Ex-Urban Sprawl as a Factor in Traffic Fatalities and EMS Response Times in the Southeastern United States
24 Pages Posted: 26 Feb 2016
Date Written: June 27, 2005
Abstract
Only recently have researchers been documenting the problems of traffic fatalities when it comes to uneven development patterns, or “sprawl”. Also, other than cases studies at the local level, no research has examined the variations in emergency services response to traffic accidents and other medical crises due to urban or ex-urban built-environment patterns (i.e., compact versus sprawled development). This research note validates earlier findings of a connection between some type of sprawled development and traffic fatalities (Ewing, Schieber, and Zegeer, 2003 and Lucy, 2003) and also shows a link between emergency services response variations due to settlement patterns in the metropolitan counties of states that make up the southeastern United States. Settlement patterns and the degree of urbanization and ex-urbanization seem to make a difference with regard to traffic fatalities and EMS run times.
Keywords: traffic fatalities, emergency medical services, EMS, ambulances, urban sprawl, response delays
JEL Classification: R11, R12, R14, R15
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation