2004 Road Traffic Crashes in Queensland

NHTSA · 2009 · ROSA P / Queensland. Dept. of Transport and Main Roads

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Summary

This report, published by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads in 2009, analyzes road traffic crash data for the year 2004. The study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of crash outcomes, trends, and contributing factors to inform road safety strategies and interventions. The data is sourced from the Queensland Road Crash Information System, validated by the Queensland Treasury Office of Economic and Statistical Research, with alcohol involvement data supplemented by the Queensland Government Chemical Laboratory. The report contextualizes 2004 statistics against previous five-year trends, national averages, and demographic shifts, while noting that legislative changes in 2000 and 2001 affected reporting consistency for non-fatal crashes. The analysis reveals that Queensland recorded 311 road fatalities in 2004, a slight increase from 2003 but equal to the five-year average. The fatality rate was 7.96 per 100,000 population, aligning with the national average. Young adults aged 17–24 accounted for 28% of fatalities despite comprising only 12% of the population, with fatality rates for 17–20-year-olds triple the state average. Drivers constituted 47% of fatalities and 52% of hospitalizations. Motorcycle fatalities increased by 14% to 48, while pedestrian fatalities decreased by 29% to 36. Of the 23,438 reported crashes, 62% were multi-vehicle and 34% were single-vehicle; however, 52% of fatal crashes were single-vehicle incidents. Severe crashes were more prevalent on weekends, particularly Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Key contributing factors identified by police assessment include inattention (28% of fatal crashes), failure to obey traffic rules (27%), and alcohol or drug use (34%). Speed contributed to 18% of fatal crashes, while fatigue accounted for 5%. Unrestrained occupants represented 25% of all vehicle occupant fatalities, with higher rates among young adults (32%) and mature adults (27%). Alcohol involvement was significant among young adult drivers, with 32% of tested fatalities having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% or greater. Spatially, while most crashes occurred in urban areas, 36% of fatal crashes occurred outside urban centers. The report highlights that long-term trends show a 44% decrease in the road toll since the mid-1970s, despite a 210% increase in vehicle registrations. The findings underscore the disproportionate risk faced by young adults and the critical role of behavioral factors such as inattention, alcohol consumption, and seatbelt non-use in severe crashes. The data supports the Department’s ongoing policy development, guiding the Queensland Road Safety Action Plans and strategies aimed at reducing fatalities and hospitalizations. By identifying specific high-risk demographics and contributing factors, the report provides evidence-based insights for targeted interventions, such as improved enforcement of seatbelt laws, alcohol education for young drivers, and infrastructure improvements in rural areas where single-vehicle fatal crashes are more common.

Key finding

Young adults aged 17 to 24 years accounted for 28 percent of road fatalities in Queensland in 2004, a rate three times higher than the general population for 17-20 year-olds and double for 21-24 year-olds.

Methodology

dataset

Sample size: 23438

Provenance

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Topics

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

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes