How to Reduce Crashes by Drivers with Dementia

Pittsburgh: In-Person License Renewal, not Physician Reporting, Associated with Fewer Crash Hospitalizations Among Drivers with DementiaRequiring physicians to report patients with dementia to state driver’s licensing authorities is not associated with fewer hospitalizations from motor vehicle crashes. However, in-person license renewal laws and vision testing dramatically cut crashes involving drivers with dementia, according to a new study led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.The medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, indicate that physician reporting laws – mandated or legally protected – either aren’t working or lack any observable safety benefits.

Traffic Fatalities Decline in States with Medical Marijuana Laws

Columbia: States that enacted medical marijuana laws, on average, experienced reductions in traffic fatalities, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Overall, states that passed medical marijuana laws saw an 11 percent reduction in traffic fatalities, on average, after enacting the laws, and had 26 percent lower rates of traffic fatalities compared with states without the laws. The findings are published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

Racial Bias Extends to the Crosswalk

Psychological Science: Black pedestrians are at far greater risk of being fatally hit by a car than white pedestrians, according to research from the CDC. From 2000 to 2010, the pedestrian fatality rate for black and Hispanic men was twice the rate for white men, even after controlling for factors such as socioeconomic status, location, and alcohol use. The results of a new study reveal one factor that may help explain why – the findings suggest that whether a driver yields to a pedestrian may largely depend on a pedestrian’s race.

A Psychological Solution Prevents Rubbernecking

Psychological Science: People just can’t seem to help themselves when it comes to gawking at accidents and car crashes. Rubbernecking—or slowing down to scope out an accident on the side of the road—is a major cause of traffic jams. The bright lights and colors on emergency response vehicles are designed to grab people’s visual attention. But, these attention-grabbing qualities can also make scenes on the side of the road unintentionally distracting for drivers.

Stiffened Penalties for Nighttime Teen Driving Associated With Fewer Fatal Crashes

Brigham: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teenage deaths in the United States and globally, and drowsy driving accounts for one out of five of those deaths.  Young people, who are especially vulnerable to sleep deficiency, are responsible for most fatigue-related crashes. In 2007, a series of regulations for young drivers was introduced in Massachusetts, which included more stringent penalties for unsupervised nighttime driving by 16 and 17 year old novice drivers, and mandated drowsy driving education.  To evaluate the impact of these regulations on teenage drivers, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) examined the rate of motor vehicle crashes in junior operators (16-17 years) compared to older age groups (18-19 years and 20 years or above) in the one year prior to, and five years after implementation.

Poll finds cannabis users ignoring the risks of drug driving

UNSW: An internet poll of more than 4,600 Australians has revealed cannabis users are ignoring the dangers of drug driving with nearly 70% of recent users getting behind the wheel while stoned. The poll, by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC) based at UNSW, found more than 2,200 respondents had used cannabis within the past 12 months. Of these, 16% had driven on a daily basis and within five hours of using, while a further 25% had driven weekly or monthly. Dr Peter Gates, NCPIC Senior Researcher, says prevailing attitudes among drug users that cannabis makes for better drivers demonstrates that many remain ignorant of the considerable dangers of driving while high.

Music in the car is risky for teen drivers

Psychological Science: While it’s well known that using a cell phone while driving is a recipe for disaster, A study from psychological scientists Warren Brodsky and Zack Slor of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found evidence that the music teens listen to may also have a hazardous influence on their driving. And it’s not just fiddling with the volume or trying to skip a song that divert a person’s attention away from the road, the music itself can interfere with teens’ ability to stay focused on driving. “Drivers underestimate in-car distraction from activities, which are widely acceptable but not necessarily safe, involving a range of mundane activities such as simply listening to music,” the researchers write in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention.

Distracted driving can lead you to final destination

Oregon: Young, inexperienced drivers have always gotten into more automobile accidents, but if you add in a lot of distractions, it’s a recipe for disaster – and a new Pacific Northwest research program is learning more about these risks while identifying approaches that may help reduce them. Distractions have been an issue since the age of the Model T, whether a driver was eating a sandwich or talking to a passenger. But the advent of cell phones, text messaging and heavy urban traffic has taken those distractions to a historic level, say researchers, who emphasize that there appears to be value in educating young drivers about these special risks.

Crashes are the leading cause of on-the-job death for truck drivers in the US

CDC. US: Our nation depends on truck drivers to deliver goods and services safely and efficiently. Yet, crashes involving large trucks continue to take a toll on truck drivers, their passengers, other road users, businesses, and the community. Overall, 317,000 motor vehicle crashes involving large trucks were reported to police in 2012, according to the latest Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The estimated cost of truck and bus crashes to the United States economy was $99 billion that same year.

New rules on drug driving come into force

King's College. UK: A new law on driving after taking certain drugs has come into force in England and Wales. This law states that it is an offence to drive with certain controlled drugs (including some medicines) above specified blood levels in the body. 

Youth Risk Behavior United States, 2013

Many high school students in the USA engage in behaviors at risk for disease and mortality, according for the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 2013 report.

• 41.4% of high school students nationwide who drove a car or other vehicle had texted or e-mailed while driving, 
• 34.9% had drunk alcohol, and 23.4% had used marijuana. 
• 14.8% had been electronically bullied, 
• 19.6% had been bullied on school property, and 
• 8.0% had attempted suicide. 
• Many high school students are engaged in sexual risk behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections, including HIV infection.

Some risk behaviors have decreased (physical fighting, cigarette use, and sexual activity) while some have increased (having not gone to school because of safety concern, obesity and overweight) and some have not changed (suicide attempts treated by a doctor or nurse, having ever used marijuana, and having drunk alcohol or used drugs before last sexual intercourse).
The good news is that current cigarette smoking among high school students is at its lowest level in more than 20 years.
Source: CDC