The Health Divide: Traffic-related fatalities disproportionately impact Black and Latino communities

Akol Riak was sentenced to 14 years behind bars in connection to a deadly crash that killed a woman who was eight months pregnant. 

Riak, 19, was traveling about 100 mph in a 40-mph zone in January when he crashed into a van on Brown Deer Road in Milwaukee. Riak did not have a valid driver's license.   

Monique Stewart, 32, died at the scene but was rushed to the hospital, where doctors delivered her baby via a cesarean section. The child, who Monique named Brenton when she discovered she was having a boy, lived just long enough for his father to hold him before he died. 

Riak told investigators that he was driving at 100 mph when he sped through the intersection. When he collided with the van carrying Stewart, which was making a left turn, he said he didn’t have enough time to stop. When Riak was sentenced in September, his defense attorney, Aneeq Ahmad, said the crime was out of character for his client, a high school senior with “solid” grades who planned to study agriculture in college. 

Riak and Stewart are both black, and a comprehensive study published in 2022 by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has shown that traffic-related fatalities in the U.S. disproportionately affect African American and Hispanic-American populations.  

This research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, highlights significant disparities, showing that the incidence of traffic-related deaths in these communities is much higher than previously reported estimates. The findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy changes to address this critical public health issue and to ensure equitable safety measures on roadways. 

In U.S., 117 people die in traffic accidents every day 

Traffic incidents are among the biggest causes of fatalities in the United States. On average, 117 people died every day in the U.S. due to traffic accidents, according to 2022 data. 

In 2021, there were 43,230 fatalities due to motor vehicle-related crashes in the United States, the highest level of traffic deaths since 2005 and represented. Additionally, in 2022, pedestrian deaths in the U.S. reached a 40-year high of 7,508 fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In 2022, traffic fatalities decreased by 1.7%, totaling 42,514. The latest data projects a further decline to 40,990 deaths in 2023. 

Although overall traffic fatalities remain stable, the 2022 analysis reveals that Black Americans have the highest traffic fatality rate per mile traveled, regardless of the mode of transportation — whether walking, cycling, or driving — compared to Hispanics, whites, and Asians. 

“Our results strengthen the case for investing resources in communities of color facing the highest traffic fatality risks,” said Ernani Choma, a research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of the study. 

In August, Michael Escolas, 42, of Oxford, Massachusetts, was charged with motor vehicle manslaughter and other offenses after he allegedly stole a Jeep at a Kenny Chesney concert and crashed it into a Nissan with a family of six, which resulted in the death of a 10-year-old Black boy. 

Escolas and all six family members in the Nissan were taken to local hospitals. The family's 10-year-old son, Jaylen Bush-Victorian, did not survive the crash, and three additional children were taken to the hospital with injuries. The impact from the crash also damaged three other cars. 

Prosecutor Adam Lally said that when police arrived on the scene, Escolas had a “strong and overwhelming” smell of alcohol.  

When police asked Escolas what had happened, he said,  

“I came up quick — I don't know.” 

Escolas was taken to the hospital for treatment and then released under arrest. When he called his wife from a recorded line, he said, "Still one too many. One too many. Messed up." 

Escolas, a father of three, is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison on the vehicular manslaughter charge. 

Some cities across the country are taking strong measures to combat reckless driving. Cities like Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis are addressing this issue by implementing stricter penalties, increasing jail time, enhancing police presence, and redesigning streets to improve safety. For instance, the city of Milwaukee has installed over 350 speed humps and increased the number of curb bump outs from 46 in 2020 to more than 900 in 2023. The city has spent more than $80 million to improve road and pedestrian safety.  

During the pandemic, reckless driving surged, reversing a decades-long decline in annual traffic deaths in the U.S. More pedestrians were killed on the streets in 2022 than in any other year in the past four decades. 

The rise in traffic fatalities and serious injuries can be attributed to a variety of factors. Many of the drivers involved are younger and, consequently, less experienced. Some of the vehicles implicated in these incidents are stolen. And driver distractions, particularly from cell phones, are increasing, coupled with heightened impatience. All these contribute to reckless driving behaviors, including overtaking on the right, disregarding red lights, and frequent lane changing. 

Black passenger vehicle fatality rates are 73% higher than white passengers 

The research from Boston and Harvard University shows that traffic fatalities remain a significant public health challenge, even with progress made in recent decades. 

The authors found that Black and Hispanic Americans face higher fatality rates per 100 million miles traveled compared to whites, across all transportation modes.  

African Americans have a passenger vehicle fatality rate that is 73% higher than that of white individuals, the study found. The pedestrian death rate for African Americans is 118% higher, while the cycling fatality rate is 348% higher compared to their white counterparts. 

The disparities in pedestrian deaths are even more pronounced at night. Black pedestrians face a fatality rate that is 236% higher than that of white pedestrians. In comparison, Hispanic or Latino pedestrians have a fatality rate that is 84% higher than that of white pedestrians. Asians have the lowest fatality rates across all three modes of transportation, according to the study. 

The researchers also highlight critical disparities in emergency response times, quality of care, patient outcomes, and access to medical insurance, all worsened by economic inequalities. 

When emergency responders are summoned, every second is critical. Urban areas typically respond quicker than rural regions due to their proximity to emergency medical service (EMS) stations and better road infrastructure. Nonetheless, there can occasionally be communication discrepancies between firefighters and emergency dispatch personnel.  

As journalists, there’s important reporting to be done on the response times of emergency responders, especially in cities facing budget constraints that could lead to the closure or consolidation of fire stations and a reduction in the number of firefighters.  

Moreover, journalists should critically evaluate the effectiveness of local and regional initiatives to reduce reckless driving and their impact on saving lives in their coverage areas. Since taxpayers fund most of these programs, the public has a right to know how their tax dollars are being utilized. 

Additionally, journalists can spotlight youth programs that seek to divert young people from car theft and provide them with constructive outlets. Such initiatives can play a crucial role in enhancing both individual and community safety. 

Center for Health Journalism Fellows have highlighted numerous programs that assist troubled youth.  

For example, ChrisAnna Mink reported on the Chuco’s Justice Center in South Los Angeles.This place offers second chances to young people aged 16 to 25 with a history of involvement in the juvenile justice system, many of whom have been expelled.  

Richard Webster and Jonathan Bullington, two reporters covering crime for NOLA.com, launched “The Children of Central City,” a powerful multimedia series of investigative stories, documentary videos, and photographs that provide an intimate look at the deep emotional and physical scars endured by vulnerable New Orleans’s youth. 

In 2018, I wrote about a garden project aimed at mentoring Black young boys. The program, “We Got This” garden, paid the boys $20 each Saturday during the summer months to clean up the community and receive mentorship with men who dedicated their time to the program each week. The youth also learned how to garden and learned to care and nurture something and watch it grow. The food produced was free for the youth to take home to their family. 

These programs don’t directly address driving behaviors or traffic deaths, but they can make a difference by diverting teens from crimes that might otherwise culminate in a driving-related death. Anecdotally, we know that when kids are offered positive outlets they turn into better citizens. 

Reckless driving isn't just a problem with minors in stolen vehicles — many adults are guilty of inattentive or impatient driving as well. This behavior endangers innocent lives, particularly those of Black and Latino people. We need to address this issue head-on, and that starts with smart, sustained reporting.