Homicides, Non-Traffic Accidents, and Proportion of Young Drivers Predict Traffic Fatalities

摘要

The relation of violence/aggression and other macro-level variables to traffic accidents was investigated by applying multiple regression to 1977 data from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Motor-vehicle-accident fatalities per registered vehicle was the dependent variable. The independent variables were homicide rate, suicide rate, fatality rates from other causes, unemployment rate, personal income, density of physicians, alcohol consumption, motor vehicles per capita, road mileage per vehicle, sex and age distribution of drivers, and attained education. The main finding is that homicide rates (but not suicide rates) predict states' motor-vehicle-accident fatalities; additional significant predictors are the proportion of young drivers, and fatalities from accidents other than those connected to motor vehicles. These three variables account for 68% of the variance of motor-vehicle-accident fatalities. The findings are discussed in terms of the contribution of aggression/violence, general risk-taking, and lack of driving experience to motor-vehicle accidents.