Posted on February 14, 2013 in Farm Accidents

Agriculture occupations continue to have one of the highest fatality rates in the nation. In fact, farming jobs have a workplace fatality rate eight times higher than all other work industries combined.

In 2011, 557 agriculture work fatalities and thousands of injuries were reported among farm, forestry and fishing workers. The high risk of fatal farm accidents has been a concern for many working in the agriculture industry. Making matters worse, a majority of agricultural worksites are not regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

In addition to 85 percent of agriculture workplaces not having OSHA enforcement, they also don't have to report information about non-fatal workplace injuries to federal agencies. This creates a very unsafe environment for farmers because workplaces may not be following OSHA safety regulations and may be putting workers at risk for suffering a serious or fatal injury.

While it is disappointing that farm workers continue to have the highest fatality risk, there may be some good news for future safety programs in the agricultural industry. There is a government program that focuses on agricultural, forestry and fishing (AgFF) safety that started in 1990. The AgFF program currently has nine offices throughout the country that research and educates these industries about injury prevention as well as farm safety for children.

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 Posted on February 07, 2013 in Car Accidents

Obese drivers are more likely to die in car accidents compared to drivers who are not overweight or obese, according to a new study by the Emergency Medicine Journal. Obese drivers are more at risk for being killed in car accidents because passenger vehicles do not protect these passengers as well as normal weight passengers.

The study found that the risk of death increased depending on a person's body-mass index (BMI). People considered morbidly obese were 80 percent more likely to be in a fatal car accident compared to normal weight people.

Researchers said that vehicle design may be one of the main contributing factors in why obese drivers are more likely to die in car accidents. They said that vehicles are designed to protect normal weight passengers but may be ineffective in protecting overweight or obese passengers. The study cited inappropriate vehicle design, bad fitting seat belts and underlying health problems in obese passengers as the main reasons they are involved in more fatal car accidents.

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 Posted on January 31, 2013 in Car Accidents

Illinois will now allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses. The new law creates temporary visitor driver's licenses for these immigrants. The governor said the law will help increase public safety throughout the state as well as promote national immigration reform.

Supporters of the new law say that thousands of immigrants drive and travel on Illinois roads every day. Allowing undocumented immigrants to receive training and their driver's license will make them better drivers, keep Illinois roads safer and even prevent car accidents.

The driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants will have a purple border on the top of the license to identify that they are legally allowed to drive. The temporary visitor driver's license is only available for people who have valid proof of car insurance.

Below is the list of requirements for individuals seeking a temporary driver's license:

• Submit to facial recognition software.

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 Posted on January 16, 2013 in Car Accidents

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is targeting hybrid and electric vehicles in an attempt to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the U.S. The NHTSA and safety advocates say that many pedestrian and bicycle accidents have been caused by people not hearing hybrid and electric vehicles approaching.

To make hybrid and electric vehicles safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, the NHTSA recently proposed a rule that would require these vehicles to make more noise. The safety organization proposed that hybrid and electric vehicles should be required to meet a minimum sound standard. The vehicles would have to emit a noise loud enough to alert pedestrians and bicyclists near the vehicle to help prevent accidents.

Safety concerns were raised after more pedestrian and bicycle accidents involving hybrid and electric vehicles were reported. To address the safety concerns, the noise requirement was proposed for these vehicles when travelling slower than 18 miles per hour.

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 Posted on January 09, 2013 in Farm Accidents

Farm accidents are still prevalent on American farms despite safety initiatives and precautions to prevent accidents. Tractor accidents are the leading cause of injuries and fatalities for farm workers, according to the National Safety Council.

Why are tractor accidents so common? Many workers are not aware of the hazards when using a tractor and not all farm companies make sure their workers are trained on proper safety practices and precautions to take while working on a tractor.

Farming accidents are all too common and incidents involving tractors are still the biggest hazard for farm workers who use tractors on a daily basis. Anyone who uses a tractor while working on a farm is at risk to be injured by one of the most common dangers posed by tractors.

Workers and employers should be aware of the four most common types of tractor accidents listed below and what safety precautions to take to prevent serious injuries:

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 Posted on January 04, 2013 in Car Accidents

A new study has found a scary statistics: one in 24 adults in the U.S. admitted that they have fallen asleep while driving. Health officials believe that this number could actually be higher because many drivers may nod off for only a few seconds while driving and not know that they did.

