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Motor Vehicle Crashes

No one ever plans to be in a motor vehicle crash (MVC). Yet every day, over 100 people die in crashes and more than 1,000 suffer serious, often life-changing, injuries.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, motor vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of death for children and young adults ages 5 to 24, the #2 cause of death for adults 25 and older and for toddlers. Crashes are also the #1 cause of workplace fatalities.
 
Tips to help prevent Moter Vehicle Crashes (MVC)
 
Avoid Distracted Driving
Don’t do anything that takes your attention aware from the task of driving. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Texting
  • Talking on a phone
  • Grooming (i.e. putting on make-up, shaving, etc.)
  • Scrolling through radio stations
  • Surfing the web
  • Reading a map, newspaper, etc.
  • Interacting with passengers (i.e. handing things to people in the back seat, arguing, etc.) 
Don’t Drive While Impaired
Consuming alcohol, prescription medication, over the counter medication or illegal drugs greatly increases the chance of being in a motor vehicle crash.
  • Alcohol and many drugs slow your reaction time
  • Medications and alcohol alter your perception
  • Alcohol and many medications make you drowsy and/or cause you to lose consciousness 
Avoid Drowsy Driving
Driver fatigue is the cause of approximately 100,000 police-reported crashes each year.
  • You are most likely to feel fatigued from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. 

Slow Down
Speeding is a factor in approximately 33% of all crashes.
  • No meeting or appointment is worth a life.
  • Speeding isn’t a problem only on major highways. In fact, a high percentage of crashes occur on minor roads, where there is more “stopping and starting.” 
Know When it's Time to Stop Driving
The risk of a crash increases for drivers older than 75. Check out resources from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine if driving is the best option for older loved ones. 

Seat Belts Save Lives! They are your best protection against injury in an MVC.
  • Wear your seat belt PROPERLY
  • Air bags help reduce injury, but only when used in conjunction with seat belts.
Secure children safely
The best way to protect children in the car is to put them in the right seat and use it the right way.
  • Children from birth to 2 years: rear-facing car seat until age 2 or when they reach the upper weight or height limit of that seat
  • Age 2 up to at least age 5*: forward-facing car seat until at least age 5 or when they reach the upper weight or height limit of that seat
  • Age 5 until manufacturer seat belt fits properly*: booster seat until child is approx 57 inches in height
  • Children no longer need to use a booster seat once seat belts fit them properly.
    • Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt lays across the chest (not the neck)
  • Children ages 12 and under should ride in the back seat.
  • Never place a rear-facing car seat in front of an active air bag.
*  Recommended age ranges for each seat type vary to account for differences in child growth and height/weight limits of car seats and booster seats. Use the car seat or booster seat owner’s manual to check installation and height/weight limits. 
 
Don’t become a statistic! Practice safety habits!
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