Medical Community Dedicated to Ending Needless Death
The Coalition to End Needless Death on Our Roadways (END) is an organization of physicians and other medical professionals, dedicated to developing and promoting new and innovative strategies for addressing impaired and other dangerous driving behavior.

Because of its unique perspective and place within society, the medical community can play a large role in creating an environment where impaired and other unsafe driving behaviors become unacceptable. Physicians, nursing and emergency medical services (EMS) professionals and the hospitals they serve see the tragic effects of motor vehicle crashes every day. Because of these experiences, they have the desire to take the lead to affect the necessary change and can speak with passion, experience and authority on the devastation car crashes can cause.

Through END, physicians and other medical professionals will become a force in addressing impaired and other dangerous driving and advance the cause of injury prevention. The level of respect medical professionals hold in the community will provide an invaluable source of credibility with the public and decision makers and will assist in keeping these issues in the forefront and affect changes in driving behavior.

Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral To Treatment
One example of the new and innovative strategies END will explore involves treating alcohol use problems by implementing a protocol of alcohol screening and brief intervention. If implemented, this protocol can lead to reductions in impaired driving episodes, which in turn leads to fewer alcohol-related crashes. Studies have determined that brief interventions, which are short 5-15 minute counseling sessions designed to assist the patient confront the negative consequences of his/her alcohol consumption, have proven effective in decreasing consumption among at-risk drinkers. Lives and money are saved when fewer people visit hospital emergency departments.

Educating Decision Makers and the Public
To effectively articulate their life saving messages, END members will participate in certain earned media events keeping the safety belt and impaired driving messages fresh and in the public view. END will also assist in national and state safety belt and impaired driving mobilizations and crackdowns.

On December 7, 2004 END conducted their kick-off event at the American Hospital Association Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. At that event, END co-chairs Drs. Andrea Barthwell and Thomas Esposito announced a list of the fifteen deadliest states in the country for impaired driving. The Fatal Fifteen are states in which 44 percent or more of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related.

END called on Governors and other leaders in the Fatal Fifteen to join them in addressing the deadly problem by creating or refocusing a task force in their states dedicated to exploring new and innovative strategies for addressing impaired and other dangerous driving behaviors.