Road Accidents as a Health Issue in Australia Essay Example for Free

Road Accidents as a Health Issue in Australia EssayExploration and Analysis of a Health Issue bear on Australian communityName of StudentName of Affiliate InstitutionDateIntroductionAustralia, just like opposite countries in the world, faces various health hacks that ar widely spread all over the country. The country has to come up with initiatives on how to improve the current Public Health C atomic number 18 services to reference book these health issues. Accident is one of the several(prenominal) pertinent health issues currently affecting Australia. Particularly alley traffic accidents are on the record for causing massive deaths in Australia. W.H.O ranks Australia at estimate 162 world wide contributing to 1.29% of total death resulting from channel accidents in the country (W.H.O, 2005). This essay explores analysis and discusses the issue of channel accidents and how it impacts the Australian population and the proposed initiatives to address it. Analysis of t he affected population/communityRoad accident has claimed many lives and caused severe injuries in Australia in the recent past. World Health Organization has put option street accidents at position two in the most significant cause of death for 10 to 46 year oldies. The death toll resulting from alley carnage has been on the rise in the recent geezerhood (National Health Survey, 2006). The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report indicating 1465 deaths resulting from road accidents in Australia in 2006, 1603 in 2007 and 1464 deaths in 2008 as shown in the table. 2006 2007 2008 No. Of Accidents 1456 1453 1342 Deaths 1601 1603 1464 The graph below shows the summary of the number of accidents and deaths from2006 to 2008. picIn the year 2005-2006, 18623 persons were involved in the sad road accidents where most of them died opus other(a)s escaped with minor and severe injuries. A survey conducted in the year 2006 showed that persons between the ages of 15-24 years experienced a higher(prenominal)(prenominal) rate of injury as a result of road accidents as compared to 35 years old and above (A.B.S, 2010). 1601 people were killed in 2006, (Transport Safety Bureau, 2007). This implies that over 130 people lose their lives in crashes each month. 22,500 people escaped death with serious injuries. The number of accidents in Australia has been consistent for the past 3 years and suspected to be higher than in Europe (car-accidents.com).Number of accidents per region in 2007 and 2008 (A.B.S, 2010). NSW Vic. Qld SA WA Tas. NT ACT TOTAL 2007 405 289 338 107 214 39 47 14 1 453 2008 376 278 293 87 189 38 67 14 1 342 Number of deaths caused by road accidents by regions in 2007 and 2008 (A.B.S, 2010). NSW Vic. Qld SA WA Tas. NT ACT TOTAL 2007 435 332 360 124 235 45 58 14 1 603 2008 397 303 327 99 209 40 75 14 1 464 NSW- New South Wales Vic -VictoriaQld -QueenslandSA -Southern AustraliaWA-Western AustraliaTas- TasmaniaNT-Northern TerritoryACT- Austra lian Capital territoryDeterminants influencing the health issue of road traffic accidentsMany factors contribute to deaths from road accidents among them drunk madcap, over speeding, unroadworthy fomites and careless driving. The motorists and passengers pass on been on the record for violating the laid down traffic regulations. For instance, canful belts are installed in all passenger vehicles for a purpose. Many passengers are aware of this and yet they goaround ignoring their importance (Gozias, 2007). Drunk driving is another(prenominal) crucial factor contributing to the high rate of road accidents in Australia. To curb these incidences, the drivers must change their mindsets and the way of thinking. Many truck drivers believe that they are most armed and cautious while drunk (Worley, 2006). The health authorities concerned with PHC can address this aspect through initiating and running public pedagogy and awareness programs.Drivers attention is extremely crucial in safe dr iving. Research shows that drivers attention and concentration are affected by distraction for instance, using a mobile phone while driving. Music playing in the car stereo plays a significant secernate in the mental and physical attention. These incidences can be avoidable if only the drivers and the passengers are responsible enough. Passengers should not just sit calm while the vehicle is driven around carelessly or under the influence of alcohol. Collective responsibility from the passengers, drivers, traffic departments and pedestrians can go a long way in saving innocent lives (Major Causes Of Fatal Road Accidents, 2010). Studies show that most determinants of road accidents are at the individual levels, for instance, how an individuals income influences his or her driving behavior. A populations income status in an important issue in Primary Health Care. Different individuals respond differently to different instances, situations, laws and forms of enforcement. Different dri vers have different capabilities, visual acuity, auditory acuity and different response speeds. Another factor that may contribute to road accident is the other road users other than the drivers. These include walking pedestrians, cyclists and physically challenged road users.A report based on Australian accidents data found driver errors, drunk driving, and other merciful factors contribute to 90% of all accidents. The authorities have are answerable in most accidents involving pedestrians. For instance, there are few separate tracks and pathways for walking pedestrians and those on wheelchairs (Major Causes Of Fatal Road Accidents, 2010). The favorable status, age and gender are significant social determinants for road crashes. A Danish National Travel Survey conducted in 2001 showed that driving speed decreases with the drivers age. Youthful drivers have a passion