Traffic deaths substantially higher among some ethnic groups, males

Hispanics and Native Americans face dramatically higher odds of dying in an automobile accident than do whites, blacks, or Asians, according to a study on the topic recently released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The trend is said to be caused by an increased rate of intoxicated driving, more drivers without a valid operator's license and decreased seatbelt usage among the higher-risk ethnic groups. A NHTSA spokesman stated that the agency is "not sure there is an answer across the board." Part of the problem is thought to be related to recent immigrants who are not yet familiar with the driving habits and rules of U.S. roads, though presumably this reasoning does not extend to Native Americans.

Taking a look at gender instead of race, men are twice as likely to die as women in auto accidents - a fact that Autoblog attributes to the strong correlation between the Y chromosome and a tendency to perform donuts, engage in stoplight drag racing, and generally act like hooligans whenever presented anything with wheels and an internal combustion engine.

[Source: Detroit News]