Association Between Access to Pediatric Trauma Care and Motor Vehicle Crash Death in Children: An Ecologic Analysis of United States Counties

This US county-level analysis of 3,067 pediatric motor vehicle crash deaths (2014-2018) found that counties with pediatric trauma centers had 42% lower mortality rates compared to counties without trauma centers. Adult level 1/2 trauma centers provided comparable mortality reduction where pediatric centers were absent, highlighting significant geographic disparities in access to specialized trauma care.