01 09 30 Brian ONeill Preventing motor vehicle injuries and deaths Science vs folklore [NubWbcg8MmK]
Brain O'Neill on Preventing motor vehicle crash injuries and deaths: Science vs. folklore. Lessons from history. Motor vehicle crashes are the ninth leading cause of death globally, accounting for over 1.25 million deaths each year. This is one of the biggest public health problems facing societies today. With the rapid growth in motorization that is occurring in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) this problem is likely to continue to grow. This lecture summarises the history of vehicle and highway safety countermeasures from the early days of motorization until today. During the early period very limited countermeasures were adopted, and there were no efforts to determine if they were effective. The approach was, in effect, based on folklore, i.e. a body of widely held but false or unsubstantiated beliefs. Since about 1970, a new paradigm opened the possibilities for more comprehensive countermeasures. This newer science-based approach also recognized that countermeasures should be evaluated. Presentation at the ICoRSI International symposium in Paris, 19 March 2018. Full text at