Traffic calming policy can reduce inequalities in child pedestrian injuries: Database study

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether area wide traffic calming distribution reflects known inequalities in child pedestrian injury rates. To determine whether traffic calming is associated with changes in childhood pedestrian injury rates. Design: Small area ecological study, longitudinal analysis of injury rates with cross sectional analysis of traffic calming and method of travel to school. Settings: Two cities in the United Kingdom. Participants: 4-16 year old children between 1992 and 2000. Main outcome measures: Area wide traffic calming distribution by area deprivation status and changes in injury rate/1000. Results: The most deprived fourth of city A had 4.8 times (95% CI 3.71 to 6.22) the number of traffic calming features per 1000 population compared with the most affluent fourth. Injury rates among the most deprived dropped from 9.42 to 5.07 from 1992-94 to 1998-2000 (95% CI for change 2.82 to 5.91). In city B, the traffic calming ratio of the most to least deprived fourth was 1.88 (95% CI 1.46 to 2.42); injury rates in the deprived areas dropped from 8.92 to 7.46 (95% CI for change -0.84 to 3.77). Similar proportions of 9-12 year olds walked to school in both cities. Conclusions: Area wide traffic calming is associated with absolute reductions in child pedestrian injury rates and reductions in relative inequalities in child pedestrian injury rates.