This report profiles the socio-demographic and transport statistics of the study area for the Rural and Remote Road Safety Project, which is being conducted by CARRS-Q at Queensland University of Technology, and James Cook University. It forms part of a larger program of research and intervention aimed at reducing the high rates of fatalities and serious injuries that occur due to road crashes in rural and remote North Queensland. Background research has demonstrated that rural people are at much higher risk of death and injury on the roads. Further, it has highlighted the lack of initiatives designed to utilise their experience and knowledge of conditions and possible safety measures. As such, this is the first study of its kind done in the world. Presented are the findings from the first stage of the project which includes: (i) regional profiles and comparisons within North Queensland; and (ii) an overview of road traffic crashes in the area during the five-year period preceding the study (January 1st 1998 to December 31st 2002). Population statistics were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and road traffic crash data extracted from Queensland Transport's WebCrash 2 database. The report also includes demographic information about the Indigenous population in North Queensland. (Author/publisher)
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