How many lives could be saved if all graduated drivers license policies were strengthened to the most restrictive level or, if we eliminated alcohol-impaired driving by young drivers? ASTHO and the CDC/NCIPC are working to quantify data like these to promote the positive impact of evidence-based interventions for teen drivers.
"We are extremely pleased that ASTHO's presidential challenge for the upcoming year is to reduce preventable injuries and death," said Amy Harris, Acting Deputy Director of CDC's
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. "We are excited to be partnering with ASTHO on this important initiative to help Americans live to their full potential."
The efforts of
public health officials were key to new interventions against drunk driving in two states.
California has enacted a pilot program requiring the use of ignition interlock devices for DUI offenders, and
New York is poised to follow.
ASTHO applauds the following California and New York officials for their hard work in support of these measures:
Barbara Alberson, Chief, State and Local Injury Control, California Department of Health Services
Dr. Richard F. Daines, New York State Health Official; Member, ASTHO Board of Directors
Susan Hardman, Director, Bureau of Injury Prevention, New York State Department of Health; Member, ASTHO Prevention Committee; Chair, STIPDA Policy Committee
Dr. Mark Horton, California State Health Official; Member, ASTHO Board of Directors; Chair, ASTHO Access Committee
During December's
meeting for ASTHO members in Phoenix, ASTHO Board President Paul Halverson will be asking members to pledge their commitment to the Presidential Challenge by signing ASTHO's pledge sheet.
DOWNLOAD THE PLEDGE SHEET Database of State Traffic Safety Legislation: Comprehensive state-level policy resource from the National Council of State Legislatures.
State Data System: Data system focusing on highway incidents in the states, provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
WISQARS: CDC/NCIPC database providing customizable mortality and nonfatal injury data.
Online Mapping Tool on Child Highway Fatalities: HRSA's Office of Maternal and Child Health maintains this resource which lets you create maps based on data between 2005 and 2009 (Performance Measure #10).
Children and Motor Vehicle Injury Facts: Safe Kids USA provides a collection of vital statistics.
Refusal of Intoxication Testing: A Report to Congress, Berning, A., Compton R.P., Vegega, M., Bierness, D. and Hedlund, J.L., May 2008, DOT HS 810 098, September 2008
Identifying Strategies to Reduce the Percentage of Unrestrained Young Children, DeCina, L.E., Lococo, K.H., Ashburn, W. and Rose, J., TransAnalytics, DOT HS 811 076, January 2009
CDC Motor Vehicle Safety Fact Sheets: Fact sheets encompassing child passenger safety, teen drivers, impaired driving, older adult drivers and American Indians/Alaska Natives.
NCSL Fact Sheets: The National Council of State Legislatures offers an array of information on motor vehicle safety policies, ranging from aggressive driving to school bus safety.
This month ASTHO would like to highlight the work of
Dr. David Hemenway, Professor of Health Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health, and author of several groundbreaking books on public health, including
While We Were Sleeping.