What is the Role of Public Health in Traffic Safety? 1 S U S A N H A R D M A N M I C H A E L B A U E R, M S N E W Y O R K S TAT E D E PA RT M E N T O F H E A LT H B A R B A R A A L B E R S O N, M P H C A L I F O R N I A D E PA RT M E N T O F P U B L I C H E A LT H C A R O L E. T H O R N T O N, M PA P E N N S Y LVA N I A D E PA RT M E N T O F H E A LT H Joint 2011 Safe States Alliance/SAVIR/CDC Grantees Annual Meeting April 7, 2011
Session Goals Identify at least 10 similarities between the public health and highway safety approaches to injury prevention and traffic safety. Identify at least four data sets that will assist in defining the problem of traffic injuries and crashes. Describe at least three specific traffic safety programs and describe public health s unique role. Provide a forum for discussion. 2
Public Health and Traffic Safety: Similarities and Differences 3 1. End goal the same: Reduce death and Injury from crashes on our Roadways Traffic Safety: Approach is often swift and takes advantage of teachable moments with the Media Public Health: Examines the who, what, where and why of the events and relies on implementing evidence-based strategies
Traffic Safety/Public Health Similarities 4 2. Point of Contact There is a Highway Safety office and a Public Health agency in every state with defined duties and responsibilities.
Traffic Safety/Public Health Similarities 5 3. Terms Have Similar Meanings. Traffic Safety Language: Countermeasures, annual numbers of deaths, engineering approaches, enforcement of laws, vehicle technology, general audience awareness campaigns Public Health Language: Interventions, strategies, evidence-based, best practices, trends, death and injury, morbidity and mortality, research studies, epidemiology, targeted education and awareness campaigns
Traffic Safety/Public Health Similarities 6 4. Use a Variety of Data Sources Traffic Safety: Crash data, ticket data, observational data, death data- FARS- Fatality Analysis Reporting System Public Health: EMS patient care reports, injury data, death data, trauma system data, observational data, survey data
Traffic Safety/Public Health Similarities 7 5. Develop Strategic Plans Traffic Safety: Develop an annual highway safety plan. Public Health: Develop state injury prevention plans. 6. Have a Community Focus Traffic Safety and Public Health focus on building community-based traffic safety initiatives.
Traffic Safety/Public Health Similarities 8 6. Provide Funding Support Traffic Safety: Section 402 grant funding to local and state level organizations and agencies Public Health: When available, provide funding to conduct traffic safety and injury prevention projects. 7. Provide Technical Assistance Traffic Safety and Public Health provide data and program support via fact sheets, websites, trainings, topic specific forums and symposiums, and via telephone and email.
Traffic Safety/ Public Health Similarities 9 8. Support Policy Initiatives Traffic Safety and Public Health support laws and regulations that protect the public. 9. Promote Best Practices Traffic Safety and Public Health provide education to practitioners and the public on best practice strategies for using child safety seats, seat belts, bicycle and motorcycle helmets and implementing traffic safety programs.
Traffic Safety/Public Health Similarities 10 10. Monitor Progress and Evaluate Outcomes Traffic Safety and Public Health establish milestones and performance measures to monitor progress. Both require work plans including goals, objectives, activities and evaluation methodology.
Traffic Safety/Public Health Similarities 11 More alike than different! 1. Learn their language. 2. Speak their language. 3. Teach your language. 4. Respect the differences. 5. Use the differences to make a difference!
CDC s Winnable Battle 12 Seat belts and child passenger safety Teen driver safety Alcohol-impaired driving http://www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles/motorvehicleinjury/
Focus Areas: CDC s Winnable Battle 13 Seat belts: Increase the use of seat belts by every person, in every seat, on every trip. Teen driving safety: Keep teen drivers safe through graduated drivers licensing systems and enhanced parental involvement. Alcohol-impaired driving: Promote the adoption of ignition interlock programs and prevention strategies proven to be effective, such as sobriety checkpoints and zero tolerance policies.
