Jan 10, 2014 – Getting Information

ANCHOR LEAD: HOW CAN YOU GET INFORMATION ABOUT SAFETY IN COUNTRIES YOU’RE VISITING? ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS

Road safety is a big killer of Americans abroad, more than infectious disease and terrorism, and now research from Johns Hopkins by David Bishai and colleagues pinpoints how and where people are killed. Bishai says at least one strategy to deal with this is clear. BISHAI: For those in the Phillipines and in Vietnam there’s something obvious to do and that’s don’t get on a motorcycle but I think we should be of heightened concern when we travel to countries that are just not as developed in their road safety. Furthermore the US is worried about our health and safety abroad, we have a State department to keep us from getting killed by terrorists and we have a CDC to keep us from getting infectious diseases mostly. Why can’t we pay attention to this data and try to keep American travelers safe from what actually kills them which is road safety. :33

Bishai and colleagues are working with federal officials to develop web-based road safety information for clinicians and travelers. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.