Seat Belt Program

Seat belts have been proven to save lives.  It’s the best defense you can have on the road.  Recent surveys indicate that 74% of county residents wear their seat belts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• Seat belt use nationwide reached 82% in 2005.

• 89% of children involved in crashes were unrestrained.

• buckling a seat belt can improve the chance of surviving a potentially fatal crash by from 45% to 73% depending on the type of vehicle and seating position.

Crashes are not accidents. Accidents cannot be prevented. 

The highway safety program at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department participates in “Click It or Ticket,” “Buckle Up, America,” and "Saved by the Belt" and other programs that help to save lives and reduce injuries.  The health educator speaks to various business, school and community groups on seat belt usage. Current seat belt laws can be found at: www.tntrafficsafety.org

For more information on these activities or to schedule a speaker, please call the Highway Safety office at (423) 209-8200.

Drinking and Driving

Did you know… 

• It takes your body 1 hour to process 1 drink?
• The designated driver is not the one who has had the least amount of alcohol, but the one who has had none?
• You can still have some problems with thinking, memory and reasoning 48 hours after a night of heavy drinking?
• The alcohol in champagne and other “bubbly” drinks absorbs more quickly, so you get drunk faster when you drink them?
• The only cure for a hangover is time?
• One shot, One beer and One wine cooler have approximately the same amount of alcohol

The drinking and driving prevention program at the health department seeks to reduce the number of alcohol-related injuries and fatalities through education, enforcement and legislation.

Currently, alcohol-related fatalities comprise about one third of motor vehicle crash deaths. 

For information on drinking and drugged driving prevention, please call (423) 209-8242.

Injury Prevention

The goal of Healthy People 2010 is to “reduce injuries, disabilities and deaths due to unintentional injuries and violence” (Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention).

Based on the guidelines established by Healthy People 2010, the Injury Prevention Program of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department focuses on reducing the number and severity of injuries in our community.  Through partnerships with other safety-oriented organizations, we are able to provide a broad range of interactive learning experiences.  The Injury Prevention coordinator builds relationships with business, church, civic and education leaders in order to reach a broad and diverse population.

We are a resource for contacts, educational materials and programs.  Topics include bicycle and wheel sport safety, fall prevention, alcohol and drugs, water safety, poison prevention, playground safety, and safe babysitting practices.

In conjunction with area sponsors and volunteers, we host a bicycle rodeo at the Tennessee RiverPark in May.  This fun-filled event provides children with skill training, safety information, prizes and free food.  Bicycle helmets are typically provided at no charge to the first 100 registered children.

To learn more about injury prevention topics online, follow the links below.

For additional information regarding resources, educational materials and partnerships, please call Injury Prevention at 423-209-8200.