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Rpr 30 07 01:43p NH Outcomes Project 808 887 1474 F.3 MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH REDUCTION IN HAWAII COUNTI' i In 2001, North Hawaii Outcomes Project (NHOP) identified that the annual age-adj~sl,~c dc;ath rates from motor vehicle-related crashes in North Hawaii and Hawaii County (between 1990 ?00O were nearly three times higher than the State rate. Further investigation through the Department .if hld:alt:h Injury Prevention Division, confirmed that Hawaii County motor vehicle-related death rates rae~e disproportionately high and that there was no existing effort to reduce the high rate. NHOP then facilitated a meeting with key stakeholders to present the disturbing data ~~nd engage collaboration to improve. This prompted the formation of a committed team known as the ~2.aar V=Mcle Crash Reduction Group (MVCRG). With facilitation by NHOP, this group has helped: 1) Raise awareness of the high motor vehicle-related death rates in Hawaii County. 2) Raise grant funding for a Hawaii County traffic safety coordinator. 3) Develop Recommendations to the Mayor consensus. 4) Identify a focus on reducing impaired driving, since impaired driving is a leading cause of rnoror vehicle-related fatalities in Hawaii County. 5) Identify and support evidence-based counter measures including high visibility enfon:e inert of driving under the influence (DUI) laws. 6) Identify key barriers to improvement and strategies to reduce those barriers indudi ul i • Training police in drug recognition evaluation (DRE), • Training prosecutors and judiciary in enforcement of DUI laws, and • Improving the collaboration between police, ER staff and lab to test for imf:a red driving. 7) Develop consensus on new traffic safety legislation including: • Graduated licensing, child safety seat requirement and streamlining DUI arress. • Higher penalties for excessive speeding, high blood alcohol levels, and driver; under 21 ~ years of age under the influence of alcohol and /or drugs. 8) Support a new grant for court monitoring of DUI in order to gather data on DUI cen~i aior rates, i 9) Identify data inconsistencies and develop an interagency data work group. ~ 10) Develop consensus on performance measures for improvement. NHOP and the MVCRG have helped raise awareness of the Hawaii County tr=.ffic sa ety problem through several publications: North Hawaii Motor Vehicle Fatality Research Project 1,.?702;, North Hawaii Outcomes Data Summary Repon`(2003), and Recommendations to the Mayor(200:1 i In addition, the MVCRG helped produce posters of Big Island motor vehicle fatality locations s; vzEll as posters to increase awareness of police sobriety checks. Emphasis on evidence-based interventions, such as high visibility sobriety check points helFx:c to gain I support from the Department of Transportation (DOT) for funding $515,000 to Hawaii Cocnty for ;he ~ "52/12" program to have one sobriety check per week and 12 per month, with media coverage. DOT ~ reports it has increased road improvement bids on the Big Island from $20 million in 2003 s~ 6fi:' Trillion in 2005. Many Hawaii County leaders and agencies are committed and working to improve traffic safety in Hawaii County. Barriers are being identified and reduced. Further commitment and collaboration are essential to substantially decrease traffic deaths and injuries on roads in Hawaii County. North Hawaii Outcomes ProjeQ (www.n!~ouary) _ ~I