Sweden: Immigrants more likely to have car accidents

A Swedish study by the VTI (National Road and Transport Research Institute) concluded last year that immigrant males over 18 were twice as likely to have a car accident compared with ethnic Swedish males. Immigrant women were 70% more at risk.

The immigrant groups with the highest risk were from North Africa and the Middle East. Men from these areas were almost 3 times as likely to have a car accident compared with ethnic Swedish men. In 2nd place in the high risk groups were people from the rest of Africa.

At the same time another Swedish VTI study from 2003 concluded that immigrant children between 9 months and 3 years were rarely secured in the car compared with ethnic Swedish children. Immigrant children were also over represented in accidents. It is unknown which countries they came from.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration assumes that these same tendencies exist in Norway.

Trygg Trafikk, The Norwegian Council for Road Safety, thinks it's about time that the traffic habits of immigrants will be researched.

Kristin Øyen of Trygg Trafikk says that they have the impression that immigrants from various countries have a different attitude towards using safety equipment in the car than ethnic Norwegians. Trygg Trafikk have therefore prepared informational material in various languages about securing kids in the car and have distributed it in health stations.

Source: Aftenposten (Norwegian)