AUSTRALIA

Population: 22 268 384

Income group: High
Gross national income per capita: US$ 46 200

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

SAFER ROAD USERS

Department of Infrastructure and Transport

Yes
Yes
Not funded
Yes (20112020)
At least 30% annually (number of deaths)

SAFER ROADS AND MOBILITY

Formal audits required for new road construction
Regular inspections of existing road infrastructure
Policies to promote walking or cycling
Policies to encourage investment in public transport
Policies to separate road users to protect VRUs

Yes
Parts of network
Yes
Yes
Yes

SAFER VEHICLES
Total registered vehicles (2010)
Cars and 4-wheeled light vehicles
Motorized 2- and 3-wheelers
Heavy trucks
Buses
Other
Vehicle standards applied
UN World forum on harmonization of vehicles standards
New car assessment programme
Vehicle regulations
Front and rear seat-belts required in all new cars
Front and rear seat-belts required all imported cars

16 061 098
14 729 873
660 107
397 871
86 367
186 880
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Penalty/demerit point system in place

National speed limits
Local authorities can set lower limits
Maximum limit urban roads
Enforcement
National drinkdriving law
BAC limit general population
BAC limit young or novice drivers
BAC limit professional/commercial drivers
Random breath testing and/or police checkpoints
Enforcement
% road traffic deaths involving alcohol
National motorcycle helmet law
Applies to drivers and passengers
Helmet standard mandated
Enforcement
Helmet wearing rate
National seat-belt law
Applies to front and rear seat occupants
Enforcement
Seat-belt wearing rate
National child restraint law
Enforcement
National law on mobile phones while driving
Law prohibits hand-held mobile phone use
Law also applies to hands-free mobile phones

All states and territories have a default speed limit of 50 km/h in built-up areas. All except Western
Australia and the Northern Territory have a default speed limit of 100 km/h on other roads. These
default speed limits apply unless signs specify a different limit.
d
All states and territories have a consistent BAC limit of 0.05 g/dl for the general population.
e
All states and territories have zero BAC requirements for young, novice and professional drivers.
f
20022006, Department of Infrastructure and Transport.
g
Motorcycle helmets are required in all jurisdictions, for drivers and adult and child passengers, on
all roads and road related areas and with all engine types. Motorcycle helmets must comply with
Australian Standard 1698.
h
1997, Haworth, N, et al. Case-Control Study of Motorcycle Crashes, CR174.
i
2009, Petroulias, T. Community Attitudes to Road Safety: 2009 Survey report.
c

DATA
Reported road traffic fatalities (2010)
Estimated GDP lost due to road traffic crashes

Yes
Subnational
Yes
50 km/hc
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10
Subnational
0.05 g/dld
0 g/dle
0 g/dle
Yes
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10
30%f
Subnational
Yesg
Yesg
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10
99% Driversh
Subnational
Yes
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10
97% Front seatsi
92% Rear seatsi
Subnational
0 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10
Subnational
Yes
No

POST-CRASH CARE
1 363a, 72% M, 28% F
1.7%b

Police records. Died within 30 days of crash.

2009, Dept of Infrastructure and Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE).

a
b

DEATHS BY ROAD USER CATEGORY

Vital registration system

Emergency Room based injury surveillance system
Emergency access telephone number(s)
Seriously injured transported by ambulance
Permanently disabled due to road traffic crash
Emergency medicine training for doctors
Emergency medicine training for nurses

Yes
Yes
000
75%

Yes
Yes

Other (<1%)
Pedestrians (13%)

Drivers 4-wheeled
cars and light
vehicles(47%)

TRENDS IN ROAD TRAFFIC DEATHS

Deaths per 100 000 population

Cyclists (3%)

Riders motorized
2- or 3-wheelers
(16%)

Passengers 4-wheeled
cars and light vehicles
(21%)

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2001

Source: 2010, Department of Infrastructure and Transport,

Australian Road Deaths Database.

Further data on each country can be found in the statistical annex.

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Source: Department of Infrastructure and Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE).

Data collected by National Data Coordinator and cleared by Department of Infrastructure and Transport.

Lead agency
Funded in national budget
National road safety strategy
Funding to implement strategy
Fatality reduction targets set
Fatality reduction target

49