Child pedestrian casualties and deprivation

Abstract

The existence of an association between child pedestrian accidents and socio-economic deprivation in Great Britain is well established. The factors driving this association are complex and difficult to isolate. This study uses accident prediction models to investigate the links between child pedestrian casualties and a range of environmental and socio-economic factors commonly linked to deprived areas and people. Separate models are constructed relating to the areas in which the children become casualties, and the areas in which the children reside. Significant socio-economic factors include: single-parenthood, reliance on income support, and crime; and environmental factors include domestic garden area, junction density and pedestrian and vehicular flow density. The study found that factors pertaining to the local environment were more prevalent in the models considering accident locations, whilst socio-economic factors were of greater influence in the residency model.