The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey for this new study.

“The four million adults who drink and drive each year put everyone on the road at risk,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., in a news release. “In fact, nearly 11,000 people are killed every year in crashes that involve an alcohol–impaired driver.”

The study also found that:

• Men were responsible for 81 percent of drinking and driving in 2010.
• Young men, ages 21–34, made up only 11 percent of the U.S. population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32 percent of all episodes of drinking and driving.
• Eighty–five percent of drinking and driving episodes were reported by people who also reported binge drinking. Binge drinking means five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women during a short period of time.

“Drunk driving is a public health problem with far–reaching effects,” said Linda C. Degutis, director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. “Drunk drivers, who have delayed reaction times and reflexes, put even the most responsible drivers and pedestrians in harm’s way. Public support to prevent drunk driving is strong. Thankfully, there are proven ways to protect everyone on the road.”

Proven, effective strategies to prevent alcohol–impaired driving include:

• Sobriety checkpoints: At sobriety checkpoints drivers are stopped to assess their level of alcohol impairment. According to the Transportation Research Board, more widespread, frequent use of these checkpoints could save about 1,500 to 3,000 lives on the road each year.
• Minimum legal drinking age laws: These laws prohibit selling alcohol to people under age 21 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Keeping 21 as the minimum legal drinking age helps keep young, inexperienced drivers from drinking and driving.
• Ignition interlocks: These devices prevent drivers who were convicted of alcohol–impaired driving from operating their vehicles if they have been drinking. Interlocks are effective in reducing re–arrest rates from drinking and driving by about two–thirds while the device is on the vehicle.

For more on driver safety, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

Maybe it’s happened to you. You end up at your destination and don’t even remember much of the drive. You jerk awake when you hear the rumble strips and realize the vehicle was drifting toward the shoulder. Drowsy driving is impaired driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year, driver fatigue results in 100,000 police-reported crashes, 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses.

Florida Rep. Alan Williams, District 8, sponsored the legislation that created the Ronshay Dugans Act in 2010, which designates the first week of September as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. This year’s theme is “You Snooze, You Lose: Don’t Drive Drowsy.”

“Ronshay lost her life after a driver crashed into the bus that she was riding,” said  Williams in a news release. “Her family shares their story about their loss so other families might be spared this tragedy. Drowsy driving can be eliminated with simple planning and a conscious decision to pull over when you know you are tired. We want everyone traveling Florida roads to arrive safely at their destinations.”

Who’s most at risk? According  to the NHTSA:

• Young people, especially males under age 26.
• Shift workers and people with long work hours. Working the night shift increases your risk by nearly six times; rotating-shift workers and people working more than 60 hours a week also are at higher risk.
• Commercial and long-haul drivers. About 15 percent of all heavy truck crashes involve fatigue.
• People with undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders are seven times more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.
• Business travelers who spend many hours driving or may be jet lagged.

Regardless of a driver’s vocation, age, sex, health condition or other characteristics, any driver can become overconfident and fall victim to drowsy driving. Measures that drivers can take to stay alert behind the steering wheel are:

• Get a good night’s sleep before driving. Good overall sleep habits will go a long way to prevent drowsy driving.
• Take a companion on long trips. Not only will you have someone to share the driving and help keep you awake, but you’ll be able to save energy by carpooling too.
• Schedule regular breaks, about every 100 miles or every couple of hours.
• Do not consume alcohol and avoid medications that cause drowsiness.

For more on traffic safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but also the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said FHP Director, Colonel David Brierton, in a news release. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work and dozens of other expenses. Do not take the chance. Our troopers will pull you over if you do not drive sober.”

The campaign encompasses the Labor Day holiday weekend, which begins Sept. 2. The holiday caps off the summer season for many, and historically travel increases with people driving to celebrate with friends and family.

All uniformed FHP personnel, including those normally assigned to administrative duties, will patrol interstates and other major state roads during the four-day holiday period. FHP Auxiliary troopers also will volunteer to augment the Patrol this weekend.

