In 2001, the late Ron Davis (then North American editor of the BMJ) and I wrote an editorial in the BMJ announcing that the publishing group would no longer permit the use of the word ‘accident’ when the intended meaning was ‘injury’. This was greeted by a storm of criticism in letters to the editor […]
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Who pays for injuries sustained by college athletes?
On Sunday, March 31st, the US college basketball world was shocked when Louisville’s Kevin Ware suffered a very serious compound fracture of his right tibia during play in the NCAA college basketball tournament. The injury was gruesome and left many of the players standing around on the court shocked and woozy as they tried to […]
A small first step toward meaningful gun control
The Governor of Connecticut has signed a gun-control bill that includes a strengthened assault weapons ban. The pens he used to sign the bill were distributed to parents of children massacred at Newtown in December. In signing the Governor note that “When 92 percent of Americans agree that every gun sale should be subject to a […]
Honda’s new safety package
Honda Motor Co. has developed an “accident” avoidance support system that will be bundled into an enhanced safety package. While driving at less than 30 kph, the “City-Brake Active System” gives audio and visual warnings when the system recognizes a high risk of collision by a laser radar installed in the upper part of the front […]
Hot water scalds – a horrific injury that can be prevented
Hot water scalds are horrific injuries, and heartbreakingly this is an injury that is commonly sustained by young children. This topic is particularly close to my heart, as many years ago my infant cousin was hospitalised after his older siblings knocked a saucepan of boiling water off the stove-top and it splashed all over his back. […]
$12 million from Bloomberg to support gun control
Efforts to advance gun control legislation in the United States are stalling. Even in the state of Connecticut, where the Newtown shootings took place, legislative efforts to address gun related violence haven’t gone anywhere. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/nyregion/connecticut-still-working-on-gun-law-frustrating-some.html?src=xps It is amazing to see how the political will to address the issue of gun violence has lost energy so […]
Enlist Chelsea’s support in battle against DWI hit and run tragedies
Editors note: I suspect some readers will have a deja vu reaction to this story because a) drunken hit and runs are disgustingly commonplace and b) I am a supporter of Louis V. Lombardo and have used his material before. Once again, I urge you to visit his site,www.CareForCrashVictims.com . This is his email, verbatim. Today’s […]
Call for EU accident and injury data system
Morag Mackay, now at Eurosafe, sent me this interesting notice: “On the occasion of the 15th European Consumer Day, a coalition of twenty-eight European umbrella organisations are issuing a Joint Call appealing to the European Institutions and the Member States to create an EU-funded accident & injury data system under the co-ordination of the European Commission. Earlier this […]
Department of good news-bad news
Today on FairWarning (an excellent site, btw) there was a good news announcement that the governor of Colorado signed a bill restricting firearms. As of July 1, background checks would be required for private and online gun sales and ammunition magazines holding more than 15 rounds would be banned. That is the good news. The bad […]
Distracted Driving
A recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights survey results that reveal 69% of Americans between the ages of 18 to 64 had talked on a handheld cell phone while driving within the last 30 days. In addition, 30% admitted to texting or emailing […]