Brisbane Line October 2010 - Road Trauma is Breaking the Nation

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Empty shoes mark our road carnage

[ozbob]

Cost of Road Crashes (NSW) March 2012 --> http://www.mynrma.com.au/images/About-PDF/Cost-of-Road-Crashes.pdf

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

3rd June 2012

The cost of road crashes

Greetings,

The NRMA has published a review of the Cost of Road Crashes  http://www.mynrma.com.au/images/About-PDF/Cost-of-Road-Crashes.pdf

From the NRMA document:

Overview

From 2006 until 2010, 2,163 people were killed and 124,061 people were injured on NSW roads. Gains
have been made in reducing the NSW road toll to the lowest level since records were first compiled in
1908. However, with road safety efforts relying heavily on reducing fatalities, what is often forgotten is the
economic cost of crashes to the community.

Road safety is not only considered an important issue that needs addressing in Australia, but also
internationally. On 2 March 2010 governments around the world took the historic decision to increase action
to address the global road safety crisis over the next ten years.

The United Nations General Assembly resolution proclaimed a Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-
2020 with the goal of stabilising and then reducing the forecasted level of road traffic fatalities around the
world by increasing activities conducted at national, regional and global levels. Australia is a signatory to
this resolution.

Statistics that show road-traffic injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death in the
world. Australia has seen a considerable reduction in the road toll over the last 30 years; however the
rate of progress has slowed in recent years. Australia is seen as a leader of road safety around the world;
however, there is more that we can do to further reduce our road toll.

NRMA has analysed the economic cost of road crashes on a number of major highways in NSW. Deaths
and injuries on our roads cost the community on average $2.8 billion each year. The total cost of road
crashes over the five-year period was $13.8 billion. The NRMA believes that the cost of deaths and injuries
caused by road crashes is a crucial issue that needs greater consideration when addressing road safety in
NSW.

The cost of fatalities and injuries is very significant.  Note that the cost of injuries is directly equivalent to fatalities, and with high ongoing medical costs the management of seriously injured will become an even more unbearable economic and social burden.  All states of Australia would show similar relative costs.

I have highlighted the need in the past for the media, Government and the Queensland Police Service to highlight the number of injuries as well as the fatalities.  Injuries resulting from road crashes is also a huge social and economic burden.  Attempts to change driver behaviour and attitude will perhaps  be better guided if the impact of injuries is also made very clear as well as fatalities.

The costs of road trauma are clearly unsustainable.  There must be  better efforts to get long haul and bulk freight back onto rail.  Public transport must be improved so that it is first choice, not last choice.  The funding imbalance to costly roads needs to be shifted to safe sustainable transport for the nation, particularly rail.

Road trauma is breaking the nation -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=3

Lets get focussed and seriously address the road trauma curse.

Best wishes,

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[#Metro]

Statistics Trace Request

Rail is approximately 40 times safer than travel by car.  Travel by bus is about 10 times safer than travel by car.  It is clear that we need to start maximizing use of our rail networks, and support those networks with bus transport to feed rail stations where possible.  A major project such as the Cross River Rail Tunnel for Brisbane is actually going to return huge savings.  The tunnel is equivalent to a 30 lane road highway in terms of passenger capacity.  Why haven't we started the actual digging?

Can I please have a reference to this statistic, down to the individual page level on where this statistic comes from? I've tried to find it in the ARA report, with no luck.

TT

[ozbob]

It is well a known general statistic.  I think it was derived from http://www.bitre.gov.au/ data.

Contact ARA and I am sure they can put you on to it real quick.  It has been published somewhere but cannot recall exactly where now.

See http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2011/files/stats_004.pdf  page 116 for example.

Injury rates for car vs rail for billions of kms travelled is  around x 10 rail rates  and fatalities x 4 rail rates = 40 times

[Golliwog]

The safety section of the report Ozbob linked starts in Part T, Chapter 8 (pg 109). Figures for number of fatalities/fatality accidents for 2009 are
Road: 1490
Rail: 24
Marine: 53
Aviation: 25

If you read further they have rates per head of population, vkm, and so on.

[#Metro]

Thanks Gollowog, I am looking through this section - I'm researching this because I have a query about seatbelts on school buses and wanted to compare the risk of death and injury from being in a school bus versus that when being driven to school by a parent.

Section T is a huge help but 'road' deaths isn't so helpful because buses and cars both travel on roads and the level of detail / resolution in the data I'm after is thus obscured.

