The Facts Hurt: A State-by-State Injury Prevention Policy Report
Injuries are the third leading cause of death nationally, and the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 1 and 44.
This report by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concludes that millions of injuries could be prevented each year if more states adopted additional research-based injury prevention policies, and if programs were fully implemented and enforced.
The authors worked with top injury prevention experts from the Safe States Alliance and the Society for the Advancement of Violence and Injury Prevention (SAVIR) to develop a set of indicators of leading evidence-based strategies that have been shown to reduce injuries and save lives.
Key Findings:
Twenty-nine states do not require bicycle helmets for all children.
Seventeen states do not require that children ride in a car seat or booster seat to at least the age of 8.
Thirty-one states do not require helmets for all motorcycle riders.
Thirty-four states and Washington, D.C. do not require mandatory ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers.
Eighteen states do not have primary seat belt laws.
The report also identifies a set of emerging new injury threats, including rises in prescription drug abuse, concussions in school sports, bullying, crashes from texting while driving, and an expected increase in the number in falls as the Baby Boomer generation ages.
This report by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concludes that millions of injuries could be prevented each year if more states adopted additional research-based injury prevention policies, and if programs were fully implemented and enforced.
The authors worked with top injury prevention experts from the Safe States Alliance and the Society for the Advancement of Violence and Injury Prevention (SAVIR) to develop a set of indicators of leading evidence-based strategies that have been shown to reduce injuries and save lives.
Key Findings:
Twenty-nine states do not require bicycle helmets for all children.
Seventeen states do not require that children ride in a car seat or booster seat to at least the age of 8.
Thirty-one states do not require helmets for all motorcycle riders.
Thirty-four states and Washington, D.C. do not require mandatory ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers.
Eighteen states do not have primary seat belt laws.
The report also identifies a set of emerging new injury threats, including rises in prescription drug abuse, concussions in school sports, bullying, crashes from texting while driving, and an expected increase in the number in falls as the Baby Boomer generation ages.
Author:
Levi J, Segal LM and Kohn D
Resource Date:
May, 2012
Resource Type:
Topics:
URL:
http://www.miamidadematters.org/content/sites/miamidade/Facts_Hurt.pdf