Animal–vehicle collisions in Victoria, Australia: An under-recognised cause of road traffic crashes

Abstract

Objective: Non-fatal injuries sustained from animal–vehicle collisions are a globally under-recognised road safety issue, with limited data on these crash types. The present study aimed to quantify the number and causes of major trauma events resulting from animal–vehicle collisions. Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of major trauma cases occurring in Victoria, Australia, between 2007 and 2016, using data from the population-based Victorian State Trauma Registry. To identify animal–vehicle collisions, Victorian State Trauma Registry injury codes were combined with text-mining of the text description of the injury event. Results: Over the 10 year period, there were 152 major trauma patients who were admitted to Victorian trauma-receiving hospitals due to vehicle collisions with animals. The crude population-based incidence rate for animal–vehicle collisions increased by 6.7% per year (incidence rate ratio 1.07; 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.13; P = 0.02). Conclusion: Development of systematic recording methods of animal–vehicle collisions will improve reporting of these crash types to assist future studies in implementing effective countermeasures.