[Golliwog]

Thanks Gollowog, I am looking through this section - I'm researching this because I have a query about seatbelts on school buses and wanted to compare the risk of death and injury from being in a school bus versus that when being driven to school by a parent.

Section T is a huge help but 'road' deaths isn't so helpful because buses and cars both travel on roads and the level of detail / resolution in the data I'm after is thus obscured.

True. What you'd be after then would be one of the vkm rates. While it would just lead to an approximation, maybe have a look through the chapter in Part T on roads. It should be able to give you a split in vkm between bus and car. While you'd still have the same fuzzy death rate for road travel, it'd give a good insight into how much of that is actually due to buses. Basically, just have a poke around and see what other statistics you can find for the same time periods and see what you can put together. There also might be another report that has it somewhere.

Here you go: http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/fhvc.aspx
They're Fatal Heavy Vehicle Crashes. It has a graph with the number of fatal crashes/deaths from different heavy vehicle types, including a seperate line for buses. The one you would probably be interested in is that it states in the 12 months to the end of September 2011 there were 23 deaths from 22 crashes involving buses. Something to take note of is that these deaths were necessarily of people on the bus, but just deaths from crashes involving a bus.

[ozbob]

Not sure if you have seen this TT

http://www.busnsw.com.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=r9VH6UN5lII%3D&tabid=556&language=en-US

REVIEW OF LITERATURE RELATING TO THE USE OF SEATBELTS AND OTHER SAFETY MEASURES TO IMPROVE PASSENGER SAFETY ON SCHOOL BUSES
Dr Julie Hatfield

[ozbob]

Europe, but still interesting stats

http://www.allianz-pro-schiene.de/eng/press/press-releases/2011/41-injury-figures-fatality-risk-in-cars-is-67-times-greater-than-trains/

...Berlin. Right across Europe, travelling by train is safer than by car. In Germany, the railways have also retained their top position as the safest transport mode. According to Pro-Rail Alliance calculations, the overall average fatality risk for the period from 2004 to 2010 in Germany was 67 times greater for car passengers that rail travellers. For non-fatal injuries the risk is even higher: per person-kilometre, the probability of being involved in an accident is 100 times greater for every car journey, compared with a journey by train. Although buses are considerably better than cars when it comes to safety, the gap between bus and train is still appreciable: the fatality risk for bus passengers is around five times higher in comparison with trains, and the risk of injury is around 28 times greater. "Trains are by far the safest transport mode," said the managing director of the German Pro-Rail Alliance, Dirk Flege, at a joint press conference with the auto club ACV in Berlin on Tuesday. The fact eight people were killed in a severe train accident in Hordorf in early 2011 does not affect this trend ...

[#Metro]

Thanks Ozbob, that's exactly what I need!

I like references to sources when dealing with statistics.

Thank you again!

[ozbob]

QPS have highlighted the injuries as well as the fatalities, been suggesting that for a while , sobering ...

==========================

http://qpsmedia.govspace.gov.au/2012/06/29/operation-cold-snap-continues/
   
Operation Cold Snap continues
June 29, 2012, 2:41 pm

Police are urging motorists to take more care on the roads as the Queensland winter holiday period enters its halfway point.

State Traffic Support Branch Acting Chief Superintendent Andy Morrow said six people had died on Queensland roads so far.

"The corresponding holiday period last year was a bad one for road deaths, and unfortunately, this year is heading in the same direction," he said.

"If the deaths on our roads this holiday period continue, we may exceed last year's figure of 13 – something we do not want to see."

Acting Chief Superintendent Morrow said in addition to the fatalities, 727 crashes had been reported to police – 239 of which resulted in injuries to those involved.

"Driving in wet weather can be extremely hazardous, and a lot of the time, wet weather crashes occur because people choose not to drive to conditions.

"If it is raining, or if the roads are slippery, drivers need to slow down and take greater care."

Police around the state are continuing their holiday road safety campaign, 'Operation Cold Snap' in an attempt to limit the danger on our roads.

The operation will continue until school begins again on July 9, and involves additional marked and unmarked patrols and other enforcement strategies focused on the Fatal 4.

People who witness potentially dangerous driving behaviour are urged to telephone the 'Hoon' hotline, on 13 46 66 or PoliceLink on 131 444.

OPERATION COLD SNAP FACTS:

• 6 people have died on Queensland roads this winter school holiday period – two men and four women.

