THE HEALTHY BORDER 2010 INITIATIVE – Safety Belt Use on the US-Mexico Border Authors

The comprehensive report, Healthy Border 2010, identified reduction of motor vehicle crash death rates by 20% in Mexico and 25% in the US as priority targets. The report also identified seatbelt usage as the first approach to reach these targets. Our study measured seatbelt usage in a cross-border context and compared seatbelt usage with other areas in North America. Suggestions are made for correcting the problem of low levels of seatbelt use. Introduction In the US-Mexico border area, injuries are a leading cause of mortality, with road traffic injury deaths being the number one cause of mortality due to injuries. The Healthy Border 2010 initiative has established 10-year objectives to improve health of the populations living on the US-Mexico border through a bi-national collaborative effort. One objective set forth by the initiative is to reduce motor vehicle crash death rates by 20 per cent in the Mexican border region (from 11.4 to 9.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants) and by 25 per cent in the US border region (from 13.3 to 10.0 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants). The Healthy Border 2010 report stated that the risk of road traffic death on the US-Mexico border is greatest for young adults (15-24 years of age) and the elderly population (75 years of age and above). Demographic characteristics of the border population show that the median age of the population is very young, which means that these populations are at high risk for death in motor vehicle crashes. The border population is estimated to grow at a rate that is three times that of the US population. As the population in the border region continues to grow and motorize, an increase in road traffic injury deaths will be inevitable, in particular on the Mexican side of the border. Fortunately, the Healthy Border 2010 initiative identified improving seatbelt use as a priority in reducing motor vehicle crash deaths in the region. Research has shown that seatbelts dramatically reduce the risk of road traffic injury deaths – by an estimated 38% to 46% among drivers and by an estimated 45% among front seat passengers. Unique in various aspects, the US-Mexico border region continues to lack data on essential health indicators. In this study, we estimate the safety belt usage for two border cities, Nogales AZ, USA, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. This study will provide policymakers with information that will help them address the occurrence of very high road traffic injury death rates in the border population. Methods The collection of data was quite simple. A team of two, observer and recorder, was stationed at busy intersections within a few blocks of each side of the border to observe the driver’s use of shoulder restraint as cars slowed to turn. The team observed and recorded use or non-use of shoulder restraint, gender of driver, and license (Mexican or US) of the vehicle. Comparative measures of seat belt use were obtained from articles listed in MEDLINE and in Google.