A new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has linked an increase in the likelihood of being in a traffic fatality to a person's educational level.
Emily Badger and Christopher Ingram of The Washington Post report that despite improvements in safety features on newer vehicles, fatality rates for those 25 and older with less than a high school education continues to rise, contrary to the decrease in fatalities among those with more education.
"The underlying issue here is not that a college degree makes you a better driver. Rather, the least-educated tend to live with a lot of other conditions that can make getting around more dangerous. They own cars that are older and have lower crash-test ratings. Those with less education are also likely to earn less and to have the money for fancy safety features such as side airbags, automatic warnings and rear cameras."
Assumptions that the less educated are less likely to wear seat-belts or are more likely to have alcohol related accidents have proven false, for the most part. While seat-belt usage among the less-educated is less than other socio-economic groups, the report shows that usage has increased faster than other groups over time, narrowing the difference. Similarly, data related to the influence of alcohol in accidents "is also conflicting."
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