Perspectives from Three States: CA, NY, and PA 14 DATA COLLABORATION/PROGRAM POLICY
Data: New York State Health Department Data Statewide Planning And Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) Hospital Discharge Data Outpatient Emergency Department Visits (ED) Vital Statistics and Multiple Cause-of-Death NYS death certificate data Pre-Hospital Care Reports Bureau of Emergency Medical Services 15
Traffic Safety Data Data: New York Accident Information System (AIS) 16 Crash and ticket data from the Department of Motor Vehicles
Data: New York Public Health and Traffic Safety Linked Data Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) Matches individual records from AIS to SPARCS and PCR. 17 Expands crash data so that components of highway safety can be evaluated in terms of outcomes such as death, injury, injury severity, medical diagnosis, patient disposition, hospital charges, and payer source. Creates a fuller picture of the crash and resultant outcomes.
Data: New York Partners Bureau of Injury Prevention Programmatic Staff NYS Highway Safety Office NYS DOH, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services NYS DMV, Bureau of Program Analysis and Data Services The NYS Trauma Registry The Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research Traffic Records Coordinating Committee NYS Association of Traffic Safety Boards State Trauma Advisory Committee Emergency Medical Services for Children Advisory Committee NYS Safe Kids Coalitions Local Health Departments 18
General Applications Data: New York 19 To conduct studies that examine the incidence, risk factors, and societal costs for traffic crashes and injuries. Educate legislators Support traffic safety programs Provide data summaries to traffic safety and public health professionals Target high risk communities for prevention initiatives Fact sheets and brochures Articles News releases
Available Data Sets: Vital Statistics Hospitalizations Crash Records PA Trauma Outcomes Study EMS Data: Pennsylvania 20
Opportunities Data: Pennsylvania Joint Monograph on Teen Driver Crashes Crash Records Hospitalization Data Trauma Data Driver Records EMS Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (TRCC) 21 2010 Traffic Records Assessment Objective Review: Included recommendation to consider surveillance linkage under the TRCC.
Collaboration/Program: New York 22 Grant Funding from the State Highway Safety Office Supports surveillance, including CODES. Supports collaboration with other agencies and organizations in the areas of: occupant restraint, including child passenger safety, teen drivers, older drivers, drowsy driving, distracted driving, motorcycle safety, pedestrian, bicycle, in-line skating, scooter and skateboard safety, annual training opportunities to promote best practices, professional growth and cultural competency. Driver Education collaborative with NYS Department of Motor Vehicles and State Education Department to identify curriculum components and other mechanisms to increase teen driving safety.
Collaboration/Program: New York 23 Injury Community Planning Group and Child Policy Subgroup -Members from state DMV, HSO and DOT Public Health is lead for NYS Teen Driving Safety Workgroup, NYS Partnership for Addressing Drowsy Driving Workgroup and the NYS CODES Advisory Board. Public Health is a member of the following: Governor s Traffic Safety Committee, Traffic Records Coordinating Council, NYS Trauma Advisory Committee, SRTS Committee, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Group, Child Passenger Safety Advisory Board, Older Driver Safety Committee, Traffic Safety Board Association, and NYS SAFE KIDS Executive Board.
Transportation Efforts Policy: Pennsylvania 24 Comprehensive Strategic Highway Safety Improvement Plan Multi-Agency Safety Team Traffic Records Coordinating Committee Safe Routes to School Public Health Efforts Injury Community Planning Group Members from state and local level transportation organizations Spearheading Teen Driving Safety Alliance Partially funding five Safe and Healthy Communities programs to promote health and safety through an integrated approach.
Policy: New York Public Health identifies injury trends, provides data and fact sheets using social math examples and provides information about evidence-based strategies and best practices for the HSO to use with legislators to support changes in the state Vehicle and Traffic Law. Public Health conducts interactive workshops for local and state traffic safety and injury prevention professionals about how to use policy tools to effect change. 25
Comprehensive Example: California 26
Discussion 27