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Are Child Pedestrians at Increased Risk of Injury on One-way Compared to Two-way Streets?

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Abstract

Objectives: To compare child pedestrian injury rates on one-way versus two-way streets in Hamilton, and examine whether the characteristics of child pedestrian injuries differ across street types.

Methods: The rates of injury per child population, per kilometre, per year were calculated by age, sex and socio-economic status (SES). Child, environment and driver characteristics were investigated by street type.

Results: The injury rate was 2.5 times higher on one-way streets than on two-way streets and 3 times higher for children from the poorest neighbourhoods than for those from wealthier neighbourhoods. SES, injury severity, number of lanes, collision location and type of traffic control were also found to be significantly different across street types.

Conclusions: One-way streets have higher rates of child pedestrian injuries than two-way streets in this community. Future risk factor and intervention studies should include the directionality of streets to further investigate its contribution to child pedestrian injuries.

Résumé

Objectifs: Comparer les taux de blessures chez les enfants-piétons dans les rues à sens unique par opposition aux rues à double sens à Hamilton, et voir si les caractéristiques de ces blessures varient en fonction du type de rue.

Méthodes: On a calculé les taux de blessures par enfant, par kilomètre et par année en fonction de l’âge, du sexe et de la situation socioéconomique. On a examiné les caractéristiques des enfants, de l’environnement et des conducteurs en fonction du type de rue.

Résultats: Le taux de blessures est apparu 2,5 fois plus élevé dans les rues à sens unique que dans les rues à double sens, et 3 fois plus élevé chez les enfants vivant dans les quartiers pauvres par opposition à ceux habitant les quartiers riches. Selon le type de rue, on a constaté des différences significatives aux plans de la situation socio-économique, de la gravité des blessures, du nombre de voies, de l’endroit de la collision et de la réglementation de la circulation.

Conclusions: À Hamilton, les taux de blessures chez les enfants-piétons sont plus élevés dans les rues à sens unique que dans les rues à double sens. Les prochaines études sur les facteurs de risque et les interventions devraient prendre en considération le sens des rues pour voir quelle influence cela a sur les blessures des enfants-piétons.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. McGill University, McGill Research and Training Building, 1033 Pine Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada

    Ashley Wazana MD B Arts Sci (Hons) (Postgraduate Psychiatry)

  2. Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Vicki L. Rynard MSc, Parminder Raina PhD, Paul Krueger BSc, MHSc, MSc, PhD & Larry W. Chambers BA (Hons), MSc, PhD, FACE, FFPHM(Hon-UK)

  3. Centre for Community Health Research, BC Research Institute for Women’s & Children’s Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Parminder Raina PhD

  4. Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Public Health Department (A Teaching Health Unit affiliated with McMaster University and University of Guelph), Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Paul Krueger BSc, MHSc, MSc, PhD & Larry W. Chambers BA (Hons), MSc, PhD, FACE, FFPHM(Hon-UK)

Authors
  1. Ashley Wazana MD B Arts Sci (Hons)
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  2. Vicki L. Rynard MSc
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  3. Parminder Raina PhD
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  4. Paul Krueger BSc, MHSc, MSc, PhD
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  5. Larry W. Chambers BA (Hons), MSc, PhD, FACE, FFPHM(Hon-UK)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ashley Wazana MD B Arts Sci (Hons).

Additional information

This project was funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation Project Number 909103. Ashley Wazana was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council of Canada, Farquharson Award in the course of this project.

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Wazana, A., Rynard, V.L., Raina, P. et al. Are Child Pedestrians at Increased Risk of Injury on One-way Compared to Two-way Streets?. Can J Public Health 91, 201–206 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404272

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404272

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