Public Health and the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Public Health and the Law - Essay Example There are laws associated with motor vehicle safety at both the federal and state level. At the federal level, The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act that was enacted in 1966 in the United States empower the federal government to set and administer safety standards for road traffic safety and motor vehicles (Evans, 2004). This law was set up to curb the increasing number of motor vehicle crashes and the associated injuries and fatalities on the road. At the State (Florida) level, the laws associated with motor vehicle safety are: Florida Lemon Laws; Seat Belt Laws; Double Traffic Fines; Florida DMV Privacy; Clearing up a Traffic Ticket; and School Zone Speed Limits (Evans, 2004). The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles regulates all the motor vehicles and all the laws that apply to them. These types of laws are legislative because they were enacted by the legislature or other governing bodies. As legislations, these laws main purposes include: regulatio n, sanctioning, proscribing, declaring, authorization, or restricting particular acts or events (Keller & Associates, 2010). The federal and state laws described in this paper relate greatly with the public health services. It has emerged that the motor vehicle safety are related to specific public health concerns. These concerns include: high risk populations that include Alcohol-impaired drivers who account for about 39 percent of all traffic deaths, young drivers and passengers, and pedestrians; and occupant- protection systems which are aimed at promoting motor vehicle and public health safety. Since motor vehicle safety is a public health concern, its laws relate to the public health services (Evans, 2004). These laws play fundamental role in health promotion, wellness and prevention. They ensure stricter law enforcement; create awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving. Also, they facilitate