Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Equity

Study: Low-Income Neighborhoods Much More Likely to Have Dangerous Roads

Who suffers most from bad road design? Not surprisingly, the answer is poor people, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Poor people are much more likely to live near wide, high-traffic streets and are thus much more likely to be injured by a car, according to a new study. Photo: ##http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jul/30/dangerous-intersections-us-41-accident-central-thr/## Naples News##

Researchers examined injury rates for pedestrians, drivers and cyclists over a five-year period in Montreal. They found pedestrians living in low-income neighborhoods were more than six times more likely to be injured by a moving vehicle than those from high-income neighborhoods.

Motorists and cyclists in low-income neighborhoods didn't fare much better. These drivers were 4.3 times more likely to be injured. For cyclists the ratio was 3.9 to 1.

The reason, researchers said, was "exposure to traffic." The study found that low-income neighborhoods were more likely to contain major arterials and four-way intersections -- two of the biggest risk factors for those traveling by any mode. The study also found low-income neighborhoods were subject to traffic volumes 2.4 times greater than high-income -- one of the best predictors of injury.

"Traffic volume at intersections increased significantly with poverty," the authors wrote. "If the average daily traffic at intersections in the poorest census tracts were equal to that in wealthiest census tracts, ... there would be 21% fewer pedestrians, 19% fewer cyclists, and 25% fewer motor vehicle occupants injured at intersections in those areas."

Low-income residents also faced additional risk factors. They were much more likely to rely on walking or transit to get around. They tended to live in higher-density areas, a factor that was associated with high traffic volumes.

So what's the best way to reduce injury? Study authors say promoting alternatives to driving is an important strategy.

They recommended "a paradigm shift in favor of more sustainable transportation that would reduce traffic volumes and prioritize public transit." Adding, "recently, large reductions in road fatalities in the United States have been attributed to reductions in distances driven."

Researchers also recommended complete streets and traffic control measures like the UK's 20-mile-per-hour zones.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Back the Bikes

Setting aside the fact that bike lanes don't make traffic worse, resisting bikelash on busy roads is essential to creating a useable network.

April 18, 2025

Does Driver’s Ed Really Make Roads Safer? 

States like Georgia are taking a critical look at their drivers education programs — but some say the whole concept of driver's ed deserves scrutiny.

April 18, 2025

Friday Video: Ken Jennings Has a Web Series About Transit!

Jeopardy's host and most famous player is a big fan of the bus — and he's helping educate his fellow Washingtonians about why they should be, too.

April 18, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: The Pacific Circuit

Alexis Madrigal connects containerization to globalization and its direct impacts on one Oakland neighborhood.

April 17, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Wonder Why

Why are drivers killing so many pedestrians? Governing magazine has a number of familiar theories.

April 17, 2025
See all posts