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Imagine paying $242 billion each year because people continue to drive dangerously. That's the annual cost of traffic accidents in the U.S. according to the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (AHAS), which released its 17th Annual Report “2020 Vision for Safety.” Key findings include that approximately 100 people are killed each day and almost half of them were not properly restrained.
Go Safe Labs released a report of the cities with the highest rate of traffic accidents in the country and the winner is Houston, which remains on top with 22,188 accidents in 2019, even after a 12.1% decrease from 2018.
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The safest bicycle helmets ... Virginia Tech has tested and rated bicycle helmets with the goal of determining which ones best reduce concussion risk. The ratings are "the culmination of over 10 years of research on head impacts in sports." You will find them here.
Our I'm Safe! On My Bike and Walk and Bike With Me activity books are just two of many included in this month's 10% to 15% off special; both teach the hows and whys of helmet use and proper bicycling behavior.
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Protecting the public from counterfeit and knockoff child restraints ... Safe Ride News announced a timely session on noncompliant child restraints that will be presented at the Lifesavers Conference in March. This hot topic encompasses a wide range of examples from the field, which are described in their article, "Calling Out Fakes, Knockoffs, and Imposters." (More tips on how to spot counterfeit car seats may be found here.)
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Exciting potential breakthroughs to diagnose and treat TBIs were recently released: a study of the benefits of eye-tracking and the use of growth hormone therapy as a treatment for symptoms. These could potentially cover two of the most complicated aspects of traumatic brain injury: 1) difficulty determining how badly someone will be (or is) affected by the injury and 2) how best to treat the damage.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Raise awareness with these affordable materials; the price includes complimentary branding for your organization.
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Why Dog Bite Prevention Week matters (April 12-18) ... Every year in the U.S. approximately 4.7 million dog bites result in 800,000 people seeking medical care. About half of the victims are children, mostly between the ages of 5 and 9, according to the AVMA. For the most recent dog bite statistics, visit dogsbite.org. For an overview of the data, most troublesome breeds and prevention, see "Dog Bite Statistics in the U.S."
Teaching children and adults to read a dog's body language can prevent bites; we can help you pass along the message with our dog bite prevention and pet safety materials, which are 10% off this month.
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Juul is so last season.. but unfortunately that doesn't mean that teens have lost interest in vaping. They are just switching brands. The fast-enacted laws still allow flavors in disposable e-cigarettes, which are often cheaper and have more nicotine than the Juul brand.
March 15-21 recognizes Inhalants Awareness and Poison Prevention Weeks – do you need bookmarks, palm or pledge cards on vaping or opioids? Let us know.
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As the 2020 Prom season gets closer ... Now is a good time to coach new prom parents on ways to keep their teenagers safe. Every year, Westchester County gears up their multi-faceted effort to keep students safe and sober, including handouts that are worth a look.
To help raise awareness among teens and parents, I'm Safe offers prom safety materials that can be customized for your program at no additional charge.
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Update on immunity for those who break into vehicles to save children ... Nebraska is working on legislation to provide immunity to anyone who breaks into a vehicle to save a child. Only 21 states have passed laws allowing for this since 2014, even though the last two years have seen the highest number of heatstroke deaths on record for children who were left in a vehicle. As part of the national effort to combat these tragedies, National Heatstroke Prevention Day has been moved from July 31st to May 1st.
Be sure to ask us about the new Park. Look. Lock. window clings and information cards (so new, they are not on the web site yet).
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There's no reason safety messages can't be fun and memorable, as many DOTs are discovering. Georgia recently held a contest for various highway safety campaigns and the people of Georgia held nothing back when it came to sharing how they felt about risky driving. Have a laugh and be inspired.
If you need traffic safety materials to spread your message, let us know or take a peek at our collection.
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The number of THC-related accidents has doubled in the five years since Washington state legalized recreational marijuana, according to an AAA study. This is on track with an original assessment done shortly after the law was passed. In 2017, 21% of drivers in accidents involving fatalities in the state had THC in their systems.
Has your state recently legalized marijuana? Here are educational materials that can be customized to reflect the laws in your state.
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Is it finally time to set speeds based on safety rather than driver behavior? The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) will be recommending a different approach to assigning speed limits to city streets. The safe speeds would be based on a two-factor matrix that takes into account the activity levels of any given street as well as how they are used.
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Alcohol is an often-unreported factor in deaths even though it played a role in 2.6% of deaths in 2017 and is on the rise. Between 1999-2017, deaths for females rose by 85% and for men by 35%, affecting people across all ages and races. Alcohol can influence general health, accidents, overdoses and injury.
For events taking place during Alcohol Awareness Month in April, there is plenty of time to customize materials for your state.
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