The aim of this research was to better understand fatigue as a contributing factor in reported road crashes in Western Australia 2009-2013, particularly those resulting in death or hospitalisation, through the comparative analysis of police reported fatigue-related crashes and fatigue crashes identified from the application of the 2002 Australian Transport Safety Bureau operational definition for fatigue. When the number of fatigue-related crashes was combined from both measures, up to 2% of all reported road crashes for the period may be fatigue-related. The combined proportion is even higher for all reported Killed and Serious Injury crashes (9%) and reported fatal crashes (17.5%). The aim of this research was to better understand fatigue as a contributing factor in reported road crashes in Western Australia 2009-2013, particularly those resulting in death or hospitalisation, through the comparative analysis of police reported fatigue-related crashes and fatigue crashes identified from the application of the 2002 Australian Transport Safety Bureau operational definition for fatigue. When the number of fatigue-related crashes was combined from both measures, up to 2% of all reported road crashes for the period may be fatigue-related. The combined proportion is even higher for all reported Killed and Serious Injury crashes (9%) and reported fatal crashes (17.5%).
Road safety benefit:
The research was beneficial to the extent that this research provides visibility into the WA fatigue crash problem, how WA currently reports on fatigue and made a number of recommendations to improve the current state. Recommendations included:
- In consultation with MRWA, development of a WA formal proxy measure for reporting which is consistent with work being undertaken at the national level via the National Transport Commission.
- Liaison with WA Police Force regarding current assessment practices and the barriers impacting fatigue assessments and related crash reporting.
