Indigenous Australians are over-represented in road fatalities by approximately 3.5 times. Until recently, there has been a lack of research in this area, and quantification of the road safety problem has been difficult due to poor reporting of crashes and complexities with the identification of Indigenous people. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau commissioned this scoping study on behalf of a working group of the National Road Safety Strategy Panel, which is the Indigenous Road Safety Working Group. The study seeks to identify current databases and research, gaps in information, and future research requirements in Indigenous road safety. While a national Indigenous road safety strategy has not been championed, it is intended that the research outcomes will ultimately provide core information for the development and implementation of culturally sound solutions to Indigenous road safety problems in Australia. The study has involved: (i) a comprehensive literature and research review; (ii) crash statistics analysis; and (iii) consultation with road safety authorities and Indigenous authorities in each jurisdiction. The study also draws heavily on a recent review of Indigenous road safety in South Australia conducted by Graham Brice (2000) and consultation with members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Injury Prevention Action Committee (a subcommittee of the ATSI Working Group of the National Public Health Partnership).
Type: Research and Analysis Report
Author(s): J Macaulay, R Thomas, N Mabbot, T Styles, ARRB Research; C Edmonston, M Sheehan, C Schonfeld, CARRS-Q
Topics: Crash data, Indigenous
Publication Date: 01/01/03