A study conducted by an insurance company that specializes in coverage specialties for the military indicates that motor vehicle accident rates have increased 23 percent for post-deployment Army service members and 12.5 percent for Marines. Accidents involving Navy service personnel rose three percent, with a two percent rise seen for returning Air Force members.
]]> USAA, a major insurer of military policies, based its findings on a study of 171,000 deployments and 158,000 of its members during a three-year period ending in February 2010. The study determined that many soldiers continued to drive in the style that kept them alive in war-zone areas in Iraq and Afghanistan. The soldiers were involved in a higher number of car crashes once they returned home and continued the driving technique on domestic highways and roads nationwide, including in North Carolina.Soldiers are trained in driving techniques in order to avoid improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that are planted along roadways and set to explode in combat zones.
USAA determined that soldiers returning from deployment saw various objects along the roadway and associated them with IEDs which was a major cause of car accidents involving soldiers once they returned home. Soldiers who had been deployed three or more times reported 36 percent more incidents, while soldiers deployed twice experienced a 12 percent increase in accidents.
Source: Reuters, "Returning soldiers have more car crashes: study," Ben Berkowitz, April 24, 2012
]]>Moreover, it decreases just as dramatically when the teen driver is absent his or her friends and is accompanied, instead, by a passenger 35 years or older. In that case, the risk of a fatal car crash plummets by an eye-opening 62 percent.
]]> There is an interesting irony at work in the numbers that spells a clear dichotomy. On the one hand, fatal motor vehicle accidents involving teen drivers have fallen considerably across the country over the past decade, a decrease that safety experts readily attribute to the graduated drivers' license programs operative to some extent in every state, including North Carolina. On the other hand, though, a large number of deadly crashes that do occur commonly feature one recurring element - one or more passengers under 21 in the vehicle, with no older adults present.In other words, graduated licensing requirements are working, but considerably less so when a teen driver has friends in the car.
What to do about that?
"Graduated licensing laws are really good, but we rely on the parents to be the ones enforcing them," says Jonathan Adkins. Adkins is a spokesperson for the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents highways safety offices in all states.
The advice that is strongly rendered to parents and guardians of teen drivers is this: Watch your kid closely and keep on talking. Seek to ensure that he or she drives with as few other teens in the car as possible and, instead, with a more experienced driver as passenger.
Source: Washington Post, "Study: A teenage driver's risk of dying in a crash goes up sharply with other teens in the car," May 8, 2012
]]>The consensus response of many medical experts to the term, though, is something more akin to aversion and concern with the rationale of defensive medicine and what fundamentally underlies it.
Growing numbers of medical commentators and doctors themselves say that too many physicians too often prescribe a barrage of tests and diagnostic procedures -- many of them unnecessary -- to show that they are being proactive and to avoid later charges of medical malpractice for failure to diagnose or some other act of medical negligence. Some critics cite, too, the wasteful spending involved, which benefits no one involved - except perhaps the doctor.
]]> A new trend is clearly emerging in response to that, with groups of doctors banding together in medical-specialty societies and publicly releasing lists of the tests and procedures they say are most commonly ordered up in their fields. One such group -- a society composed of nearly 400,000 doctors in specialties including cardiology, oncology and family medicine -- has created a campaign called Choosing Wisely and is partnering with consumer groups to get that information in the public domain.Other such groups are expected to follow with their lists and advice concerning what questions patients should ask their doctors concerning treatments and tests.
Medical experts say that some of the most commonly over-ordered tests include EKGs for low-risk heart patients, chest X-rays before most surgeries, antibiotics that are automatically prescribed by many doctors when sinusitis is mentioned, and CT scans in some instances where an ultrasound is equally effective and less invasive.
Source: Albany Times Union, "5 questions you should ask to avoid overtreatment," May 4, 2012
]]>Large trucks are, flatly, among the largest and heaviest of all vehicles that ply the nation's roadways, and crashes involving them -- in North Carolina and everywhere else across the country -- are always a sobering concern.
]]> Owing to that, federal safety regulators have always closely scrutinized a commercial trucker's readiness and ability to safely operate his or her tractor trailer or other large rig.Several of our past blog posts have highlighted the concerns and regulatory efforts of U.S. Department of Transportation officials regarding interstate commercial haulers. We have informed our readers, for example, of proposed and final rules concerning hours-of-service regulations, sleep apnea and a host of other considerations that apply with singular force to commercial truckers.
A new one has just surfaced, with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announcing a final rule concerning doctors across the country who perform medical examinations on interstate truckers and clear them to drive.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will have oversight over the rule and the certification process that will now be required for medical professionals performing examinations.
The rationale for the rule centers on a strong regulatory belief that commercial drivers are, in a word, different from most motorists in that they operate comparatively larger vehicles requiring special training and skill, are on the road for more hours and with unique scheduling pressures.
Safety officials think that these differences require a medical professional well attuned to such factors and other stressors facing truckers.
Thus, going forward, and by May 2014, it is expected that all doctors working with interstate truck and bus drivers will have undergone special training and remain in full compliance with federal standards, and that all commercial drivers will be examined only by a certified physician.
Source: The Trucker, "DOT announces national medical examiners final rule," April 18, 2012
]]>North Carolina nursing homes are not immune from that critique. A recent inspection of 24 selected homes in states affected by disasters -- including North Carolina -- reveals that emergency plans required by the federal government for all nursing home facilities are often viewed as not much more than guidelines, with many homes continuing to be vulnerable in the event of a natural disaster.
