Public Health and the Law - Essay Example

Public Health and the Law Public Health and the Law In the United s of America, the empowerment of the federal government included the endorsement of the National Traffic and Motor Safety Act in1966. This act was one of the government’s initiatives developed to act in response to the increasing number of road accidents that killed individuals in the region (Mashaw & Harfst, 1990). Road accidents have significantly increased the fatalities, injuries, and death of individuals. The intervention of the federal government depicts that the federal government has stepped in to assist in aspects related to motor vehicle safety.

This article will talk about this factor and also focus on a description of the laws correlated with the motor vehicle safety at the federal level and the state of Missouri. The technological advancement of the 20th century involved the motorization of the United States of America. Nowadays, there has been a more than six times increase in the quantity of drivers as compared to the past years; the number of motor vehicles has increased significantly. Road safety efforts were introduced early in the 1960s, after analysts learnt about the increased motor crashes.

In 1966, the Safety act was employed to regulate the number of individuals who were mostly involved in motor accidents. After this mandate, other accident prevention mechanisms were also set up by the board that was there to ensure that they minimized the vehicle accidents on the road networks in the United States (Mashaw & Harfst, 1990).As of 1970, the rules and regulations set in the traffic industry had efficiently enabled the control of federal systems in the traffic world. The federal government depicts a substantial amount of help it endorsed to the motor vehicle safety.

In Missouri, the deaths are mostly related to the road usage. According to relevant statistics, motor vehicle crashes are the main cause of these deaths. Annually, an estimated 30,000 individuals die in the state due to the effect of motor accidents (“Injury prevention and control”, 2011). Statistics prove that over $1.07 billion is the total amount that is used in Missouri annually (“Injury prevention and control”, 2011). Since these factors can be prevented, the federal company rallied for the installation of seat belts covering all sitting positions, and comprehensive and Graduated Driving Licensing for drivers (GDL).

This ensured that young road users were able to be granted the opportunity of learning how the deaths can be minimized after joining the other road users.In general, this act is an initiative by the federal government aimed at reducing the death rates of Missouri. This act or type of law can be described as constitutional since it relates to the public health in a substantial manner, taking into notice health promotion, wellness and prevention, and disability limitation and rehabilitation which are rampant in the region.

In this case, the United States profited from this, since the act tremendously helped its states in many, diverse methodologies (“Injury prevention and control”, 2011).In conclusion, the federal government plays quite a significant role in the motor vehicle safety. This is because they are able to invent acts that are supportive to the general public. Some of the public health concerns include the highly risked population and the occupant protection systems (Mashaw & Harfst, 1990). Clearly, such acts have enhanced driving and reduced the accidents that are avoidable.

Through preventing the crashes, the American federal government is observed as one which is focused to succeed. The factor that reveals the efficiency of this program is the fact that Missouri’s costs related to accidents dropped from $1.07 billion to an unusually low amount.References(2011). Injury prevention and control: Motor vehicle safety. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/statecosts/mo.html. Mashaw, Jerry L., & Harfst, David, H. (1990). The Struggle for auto safety.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.