An investigation of serious injury motor vehicle crashes across metropolitan, regional and remote Western Australia

Previous research has identified that road crashes in the non-metropolitan area are significantly more likely to result in more severe injuries compared with those occurring in the metropolitan area. The aims of this study were twofold: to (i) review the published literature in regard to the factors associated with serious injury crashes across metropolitan and rural (regional and remote) areas, and (ii) to quantify and elucidate the risk of serious injury across Western Australia using police reported crash data for the period 2005-2009. Compared with crashes in the metropolitan area, crashes in the regional and remote area were 25-50 per cent more likely to result in an injury (any level) and two to three times more likely to result in either the death or hospitalisation of an involved road user. A range of crash, road, road user and behavioural issues were identified and discussed as contributing factors to the increased incidence of serious injuries in the regional and remote areas. This was followed up with a number of recommendations for further research in the areas of safer roads and roadsides, safer speeds, and safer road use and users.