Greetings!

Did you know that vehicle crashes are currently the leading cause of death for young African American males through the age of 14 and the second leading cause of death for young black males ages 15 to 24? According to a Meharry Medical College study, Achieving A Credible Health and Safety Approach To Increasing Seat Belt Use Among African Americans, it has been estimated that approximately 1,300 African American lives could be saved and 26,000 injuries could be prevented if African Americans would buckle up. A recent Blue Ribbon Panel To Increase Seat Belt Use Among African Americans identified ten recommendations to increase the availability of safety education, training, expertise, knowledge, special skills, credible research and information about traffic safety issues to African Americans and other minority communities.

U. S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, cited lack of seat belt use as a major public health crisis. The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services lists injury and violence prevention as one of its 28 focus areas in its report entitled Healthy People 2010. The focus areas are directly related to the two central goals of Healthy People 2010, to increase quality of and quantity of life and eliminate health disparities. Demographically, unintentional injury (lack of seat belt use) affects all Americans, regardless of ethnicity, age or gender.

To save the lives of parents, child care providers and children that are dying in motor vehicle crashes, and promote healthy families and communities, NHTSA has created programs, fostered relationships, and implemented campaigns that promote traffic safety issues in African American communities. NHTSA is working with sororities, faith-based organizations, health and medical professionals, law enforcement, civil rights organizations and other community-based groups to expand its outreach efforts.

The African American Outreach web site is designed to give you direct access to NHTSA's traffic safety activities, contacts, major events, materials and ideas that are tailored specifically to the African American population in the United States. Working together we hope that we can help you make changes in your community to save lives.