Motor vehicle crashes among Canadian Aboriginal people: a review of the literature.

Introduction: Aboriginal people are substantially more likely to be injured or die in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) than the general population. However, research examining MVCs among Canadian Aboriginal populations is limited. We examine trends and gaps in the Canadian literature and suggest priorities for future research.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the published and grey literature on MVCs involving Canadian Aboriginal people. We used the Haddon matrix of injury epidemiology and prevention to identify trends in crash-related risk factors.

Results: We reviewed 20 studies, which consisted of research at both national and provincial levels. We identified various risk factors related to human (e.g., male sex, substance use), vehicle and equipment (e.g., driving an older vehicle, driving a car [v. other types of vehicles]), and physical environment (e.g., occurring on-reserve, muddy and loose-gravel road conditions) variables. However, we did not find research that examined risk factors related to the social environment, such as perspectives related to MVCs.

Conclusion: This review indicates that rates of death, hospital admission and injury related to MVCs are twice as high among Aboriginal populations than the general Canadian population, which highlights a major public health concern. Priorities for future research should include examination of the social environment, more rigorous methods and collaborative research in partnership with Aboriginal communities.