Red means stop, right? That’s a driving basic. But Americans’ flouting of a fundamental traffic regulation — the red light — is costing more lives than it has in a decade. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that two people die daily in vehicle wrecks involving the running of a red light, NPR….
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Launch 2019 safe and healthy: Don’t drive while distracted or under the influence
Don’t be tempted over the next few days of new year’s revelry to drive while distracted or intoxicated — whether under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or prescription drugs. It’s a myth that the start of the year is the deadliest time for motorists across the country. But Jan. 1, statistically and without great explanation,….
Continue ReadingWith road deaths already a concern, a new spotlight shines on bad tires
With the nation’s road toll rising in already alarming fashion, Uncle Sam may need to step up information campaigns and even reconsider regulation of a greater than believed vehicle risk: aged and decaying tires. FairWarning, an independent investigative news site, and road safety advocates deserve credit for dogging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)….
Continue ReadingIs there a doctor aboard? While flying this summer, you may hope so
With tens of millions hopping on jets to get to summer vacation destinations, it’s worth noting that medical emergencies aloft aren’t as rare as many travelers might imagine — and it may be beneficial if a doctor happens to be aboard when the need arises. The nation’s top doctor, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, of….
Continue ReadingWith more legal pot and a raging opioid crisis, deadly drugged driving spikes
There’s been a deadly side to the nation’s opioid drug abuse crisis and increasing number of states’ legalization of marijuana: A leading safety group says the number of drugged drivers killed in car crashes is rising dramatically. The Governors Highway Safety Association reported that 44 percent of fatally injured drivers tested for drugs had positive….
Continue ReadingFor bicyclists and pedestrians, new risks from unsafe drivers and dirty air
As traffic snarls grow and public transit headaches multiply, commuters in the nation’s capital and elsewhere may be deciding to be healthier and to hoof it or pedal their way to work. But other folks aren’t making alternative means of transportation safer or better for pedestrians or bike riders. Hit-and-run crash deaths are soaring across the….
Continue ReadingCommon sense needs to rule the roost in accommodating support animals
All critters great and small may be adorable and adored, but some extreme and unsupported claims for the mental health benefits that pets bring may be launching a needed correction in how so-called emotional support animals get accommodated in public spaces. It would be tough to make up this story, much less explain why a….
Continue ReadingAs fatalities and wrecks rise, experts call for crackdown on booze and driving
Politicians and policy-makers can’t ignore the rising number of vehicular deaths, and they must crack down fast and hard on the increasing road toll associated with alcohol abuse. At the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a blue-ribbon expert group has examined not only the overall increase in road deaths — to 37,461….
Continue ReadingAs bad 2017 ends, So. Calif. wildfires put yet more big stress on public health
The clock may be counting down to 2017’s end but Mother Nature isn’t giving up on whipping up calamities that wreak havoc on parts of the nation’s health care system and millions of Americans’ well-being. After swaths of the country were inundated by hurricanes and flooding, the West Coast is now battling yet more huge….
Continue ReadingExperts wave red flags about health harms tied to road warriors’ hard travels
Tens of thousands of Americans will hit the skies in the next few days, struggling to squeeze in that last bit of business before the holidays shut down 2017 opportunities. Are these business travelers harming their own health? The New York Times has put up an interesting report on the ubiquity and stress of business-required travel,….
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