Objectives To estimate the rate of unintentional drowning mortality and hospitalised
morbidity using population-based, population-risk and person-time denominator data and to
compare the estimates obtained. To then compare exposure-based rates for drowning with
road traffic death rates. Method Retrospective analysis of unintentional drowning mortality
and hospitalised morbidity of New South Wales (NSW, Australia) residents 16+ years of age
during 1 January to 31 December 2005. Information on population-risk and person-time risk …

Mitchell, Williamson and Olivier's1 study estimated drowning rates for the Australian state of
New South Wales (NSW) in 2005 based on resident population person-time exposure to
swimming. The authors state (p. 261) that 'failure to adjust injury rates for exposure to a
hazard necessarily results in poor estimates of risk'and, based on their findings, conclude (p.
264) drowning mortality rates to be 'more than 200 times higher than equivalent exposure-
adjusted rates for road traffic fatalities.'This fact is cited in the Royal Life Saving Society's …