Background: In 2010, almost 11,000 females were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and racial/ethnic minorities were affected disproportionally.
Methods: To assess disparities in motor vehicle-related death rates by race/ethnicity among females in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed 2005-2009 data from the National Vital Statistics System. Death rates and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated, and differences between 2005 and 2009 death rates were examined.
Results: The motor vehicle-related death rate for females was 6.8 deaths per 100,000 population in 2009. American Indian/Alaska Native females had the highest motor vehicle-related death rates, followed by whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. The greatest decrease in death rates between 2005 and 2009 occurred among whites from a rate of 9.4 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 9.2-9.6) to 7.1 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 6.9-7.2; absolute rate change: -2.3; p<0.001).
Conclusion: Despite the recent declines in motor vehicle-related death rates noted in this article, the need remains for increased use of evidence-based strategies to reduce the burden of motor vehicle-related deaths among females overall and especially among American Indian/Alaska Natives.