Injury Control Research Centers
From Summer 1994
Volume I, Number 2
In 1987, Congress, acting on a recommendation from the National Academy
of Science's Committee on Trauma Research and the Institute of Medicine,
directed NHTSA to transfer $10 million per year for three years to establish
a focal poit for injury control within the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). A portion of these funds was used to establish four Injury
Control Research Centers (ICRCs). With additional funding from CDC, there
are now eight ICRCs.
Although each of the ICRCs has a primary focus, all work in a broad range
of injur areas and traffic safety. The ICRCs conduct research, develop and
implement prevention programs, and provide assistance to agencies involved
in injury prevention. Highway safety and injury control professionals are
encouraged to contact any of the centers for research and assistance.
Research at the ICRCs
Virtually every aspect of traffic safety is being addressed at one or more
centers. State and local traffic safety and injury prevention specialists
can use the results of this research to help design and implement effective
traffic safety programs. Bibliographies of published articles on ICRC research
can be found in the annual Report of Current Progress Extramural Research
Findings, available from CDC's Office of Extramural Grants (404) 488-4265.
Each ICRC has strengths in particular areas. For example, Harborview is
nationally known for its work on pedestrian injuries. With the support of
NHTSA and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (USDHHS), their elementary
school pedestrian safety curriculum is being disseminated to schools nationwide.
Some of the areas in which the ICRCs are conducting research, as well as
examples of this research are described below.
- Impaired Driving
- A focus of much ICRC research concerns the relationship of alcohol to
motor vehicle injuries. For example, the Harvard Injury Control Center's
Strategic Advertising Plns to Deter Drunk Driving project is profiling
groups at high risk of driving under the influene and holding focus groups
of individuals who fit these profiles. The results will be used to develop
and pormote strategies that friends, family, and bar and restaurant staff
can use to keep intoxicated drinkers from driving. This NHTSA-funded research
will also be used to inform the National Advertising Council's campaign
against drunk driving.
- Alcohol-related motorcycle injuries are the focus of research at the
University of Alabama-Birmingham. Their work found that motorcyclists often
commit serious operating errors at blood alcohol levels below those often
ued for state driving-under-the-influence laws and that a motorcyclist's
ability to operate a vehicle safely actually decreases during the "sobering
up" period.
- Motorcycle Helmets
- The centers have made important contributions to educating the public
and policymakers on the benefits of motorcycle helmets. Newsletters created
by the San Francisco Injury Center for Research and Preention contributed
to the debate resulting in the passage of a helmet law in California.
- Bicycle Safety
- ICRCs are also involved in bicycle safety. Harborview IPRC did the first
major study demonstrating the dramatic effect that bicycle helmets can have,
reducing head injuries to cyclists by 85 percent. Researchers at the Johns
Hopkins University Injury Prevention Center found that 32 percent of bicyclists
involved in fatal collisions tested positive for alcohol use and that 23
percent were legally intoxicated. Hopkins is also evaluating the Howard
County (Maryland) helmet law.
- Older Americans
- Several centers are investigating traffic injuries and the elderly.
The University of Iowa is conducting a study of older drivers using a computerized
driving simulator to establish baseline data for normal older drivers and
will compare their driving behavior with persons suffering from Alzheimer's
Disease. UNC-Chapel Hill staff have developed recommendations to improve
the safety of elderly pedestrians based upon their analysis of fatal pedestrian
injuries among older people. Harard is investigating the role of cognitive
and physical impairment among older adults as risk factors for motor vehicle
injuries.
Other ICRC Activities
The centers' contributions to traffic safety are not limited to research.
The ICRCs also help local traffic safety and publoic health professionals
use the results of research to develop effective community programs. For
example, The Pediatric Pedestrian and Bicyclist Injuries in the City
of Long Beach Project was initiated when the Southern California Injury
Prevention Research Center (SCIPRC) was approached by a Long Beach (California)
coalition concerned about the number of children who were being hit by vehicles
in a neighborhood with a sizable population of recent immigrants. SCIPRC
researchers found a relationship between a lack of play space and "dart-out"
injuries in which cildren run or ride bicycles from between parked cars
into the paths of oncoming vehicles. They also found:
- Many of the children's parents were from countries in which children
typically play in the street and drivers expect, and watch for, such children.=
- There was a disparity in safety features such as signage and crosswalk
markings between the target neighborhood and neighborhoods whose residents
had higher incomes.
- Vehicles in the target neighborhood characterisitically exceeded the
speed limit.
The Children's Bicycle Helmet Campaign put into practice the lessons
learned in Harborview's bicycle helmet effectiveness study. This two-stage
project targeted children ages 5 to 9 and their parents. The first stage
encouraged parents to buy helmets for their children. The second encouraged
children to wear helmets. The campaign's objectives and messages were based
upon extensive consumer research. A broad-based coalition was created, including
the Washington State Medical Association, the Cascade Bicycle Club, the
King's County Health Department, and several helmet manufacturers. The coalition
conducted a public education campaign. Low-cost helmets were made available
to the public through selected retailers. This effor, which is now being
replicated in other parts of the country, increased helmet usage from 1
to 38 percent among its target audience over an eight-year period.
These projects highlight the impact that all the ICRCs are having in communities
around the nation. Further information on the types of research, resources,
and assistance available can be obtained by calling the centers.
http://www.edc.org/HHD/csn/buildbridges/bb1.2/icrc.html
Revised: October 24, 1996
©1997 Education Development Center, Inc.