For the July 4 weekend, FHP troopers issued nearly 8,600 traffic citations and made 90 arrests for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs. They cited more than 3,200 drivers for speeding and nearly 1,100 for failure to buckle up. Troopers also investigated more than 900 crashes during the holiday period, including 12 crashes that resulted in 13 fatalities. Additionally, troopers assigned to commercial vehicle enforcement conducted 232 safety inspections on trucks.

Through the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, the Patrol aims to increase its presence throughout Florida in an effort to deter traffic violations and to enhance services to motorists who break down while traveling or who need other assistance.

Motorists can dial *FHP (*347) from a cell phone to contact FHP to report an aggressive or impaired driver or to request roadside assistance.

For more on traffic safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

Approximately 557 pedestrians were killed in Orlando between 2000 and 2009, according to a new report released this week by Transportation for America. Rounding out the top four in the nation are three other Florida cities: Tampa, Jacksonville and Miami. Total number of pedestrian deaths in Florida during that time was 5,163.

More than 47,700 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. between 2000 and 2009, and the majority of those deaths were preventable, according to the report. Total number of pedestrian fatalities for Volusia County during that period was 171, according to the report.

The report, “Dangerous by Design 2011: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths,” shows how roadway designs promoted by federal investment endanger people on foot.

Dangerous by Design also ranks America’s major metropolitan areas using a Pedestrian Danger Index that uses 10 years of data to assess how safe pedestrians are while walking. Other dangerous cities in the top 10 include: San Bernardino, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Memphis, Tennessee; Phoenix, Arizona; Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, Texas.

The report presents data on pedestrian fatalities and injuries in every U.S. county. And for the first time, this year’s report includes an online, interactive map showing the locations where pedestrian fatalities have occurred. Find that at t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011.

More than 688,000 pedestrians were injured over the decade, a number equivalent to a pedestrian being struck by a car or truck every 7 minutes.

The report finds that while only 1.5 percent of federal funds are allocated towards upgrading dangerous roads, 12 percent of all nationwide fatalities are pedestrians. Of these fatalities, nearly 4,000 were children 15 years and younger, making pedestrian injury the third leading cause of death by unintentional injury for that age group.

The majority of deaths occur on roadways that encourage speeding but do not provide the sidewalks, crosswalks, signals and other protections for people who are walking, the report finds. Most of these roads were built using federal transportation funds. The report comes as the federal transportation bill is being debated in Washington DC and calls to eliminate programs that can promote safer, more walkable streets have increased.

“Some in Congress have questioned the federal interest in keeping pedestrians safe, believing it to be a strictly local issue,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America, in a press release. “But two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities in the last 10 years occurred on federal-aid roadways.”

Dangerous by Design describes how communities across the country are beginning to reverse the legacy of 50 years of anti-pedestrian policies by retrofitting or building new roads as “complete streets” that are safer for walking and bicycling, as well as motorists.

“Dangerous by Design shines a spotlight on the dangers pedestrians – especially older Americans – face when they walk in unsafe crosswalks and along roads with little protection from fast-moving traffic,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President, in a press release. “With a rapidly aging population, AARP is renewing its call on Congress to pass ‘Complete Streets’ legislation, which will help ensure that our streets and sidewalks are safe for all Americans regardless of age or ability.”

Hispanics suffered an average pedestrian death rate 62 percent higher than that for non-Hispanic whites. Similarly, the average pedestrian death rate for African-Americans was 73 percent higher than for non-Hispanic whites. In addition, older Americans are over twice as likely to be killed while walking as those under 65 years of age.

Dangerous by Design outlines a roadmap for the future by which Congress can tackle the problems created by poorly designed transportation systems and create safer, more efficient cities for drivers and pedestrians alike. Of particular emphasis is developing transportation systems that take into account pedestrians and bicyclists, instead of viewing them as impediments to traffic.

“Investing to make our roads safer for pedestrians is not a frill, but an urgent matter of life and death in too many of our communities,” said Corless. “Federal programs that caused the dangerous roads to be built now must be reformed to help communities make them safer.”

