The U.S. may boast of being a land of equality, but the rate of vehicle accidents and deaths is anything but equal. There are wide number gaps as you move between ethnic groups, age ranges, and genders.
Auto Accident Credit: Charles Edward Miller
Vehicle Accidents and Race
The disparity in accident rates is startling when you compare non-Hispanic blacks and whites. According to the studies, a black person in a passenger vehicle stands a 73% greater risk of dying in an accident than a white person.
Read Also: Understanding the Surge in U.S. Pedestrian Accidents: Causes and Solutions
There’s also a notable difference between vehicle fatalities involving non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics. A survey taken in 2017 showed that the vehicle death rates for non-Hispanic whites had dropped for three consecutive years. Meanwhile, Hispanic fatality rates had climbed each year for the preceding 10 years.
Vehicle Accidents and Age
The driver in an auto accident, is 16 to 19 years old more than 9% of the time, according to the National Safety Council. Drivers in that age range are involved in over 6% of fatal crashes.
In general, older drivers have fewer accidents, both non-fatal and fatal, than their younger counterparts. Drivers 65 to 74 years old are involved in only a little over 7% of all vehicle accidents. And they account for only slightly more than 8% of deadly crashes.
At first glance, it may seem like older drivers are even riskier than younger ones. But you have to consider the size of their respective demographic groups. Teens are only 3.6% of all legal drivers while those 54 to 74 make up 13.3% of drivers.
Teen drivers remain consistently riskier drivers through their teenage years. Those at 19 carry nearly the same risk as those who are 16.
However, once drivers reach the age of 20, the likelihood of their involvement in a fatal crash begins to decrease. The downward trend tends to continue until the age of 75 when there’s an uptick.
Vehicle Accidents and Gender
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s data, more men than women per capita die in car accidents each year. From the mid-1970s to 2021, the ratio for almost every year was 2:1.
Several factors contribute to the disparity. Males tend to drive more miles than females.
They also are more likely to exhibit risk-taking behavior. Such dangerous habits include driving faster than the posted limit and failing to use seat belts.
Alcohol is another factor. Statistics from 1982 to 2021 show that men were far more often involved in deadly crashes where the driver’s alcohol blood content was at least 0.08%.
In 2021, of all the drivers of passenger vehicles who were killed, 72% were men. Men also accounted for 48% of the deaths of those riding as passengers.
In fact, the vehicle death rate among males was higher than that for females in every age range.
Read Also: The 14 Most Common Automobile Accident Injuries
Final Thoughts
The disparities in vehicle accidents across race, age, and gender in the U.S. are stark and concerning. These aren’t just numbers but lives at stake. It’s essential to understand the underlying causes, whether societal, behavioral, or systemic, and address them proactively. Targeted interventions, education, and stricter regulations might be the way forward. As a nation that champions equality, we must ensure that every individual, regardless of their background, is equally safe on the road. The journey to true equality is long, but acknowledging these disparities is a step in the right direction.
References
Cordellieri, P., Baralla, F., Ferlazzo, F., Sgalla, R., Piccardi, L., & Giannini, A. M. (2016). Gender Effects in Young Road Users on Road Safety Attitudes, Behaviors and Risk Perception. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1412. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01412
Governors Highway Safety Association. (n.d.). An Analysis of Traffic Fatalities by Race and Ethnicity. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.ghsa.org/resources/Analysis-of-Traffic-Fatalities-by-Race-and-Ethnicity21
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