Public Health and the Law - Essay Example

Public Health and the Law of Public Health and the Law According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2011), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in America, especially among those aged between 5 and 34 years. The CDC also points out that over 2.3 million passengers and adult drivers were treated in emergency departments as a result of injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes in 2011. It is no doubt that the costs of crash-related deaths and injuries among passengers and drivers are extremely high.

Motor vehicle crashes is one of the most serious public health problem and there is need for more efforts to be put towards addressing this problem. There are laws associated with motor vehicle safety at both the federal and state level. At the federal level, The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act that was enacted in 1966 in the United States empower the federal government to set and administer safety standards for road traffic safety and motor vehicles (Evans, 2004). This law was set up to curb the increasing number of motor vehicle crashes and the associated injuries and fatalities on the road.

At the State (Florida) level, the laws associated with motor vehicle safety are: Florida Lemon Laws; Seat Belt Laws; Double Traffic Fines; Florida DMV Privacy; Clearing up a Traffic Ticket; and School Zone Speed Limits (Evans, 2004). The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles regulates all the motor vehicles and all the laws that apply to them. These types of laws are legislative because they were enacted by the legislature or other governing bodies. As legislations, these laws main purposes include: regulation, sanctioning, proscribing, declaring, authorization, or restricting particular acts or events (Keller & Associates, 2010).

The federal and state laws described in this paper relate greatly with the public health services. It has emerged that the motor vehicle safety are related to specific public health concerns. These concerns include: high risk populations that include Alcohol-impaired drivers who account for about 39 percent of all traffic deaths, young drivers and passengers, and pedestrians; and occupant- protection systems which are aimed at promoting motor vehicle and public health safety. Since motor vehicle safety is a public health concern, its laws relate to the public health services (Evans, 2004).

These laws play fundamental role in health promotion, wellness and prevention. They ensure stricter law enforcement; create awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving. Also, they facilitate development and implementation of prevention programs such as safe rides, responsible alcohol-serving practices, and designated drivers. Besides, they enhance occupant protection systems; for example, in response to state legislation, there is highly visible law enforcement on safety belts, public education on the same towards increased rates of the use of safety belts.

Also, these laws help in the rehabilitation of persons who have been found guilty of violating motor vehicle safety laws (Keller & Associates, 2010). From my perspective, the federal and state government should play a role in motor vehicle safety. This is because the federal law alone or the state law alone may not be sufficient in promoting effective and comprehensive motor vehicle safety. For example, enforcement of The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act would be more effective when coupled with state laws such as Seat Belt Laws.

ReferencesCentres for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Injury Prevention & Control: Motor Vehicle Safety. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/Evans, L. (2004). Traffic Safety. Science Serving SocietyKeller & Associates. (2010). Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Pocketbook. J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.