Injury Prevention

Accidental injuries are the leading cause of death among Travis County residents ages 1 to 44.

Safe Sleep for Infants

Sleep-related injury is the leading cause of death among infants between one month and one year of age. Most often these deaths are due to an unsafe sleep environment causing accidental suffocation.  Between 2013 and 2017, there were 41 infants who died in their sleep in the City of Austin. The Safe Sleep Coalition, comprised of hospitals, clinics and community organizations, is working to eliminate these tragic deaths.  Contact Denise Geleitsmann for a presentation on best practices in safe sleep for infants or to learn more visit our safe sleep webpage.

Child Passenger Safety

To get help on how to install a rear-facing, forward-facing or booster car seat, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

Remember to carefully follow all instructions for your specific car seat and vehicle. You can also visit the car seat manufacturer's website for additional instructions on how to install a specific car seat.

Austin Public Health, in partnership with Dell Children’s Medical Center and Kids and Cars, provides monthly car seat inspections by appointment at neighborhood center locations.  To make an appointment to have your car seat checked, or if you need a car seat, please call the number to the location below:

Don't know which seat is right for your child?

Visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/right-seat to find the correct seat based on age, height and weight.

For additional information on child safety seats, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/right-seat.

Traffic fatalities are one of the leading causes of death for youth. Click here for Texas laws on child passenger safety.

Drowning Prevention

Drowning is a leading cause of death for children 1 to 4. All forms of water access - bathtubs, pools, buckets, ponds and creeks - pose a danger. Water safety education and awareness are essential in keeping children safe. Our community partner, Colin's Hope is a leader in water safety education and has water safety tips as well as a quiz you can take to determine your water safety knowledge.

On average, Texas loses 83 children each year to fatal drowning.  Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 – 4 and is among the leading causes of accidental death in the United States.  An estimated 5 to 7 times as many children survive a non-fatal drowning each year, many times resulting in lifelong injury.  Here you'll find more information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about drowning and prevention measures.

Open water has hidden hazards and wearing a life jacket can keep you and your family safe.  Life jacket loaner stations provide life jackets for children and adults to use free of charge on the honor system that they will be returned when the user leaves the park. Here are the life jacket loaner station locations.

Vision Zero

The Vision Zero Project aims to reduce traffic crash deaths and serious injuries to zero by 2025. Austin Public Health assists with data gathering and analysis. They also provide educational and promotional activities to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

Bicycle Safety

Bicycling is an excellent form of transportation and recreation. The following resources will help make cycling fun and safe.

• Videos on Bicycle Safety
• Tips for Bike Safety

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on America's roadways. In 2012 alone, 3,328 were killed in distracted driving crashes in the US. Austin has a hands-free ordinance that prohibits the use of all electronic hand-held devices while operating a vehicle or bicycle. Here is more information on how to prevent distracted driving.

Falls Prevention

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death for Travis County residents ages 65 and older. Austin-Travis County EMS provides a Senior Home Safety Program to prevent falls in the home.  If you’d like to sign up for a free home safety assessment, you can request more information by emailing EMSFallPrevention@austintexas.gov.

Any person who meets the following criteria is eligible for a free home safety assessment:

• City of Austin resident
• Age 65 or older OR concerned about their home situation
• Lives independently (in a home or apartment, not in a nursing home or assisted living facility)
• No diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's

engAGE Travis County provides a fall prevention class called A Matter of Balance, which emphasizes practical strategies to manage falls and maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.  Participants will learn to:

• Set goals for increasing activity
• Make changes to reduce fall risks at home
• Exercise to increase strength and balance
• View falls as controllable

For more information, contact Jessica Martone Jessica.Martone@traviscountytx.gov 

Suicide Prevention

For immediate support, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

In 2012, the most recent year for which full data are available, 40,600 suicides were reported in the U.S., making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. The Injury Prevention Program works with the Central Texas Suicide Prevention Coalition to identify trends and research and implement best practice methodology in suicide prevention. For more information on suicide prevention, visit Texas Suicide Prevention.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. nami.org

Firearm Safety

Unsafe gun practices lead to risks for injury, a threat that's especially severe in Texas. A CDC report with details on gun injuries by state shows that Texas is sadly a leader in the number of deaths from gun injuries, indicating there is still work to be done on improving gun safety in our community. 

Resources for Firearm Safety

• Texas Department of Public Safety: Promotes gun safety through the Keep ‘Em Safe Texas educational campaign.
• Austin Police Department: Provides a free gun lock..
• Lock Arms for Life, Provides educational materials and programs on safe gun storage and distributes free gun locks and safety cases.

Community Partners, Coalitions and Workgroups

• Texas Department of State Health Services Safe Riders Program
• Texas Department of Public Safety - Safe Gun Storage
• Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services
• Austin Public Works Department
• Austin Transportation Department
• Travis County Child Fatality Review Team
• Austin Safe Kids Coalition
• Travis County Office of the Medical Examiner
• Ghisallo Foundation