Towards an Australian Institute of Trauma Research: learning the lessons of history

Although medical research in Australia in the 20th century has resulted in a reduction of approximately 95% in the death rate from the infectious and parasitic diseases, there has been no such beneficial outcome in road traffic accidents which, it is here suggested, were out of control from 1948 until 1970. In 1970 several concerned community groups (spearheaded by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) campaigned for the introduction of mandatory seat belt wearing. As a consequence of that initiative, and the virtual plethora of subsequent research activities, the road traffic accident rate has declined substantially in the last three decades. The death rate from drownings to toddlers (children under 5) was essentially unchanged until the 1970s when research into toddler pool deaths and the implementation of those research findings resulted in a downturn in toddler drownings in the last two decades. These two examples demonstrate the value of accident research and the implementation of research findings. By analogy with the contributions of the large medical research institutes, the creation of an Australian Institute of Trauma Research seems desirable and is here proposed.