Courtesy of http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/distracted-driving Results of fatigue from any cause include impaired cognition and performance, motor vehicle crashes, workplace accidents, and health consequences. Research shows that fatigue is a significant factor in motor vehicle, commercial trucking and rail collisions. Drowsy driving is a serious problem in the United States. According to a 2014 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey among nearly 150,000 adults in 19 states and the District of Columbia, about one in 25 adults reported that they had fallen asleep while driving at least once in the previous 30 days. People who snored or usually slept 6 or fewer hours per day were more likely to report falling asleep while driving. The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) has found that determining a precise number of drowsy-driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities is not yet possible and relies on police and hospital reports to determine the …
Keeping Halloween Safe
Courtesy of iii.org My five-year-old nephew, Ben, is a great source of pride to his electrician father, Dan. Last Halloween, Ben refused to trick-or-treat at a particular house because he noticed that the decorations there were a fire hazard. Halloween is supposed to be fun, but it has always involved risks and potential liabilities. The video below outlines some of the “traditional” hazards and ways to mitigate them, from eliminating trip-and-fall dangers to preventing fire and pet-related perils. And while much of the focus of Halloween-risk mitigation is on the home, Donald R. Grady, a Boston personal injury attorney, says the biggest dangers actually involve cars. “You see an uptick in automobile accidents,” Grady says. “Especially with teenagers, who don’t have adults with them and who rush from house to house.” The curse of 2020 2020 has aged us all…. Perhaps predictably by now, 2020 has brought the spooky holiday threats of its own. COVID-19 has introduced new …
Seniors & Driving
Courtesy of iii.org Older drivers are keeping their licenses longer and driving more miles than ever before. The high fatality rates of this age group reflect the fact that older drivers are more easily injured than younger people and are more apt to have medical complications and die of those injuries. There is a growing need to help older drivers sharpen their skills as well as recognize their changing abilities and adapt their driving practices appropriately. Insurers have partnered with state and local governments, and groups such as AARP and the AAA Foundation for Highway Safety to create programs designed to address these needs. Improving Older Driver Safety According to the Governors Highway Safety Administration, impairments in three key areas—vision, cognition and motor function—are responsible for higher crash rates for older drivers. Vision declines with age; cognition, which includes memory and attention, can be impacted by medical problems such as dementia and …