Built Environment Factors Linked to Fatal Motor Vehicle Collisions Among US Children, 2017–2023
Daniel Smolyak, Pankaj Dipankar, Heran Mane, Madusha Maha Gamage, Julia Burdick-Will, D. Alex Quistberg, Xiaoya Tang, Tolga Tasdizen, Xiaohe Yue, Dapeng Li, Thu T. Nguyen, Quynh C. NguyenOBJECTIVES
To quantify associations between neighborhood built environment features and fatal motor vehicle collisions involving children across the United States, leveraging large-scale Google Street View (GSV) imagery and computer vision to overcome longstanding data gaps in road design and pedestrian infrastructure.
METHODS
Built environment indicators from 164 million GSV images were linked to child fatality data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (2017–2023) at the census tract (N = 63 565) and school buffer (N = 76 058) levels. Outcomes included child-involved fatal collisions, total child fatalities, and child pedestrian/cyclist deaths, with stratification by age and rural-urban context.
RESULTS
From 2017 to 2023, census tracts saw 13 979 child crash fatalities and 6279 school buffers. Census tracts with the highest prevalence of built environment features had substantially fewer child fatalities: 52% (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.48; 95% CI, 0.45–0.51) less for sidewalks, 29% (IRR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.69–0.74) for single-lane roads, 28% (IRR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.69–0.75) for stop signs, and 21% (IRR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.76–0.82) for street greenness. Sidewalks and single-lane roads also had lower pedestrian/cyclist death rates. Around schools, more sidewalks and stop signs were linked to fewer fatalities, but higher streetlight density was associated with increased collisions. Sidewalk and single-lane associations were stronger in metropolitan areas, with age-specific effects observed.
CONCLUSION
Automated built environment assessment using GSV imagery identified key predictors of child traffic safety. This approach enabled a national assessment of built environment features associated with walkability, lower vehicle speeds, and pedestrian support. Effects of street lighting and greenness vary by context, underscoring the need for child-centered, comprehensive roadway design.