The article reviews the changes that have taken place in motor vehicle injury prevention. If we were still experiencing fatalities at the rate they occurred in 1966, there would have been about 147,000 such deaths in 1999, instead of the actual 41,611 that occurred. Credit is given to the research community that generated evidence of drinking and driving long before changes happened in public policy. The evidence on occupant restraints began accumulating as soon as safety belts were first available in passenger vehicles. Citizens action groups provided the impetus for major changes in public policy governing drinking and driving. Remarkable progress has been made, but 41,000 deaths annually are still far too many. New opportunities are developing with the advent of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). ITS technologies hold promise for greatly enhancing the safety and efficiency of gaining access to goods and services needed for optimal development of individual and community potential. (Author/publisher)
Abstract