Motor vehicle crashes, falls, homicides, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and drug 

overdoses are just some of the tragedies we hear about every day in communities and on the 

news. Injuries and violence are widespread in society. Many accept them as fate or 

as “part of life,” but the fact is that most events resulting in injury, death or other 

health consequences are predictable and therefore preventable.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center 

for Injury Prevention and Control (Injury Center) was established in 1992 

to lead injury and violence prevention efforts. The field of injury and 

violence prevention is relatively young when compared to other areas 

of public health, but the burden of injury and violence coupled with the 

enormous cost of these problems to society make them a pressing public 

health concern. 

Older adults and children are most vulnerable to sustaining injury requiring 

medical attention, but for Americans ages 1-44, injuries are the leading cause 

of death in the United States. For this reason, the Injury Center is leading a coordinated 

public health approach to injury and violence prevention, guided by the belief that everyone should 

have access to the best information and resources to help them live life to its fullest potential.

INJURY FACTS

Every year 50 million people are injured severely 

enough to require medical treatment.

Most injuries requiring medical care are preventable.

In 2000, injuries resulted in lifetime costs of 

$406 billion; $80 billion for medical treatment 

and $326 billion for lost productivity. 

2/5 of the lifetime medical and lost productivity costs 

of injury are attributed solely to motor vehicle crashes 

and falls. 

Injury and Violence Prevention 

A Pressing Public Health Concern

The Injury and Violence Prevention Challenge

Injuries and violence affect us all, regardless of sex, race, or economic status 

but research shows that three quarters of all deaths in young people are 

the result of injuries and violence. The cost of injury and violence can be 

measured on both personal and societal levels. When considering factors 

such as lost productivity, the loss of the ability to work due to disability and 

quality of life, we observe the disproportionate impact of injury and violence 

on our nation’s youth.

“We have an obligation to promote safer environments where people can 

reach their fullest potential. The CDC’s Injury Center works to prevent the 

adverse health effects associated with injuries and violence in America.” 

 Dr. Thomas Frieden, CDC Director
The Injury Center uses the same public health approach to preventing injuries and violence that has been proven 

to prevent diseases. It is one which recognizes that injuries and violence are preventable. They do not occur at random. 

This scientific model helps researchers describe the magnitude of the problem and the groups at risk; identify factors 

that increase or decrease the risk for injury and violence; explore ways to prevent them by designing, implementing 

and evaluating interventions; and promote the wide spread adoption of effective strategies, programs, policies and 

practices.

Describe and Monitor the Problem

The development and dissemination of uniform definitions for capturing information on injury and violence forms an important 

part of the Injury Center’s surveillance work. These efforts help us better understand the scale of the problem, where it is occurring, and 

who is most affected. 

Injury and Violence Data Systems improve the accessibility and quality of injury data. For example, the Web-based Injury 

Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) is an interactive application that provides customized reports on fatal and 

non-fatal injury to the public. WISQARS provides basic information on such factors as demographic characteristics of the 

person injured, the circumstances surrounding certain types of events (e.g., homicides, suicides) and the method of 

injury. 

The Injury Center also supports the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), which is currently funded 

in 18 states. NVDRS links data from law enforcement, coroners and medical examiners, as well as from death 

certificates and crime laboratories, to offer a more comprehensive picture of the circumstances surrounding 

homicides or suicides in each state. Participating states can use these data to prioritize programs and policy 

interventions and to leverage additional funding to implement programs and other interventions that will 

have a positive impact on overall health. 

Unintentional Poisoningis one example of an emerging public health threat that was identified by Injury 

Center surveillance data. For example, the age-adjusted unintentional poisoning death rate increased 

two fold from 2000 to 2006. Partly as a result of the growing abuse of prescription drugs, unintentional 

poisoning is now the leading cause of injury death surpassing unintentional motor vehicle traffic deaths for 

persons ages 35-54. A detailed examination of available data is critical to informing best practices to address 

this growing public health problem. At present, efforts are underway to identify and evaluate promising 

interventions in a number of states.

