Rural and remote road crashes: piecing together the story

Deaths from rural road crashes continue at a higher rate per head of population than that for major cities1,2, with the risk of dying on rural roads exceeding that on motorways by four to six times.2 In particular the male death rate from motor vehicle crashes in rural and remote areas of Australia is significantly higher than the male death rate in major cities.2 In 1992, rural and remote road safety was identified as a priority area in the inaugural National Road Safety Strategy 1992–2000.3 This led to the first national Rural Road Safety Seminar in 1995, at which the Australian Transport Safety Council and transport ministers from all States and Territories championed the development of a separate rural and remote road safety action plan—Commonwealth Rural Road Safety Action Plan (1996)4—designed to reduce the incidence and severity of road crashes in country areas by: (i) increasing public awareness of the economic costs of rural crashes; (ii) addressing known deficiencies in identified crash areas; and (iii) improving driver behaviour and attitudes towards alcohol, excessive speed, seatbelt compliance and driving while fatigued.