Transportation for America’s recommendations for the next transportation bill to create safer streets include provisions to:

• Retain dedicated federal funding for pedestrians and bicyclists;
• Create complete networks of sidewalks, bicycle paths, and trails so that residents can travel safely throughout an area;
• Require federal, state, and local governments to set safety standards they must meet for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and motorists; and
• Hold states accountable for creating communities that are safe for walking.

For more on traffic safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

The survey of 1,500 drivers by Insurance.com reveals some disturbing news about driver safety, with many respondents admitting to behaviors known to raise the risk of deadly car accidents.

• Almost 9 percent admit to texting while driving
• About 30 percent talk on their cell phones while driving
• A shade over 39 percent eat or drink while driving.
• About 3 percent say they are shaving or putting on makeup
• Almost 2 percent are reading.

And the fact that drivers are candid enough to admit their bad behaviors offers a ray of hope, according to Bob Passmore, spokesperson for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, an industry trade group.

“If people admit to recognizing their bad behaviors, it’s the first step on the road to redemption,” he says.

Still, the relatively high number of people who confess to dangerous driving behaviors should trigger alarm bells for all motorists, according to experts.

Drivers absorbed in a cell phone conversation or who take their eyes off the road to reach for a soda or sandwich are at much greater risk of causing an accident, says Michael Barry, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute.

“Their ability to concentrate on the act of driving is severely impaired,” he says.

Passmore says drivers too often underestimate the danger of such behaviors.
“It really only takes one moment of distraction and you could end up in a very bad situation, and sometimes tragic,” he says.

In addition, the finding that one in 10 drivers has driven without any auto insurance – a practice that is legal only in New Hampshire – means other drivers need to take defensive measures to protect their finances, Barry says.

“Insured drivers ought to make sure their policies include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage,” he says.

Without such coverage, a driver struck by an uninsured or underinsured motorist might not be compensated for damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

For more on driver safety, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

Researchers compared the crash rates for teen drivers in two adjacent Virginia cities in 2007 and 2008. Results indicate that in 2008 the weekday crash rate for 16- to 18-year-olds was about 41 percent higher in Virginia Beach, Va., where high school classes began at 7:20 – 7:25 a.m., than in adjacent Chesapeake, Va., where classes started at 8:40 – 8:45 a.m. Results of the study appeared in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

There were 65.8 automobile crashes for every 1,000 teen drivers in Virginia Beach, and 46.6 crashes for every 1,000 teen drivers in Chesapeake. Similar results were found for 2007, when the weekday crash rate for Virginia Beach teens (71.2) was 28 percent higher than for Chesapeake teens (55.6).

In a secondary analysis that evaluated only the traditional school months of September 2007 through June 2008, the weekday crash rate for teen drivers was 25 percent higher in Virginia Beach (80.0) than in Chesapeake (64.0). An investigation of traffic congestion in the neighboring cities did not reveal differences that might account for the teen crash findings.

“We were concerned that Virginia Beach teens might be sleep restricted due to their early rise times and that this could eventuate in an increased crash rate,” said lead author Dr. Robert Vorona, associate professor of internal medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va., in a press release. “The study supported our hypothesis, but it is important to note that this study does not prove cause and effect. We are planning to perform subsequent studies to follow up on these results and to investigate other potential ramifications of early high school start times.”

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the average teen needs a little more than nine hours of sleep each night. However, chronic sleep restriction is a common problem among teens. During adolescence, a biological change shifts the typical onset of sleepiness later at night. This delay can make it a challenge for teens to get enough sleep when they have to wake up early for school.

Vorona says that starting high school later in the morning may promote driver alertness by allowing teens to get more sleep at night.

“We believe that high schools should take a close look at having later start times to align with circadian rhythms in teens and to allow for longer sleep times,” he said. “Too many teens in this country obtain insufficient sleep. Increasingly, the literature suggests that this may lead to problematic consequences including mood disorders, academic difficulties and behavioral issues.”
Israeli researchers, reporting in the same issue of the journal, say pushing back school start times by just one hour appears to improve teens’ mental functioning.

Their study of eighth-graders found that the 14-year-old students were more attentive and made fewer mistakes when school started one hour later. The students got about 55 minutes more sleep and did better on tests requiring attention, the researchers found.

