(Press-News.org) Contact information: Stephanie Burns
sburns@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Annual car crash deaths in England and Wales have fallen 40 percent in 50 years
But may still contribute to social class and gender differences in life expectancy
The annual number of car crash deaths in England and Wales has plunged by 41% over the past 50 years, despite the increase in drivers on the road, reveals research published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.
Nevertheless, these deaths may still be making an impact on the well recognised social class and gender differences in life expectancy seen in both countries, conclude the researchers.
Around 1.3 million people die on the world's roads every year, and on the basis of current trends, deaths caused by vehicle collisions are expected to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030.
But the evidence suggests that people from less well off backgrounds are more likely to die in a car crash than those from more affluent backgrounds, irrespective of their country's national income.
The researchers therefore gathered data on road deaths from the Office of National Statistics for the period 1960 to 2009 inclusive to see if this was also the case in England and Wales. The data were stratified by gender and social class.
Over the entire 50 years, 102,196 people died as a direct result of a road traffic accident. In 1960, car crashes caused 1647 deaths, but by 2009 the annual death toll had fallen to 964 - a drop of 41%.
This is despite the annual increase in car ownership across the UK of around 3%.
Road traffic deaths fell even more sharply among the under 14s, decreasing by 70% from 66 to 20 over this time frame, although they rose among those aged 75 and over.
There were 68 road deaths in 75 and older age group in 1960, and 109 in 2009. But this was lower than the peak of 231 in 1990, and should be taken in the context of the rising proportion of older people in the populations of both countries, say the authors.
But for any given year, more men died in car crashes than women, with the total numbers of 1182 and 465, respectively, in 1960, falling to 689 and 275, respectively, by 2009.
Furthermore, women were older than men when they died in any given year. Between 1960-69 women were 68% more likely to have already gone past the annual median age of death for all deaths when they died. This had risen to 71% in 2000-2009.
Similarly, those from more privileged backgrounds were also more likely to be older, and to have already gone past the annual median age of death for all deaths when they died than those from less privileged backgrounds.
The authors point out that the introduction of compulsory seat belts, drink driving curbs, child safety seats, and speed cameras, as well as the development of specialist trauma centres, will all have helped to drive down road traffic fatalities.
"However, it is possible that while these interventions have resulted in a reduction in the absolute number of deaths from [road traffic accidents] in England and Wales, they have not modified the relative differential in age of death between sexes or socioeconomic groups in those who die after [a car crash]," they conclude.
###
[Temporal trends in the associations between age, sex, and socioeconomic status after death from motor vehicle collisions in England and Wales: 1960-2009 doi: 10.1136/emermed-2012-202083] END
Annual car crash deaths in England and Wales have fallen 40 percent in 50 years
But may still contribute to social class and gender differences in life expectancy
2013-11-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Crime associated with higher mortality rates
2013-11-07
Crime associated with higher mortality rates
The new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE shows that people with drug-related criminal records in Norway have a mortality rate that can be up to 15 times higher than people ...
Discovery of HIV 'invisibility cloak' reveals new treatment opportunities
2013-11-07
Discovery of HIV 'invisibility cloak' reveals new treatment opportunities
Scientists have discovered a molecular invisibility cloak that enables HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to hide inside cells of the body without triggering the body's natural defence systems. ...
Study uncovers new explanation for infection susceptibility in newborns
2013-11-07
Study uncovers new explanation for infection susceptibility in newborns
CINCINNATI – Cells that allow helpful bacteria to safely colonize the intestines of newborn infants also suppress their immune systems to make them more vulnerable ...
Newly discovered predatory dinosaur 'king of gore' reveals the origins of T. rex
2013-11-07
Newly discovered predatory dinosaur 'king of gore' reveals the origins of T. rex
November 6, 2013, Salt Lake City, UT – A remarkable new species of tyrannosaur has been unearthed in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), southern Utah. The huge ...
New study identifies signs of autism in the first months of life
2013-11-07
New study identifies signs of autism in the first months of life
Scientists at Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine identify markers of social disability present in 2 to 6-month-old infants later diagnosed ...
RNA controls splicing during gene expression, further evidence of 'RNA world' origin in modern life
2013-11-07
RNA controls splicing during gene expression, further evidence of 'RNA world' origin in modern life
RNA is the key functional component of spliceosomes, molecular machines that control how genes are expressed, report scientists from the University ...
New research shows clear association between ACE inhibitors and acute kidney injury
2013-11-07
New research shows clear association between ACE inhibitors and acute kidney injury
These and similar drugs are the second most prescribed on the NHS
Cambridge scientists have found an association between ACE inhibitors (and similar drugs) and acute kidney ...
First study of Russian meteor
2013-11-07
First study of Russian meteor
The meteor that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in February 2013 was "a wake-up call," according to a University of California, Davis scientist who participated in analyzing the event. The work is published Nov. 7 in the journal ...
Climate change scientists must turn their attention to clean skies
2013-11-07
Climate change scientists must turn their attention to clean skies
Natural aerosols, such as emissions from volcanoes or plants, may contribute more uncertainty than previously thought to estimates of how the climate might respond to greenhouse gas emissions.
An ...
Drilling for hydrocarbons can impact aquatic life
2013-11-07
Drilling for hydrocarbons can impact aquatic life
Drilling sumps can leak into surface water
The degradation of drilling sumps associated with hydrocarbon extraction can negatively affect aquatic ecosystems, according to new research published November 6th in the open-access ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Robotic space rovers keep getting stuck. UW engineers have figured out why
New research shows how immigration status can become a death sentence during public health crisis
University of Toronto Engineering researchers develop safer alternative non-stick coating
Good vibrations: Scientists use imaging technology to visualize heat
More ecological diversity means better nutritional resources in Fiji’s agroforests
New global study shows freshwater is disappearing at alarming rates
Scientists create an artificial cell capable of navigating its environment using chemistry alone
A little salt is good for battery health
Deep-sea fish confirmed as a significant source of ocean carbonate
How to keep kids with eating disorders home after hospital stay? Therapy
Sex differences affect efficacy of opioid overdose treatment
Aligning AI with Human Values and Well-Being
Engineering the next generation of experimental physics
The scuba diving industry is funding marine ecosystem conservation and employing locals
BATMAN brings TCR therapy out of the shadows
Surrogates more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness, study finds
Columbia Engineering researchers turn dairy byproduct into tissue repair gel
Global estimates of lives and life-years saved by COVID-19 vaccination during 2020-2024
Potential trade-offs of proposed cuts to the NIH
New research simulates cancer cell behavior
COVID, over 2.5 million deaths prevented worldwide thanks to vaccines. One life saved for every 5,400 doses administered
Scuba diving generates up to $20 billion annually
Scientists advance efforts to create ‘virtual cell lab’ as testing ground for future research with live cells
How DNA packaging controls the “genome’s guardian”
Simplified models, deeper insights: Coarse-grained models unlock new potential for ionic liquid simulations
Gorillas’ personal circumstances shape their aggression towards groupmates
Which signalling pathways in the cell lead to possible therapies for Parkinson's disease
Identifying landslide threats using hydrological predictors
First graders who use more educational media spend more time reading
Exploring the meaning in life through phenomenology and philosophy
[Press-News.org] Annual car crash deaths in England and Wales have fallen 40 percent in 50 yearsBut may still contribute to social class and gender differences in life expectancy