Health 5.1.1 Study: Personal Safety

disease

A condition that disrupts the structure or function of a living thing.

attention

A directed focus of the senses and mind.

sleep deficiency

A disorder that is caused by not getting enough sleep or not getting quality sleep.

Traumatic brain injuries

About 1.7 million people in the U.S. sustain traumatic brain injury each year. About 52,000 people die from this type of injury. Falls cause about 35 percent of brain trauma cases. Car crashes cause 17 percent, and 10 percent results from violence. Brain injuries that cause confusion or a loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes are considered mild. However, they often result in long-term headaches, sensory problems, depression, and sleep problems. Injuries involving a loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes are considered severe. They can result in loss of attention, speech, understanding, and long-term memory, as well as temporary or permanent coma.

Riding a motorcycle is riskier than driving a car

An important part of safety is knowing the risks. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a motorcyclist is 30 times more likely to die in a collision than a person in a car. Nearly half of all motorcycle-related deaths occur when the motorcycle is the only vehicle involved. In 2010, half of the fatalities on motorcycles involved riding at high speeds. About 40 percent involved alcohol. Some motorcyclists lane-split while they ride. This practice of riding between lanes of vehicles can be dangerous. Being aware of the risks, maintaining safe speeds, and never drinking and riding are the first steps to safer riding.

Attention

Being in a risky situation requires attention and vigilance. Paying attention, or focusing the senses on one thing, requires doing only one task at a time. Think about driving a car or walking on a roof. Multitasking is never appropriate in these situations. Attention requires that all senses be directed on the task at hand. Your vision and hearing should not be impaired. Attention also requires sufficient sleep.

Young ATV riders

Children younger than 12 years old account for a disproportionately high number of injuries and fatalities from ATV use. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons notes that children younger than 12 do not have the body size and strength to control an ATV. Nor do they have the skills to operate them safely. It is recommended that no one under the age of 12 drive an ATV. It is also recommended that teens between 12 and 16 years of age be monitored by adults.

Diving

Diving or jumping into water can be a high-risk activity. Because of the color of water or the presence of silt in lakes and rivers, depths may be deceiving. There may also be sharp objects that protrude from the bottom. At night, you will not see obstacles that may have floated into a previously safe location. Jumps from greater heights carry greater risk of spinal injuries or collisions with objects on the bottom. Alcohol and drugs can cause you to have poor judgment about diving into water. If you dive, do it when sober and only into clear water.

Take a course to improve your riding skills

Good riding skills are another key to safety. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers courses on the elements of safe riding, including emergency maneuvers. Buying a motorcycle with an ABS (anti-lock braking system) will also make the bike much safer in an emergency stop. When riding, pay attention to other drivers. Never follow too closely. Watch the road conditions and keep an eye out for debris, potholes, or slick areas — the motorcycle will be more vulnerable to these conditions than a car. Avoid riding in the rain or snow, as the roads will be slicker.

Other injuries

Head and spine injuries can cause the greatest degree of long-term disability. Other injuries also have long-term effects. A majority of injured patients in a recent study reported they were at least somewhat limited in their daily activities after injuries to shoulders or arms, hips, knees, and lower legs. Many events that cause physical injury also cause psychological injury. Many traffic accident victims experience depression. They can also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. This is an anxiety disorder that happens after a traumatic event.

ATV injuries and fatalities

In 2009 there were about 700 deaths related to ATV use in the United States. In the same year, there were over 130,000 ATV-related injuries treated in the emergency room. About 13 percent of the fatalities were children under 16. Many of the deaths were children younger than 12.

Spinal injuries

In 2014, there were about 276,000 people living with spinal cord injuries in the United States. Car crashes led to 38 percent of the injuries. Falls accounted for 30 percent. Acts of violence accounted for 14 percent. Spinal injuries can result in complete or partial paraplegia. This is paralysis of the lower extremities. They can also cause quadriplegia. This affects the body function below the neck. Spinal cord injury shortens lives. People with spinal cord injuries often experience other health complications.

