Statistical research Report on Deaths on the Road in Queensland Australia for 2012
Statistical research Report on Deaths on the Road in Queensland Australia for 2012
This report presents statistical research Report on Deaths on the Road in Queensland Australia for 2012.
In the last four years, there has been significant increase in fatalities in the Queensland where the 17-25 age groups has recorded the prime rate which accounts for 13% of the population. There has been increase in road accidents in Queensland Australia which has consumed many lives in the recent past. The frequent road carnages in Australia have had serious social and economic impact in the society.
This report is very essential in providing crucial information to the Commissioner of Police. The information is very critical as far as addressing the frequent road carnage is concerned. The media exposure has also had a very huge influence on The Department of Infrastructure and Transport thus tarnishing the Police Department and all other departments related with transport.
A REPORT FOR ASSESSMENT TASK NUMBER TWO
(BSBRES401A)
PREPARED BY:
Name
Date
Executive SummaryThis report is about causes of road carnage in Queensland which are classified into human behavior, road users and heavy trucks. Human behaviors particularly amongst the drivers aged between 17 and 25 are the major factors that contributed to a high number of accidents and continuous road carnage in Queensland in 2012. It further provides recommendations on how the fatal road accidents can be reduced such as through ensuring drivers’ competence and behavior control as well as guaranteeing road and vehicle safety.Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………….3
1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..5
1.1 Aim……………………………………………………………………………………5
1.2 Authorization ………………………………………………………………………….5
1.3 Sources…………………………………………………………………………………5
2 Findings………………………………………………………………………………….6
2.1 Heavy trucks and buses………………………………………………………………..6
2.2 Human behavior……………………………………………………………………….7
2.3 Road users……………………………………………………………………………..7
3 Analysis………………………………………………………………………………….8
4 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………9
5 Recommendation………………………………………………………………………10
5.1 Improving and regulating drivers’ behavior and competence………………………..10
5.2 Improving of the safety of roads and vehicles……………………………………….11
6 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………12
7 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………13
Introduction
Australia’s transportation department has provided a framework for national collaboration that is aimed at reducing the per capita rate of road deaths. The issue of road safety is very important issue that requires a holistic view and solution to the devastating problem. Although Australia was among the first countries that ceremoniously adopted the safe system approach to ensure road safety, there have been various elements that have led to serious loss of life. It is therefore important to address these serious concerns that have resulted into death and serious injuries.
Casualty reduction is very much achievable and therefore the high rate of deaths particularly the young people must be addressed. The various causes of deaths such as careless driving and drunk drivers must be properly analyzed and stopped through careful application of the laws and regulation. Various causes of road carnages as well as solutions to stop these killings are discussed in this report. Some of the causes of deaths on the roads include human behavior, road users, heavy trucks and buses.
Aim
The aim is to investigate various causes of road carnages in the Queensland and the possible solutions to reduce these fatal killings.
1.2 Authorization
This report was authorized by the police department in conjunction with transportation department in order to curb road killings.
1.3 SourcesThis report has been made successful through the great contributions from Queens land Department of Transport and Main Roads.
FindingsIncreased road accident posed a great threat in Queensland especially among the young people aged between 17 and 25 years. Despite many controls and measures put in place, there are no positive progresses as far as controlling or minimizing road carnages is concerned. According to this report, total fatal crashes in 2012 increased compared to 2011. Some of the major fatalities were contributed by driver, passengers, motorcycle riders and heavy freight crashes. Bicycle riders facilities were the least amongst facilities with only two incidences recorded in 2012 compared with two incidences in 2011. Heavy trucks, human behavior and road users largely contributed to several road carnages in Queensland. Queensland was among the states that recorded highest number of road accidents thus leading to the importance of the report (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012).
2.1 Heavy trucks
Within the 12 months ending September 2012, there were almost 15% of fatal crashes that involved heavy trucks and buses where heavy trucks were further categorized as rigid trucks and articulated trucks. Fatal crashes caused by heavy trucks attributed to articulated trucks decreased by o.8% while lethal crashes involving heavy rigid trucks increased by 14.3% compared to the year 2011. The totals of heavy truck fatal crashes were 28 in 2012 compared 25 cases in the year 2011. Fatal crashes that were contributed by articulated trucks were categorized into various speed zones as followed 0-60, 70-90, 100, and >110 km/h which caused the deaths as follows 4, 0, 23 and 2 respectively. Fatal crashes that involved heavy rigid trucks by jurisdiction were categorized into various speed zones as follows 0-60, 70-90, 100 and >110km/h which subsequently caused 9, 5, 7 and 0 deaths respectively (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012).
2.2 Human Behavior
Drinking and careless driving has also been blamed on the ever increasing deaths caused by road accidents. People tend not to be responsible and therefore do not take driving as serious as it should be. Over speeding contributed to almost 45% fatal crashes out of all the human behaviors and closely followed by drunken drivers, fatigue, failure to wear safety belts and use of a mobile phone. These are the major causes of fatal crashes yet they can be avoided. These causes of fatal killings have however increased in 2012 as compared to 2011. Victims of these groups are mainly young people of ages from 17 to 25. Most of them do not even know or understands the driving rules and regulation in Queensland. Speed zone and jurisdictions were classified into 0-60, 70-90, 100 and > 110km/h and caused deaths as followed 96, 54, and 96 and 9 (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012).
