David Sleet facts for kids

David A. Sleet is an American scientist. He is known for using behavioral science to help prevent accidental injuries. He also helped make injury prevention a major health topic around the world. Dr. Sleet has written many articles and book chapters. He also helped edit important books like the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention. This report won an international prize.

Dr. Sleet's Career in Safety

In 2016, Dr. Sleet retired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is in Atlanta, Georgia. There, he was a top science director in the team that works on preventing accidental injuries. He also taught at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.

Before working at the CDC, Dr. Sleet taught at San Diego State University. He also led research on road accidents in Australia. He worked as a visiting scientist for the United States Department of Transportation. He also spent time at Finland's Road Safety Agency.

Helping Make Roads Safer

Dr. Sleet was part of a team that reviewed information about driving safety. This team helped suggest a new rule for drivers in the United States. They recommended a stricter limit for how much alcohol a driver could have in their system. This limit was set at 0.08 percent.

This recommendation helped the U.S. Congress make a new law. States had to adopt this stricter limit by October 2003. If they didn't, they could lose some of their highway money. By 2004, all 50 states had passed this 0.08 percent law. This made it the new national standard for safe driving.

Awards for His Work

Dr. Sleet has received many awards for his work in public health. Some of these include:

• The Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award in 2015.
• The Derryberry Award from the American Public Health Association (APHA). This was for his ideas about health.
• The Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
• An APHA award for his great career in injury prevention.
• The Distinguished Fellow Award from the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE).
• An outstanding career award in behavioral science from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• The Royal Order of Sahametrei Medal. He received this for helping the King and people of Cambodia.
• He became a Fellow of the American Academy of Health Behavior in 1999.

Public Service and Publications

Dr. Sleet has also helped guide many important health and safety journals. He served on the editorial boards for publications like:

• American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
• Family and Community Health
• Health Behavior & Policy Review
• Health Promotion Journal of Australia
• Health Promotion Practice
• Injury Prevention
• International Journal of Education Research
• International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion
• Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research
• Journal of Pediatric Psychology
• Journal of Safety Research
• Journal of Social Behavior and Personality
• Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
• Transportation Research Foundation: Traffic Psychology & Behavior