Safe Communities
Safe Communities
The Safe communities project was initiated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in an effort to continue the evolution of community-based programs for state and local highway safety and injury prevention.
The four primary objectives of the Safe Communiteies project are:
Data linkage
Expanded partnerships
Citizen involvement and input
Comprehensive injury control programs
Definition of a Safe Community
A Safe Community is a community that promotes injury prevention activities at the local level to solve local highway and traffic safety and other problems. It uses a "bottoms up" approach involving its citizens in addressing key injury problems.
Elements of a Safe Community
A Safe Community program uses and integrated and comprehensive injury control system with prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation partners as active and essential participants in addressing community injury problems.
The community has a coalition/task force that is comprehensive and community-based with representation from citizens, law enforcement, public health, medical, injury prevention, education, business, civic and service groups, public works offices, and traffic safety advocates that provides program input, direction, and involvement in the Safe Communities program.
The community engages in comprehensive problem identification and uses estimating techniques that determine the economic costs associated with traffic related fatalities and injuries within the context of the total injury program.
The community conducts program assessments from a "best practices" and a prevention perspective to determine gaps in highway and traffic safety and other injury activity.
The community implements a plan with specific strategies that addresses the problems and program deficiencies through prevention countermeasures and activities.
The community evaluates the program to determine the impact and cost benefit where possible.
Living in a Safe Community benefits us all by:
Applying local data to local injury problems
Intensifying public awareness of the communities injury problem
Mobilizing citizens to take charge of their own health and safety
Creating new partnerships to deal with ongoing injury issues
Predicting and prevention the causes of injury
Controlling costs due to injury
Producing a safe and health environment for all
To find out more about the project or to become involved, please contact Alison Shaffer.