• Two of those killed were motorcyclists

• One of those killed was driving a truck

• The remaining three were driving utilities or sedans

• The oldest person killed this holiday period so far was 75

• The youngest of those person killed this holiday period so far was 23

• 727 crashes have been reported to police – 239 of which resulted in injuries to those involved.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Premier in car crash

Brisbanetimes --> Children among 14 injured in crash

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> State's road toll increases by five after horror crashes across Queensland

[Golliwog]

Brisbanetimes --> Motorist crushed in Bruce Highway crash

Motorist crushed in Bruce Highway crash
Date    July 29, 2012 - 3:41PM


A motorist has been crushed to death after an horrific collision on the Bruce Highway in central Queensland.

Police say the car is wedged under a semi-trailer and the driver has been crushed beyond recognition.

Emergency crews are still trying to pry the car from out under the truck hours after the midday (AEST) collision near Ambrose, north of Gladstone on Sunday.

Police say the highway has been closed and cars are being directed to Yapala Road, but the alternative route is not suitable for heavy vehicles, causing delays for trucks.
Advertisement

AAP

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Truck driver dies in Bruce Highway crash

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Family torn apart by horror crash on Bruce Highway at Calen, as fatalities recorded in Collinsville, Tinbeerwah, Tinana and Bluewater

[Golliwog]

Couriermail --> Family torn apart by horror crash on Bruce Highway at Calen, as fatalities recorded in Collinsville, Tinbeerwah, Tinana and Bluewater

Brisbanetimes --> Head-on, rollover claim two lives on Qld roads
Doesn't mention the family at Calen, but does go into the other crashes at Nambour and Collinsville. It seems in two days we had 9 deaths, 4 adults injured and taken to hospital, 2 adults seriously injured and taken to hospital, and an 18 month old child critically injured and taken to hospital, as well as a separate crash at Carseldine that has left a 19 year old in a coma.

What the hell is going on that all this raises is grief at the loss of life, and reminders to drive safe, but not a serious conversation about how to try and fix this mess (other than the occasional polly talking about building safer roads)? It's absolutely appalling.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

12th August 2012

Murder, bloody murder!

Greetings,

The situation on the roads is worse than ever.  Horrific these past few days. We need as a community to provide people with options other than the gauntlet of death and chaos on the roads.

This means getting bulk freight back on to rail.  Re-establishing more and better Interurban and long distance passenger rail services.

One member has commented* at RAIL Back On Track:

What the hell is going on that all this raises is grief at the loss of life, and reminders to drive safe, but not a serious conversation about how to try and fix this mess (other than the occasional polly talking about building safer roads)? It's absolutely appalling.

* http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg106815#msg106815

The cost of road trauma in terms of the social and impacts on the health system is becoming unmanageable.
Road trauma is breaking the nation  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=3

There also needs to be some urgent action taken with vehicle drivers that continue to flaunt the rules at level crossings, and bridge strikes.

Time to get the gloves off, put them off the road.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Spate of fatal crashes on Queensland roads 'the worst in memory'

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

13th August 2012

Re: Murder, bloody murder!

Greetings,

Is there going to be a response to this?  Probably not, more bleats about 'driving safely' and ' we need safe roads'.

There are no safe roads .... get a grip.

Couriermail --> Spate of fatal crashes on Queensland roads 'the worst in memory'

Time to ramp up rail!

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

On 12/08/2012 5:22 AM, RAIL Back On Track Admin wrote:

Europe, but still interesting stats

http://www.allianz-pro-schiene.de/eng/press/press-releases/2011/41-injury-figures-fatality-risk-in-cars-is-67-times-greater-than-trains/

...Berlin. Right across Europe, travelling by train is safer than by car. In Germany, the railways have also retained their top position as the safest transport mode. According to Pro-Rail Alliance calculations, the overall average fatality risk for the period from 2004 to 2010 in Germany was 67 times greater for car passengers that rail travellers. For non-fatal injuries the risk is even higher: per person-kilometre, the probability of being involved in an accident is 100 times greater for every car journey, compared with a journey by train. Although buses are considerably better than cars when it comes to safety, the gap between bus and train is still appreciable: the fatality risk for bus passengers is around five times higher in comparison with trains, and the risk of injury is around 28 times greater. "Trains are by far the safest transport mode," said the managing director of the German Pro-Rail Alliance, Dirk Flege, at a joint press conference with the auto club ACV in Berlin on Tuesday. The fact eight people were killed in a severe train accident in Hordorf in early 2011 does not affect this trend ...

Sent to all outlets:

12th August 2012

Murder, bloody murder!

Greetings,

The situation on the roads is worse than ever.  Horrific these past few days. We need as a community to provide people with options other than the gauntlet of death and chaos on the roads.

