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Road crashes involving animals in Australia
Peter Rowden1, Dale Steinhardt, Mary Sheehan
1Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland (CARRS-Q), Queensland University of Technology, Beams Rd, Carseldine, Queensland 4034, Australia. p.rowden@qut.edu.au
Accident; Analysis and Prevention
|December 11, 2008
Summary
Animal-related road crashes in Australia cause significant costs and injuries. Night driving and collisions with kangaroos/wallabies are key risks, with underreporting a major concern.
Area of Science:
- Road safety
- Traffic accident analysis
- Wildlife-vehicle collision research
Background:
- Thousands of animal-vehicle collisions occur annually in Australia, causing vehicle damage, injuries, and wildlife fatalities.
- Animal-related crashes are a significant issue, particularly in rural and remote areas, necessitating focused safety interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review animal-related road crashes in Australia.
- To analyze data from the Rural and Remote Road Safety Study in North Queensland concerning serious casualties from animal impacts or evasive maneuvers.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of serious casualty data (n=33) from the Rural and Remote Road Safety Study in North Queensland.
- Comparison of animal-related crashes with other serious injury crashes to identify risk factors.
- Data matching with official government records to assess crash underreporting.
Main Results:
- Animal-related crashes constituted 5.5% of serious casualties in the study.
- Kangaroos and wallabies were the most frequently involved species (44.8%).
- Night-time travel was a significant risk factor, and motorcyclists were disproportionately involved (51.7%).
Conclusions:
- Animal-vehicle collisions represent a critical safety concern, especially in rural Australia, with specific species and time of travel as key risk factors.
- Underreporting of these incidents is a significant issue requiring improved, consistent crash reporting across jurisdictions.
- Development of targeted countermeasures is essential to mitigate the risks associated with animal-related road accidents.
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