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In today's New York Times, the subject of increased traffic fatalities among low-income Americans has been explored.
Quote: More than 115 Americans have been dying on the roads on average every day this year.
Some of the findings:
*More likely to drive an older, less safe car.
*More likely to drive as a part of work.
*More likely to be driving distracted (cell phones).
*More likely to be impaired.
*More likely to not wear seatbelts.
*More impulsive behavior (ex. running red lights).
*More likely to live near a high-speed roadway.
*OTOH, low-income people are more likely to use public transportation.
Reasons are not clear-cut. Somewhat of a head-scratcher.
Is an 18 year old low-income? I'd assume younger people get in more accidents, and most young people i'd consider low-income.
And older people. I grew up near St. Petersburg, FL ("The home of the newly wed and the nearly dead"), and believe me, old people are horrible drivers. Imagine Joe Biden trying to ride a bike, and well, you get the idea.
Outside of the random strokes of bad luck that do indeed happen, not unlike bolts of lightning striking randomly, the vast majority of traffic accidents are caused because two bad drivers meet up at the same place.
I call it "expecting other people to do your paying attention for you." When two of those kind of people come in contact, neither is paying attention, and boom - traffic accident.
If you are someone who drives a car irresponsibly chances are really good other areas of your life suffer from similar irresponsibility. I guarantee if you overlay any irresponsible behavior graph that is broken down by race, age, gender, income, it will mirror the graph of people hurt/killed in auto accidents. Might not be a perfect overlay, but I'd wager dimes to donuts that the trendlines are similar and probably very close.
I find that most low income people have low education levels. It might be a chicken and egg thing, which came first but whatever the underlying cause, peolpe with low education levels are more likely to die from all kinds of things because they are either ignorant or careless.
A couple of examples.
10% of all college graduates smoke. 40% of all people with a GED but not an actual high school diploma, smoke.
College graduates are almost 3 times more likely to wear seat belts driving than people with a GED.
As John Wayne aptly put it, "Life is tough, but it is a lot tougher if you are stupid." John Wayne had 2 years of college.
I find that most low income people have low education levels. It might be a chicken and egg thing, which came first but whatever the underlying cause, peolpe with low education levels are more likely to die from all kinds of things because they are either ignorant or careless.
A couple of examples.
10% of all college graduates smoke. 40% of all people with a GED but not an actual high school diploma, smoke.
College graduates are almost 3 times more likely to wear seat belts driving than people with a GED.
As John Wayne aptly put it, "Life is tough, but it is a lot tougher if you are stupid." John Wayne had 2 years of college.
It's not formal education, it's how you were raised and the values instilled by your parents.
In 1850, 55% of white Americans aged 5-19 were enrolled in school. That number didn't increase until 1900. Today, it's around 90%.
With such an uneducated population, how did we survive?
One could argue more people were on the farm back then, but that's not the issue. Why were there not massive crime waves back then?
It's because single moms were rare, and especially, single moms by choice. It's because of good, conservative and religious family values. It's because no one wanted to shame their family.
None of that has anything to do with formal education.
On a regular morning basis, I share the road from Kapalua to Lahaina with a late-model grey Audi station wagon. In this case, unlikely to be low-income. The driver is all over the road, crossing the yellow lines and swerving into the right-hand lane, sometimes even into the bike lane. I haven't been able to see the driver clearly, but I see a small hand furiously working a cell phone, so I assume it's a woman.
I can't believe the incredible luck she has had, so far. Undoubtedly, an accident is on the horizon. Once she wandered over into my lane so close that we almost traded paint. I honked and she swerved back. Now I avoid being near her by dropping back. Drunk drivers exhibit more skill!
What kind of business on a phone is so important that it can't wait until your destination? It seems like there are more drivers on phones than drivers NOT on phones.
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