Motor Vehicle Crashes (Three-Year Average)

Data Provider: NYS Department of Health

Related Indicators:

Motor Vehicle Crashes-Mortality 15-24 yrs [view data]
Motor Vehicle Crashes-Hospitalizations 15-24 yrs [view data]

Life Area:

Physical and Emotional Health

Definition:

The motor vehicle injury hospitalization rate is based on the number of motor vehicle injury hospitalizations among youth aged 15 through 24, per 100,000 population aged 15 through 24 years.

The mortality rate from motor vehicle crashes is the number of motor vehicle related deaths among youth aged 15 through 24 years per 100,000 population of the same age group.

Since hospitalizations and deaths from motor vehicle crashes are relatively rare events in many counties, the numbers and rates are presented as three-year averages. Three-year averaging improves the reliability of the data in counties with small populations where slight variations in the number of hospitalizations or deaths from motor vehicle crashes can result in large fluctuations in their annual rates.

Data for hospitalizations are suppressed when the number of hospitalizations are 1-5. Data for mortality are suppressed when the denominator is less than 30.

Significance:

Motor vehicle crashes are the fourth leading cause of hospitalizations due to injury for young adults aged 15 through 24 years and among the top four leading causes of injury related death among young adults (Injury and Violence Data (2010-2012). Driving while intoxicated and the relationship between speed limits, aggressive driving and traffic fatalities are among the issues facing young drivers. Further, the increased use of seat belts would decrease the mortality rate for older children and adolescents (Public Health Policy Advisory Board, 1999).

Note:

Three-year averaging improves the reliability of the data in counties with small populations where slight variations in the number can result in large fluctuations in their annual rates.

Findings:

Motor vehicle injury hospitalizations in New York State, during 2012-2014, on average had an annual rate of 82.5 per 100,000 youths hospitalized, which was a decrease of 6.8 percentage points from the 2011-2013 rate. Rest of State hospitalizations remain the highest at 90.9 per 100,000 although there was a decrease of 8.4 percentage points from 2011-2013. New York City saw a decline in rates to 70.4 in 2012-2014 from 75.2 per 100,000 in 2011-2013. Suffolk, Nassau and Richmond counties are among the counties with the highest hospitalization rates at 154,158,177 per 100,000 respectively.
In New York State, the annual mortality rate due to motor vehicle injuries in 2012-2014 was 7.7 per 100,000 youths aged 15-24 years. The rate in New York City remains low at 4.2 per 100,000 compared to 10.2 per 100,000 in the Rest of State for the same age group and years.

References:

Public Health Policy Advisory Board. (1999). Health and the American Child. Washington, DC: Public Health Policy Advisory Board.

Injury and Violence Data (2010-2012). Ten Leading Causes by Age Group. Hospitalizations table and Deaths table. NYSDOH. http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/prevention/injury_prevention/all_injury.htm

http://dmv.ny.gov/younger-driver/new-york-city-five-boroughs-junior-license-restriction-0