Motor Vehicle Exhaust gas Suicide in Victoria, Australia 1998-2002

Data on all suicides by motor vehicle exhaust in Victoria between 1998-2002 were analysed to determine whether suicide occurred in vehicles with lower emission levels. During the study period, 607 suicides by this means were recorded while just 393 hospital admissions were recorded for the same period. While the number of suicides was lower in vehicles with lower emission levels, 25 deaths were still recorded. The extent to which the new regulations passed in 1998 contributed to the relatively low rate of suicide in vehicles less than 5 years old compared to their frequency in the fleet remains unknown. (13 refs.)