by Sharelle Burt
May 4, 2024
Be safe out there!
A new report shines a light on different ethnicities ending up in the emergency room for traffic-related injuries at increasing rates over white people.
The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released on May 2, shows there were more than 137,000 emergency room visits with pedestrian injuries between January 2021 and December 2023. As Asian pedestrians came in 2.23 times more than white people, Black pedestrians came in 1.93 times more, with Hispanic people falling behind at 1.7 times more.
However, multiethnic or people of another race had the highest rate in comparison to white people at 2.47, AP reports.
The CDC report also showed different statistics including a higher rate of ER visits for vehicle-related injuries in age ranges 15-24 and 25-34 and men being almost twice as likely than women to get treatment.
Researchers from the CDC pointed to unsafe walking environments attributing to cars being prioritized over pedestrians and lack of investments in targeted neighborhoods based on race and income. The agency continues to highlight how minimal resources can lead to limited investments in pedestrian-friendly infrastructure like sidewalks, crosswalks and streetlights.
While some of the latest cars have been designed with more safety features, pedestrian deaths have continued to climb. In 2021, pedestrian-vehicle crashes resulted in the deaths of 7,000 people, a tragic record in almost 40 years.
Tallahassee, Florida, has seen a number of tragedies as three pedestrians have been killed in the first quarter of 2024. According to ABC 27, the Tallahassee Police Department confirmed 46 pedestrian-involved crashes including a fatal hit-and-run crash that prompted a petition for stop lights in the College Town neighborhood, receiving more than 20,000 signatures.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is making strides to decrease the rising numbers of pedestrian-involved crashes. In April 2024, the department announced new vehicles will be required to have an automatic emergency brake system. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the move could save more than 300 lives each year and prevent approximately 24,000 injuries.
CDC researchers said narrowing roads and reducing speed limits can also help with pedestrian safety.
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