Public health and road saftey - Essay Example

This report will discuss the roles of public health in road safety with other sectors to achieve better solutions. The main purposes of public health are to protect, to prevent illness and injuries and to promote healthy lifestyle for the public sector (NPHP, 1997). It has sought to decrease the number of deaths and injuries of communicable and non-communicable diseases among the population, through not merely treating but also reducing the risk factor, education, screening, and other intervention (Wilson A., 2000). Therefore, public health has an essential function to play in road traffic to reduce these risks (WHO, 2004).

These functions include: collecting data and evidence, analysing the causes, prevention, protection and promotion. Collecting data and evidence: The hospitals collect specific data in a systematic way as much as possible, on the road crashes injuries, and the methods to conduct the injuries observations and surveys. They have also focused on amount, range, characteristics and consequences of the road traffic injuries (WHO, 2004). Obviously, it should be mentioned in this point that each sector, such as the police department, has different data needs and the collaboration between these data is important to cover all aspects of this issue to find better results (Binder. S., Runge J., 2004). Analysing the data The reason of studying the data of road traffic trauma in public health is to define the cause of mortality, morbidity and the effect of road traffic injuries on their family and the economy (WHO, 2004, Sleet D.

, Dinh-Zarr, T., Dellinger A., 2007). This can help the other sectors to determine where the real causes of accidents are. For example, road design, drivers’ behavior, etc., and thus obtains a comprehensive perception of this issue. Prevention and protection: Prevent and protect injuries in road traffic are the central aims of public health which can be achieved through enforcement of the decision-makers to consider the injuries as an important issue and seek improved safety approaches for road traffic (Boss, A.

, Pikora, T., Daube, M.,2010). Experimental new methods that prevent and reduce the severity of injuries on road crashes are evaluated by the influences of these actions in them (World Report, WHO, 2004). In an example of this action, by using a speed camera, the use of seatbelts and motorcycle helmets increased. Moreover, participation in disseminating effective interventions (Binder. S, Runge J., 2004) establishes an awareness programs in human behavior, such as short broad cast about the impact of wrong behavioral action on roads.

(EMSRRS1 report, 2009). Promotion: In this stage, public health allows all people to achieve healthy lifestyles and decrease the road risk to human health which occurs from environmental, economic, social and behavioral causes (Ottawa Charter, 1986). Conclusion Overall, public health should be in alliance with other sectors for share goal. Works cited Binder S., Runge J., Road Safety and Public Health: A U. S. Perspective and the Global Challenge. Vol. 10, p 68-69. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Health and Human Services, USA, 2004. Print. Boss, A.

, Pikora, T., Daube, M. Road Safety and Public Health Advocacy: The Way Forward. Public Health Adv