Topics To Be Covered

1
Topics To Be Covered

• The Seat Belt Connection
• Past Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention Efforts
• Costs
• Mary Hunter
• Idaho Transportation Department
• Office of Highway Safety

2
Idaho Transportation Department, Office of
Highway Safety

• Department goal - reduce traffic-related
  collisions and fatalities
• OHS addresses behavioral issues
• Grant funds provided to state, county, and local
  government to conduct education and enforcement
  programs.

3
The Seat Belt Connection

• 813 traffic crash victims killed 1999 through
  2001.
• 484 received a serious head injury contributing
  to death.
• Serious head injury contributed to 60 of motor
  vehicle fatalities.

4
Occupant Protection System Effectiveness
OP System Preventing Fatalities
Air bag alone 14
Manual lap-shoulder belt 45
Air bag lap-shoulder belt 51
5
Effectiveness of OP Systems for Head Injuries
Moderate Injury Reduction
Air bag/seat belt 85
Air bag alone 57
Seat belt alone 70
Serious Injury
Air bag/seat belt 85
Air bag alone 43 (not significant)
Seat belt alone 60
6
Air Bags Head Injuries

• Air bag plus lap-shoulder belt combination is 85
  effective at reducing both moderate and serious
  head injuries.
• One second for air bag to deploy deflate.
• Most adult occupants seriously or fatally injured
  by air bags are unbelted.

7
Idaho Stats
Year Usage Rate Occupant Fatalities Serious Injuries
1999 58 242 1,561
2000 59 228 1,464
2001 60 215 1,372
2002 63 231 Not available
8
Usage Rates

• The national seat belt use rate for 2002 was 75
  while Idahos rate was 63.
• Primary law states average 80 usage while
  secondary law states average 69.
• 70 of 215 motor vehicle occupant fatalities were
  not properly restrained.
• 51 of 1,362 seriously injured motor vehicle
  occupants were not properly restrained.

9
Idaho Fatalities 1999-2001 by Age

• Occupants 0-3 accounted for 2 of fatalities.
• Occupants 4-17 account for 15 of fatalities.
• Occupants 18 and older account for 83 of
  fatalities.

10
Efforts to Increase Seat Belt Usage

• Office of Highway Safety utilized 2.8 million in
  last 3 years to education and enforcement
  campaign.
• Injury Prevention Programs utilized 700,000
  toward effort.
• Countless other partners.

11
Education
12
Education
13
(No Transcript)
14
Child Passenger Safety
15
Training
16
(No Transcript)
17
Enforcement
18
Comprehensive Costs of Crashes

• Fatality 3,026,107
• Serious Injury 209,500
• Visible Injury 41,900
• Possible Injury 22,114
• Property Damage Only 2,328
• (FHWA)

19
Idahos Costs

• Idahos motor vehicle collisions in 2001 cost
  1.5 billion.
• Individuals involved in crashes pay 26 of the
  costs.
• The remaining 74 is paid by the public (862 per
  Idahoan).

20
Who Pays?

• Costs are paid through
• - taxes (9)
• - insurers (50)
• - others including employers (15)
• - self (26)

21
Medical Costs

• 14 of comprehensive costs are medical costs.
• Medical costs are paid through
• taxes (24)
• insurers (55)
• other (6)
• self (15)

22
Catastrophic Health Care Costs

• County Medical Indigent Fund
• (first 10,000)
• State Catastrophic Health Care Fund
• (balance of costs)
• 1.8 Million for 84 people in FY 2001
• 2.5 million for 99 people in FY 2002

23
Conclusion

• 5 Idahoans killed or seriously injured every day
  in traffic crashes.
• 60 of traffic fatalities involve a serious head
  injury as an immediate/contributing factor for
  death.
• Air bag lap-shoulder belt combination is 85
  effective at reducing moderate/serious head
  injuries in crashes.