This study looks into issues of childhood pedestrian injuries, in Oakland and its neighborhoods. It seeks to unveil the causes of childhood pedestrian injuries and provide a remedy to the problem. It begins from the premise that massive traffic in Oakland state and the high population within its neighborhoods account for the majority of the causes of the injuries (Rivera, 2000). Another pertinent issue that the study seeks to address is the lack of remarkable initiatives from public health institutions, in solving the problem. Poverty, which is a global concern, is another cause of the problem addressed in this study. There are several speed bumps in the state to control the speed of motorists, but this has not done much to solve the menace of childhood pedestrian injuries. This has prompted the researcher to declare the problem as a public health issue that requires immediate attention and action.
The study begins with a background overview of the problem, and then the investigator proceeds to the purpose of the study. Thereafter, the significance is addressed, and this is through the aims and objectives of the research, where the investigator seeks to provide solutions to childhood pedestrian injuries. Study questions give an overview of the specific issues the investigator will uncover, in a bid to solve the problem. What follows is the study hypothesis which shows the research assumptions of the causes of the public health concern, key among them the high population in Oakland. Afterward, the literature review uncovers the existence of the problem for a period and measures that have been taken to address it. The investigator proceeds to the case study area, Oakland, California, and collects data which is analyzed to prove that the issue is indeed existent and is a paramount concern for people living in the area. The researcher then provides the final insights into the problem and asserts that it demands immediate attention to save the lives of young innocent children.
The research will impact society and social activities in different ways. It will encourage the California state government to put in place measures, to reduce poverty and mitigate its effects in Oakland and its neighborhoods. This study compels the Federal Highway Administration and the Institute of Transport Engineers to look beyond the rate of accidents resulting from automobile collisions (Baker, Robertson & O’Neill, 2000). This will steer the two sectors to aim at reducing automobile collisions, not just to reduce accidents, but also to curb the problem of childhood pedestrian injuries.
The study will enhance public awareness of the problem and will advise medical practitioners to contribute towards curbing this problem. The health sector will be more informed on the population largely affected by the problem and will instigate measures to deal with it. They will work for hand in hand with the transport sector, and once the problem becomes a serious concern to the health and transport sector, then it will be easy to handle. The study will help these two sectors to develop and implement vibrant public policies that will gear towards solving this problem. Parents will have to change their high expectations on children, and understand that all children are not mature to go along the roads alone (Dunne, Asher & Rivera, 2002). Furthermore, the study urges schools to provide children with better means of transport rather than walking to and from school. This move will be made by parents, once they pay for transport costs at the various schools in Oakland and its neighborhoods.
References
Baker, S. P., Robertson, L. S., & O’Neill, B. (2000). Fatal pedestrian collisions: driver negligence. Am J Public Health, 64, 318–25.
Dunne, R. G., Asher, K. N., &Rivera, F. P. (2002). Behavior and parental expectations of child pedestrians. Pediatrics, 89, 486–90.
Rivera, F. P. (2000).Child pedestrian injuries in the United States: current status of problem, potential interventions, and future research needs. Am J Dis Child, 144, 692–6.