
WalkSafe Keeps Walking for 15 Years: A Program Review
Author(s) -
Sabine Delouche,
Cristina Ballesteros,
Daniela Andrea Espinoza Flores,
Bryan Pomares,
Gillian Hotz
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2018.304786
Subject(s) - miami , pedestrian , medicine , injury prevention , suicide prevention , poison control , gerontology , medical emergency , environmental health , family medicine , transport engineering , engineering , environmental science , soil science
Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children aged 5 to 14 years. The WalkSafe program was developed in response to the number of children admitted to Miami-Dade County, Florida, level-1 trauma centers. WalkSafe was piloted in an initially high-risk neighborhood, which now exhibits a low density of pedestrian crashes. Following countywide implementation of WalkSafe, trauma data exhibit a 78% decrease in pediatric injuries. This article provides a 15-year review of WalkSafe and its role in decreasing pediatric pedestrian injuries in Miami-Dade County. Every year, an alarming number of child pedestrians are injured on the nation's roadways. In Miami-Dade County, Florida, the WalkSafe program aims to reduce pediatric injury through targeted education and multitiered collaboration with community partners.