The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in the United States has just published a report titled, “Measuring Cognitive Distraction in the Automobile.” https://www.aaafoundation.org/measuring-cognitive-distractions The report, based on research led by David Strayer from the University of Utah, concludes that many activities that don’t require the use of hands still pose a significant cognitive distraction that […]
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Practice informed by research: Successfully crossing the divide
As injury prevention researchers, one of the eternal struggles we must overcome is how to use our research to inform both practice and policy. Needless to say that my heart was gladdened today when I read an evidence-based protocol for a study designed to reduce alcohol-related injuries in the Northern Territory of Australia. You would be hard-pressed to find someone, […]
Marijuana and driving: How much is too much?
Two U.S. states, Colorado and Washington, have recently legalized the recreational use of Marijuana and both are struggling with the question of how much is too much when it comes to Marijuana and driving. Colorado and Washington have both recently passed legal limits for tetrahydrocannabinol or THC in the blood at 5 ng/ml but Washington’s […]
People in the news: Carolyn Coggan receives Order of Merit
As the Otago Daily News proclaimed, “Injury prevention expert honoured” The article went on to explain that Carolyn was “A health professional who has dedicated her career to injury prevention”. In recognition of her many accomplishments, she has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health. Carolyn was involved in […]
Malnutrition: Another form of injury that can be prevented
This week my attention was drawn to the Save the Children’s report “Food for Thought: Tackling child malnutrition to unlock potential and boost prosperity” (read more at http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-df91d2eba74a%7D/FOOD_FOR_THOUGHT.PDF). As I read this report, I had to reassess exactly what I believed injury to be. The most basic definition of injury is damage or harm which is inflicted […]
Valuable resource
Herb Linn, who I believe is Assistant Director for Outreach at West Virginia University Injury Control Research Ctr, has begun posting bi-weekly Injury Prevention Research, Practice & Policy News on the INJURY_PREV_NEWS@listserv.wvu.edu. I assume any readers of this blog can arrange to receive these (and other) valuable items on this listserve. I cannot reproduce an example of what […]
Suicides in the U.S. among 35-64 year olds from 1999-2010
Earlier this month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released one of their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports highlighting statistics from the National Vital Statistics System that suggests that the suicide rate among adults age 35-64 years of age in the country have increase significantly from 1999-2010. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6217a1.htm?s_cid=mm6217a1_w During […]
The ‘other’ benefits of peer review
Editors note: Over the last few years peer review is often much maligned. I am still a believer — at least until something clearly superior comes along. Apart from the obvious benefits to Journal (and their are editors), many believe peer review also helps authors and even the reviewers themselves. The following is the concluding […]
Experts concerned over the car safety features in Brazil
Rafael Consunji shared an interesting news feature on passenger car safety standards in Brazil written by Bradley Brooks of the Associated Press (Link: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-impact-cars-made-brazil-deadly-180411170.html). Brooks in his feature, based on experts’ opinions, indicates that passenger cars made by the international automakers in Brazil lack standard safety features, which they usually provide in the cars […]
High-income is not necessarily associated with better road safety performance in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
There is an interesting relationship between national income and road safety that becomes apparent when going through the second global status report on road safety (GSRRS). Numerous studies have shown that the wealth of a country is one of the major determinants of road fatality risk. One study by Koptis and Cropper (2005) showed that, […]