The burden of road trauma in Australia remains considerable at around 1,400 deaths and 32,500 serious injuries each year. Estimates suggest that road trauma in Australia costs $27 billion annually. Information that describes the crash circumstances and injury outcomes following road trauma is essential in order to inform the development of road safety policy.
No single data source can provide comprehensive information to describe the who, what, when, where, why and outcomes of road trauma in Australia. Data from the police reports are able to provide information about the circumstances of road crashes, but is not about the nature and outcome of any injuries sustained. Health-related administrative data collections, such as the hospital admission or emergency department presentations, are able to provide detailed information about injuries sustained in traffic crashes and treatment provided, but limited information concerning the vehicle crash and any crash risk factors. In addition, mortality data file is capable of providing information on the cause of death that is not available in police reports.
By linking information recorded on road trauma from police reports, mortality data, hospital admission and emergency department presentations and conducting a retrospective analysis of these multiple linked data collections, a series of research reports for the New South Wales (NSW) government examined: (i) data linkage rates for police-reported road crashes with hospital-based data collections and mortality data collections, (ii) refined definitions of serious road trauma, (iii) examined temporal trends in the incidence of road trauma and in the incidence of serious road trauma by road user, (iv) identified determinants of injury outcome for different road users; and (v) examined the characteristics of road trauma involving Aboriginal people.
Further research has examined:
Effectiveness of bicycle helmets: A case-control study was conducted using the linked police-reported road crash and hospital admission data extract to identify whether bicycle helmet use was associated with reduced risk of head injury in collision with vehicles. This study found that the more severe the injury, the greater the reduction was identified with helmet use.

Motorcycle barrier crashes: This was a retrospective epidemiological study using the linked police-reported road crash and hospital admission data extract to quantify the protective effect of roadside barriers for motorcyclists. The study found, for single motorcyclist collisions, trees, posts and utility poles resulted in a greater number of serious injuries to motorcyclists than guardrail. This research will inform the Australian roadside Design Guides as there appears to be a need to increase severity indices for barriers by around 25% for motorcyclists compared to vehicle collisions.

1. Mitchell R. Bambach M. (2014) Examination of narratives from emergency department presentations to identify road trauma, crash and injury risk factors.  Transport and Road Safety Research, University of NSW: Sydney.
2. Mitchell R. Bambach M. (2014) Characteristics of road trauma involving Aboriginal people in NSW, 2001-2011.  Transport and Road Safety Research, University of NSW: Sydney.
3. Mitchell R. Bambach, M. Grzebieta R. Williamson A. (2013) In-depth characteristics of injurious road trauma in NSW, 2001-2011.  Transport and Road Safety Research, University of NSW: Sydney.
4. Mitchell R. Bambach, M. Grzebieta R. Williamson A. (2013) Trends in serious road trauma in NSW, 2001-2009.  Transport and Road Safety Research, University of NSW: Sydney.
5. Bambach, M. Mitchell R. Grzebieta R. Williamson A. (2012) Road trauma and the determinants of injury outcome for road users.  Transport and Road Safety Research, University of NSW: Sydney.
6. Bambach, M. Mitchell R. Grzebieta R. Williamson A. (2012) Temporal trends in the incidence of non-fatal injury severity for road trauma.  Transport and Road Safety Research, University of NSW: Sydney.
7. Bambach, M. Mitchell R. Grzebieta R. Williamson A. Watson W. (2012) Injury severity indicators and their impact on data linkage.  Transport and Road Safety Research, University of NSW: Sydney.
8. Bambach, M. Mitchell R. Watson W. Grzebieta R.  (2012) Data linkage and road traffic injury estimates in NSW.  Transport and Road Safety Research, University of NSW: Sydney.

1. Bambach M. Mitchell R. (2014) The rising burden of serious thoracic trauma sustained by motorcyclists in road traffic crashes. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 62, 248-258.
2. Mitchell R. Bambach M. Muscatello D. McKenzie K. Balogh Z. (2013) Can Snomed CT as implemented in New South Wales, Australia be used for road trauma injury surveillance in emergency departments?  Health Information Management Journal, 42 (2), 4-8.
3. Bambach M. Mitchell R. Grzebieta R. (2013) The protective effect of roadside barriers for motorcyclists.  Traffic Injury Prevention 14, 756-765.
4. 4.    Bambach M. Mitchell R. Grzebieta R. Oliver J. (2013) The effectiveness of helmets in bicycle collisions with motor vehicles: a case-control study. Accident Analysis and Prevention 53, 78-88.