ACICR 2007 -2008 Annual Report Addendum - Alberta Centre for ...

Alberta Injury Control Alliance (AICA) (cont.)
Status • Membership in the Alliance as of March 31, 2008 was 165.
• See also the preceding “Alberta Injury Control Strategy” project overview for
more information.
Partners &
Sponsors
Contact
• Advisory and Steering Committees
• Members of the Alberta Injury Control Alliance
Ms. Jennifer Stark, Senior Associate, Special Projects
Phone: (403) 382-7199
Email: jen.stark@uleth.ca
Alberta Occupant Restraint Program (AORP)
Background
On January 1, 2002, the ACICR in partnership with Alberta Health and Wellness,
Alberta Transportation and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) assumed
administrative responsibility for this provincial injury reduction program. In 2003,
Memorandums of Understanding were signed between the University of Alberta and
Alberta Transportation, the University of Alberta and the RCMP regarding the
coordination of AORP. The focus of the Alberta Occupant Restraint Program
(AORP) is the reduction of injuries/trauma as a result of the non-use or misuse of
occupant restraints and child safety seats in motor vehicles. The program originated
in 1995 as a child injury program and in 1999 the mandate of the program expanded
to include adult occupant restraint programming.
Annual evaluations ensure that the program remains on target with provincial and
national goals and objectives. Links to research and surveys, such as the Rural
Alberta Seat Belt Survey, are maintained to ensure measurable outcomes are
captured and used for annual planning.
Goal To achieve a provincial seat belt wearing rate of 95% by 2010.
Objectives 1. To increase the rural rates from 69.5% as measured against the 1999 Alberta
Rural Seat Belt Survey (76% in 2001) (87% in 2004).
2. To increase the urban rates from 89% as measured against the 1999 Transport
Canada Survey (84% in 2001) (86% in 2004).
Status
The project is on target. AORP will continue to support enactment of booster seat
legislation for 2009. AORP will continue to support the introduction of demerits as
an injury prevention strategy for the non use of seat belts and child safety seats.
Spring and Fall Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs are supported with the
“What’s holding you back” campaign including radio, posters and print materials. In
2007, the focus of the communications campaign was maintenance of the general
population’s usage rates. Communication strategies focusing on the high risk
drivers will use non-traditional method as supported by research and evidence.
Materials are provided to primary contacts (health and enforcement) for distribution
in communities. The study on non-compliance to seat belts and high risk behaviour
completed in 2007 is being distributed in 2008. A study on Restraint Use by Child
Passengers Under the Age of 16 is scheduled for data collection late in 2008.
Alberta Centre for Injury Control & Research Page 18 of 66 Annual Report Addendum 2007/2008