A related issue is the perception that living in a suburb is safer than
living in a city. Although suburbs may be slightly safer in terms of murder
risk, this is more than offset by increased traffic fatality risk. Per
capita traffic fatality rates are about four times higher in more
automobile-dependent, sprawled cities than in more compact, multi-modal
cities. So, all those parents who move to the suburbs or rural villages in
order to have a safe place to raise their children are actually increasing
their overall risk.
For information see:
Lucy, William (2002), Danger in Exurbia: Outer Suburbs More Dangerous Than
Cities, University of Virginia (www.virginia.edu); summarized in
www.virginia.edu/topnews/releases2002/lucy-april-30-2002.html.
Litman, Todd (2004a), Safe Travels, Victoria Transport Policy Institute
(http://www.vtpi.org/safetrav.pdf).
At 01:29 AM 8/4/2005 +0100, Anzir Boodoo wrote:
>>I recall some work - possibly Australian - which showed that there
>>were
>>greater risks for kids taken to school in cars - through a number
>>of factors
>>including - lack of supervision and security ("its only a short
>>school run no need
>>for seat belts" can fit 6 kids in my 5 seat saloon etc), and
>>stressed driver
>>(get everyone through breakfast drop breadwinner A at the station
>>rush to the
>>school drop kid B and then take kid C to nursery before rushing to
>>the part time
>>job which just about pays to keep Kid C in nursery etc). Combine
>>this with
>>many schools which still have inherently dangerous arrangements for
>>mixed flows
>>of kids, teachers cars, delivery vehicles and parents cars all
>>circulating in
>>the same areas and it seems a logical outcome that the kids taken
>>to school
>>in the cars are in greatest danger, as well as posing greatest
>>danger to those
>>not in cars.
>
>
>Sincerely,
>Todd Litman, Director
>Victoria Transport Policy Institute
>"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
>1250 Rudlin Street
>Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada
>Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>Website: http://www.vtpi.org
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