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Every death from an aviation accident in Australia costs society $1.5 m, according to a report issued today.
Aviation accidents cost Australia $112 m in 1996 with more than half of the cost attributable to fatal accidents, a study by the Department's Bureau of Transport Economics shows.
The report, Cost of civil aviation accidents and incidents, is the first in a proposed series covering the socio-economic costs of transport accidents in Australia. Future reports will cover road, rail and maritime transport.
The BTE believes the cost data presented in the studies will assist the formulation of policies or programs to mitigate accident losses.
The report into aviation says there were 247 recorded aircraft accidents in 1996, 29 of which resulted in fatalities, 22 in serious injuries and 196 of which involved minor or no injuries. There were 51 fatalities, 35 serious injuries and 86 minor injuries.
The report estimates that household and workplace productivity losses due to premature death from aviation accidents amounted to $65 m. Allowing for all related costs, each fatality cost on average $1.5 m, each serious injury an estimated $545,000 and each minor injury $205,000.
The study analysed the contribution of these costs by different aviation industry sectors and found that business/private aviation accounted for the greatest losses, amounting to $41 m. Losses in charter aviation amounted to $26 m in losses and in sports aviation $18 m.
Costing was based on productivity losses in the workplace, home and community, (which made up 59 per cent of all costs), property damage (18.5 per cent), human costs using non-economic court award values (14.3 per cent), and other costs such as investigation, medical, emergency services, legal and insurance.
Copies of the report are available from:
Fran O'Brien
Bureau of Transport Economics
Phone: (02) 6274 6705
Technical questions:
Emma Ferguson (02) 6274 6799
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