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States like Georgia that have universal motorcycle helmet laws in place see fewer wrongful deaths in motorcycle accidents compared to states that do not have such laws. The findings of a new study seem to confirm this conclusion. Hopefully, studies of this nature will encourage states without mandatory motorcycle helmet laws to make changes to their laws.

The results of the study were published recently in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.  The researchers compared motorcycle accident fatality rates in North Carolina, which requires all motorcycle riders and passengers to wear helmets, with the rates in South Carolina which only requires motorcyclists below the age of 21 to wear helmets.  The researchers   found in their analysis that motorcycle accident wrongful death rates were lower when the state mandated helmets for all, regardless of age or motorcycling experience.

Not only did wearing motorcycle helmets lead to a much lower chance of being killed in motorcycle accidents, but it also reduced the risk of serious   personal injuries in a motorcycle accident.  The researchers found that when the state mandated universal motorcycle helmet usage, the risk of serious injuries was significantly lower with just about 25% of motorcyclists wearing helmets admitted to the ICU for injuries sustained in the accident. In contrast, close to 40% of non-helmeted motorcyclists required admission into an ICU for treatment after the accident.  Not only were they more likely to be admitted into an ICU after suffering an injury in an accident, but they were also more likely to require longer hospitalization, compared to those who were wearing a helmet at the time.

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Thousands of people suffer spinal cord injuries  in car accidents every year. Technologies and therapies that make use of sensors and impulses in order to trigger movement point to the way forward in spinal cord injury treatment.   A recent study also broke new ground in this field.

The experiment was conducted on 17 persons who had no spinal injury. These persons were made to wear special fitting headgear that measured their brain impulses. They were asked to extend their legs or think about extending them.  The researchers then recorded brain waves to identify when a subject moved his leg and intended to move his leg.

The researchers found that the brain waves were very similar in both the actual movements as well as the imagined movements. Using these electrodes, the researchers were able to identify when people were thinking about moving their leg even when they were not actually doing so, based on the brain waves recorded. These people were able to move their legs just by thinking about moving it, helped by the triggering of electrical impulses in the spinal cord.

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With the increase in the number of driverless cars on our roads,  there has been concern about the safety aspect of these vehicles, especially with Tesla’s spotty accident record with these cars.  However, new data seems to show that Waymo driverless cars have a much better track record when it comes to safety.

Waymo recently published the results of a research paper which shows that the company’s driverless cars were involved in fewer auto accidents, compared to human-driven cars.  The results were based on data involving more than 57 million incidents, compiled regardless of who was at fault in the accident.  The analysis of the data found that even compared to human drivers,  Waymo driverless taxis were involved in 92% fewer number of car accidents involving pedestrians. That’s encouraging news for transportation safety officials who have been looking for ways to reduce the number of pedestrians being killed in car accidents.

Waymo  taxis also  performed better in auto accidents involving  motorcyclists   and bicyclists.  There  were  82% fewer car accidents resulting in injuries involving motorcycles or bicycles and Waymo cars. There were also 96% fewer intersection accidents involving Waymo cars, and 85% fewer  auto accidents involving serious injuries.

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While a Congressional hearing considers the safety impact of daylight savings time changes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is calling on lawmakers to focus on reducing the risk of car accidents involving pedestrians after sundown. Car accidents involving pedestrians often involve very serious personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

It is no secret that pedestrian accident risks increase significantly during low visibility conditions like during night time.  A person’s risk of being struck by a car is far higher when he or she is walking in the dark, compared to when he or she is walking in the daytime.  There have been congressional hearings recently to analyze the impact of daylight savings time changes on both motorists as well as pedestrians, and simultaneously, calls from some quarters to eliminate daylight savings time changes altogether, because these changes increase car accident risks. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is calling on lawmakers to focus on a much broader issue instead  – the fact that both motorists  as well as pedestrians are at risk during low visibility conditions, regardless of daylight savings time changes.

Low visibility simply makes it harder for motorists to see pedestrians in time to avoid hitting them.  For this reason, it is important for pedestrians to avoid walking in the dark as much as possible.  If you must walk around after sundown, make sure that you are wearing reflective clothing that makes it easier for drivers to spot you.  Avoid basic mistakes like walking around in dark-colored clothing.  Reflective fluorescent jackets and hats are the ideal clothing to wear in the dark.  Look into reflective tape that you can fix on your clothes. Remember, the more visible you are, the more likely a  motorist will see you in time to avoid hitting you.

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Using a smartphone while behind the wheel of a car significantly increases your risks of being involved in an auto accident.  However, your smartphone is also likely to come with technology that actually reduces the risks of a car accident, but most motorists do not use this important technology.

Many smartphones now come with technology that reduces the distractions that come with using a smartphone in the first place.  For example, many smartphones now come with “Do not Disturb” features that drivers can activate when they begin driving to avoid having to deal with answering phone calls and replying to text messages while driving.  Such technology is proving to be very useful.  In fact, a new study published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that this technology can be very helpful in reducing distractions and preventing auto accidents.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety conducted the survey and found that younger drivers, who are much more likely to use smartphones while driving, are also the most likely to be aware of such technologies in their smartphones.  Older drivers are not as likely to be familiar with Do not Disturb features and other apps that can help eliminate distractions at the wheel.  However, far too many drivers continue to drive without activating these technologies in their smartphones.

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The state of Georgia recently allocated $2.5 million for personal injury and car accident prevention efforts across the state in the form of several grants.

