Posts tagged "safety"

Like 39 million other Americans, many Californians will be hitting the road in the next few days to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones. Many drivers might not know that Thanksgiving week is one of the most dangerous times on our highways.

In 2010, 431 people died in fatal traffic accidents on Thanksgiving Day alone - more than any other holiday that year. On average, the Thanksgiving week saw 798 fatal accidents between 2005 and 2010. This is a big increase from the overall average of 748 weekly fatalities for those years.

Drivers should be aware of several factors that can combine to cause motor vehicle accidents.

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new policy statement this week warning parents about the dangers of trampoline use. Commercial trampoline parks have also come under legal fire but this statement deals only with recreational use.

Warning of intrinsic risks, the pediatricians say that parents should keep kids away from trampolines. The statement cites high rates of catastrophic injuries.

A few large trends figured heavily in the pediatricians' statement. First, the most dangerous trampoline activity is jumping with multiple people on the equipment at a time. Three out of four trampoline injuries involved multiple jumpers. Although trampolines carry warnings against jumping with friends, many users ignore these precautions.

Our last post covered some statistical insights into older drivers and vehicle safety. Although younger drivers cause more accidents than elders, the rate of crashes does increase as drivers pass age 80. Drivers over age 85 are often in accidents that involve catastrophic injuries or fatalities.

In response to concerns about the increasing risks that face elder drivers, states have begun to implement a variety of different safety measures. This post will look at some approaches.

To start with, one expert lays a conceptual foundation by pointing out that age is less important than health conditions. The problems that lead to impaired driving abilities tend to increase with age-but age itself is not the essential problem.

In late August, California received a painful reminder that older drivers may pose a larger safety risk than other motorists. A 100-year-old man backed his car into a group of school children, hospitalizing a number of them. With older drivers and car accident injuries back in the news, we are posting a two-part series on elder drivers and vehicle safety.

Today's post will present some accident trends involving older drivers. Check back later this week for an explanation of some steps that different states are taking to prevent these crashes.

As discussed in the previous post, it may soon be a requirement that car manufacturers install seat belt reminders for rear seat passengers in new cars. What exactly will be required by car manufacturers is yet to be laid out, but it is probably a step in the right direction for safety. Since the 1970s, car manufacturers have been required to install seatbelt reminders for drivers. According to cars.com, a 2010 government study has found that enhanced seat belt reminders lowered driver fatalities by 6 percent.

The new requirements may most reduce teen fatalities. According to cars.com, all ages of backseat passengers buckle up less frequently than front seat passengers and drivers, but a 2008 study found that 20 percent of teens rode in the backseat of vehicles without wearing a seat belt. Not wearing a seat belt significantly increases the risk of injury and death in a car accident. According to cars.com, 56 percent of people aged 16-20 years that were fatally injured in car accidents were not wearing a seat belt.

Biking is a great way to get exercise and can be a great form of transportation that is good for the environment. A bike crash, however, can lead to catastrophic injuries or even death. Because bicyclists are more vulnerable in an accident with a motor vehicle, it is important to know the rules of the road, wear a helmet and ride defensively.

The website of Bike Safe California offers tips on bike safety for all riders. You can also find out where a class is happening near you and sign up to learn more about bike safety. You may have known how to ride a bike from a young age, but taking a class with biking experts can give you the skills you need to be much safer on the road, especially if you are making a change in your biking activities, such as going from an occasional bicyclist to a full-fledged bicycling commuter.

Summer can be a time of sports leagues and long days of playing outside for children. These activities help kids stay healthy and to learn teamwork skills, but falls and accidents can also lead to concussions and brain injuries. 

Children are especially vulnerable to long-term consequences from brain injuries because their brains are still developing. It is important for parents to know the signs of a brain injury so that kids get the medical care they need and so that parents can do what they can to prevent further injury to the brain.

A child with a concussion may have nausea and vomiting, a headache and problems with vision. A child may also be disoriented. If a child shows signs of a concussion, you should seek medical help to make sure that there is not a skull fracture or a brain bleed. After ruling out more serious conditions, a child will need to rest in order to let the brain heal and to prevent exacerbating the injury.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently wrote a blog post to remind people to stay safe while riding their ATVs. The CPSC reminds people that safety matters while riding ATVs because an accident can result in catastrophic injuries or death for an adult or child.

According to the CPSC, around 700 people die every year in ATV accidents. In addition, every year about 136,000 people are admitted to hospital emergency rooms with injuries suffered in ATV accidents. The CPSC says that through the end of June, 28 children under the age of 16 died in ATV accidents. Fourteen adults and three children died over the Memorial Day weekend. Numbers were not yet available for the Fourth of July weekend.

Fireworks can add to the fun of Fourth of July celebrations, but if not used safely, fireworks can cause catastrophic burns, eye injuries and even death. Fireworks are mostly illegal in Santa Clara County, but "safe and sane" fireworks can be purchased and used in Gilroy. If you are thinking about purchasing fireworks and setting them off, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers tips to do so safely.

Even sparklers can cause burn injuries and commonly do in children. Children should always be supervised when using sparklers because they can burn at up to 2,000 degrees. Children should never be allowed to ignite fireworks even if they are labeled "safe and sane."

During the month of June, the National Safety Council encourages people, organizations and workplaces to educate themselves and each other on preventing common accidents and injuries. Each week during the month focuses on a specific cause of common injuries. The first two weeks of June focus on preventing work injuries, the third week on preventing falls and the final week focuses on safe driving.

The National Safety Council offers free educational materials and tips on its website. The tips for preventing slips, trips and falls include:

• Keep stairs free of clutter
• Maintain good lighting on outside walkways
• Keep loose cords out of walkways
• Use non-slip rugs in slippery areas, like the bathroom
• Clean spills up immediately

When kids think of frightening occurrences that could happen on Halloween, a pedestrian accident may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Being hit by a car, however, is a real danger on October 31, the most deadly night for pedestrians, according to AAA.

Motorists should use extra caution on Halloween and parents should accompany their kids trick-or-treating or at least remind them of traffic safety rules. AAA says that it is safer for kids to wear non-toxic face paint rather than masks because the paint is less likely to obstruct kids' vision when navigating neighborhoods. Kids should also carry a flashlight with extra batteries and wear strips of reflective tape or a reflective vest in order to be better seen by cars.