Pedestrian Safety in Native America
Source: Federal Highway Administration
American Indians have the highest rates of pedestrian injury and death per capita of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis and
Reporting System and the National Center for Health Statistics, Web-Based Injury Surveillance and Reporting System were analyzed to typify crashes among American Indians in the United States. Contributing factors such as alcohol involvement on the part of the pedestrian or driver, rurality, poverty and lack visibility and traffic control devices were identified. Relative rates of pedestrian injury were calculated as a measure of risk disparity between the American Indian population in each state and all other races. States with elevated disparity between comparison groups also had large percentages of American Indians living below the poverty level. Additionally, gaps in injury surveillance data among American Indians were identified.
American Indian communities require community specific injury prevention intervention activities for community specific pedestrian safety problems. Focus groups conducted during the study period identified successful strategies for addressing pedestrian injury among American Indian communities. Successful strategies identified included education and media based interventions, law enforcement interventions, child education, and pedestrian facility improvements.
