Men, Roads & Suicide
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09 · Sources & method

Every number, traceable.

Suicide

ICD-10 codes X60–X84 and Y87.0 (intentional self-harm), as coded by the ABS from death registrations and coronial findings.

Transport crashes

ICD-10 codes V01–V89 and Y85 (land transport accidents). This covers drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, plus some crashes off public roads. It is broader than the police road toll.

Road toll (BITRE)

Police-reported deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road. Used for the 2025 figure and state comparison only, and it runs slightly lower than the health-data series.

Same source, same rules

The main time series uses one dataset (AIHW National Mortality Database) for both causes, so the comparison is like-for-like.

Revisions

ABS data: final to 2022, revised for 2023, preliminary revised for 2024, preliminary for 2025. Recent suicide counts tend to rise as coronial cases close.

Hidden suicides

Some crash deaths are probably suicides recorded as accidents. This would make the gap shown here an understatement, not an exaggeration.

References

  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2026). General Record of Incidence of Mortality (GRIM) books (Cat. no. PHE 229). AIHW. doi:10.25816/287k-9w04. Machine-readable file via data.gov.au, accessed 15 November 2026. https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/grim-books
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Intentional self-harm (suicide) deaths, 2025; Causes of Death, Australia, 2025, Data cube 11, Table 11.6. ABS. Released 27 October 2026, accessed 15 November 2026. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/intentional-self-harm-suicide-deaths/latest-release
  3. Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics. (2026). Australian Road Deaths Database: Fatalities (October 2026 release). BITRE. Data to September 2026. Accessed 15 November 2026. https://www.bitre.gov.au/statistics/safety/fatal_road_crash_database
  4. Law, P. C. F., Too, L. S., Spittal, M. J., Pirkis, J., & Clapperton, A. J. (2024). Road vehicle collision suicide in Australia: Trends, collision types, and individual characteristics. PLOS ONE, 19(4), e0299590. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299590
  5. Yelo, D., Parkes, A., Freeman, J., & Davey, J. (2021). Complex and underreported? A study into the prevalence of suicide by motor vehicle in the state of Queensland. Transportation Research Part F, 81, 445–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2021.06.015
  6. Milner, A., & De Leo, D. (2012). Suicide by motor vehicle "accident" in Queensland. Traffic Injury Prevention, 13(4), 342–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2012.660253
  7. Austin, A. E., van den Heuvel, C., & Byard, R. W. (2012). Suicide and fatal single occupant motor vehicle collisions. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2012.706318
  8. Pompili, M., Serafini, G., Innamorati, M., et al. (2012). Car accidents as a method of suicide: A comprehensive overview. Forensic Science International, 223(1–3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.04.012
  9. Scott-Parker, B., Watson, B., King, M. J., & Hyde, M. K. (2011). The psychological distress of the young driver: A brief report. Injury Prevention. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip.2010.031328
  10. Scott-Parker, B., Watson, B., King, M. J., & Hyde, M. K. (2012). The influence of sensitivity to reward and punishment, propensity for sensation seeking, depression, and anxiety on the risky behaviour of novice drivers: A path model. British Journal of Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02069.x
  11. Everymind. (n.d.). Mindframe guidelines for communicating about suicide. Everymind. https://mindframe.org.au/guidelines
  12. Edwards, P. J., Moore, S., & Higgins, C. (2024). Pedestrian safety on the road to net zero: Cross-sectional study of collisions with electric and hybrid-electric cars in Great Britain. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 78(8), 487. https://jech.bmj.com/content/78/8/487
  13. Wadud, Z. (2025). Comparing pedestrian safety between electric and internal combustion engine vehicles. Nature Communications. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66463-8
  14. Lawrence, B., Fitzharris, M., Liu, S., & Newstead, S. (2023). Enhancing the safety of Quiet Road Transport Vehicles (QRTV): Crash reduction benefits of the fitment of Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) in Australia. Monash University Accident Research Centre. https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/enhancing-the-safety-of-quiet-road-transport-vehicles-qrtv-crash-/

Language follows the Mindframe guidelines: no method detail, and "died by suicide" is used throughout. If this topic affects you, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or MensLine on 1300 789 978.