Fatal crashes on U.S. roads are emerging as a stark measure of racial health disparities, with Black, Indigenous and other people of color shouldering a disproportionate share of the burden. The Governors Highway Safety Association report concludes that “BIPOC are disproportionately represented in fatal traffic crashes,” calling this imbalance “a significant health disparity” and “a chronic public health issue in minority communities.”
Across nearly every category of traffic death, American Indian and Alaska Native people have the highest per-capita fatality rates, followed by Black people in many key measures, including total traffic deaths and pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. These gaps persist day and night and extend to speeding-related crashes, police pursuit deaths and hit-and-run pedestrian fatalities. By contrast, Asian people have the lowest per-capita rates for virtually all categories of traffic deaths, while white people generally experience lower fatality rates than BIPOC, except on motorcycles.
The report stresses that these inequities cannot be explained by race alone. It links higher fatality risks in BIPOC communities to “historic racism, socioeconomic status, and access to housing, education, health care, employment that all have public health and transportation impacts.” Neighborhoods with more low-income residents and BIPOC populations often face higher-speed roads, heavier traffic and weaker safety investments, while inequities in emergency response and health care may worsen outcomes after crashes.
Treating traffic crashes as a health disparity, the authors urge states and communities to prioritize safety investments, culturally relevant education and equitable enforcement strategies in BIPOC neighborhoods to confront what they describe as “longstanding underlying inequities” that increase the risk of fatal crashes.
See: “An Analysis of Traffic Fatalities by Race and Ethnicity” (June 21, 2021)