An academic, business, and community partnership to translate lifesaving scientific evidence about unintentional motor vehicle injury into practice

Background: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the US for people ages 4-34. Although seatbelts reduce risk from crash-related death and injury by about half, use varies in the US from 67%-97% and there is even lower use among high risk Black teen populations. Passage and enforcement of primary laws leads to significantly higher prevalence of seatbelt use (10%-16% higher). As of 2003, concerns about libertarian issues and racial/ethnic profiling prevented six southern states (AR, FL, MS, SC, TN, and VA) from passing primary legislation. Between 2003 and 2009, an academic-business-community partnership mobilized to facilitate passage of primary laws. Methods: The partnership foundation was the Meharry State Farm Alliance (MSFA), a research, education and public health policy initiative established at Historically Black College/University, Meharry Medical College (Nashville, TN), funded by State Farm. The MSFA collaborated with businesses, community-based coalitions and legislators by; a) providing scientific data showing benefits of primary seatbelt laws for minority motorists, b) providing state legislatures expert testimony, c) collaborating with local coalitions and national Black civic organizations to support primary legislation, d) preparing briefs for legislators and community coalitions, and e) presenting recognition awards to 23 legislators spearheading passage of primary legislation. Results: The coalition was invited to collaborate with all non-primary states. As of June 2009, AR, FL, MS, SC, and TN had enacted primary seatbelt laws. VA remained secondary. Conclusions: In concert with other factors, academic-business-community partnerships can contribute to overcoming obstacles to passage of lifesaving public health legislation.