The Coalition For American Trauma Care Washington Report

Howard R. Champion, FRCS, FACS, President
HRChampion@aol.com

Marcia Mabee, MPH, PhD, Executive Director
mmabee@ix.netcom.com

National Office, Suite 200, 11479 Waterview, Reston, Virginia 20190
703-709-3001 telephone -703-709-3003 fax

Volume 7, No. 8         April 21, 2005

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

… SAFETEA LEGISLATION INTRODUCED

… NEW AVENUES OF RESEARCH OPEN FOR TREATING SPINAL CORD INJURIES; CONCERTED NATIONAL EFFORT NEEDED TO DEVELOP NEW THERAPIES

… AHRQ LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SINGLE NATIONAL SOURCE FOR PATIENT SAFETY FINDINGS AND RESOURCES

… NHLBI STUDY: THE PROMISE OF NEW MEDICAL USES FOR SODIUM NITRITE FOR HEART ATTACK AND ORGAN DAMAGE

SAFETEA LEGISLATION INTRODUCED -- Congress is, once again, attempting to reauthorize the SAFETEA legislation (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Act). Efforts to enact this legislation last year failed. Transportation safety groups, led by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, are working to have a set of safety improvement measures included in this year’s legislation. The provisions direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to move forward on long-overdue or delayed safety standards and programs to improve passenger car and truck safety, address impaired driving, protect children, and encourage seat belt use. Coalition President Dr. Howard Champion was a signatory to a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee urging these provisions be adopted into the larger bill. Last week, the Senate Committee did include the provisions in the bill it marked up in Committee.

Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the 2004 Projections of Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities and Injuries. These are preliminary figures for 2004 highway fatalities and injuries, but support the need for the safety provisions adopted into the Senate bill. Below is a summary of the projections for 2004. Click here to link to the full report (http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/PPT/2004EARelease.pdf).

• Highway fatalities are up -- 42,800 in 2004 compared to 42,643 in 2003. There was a minor decrease in the fatality rate.
• Once again, SUV rollover fatalities increased significantly -- by 6.9% since 2003 (2,821 in 2004 compared to 2,639 in 2003) -- even though there was a minor decrease in overall rollover fatalities (10,296 in 2004 compared to 10,376 in 2003). Rollover fatalities continue to represent a third of all occupant fatalities.
• There was a significant increase (3.7%) in large truck crash fatalities. (5,169 in 2004 compared to 4,986 in 2003). Two other discouraging figures include a 13% increase in fatalities in multiple vehicle crashes (large trucks and other vehicles) and a 6.2% increase in truck driver deaths (768 in 2004 compared to 723 in 2003).
• Motorcycle deaths and injuries continue to climb unabated even as more states consider repealing all rider helmet laws. In 2004, 3,927 motorcyclists died, and increase of 7.3% from 2003 (266 additional deaths in 2004). This is the seventh year in a row that motorcycle fatalities have increased (an 85% increase since 1997).
• The number of unbelted occupants killed in crashes remained the same. More than half of those killed in crashes were not wearing a seat belt.
• Alcohol-related deaths slightly decreased (-2.1%) for the second year in a row. Nonetheless, 16,654 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes.
• Teen driver deaths are up. The number of persons killed in crashes involving young drivers (ages 16 to 20) increased by 1.3%. (8,566 in 2004 compared to 8,455 in 2003).
• There was an increase in deaths involving children under age 4 (503 in 2004 compared to 494 in 2003) and from age 4 to 7 (479 in 2004 compared to 472 in 2003).