PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

John Howard, Chief Executive of the UK safety organisation, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), died suddenly on 16 July. John joined RoSPA 20 years ago from industry as Director of Home and Leisure Safety. He later became responsible for road safety as well, and then in 1992 for all areas of RoSPA’s campaigning, including safety at work. He was responsible for promoting change in a wide cross section of fields, from the need for fire safe furniture and factory fitted plugs on electrical goods to the latest law banning the use of hand held mobile phones while driving. He helped to establish RoSPA as one of the world’s leading safety organisations. John was more than just an administrator; he was deeply committed to reducing death and injury. He will be greatly missed throughout the safety community in the UK and beyond.

Dr Jeffrey Runge has resigned as Administrator of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to become Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Homeland Security. He stepped down as the US top traffic safety official in late August. Dr Runge, a former emergency room physician from Charlotte, North Carolina, has led NHTSA since 2001. As Chief Medical Officer, he will oversee bioterrorism policy and coordinate responses to any biological attacks under reforms at the 2 year old agency.

In July Dr Ileana Arias was named as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Dr Arias has been acting Director since June 2004. Before that, she was the Chief of the etiology and surveillance branch in the Division of Violence Prevention in CDC’s Injury Center. Prior to joining CDC in 2000, Dr Arias was the Director of Clinical Training and Professor of Clinical Psychology …