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Articles in Injuries from traffic accidents are a significant cause of disability and death.

  • For people aged 1-24 years old, automobile crashes are the leading cause of death. Automobile crashes cause about 3.4 million non-fatal injuries a year.

    CDC. Motor vehicle safety: a 20th century public health achievement. MMWR. 1999;48:369-374.

     

  • The lifetime odds of dying as a car driver or passenger are 1 in 261, compared to 1 in 64,596 as a bus occupant or 1 in 115,489 on train.

    National Safety Council. The odds of dying from... Available at: http://www.nsc.org/research/odds.aspx. Accessed: July 15, 2009.

     

  • The National Safety Council estimates that 85.7% of all non-fatal pedestrian crashes in the United States occur in urban areas and 14.3% occur in rural areas.

    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic safety facts. Washington DC, 2004.

     

  • In 2007, there were 40,174 motor vehicle fatalities in the United States -- a 4% increase from the low in 2001 of 38,615.

    Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Table 2-18: Motor vehicle fatalities, vehicle-miles, and associated rates by functional system. Available at: http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_02_18.html. Accessed July 15, 2009.

     

  • In 2005, the US had 24,837 traffic-related fatalities in rural areas and 18,606 in urban areas. Rural areas comprised 56% of the fatalities, compared to only 21% of the US population. Traffic-related fatalities include pedestrian, bicyclist, and motor vehicle fatalities.

    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Fatality analysis reporting system encyclopedia. 2005. Available at: http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/States/StatesPedestrians.aspx. Accessed on January 16, 2008.

     

  • In 2003, 72% of all pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban areas.

    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic safety facts. Washington DC, 2004.

     

  • In 2003, 72% of all pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban areas.

    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic safety facts. Washington DC, 2004.

     

  • In Alameda County, the combined rate of pedestrian injury or death in high poverty areas is six times that in low poverty areas (12 cases per 1,000 people in high poverty areas vs. 2 cases per 1,000 people in low poverty areas).

    Beyers M, Brown J, Cho S, et al. Life and death from unnatural causes: health and social inequity in Alameda County. Oakland, CA: Alameda County Public Health Department, 2008.

     

  • An analysis of pedestrian injuries in Oakland illustrated that the risk for pedestrian-vehicle collisions was smaller in areas with greater pedestrian flows and greater in areas with higher vehicle flows.

    Geyer J, Raford N, Ragland D, Pham T. The continuing debate about safety in numbers—data from Oakland, CA. Berkeley, CA:UC Berkeley Traffic Safety Center, 2005. Available at: http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=its/tsc. Accessed July 28, 2009.

     

  • In Oakland CA, by race/ethnicity, African Americans and Hispanics are at greatest risk of pedestrian injury from collision with a motor vehicle.

    City of Oakland. Pedestrian master plan. 2002. Available at: www.oaklandnet.com/government/Pedestrian/PedMasterPlan.pdf. Accessed July 29, 2009.

     

  • In Oakland, CA, African Americans and Whites may be over-represented in collisions between cyclists and motorized vehicles.

    City of Oakland. Bicycle master plan. 2007. Available at: www.oaklandpw.com. Accessed July 29, 2009.

     

  • Pedestrian collisions are more common in low income areas, potentially reflecting a greater residential density, greater traffic volume, and lower automobile ownership among residents of these neighborhoods.

    LaScala EA, Gerber D, Gruenewald PJ. Demographic and environmental correlates of pedestrian injury collisions: a spatial analysis. Accid Anal Prev. 2000;32:651-658.

     

  • Each 1 mph reduction in speed may reduce accident frequency by 5%, with effects greatest for urban main roads and low speed residential roads.

    Taylor M, Lynam D, Baruya A. The effects of drivers speed on the frequency of road accidents. Crowthorne, UK:Transport Research Laboratory. (TRL Report 421). 2000.

     

  • Traffic calming in residential areas can reduce pedestrian accidents on average by 15%.

    Morrison DS, Petticrew M, Thomson H. What are the most effective ways of improving population health through transport interventions? Evidence from systematic reviews. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2003;57:327-333.

     

  • Areas with high levels of vehicle miles traveled per capita tend to have higher accident and injury rates. More time in a car means higher exposure to the perils of driving, including accidents.

    Frumkin H, Frank L, Jackson R. Urban Sprawl and Public Health. Washington, DC:Island Press, 2004.

     

  • Unsafe traffic mixes of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists lead to increased risk of injury and death.

    Penden M, Scurfield R, Sleet D, et al. World report on road traffic injury prevention, 2004. World Health Organization. Accessed at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241562609.pdf. Accessed August 29, 2009.

     

  • Excess and inappropriate speed is widespread and may contribute to around 30% of road traffic crashes and deaths. An average increase in speed of 1 km (0.625 miles)/hour is associated with a 3% higher risk of a crash involving an injury. Pedestrians have a 90% chance of surviving car crashes at 30 km/hour (18 mph) or below, but less than a 50% chance of surviving impacts at 45 km/hour (28 mph) or above.

    Penden M, Scurfield R, Sleet D, et al. World report on road traffic injury prevention, 2004. World Health Organization. Accessed at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241562609.pdf. Accessed August 29, 2009.

     

  • Traffic volume increases the risk of pedestrian, cyclist and motorist injury and death, with pedestrians, cyclists, and motorized two-wheeled vehicle users bearing a disproportionate share of road injury burden.

    Ewing R, Frank L, Kreutzer R. Understanding the relationship between public health and the built environment: a report to the LEED-ND Core Committee. 2006.
    Penden M, Scurfield R, Sleet D, et al. World report on road traffic injury prevention, 2004. World Health Organization. Accessed at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241562609.pdf. Accessed August 29, 2009.

     

  • The fatality rate associated with transportation-related injuries in public transportation is approximately 1/25th that associated with automobiles.

    Source: American Public Transportation Association. 2007. Public transportation: benefits for the 21st century.Washington, DC: APTA.