Contextual deprivation, daily travel and road traffic injuries among the young in the Rhône Département (France)

This study investigated the effect of the socioeconomic level of the municipality of residence on personal injury road traffic accident risk among young persons of 10–24 years of age in the Rhône Département. This effect was assessed by comparing incidences of injuries (n = 2792 casualties) on the basis of three denominators: the resident population of young people, the number of users of each mode and the distances covered by each mode. The results are presented for each type of road users (pedestrians, car passengers, car drivers, motorised two-wheeler riders, cyclists, public transport users).Young persons from deprived municipalities use motorised-two wheelers, bicycles and the car (as passengers and drivers) less frequently, they walk more and take public transports more often than those from other municipalities.When considering injury risk, motorised two wheeler injuries among adolescent males, for example, are significantly less frequent in deprived municipalities. But the motorised two-wheeler riders as well as car passengers from deprived municipalities are characterized by an excess injury risk, whether the selected denominator is the number of users or the kilometres travelled by this mode.For the first time in France, this study has enabled a comparison of the effects of a contextual socioeconomic indicator (the type of municipality of residence, deprived, or not) on daily travel practices and injury incidences among the population, among the users of each mode and per km of travel.

► Travel practices and injury incidences were assessed.
► The population, the users of each mode and km travelled were used as denominators.
► Young persons from deprived areas use two wheelers and the car less than others.
► Motorised two wheeler injuries among males are then less frequent in deprived areas.
► Motorised two-wheeler users and motorists from deprived areas have an excess risk.