ROAD ACCIDENT CHARACTERISTICS AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION

Abstract

A weighted deprivation score, derived from Census data, was attached, using resident postcodes, to every road casualty record of STATS 19-type data gathered within the former Lothian Region of Scotland during the years 1990 to 1992. The resulting database was interrogated and it was found that the rates per head of population for all casualties, serious injury casualties, slight injury casualties, drivers involved in single-vehicle casualty accidents, drivers who failed breath tests and were involved in casualty accidents, and casualties who did not use seat belts when available were all higher for those from deprived areas relative to those from affluent areas. It should be emphasised that these were casualty rates per head of population and did not allow for variations in exposure and did not include casualties who, although resident in Lothian Region, were involved in accidents outside the boundaries of the Region. A similar pattern was found when looking at casualty rates for differing time periods. For all the time periods considered through the day, for all the days of week and for all the months of year the casualty rates for those from deprived areas were higher, with significant increases between midnight and 05:00h and on Fridays and Saturdays. (A)