for high speed where they deduce a lot of fun while at higher speeds. Elderly drivers have been noted to drive at relatively lower speeds (Fosgerau, 2005).Over speeding is a prime cause of road accidents in Australia. Men have been observed to drive tumultuouser than women while the unmarried drivers drive slightly slower than the married individuals. Driving too fast or slightly above the posted limit contributes to about 40% of road accidents in Australia. The chances and severity of a road crash is influenced by the driving speed (NSW Road and Traffic Authority, 2007). Fosgerau argues that an individuals income has positive and highly statistically significant influence on the driving speed. A driver with higher income will tend to drive at higher speeds than drivers with lower incomes. Higher income decreases the value or real costs of fines and other speed related user costs while it increases the perceived value of time (Fosgerau, 2005). Implications of the health issue to the affected population The main effects and implications of road accidents are medical, legal, social and economic. Family and troupe dynamics are altered after the demise of a relative. If a familys breadwinner passes away, the whole family is severely affected and may take forever to recover. The familys income goes down lowering the living standards and quality of life. Death brings about grief, devastation and emotional problem where one cannot come to term with the departure of a love one (Worley, 2006).Huge medical resources are utilized in caring and treating the accident casualties. These resources are used at the expense of caring for patients suffering from other illnesses. Some accident victims fail to recover fully from injuries sustained being left with a permanent disability. Injuries to the musculoskeletal system may lead to barricade of movement to the victim. A survivors life may be filled with persistence pain and psychological sequelae. These disabilities result into neurological deficits like hemiplegia, paraplegia or tetraplegia (Khalaf AI Moutaery, 1998). There are immens e and serious economical implications of road accidents in Australia. A lot of money is spent on accident victims every year. Many victims lose their jobs due to long sick leaves (Bishai, 2006). This negatively impacts the countrys economic growth and development. First, there is the decrease in national income when a taxpayer dies and secondly, a significant amount of money is set aside to cater for accident victims. An estimate by World Bank show that injuries sustained from road accidents cost 1% to 2% of the GNP of the country (World Health Organization, 2005).There are legal implications of road accidents among them prosecution for drunk driving, man slaughter and rase murder. The penalty for drunk driving may be imprisonment, loss of license and fines (Road Traffic Accidents in Australia, 2012). ConclusionIn conclusion, we have seen how any why road traffic accident is a serious health issue and how it is affecting the Australian population. Road accidents and resulting death s have been explored and analyzed in this essay. Several physical, environmental and social determinants of road accidents among them individuals age, income, mental status among others have been discussed in this essay. There are current primary health care services that are put into place to address this issue of road traffic accidents. However, these PHC services need some advancements and improvements in order to address the issue more effectively. The following assignment will focus on the existing PHC services including their strengths and weaknesses and the various proposals and initiatives that should be taken to address this persistent issue health issue of road traffic accidents in Australia.ReferencesA.B.S. (2010, 06 04). Accidents, Injuries And Fatalities. Retrieved solemn 16, 2012, from abs http//www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/emailprotected/Lookup/D18CA4EA930FF0D2CA25773700169CE5.htm.Bishai, D. A. (2006). National Road Casualties and Economic Development. Health Economics, 65-81.Country Health Profile-Australia. (n.d.). Retrieved 08 15, 2012, from worldlifeexpectancy.com http//www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/country-health-profile/australiaDuckett, S. (2011). Australian Health Care System. Oxford University Press Australia.Fosgerau, M. (2005). velocity and Income. Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, Vol. 39( No 2), 225-240.Gozias, J. M. (2007). An Analysis of Factors Affecting Road Safety The Greek Experience. Journal of Transportation Geography, 325-316.Khalaf AI Moutaery, F. A. (1998, October). Implication Of Road Accidents. Retrieved August 17, 2012, from Pan Arab Neurosurgery http//panarabneurosurgery.org.sa/journal/oct1998/ImplicationOfRoadAccidents.htmMajor Causes Of Fatal Road Accidents. (2010, 11 12). Retrieved August 17, 2012, from Study mode Major Causes of Fatal Road Accidents. (2010, November 12). StudyMode.com. Retrieved from http//www.studymode.com/essays/Major-Causes-Of-Fatal-Road-Accidents-474289.htmlMcKenzie, J.F, Pinger, R.R. (20 12). An existence to Community Health. seventh ed. Jones and Barlett Publishers Sudbury.Road Traffic Accidents in Australia. (2012). Retrieved August 16, 2012, from Australia Angloinfo http//australia.angloinfo.com/transport/driving/Road Traffic Accidents in Australia _ Australia.htmSasser, S., Vargheses, M., Kellermann, A., Lormand, J.D. (2005). Pre-hospital Trauma careSystems. World Health Organization Geneva.Schneider, M.J. (2011). An introduction to public health. Jones and Barlett Publishers Sudbury. W.H.O. (2005). World report on road traffic injury prevention. World Health Organization Geneva.Worley, H. (2006, March). Road Traffic Accidents Increase Dramatically. Retrieved August 15, 2012, from Population Reference Bureau