A matched case-control study evaluating the effectiveness of speed humps in reducing child pedestrian injuries.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the protective effectiveness of speed humps in reducing child pedestrian injuries in residential neighborhoods.


METHODS
We conducted a matched case-control study over a 5-year period among children seen in a pediatric emergency department after being struck by an automobile.


RESULTS
A multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis showed that speed humps were associated with lower odds of children being injured within their neighborhood (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.47) and being struck in front of their home (adjusted OR = 0.40). Ethnicity (but not socioeconomic status) was independently associated with child pedestrian injuries and was adjusted for in the regression model.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that speed humps make children's living environments safer.
Tester
June M
JM
University of California, San Francisco, USA. junetester@post.harvard.edu
Rutherford
George W
GW
Wald
Zachary
Z
Rutherford
Mary W
MW
D000056:Accident Prevention; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015982:Bias; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007348:Insurance, Health; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D017751:Safety Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016138:Walking