State Capacity Building

Policy, Regulation & Legislation

Policy is an effective tool to reduce injuries and violence. Enforcement and evaluation of regulations and laws is an important component to policy development to assure effectiveness and beneficial outcomes.

Implementation of public policies aimed at reducing injuries can help to reduce State health care costs. Laws that provide for zero tolerance of individuals under the age of 21 drinking and driving costs $34 per driver, but can yield an estimated cost savings of $850 per driver. These laws prevent crashes, and the associated costs, by decreasing the number of impaired drivers on the road.

Policy development can be a way of creating sustainable funding sources for the implementation of best practices through fees, fines, and funds. Fines collected from drivers for the violation of child passenger safety laws can be used to educate families or distribute low-cost, or free, safety seats to those who need them.

State health agencies, their partner organizations, and legislative bodies should develop and implement policies, regulations and legislation that will reduce injuries and improve safety. State health agencies can aid in this work by providing partners and constituents with the information to help make educated decisions.