Vorona’s study involved data provided by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles The researchers report that the two adjoining cities have similar demographics, including racial composition and per-capita income.

Further analysis by time of day found that, in the morning, the teen crash rates peaked when students would be commuting to school, from 7 a.m. to 7:59 a.m. for Virginia Beach and 8 a.m. to 8:59 a.m. for Chesapeake. Teen crash rates were highest in the afternoon hours, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Virginia Beach, where schools dismissed at about 2 p.m., and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Chesapeake, where schools dismissed between 3 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

For more on traffic safety, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

Total ATV-related injuries in 2009 decreased 2.4 percent from 2008, the third consecutive decline in total number of deaths since 2006, which accounts for a total 16 percent decrease during that period. In 2009, there were 376 reported ATV-related deaths and an estimated 131,900 emergency room treated injuries.

The CPSC also reported that the risk of injury per 10,000 four-wheel ATVs in use declined by five percent from 2008 to 2009. This is the eighth straight year that injury risk for ATV riders has decreased – a downward trend that the CPSC also describes as statistically significant – and it is now lower than at any time since CPSC began calculating this injury risk in 1985. Four-wheel ATVs have become increasingly popular with the number of vehicles in use more than tripling since 1998 to over 10.5 million.

“The commitment of the member companies of the ATV Safety Institute (ASI) to rider education, parental supervision, and state legislation is reflected in the continued decline of ATV injuries and fatalities as reported by the CPSC,” said Paul Vitrano, executive vice president of ASI, in a press release. “Since 1984, the major manufacturers and distributors of ATVs in the United States have worked closely with the CPSC to implement ongoing safety initiatives.”

Learning to drive an ATV can be challenging, experts agree. Many deaths and injuries occur when an inexperienced driver loses control of an ATV, is thrown from an ATV, overturns the vehicle, or collides with a fixed object or a motor vehicle. Good ATV training teaches new drivers how to handle multiple off-road riding situations.

That is why the ATV Safety Institute this year began offering a new version of its internationally-recognized ATV RiderCourseSM in select states, including Florida. Leveraging ASI’s award-winning ATV e-Course online education program, the new ATV RiderCourse will reach more riders because students will have the flexibility of taking half the course in their homes and at their own pace. A new riding skills development component complements the knowledge and judgment obtained online.

Students choose one of three age-appropriate modules, which include riding-experience videos from a first-person point of view, animation, and interactive learning exercises and quizzes to self-test knowledge gained. Users can bookmark the course, take a break at any time and resume later from where they left off.

After completing the e-Course, the riding component teaches students riding skills on a controlled training range.  Riders will learn about pre-ride inspection, starting and stopping, quick turns, hill riding, emergency stopping and swerving, riding over obstacles, protective gear, local regulations, places to ride and environmental concerns.

Experienced ATV drivers (with more than one year of experience) have a much lower risk of injury than relatively new drivers. Training can help bridge that gap. Yet, less than 10 percent of all ATV drivers and only about one-quarter of new drivers receive professional training.

While the ATV industry is committed to the safety of its customers, more than 92 percent of ATV-related injuries involve one or more behaviors that the industry strongly warns against in its rider education programs, in all of its literature and on the vehicles themselves.

ATV enthusiasts and their families are urged to follow the ATV Safety Institute’s Golden Rules:

1. Always wear a DOT-compliant helmet, goggles, long sleeves, long pants, over-the-ankle boots, and gloves.
2. Never ride on paved roads except to cross when done safely and permitted by law – another vehicle could hit you.  ATVs are designed to be operated off-highway.
3. Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
4. Never carry a passenger on a single-rider ATV, and no more than one passenger on an ATV specifically designed for two people.
5. Ride an ATV that’s right for your age.
6. Supervise riders younger than 16; ATVs are not toys.
7. Ride only on designated trails and at a safe speed.
8. Take the ATV RiderCourse and the free online e-Course. Visit ATVSafety.org or call 800.887.2887.
For more on traffic safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.

