BACKGROUND: In 2014 in New York State (NYS), excluding of New York City (NYC), 5,094 pedestrians were struck by motor vehicles, including 141 who died and 2,927 who were injured. These injuries and deaths are preventable, and understanding the circumstances behind these crashes leads to more effective outreach and prevention. NYS is implementing a five year Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, which brings together state and local agencies to identify and target high pedestrian crash communities with evidence based prevention-oriented engineering, education, and enforcement strategies.
METHODS: Pedestrian crashes were examined using the NYS Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) database, a dataset which uses probabilistic linkage of motor vehicle crash data with hospitalization and emergency department data to examine crash outcomes. Data was analyzed from the 2014 CODES linkage, examining crashes of five high risk municipalities outside of NYC, and determining differences between these and the rest of the state. Bivariate and logistic regression will be used to assess risks.
RESULTS: Of the 5,094 pedestrians struck by motor vehicles in 2014 in NYS, excluding NYC, the municipalities of Hempstead, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers had the highest numbers, representing 24% of the state's pedestrian cases. Findings show that pedestrian demographics, behaviors, and environments were different between these areas and the rest of the state, excluding NYC, but that most driver related factors such as alcohol use, cell phone use, speeding, and failing to yield were undifferentiated between areas. In these high risk areas, pedestrians were significantly more likely to be hit while crossing the street (p<.01), in intersections (p<.01), or playing in the roadway (p<.01), in inclement weather (rain, snow, or ice; p<.01), and less likely to be hit while walking along the road (p<.01). Cases in these municipalities were more likely to require hospital treatment (p=.02), be younger in age (p<.01), and among those hospitalized have significant racial differences (p<.01) from the rest of the state, excluding NYC (including higher rates of Hispanic and Black non-Hispanic victims).
CONCLUSIONS: CODES is an excellent resource for local surveillance of pedestrian injuries, and an important asset for crafting traffic injury related outreach. By studying pedestrian crashes at the local level, specific populations, behaviors, and hazards can be assessed and integrated into prevention work.