The Important Role for Physicians as Advocates for Firearm and Road Traffic Injury Prevention.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the important role for physicians in advocating for the prevention of road traffic and firearm injuries. Physicians have shown to be effective advocates for a variety of injuries, and this needs to continue and be enhanced for these injury categories. Road traffic and firearm injuries are among the leading causes of death across the lifespan. The influence and credibility of physicians enhance the messages they provide in advocacy efforts. It is important that physicians educate and counsel patients in a variety of healthcare settings along with joining advocacy efforts of professional associations. Recommendations are provided for advocacy components related to these injuries. Also, it is very important that physicians receive training in medical school and/or residency about injuries and how to successfully advocate for evidence-based injury prevention strategies.