PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Data collected by the
DeKalb County, Georgia Board of Health indicate that unintentional injuries
were a leading cause of premature deaths in the county, and that motor
vehicle crashes have contributed to the largest number of these deaths.
Other data provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation indicate
that the county has been undergoing an alarming increase in its pedestrian
fatality rate, especially in the growing Hispanic and Asian immigrant
communities, and among elementary school aged children. However, a community
survey revealed that motor vehicle-related injuries were ranked as the
health risk of least concern among DeKalb County residents.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In order to reduce traffic
crash-related injuries and fatalities throughout the county, the Dekalb
County Board of Health developed the Safe Communities of DeKalb County
project in 1998. Programs objectives were to:
- Enhance communications
between county agencies and community groups
- Analyze crash data to
identify risk factors and high risk locations
- Promote pedestrian safety,
targeting Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and elementary school
students
- Focus on impaired driving-related
motor vehicle crashes, fatalities and injuries
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 1998,
the DeKalb County Board of Health created Safe Communities of DeKalb
County as the primary strategy for resolving the county's traffic safety
problem. The new organization was directed by a Safe Communities Coalition
of 50 community members including representatives of businesses, neighborhood
associations, local chapters of national associations, traffic safety
advocates, county agencies, and local offices of state agencies. The
Coalition was formed into four work groups: Data Analysis and Distribution,
Road Design, Driver Behavior, and Pedestrian Safety. These groups worked
with the community to organize and implement the following activities
designed to accomplish the primary goal of the Safe Communities effort:
- Coalition
members analyzed traffic crash data and produced maps and data sheets
for dissemination to county agencies and to concerned community groups
- The Coalition
generated extensive media coverage of high risk roadway locations
- Nationally
recognized experts on road design analyzed DeKalb roadways and presented
their findings to residents, community leaders and local politicians
- The Coalition
sponsored a one-day conference on road design and traffic calming,
which was presented by national road design experts for an audience
of traffic engineers, urban planners, local residents and businesses
- Coalition
members joined with the Office of Public Safety and Safe Kids of
DeKalb in organizing the first annual Walk Our Children to
School, an event to promote pedestrian safety to children. More
than 100 volunteers and 900 children participated
- The Coalition
designed and conducted a pedestrian safety survey of all 81 DeKalb
County elementary schools. Data will be used to identify pedestrian
safety problems and develop intervention programs
- Community
education programs on pedestrian safety were conducted in the Hispanic
community
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