Research Centre for Injury Studies

The Research Centre for Injury Studies contributes to understanding the nature, causes and effects of human injury, and to reducing its occurrence and consequences.

We undertake research, surveillance, analysis, consultation, teaching, as well as dissemination of information on injury control and related matters to public health and other practitioners, academics, government and the community.

We have a strong foundation of statistical knowledge, skills and experience, combined with public health expertise, which we bring to bear in many areas, all related to injury.

AIHW National Injury Surveillance Unit

The National Injury Surveillance Unit (NISU) is the main program of the Research Centre.

NISU undertakes national public health surveillance of injury to support injury prevention and control. We engage in all aspects of surveillance, placing special emphasis on the analysis and dissemination of information, and on developing injury surveillance methods.

As the national entity responsible for injury surveillance, the NISU:

undertakes scrutiny of injury in Australia, using relevant available data
ensures that necessary data sources and other technical resources are developed and maintained
ensures coordination between injury surveillance, research and policy

NISU substanitally contributed to the development of two national injury prevention policies endorsed by health ministers in mid-2005: the National Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Plan, and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Safety Promotion Strategy.

A collaborating unit of the AIHW, it is operated and funded under an agreement between the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and Flinders University.

Road Transport Injury Surveillance

Transport injury and transport safety have long been prominent themes in our work at the Research Centre for Injury Studies. This reflects the fact that, despite the enormous improvements in road safety that have been achieved in Australia since about 1970, road injury remains the second major cause of fatal injuries (after suicide) and of hospitalised injuries (after falls by older people). Moreover, many injuries sustained in transport crashes are severe, reflecting the high speeds and high energy involved.

The National Injury Surveillance Unit carries out a program of statistical reporting for the Commonwealth government agency responsible for road safety (Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). The analyses carried out by NISU contribute to BITRE reports on Australian fatal and non-fatal road crashes, railway accidents and other aspects of road safety.