD is classified to external cause codes in the ranges V02–V04 (.1), V09.2, V09.3, V12–V14 (.4–.6), V19 (.4–.6, .9), V20–V28 (.4–.9), V29 (.4–.6, .9), V30–V38 (.5–.9), V39 (.4–.6, .9), V40–V48 (.5–.9), V49 (.4–.6, .9), V50–V58 (.5–.9), V59 (.4–.6,.9), V60–V68 (.5–.9), V69 (.4–.6, .9), V70–V78 (.5–.9), V79 (.4–.6 .9), V81.1, V82.1, V82.9, V83–V86 (.0–.3), V87, V89.2 or V89.3, or at least 1 MCoD is classified to diagnosis codes in the range S00–T75 or T79 (Injury).
How many deaths due to unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury were there in 2016–17?
Motor vehicle traffic injuries accounted for 1,176 injury deaths in Australia during 2016–17, 9% of all injury deaths for this period (Table B.1). Motor vehicle traffic injury deaths were 2.9 times as common for males as for females.
Table B.1: Key indicators for unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths, by sex, 2016–17
| Indicator |
Males
|
Females |
Persons |
|
Number
|
876 |
300 |
1,176 |
| Percentage of all injury deaths |
11.0 |
5.8 |
8.9 |
| Age-standardised rate (deaths per 100,000 population) |
7.2 |
2.3 |
4.7 |
Source: AIHW NMD.
Age and sex
In 2016–17, people aged 25–44 accounted for almost 32% of all unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths, while those aged 45–64 accounted for a further 23% (Table B.2). The proportion of deaths within each age group was broadly similar for males and females.
Table B.2: Unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths, by age and sex, 2016–17
|
Age group
|
Males
|
Females |
Persons |
| Number |
% |
Number |
% |
Number |
% |
|
0–4
|
5
|
0.6
|
8
|
2.7
|
13
|
1.1
|
| 5–14 |
18 |
2.1 |
6 |
2.0 |
24 |
2.0 |
| 15–24 |
190 |
21.7 |
46 |
15.3 |
236 |
20.1 |
| 25–44 |
300 |
34.2 |
74 |
24.7 |
374 |
31.8 |
| 45–64 |
197 |
22.5 |
75 |
25.0 |
272 |
23.1 |
| 65+ |
166 |
18.9 |
91 |
30.3 |
257 |
21.9 |
| Total |
876 |
100.0 |
300 |
100.0 |
1,176 |
100.0 |
Source: AIHW NMD.
State or territory of usual residence
In 2016–17, the age-standardised rate for unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths for residents of the Northern Territory (15.3 deaths per 100,000 population) was 3.3 times that of the national rate of 4.7 deaths per 100,000 population (Table B.3).
Residents of Western Australia recorded the second highest rate (7.2 deaths per 100,000), while residents of the Australian Capital Territory recorded the lowest rate (2.1 deaths per 100,000).
Table B.3: Unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths, by state/territory of usual residence, 2016–17
|
Indicator
|
NSW |
VIC |
QLD |
WA |
SA |
TAS |
ACT |
NT |
|
Number
|
311
|
253 |
268 |
183 |
83 |
29 |
9 |
40 |
|
%
|
26.4
|
21.5 |
22.8 |
15.6 |
7.1 |
2.5 |
0.8 |
3.4 |
|
Age-standardised rate
(deaths per 100,000 population)
|
3.9
|
3.9 |
5.5 |
7.2 |
4.5 |
5.5 |
2.1 |
15.3 |
Source: AIHW NMD.
Remoteness of usual residence
In 2016–17, the age-standardised rate of unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths rose with increasing remoteness of residence (Table B.4). The rate for residents of Very remote areas was 5.5 times the rate for residents of Major cities.
Table B.4: Unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths, by remoteness of usual residence(b), 2016–17
|
Indicators
|
Major cities
|
Inner regional |
Outer regional |
Remote |
Very remote |
|
Number(a)
|
545
|
342
|
195
|
29
|
33
|
| % |
47.6 |
29.9 |
17.0 |
2.6 |
2.9 |
| Age-standardised rate (deaths per 100,000 population) |
3.0 |
7.9 |
9.7 |
9.8 |
16.5 |
Notes:
- Excludes 32 death where remoteness was not reported.
