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Persons who have suffered a traumatic brain injury have a much higher risk of developing dementia down the road.  A new study not only underscores this fact, but also determines that changes in vascular cells can affect the onset of dementia in persons who have suffered a brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries often occur in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and slip and falls.

For decades now, scientists have been aware that suffering a brain injury significantly increases the risk that a person will develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease down the road.  However, recent studies have  identified the exact molecular mechanism behind the personal injury that can bring about dementia earlier. In this new study, scientists discovered that alterations to the vascular smooth muscle cells lead to an increase in the build-up of proteins called amyloid beta, which are strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. What the scientists found even more surprising is that even younger persons who are typically not at risk of dementia suffered a similar increased risk, supported by the vascular muscle cell changes following the brain injury.  The researchers concluded that understanding the changes to the vascular cells  is crucial to understanding how trauma can impact dementia risks and circumventing  or mitigating those risks all together.

Brain injuries can result in a significant number of changes in a person’s mental and physical health.  Even a moderate brain injury can result in cognitive challenges,  memory problems,  difficulties in concentration and attention,  impaired motor skills and a number of other challenges that make it difficult for the person to live a normal life. All of these difficulties make it hard   for the person to be productive or earn a living.  Working even a routine job can become challenging.  For example, motor coordination problems can manifest in a large number of brain injury victims, and these can significantly impact the victim’s earning potential if he is working in a manual job, or one that requires dexterity.

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With hopes for a complete elimination of traffic accident wrongful deaths over the next decade fading swiftly away,  the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is calling for the adoption of a more practical and achievable short term strategy towards the attainment of the goal. Given the number of wrongful deaths which occur in car accidents, any reduction will be welcomed.

“Vision Zero” is a policy that originated first in Sweden where it was adopted by that country’s parliament with the goal of eliminating all auto accident wrongful deaths and bringing the total number of people being killed in car accidents down to zero over the next decade.  That idea caught on quickly around the world as many governments announced their own plans for reducing car accident wrongful death numbers in their countries.  The US too was quick to adopt the idea.  The US Department of Transportation  laid out the policy in detail in its National Roadways Safety Strategy in 2022. That policy outlined the framework of a plan to help eliminate the number of car accident wrongful deaths on our roads through a number of strategies, including better roads,  safer vehicles and better drivers.

However, progress towards achieving zero fatalities has been very slow or minimal at best.  In fact, the goal seems to be getting further and further out of reach.  In 2022, for instance, the year in which the administration announced the National Roadways Safety Strategy, more than 42,500 people died in auto accidents across the country. That was an increase of nearly 30% from 2014,  a mere 8 years earlier.

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It is no secret that American SUVs and pick up trucks are extremely popular on our roads and highways.  However, a  new study seems to indicate that super-sized vehicles are not necessarily safer for their occupants,  while becoming even more dangerous for occupants of other vehicles in car accidents with them.

Americans have long preferred larger vehicles, not just because of their looks and style, but also because they are believed to be safer in auto accidents.  To  a large extent, this is true.  A  large Chevrolet Suburban, for instance, packs a greater punch, and offers much greater protection to its occupants in the event of an auto accident, compared to a smaller  passenger car like a  sedan.  The bigger bulk means less damage to the vehicle in the case of an accident, and a lower risk of blunt force trauma to the occupants. This is why these cars are considered ideally suited for high-risk groups like teenage drivers.

Unfortunately, cars on American streets are becoming much bigger and bulkier.  Giant cars that are almost double the height of smaller sedans are fairly common now on our roads.  A new study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety finds that while the increasing size of cars makes them more dangerous to the occupants of other vehicles on the road,  it does not necessarily mean greater protection for the occupants of the large vehicle.  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, in the case of occupants of vehicles that were lesser than the fleet average in weight, the fatality risk was lower with every 500 pounds of additional weight.  In the case of vehicles that were heavier in weight than the fleet average, the protection to occupants was not necessarily higher. In fact, there was barely any drop in the risk of wrongful death for the occupants of these super -sized vehicles.

