A Safer Way to Travel

One alumna’s mission to improve automotive safety and protection for children.

Author | Mike Wilk

Photo courtesy of Marilyn Bull

Marilyn Bull (M.D. 1968), a neurodevelopmental pediatrician at the Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, realized early in her career that it was easier to prevent accidents than heal the issues they caused.

In Bull's first three years at Riley, while directing follow-up programs for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), she saw premature infants face significant dangers after leaving the hospital — and not from complications related to their preterm births. Two former NICU patients suffered permanent brain damage and another died as the result of car crashes. 

"It made no sense that caregivers and families gave so much love, attention, and care to these children, but we hadn't protected them from a tragedy that could have been prevented," Bull says.

At the time, the safety benefits of car seats hadn't been fully recognized, and not every family had a seat for their child. Bull set out to change that. In 1980, she launched Indiana's first car seat lending program at Riley, allowing parents to borrow car seats for their infants. She grew that effort into the hospital's Automotive Safety Program, one of the country's most comprehensive child passenger safety initiatives. 

Bull's research has also influenced car seat laws around the nation, and helped improve auto safety equipment and practices around the world. She developed the curriculum for passenger safety technicians on Safe Transportation for Children with Special Needs and served on boards and committees for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Academy of Pediatrics, and Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. 

Bull has been honored with the White House and U.S. Department of Transportation Champion of Change Award, the NHTSA Public Service Award, and the C. Everett Koop Medal of Distinction from Safe Kids Worldwide.

Her efforts have contributed to a marked decline in child traffic injuries and deaths over the past four decades, and Bull continues to innovate better methods to safeguard children. She is working to improve passenger protections for children with special needs and enhance ambulance safety for pediatric patients. 

"My biggest joy has been making a difference for families," Bull says. "We might not be able to completely fix a problem, but we can make lives better." 


More Articles About: Alumni Safety Pediatrics Accolades
Featured News & Stories Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
Suicide Within Depression
In this episode, learn to understand misconceptions about depression and suicide and differentiate the importance of assessing for suicidality and depression separately.
Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
Psychotherapy for Depression
In this episode, learn to define Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).
headshot of alice zheng wearing a black blazer and purple blouse
Medicine at Michigan
Alice Zheng was once skeptical of business
The course of Alice Zheng’s life changed when she audited a class at the U-M Ross School of Business during her first year of medical school. Before taking the class, Zheng was skeptical of business. Now she’s a venture capitalist supporting women’s health.
headshot of henry bell. he has glasses and is wearing a tuxedo with a gold and blue bowtie.
Medicine at Michigan
An early injury inspired a career in medicine
When Henry Bell Jr. was a young boy, his sister was mowing the lawn and ran over the rock, which hit him in the eye. He spent two weeks in the hospital and discovered his dream: to become an ophthalmologist.
Health Lab Podcast in brackets with a background with a dark blue translucent layers over cells
Health Lab Podcast
The 3 S's of Seizure First Aid
For kids with epilepsy, seizures can strike at any time. Here’s what you can do to help.
Close-up portrait of an older white man with gray hair and glasses. He outdoors and smiling.
Medicine at Michigan
Doctor comes to terms with medical mystery he experienced as a young man
Dr. Irving Fox's new memoir, "The Flashing Light," explores a medical mystery he experienced as a young man.