“Public Health’s Contribution to Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention”

Just read a great article, Public Health’s Contribution to Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention, and sent an email off to the author, Dr. Patricia F. Waller — only to find that she died in 2003. Wish I could have met her and strategized with her.

Some excerpts:

  • The evidence on occupant restraints began accumulating
    almost as soon as safety belts were first available
    in passenger vehicles. As other nations enacted legislation
    and belt usage rose, the data clearly showed the
    life-saving effects. Even so, in this country little was
    done to translate findings into legislation and enforcement.
    Legislators were presented with what we in the
    academic community considered convincing evidence,
    and were told, “Is that all you have? I could never get
    this out of committee!” It was easy to become
    discouraged.
  • It was citizen action groups that provided the impetus
    for major changes in public policy governing drinking
    and driving. Their activities generated public support
    for enforcement of existing laws and enactment of new
    ones. Research findings were translated into laws and
    programs.
  • Data alone were not sufficient to bring about major
    changes in policies affecting individual behavior. Success
    is attributable to a wide range of participants,
    including legislative, enforcement, judicial, public
    health, medical, and public organizations and advocates.
    The individual and community actions that resulted were fostered by education, stimulated by social norms, and encouraged through public policy, and are
    examples of the value of taking a health promotion
    approach to motor vehicle injury prevention.
  • The CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and
    Control is playing the major role in developing and
    sustaining researchers in injury prevention—a role that
    must clearly continue. The benefits to society from
    the public investment in research and training in this
    field are enormous in both human and monetary
    terms. With over 41,000 deaths annually, motor vehicle
    crashes remain a major preventable public health problem.
    Implementation of the recommendations in this
    supplement holds the promise of further reducing what
    remains an unacceptable toll.

2 thoughts on ““Public Health’s Contribution to Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention”

  1. There is one body that knows more than anybody, and that is everybody

    Charles M. de Talleyrand

    In other words, the biggest arguments happen when two people are talking about the same thing, but using different meanings for the same words.
    Or the attitude that my mind is made up, don’t confuse me with facts.

    We rely on journalists to describe what is happening. But when journalists regurgitate the police reports, then we have police acting as journalists. One result is subscribers spend more on vehicle crashes, leaving less money to buy things advertised in the media.

    When we rely on mayors to establish human factors, such as reaction time and conspicuity, duration of the yellow caution light, we get terrible results. Punishing the innocent, ignoring the guilty.

    Anna Leah writes about public health role in vehicle injury prevention.
    https://annaleahmary.com/2018/04/public-healths-contribution-to-motor-vehicle-injury-prevention/
    please read the article. And translate her language into language that your mayor, your health officer your police department, your teachers and your insurance company will translate to the language of every day life.

    Possible action? Insurance companies may spend some advertising money on safety education. Maybe even some of the advertising budget dedicated to “save ten percent by switching”. Journalists may cross check police reports with fatality rates and dangerous locations. Maybe insurance companies would spend research money on identifying the twenty percent who do not use seat belts.

    My experience has been that people follow General Custer’s last order “Don’t change anything until I get back.” Or Nicola’s advice to the Prince. Don’t change anything. It upsets those who see change as a threat and only lukewarm support from those who benefit.

    There are a few glimmers of hope. Anna Leah, Lou Lombardo, National Motorists Association, Helios Institute, County Health Rankings.

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