Association Between Rail Systems and Total/Child Traffic Fatality Rates
Keisuke Abe, MD1* and Loren G. Yamamoto, MD, MPH, MBA2
1Department of Emergency Medicine: University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Mexico
2Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, USA
*Corresponding Author: Keisuke Abe, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine: University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Mexico.
Received: April 06, 2022 Published: April 21, 2022
Abstract
Objective: Traffic fatalities are a global public health concern and are influenced by several factors. We evaluated the association between the number of regional rail lines and traffic fatalities and investigated whether this association affected traffic fatality rates.
Methods: We obtained traffic fatality data, the number of regional rail lines, and motor vehicle registrations of 34 U.S. and 8 non-U.S. cities from 2018. Pearson correlation (linear regression) analyses were performed for all variables.
Results: The correlation coefficients (r) for the number of regional rail lines (n=42) and total traffic fatality rates, child traffic fatality rates, and number of motor vehicle registrations per capita were −0.49 (p=0.0009), −0.31 (p=0.04), and −0.46 (p=0.002), respectively, whereas the correlation coefficients for the number of motor vehicle registrations per capita and all traffic fatality and child traffic fatality rates were 0.54 (p=0.0002) and 0.18 (p=0.24), respectively.
Conclusion: The number of regional rail lines was negatively correlated with traffic fatalities in children and adults, and motor vehicle registrations per capita. These results highlight the potential benefit of regional rail line development for reducing traffic fatalities.
Keywords: regional rail lines; traffic fatality; motor vehicle registrations; public transportation
Citation: Abe K, Yamamoto LG. “Association Between Rail Systems and Total/Child Traffic Fatality Rates”. SVOA Paediatrics 1:2 (2022) Pages 55-62.