Health Professionals: Injury Prevention
Educate colleagues
Specific ideas for educating health professional colleagues on injury prevention efforts related to transportation include:
Provide information on incorporating motor vehicle injury prevention counseling in practice.
Because motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death and acquired disability in childhood and adolescence, it is recommended that developmentally appropriate traffic safety counseling be provided at every well-child visit. Counseling topics include car safety seat, booster seat, and seat belt use; teen driving safety; and bicycle and pedestrian safety. Below are policies and resources that can assist health professionals with this issue.
AAP Policy and Resources
- The Teen Driver
- AAP Issue Brief on Teen Driving (AAP Login Required)
- Bicycle Helmets
- Pedestrian Safety
- Visit-by-Visit Anticipatory Guidance on Motor Vehicle Safety (Bright Futures Parent/Patient Handouts)
Tools and Resources
- Child Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator or call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888/327-4236
- SeatCheck or call 866/SEATCHECK (866/732-8243)
- National Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Certified Technicians or call 877/366-8154. Note: This site provides information in Spanish and also provides a list of CPS technicians with enhanced training in protection of children with special needs.
- National Center for the Safe Transportation of Children with Special Needs
Because motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death and acquired disability in childhood and adolescence, health professionals are encouraged to become involved in motor vehicle injury prevention efforts in their communities. Below are resources that can support the efforts of health professionals to have effective involvement in community activities.
AAP Resources
- Community-based Resident Projects Toolkit
- Community Pediatrics Grants Database
- For laws and resources specific to your state, contact the AAP Division of State Government Affairs at 800-433-9016 ext 7799 or email stgov@aap.org
Tools and Resources
- Safe Kids: Coalitions
- Child Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator or call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888/327-4236
- Safe States Alliance
Encourage enhanced training on injury prevention in the health professions.
Although injuries are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, injury prevention is often underrepresented as a topic in medical school and public health curricula. Below are resources that can be used to increase awareness of this topic in the educational setting.
AAP Policy and Resource
Tools and Resources
- World Health Organization:TEACH-VIP
- Need for Injury-Prevention Education in Medical School Curriculum
- Association of Schools of Public Health: Injury Prevention and Control in Accredited Schools of Public Health (2002-2003 Summary of Research, Faculty Expertise, Curricula, and Training)
Encourage role modeling
Specific ideas for encouraging health professionals to be role models on injury prevention include:
Provide colleagues with guidance on how to model safe driving behavior.
Adults serve as powerful examples for children’s safety behavior, and health professionals can be credible role models for other adults. By modeling safe driving behavior, health professionals can encourage children, adolescents, and parents to adopt safe behaviors on the road. Safe driving behaviors include always using a seat belt, never driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, never talking on a cell phone or texting while driving, and obeying the speed limit and other rules of the road. Below are resources that health professionals can access to share with their colleagues and families.
Tools and Resources
Encourage colleagues’ use of bicycle helmets.
Adults serve as powerful examples for children’s safety behavior, and health professionals can be credible role models for other adults. By using bicycle helmets themselves, health professionals can exert considerable influence in increasing children’s use of helmets. Below are policy and resources that support this important effort.
AAP Policy
Tools and Resources
- Network of Employers for Traffic Safety
- National Safe Kids Campaign:Follow the Leader (A National Study of Safety Role Modeling among Parents and Children)