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Abstract
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During the summer of 1987, we investigated a series of firearm assaults occurring on Los Angeles County (California) roadways. Using law enforcement records, we identified 137 incidents of roadway assaults with firearms. Of these 137 incidents, 39% were brandishings and 61% were shootings. Of the shootings, 20% resulted in injuries; two were fatal. We compared the findings for June through August 1987 with findings for earlier years and found that the incidence rate of freeway firearm assault had increased each year from 1985 through 1987 for both freeway shootings and brandishings. We also found a positive association between freeway congestion and freeway firearm assaults in 1987.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study by Onwuachi-Saunders et al. was to evaluate firearm-related assault cases on Los Angeles Roadways.
METHODOLOGY:
This study was a quasi-experimental historical analysis of police reports within Los Angeles county between June 18 and August 31, 1987. The authors defined an incident of roadway firearm assault as the shooting or brandishing of a firearm at occupants of a moving vehicle on any freeway, highway, or surface street within Los Angeles county. The authors excluded gang-related incidents and incidents that were the result of preexisting domestic quarrels.
Incidents of firearm assault were identified from official investigation reports provided by the three major law enforcement agencies in the Los Angeles area. The following information was abstracted from the 1987 incident reports: victim and suspect age, sex, and race/ethnicity as well as the date, time, and location of the incident. The type of weapon used, and type of injury (fatal, nonfatal, or none) inflicted were also discussed.
In 28% of the 1987 incidents, there was more than one victim. For this analysis, a single victim from each incident was included. The victim was the injured party or, in the event of no injuries, the primary informant for the police as identified from the police investigation report. In the event of a fatal injury, however, the fatally injured victim was included instead of the primary police informant.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The authors identified 137 incidents of firearm roadway assaults in 1987. Of these 137 incidents, 54 (39%) were brandishings and 83 (61%) were shootings. Seventeen of the shootings resulted in injuries, two of which were fatal. Handguns were used in 88 (64%) of the incidents and long guns in 20 (15%). The type of firearm was unknown in 29 (21%) of the incidents.
The assaults occurred on all types of roadways. Specifically, 87 (63%) occurred on surface streets, 49 (36%) on freeways, and 1 (<1%) on highways.
In 52 (38%) of the 137 incidents, victims reported some confrontation with the suspect related to driving including tailgating (close following), merging, speeding, lane changing, and impeding traffic.
Freeway assaults as a proportion of all roadway assaults increased from 12.5% in 1986 to 35.8% in 1987. The incidence rate of freeway firearm assaults increased each year from 1985 through 1987 for both freeway shootings and brandishings.
The authors found a positive correlation between freeway congestion and freeway firearm assaults in 1987 with more than two thirds (69%) of the hours of peak traffic flowing Monday through Friday from 6 to 10 AM and 3 to 7 PM.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors suggested that further research employed in order to monitor incidents of roadway violence.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
1980s
Road Rage
California
Firearms Violence
Public Environment
Adult Violence
Juvenile Violence
Homicide Rates
Death Rates
Injury Rates
Firearms Injury
Firearms Homicide |