- Derived using the ASGS classification.
Source: AIHW NMD.
Socioeconomic area
In 2016–17, the age-standardised rate of unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths rose with socioeconomic disadvantage (Table B.5). The highest rates were among residents of the 2 most disadvantaged socioeconomic areas. The rate for people living in the second lowest socioeconomic area (6.5 deaths per 100,000 population) was 2.8 times the rate for people living in the highest socioeconomic areas (2.3 per 100,000 population).
Table B.5: Unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths, by socioeconomic area, 2016–17
|
Indicator
|
Socioeconomic area |
|
1—lowest
|
2 |
3 |
4 |
5-highest |
|
Number
|
304
|
321
|
235
|
166
|
118
|
| % |
25.9 |
27.3 |
20.0 |
14.1 |
10.0 |
| Age-standardised rate (deaths per 100,000 population) |
6.1 |
6.5 |
4.7 |
3.3 |
2.3 |
Note: Excludes 32 death where SEIFA quintile was not reported.
Source: AIHW NMD.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
In 2016–17, the age-standardised rate of unintentional transport injury deaths for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 2.6 times as high as the rate for non-Indigenous Australians (Table B.6).
Table B.6: Key indicators for unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths, by Indigenous status and sex, 2016–17
|
Indicator
|
Indigenous |
Non-Indigenous |
| Males |
Females |
Persons |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
| Number |
55
|
21
|
76
|
592
|
197
|
789 |
| Age-standardised rate (deaths per 100,000 population) |
18.7 |
6.1 |
12.3 |
7.2 |
2.2 |
4.7 |
| Rate ratio(a) |
2.6 |
2.8 |
2.6 |
. . |
. . |
. . |
| Rate difference(b) |
11.5 |
3.9 |
7.6 |
. . |
. . |
. . |
Notes:
- Rate ratios are standardised rates for Indigenous males, females, and persons divided by standardised rates for non-Indigenous males, females, and persons.
- Rate differences are standardised rates for Indigenous males, females, and persons minus standardised rates for non-Indigenous males, females, and persons.
Includes data for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory (see Box 1.2).
Source: AIHW NMD.
Differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians for the proportions of unintentional transport injury deaths in each age group were difficult to interpret, due to small numbers in some age groups (Table B.7).
Notably, the proportions of injury deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and females aged 65 and over were much lower than for non-Indigenous Australians of the same age.
Table B.7: Unintentional motor vehicle traffic injury deaths, by Indigenous status, age, and sex, 2016–17
|
Males
|
Indigenous
Number |
Indigenous
% |
Non-Indigenous
Number |
Non-Indigenous
% |
| 0-4 |
2
|
3.6 |
3 |
0.5 |
| 5-14 |
2 |
3.6 |
13 |
2.2 |
|
15–24
|
17 |
30.9 |
134 |
22.6 |
| 25–44 |
21
|
38.2 |
219 |
33.1 |
| 45–64 |
11
|
20.0 |
136 |
23.0 |
|
65+
|
2 |
3.6 |
110 |
18.6 |
|
Total
|
55 |
100.0 |
592 |
100.0 |
|
Females
|
Indigenous
Number |
Indigenous
% |
Non-Indigenous
Number |
Non-Indigenous
% |
|
0–4
|
4
|
19.0
|
2
|
1.0
|
| 5–14 |
0 |
0.0 |
5 |
2.5 |
| 15–24 |
5 |
23.8 |
36 |
18.3 |
| 25–44 |
8 |
38.1 |
50 |
25.4 |
| 45–64 |
4 |
19.0 |
42 |
21.3 |
| 65+ |
0 |
0.0 |
62 |
31.5 |
| Total |
21 |
100.0 |
197 |
100.0 |
Note: Includes data for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory (see Box 1.2).
Source: AIHW NMD.