This means getting bulk freight back on to rail.  Re-establishing more and better Interurban and long distance passenger rail services.

One member has commented* at RAIL Back On Track:

What the hell is going on that all this raises is grief at the loss of life, and reminders to drive safe, but not a serious conversation about how to try and fix this mess (other than the occasional polly talking about building safer roads)? It's absolutely appalling.

* http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg106815#msg106815

The cost of road trauma in terms of the social and impacts on the health system is becoming unmanageable.
Road trauma is breaking the nation  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=3

There also needs to be some urgent action taken with vehicle drivers that continue to flaunt the rules at level crossings, and bridge strikes.

Time to get the gloves off, put them off the road.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Pedestrian hit by truck in Brisbane's southwest

Harcourt Rd is a place to avoid.  Massive B doubles and the like who fail to observe rudimentary traffic rules.  The situation is an absolute mess.

I have taken to going via Centenary Village rather than there.   

[Golliwog]

Brisbanetimes --> Pedestrian hit by truck in Brisbane's southwest

Harcourt Rd is a place to avoid.  Massive B doubles and the like who fail to observe rudimentary traffic rules.  The situation is an absolute mess.

I have taken to going via Centenary Village rather than there.

This was mentioned in Ten's 5pm news. They were reporting that the man who died was actually the truck driver after he had some sort of problem, pulled over and went around the front to have a look at what was wrong when the truck rolled forward over him and crashed into a brick fence.

[ozbob]

Locals have taken to painting signs on fences in some sort of attempt to get it sorted out.

Truck rolling just highlights some sort of issue either with a failure of setting the brakes or the truck itself?

There are certain times when it is best to avoid it.  Massive truck depots and it is the principle access point for Darra.

There are vague plans to do something when Darra to Rocklea of the carpark is upgraded, but it will a long time coming.

In the meantime more mayhem, death, injury and calamity.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Wild driving continues on D'Aguilar Highway near Caboolture

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Has justice been served?

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Truck driver dies in crash at Pindi Pindi, north of Mackay

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Road toll climbs as three killed in 24 hours

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Police vow to curb road toll carnage as 17 die in crashes over 14 days

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Nine hurt in bus crash

Radio report on 612 ABC Brisbane indicates Driver passed out as bus negotiated roundabout and bus (KBL) subsequently ran off the road into the bush, fortunately missing trees.

[ozbob]

http://cdn.mypolice.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/infoGraphicFINAL.jpg

[mufreight]

Would be most interesting to know how many of those fatals and injuries were involving heavy vehicles hauling freight that could and probably should have been hauled by rail.

[ozbob]

From the South West / Springfield News 22nd August 2012 page 10

Crash shatters family as girl dies

[Jonno]

Or we're on long distance trips that should/could have been by rail

[WTN]

Or we're on long distance trips that should/could have been by rail

Or even by plane.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Two dead in 24 hours on Queensland roads

[Jonno]

People drive long distances because the cost of shifting a family from say Syd to Brisbane and return can exceed $600-800 (Plane or train), which is alot of cash. While the road toll is very high, in % terms of the people actually travelling is very low, but its still safest way to travel is stil flying.

What I'd like to see as well as mentioned above, is how many of those travellers were local vs long haul travellers?

1200+ killed a year is NOT A SAFE form of transport.  Those killed are people not %'s.  Families destroyed and futures destroyed.  flying might safe but after all costs a d time is included is it efficient?  Can't fly everywhere either!!

[ozbob]

The major risk with air travel is travelling to and from the airport on roads.  Risks can be reduced by using rail, failing that bus to and from the airport.

[Golliwog]

Couriermail --> Family torn apart by horror crash on Bruce Highway at Calen, as fatalities recorded in Collinsville, Tinbeerwah, Tinana and Bluewater

Brisbanetimes --> Head-on, rollover claim two lives on Qld roads
Doesn't mention the family at Calen, but does go into the other crashes at Nambour and Collinsville. It seems in two days we had 9 deaths, 4 adults injured and taken to hospital, 2 adults seriously injured and taken to hospital, and an 18 month old child critically injured and taken to hospital, as well as a separate crash at Carseldine that has left a 19 year old in a coma.

What the hell is going on that all this raises is grief at the loss of life, and reminders to drive safe, but not a serious conversation about how to try and fix this mess (other than the occasional polly talking about building safer roads)? It's absolutely appalling.

He's still in the coma: Rising Broncos star Matt Berwick still in coma following a car crash

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Five dead in horror weekend on Qld roads