The effects of sleep deprivation are similar to those of alcohol.

In a recent study, individuals were deprived of sleep and then tested on their cognitive abilities and motor responses. The study found that staying awake for 17 to 19 hours (considered moderate sleep deprivation) produced results similar to those of people with 0.05 blood alcohol concentrations (BAC). Longer periods of deprivation produced results equivalent to 0.1 BAC. Other studies consistently show decreased performance in people who are sleep deprived.

Swimming alone

In addition to not swimming when you are impaired by alcohol or drugs, the best way to minimize swimming risks is to swim with a friend or have someone watch you. This is true for swimming in a pool or in open water. It ensures that both of you will have someone there to carry out a rescue or go get help if the other gets into trouble.

What are unintentional injuries?

Injuries that occur accidentally are called unintentional injuries. However, unintentional injuries do not happen without cause. They can often be avoided altogether. Unintentional injuries cause about two-thirds of all injury deaths in the United States every year. The most common unintentional injuries happen because of motor vehicle crashes, falls, fires and burns, drownings, poisonings, suffocation, and accidental gun discharges.

What are intentional injuries?

Intentional injuries often occur in situations that involve fighting, sexual assault, or gun violence. Intentional injuries can also be self-inflicted. Injury or death resulting from suicide attempts happens among teens and young people. Military veterans and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people are also at risk. Self-harm can include hair-pulling, cutting, and other behaviors. Eating disorders can also be a form of self-injury.

Stopping

Knowing when to leave a risky situation is also an important skill. You need to be able to make that decision when you know you may lose attention or make an error in judgment. Have you seen transport trucks pull over to the side of a road so a driver can nap? Have you seen a car pull into a rest stop to wait out a storm? These people looked at the situation and made a choice to reduce their risk (and the risk to others).

ATV laws

Laws regulating ATV use vary by state. Many require riders to wear helmets and safety glasses. Some require a child to be 14 or 16 years old before operating an ATV unsupervised. Others require that the operator take a safety course. The focus of these laws has been to increase safety for operators — and especially children. However, in many cases, the limitations on age or licensing apply only to driving on public lands or roadways.

Ocean swimming

Ocean waters have strong currents that can carry a swimmer away from shore. An average of 50 people drown this way each year. If you swim in the ocean, know the currents and swim with a companion. If you are caught in a current, swim at right angles to its force. Because they are never very wide, you will swim out of the current.

Preparation

Recognizing that you will soon be in a risky situation means you can prepare ways to reduce risk. To be prepared, wear protective gear, remove sources of interference and distraction, and get adequate sleep. Do not drink alcohol or take certain drugs.

ATV safety

Safety recommendations for ATVs include always wearing a helmet. Gloves and heavy boots also reduce the risk of injury. ATVs should not be driven on paved roads. In addition, ATVs should not be driven at high speeds or after dark. As with all motor vehicles, do not ride an ATV under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

How do social norms affect intended injuries?

Social norms are involved in creating risk as well as reducing it. Attitudes about fighting and sexual assault in the media and in social groups influence a person's behavior. Choosing responsible friends is one way to reduce your own risk of intentional injuries. Speaking out against social norms that promote violence is a step toward changing those norms and reducing risks for others.

Insufficient sleep results in injuries

Studies have found a connection between sleepiness, the amount of sleep a person had in the past day, driving in early morning hours, and the likelihood of a car crash. A study in the United States also found that increases in school violence were linked to insufficient sleep. Other studies have found relationships between insufficient sleep and workplace accidents. It's clear that sleep deprivation causes decreases in attention, judgment, and motor response. This leads to injuries.

