Motor Vehicle Safety
Motor vehicle and other transportation-related crashes are a leading cause of death and serious injury in Colorado and that number continues to rise. Focusing on impacting protective priorities such as economic stability and supports, positive social norms, and connectedness can reduce motor vehicle crashes. These strategies support policies and programs to create healthy, thriving and resilient communities free from motor vehicle crashes, violence, suicide, and other injury. Prevention strategies aimed at addressing shared protective factors can break down silos that often exist around these issues, influencing multiple outcomes at the same time.
Social Norms
Reducing the availability of substances creates healthier and safer community norms. These strategies help reduce impaired driving crashes and substance use across the lifespan. Examples include implementing pricing strategies such as allowing municipalities to implement an alcohol excise tax, limiting the number or density of outlets that sell substances, preventing products that specifically appeal to youth, preventing youth exposure to the advertising or promotion of substances, or creating laws that hold adults accountable for providing alcohol or providing space for parties where youth access substances.
Reducing underage alcohol consumption and binge drinking in high school also reduces the likelihood that adolescents will drive or ride with an impaired driver in adolescence and early adulthood.
Economic Stability and Supports
Improving equitable, safe, comprehensive, well connected multi-modal transportation systems increases options for how people access work, medical care, child care and education, and personal needs while reducing vehicle miles traveled and dangerous driver behavior such as distracted, careless, and impaired driving.
Connectedness
Adoption and active support of policies and programs such as gay-straight alliances, that connect youth with caring adults and help build a sense of connection to their school, makes it more likely that youth will ask for help in tough situations, follow restrictions in place for Graduated Drivers’ License laws, and steer clear of drugs and alcohol.
Designing the built environment in a community to meet the needs of people walking makes streets safer, slows car speeds, decreases crime and helps residents become more active. Walkable communities make physical activity part of everyday life and provide more opportunities for social interaction and building community connections. Fear of injury and perception of safety is often cited as a reason for not walking, visiting parks and recreation centers, or allowing children to play outside or walk to school. Built environment strategies to enhance pedestrian safety such sidewalks, bicycle lanes, medians, crosswalks, and street lighting create a more comfortable environment for physical activity while also reducing motor vehicle speed and motor vehicle crashes.
Increase community spaces for safe, inclusive, and substance-free events.