Demographic and environmental correlates of pedestrian injury collisions: a spatial analysis

Pedestrian injury collisions often occur when and where large numbers of pe destrians travel within complex roadway systems with high traffic flow. The pedestrian injury literature suggests a number of individual and environme ntal correlates of injury risks, however studies in this area have primaril y focused upon demographic differences (e.g. related to age) and a few glob al characteristics of the roadway system (e.g. aspects of pedestrian traffi c). Studies in which the geography of communities has been considered are p rimarily descriptive, identifying pedestrian injury 'hot spots'. The curren t study more extensively explores some geographic correlates of pedestrian injury collisions through a spatial analysis of data from the city of San F rancisco, CA. A spatial autocorrelation corrected regression model was used to determine factors associated with pedestrian traffic injury in 1990. Th e study used a geographic information system to map locations of pedestrian injuries, and environmental and demographic characteristics of the city ac ross census tract units. In addition to a number of demographic factors (ge nder, age, marital status, education, income and unemployment), it was prop osed that several environ:mental features of the city would be related to i njury rates thigh traffic flow, complex roadway systems, greater population densities and alcohol availability). Results of the study showed that pede strian injury rates were related to traffic flow, population density, age c omposition of the local population, unemployment, gender and education. Ava ilability of alcohol through bars was directly related to pedestrian injury collisions in which the pedestrian had been drinking alcohol, (C) 2000 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.