Report offers prescription to prevent Nevada’s high injury rate

Too often, Dr. Michael Casey says, he sees both adults and children dying or suffering brain and other traumatic injuries because they haven't been wearing seat belts or bicycle helmets.

And, too often, the University Medical Center trauma surgeon adds, younger children who aren't in child safety seats die or are maimed .

Given what he's seen, including carnage caused by repeat drunken drivers, it isn't surprising that Casey applauded a national report released Tuesday - "The Facts Hurt: A State-By-State Injury Prevention Report" - that recommended Nevada and other states either enact or fully enforce 10 public safety measures, including one requiring children to wear bicycle helmets and another that would allow police to stop and cite drivers when seat belts are not worn.

"This is absolutely something we want to see in Nevada," he said.

Issued jointly by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based on input from the Safe States Alliance and the Society for the Advancement of Violence and Injury Prevention, the report stated that Nevada had the 14th highest rate of injury-related deaths at 71.3 per 100,000 people. The national rate is 57.9 per 100,000.

New Jersey had the lowest rate of injury-related deaths at 36.1 per 100,000 people and New Mexico had the highest at 97.8.

The rankings are based on combining data from 2007 to 2009 compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers found that the monetary costs caused by fatal injury in Nevada - which included deaths from poisonings, falls, drownings, violence, and recreational or sports accidents - were $12.4 million.

Nevada has four of the recommended 10 public safety measures on the books: Motorcycle riders must wear helmets; people in dating relationships are allowed to get protection orders; a prescription drug monitoring program; and a concussion law that does not let youngsters participate in sports without medical clearance after head injuries.

"You hear people not wanting stricter seat belt laws because it interferes with their personal liberty," Casey said. "But I'd say there is no better example of personal liberty than life."

Currently, Nevada police can cite drivers for a seat belt violation only if they are stopped for another offense. A bill that would have allowed police to stop drivers solely for seat belt violations died in committee in the 2011 legislative session.

In states with primary enforcement laws, 88 percent of people use seat belts.

That is about 9 percent higher than Nevada and other states with secondary enforcement laws or no laws on the subject.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.

The report also recommended that states pass laws that would make those who have been convicted of drunken driving, even for the first time, subject to mandatory ignition interlocks.

That means people would have to breathe into a device that would prevent them from driving if they were above the limit allowed for alcohol in their system. Today, in Nevada, that is a possible sentencing tool for judges dealing with first-time offenders.

"Anything that helps us keep drunk drivers off the road would be helpful," Casey said. "We see too much of that happening."

Though helmets are required for motorcycle riders in Nevada, bike riders of any age are not required to wear them.

"There is no doubt that requiring bicycle helmets would cut down on head and brain injuries," Casey said. "Personally, I'd like to see them worn by adults too."

The report also recommended that children riding in cars be in booster seats until age 8. Nevada's law requires specialized seating for children up to age 6.

Casey said he favors such a law change because it would better control a child in the event of an accident.

States should also provide prevention education about teen dating violence and pass laws that provide legal protection and services to ensure safety, the report said.

The entire report can be found at www.healthyamericans.org.

Contact reporter Paul Harasim at
pharasim@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2908.