Preventing Injuries and Violence: 

Assist in the Wide Spread Adoption of What Works 

The Injury Center is dedicated to preventing injuries and violence by working with partners and practitioners to determine 

the best ways to bring research and practice together. The Injury Center also works with policymakers to inform legislation that 

will help stop injuries and violence before they occur. One of the Injury Center’s vital roles is to coordinate efforts across cultures and 

stakeholder groups to ensure that best practices are widely adopted.

Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL)systems are effective for preventing car crashes among teen drivers because they allow this high-risk group 

to gain initial driving experience under low-risk conditions. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens, accounting for 

more than one in three deaths in this age group. Approximately 11 teens die in car crashes every day on U.S. roads. In addition to the personal and 

societal burden of such premature deaths, the cost of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers ages 15 – 19 was $7.4 billion in 2005.

Injury Center funded research shows a 30% reduction in teen motor vehicle deaths in states where GDL laws are stronger, and GDL systems 

are associated with reducing injury crashes by up to 40%. In fact, many states are considering enacting tougher GDL laws. To further support 

policymakers’ efforts to save lives and reduce costs through GDL systems, the Injury Center authored a GDL Planning Guide to help states 

develop and implement an action plan or improve their existing GDL policies. The Injury Center also engages parents and caregivers through its 

communications campaign, Parents Are the Key, which informs parents of the steps they can take, including enforcing the provisions of GDL, to 
Identify and Understand Risk Factors 

Develop & Evaluate Interventions to Reduce Risks 

The Injury Center does not stop at identifying a problem through surveillance, but continues its work to determine 

why injuries and violence occur and who is most affected. The Injury Center supports research to identify 

and understand the factors that place people at risk for injuries and violence in order to develop and test 

interventions to address these risks. In this way, it can inform best practices to prevent or minimize incidents 

of injuries and violence.

US Triple P System Trial, funded by the Injury Center, found lower rates of substantiated abuse cases, 

child out-of-home placements, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits for child injuries in the nine 

counties in South Carolina where the Triple P - Positive Parenting Program - was implemented. The 

Triple P used a wide range of support mechanisms for parents, including local media, brief public 

seminars, and parent consultation with specially trained child service providers in clinics, schools, 

churches and community centers. Researchers estimate that in an area containing 100,000 

children less than eight years of age, such results found in the study could translate annually into 

688 fewer cases of child maltreatment, 240 fewer out-of-home placements, and 60 fewer children 

with injuries requiring hospitalization or emergency room treatment.

Preventing Falls: What Works—A CDC Compendium of Effective Community-based 

Interventions from Around the World describes fourteen scientifically tested and proven 

interventions to help older Americans remain self-sufficient and improve their quality of 

life. Every year, about 1 in every 3 adults, aged 65 years and older, suffers a fall, and in 2008, 

2.1 million of those falls led to injuries severe enough to require medical treatment in a hospital 

emergency department. The CDC Compendium includes specific interventions that have rigorous 

scientific evidence of effectiveness and provides relevant information about these interventions to 

public health practitioners, senior service providers, and others who wish to implement fall 

prevention programs. In 2009, the Injury Center funded demonstration projects to inform the 

wide spread implementation of two programs included in the Compendium. The pilot programs 

in four states (CA, NY, OR, WI) will help identify the best methods for further implementation of

these evidence-based programs through the public health system.

In 2005, the Injury Center identified three priority areas in which to intensify prevention and 

control efforts. Currently, these three areas are Child Maltreatment Prevention, Motor Vehicle Safety and Older 

Adult Falls Prevention. They were selected as Injury Center priorities on the basis of a combination of the following 

criteria: the personal loss and health burden on society, the existence of an evidence base for interventions, the 

feasibility of interventions, their alignment with CDC wide goals, and the support of stakeholders to address 

Moving Research Into Practice

keep their teen driver safe.

Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports and Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports are communication campaigns designed to 

reach coaches, parents and athletes at risk for sustaining a concussion. The campaigns and materials create awareness about the symptoms 

of a concussion and the risks of continued play when symptoms are present. Over 1.3 million copies of CDC’s “Heads Up” materials have 

been disseminated nationwide since 2005. The combined efforts of the Injury Center’s campaign and the work of its partners have led to the 

nation’s first sports concussion law, the Zackery Lystedt Law - enacted in the state of Washington in May 2009. Named for a young athlete 

who was permanently disabled after sustaining a concussion in 2006, the Zackery Lystedt law requires parents and athletes to read and sign 

a concussion information sheet prior to the start of each sports season. It further states that athletes participating in school sports who show 

signs of a concussion be removed from practice or play and that if a player is injured and taken out of play, permission from a licensed health 

care provider is required before the athlete is allowed to return to play. The Injury Center is currently investigating opportunities to evaluate 

the effectiveness of the “Zackery Lystedt Law” as part of an effort to determine the impact that sports concussion laws can have on improving 

safety in youth sports.
Leading Causes of Injury Death

2005–2006

At-Risk Age Groups

1 – 4 years: Motor Vehicle 

Crashes, Drowning

16 – 24 years: Motor Vehicle 

Crashes, Homicide

35 – 54 years: Unintentional 

Poisoning, Suicide

65+ years: Falls, Motor Vehicle 

Crashes

Save Lives and Reduce State Costs 

Nearly 50 million injuries occur each year in the United States. These injuries adversely 

impact the mental, physical, and economic well-being of individuals and their families, while 

the states in which they reside incur severe economic losses. States bear the economic 

burden of injuries and violence through increased costs for Medicaid, state employee health 

benefits, uninsured emergency care, child welfare services, and public safety costs. States 

also lose tax revenue when the injured and their caregivers miss work. Investing in ways to 

prevent injuries can save both lives and money. For example, cost/benefit analysis studies 

show that a $46 child’s car seat saves $1,900 in societal costs, and a $1,250 fall prevention 

program can avoid $10,800 in costs to society.

WASHINGTON

“I was delighted to see the 

Injury Center’s attention to 

older Americans, of which 

I am one. The CDC has huge 

potential to make a difference 

in Falls Prevention. I hope you 

will make it a priority. 

Cheers, June ” 

SOUTH CAROLINA

“To stop intimate partner violence, we must 

not only act responsibly and compassionately 

after violence has occurred, but work more 

diligently to prevent it from occurring in the 

first place. CDC’s DELTA Program is leading the 

way by promoting comprehensive strategies 

aimed at preventing first time victimization 

and perpetration.”

KANSAS

STATE INJURY PROGRAM FUNDING

States in purple receive 

program funding. 

Contact the CDC’s Injury Center to Learn More.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 

www.cdc.gov/injury 

Call: 1.800.CDC-INFO (232-4636) |TTY: 1.888.232.6348

The Injury Center is Working to Stop Injuries and Violence before They Occur!

State Action to Reduce Injury and Violence

The Injury Center supports thirty states in its CORE State Injury (CSI) Program. Through the CSI 

program, states receive funding to collect data on injury and to formulate and evaluate policy 

interventions. This program, which is a dedicated injury prevention program at the state level, 

helps track regional differences in the sources of injury, identifies at-risk populations and target 

areas by geographic location, and determines the most effective solutions.

The Injury Center is committed to expanding its capacity to prevent injuries and violence, reduce 

physical and emotional consequences caused by injuries and violence, and lower the excessive 

costs resulting from injury-related medical treatment and lost wages. As additional resources 

become available, the Injury Center will work with its partners and states to enhance efforts in 

high-impact health areas and address new prevention needs that arise from emerging threats.

“Thank you for your blog post on teen driver 

safety. Having a teen driving agreement that 

has the backing of the CDC 

seems so important to me. 

My daughter turns 16 in May 

and will be anxious to get her license. 

I will definitely use this 

driving agreement 

with my daughter. 

Thanks so much, Natalie” 

Oct. 26th, 2009

June 18th, 2008

Anne Menard, Director, National 

Resource Center on Domestic Violence 

CS209796