Fatal road transport crashes among Australian residential aged care facility residents

Objective To examine fatal road transport crashes of residential aged care facility (RACF) residents to determine crash characteristics and risk factors. Methods A cross-sectional study of a retrospective national cohort of RACF resident deaths notified to Australian coroners. Inclusion criteria: death occurred between 1 July 2000 and 30 June 2013; mechanism classified as 'transport injury event'; and completed coronial investigation. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted on crash characteristics and risk factors. Results Thirty-eight deaths met the inclusion criteria. Median age of deceased RACF residents was 84 years, and gender was equally distributed. Men were most frequently pedestrians (n = 14, 37%), and women were most frequently motor vehicle passengers (n = 14, 37%). Road user factors contributed to two-thirds of crashes (n = 25, 66%), with 'failure to yield' (n = 17, 45%) most frequent. Conclusion Reducing fatal crashes of RACF residents requires effective road safety strategies and public awareness of risks for this increasing and vulnerable population.