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 or for more information.

Sleep-related death, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is a leading cause of death for babies under one year of age. There are ways to reduce the risk of death during sleep. Austin Public Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the following tips to keep your baby safe while sleeping.

• Place the baby on their back to sleep for every sleep, never on the side or stomach.
• Baby should sleep alone on their own sleep surface without pillows, blankets or toys.
• Place the baby on a firm surface, such as a crib, bassinet, or play yard.
• Room share, by placing the baby’s sleep space in the same room as the caregiver, but don’t bed share.
• Don’t let your baby get too hot.
• Breastfeed your baby and contact Mom's Place for more information or support.
• Keep baby away from smoke and find help on quitting at Live Tobacco-Free Austin.

Is my baby safe? Take the quiz. Does your baby need a safe place to sleep?

Austin Public Health, in partnership with community hospitals and clinics, can provide portable cribs to qualifying families. Contact denise.geleitsmann@austintexas.gov for eligibility requirements and additional information.

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 at 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.

Traffic fatalities are one of the leading causes of death for youth. Learn more about state laws here: Texas laws on child passenger safety.

Drowning Prevention

Drowning is a leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4. 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. 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.

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. They are returned when the user leaves the park. Here are the life jacket loaner station locations.

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.

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.  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. 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 Transportation and Public Works Department
• Austin Safe Kids Coalition