2001 Road Traffic Crashes in Queensland: a Report on the Road Toll

NHTSA · 2002 · ROSA P / Queensland. Dept. of Transport and Main Roads

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Summary

This report analyzes road traffic crashes in Queensland, Australia, for the year 2001, utilizing data from the Queensland Road Crash Information System. The study aims to provide an overview of crash statistics, trends, and contributing factors to inform road safety planning and evaluate the effectiveness of existing countermeasures. The analysis compares 2001 data against previous five-year trends and national Australian figures, while accounting for legislative changes that affected reporting requirements for injury crashes. In 2001, Queensland recorded 324 road fatalities, a 2.2% increase from 2000 but slightly below the previous five-year average. Despite this slight rise, the fatality rate per 100,000 population (8.9) remained below the national average of 9.1. Long-term trends show a significant decline in fatalities since the mid-1970s, attributed to initiatives such as compulsory seat belt laws, random breath testing, and speed cameras. However, total reported crashes increased by 8% to 21,503, largely due to legislative amendments requiring the reporting of all injury crashes for insurance purposes, which created a series break in injury data comparability. The report identifies specific demographic and behavioral patterns among crash victims. Young adults aged 17–20 were significantly over-represented, with fatality rates nearly three times the state average, while those aged 60 and over also showed elevated rates. Males accounted for 73% of fatalities. Alcohol or drug involvement was the largest contributor to fatal crashes (28%), while disregard for traffic rules was the primary factor in all reported crashes (38%). Speed contributed to 17% of fatal crashes. Pedestrian fatalities totaled 51, with 57% occurring while crossing roads without traffic control. Spatially, 63% of fatal crashes occurred in rural areas, whereas 47% of all crashes occurred in the greater Brisbane area. Friday and Saturday accounted for over 36% of fatal crashes. The findings highlight that while traditional risk factors like speed and alcohol remain critical, many fatal crashes occur under conditions previously considered lower risk, such as daylight and straight roads. The report concludes by outlining the 2002/2003 Queensland Road Safety Action Plan, which prioritizes enhanced deterrence, driver education, speed management, and improved partnerships among stakeholders. These initiatives aim to address the persistent road toll despite previous successes, focusing on high-value interventions to further reduce crash rates and fatalities.

Key finding

Queensland recorded 324 road fatalities in 2001, an increase of two percent from 2000, with young adults aged 17 to 20 years showing fatality rates nearly three times the state average and alcohol involvement contributing to 28 percent of fatal crashes.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• fatality injury trends
• incidence prevalence
• demographic disparities
• comparative international
• vru crash typology
• crash typology

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes, observational prevalence