This is what happened: a narrative analysis of what was happening immediately prior to and during road crashes

People living in rural and remote regions of Australia are significantly over-represented in road transport-related fatality and injury figures. Multiple factors combine to produce a disproportionately high risk for rural road users. Patients admitted to hospital for at least 24 hours following a vehicle crash in rural and remote areas of North Queensland were asked to describe what happened immediately before, during and after the crash. Those interviewed include vehicle operators, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists. Thematic analysis has been performed on 230 narratives obtained from these patients with transport-related injuries in North Queensland. Some of these narratives illuminate concerns that are often concealed by statistical analyses. This paper explores through narrative analysis the experiences, attitudes and behaviours of road users in rural and remote areas. The data generated by narrative analysis has potential to complement and also challenge that which is grounded in the quantitative domain and thus may be used to enhance future road safety policies and interventions