Transcript Research Management Committee Annual Conference

Social Policy and the NCE’s: What
Can We Achieve?
Robert E. Mann, PhD
Societal Issues Theme Coordinator, AUTO21
Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Field Supervisor, MScCH (Addiction and Mental Health) and Associate
Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Ottawa – December 6, 2011
Presentation Outline
 How the NCE
structure facilitates
policy relevance;
 Social policy impact
– some evidence;
 Lessons learned for
achieving policy
impact
How the NCE structure facilitates
policy relevance

Focus – NCE’s provide a high-level, sector-specific
focus

Time – NCE’s provide an extended opportunity to
engage with social issues

Inclusiveness – NCE’s facilitate or require the
engagement of all stakeholders, including
researchers, industry, community members and
policy makers

Results – NCE’s are focused on the contribution of
knowledge to ‘practical impact’
How the NCE
structure
facilitates
policy
relevance
Social policy impact – some
evidence
 Drunk
driving is a leading cause of
preventable deaths and serious injuries
in Canada
 Addressing
drunk driving has been
identified as a social and health priority
in Canada
How did AUTO21 influence the drunk driving policy
process?

AUTO21 investigators provided evidence about
policies that were, and were not, effective

AUTO21 investigators worked with community and
government partners to identify policy opportunities

AUTO21 provided an ongoing forum for researchers,
community stakeholders and policy makers to work
together
Social policy impact – some
evidence

We completed an assessment of the cumulative
impact of drunk driving policies and programs in the
Province of Ontario since 1970

The estimates of impact were based on scientific
evidence – evaluations of impact of these programs in
Ontario and elsewhere
Social policy impact – some
evidence

Between 1970 and 2006, drinking driving initiatives
prevented about 5,000 deaths, 178,000 injuries, and
132,000 property damage only collisions in Ontario
alone

The health and social costs prevented by this impact
ranged between $8.5 and $78 billion – depending
primarily on the value of preventing a death
Lessons learned for achieving
policy impact

“Policy is like sausage – you might like the outcome
but you don’t want to see what goes into it” attributed to Bismarck

There is no easy or simple road to influencing public
policy

What follows are some suggestions that might help
you if you really want to see “what goes into it”….
Lessons learned for achieving
policy impact

Be prepared

Take a long term
perspective

Be patient

Strike while the iron is hot
Lessons learned for achieving
policy impact

Be international

Be local

Be warned

There may be more than
one way to achieve your
goal
Thank you!
Lessons learned for achieving
policy impact
Lessons learned for achieving
policy impact
Societal Issues and the Future
Automobile
Dr. Robert Mann – Centre for Addiction & Mental
Health
Social science and humanities researchers
working at the forefront of the big questions in
Canada’s biggest industry and making Canada
a better & safer society
Theme B: Research Goals
 Influence public policy and regulations related
to vehicle operation and to the auto industry in
Canada;
 Address major vehicle-related social problems
in Canada;
 Improve the quality of life of Canadians who
work in the auto sector through improvements
in the education and regulatory regime of the
labour market.
Problem: Auto Theft
Vehicle theft accounts for 13% of all
property crimes reported to police in
Canada.
In 2007 there were 443 motor vehicle
thefts per 100,000 population. This
crime has serious direct & indirect
consequences to victims & others.
Canadian cities have some of the
highest auto theft rates in North
America, and Winnipeg has the
highest per capita auto theft rate in
Canada.
Theme B: Example of Success
Dr. Rick Linden and two
members of Winnipeg Police
Services Stolen Auto Unit who
are collaborating to reduce
vehicle thefts in the city as part
of AUTO21’s Automobile-Linked
Crime in Canada.
This project is credited with a
60%+ reduction in auto theft in
that city, and the research work
has been internationally
recognized.
Problem: Drug-using Drivers
Driving after using cannabis and other
Illicit drugs has long been suspected of
being an important road safety issue.
However, little Canadian evidence on the
topic was available, and there were no
effective enforcement tools to address
the problem.
Theme B: Example of Success
Dr. Mark Asbridge, of Dalhousie and his
colleagues have provided key Canadian
research on the driving after drug use,
including its high prevalence among
high school student drivers along with
evidence that driving after cannabis
can be as dangerous as drunk driving.
This work was central to the passage
by the federal government of Bill C-2 in
2008.
This important legislation improved the
ability of police to detect drug-using
drivers and remove them from the road.
Problem: Distracted Drivers
The growing complexity of the
driving environment, and the
increasing numbers of cell
phones, MP3 players, video
players and other electronic
devices in cars have raised
concerns that driver
distraction may be an
important road safety problem.
Theme B: Example of Success
Dr. Jeff Caird of the Univ. of Calgary and Dr.
Lana Trick of the Univ. of Guelph conducted
research with driving simulators that
provided proof that driving skills are
significantly reduced when using cell
phones and other electronic devices.
This research work has had a major impact
on the decisions of the governments of
Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and other
provinces to regulate the use of cell phones
and other devices while driving.
Problem: Drunk Drivers
Drunk driving is the
leading criminal cause of
death in Canada.
Drunk driving costs the
economy billions of dollars
each year in social, health
care, and legal costs as
well as untold harm to
families and individuals.
Theme B: Example of Success
AUTO21 research by Robert
Solomon and Erika Chamberlain,
Professors of Law at the University
of Western Ontario, provided clear
evidence that a .05% legal BAC for
driving, which is common in other
developed countries, would prevent
between 185 and 555 deaths on
Canadian roads per year.
Theme B: Example of Success
Professor Solomon worked with the
Canadian Council of Motor Transport
Administrators to draft recommendations for
new regulations for drivers in the .05-.08 BAC
range, and with Federal and Provincial
governments to draft corresponding
legislation.
Prince Edward Island and Ontario have
followed CCMTA recommendations with laws
recently introduced, and other provinces are
working to introduce similar laws.
AUTO21 Administrative Centre
Canada’s Automotive University
University of Windsor
Centre for Automotive Research
and Education (est. 1999)
754 California Ave.
Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4
(519) 253-3000 ext. 4130
www.auto21.ca
Developing the best people, the best technology
and answering the biggest questions for the
future of the automotive industry
www.auto21.ca
www.nce.gc.ca