Evaluation of Rear-Seat Belt Laws [Traffic Tech]

This Traffic Tech briefly summarizes the report, \u201cEvaluation of Rear-Seat Belt Laws.\u201d Recent upgrades to these rear-seat belt law in two States were documented, based on information gathered from legislative websites, news articles, and other Internet sources, as well as interviews with key observers. Successful strategies and challenges were identified. An additional goal evaluated the effect of adult rear-seat belt laws on rear-seat belt use using an observational survey

State of the Practice of Alcohol Ignition Interlock Programs [Traffic Tech]

A breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID) is a test device mounted near the dashboard that prevents the vehicle from being driven unless the driver provides a breath sample indicating a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) lower than a pre-set level, usually .02 g/dL. BAIIDs are an important type of sanction for driving while impaired (DWI) offenses. Initially used primarily for repeat DWI offenders, BAIIDs are now sanctions used for many types of DWI offenses, including first-time offenses. An offender assigned an interlock must first enroll in the State BAIID program, which incurs enrollment fees and other requirements

Characteristics of State Law Enforcement Liaison Programs: Case Studies [Traffic Tech]

This edition of Traffic Tech briefly summarizes an upcoming NHTSA report, Characteristics of State Law Enforcement Liaison Programs: Case Studies, which described in detail the results of interviews with state law enforcement liaisons (LELs) regarding the attributes they believed most important to reach their work goals in promoting traffic safety activities among law enforcement agencies

A Guide for Traffic Safety Practitioners: Best Practices for Increasing Seat Belt Use in Rural Communities [Traffic Tech]

This edition of Traffic Tech brief describes the four major components of NHTSA\u2019s forthcoming report, A Guide for Traffic Safety Practitioners: Best Practices for Increasing Seat Belt Use in Rural Communities. This resource will give rural traffic safety practitioners information to implement best practices, including examples of evidence-based and promising programs, to increase seat belt use in rural areas

Development of Discrete Size Measurement Methodologies for Motorcycle Helmets

FMVSS No. 218 defines the discrete size of a motorcycle helmet and requires it on the label; however, it does not specify how to measure the size. In addition, there is no standard procedure for determining the helmet positioning index (HPI) used to align the helmet on the headform for measurements and testing. This research developed procedures to determine HPI and to measure discrete size of motorcycle helmets. Four methods for measuring discrete size and one method for determining the HPI were developed and evaluated

Standardized reporting using CODES (Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System)

DTNH-22-97-H-07282While CODES projects have expanded to 25 states, there is no standardized reporting of the outcome measures that are available with linked data. This paper describes our efforts to build a standard format for reporting these outcomes. This format is conceptualized by laying the injury \u201cpyramid\u201d on its side. Outcome measures are reported as columns across a page with increasing levels of severity from left to right. We discuss several aspects of format development including levels of reporting, specific outcome measures, rates, and selection of appropriate denominators. These simplified reports can be used to plan further studies or as a source of information for fact sheets for further dissemination. Examples of implementation of these reports are provided from the Maine CODES project

Patients with Alcohol Problems in the Emergency Department, Part 1: Improving Detection *

Medical and social problems related to alcohol use are frequently seen in the ED. Often, the tempo of emergency medicine practice seems to preclude assessment beyond that required by the acute complaint. However, detection of ED patients with alcohol problems can occur using brief screening tools. This article was developed by members of the SAEM Substance Abuse Task Force, and describes screening tools that have been used successfully to identify atrisk and dependent drinkers. Their brevity, reproducibility, and accuracy vary somewhat, but screening can be realistically performed in the busy ED setting. The early detection of patients with alcohol problems would provide the opportunity for early intervention, and may reduce subsequent morbidity and mortality in this patient population.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72559/1/j.1553-2712.1998.tb02696.x.pd