The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently hosted a national “Save a Life Day” event at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Washington, D.C., headquarters building as part of National EMS Week to highlight the key role emergency medical services or EMS professionals play in saving motor vehicle crash victims.
[Above photo by NHTSA]
The event also showcased roadside care innovations, such as prehospital blood transfusions, which NHTSA’s research shows can lower mortality rates by 37 percent for crash victims.
That is why NHTSA said it has invested $80 million to expand blood transfusion capabilities for safety partners – part of a new initiative – entitled Pathways to Safer Streets (P2SS): A National Traffic Safety Action Plan – the agency unveiled in April centered on eight strategies aimed at reducing traffic fatalities.
“EMS professionals are there for people in some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Their knowledge, compassion, and dedication save countless lives every year,” said Jonathan Morrison, NHTSA administrator, in a statement.
“Innovations like prehospital blood transfusions are helping EMS save even more lives, and we are proud to support investments to bring this incredible treatment to more states and communities nationwide,” he noted.
“Every EMS activation is fundamentally a transportation issue, with some of our most vulnerable road users riding in the back of an ambulance during their time of greatest need,” added Jason Rhodes, president of the National Association of State EMS Officials.
“This administration’s commitment to partnering with states and encouraging stronger collaboration between transportation and EMS leaders will help advance shared system goals, improve patient outcomes, and support innovative approaches such as prehospital blood programs that are saving lives across the country,” he said.
