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Florida District 7 Community Traffic Safety Team Walk Wise Conference.
The Community Traffic Safety Model
The original Safe Communities Model was adopted from the World Health Organization in the mid-1990 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It represents one way a community traffic safety network is established and managed. All partners participate as equals in developing solutions, sharing successes, assuming risks, and building a community structure and process to continue improvement of community life towards the reduction of traffic related injuries, fatalities and associated costs.
A community traffic safety alliance or coalition expands resources and partnerships, increases program visibility, and establishes community ownership and support for roadway related injury prevention programs. While communities may partner with other groups to address all other injuries, data consistently points to traffic-related injuries and fatalities as the top issue for communities and States.
NHTSA, along with other U.S. Department of Transportation agencies and injury prevention partners, are committed to communities being in the best position to make improvements in local transportation-related safety problems. When a community takes ownership of an issue, change happens! Partnerships are critical.
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Additional Information
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International Injury Prevention
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Community Partnerships
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Community traffic safety coalitions should involve varying members representing the community (i.e., law enforcement, local businesses’ faith-based organizations, education systems, governments (local, city, county and State partners), medical industry (including acute care, rehabilitation, and prevention focused practitioners), insurance companies, department of justice; traffic safety advocates; unlikely partners including alcohol, cell phone and tobacco companies; financial institutions; etc.) and diverse members of the community. These groups need to be actively engaged as integral partners in preventing injuries.
Four main characteristics defined the safe community model and should continue as community traffic safety coalitions move forward. They include:
1. Injury data analysis and (where possible) data linkage;
2. Expanded partnerships, with health care providers and businesses;
3. Citizen involvement and input; and
4. An integrated and comprehensive injury control system.
Community traffic safety coalitions provide exciting opportunities for developing and implementing traffic safety program initiatives. There are many payoffs for safety and injury control advocates with a shared vision of reducing traffic related injuries and saving health care costs. Community traffic safety is a unique approach to transportation safety advocacy and motor vehicle injury control. The objective of these coalitions is to promote community-based solutions to address prevention of traffic related injuries and fatalities.
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Visit the Community Traffic Safety Contact Us page to see NHTSA Regions and get support from local contacts.
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