Population Health Research Brief Series

Abstract

Traffic fatalities are the among the leading causes of death in the United States. Motor vehicle crash death rates have declined overall in the U.S. in recent decades, but there is substantial variation in rates across the country. Due to climate change, exposure to pollen has increased in various parts of the U.S. The antihistamine response triggered by pollen can result in poor physical and cognitive symptoms, thus impacting an individual’s ability to drive and increasing the risk of motor vehicle fatalities. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) Pollen and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to examine how seasonal pollen allergies affected traffic fatalities in the U.S. from 2006-2016. The authors find that traffic fatalities increase 5.8% on days when the local pollen count is particularly high.