Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: Exposure to Injury Risk in the Road Environment and Reported Road Traffic Injuries in 13-14-year-olds

The aim of this project is to explore the relationship between reported road traffic injuries and exposure to risk in the road environment and a range of individual, family and environmental risk factors in adolescents aged 13–14 years from a large-scale contemporary cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

The Department for Transport has a target to reduce road traffic casualties. Young people aged 11–15 years remain a priority because casualties in this age group have fallen by less than those for younger children. ALSPAC is unique in having detailed information on the transition from childhood to adulthood in a contemporary cohort, which provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the exposure to injury risk in the road environment through adolescence. The second decade of life is an important phase in the life course, where transitions from childhood to adolescence are taking place.

This report presents a descriptive analysis of the findings, in particular the prevalence and types of accident that occurred and any association with background characteristics of the children and families (including the physical attributes of the children).

In a representative sample of 6,090 children aged 13–14 years in 2005, over one in twenty (5.5%) responded that they had had a non-fatal road accident in the last year.

The largest group were passengers in motorised vehicles (71%), while 18% were cyclists and 11% pedestrians. Overall just under a third of the children (30%) were hurt in the accident, 18% received medical attention and 3% stayed overnight in hospital. However, if split by mode of transport, there were marked differences.

The proportion of passengers hurt in the accident was just 16% compared with nearly two-thirds of the cyclists and pedestrians. Only 1% of the passengers ended up staying overnight in hospital compared with 4% of the cyclists and 13% of the pedestrians.