We definitely need greater investments in the field of auto accident and personal injury prevention in order to help reduce the number of people fatally or seriously injured in auto accidents every year.  That means investments in awareness and education campaigns, planning and infrastructure, updating of records and databases, and updates to existing medical and emergency care systems.  The recent grants announced in Georgia target several different areas that have long required attention.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has announced an investment of more than $1.7 million in the Injury Prevention Program’s Child Occupant Safety Project. This program promotes the safety of child passengers in automobiles across Georgia, helping provide car seat installation advice and guidance to thousands of parents and caregivers across the state. Child passengers are some of the most vulnerable passengers in any auto accident, and this grant will provide more funds to make sure that training is available not just to parents, but also to medical and health care professionals, emergency responders, firefighters and law enforcement officers.  The goal is to make sure personal injuries to these vulnerable passengers are minimized or avoided all together.

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Seatbelts are the single most effective piece of life-saving equipment in modern automobiles,  helping protect thousands of motorists against severe personal injuries in car accidents every year.   Researchers at Emory are making good use of a grant to study seatbelt usage rates in Georgia and how they can be expanded.

Researchers at the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory received a grant of more than $300,000 from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The grant has been made to encourage researchers to monitor seatbelt usage rates across Georgia and track the rates of distracted driving. Understanding these issues will provide researchers the information they need to develop strategies to increase seatbelt use thereby preventing auto accidents.

Seatbelt usage rates in Georgia are on the higher side, but could always be better.  According  to the researchers, seatbelt rates in Georgia increased from 87.6% in 2023 to 88.8% in 2024. Georgia motorists have gotten better at buckling up over the past few decades, thanks to the awareness efforts of transportation authorities and strict enforcement of existing seatbelt laws.  However, there is always room for improvement.  Seatbelts are the first line of defense against major personal injuries when a person is involved in a car accident.  A person who is safely buckled in is less likely to be smashed against the windshield or against the interior of the car, thereby making it less likely that he or she will sustain serious or life-threatening personal injuries.

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In 2023, according to statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 3,000 people were killed in car accidents caused by   distracted drivers.  The month of April is dedicated to commemorating the importance of preventing these car accidents, and is the right time to learn how best to protect yourself against these auto accidents.

According to statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2023, 3,275 people were killed in distracted driving-related car accidents.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration includes a number of activities under the term “distracted driving”. These activities include texting and talking on the cell phone while driving, adjusting the radio, taking selfies,  applying makeup, smoking and drinking while driving.

The large number of wrongful deaths that are caused each year by distracted drivers in auto accidents is the reason why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration dedicates a special month as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  This April, you are likely to see more content on social media and around you dedicated to making people understand the dangers of being distracted while driving, and encouraging motorists to avoid using their cell phones and avoid distractions while behind the wheel. You are also likely to see more law enforcement officers enforcing Georgia’s laws against using cell phones while driving.

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The medications that you are currently taking could increase your risks of being involved in an auto accident. Since car accidents are a major cause of severe personal injuries, it is important to evaluate the medications you are taking to determine if they increase your risk of an accident. If so, you may wish to adjust your driving habits to reduce the risk of being in an accident and suffering injuries.

Most medications come with little or no drowsy driving risks.  Many of them, however, do include risks that can affect a persons’ driving abilities, and patients may remain unaware of the dangers of using these medications, especially when they operate a motor vehicle. Some medications are widely known to have drowsiness- inducing properties.  For instance, anti-allergy medications or those that are used to treat common colds and coughs may come with ingredients that increase a person’s sleepiness and make him feel lethargic.  A person using these drugs is much more likely to cause an accident if he is driving a vehicle while under the influence of the drug. Medications that include codeine and hydrocodone, for example, are strongly linked with drowsiness and fatigue.

Apart from cold medications and antihistamines, many Americans now take a wide range of medications to treat a variety of conditions.  There has been an explosion in lifestyle conditions, and millions of Americans now take beta blockers to treat heart disease and cardiovascular conditions. Beta blockers can cause symptoms like giddiness, dizziness and extreme tiredness that could prove dangerous when the person is behind the wheel.  Anti-anxiety medications, antipsychotic drugs as well as anti-depressants are also strongly linked to drowsiness.

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Symptoms of a mild brain injury, including confusion and memory loss, can continue to linger in a person up to a year after he has suffered a personal injury. The duration of brain injury symptoms may have a significant impact on claims arising out of automobile accidents or other personal injury matters.

Those findings related to lingering symptoms of mild brain injuries came from a recent study that was conducted on a group of young athletes. The findings of the study were published in the journal Neurology.   The study found that young athletes who had suffered a concussion continued to show signs  of the injury in their brain scans for months after the injury had occurred.  Some of those signs continued to linger for up to a year after the injury. While the findings pertained to young athletes, the same can certainly occur for persons who suffered mild brain injuries in a car accident.

These findings specifically pertain to the long -lasting effects of  a mild brain injury on young athletes,  but we have known for a while that brain injuries – even mild ones – can have long lasting effects.  A brain injury can occur whenever there is any kind of significant jolt or blow to the head or skull.  A brain injury does not have to result in loss of consciousness or even swelling or bleeding  for it to result in impact.  Concussions, for example, are some of the mildest brain injuries, and typically occur in an auto accident or slip and fall accident involving a blow  to the head. However, they can result in symptoms that include loss of consciousness for a few minutes,  memory loss,  confusion, and disorientation.

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