Nearly half all fatal crashes in Australia occur on rural roads, and another 14% in towns with fewer than 50,000 people. Vehicle-related death is a higher risk for residents in rural and remote areas than urban locations. Road accidents in rural areas are a substantial drain on human and health resources in Australia. As a contribution to the Austroad project and the development of the action plan the National Road Trauma Advisory Council sponsored a seminar on April 20/21, 1995, at Wodonga, Victoria. The purpose of this seminar was to: a) better understand when, where and why crashes happen on country roads; b) assess a range of options which might improve safety on rural roads; and c) formulate some recommendations which governments and responsible organisations might consider. The seminar focused on three areas of influence in rural road crahses: 1) the road user behaviour issues which contribute to rural crashes and how these can be addressed through education and enforcement; 2) the role of local government and the community in addressing area-specific issues in rural road safety; and 3) the treatment and management of trauma. This report is a review of rural road safety in Australia, with particular regard to material presented at and generated by the Rural Road Safety Seminar. It is a working document, intended as a foundation for the establishment of an action plan for rural road safety. (A) For the covering entry of this Seminar, see IRRD abstract No. 868179.
Samenvatting