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It is no secret that American SUVs and pick up trucks are extremely popular on our roads and highways.  However, a  new study  seems to indicate that super-sized vehicles are not necessarily safer for their occupants,  while becoming even more dangerous for occupants of other vehicles in car accidents with them.

Americans have long preferred larger vehicles, not just because of their looks and style, but also because they are believed to be safer in auto accidents.  To  a large extent, this is true.  A  large Chevrolet Suburban, for instance, packs a greater punch, and offers much greater protection to its occupants in the event of an auto accident, compared to a smaller  passenger car like a  sedan.  The bigger bulk means less damage to the vehicle in the case of an accident, and a lower risk of blunt force trauma to the occupants. This is why these cars are considered ideally suited for high-risk groups like teenage drivers.

Unfortunately, cars on American streets are becoming much bigger and bulkier.  Giant cars that are almost double the height of smaller sedans are fairly common now on our roads.  A new study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety finds that while the increasing size of cars makes them more dangerous to the occupants of other vehicles on the road,  it does not necessarily mean greater protection for the occupants of the large vehicle.  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, in the case of occupants of vehicles that were lesser than the fleet average in weight, the fatality risk was lower with every 500 pounds of additional weight.  In the case of vehicles that were heavier in weight than the fleet average, the protection to occupants was not necessarily higher. In fact, there was barely any drop in the risk of wrongful death for the occupants of these  super -sized   vehicles.

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Enforcement of traffic laws, including those against drunk driving and speeding, need to be a major part of any auto accident prevention program by state and federal governments. These are the types of traffic law violations which lead to very serious car accidents resulting in catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

The role that traffic enforcement can play in accident prevention tends to be a controversial topic.  However, a recent piece in The Atlantic calls for increasing traffic enforcement in order to help reduce the number of people involved in serious auto accidents.  The article refers to experiments in other states that have chosen to decrease traffic enforcement,  consequently leading to an increase in the number of car accidents and accident – related catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths in these states.

Many car accident prevention programs these days focus heavily on the role of  road design in preventing car accidents.  However, there are many types of accidents that are not impacted or hindered by optimum road design.  For example, a large part of the spike in auto accident wrongful deaths in recent years is linked to the increase in the number of car accidents occurring at night.  Many of these auto accidents are speeding- related car accidents or drunk driving auto accidents that have very little to do with road design. These accidents are often connected to low levels of traffic enforcement.  Simply put,  if these speeding drivers and drunk motorists are fined for violations and taken off the streets, we are more likely to see a decline in car accident numbers.

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There has been plenty of evidence – driven  research into the effects of alcohol on a person’s auto accident risks, but not nearly as much effort has been put into investigating the impact of marijuana or cannabis on a person’s driving abilities. There is a significant likelihood that the use of marijuana may increase the risk of car accidents since it may slow reaction time.

Millions of Americans use marijuana.  According to some statistics, in 2023 more than 61 million Americans  admitted to using marijuana at least once in the past year. Those numbers have been rising  steadily over the years.  In 2013, only about 7% of adult Americans admitted to using marijuana.   By  2023, approximately 15% of all Americans admitted  to using marijuana. Many states have also legalized the use of marijuana,  and have found a   significant impact on their car accident rates since the legalization of the drug.  While Georgia does not have laws that allow the use of marijuana, the state does see thousands of car accidents every year caused by people who are driving under the influence of cannabis.

Researchers say that with the growing use of marijuana across the country, it is important to investigate the amount of the drug that a person can have in his system before it begins to affect his driving abilities. There is much that we know about the impact of alcohol on a person’s driving abilities and this is the reason why we have laws that make it illegal for persons to operate a motor vehicle when they have more than the allowed blood alcohol concentration.  In all 50 states, including Georgia, that limit is 08.  There has been no such intensive research into the amount of marijuana that can seriously affect a person’s driving abilities.

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For decades, pedestrian safely experts have advocated the wearing of reflective pieces of clothing in order to make pedestrians more visible to motorists.  However,  new studies seem to suggest that these reflective clothes make pedestrians not -so – visible to accident prevention technologies.

