240535 Pedestrian and Bicycle-related Collisions and Fatalities among Twelve Cities in the South Bay Region of Los Angeles County

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Lindsey Burbage, MPH , County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, RENEW LA County(Communities Putting Prevention to Work), Los Angeles, CA
Brenda Robles, MPH , County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, RENEW LA County(Communities Putting Prevention to Work, Los Angeles, CA
Kelly Fischer, MA , County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Program, Los Angeles, CA
Gloria Kim, MPH , County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Office of Senior Health, Los Angeles, CA
Patricia Cummings, MPH , County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Office of Senior Health, Los Angeles, CA
Eloisa Gonzalez, MD, MPH , County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Program, Los Angeles, CA
Paul Simon, MD, MPH , County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Los Angeles, CA
Margaret Shih, MD, PhD , Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA
Tony Kuo, MD, MSHS , County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Office of Senior Health, Los Angeles, CA
Background: ARRA-funded Communities Putting Prevention to Work obesity prevention initiatives are underway to promote built environment interventions. While these initiatives are vital to improving physical activity, safety concerns in the targeted communities have been given little consideration. This poster presentation will examine the pedestrian and bicyclist safety concerns in these communities and evaluate whether they need to be addressed.

Methods: Collision and fatality rates for pedestrian and bicycle victims between 2003 and 2008 were evaluated for 12 cities located in Los Angeles County's South Bay region using several data sources, including Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Cities were categorized by their economic hardship indices (EHI) into low economic hardship (EHI ≤50), or high economic hardship (EHI>50), and collision and fatality rates compared.

Results: The average rate of pedestrians involved in motor vehicle collisions among low-income communities (45.2 per 100,000) was nearly double the average rate among high-income communities (25.6 per 100,000). The rates of bicyclists involved in motor vehicle collisions were similar among both high- and low-income communities (27.5 and 23.8 per 100,000, respectively). Rates were calculated using averaged annual population estimates for each city from 2003-2008. Reported fatalities due to pedestrian- and bicycle-related collisions were low in all cities examined, with 0-16 fatalities reported each year.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that low-income cities experience higher rates of pedestrian collisions. Policy, system, and/or environmental (PSE) changes that encourage pedestrian and bicycle activity in both high- and low-income communities should address safety knowledge and practices.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe pedestrian and bicycle collision and fatality rates in targeted regions of Los Angeles County. 2. Compare the average rate of pedestrians and bicyclists involved in motor vehicle collisions among low-and high- income communities. 3. Explain the importance of considering safety concerns when promoting physical activity in local communities.

Keywords: Injury Risk, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I am one of the principal research analysts evaluating the ARRA-funded Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiatives in Los Angeles County.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.