According to the study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four percent of adults said they had fallen asleep or nodded off while driving at least once during the past month. The study was done in 19 states during 2009 and 2010.

The study found that drowsy driving or falling asleep while driving was more common among males, drivers between 25 and 34 and individuals who got less than six hours of sleep on an average night. The study also found that more drivers in Texas admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel.

Roughly three percent of fatal car accidents are attributed to drowsy driving, according to government reports. However, other studies have claimed that up to 33 percent of fatal accidents could be a result of drowsy or sleeping drivers.

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 Posted on December 27, 2012 in Car Accidents

Last year, an estimated 35,000 people were killed in car accidents in the U.S. Despite safety features and regulations for auto manufacturers, fatal car accidents still continue at an unusually high rate. A study by the co-founder of the Center for Injury Research is trying to figure out why vehicle safety features are not reducing fatal car accidents.

The study found that many car accident fatalities occur because of current auto safety tests using a crash test dummy that does not accurately represent a majority of American drivers. The study found that if vehicles used different sized crash test dummies, auto manufacturers would know what safety features and improvements to make to decrease fatalities caused by car accidents.

Crash test dummies were based off volunteer Navy soldiers roughly 45 years ago, according to the study. The volunteer sailors were supposed to hold their head and neck as stiff as they could to resist movement during a crash. Airbags and other safety features in vehicles were modeled after these test results.

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 Posted on December 19, 2012 in Car Accidents

Male pedestrians better watch out when crossing the street. A new study found that male pedestrians who are hit by vehicles are twice as likely to die compared to female pedestrians in the U.S.

In the U.S., roughly 12 percent of victims of traffic fatalities are pedestrians, according to a new study by the West Virginia University School of Public Health and Injury Control Research Center. The researchers sought to find answers as to why men are twice at risk to die after a pedestrian accident.

Unfortunately, the findings of the study did not pinpoint any surprising or significant factors that were not already found by previous studies.

The study found that male and females in the U.S. usually walked the same average distance every day. Recent police crash reports cited that males had a higher risk of being hit by a vehicle while walking, but the report did not cite reasons why.

After researchers gathered reports and data on pedestrian accidents throughout the country, statistics showed that male pedestrians are 2.3 times as likely to die after being involved in a vehicle-pedestrian accident. Researchers were not able explain specific reasons but they did explain a few common rationalities for the increased risk.

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 Posted on December 17, 2012 in Articles

Crossing central Illinois, Interstate 55 connects the Chicago metro with St. Louis. Over the holiday season, the corridor sees an increase in truck and passenger vehicle traffic. A recent tragedy near Litchfield provides a reminder to take care over the next few weeks as more people hit the roads to be with family.

The accident occurred on November 26, while an Illinois State Police trooper was completing a routine traffic stop. A passing semi tractor-trailer struck the trooper as he stood along the side of the road. The trooper died at the scene of the accident. The section of highway was closed off for much of the day, so that law enforcement could investigate what happened.

This is the same area of the Interstate where several other accidents have occurred this year. In May, a school bus rear-ended a stopped truck injuring many students. Also, a Megabus blew a tire and hit a bridge, which killed one passenger and injured others.

As the investigation uncovers the cause of the most recent accident, criminal charges could be filed against the driver of the semi truck. Even if the driver did not violate any laws, he could have been negligent in failing to change lanes.

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 Posted on December 12, 2012 in Car Accidents

Distracted driving is one most common causes of car accidents in the U.S. The increased use of technology and Americans constantly having their cellphones nearby has only made distracted driving more dangerous.

A new study by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers researched just how much cellphones are used in everyday life. The findings were not all that surprising but the impact it has on distracted driving has caused reason for concern.

The study found that 70 percent of Americans have their cellphone within reach at all times, including when they are sleeping. Sixty-one percent of Americans check their cellphones every hour. The scariest finding: 90 percent of American drivers keep their cellphone in their hand, lap, cup holder or passenger seat while they drive.

With cellphones being so widely used by drivers, what exactly are drives using their cellphones for? The study found that 33 percent of drivers use their cellphone to search the web, 30 percent are sending or receiving text messages and 67 percent are using GPS or navigation programs on their phone while they drive.

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