Reducing Traffic Deaths and Adolescent Injuries in the Navajo Nation

The rate of traffic related fatality in the Navajo Nation is 4 times that of the US population and 3.7 times higher than in Arizona. In 2018, Dr. Wendy Shields began collaborating with The Navajo Transportation group to reduce the rate of traffic fatalities and injuries, especially among adolescents. The group included the Navajo Epidemiology Center, the Navajo Area Indian Health Service Injury Prevention Program, and The Navajo Division of Transportation.

With funding from the Initiative, the collaborative:

• Created a data sharing agreement between the Indian Health Service and the Navajo Department of Transportation. The change allowed for more up-to-date reporting on the use of car seats and seat belts.  
• Interpreted the data to prioritize areas for interventions (i.e., restraint, enforcement, or road condition).
• Researched and presented evidence-based interventions to the Navajo Transportation group to inform policy decisions.
• Explored funding opportunities to implement interventions and assisted with grant applications.

This project led to a grant from the Road to Zero foundation in 2022 which will support the development of model language for tribal road safety plans. Discussions also led to Google’s assistance with improving 911 response time which is a key factor in crash outcomes.