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.
CDC has a checkered record on saving crash victims. See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/blog/blog-cdcviolentdeathsurveillancesystemundercountsvehicleviolencebythousands/
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.