166817
National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS)-Teen Driver Panel Q&A
Saturday, November 3, 2007: 9:15 AM
Mighty Fine, MPH, CHES
,
Center for Learning & Global Public Health, American Public Health Association, Washington, DC
NOYS is a collaborative network of national organizations and federal agencies that serve youth and focus on youth safety and health. Through this network, NOYS influences more than 80 million young people ages 5 to 24 and adult advisors and supervisors. Their vision is to be the premier national youth health and safety coalition and the mission is to promote youth empowerment and leadership and build partnerships that will save lives, prevent injuries, and promote safe and healthy lifestyles among all youth A component this institute is not to rely on teen drivers but to use their input in developing programs for teens. This session will highlight the teen driver experience covering topics such as GDL, seatbelt use, passenger safety, peer pressure, etc. Teens will openly and honestly express their opinions and participants will be able to engage in active discussion with the teen panel.
Learning Objectives:
Given these alarming statistics it’s easy to recognize that traffic related injuries/fatalities are a major public health concern, which requires intensive efforts for successful and longstanding prevention.
Reducing the number of teen-related fatalities will greatly depend on introducing effective evidenced-based intervention strategies that address the specific needs of teen drivers, as this institute will do. Approaches to addressing this problem need to employ public health prevention efforts as related to traffic safety. It is an ideal element because reckless driving poses not only a public health concern, but also this institute presents an opportunity to educate professionals as well as prompt development of intervention strategies.
Some research points out that young people in the United States are at greatest risk of dying or being injured in an automobile than their peers around the world, in part because they are licensed to drive earlier and with less experience (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2006). Addressing these shortcomings must take place in the “early driving years” then the intervention is geared toward meeting the problem where it stands addressing specific concerns within this population. It also works towards strengthening teen driver safety mechanisms ultimately making the roads a safer place for all.
The first year of this institute built awareness and interest in traffic safety and this year will continue in that trend and also equip participants with the knowledge and skill to help prevent teen related automobile crashes. The institute presents a unique opportunity for participants as it presents a forum to interact with a panel of teen drivers. At that time an immense sharing of knowledge will occur and present opportunities for teachable moments. The Institute recognizes if teens are the primary focus then it is imperative to include them in the discussion regarding program planning, etc.
There is both a need and opportunity for leadership in this juncture between public health and traffic safety. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have declared teen traffic safety a critical public health concern. For this reason the institute will use this opportunity to train attendees to effectively address this major concern.
Fortunately automobile crashes are largely preventable, through common public health approaches such as community education and other robust intervention efforts, which highlight the need for this institute in prevention efforts. In return this information and these skills will be implemented in various community settings, increasing awareness, and working towards the prevention of these unintentional injuries and fatalities. APHA working with NHTSA is prepared to address this overall concern and this institute will help to move this work forward, meanwhile increasing the capacity of the public health infrastructure.
Upon completion of this Institute participants will be able to:
1. Apply PHTSI skill set to develop comprehensive programs addressing teen driver safety
2. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the intersection of public health, traffic safety and injury prevention
3. Generate social cohesion and interdisciplinary dialogue in traffic safety- related areas
4. Document positive changes and achievements in the elimination of unintentional injuries
5. Employ evidence based approaches to teen traffic safety
6. Recognize the strengths and limitations of existing teen traffic safety programs and efforts
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
|
