NHTSA Perspective

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NHTSA Perspective

• Essie Wagner
• Safety Countermeasures Division
• Program Development and Delivery

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Outline

• Understanding NHTSA
• How we address injury prevention
• Who we work with and why

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NHTSA Mission

• To save lives, prevent injuries and reduce
  traffic-related healthcare and other economic
  costs.

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Understanding NHTSA

• We regulate vehicles and equipment
• We are concerned with behavior
• Alcohol
• Safety belts
• Older road users
• We help set policy for some things
• We do some great research and data mining

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Understanding NHTSA

• We dont set licensing policy
• We cant tell states what to do
• We cant lobby

Unless Congress specifically allows it
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How does NHTSA change behavior?

• Public information and social marketing
• Peer to Peer Education
• Credible sources
• Experienced problem-solvers
• Shared successes
• Great motivators

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Partners on Older Drivers

• American Association of Motor Vehicle
  Administrators (AAMVA)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
• American Optometric Association (AOA)
• American Society on Aging (ASA)
• National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
  (N4A)

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AAMVA and NHTSA

• Collaborate on licensing issues (teens,
  alcohol-related suspensions, etc.)
• Model Driver Screening and Assessment Program
  Guidelines for Motor Vehicle Administrators
• Medical Advisory Board research project

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AMA and NHTSA

• Developed Physicians Guide for Assessing and
  Counseling Older Drivers
• Training course on the Guide
• Taught by physicians and OTs
• Underlying message keep your patient healthy,
  keep your patient safe

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AOTA and NHTSA

• Consensus Conference on increasing capacity of
  Occupational Therapy for maintaining senior
  mobility
• Increase capacity through
• Schools of OT
• Existing OTs

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AOA and NHTSA

• Eye specialists talking to eye specialists
  regarding driving
• Booklets on common eye disease (glaucoma, macular
  degeneration, cataracts) and driving

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ASA and NHTSA

• Reach aging services providers with background
  information on transportation
• FREE on-line training courses on aging, health,
  and driving
• Age-beat reporter training

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N4A and NHTSA

• Helping AAAs learn from the successes of others.
• Identify model programs across the country as
  resources
• Model programs will provide technical support for
  other AAAs

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Who else?

• Office of the Secretary of Transportation
• Federal Transit Administration
• Federal Highway Administration
• Administration on Aging
• Emergency Nurses Association

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Summary

• Identify partners who have
• Shared/overlapping mission
• Crucial audience
• Willingness to collaborate
• Work with them to solve the problem at hand

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For more information

• www.nhtsa.dot.gov
• esther.wagner_at_nhtsa.dot.gov
• 202-366-0932