Reflective clothes are recommended for pedestrians to make them visible to motorists in low visibility conditions.  If you are out walking at night, you should be wearing neon – colored or reflective materials on your clothes that can help motorists see you.  That also goes for bicyclists and highway workers, especially at night and in other low visibility conditions.  In fact, experts also recommend that bicyclists stick reflective tape on their vehicles to make them even more visible in the dark. All of these measures have always been considered an effective way to prevent auto accidents.

However, a new study seems to suggest that these reflective clothes could actually render these people invisible to automated crash avoidance systems.  Collision avoidance technologies are available on a majority of American cars now with most automakers now offering vehicles that come with these technologies. In the new study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, researchers studied the effect of cars that come with accident prevention technology and their ability to identify pedestrians walking at night.  The researchers used dummy pedestrians in the study, with some of these dummies wearing standard black clothing while others had reflective clothing on. The researchers found to their surprise that the technology caused the vehicles to slow down when the dummy was dressed in black clothing and actually failed to slow down the automobile when the dummy was dressed in reflective clothing.

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A new study confirms a direct link between sleep apnea and an increased risk of being involved in car accidents. Of course, car accidents are a major cause of catastrophic personal injuries.

The  study was published recently in the journal Otolaryngology –  Head and Neck Surgery. Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person’s respiratory airways are blocked several times during the night.  The muscles of the throat can become relaxed while the person is asleep, blocking the flow of oxygen into the lungs.  This can cause the person to wake up over and over again,  and can contribute to decreased and disturbed sleep.  Persons who suffer from sleep apnea may find themselves very fatigued and drowsy the next day because of the interrupted sleep the previous night.

In the new study, researchers focused on more than 2.8 million people who suffered from sleep apnea.  The study sample included at least 700,000 persons who used CPAP machines to cope with their symptoms and another 12,000 people who had undergone surgery to correct their symptoms.  The researchers found in their analysis that out  of the persons who had surgery to correct their sleep apnea,  approximately 3% ended up being involved in a car crash. Among the persons who used CPAP machines, at least 5% were involved in auto accidents.   Approximately, 6% of the persons who took no treatment at all for their sleep  apnea were involved in  car accidents. Being untreated for sleep apnea was linked to a higher chance of being involved in a car accident with people who underwent no treatment for sleep apnea having a 21% higher risk of being involved in car accidents.

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Older males have a three times higher risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury, mainly in slip and fall accidents.  That information comes from an analysis of 2021 brain injury data which also found that certain racial demographics also have higher rates of brain injury.

The analysis was based on data from the National Vital Statistics System which found that there were approximately 69,473 deaths due to brain injury in 2021.  Men bore the overwhelming brunt of these personal injuries with a majority of persons who suffered fatal brain injuries being adult males above the age of 75.  Men are as much as three times more likely to suffer a fatal traumatic brain injury compared to women.  That makes a lot of sense when you consider that slip and fall accidents are one of the top causes of brain injury in the United States.

The  analysis also found that demographic groups like American Indians or Native Alaskans have a much higher risk of suffering traumatic brain injury  compared to other racial groups, with the two most common causes being suicides and slip and fall accidents  More than 37,000 traumatic brain injury-related wrongful deaths in the analysis were the result of slip and fall accidents, auto accidents, being hit on the head by an object and other such traumatic incidents.

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With treacherous weather and road conditions this winter, the Georgia Department of Transportation has been working overtime to keep roads safer for motorists and to help drivers understand the various auto accident risks they face while driving.

Driving conditions in Georgia have become progressively worse in December as winter has set in, making roads slippery and covering them with treacherous black ice. Black ice is a very dangerous condition that often results in auto accidents every winter. Transportation officials are warning motorists to look out for black ice, especially as they travel over bridges and overpasses.  Look  out also for fallen trees or power lines,  due to stormy and windy conditions this winter.

The Georgia Department of Transportation also wants motorists to know that department dump trucks will be dumping salt and gravel on icy roads. If you see one of these trucks, avoid following too close to the truck.  The  tires might kick up gravel that could actually shatter your glass, injuring you or your passengers.  Instead, leave a gap of at least 100 feet between your vehicle and the truck.

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