Published national accident statistics are an aggregation of the data from each State and Territory in Australia. In order to make use of this data, it is necessary to believe that the data supplied from each State are the result of identical, or at least similar, procedures followed by the police in each State to interpret and record the information received about each reported accident. If different views/interpretations are used in each State to define the severity of a road accident, even the so-called reliable indicator (`road deaths') will make for somewhat dubious interstate comparisons. This paper discusses the situation in each State with regard to differences in procedures and differences in interpretations, what needs to be changed, and how far we are from adopting the Common Core data items endorsed by ATAC in 1977. Road Safety cannot look to any improvement without having accident data that are both sensible and reliable. To achieve this will require greater clarity in the format and wording of report forms and a reasonably assured uniformity of interpretation from State to State. Uniformity may be achieved by producing, for national use, a Model Guide-line for the collection and classification of traffic accidents, encompassing all the necessary definitions and interpretations (A).
Samenvatting