title: Active transportation: do current traffic safety policies protect non-motorists?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the impact that state traffic safety regulations have on non-motorist fatality rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) were analyzed through a pooled time series cross-sectional model using fixed effects regression for all 50 states from 1999 to 2009. Two dependent variables were used in separate models measuring annual state non-motorist fatalities per million population, and the natural log of state non-motorist fatalities. Independent variables measuring traffic policies included state expenditures for highway law enforcement and safety per capita; driver cell phone use regulations; graduated driver license regulations; driver blood alcohol concentration regulations; bike helmet regulations; and seat belt regulations. Other control variables included percent of all vehicle miles driven that are urban and mean per capita alcohol consumption per year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Non-motorist traffic safety was positively impacted by state highway law enforcement and safety expenditures per capita, with a decrease in non-motorist fatalities occurring with increased spending. Per capita consumption of alcohol also influenced non-motorist fatalities, with higher non-motorist fatalities occurring with higher per capita consumption of alcohol. Other traffic safety covariates did not appear to have a significant impact on non-motorist fatality rates in the models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our research suggests that increased expenditures on state highway and traffic safety and the initiation/expansion of programs targeted at curbing both driver and non-motorist intoxication are a starting point for the implementation of traffic safety policies that reduce risks for non-motorists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 710 Irving Ave., Suite 200, Syracuse, NY 13210, United States. Electronic address: madere@upstate.edu.
authors.forename: Emily M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mader
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, 225 South 1400 East, Rm. 228, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States. Electronic address: zick@fcs.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Cathleen D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Zick
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001642:Bicycling / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D033161:Government Regulation; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement; D012449:Safety / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Active transportation; Motor vehicle crashes; Non-motorist; Pedestrian; Traffic safety