AIHW transport accident reports

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released new reports on transport accidents:

Trends in serious injury due to land transport accidents, Australia 2000-01 to 2008-09 presents estimates of trends in the number and rate of persons injured in Australia due to road vehicle traffic crashes. Serious injury is defined as when the person was admitted to hospital for their injury. Trends in high threat to life, or life threatening, injury are also reported. Over the 9-year period from 2000-01 to 2008-09, age-standardised rates for persons seriously injured due to a road traffic crash increased from 138.3 to 156.7 per 100,000 population, an average annual increase of 1.6%. Over one-quarter (26%) of those seriously injured due to road traffic crashes sustained life-threatening injuries over the 9-year period from 2000-01 to 2008-09. Over one-quarter (26%) of those seriously injured due to road traffic crashes sustained life-threatening injuries over the 9-year period from 2000–01 to 2008–09.

  

Serious injury due to land transport accidents involving a railway train, Australia 2004-05 to 2008-09 presents information on cases of serious injury resulting in hospitalisation due to transport accidents involving a train for the five year period 2004-05 to 2008-09. Over the 5-year period, 868 persons were seriously injured in Australia due to transport accidents involving a train, an average of 174 per year.  248 persons were seriously injured in Australia due to a level crossing accident, an average of 50 per year.