by James A. Bacon
It is axiom of the smart growth movement that, although fear of crime may predominate in the popular mentality, motor vehicle crashes represent every bit as much of a threat to peoples’ safety and well being. Because accidents are more likely to occur in the countryside and the ‘burbs (my term for human settlement patterns that are characterized by segregated land uses, low density and disconnected development), people are arguably less safe than if they lived in urban areas that are traditionally thought to be hotbeds of crime.
Just for yucks, I pulled 2010 data from the Division of Motor Vehicles and the State Police’s “Crime in Virginia 2010” report. Here, for your viewing pleasure, I compare the impact of crashes vs. crime upon public safety.
Next, let’s take a look at the number of incidents involving bodily harm: the number of people injured in traffic accidents versus the number of people reported as victims of violent crimes (including murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, abduction, sex offenses and assault). In this case, you are more likely to be a victim of a violent crime than to be in injured in a traffic accident.
So, there you have it. The statistics speak for themselves. If you live in the country or the ‘burbs, you’re not nearly as safe as you think.
Update: Ed Risse reminds me of the detailed work on this subject conducted by Bill Lucy at the University of Virginia. (Heck, I probably blogged about it.) See a summary of his findings here.