U.S. motor vehicle fatality trends in young Latino males

Abstract

The Latino Epidemiologic Paradox describes favorable health profiles for Latinos compared to non-Latino Whites (NLW) despite poverty, low education, and low access to health care. An anomaly to this paradox is increased mortality of Latino adolescent and emerging adult males. Previous research shows motor vehicle crash fatalities bear a considerable proportion of the mortality burden attributed to this anomaly. Utilizing two U.S. data sources (CDC-WISQARS and NHTSA-FARS), graphical and linear regression methods were used to analyze crash fatality trends and changes in factors that influence crash injury fatality among young Latino males age 15-24. During 1999-2006, 59,719 motor vehicle fatalities occurred among Latino, NLW and Non-Latino Black (NLB) young males. Fatality rates were 37.7, 39.6, and 29.8 per 100,000 population/year for Latinos, NLW and NLB respectively. Over the study period, young Latino male mortality rates increased 27%. By 2006, fatality rates were 41.9, 38.3 and 27.8 per 100,000 population/year for Latinos, NLW and NLB respectively. Among driver fatalities, 43% Latino, 33% NLW and 27% NLB were restrained. Fifty-seven percent of Latino drivers had blood alcohol >or=0.01 g/dl (BAC+), as did 47% of NLW drivers and 42% of NLB drivers. Over the study period, BAC+ changed little among Latinos and NLW drivers but decreased among NLB drivers. Motor vehicle fatality rates for young Latino males are rising despite increasing restraint use and leveling driver BAC+. Without racial/ethnic specific exposure data, limitations exist in discerning the cause of diverging fatality trends and further understanding specific racial/ethnic group crash fatality disparities.

Figure 1.

Annual motor vehicle death rates per 100,000 for Latino, Non-Latino White and Non-Latino Black males age 15–24, by year, US 1999–2006, N=59,719.

Figure 2a.

Percent restraint use for Latino, Non-Latino White and Non- Latino Black males age 15–24 driver fatalities in passenger vehicles, 40 states and District of Columbia, 2001–2006, N=18,487.

Figure 2b.

Percent restraint use for Latino, Non-Latino White and Non-Latino Black males age 15–24 passenger fatalities in passenger vehicles, 40 states and District of Columbia, 2001–2006, N=9,053.

Figure 3.

Percent BAC+ for Latino, Non-Latino White and Non-Latino Black males age 15–24 driver fatalities, by year, 40 states and District of Columbia, 2001–2006, N=23,778.

Figure 4.

Percent BAC+ for Latino, Non-Latino White and Non-Latino Black males age 15–24 pedestrian and bicyclist* fatalities, by year, 40 states and District of Columbia, 2001–2006, N=2,390. *NLB bicyclists are not shown because 3 of 6 years had fewer than 10 fatalities.

Figure 5.

Mean age for passenger vehicles with Latino, Non-Latino White and Non-Latino Black male age 15–24 occupant fatalities, 40 states and District of Columbia, 2001–2006, N=27,785.