Road Safety
- Publication no: AP-R674-23
- ISBN: 978-1-922700-49-0
- Published: 18 April 2023
- PDF (free) Download
This report details research undertaken to investigate and understand the scope of suicides in road transport, to establish mechanisms to appropriately monitor over time and seek to reduce its impact. The report comprises four project streams defined and completed by an expert group, including Communications and Language, Data, Interventions and Research. Project methodology included in-depth literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and case studies.
It was found that suicide remains a significant issue in the transport system, and suicide was suggested to be considered as a component of the transport system, and transport and safety initiatives. Numerous communication-based initiatives with the potential to contribute to a reduction in suicidal behavioural involving road transport were additionally identified. Finally, it was determined that the impacts of road suicides touch a far wider number of working professionals than may have been first thought, and that the stigma often associated with suicide affects the documentation and compilation of valuable information.
As concluded in all streams, further research on this specific topic is necessary to initiate the development of an integrated approach. International experiences highlight the importance of addressing suicide in road transport according to its particularities, and to create the required tools to respond accordingly.
Content warning
Suicide and suicide prevention are legitimate topics of public interest; however, it is important to understand that communicating about suicide also has the potential to do harm. Proceed with caution when communicating about suicide attempts and deaths.
While the report does not include graphic images of people who have died, it does reference and discuss studies that do. The report has a focus on road suicide and road suicide prevention data, interventions, research, and similar international strategies, yet this may be distressing for readers, particularly those who are vulnerable to suicide.
Caution is recommended for those reading the report and for those who search out the mentioned references.
If the above content has raised any issues or concerns for you, contact your GP or the below services for support. If yours or someone else’s life is in danger, call 000 in Australia or 111 in New Zealand.
- Content Warning
- Summary
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1 Project Background
- 1.2 Suicide
- 1.3 Suicide in Australia
- 1.4 Road Transport Suicides
- 2. Data
- 2.1 Overview of Road Transport Suicide Data
- 2.1.1 Classification
- 2.2 Findings
- 2.2.1 Mental Health Sector
- 2.2.2 Industry Sector
- 2.2.3 Near Miss Data
- 2.3 Recommendations
- 2.4 Chapter Summary
- 2.1 Overview of Road Transport Suicide Data
- 3. Interventions
- 3.1 Literature Review on Preventive Methods
- 3.1.1 Mental Health Awareness Initiatives
- 3.1.2 Pedestrian Suicide Prevention
- 3.1.3 Driver Suicide Prevention
- 3.1.4 Road Infrastructure
- 3.2 Findings
- 3.2.1 Survey Development and Results
- 3.3 Recommendations
- 3.4 Chapter Summary
- 3.1 Literature Review on Preventive Methods
- 4. Communications
- 4.1 Guidelines for Communicating About Suicide
- 4.2 Literature Review
- 4.2.1 Impact of Communication
- 4.2.2 Communication as Intervention
- 4.2.3 Conclusion
- 4.3 Communications Guidelines for Communicating About Suicide
- 4.3.1 Guidelines for Government Agencies
- 4.3.2 Guidelines for Industry Stakeholders
- 4.3.3 Guidelines for Media
- 4.4 Chapter Summary
- 5. Research
- 5.1 Barriers on Interventions: Road Transport Suicides in Queensland
- 5.1.1 Methodology
- 5.1.2 Motor Vehicle Suicides in Queensland
- 5.1.3 Applying the Haddon Matrix to Motor Vehicle Suicides
- 5.1.4 Recommendations
- 5.2 Impacts on Other Parties
- 5.2.1 Specific Examination of Australian Professionals Impacted by Road Transport Suicides
- 5.2.2 Where Is a Good Place to Start?
- 5.3 Suicide in Public Places
- 5.3.1 Project Summary
- 5.4 International Benchmarking
- 5.4.1 Sweden
- 5.4.2 United Kingdom
- 5.1 Barriers on Interventions: Road Transport Suicides in Queensland
- 6. Next Steps
- References
- Appendix A Survey Description and Link
- A.1 Survey Description and Link
- Appendix B Communication Guidelines
- B.1 Government Agencies
- B.1.1 Communicating About Suicide
- B.1.2 Government Efforts for Suicide Prevention
- B.1.3 Evidence on Suicide and Media Reporting
- B.1.4 Mindframe Principles
- B.2 Industry Stakeholders
- B.2.1 Communicating About Suicide
- B.2.2 Evidence on Suicide and Media Reporting
- B.2.3 Mindframe principles
- B.3 Media
- B.3.1 Communicating about suicide
- B.3.2 Evidence on Suicide and Media Reporting
- B.3.3 Mindframe principles
- B.1 Government Agencies
- Appendix C Fact Sheets
- C.1 Road Transport Suicide
- C.2 Data - Recommendations
- C.3 Interventions - Recommendations
- C.4 Evidence on Language - Recommendations
- C.5 Individual Conversations - Recommendations