STATISTICS and information on this page has been sourced from the SA Police website – www.sapolice.sa.gov.au/road safety/statistics. It is published to remind rural drivers of the need to be extra careful on the roads – and to wear a seat belt, a road rule commonly ignored by many local drivers. Data is supplied by the police Traffic Support branch and is updated daily.
Road crashes on South Australian roads kill a person every two to three days; injure 24 people each day; admit four people to hospital every day; and daily cause serious damage to more than 200 vehicles.
Where and how do collisions occur?
In 2009 66 per cent of all fatalities and 53 per cent of serious injuries occurred on rural roads and 39 per cent of country fatalities occurred on straight sections of road.
Fifty four per cent of fatal crashes occurring on open rural roads are single vehicle crashes such as hitting fixed objects and leaving the road out of control. Thirty-six per cent of fatal and serious injury crashes occur when vehicles hit fixed objects and leaving the road out of control.
Forty per cent of fatal crashes and 31 per cent of serious injury crashes occur on roads with a speed limit of 110 km/h.
Fifty eight per cent of serious injury crashes occur on roads with a speed limit of 60 km/h or less.
Who is involved?
Nearly 75 per cent of people who die in crashes and 64 per cent of the seriously injured are males.
Sixty-five per cent of drivers who die or are seriously injured in rural areas live in rural areas.
Young adults aged 16-24 make up only 11 per cent of the total population but account for 34 per cent of all road fatalities and 25 per cent of serious injuries.
People aged 65 and over make up 15.2 per cent of the total population but are involved in 12 per cent of all road fatalities and 16 per cent of serious injury crashes.
Who are the people who die (by percentage)?
Drivers 50; passengers 28; pedestrians 8; motorcyclists 12; cyclists 2.
Vehicle speed:
Speed is a major factor in at least 34 per cent of fatal crashes. The risk of casualty crashes in suburban streets doubles for each five km/h above 60 km/h. Thirty-nine per cent of all fatal crashes occur in speed zones of 100 km/h or less and 51 per cent of serious injury crashes occur on roads with a speed limit of 70 km/h or less.
Drink driving:
In 2009, 35 per cent of people who died had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or higher: most had BACs three times the legal limit. Seven per cent of drivers aged between 16 - 25 years who died had a BAC of 0.05 or higher, and every 0.05 per cent increase (BAC) above zero doubles the risk of crashing.
Inattention and complacency:
Inattention is a major factor in 30 per cent of fatal crashes.
Drug driving:
In 2009, nine per cent of drivers and riders tested positive to drugs.
Legal or illegal drugs including amphetamine substances, cannabis and some prescription drugs can affect driver skills and attitudes.
Fatigue:
Fatigue is a contributing factor in single vehicle crashes on rural roads. It is a contributing factor in 30 per cent of fatal crashes. Fatigue is a significant factor in crashes involving heavy trucks.
Not wearing your seat belt?
In 2009 18 per cent of vehicle occupants who died were not wearing a seatbelt. Four per cent of those seriously injured were not wearing a seatbelt. Young male drivers in rural areas, rear seat passengers, young children and heavy vehicle drivers are more likely not to wear seatbelts.