In the wake of multiple state bans on caffeinated alcoholic beverages and an U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning to four companies to remove their products from the marketplace, an article published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine delineates the scope of the public health problem and suggests areas of research that might help address it.

“Although several manufacturers of caffeinated beer have withdrawn their products from the market, there is no sign that young people have decreased the practice of combining alcohol and energy drinks,” commented lead author Jonathan Howland, PhD, Department of Community Health Sciences and Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston University, in a press release. “Critically, (caffeinated alcoholic beverages) may increase alcohol-related risks in a number of different domains, but have been subject to very little systematic research.”

As part of the study, Howland had 129 people ages 21 to 30 drink alcohol with or without caffeine. Thirty minutes later, they were tested in a driving simulator. Their driving ability was worse, and the caffeine made no difference. So Howland says: “If you’re intoxicated – whether you have caffeine or not – you shouldn’t be driving. Your performance really falls apart.’’

The article provides 44 references gathered from newspapers, magazines, and the scientific literature showing the current understanding of the effects of stimulants combined with alcohol.

One study found that bar patrons who consumed these drinks had a three-fold risk of leaving the bar highly intoxicated, compared to those who consumed alcohol without caffeine, and a fourfold risk of intending to drive after leaving the bar.

Another compelling study concluded that students who consumed these drinks had approximately double the risk of experiencing or committing sexual assault, riding with an intoxicated driver, having an alcohol-related accident, or requiring medical treatment.

The root of the problem may have started with so-called energy drinks.  Depending on the brand, these beverages contain several stimulants, primarily caffeine, but also guarana, taurine, and sugar derivatives.  Of the 577 caffeinated beverages listed on the Energy Fiend website in 2008, at least 130 contained more than the 0.02 percent caffeine limit for soft drinks imposed by the FDA.

Combining these energy drinks with alcohol became popular when marketers promoted the perception that energy drinks counteract the sedating effects of alcohol and related impairment and suggested that caffeine will increase enjoyment by allowing one to party for a longer time. According to a 2006 survey, 24 percent of college students reported mixing energy drinks with alcohol in the past month.

For more on traffic safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach personal injury lawyer.

For more than two decades, the researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say, activists lobbying against universal helmet laws have cited a small study suggesting that, in the event of a crash, the weight of a helmet could cause significant torque on the neck that would be devastating to the spine.

But results of the new study, published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, shows that helmeted riders were 22 percent less likely to suffer cervical spine injury than those without helmets. The study reviewed and mined the National Trauma Databank, looking through information on more than 40,000 motorcycle collisions between 2002 and 2006.

“We are debunking a popular myth that wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle can be detrimental during a motorcycle crash,” says study leader Dr. Adil H. Haider, an assistant professor of surgery at Johns
Hopkins, in a press release. “Using this new evidence, legislators should revisit the need for mandatory helmet laws. There is no doubt that helmets save lives and reduce head injury. And now we know they are also associated with a decreased risk of cervical spine injury.”

Even with what researchers say are mountains of evidence that helmets reduce mortality and traumatic brain injury after a collision, many states, including Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas, have over the past
15 years repealed their mandatory helmet use laws after lobbying from motorcycle riders, Haider says.

Anti-helmet lobbyists often cite a 25-year-old study which found more spine injuries in helmet wearers. That study, has been criticized by many, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
because of flawed statistical reasoning. “Additionally, helmet technology has significantly improved since that time — now helmets are much lighter but even sturdier and more protective” Haider says.

Forty years ago, Haider says, nearly all states required helmets for motorcyclists of any age in the United States. Today, helmets are mandatory for all riders in only 20 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

Motorcycle use has risen sharply over the past 10 years in the United States. Since 1997, motorcycle injuries in the U.S. have increased by roughly 5,000 per year and motorcycle fatalities have nearly doubled, according to the new journal article.

Haider’s study, like many others before, found a reduction in risk of traumatic brain injury in helmet wearers (65 percent) and decreased odds of death (37 percent). But the new paper, Haider says, is the
strongest evidence yet that helmets significantly reduce cervical spine injury, which can result in paralysis.

For more on traffic safety, see the car injury library of articles by Daytona Beach car accident attorney.