Evaluating disparities in traffic fatalities by race, ethnicity, and income

(NHTSA) New data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explores disparities in traffic safety among different race-ethnicity groups in the United States. The report also examines economic disparities in traffic safety. The foundation of this analysis is the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which collects detailed information on fatal police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes on public roadways. NHTSA used data from several Federal agencies in conjunction with FARS to investigate and assess potential disparities. 

The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence of racial-ethnic and economic disparities in travel outcomes. Principally, the analysis finds roadway travel is less risky for white people than for people of most other race-ethnicity groups. This disparity persists even when accounting for the amount and mode of travel. Among all travel modes, we found a particularly pronounced disparity for pedestrians. Considering the relationship between income and fatal crashes, traffic fatality rates decreased as income rates increased in 8 of the 50 States…Read the full report on disparities in traffic fatalities here.