2.3 Road users
Road users include the drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. Amongst them, drivers are really affected. Most fatal road accidents are caused by drivers which comprises of almost 49% of the total road users. They are closely followed by passengers at 20%. However, road users such as pedestrians are always falling victims due to careless use of roads. The total death toll for the road users amounted to 280 with the number of drivers’ death recorded amounting to 125. Motorcyclists and passenger’s death recorded were 60 and 58 respectively while cyclists were 10. There were also variances when it came to age group where the youths recorded highest number of deaths. The age groups were categorized into 0-16, 17-25, 26-39, 40-59, 60-69 and >70 years where the number of deaths recorded for every group were 15, 72, 70, 64, 29, and 30 respectively (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012). Refer to appendix A.
3 AnalysisIt is clear that most of the road carnages are caused by human behaviors in Queensland. Use of phones and over speeding are among the greatest causes of road accidents according to the report. Over speeding has largely contributed to the human behavior and its effect is so great. Many lives have been lost through this kind of human behavior. It contributed to almost 45% of human behavior and was rampant amongst the age group between 17 and 25 years. Human behavior caused fatal accidents between the speed zones of 0-60km/hr. and 100km/hr. (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012).
Road users who were largely affected by the road accidents in Queensland were drivers perhaps because they are always at work driving. The fatal accidents contributed by drivers contributed about 49% of the road users. The numbers of deaths of drivers who have died from road carnages were 125. The age groups affected much were between 17 and 24 with death toll of almost 72. This young age group drives carelessly without paying much attention to rules and regulations of the road use (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012).
Heavy trucks have also caused several accidents in the Queensland especially due to carelessness and failure to adhere to rules and regulations of the road use. Many drivers do not consider things such as the distance between the truck and the vehicle ahead of them. Some of the reasons behind the heavy trucks and buses’ accidents are due to inadequate distance between them as well as the adverse weather conditions. Drivers also do not consider the gross mass of their vehicles especially the speed in which they cross the bridges. A good percentage of drivers of trucks and buses also do not use low gears while driving down the steep routes. The most dangerous speed zone was 100km/hr. which has led to highest number of deaths in both articulated and heavy rigid trucks (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012).
4 Conclusions
This report has successfully achieved its aim by pointing out at some of the causes of road accidents in Queensland. It is important to note that most of the age group affected by road accidents was 17-25 years. They were subject in almost every cause such as the human behavior, road users and the heavy trucks. The young age group is fond of breaking rules and regulations set by the department of transportation. It is in this age group that people make phone calls and listen to loud music while driving thus detracting their attention and eventually causing accidents. The age group of 17-25 years is involved much in over speeding cases too.
In general, people do not obey the laws and over speeding is one of the major causes of road carnages. Other human behaviors such as drunkard drivers and careless driving have had a great damage to many cars. Drivers and motorcyclists are the major players and agents of road carnages in Queensland simply because of their negligence. However, there are other causes of road accidents such as conditions of the vehicle and adverse weather conditions. Road accidents have very serious effect on the economy of Queensland particularly in loss of life, permanent impairment and property damage due to inability to recover the productive brains and resources that are lost.
5 Recommendations
A serious action need to be taken to reduce the high number of innocent peoples’ deaths and properties on the road through road accidents. This report recommends Improving of drivers’’ behaviors, improving the safety of roads and improving vehicle conditions.
5.1 Improving and regulating drivers’ behavior and competency.
The human behavior particularly the drivers’ behaviors should be highly controlled and addressed seriously. The report recommends the following:
There should be much greater enforcement of the existing laws by the police by using the computer system that can detect the speed of the vehicles as well as introduction of heavy penalties on offenders.
Anti-drunk –driving should be enforced strongly especially during the weekends and any other holidays as well as introduction of breathe testing gadgets to deter drivers from drinking.
Hot spots and every minor road within Queensland should have speed checks through introduction of more speed cameras. All the drivers should undergo proper driving tests and limit the number of provisional licenses an individual may have.
There should be proper institutions that provide continuous training of drivers particularly drivers who have committed offense at their own cost and a yearly campaign that discourages drivers from over speeding and drunk driving.
All driving instructors should have National driver’s Instructor’s qualification and introduction of safe driving education in schools as well as funding the Driver Training Simulator as a way of boosting driver competence and behavior.
5.2 Improving of the safety of roads and vehicles
Ensuring proper road conditions should be given first priority such as all planned road projects and safe overtaking opportunities and reduction of tight turns.
All junctions and road signs should be easily identified by using standard signs and using very clear road markings.
There should be sufficient footpaths and lowering of speed limits for minor roads as well as carrying out detailed analysis on the ways of reducing road carnages.
Proper vehicle safety information published by the manufacturers should be publicly displayed as well mandatory inclusion of traction control.
All vehicles must have speed governors and heavy vehicles ‘weights must be randomly checked.
All the vehicles should be properly analyzed for safety defects and the use of “bull bars” should be banned as use of daytime running lights made compulsory.
6 Bibliographies
Department of Infrastructure and Transport, Australia. (2012).7 AppendicesAppendix A
Deaths by jurisdiction and road users
NSW Vic Qld SA WA Tas NT ACT
2008 374 303 328 99 205 39 75 14
2009 453 290 331 119 190 63 30 12
2010 405 288 249 118 193 31 49 19
2011 364 287 269 103 180 24 44 6
2012 376 282 280 94 185 33 48 12
