Traffic Injury Data, Policy, and Public Health: Lessons from Boston Chinatown
- 1 March 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Journal of Urban Health
- Vol. 79 (1), 87-103
- https://doi.org/10.1093/jurban/79.1.87
Abstract
We note that long-standing land use and transportation policy are critical factors in creating traffic conditions and will have to play a role in reducing injuries. We present the historical progression of events that created current traffic conditions in Boston Chinatown and an analysis of traffic-related injuries at the community level for the years 1996–1998. Injuries were found to be as likely on weekends as on weekdays and frequently occurred late at night. Nighttime occupant injuries were found to be more likely on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights (relative risk=2.26; confidence interval=1.35–3.78, P=.0014). Injuries varied significantly by location for occupant (P=<.001) and for pedestrian injuries (P=.039). There were no peaks of injuries at traditionally defined commuter hours, which have been the standard time for assessing “worst case” traffic impacts by developers and government agencies. There was, however, a strong association between injuries and vehicle volume at 9 intersections with simple configurations for am and pm commuter hours (R 2=0.589, P=.010), resulting in a calculated increase of 3–5 injuries per year for each increase of 1,000 vehicles. There was no such association at 10 intersections with complex configurations (R 2=0.104, P=.397). The 24-hour weekend patterns of vehicle volumes showed that traffic abated only between 3 and 7 am, and the patterns appeared qualitatively to mirror the 24-hour pattern of injuries, suggesting that they were also indicative of injury risk. We suggest that there is a need for both long-term changes in policy and more immediate interventions. We also conclude that researchers should be cautious about assuming that traffic patterns conform to naive expectations such as rush hour peaks.Keywords
This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- The History of Injury Control and the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent InjuriesThe Future of Children, 2000
- An Environmental Health Survey of Residents in Boston ChinatownJournal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 2000
- Viewpoint on use of injury data. Can a community inject public health values into transportation issues?Public Health Reports, 1999
- Characteristics of older pedestrians who have difficulty crossing the street.American Journal of Public Health, 1997
- Children's exposure to traffic and risk of pedestrian injury in an urban setting.1997
- The Role of the Physical and Traffic Environment in Child Pedestrian InjuriesPediatrics, 1996
- Effect of environmental factors on risk of injury of child pedestrians by motor vehicles: a case-control studyBMJ, 1995
- ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND THE RISK FOR CHILDHOOD PEDESTRIAN-MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION OCCURRENCEAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 1990
- Epidemiologic Assessment of Hazardous Roadway LocationsEpidemiology, 1990
- A controlled investigation of the characteristics of adult pedestrians fatally injured by motor vehicles in ManhattanJournal of Chronic Diseases, 1961