Abstract
Objective To describe the personal, crash and claim characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who submitted a claim under the New South Wales (NSW) Compulsory Third Party (CTP) scheme and explore the differences in characteristics of submitting a claim and associated factors.
Methods This linked data study used NSW police-reported crash data linked with NSW CTP claims data from 2018 to 2023. Descriptive statistics summarised claimant characteristics, and multivariable logistic regression models identified factors associated with lodging a claim.
Results From 2018 to 2023, 1954 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lodged a claim under the NSW CTP scheme. Most claimants were male (52.7%) and lived in areas of low socioeconomic status. Higher odds of claiming were associated with being female (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.33), older age (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02, per 1-year increase) and living in metropolitan areas (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.01) and holding a standard licence (OR 3.83, 95% CI 2.83 to 5.19). Sustaining moderate injuries (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.31) was associated with lower odds of claiming compared with serious injuries.
Conclusions CTP claim rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW are low relative to their burden of road transport injury, suggesting that they may face barriers in accessing CTP compensation. Improving support, especially for those in rural areas and young drivers, and simplifying the claims process could enhance access to compensation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, potentially improving recovery outcomes and reducing disparities.
Methods This linked data study used NSW police-reported crash data linked with NSW CTP claims data from 2018 to 2023. Descriptive statistics summarised claimant characteristics, and multivariable logistic regression models identified factors associated with lodging a claim.
Results From 2018 to 2023, 1954 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lodged a claim under the NSW CTP scheme. Most claimants were male (52.7%) and lived in areas of low socioeconomic status. Higher odds of claiming were associated with being female (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.33), older age (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02, per 1-year increase) and living in metropolitan areas (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.01) and holding a standard licence (OR 3.83, 95% CI 2.83 to 5.19). Sustaining moderate injuries (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.31) was associated with lower odds of claiming compared with serious injuries.
Conclusions CTP claim rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW are low relative to their burden of road transport injury, suggesting that they may face barriers in accessing CTP compensation. Improving support, especially for those in rural areas and young drivers, and simplifying the claims process could enhance access to compensation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, potentially improving recovery outcomes and reducing disparities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | ip-2025-045759 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Injury Prevention |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print (In Press) - Oct 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.