Traffic crash fatalities disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), according to a recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), a nonprofit association representing highway safety offices.
The report, An Analysis of Traffic Fatalities by Race and Ethnicity, analyzed data from 2015-2019.
Researchers discovered that BIPOC had a substantially higher per-capita rate of total traffic fatalities compared to other racial groups.
American Indian/Alaskan Native persons had the highest per-capita rate of total traffic deaths. The group also had the highest incidents of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and speeding-related fatalities. Black persons had the second-highest rates in these categories.
Only in motorcycle driver and passenger deaths did whites exceed BIPOC.
“Our nation’s historic inequalities have contributed to an unacceptable imbalance in traffic safety,” Jonathan Adkins, GHSA executive director, said. “GHSA is focused on promoting racial justice and finding solutions that advance just results in the country’s behavioral highway safety programs. This problem didn’t happen overnight, and it won’t be fixed overnight – but we have to begin taking meaningful steps forward every day to make our roads safe for all people and communities.”
State Highway Safety Offices must engage with BIPOC leadership to determine if and how an equitable traffic enforcement program can be implemented, the GHSA said.