Discussion Questions for classrooms
- This chapter mentions that injuries are not accidents. What does that mean?
- What are some of the most important traffic safety laws in your state? Why do you think they were controversial?
- What are five examples of great injury prevention innovations?
- Why is childproofing medicines important? What else should be childproofed that hasn’t been already?
- In the home, what are some dangers could be more consistently prevented? E.g. adding nonslip surfaces to stairways
- “It’s common for reporters to ask what individuals can do to prevent unintentional injuries. They ask the same questions about healthy food and alcohol use. While this may be a good way to frame a short news story and create an easy checklist for readers, individual action is only a small piece of the solution. In reality, and as discussed earlier, the environments in which people live and the products that are available and marketed to them are much more likely to harm or help protect them. To truly safeguard individuals, families, and communities, it’s important to consider what builders, manufacturers, marketers, and policymakers can install upstream to create an environment of health and safety.” What are some potential upstream strategies to prevent injuries that would safeguard individuals from common dangers in the environment?
Injuries are Not Accidents: Presentation
Resources from Prevention Institute
Spectrum of Prevention
The Spectrum of Prevention is a systematic tool that promotes a multifaceted range of activities for effective prevention.
Walk On
Walk On: Strategies to Promote Walkable Communities is a brief designed to help public health professionals and community advocates make the case for making our communities and streets walkable.
Bridging the Gap
Bridging the Gap: Bringing together Intentional and Unintentional Injury Prevention Efforts to Improve Health and Well Being delineates how prevention practitioners can collaborate to promote safer environments and reduce injury.
Traffic Injury Prevention
Traffic Injury Prevention: A 21st Century Approach describes opportunities in the authorization of the federal transportation bill to promote safety for all travelers.
Traffic Safety in Communities of Color
This paper, co-authored by Prevention Institute and U.C. Berkeley, highlights major traffic safety needs within specific communities of color.
The Transportation Prescription
This brief presents a synthesis of Healthy, Equitable Transportation Policy: Recommendations and Research, a compilation of research and recommendations written by advocates and academics in the fields of transportation, public health and equity.
Prevention Institute Blog
*** For up-to-date news on unintentional injury, see Prevention Institute’s Weekly Media Digest posts in the Prevention Institute Blog ***
Further Resources
Why U.S. Roads are More Dangerous than Europe’s
Vox reports that traffic-related deaths for vehicle occupants, motorcylists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are on track to reach 38,000 by the end of 2016, a 10% spike over the previous year.
More Baby Boomers at Risk for Falls
The Sacramento Bee reports, “More older Californians are winding up in emergency rooms after falling. Aging baby boomers and older adults are susceptible; health experts urge fitness.”
Philly’s new lead-poisoning protection measures
Philadelphia City Council has approved two bills — one requires schools to meet strict standards for water in drinking fountains and another mandates child care centers undergo lead testing.
Organizations
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is a nonprofit organization that improves quality of life for kids and communities by promoting healthy living, safe infrastructure, and physical activity, starting with bicycling and walking to school and beyond.
Centers for Disease Control
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the leading national public health institute of the United States.