Insufficient sleep is more common than many people think

The amount of sleep a person needs depends on his or her age. School-age children need 10 hours of sleep per night. Teenagers need nine to 10 hours per night. Adults need seven to eight hours per night. Surveys find that many people do not get enough sleep. Between 2005 and 2007, 30 percent of U.S. adults reported getting less than six hours of sleep. In 2009, only 31 percent of high school students reported getting at least eight hours of sleep on weeknights.

Driving a car above the speed limit increases risk in several ways.

The energy of a car increases with its speed. In fact, driving twice as fast increases the destructive energy of an impact by a factor of four!

recognition

The first step in avoiding risk is recognizing situations that are inherently risky. Common sense is one guide. For example, it's pretty clear that it's safer on the ground than on the roof of a house. Statistics are another guide. Car crashes cause many more deaths and injuries than commercial airline flights. Recognizing risky situations allows you to avoid them when possible and prepare for those you can't avoid.

How does individual behavior affect intended injuries?

The situations that lead to violence are usually more complex than those leading to unintentional injury. This is because violence is not always related to unintentional injury. For this reason, changing your individual behavior is often not enough to avoid risk. Avoiding drugs and alcohol will reduce the potential for violence. Seeking help for anxiety, depression, and eating disorders will reduce the risks of self-inflicted injury.

How does individual behavior affect unintended injuries?

There are some behaviors that reduce the chance of unintended injuries. For example, you can drive at a reasonable speed, swim with a buddy, avoid alcohol, wear protective clothing, and eliminate distractions in most situations. These all sound like common sense. But they can be difficult to carry out in real life. Safe behaviors usually require preparation, awareness of a situation, and discipline.

How do social norms affect unintended injuries?

There are some unwritten, generally accepted rules of society that regulate our behavior. These rules are called social norms. Texting while driving is one example of a social norm that can lead to an unintentional injury. For this reason, many cities and states have passed laws to help change this social norm. Soon, it will be the norm to not text while driving. Other social norms might help you avoid an unintentional injury. For example, it is a social norm for adults to have a designated driver when they are planning on drinking alcohol at a party. The designated driver avoids alcohol so that they can drive everyone home safely.

Unintentional injuries aren't deliberate.

They don't happen on purpose

Wear a helmet to prevent head injuries

Wearing adequate safety equipment while riding a motorcycle is important. What you wear will be the only thing between you and the road or another vehicle if an accident occurs. Safety equipment includes a certified helmet and eye protection. Riders without helmets are three times more likely to suffer brain injury in a crash. You should also wear reinforced clothes that will protect you in the event of a high-speed fall. Choose bright colors, since many accidents occur when car drivers don't see a motorcyclist.

The most important safety equipment for riding an ATV is

a helmet

About 40 percent of all fatalities on motorcycles involve

alcohol

One way to dramatically increase risk while driving is to

drive above the speed limit

About half of motorcycle fatalities involve

excessive speed

Distracted driving may be caused by texting. Failures in judgment can occur due to

impairment

Living a long and healthy life

involves more than avoiding disease.

Wearing a seat belt

is a controllable risk factor when driving a car.

Cars are just one type of vehicle that can be risky to operate

it requires great attention to safety. Learn more about riding this type of vehicle.

If you woke up at 7 a.m. and kept up your activities throughout the day without any sleep, you would begin to show significant signs of moderate sleep deprivation by

midnight

Wearing a mouth guard is appropriate when

playing soccer

In addition to the physical injuries caused by car crashes, many car crash victims also suffer from

post-traumatic stress syndrome

If you are driving and beginning to drift in and out of your lane because of drowsiness, the best strategy is to

pull over and take a nap

The worst long-term consequences from injury result from

spinal injuries and traumatic brain injury.

The appropriate action to take if you are drowsy while driving is to

stop driving

A rider of an ATV is much more likely to be injured or killed if he or she is

under 16 years old

the fourth-most common cause of death is "accidents," or unintentional injuries.

unintentional: Happening or being done in a way that was not planned.

Wearing hearing protection is appropriate when

using a chain saw

Wearing eye protection is appropriate while

using chemicals