Socio-demographic Factors and Traffic Safety

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Socio-demographic Factors and Traffic
SafetyFocus on Latino Populations in California
David R. Ragland, PhD, MPHUCB Traffic Safety
Center

• ITE Bay Area Chapter Meeting
• Safety and Environmental Justice
• January 20, 2005

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Topics

• Brief summary of injury and socio-demographic
  factors (SES, ethnicity)
• Current projectTraffic safety among Latino
  populations in California
• Overall Issues
• Conclusion

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1. Brief summary of injury and socio-demographic
factors (SES, ethnicity)

• Ethnicity and SES factors are related to
  non-traffic injuries of all types (fire, falls,
  fire arms, drowning)
• A number of studies have shown a relationship
  between ethnicity and SES factors and various
  traffic safety outcomes, including injury in
  vehicle only collisions and pedestrian injury

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2. Current ProjectTraffic Safety among Latino
Populations in CaliforniaCurrent Status and
Policy Recommendations

• Collect and analyze statistical data
• Hold community forums
• Prepare a report with main findings and policy
  recommendations

Funded by the Office of Traffic Safety
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Focus on Latino Populations in CaliforniaPopulati
on Trends and Patterns Percent Ethnicity by Age
Group, 2004

• Source
• California Department of Finance, 2004

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Population Trends and PatternsHispanic as of
County Population2000
Source U.C. Datas California Latino
Demographic Databook (Third Edition  -- Version
December 31, 2003),
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Factors Studied

• Overall fatality by ethnicity
• DUI
• Seat belts
• Child passenger safety
• Pedestrian injury
• Licensing

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Traffic FatalityAge/Ethnicity, California, 2001
California Vital Statistics, 2002
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Traffic Injury/Fatality (Exposure Data)Annual
Person Miles of Travel
Non-Hispanic
2001 National Household Transportation Survey,
2001 Census
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Alcohol-Related CollisionsNumber per 100,000
Population (Male)
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DUI Arrest Rate by Age/Ethnicity, 1999
Number of Arrests per 100,000 pop
Age

• Source
• Department of Motor Vehicles, 2002

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Percent Convicted by Age/Ethnicity (1999)
Percent Convicted
Age

• Source
• Department of Motor Vehicles, 2002

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General findings for Latino Traffic Safety Project

• Rapidly changing demographics, beginning with
  youth
• High traffic fatality and injury
• Risk factors that can be targeted (particularly
  occupant restraint and DUI)
• Important contextual factors should be considered

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3. Overall issues

• In the area of traffic safety, data on
  socio-demographic variables is not always
  available
• There is no consensus regarding concept of race,
  and ethnic identification may vary from source to
  source
• Between and among groups identified by ethnicity
  and/or SES, there are many differences, e.g., in
  exposure
• Groups identified by ethnicity may be very
  heterogeneous

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4. Conclusion

• Despite issues of conceptualizing and measuring
  SES, race, and ethnicity in the arena of traffic
  safety, there are important trends and patterns
  that need to be understood and addressed