Let’s start by looking at the context of the Latino/Hispanic population in the US. The Hispanic population in the US is growing seven times faster than other demographic groups. As a result, Hispanics are projected to be 27 percent of the US population by 2060, making them the nation’s largest minority.
Due to this rapid growth, Latinos are also taking a higher percentage in the statistics of injuries and accidents nationally.
But, what makes this population more vulnerable compared to other demographic groups? According to research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, there is a link between where you live and your health. This means that the well-being of a person depends on a combination of several factors. For example, it depends on housing, access to fresh food, a healthy water supply, and access to transportation. This last factor varies a lot according to each state. For example, transportation in the state of California poses particular dangers such as excess traffic, wide and busy highways, lack of transportation facilities for a certain segment, or expensive private transportation.
In addition to these factors, we can also add a list of transportation inequities that generally affect the health and safety of Latinos. Such inequalities include:
- Unsafe streets
- Unsafe or unstable environments for bicycling or walking
- Lack of access to public transportation
- Lack of access to affordable and reliable transportation alternatives
These inequalities limit access to shopping, health care, parks and green spaces, and schools. They also increase the risk of traffic accidents and related injuries and deaths. Additionally, accidents are becoming more common for Latinos. We invite you to contact our legal team if you need legal representation.
