To the Editor:

Re “Stop Blocking Gun Safety Research” (editorial, Aug. 8):

When it comes to gun violence prevention research, the federal government has sat on the sidelines for too long.

Adjusted for age fluctuations, gun deaths have jumped nearly 20 percent in the last two decades. Yet research into this public health crisis has gone without federal funding the entire time.

As a country we invested in research that inspired seatbelts and airbags, guardrails and smarter road designs. Our roads and highways are safer, and thousands of lives have been saved as a result. It is past time we do the same with gun safety.

While it is true that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is permitted to conduct this research, the agency’s own officials have said it cannot move forward unless Congress appropriates funding.