International Road Safety Comparisons—Annual

International Road Safety Comparisons—Annual 2018 cover
Publication Subject(s)
road
road deaths australia
safety
Publication Type
Statistical Report
ISSN
1447-8218
Release date

This report presents road deaths and road death rates for Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations and Australian states and territories. The rates allow for a comparison of Australia’s road safety performance with that of other OECD nations by accounting for the differing levels of population, motorisation and distances travelled. The latest available international data is for 2018.

Fatalities per 100,000 population is the measure specified in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Indicator 3.61) to monitor road crash trauma.

2018: At a glance

  • In terms of the fatality rate per 100,000 population in 2018: Australia’s rate of 4.54 was the 14th lowest rate out of the 36 nations. Between 2009 and 2018 Australia’s fatality rate declined by 34.0 per cent. Over the same period, the OECD median rate declined by 29.2 per cent.
  • In terms of the fatality rate per 10,000 registered vehicles in 2018: Australia’s rate of 0.59 was the 11th lowest rate out of the 32 nations with available data.
  • In terms of the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) in 2018: Australia’s rate of 0.43 was the 7th lowest rate out of 19 nations with available data.
  • In Australia in 2018 vulnerable road users (motorcyclist, pedestrian or pedal cyclist) accounted for 36 per cent of total road deaths, which is low compared to most other OECD countries.
A bar chart showing road deaths per 100,000 population for OECD nations and Australian states/territories, 2018

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