Developing road safety programs for provincial, rural and remote Queensland

The commonly held view and some previous research show disproportionably high rates of accidents and fatalities in rural environments. The research presented here is aimed at ascertaining if the rural road accidents are significantly different in severity, frequency and causes of crashes compared to urban road crashes in Queensland. The study would determine the relative risk of driving on rural roads compared to urban roads. It will identify the limitations of the rural road network, and other characteristics of rural travel. It would also ascertain whether levels of enforcement (perceived to be lower in rural and remote areas) are responsible for higher level of risk taking by country drivers. The results of this research would support the development of detailed rural road safety programs.