Race, Ethnicity and Impaired Driving

The racial and ethnic composition of the U.S. population is rapidly evolving. This is of substantial importance to traffic safety specialists because there is extensive evidence that the risk of involvement in traffic crashes varies significantly across racial and ethnic groups. Protective and risk factors affecting some groups may not be relevant to others. To be effective, safety programs and educational messages to curb such risks need to be sensitive to the nation's growing cultural diversity. This book reviews the state of knowledge of alcohol-impaired driving among major racial and ethnic groups living in the United States. Although it focuses primarily on impaired driving, it also covers the precursor issue of the differences in ethnic drinking practices. Finally, this book explores the meaning of key concepts that define the problem of the meaning of race, ethnicity, and acculturation; how these concepts are associated with health-related disparities; and how they relate to impaired driving.