Publication Details

Modification of the model year and crash-related injury association by race and ethnicity for North Carolinian passenger vehicle occupants [Preprint]

Type: article

Author(s): Neuroth, Lucas M.; Harmon, Katherine J.

Url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae062

Publication Date: May-2024

Journal: American Journal of Epidemiology

Doi: 10.1093/aje/kwae062

Pmid: 38751298

Abstract: Within the United States, motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are a leading cause of unintentional injury and death, with fatality rates trending upwards since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, these MVC-related injuries disproportionately impact individuals belonging to racial and ethnic minority groups.  To reduce the severity of MVC-related injuries, the implementation of promising safety innovations was tied to prespecified vehicle model years (MYs) through Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). While occupants of newer vehicles, with more advanced in-vehicle safety measures, have a lower risk of severe MVC-related injuries compared to those in older MY vehicles, there is a lack of research regarding how this effectiveness may vary by sociodemographic characteristics, such as race and ethnicity. We aimed to address this gap in the literature by investigating potential modification of the association between vehicle MY and MVC-related injury severity by race and ethnicity among North Carolinian passenger vehicle occupants involved in a MVC in 2020.