Cited areas of concern include these: inadequate transportation; lack of coordination with local emergency networks; insufficient record keeping to keep track of patients and their medications; an inadequate process for notifying residents' relatives; and the actual emergency plans themselves being incomplete, hard to locate and not well known or understood by staff members.
Regulators think that in itself is a recipe for disaster, and they want the existing federal requirements beefed up by specific Medicare and Medicaid directives concerning emergency planning and training.
Not a single home inspected met the government recommendation to have a one-week supply of drinking water available onsite.
Source: USA TODAY, "Big gaps found in nursing homes' disaster plans," Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, April 16, 2012
]]>But perhaps more concerning is the revelation that licensing courses, which are supposed to increase education and decrease the time it takes to get a motorcycle license, aren't successful in reducing motorcycle crash rates. In fact, they may even increase the risk of an accident.
]]> As summer approaches in North Carolina and the riding season gets underway, motorcyclists should be cautious of the risks they pose to themselves as well as the hazards of other new motorcyclists on the roadways. A motorcyclist in his or her first 30 days of riding is four times more likely to get in an accident than is the case in the entire second year of riding.Experts say inexperience is a big factor, since motorcycle riding is more complex than some riders may think.
Insurance claims records show that 57,000 collision claims in the United States between 2003 and 2007 were for accidents occurring less than 30 days after the insurance policy became active. That rate dropped by one-third in the second month and by two-thirds after the first six months.
The most dangerous type of motorcycle is the supersport bike, which can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour.
Source: The Republic, "Motorcycle crash risk drops sharply after the first month on the road," Michael Virtanen, April 15, 2012
]]>Thomas Richard Jones, now 54, was drinking and on prescription drugs the night of September 4, 1996, when his car slammed into another vehicle carrying six Wake Forest students. Two of those students -- 19-year-old females and sophomores at the university -- died in the crash. Three others were seriously injured.
]]> Jones had already struck one other vehicle that night and had been in seven prior accidents. His driving record contained some 20 violations, including a previous drunk driving conviction.That personal history, coupled with the tragic outcome that evening and the prosecution's decision to charge Jones with first-degree murder, put a national spotlight on the case.
In a 1997 trial, Jones became the first person in North Carolina to be convicted of first-degree murder in a DWI case. The state Supreme Court subsequently vacated that conviction, ruling that an impaired driver cannot be prosecuted on a first-degree murder charge, which requires a showing of intent to kill. The court ordered a new trial in 2003, at which Jones pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
The prosecutor at the first trial, Vince Rabil, points to what he calls the "dramatic impact" that the case has had on DWI laws in other states.
Others simply say that they remember the victims well and continue to honor their memories.
"You just hope and pray ... that this doesn't happen to anyone else," says a former classmate who helped to start a scholarship in their names.
Source: Winston-Salem Journal, "Figure in landmark impaired-driving case leaves prison today," Michael Hewlitt, April 11, 2012
]]>That would be banning cell phone use entirely within city limits, hands-free or not. Starting June 1, Chapel Hill police can fine you $25 for engaging in a conversation on a phone in your car.
This is a big deal and comes with the enthusiastic endorsement of traffic regulators and safety groups across the country. The Chapel Hill town council decided that it's the conversation itself as much as the holding of a phone that raises car accident risks.
]]> "Just holding the phone is not what is making you drive poorly, it's the conversation," says council member Penny Rich.The National Transportation Safety Board lauds the move and hopes other municipalities across the country will follow it.
It is not without critics, though, and it is not devoid of a little confusion. Some business owners in Chapel Hill say that their livelihood depends on their being able to communicate with customers and clients while driving. Nonprofit groups that help the poor and elderly say that they, too, sometimes need to field calls while on the road.
Local officials aren't swayed by that discontent, telling people to simply pull off the road if they want to talk.
Enforcement, too, could be an issue. A state assistant attorney general told the town's attorney that the ordinance is pre-empted by state law on cell phone use and could be construed as unenforceable.
The ban will be operate as a secondary offense, meaning that a driver cannot be pulled over and ticketed for talking unless a police officer first notes another driving offense, such as speeding
Source: Fox News, "North Carolina town plans to ticket drivers for any cell phone use," Brooks Blanton, April 13, 2012
]]>Source: Forbes, "Lack of national reporting mandate for hospital infections hurts consumers," Gergana Koleva, April 5, 2012
]]>The case is a direct challenge to the Feres Doctrine, which protects the U.S. government from malpractice lawsuits brought by military members. The Supreme Court has never overturned the more than 60-year-old precedent, which has affected the cases of military service members in North Carolina and elsewhere in the United States.
]]> One expert considered this current challenge one of the strongest yet because of the "egregious medical errors" committed by military medical staff.The lawsuit seeks reparations of at least $34.3 million to the man, and an additional $20.5 million for his wife for her grieving and losses.
The lawsuit alleges that, during a routine gallbladder removal operation, doctors accidentally lacerated the man's aorta. A series of poor decisions were only properly treated when the man was transferred nine hours later to a civilian hospital.
By the time he arrived at the second hospital, his legs had been without blood for several hours, necessitating the amputation.
Despite the errors, an Air Force investigation concluded that no disciplinary action was warranted, and an earlier claim filed by the man against the government was ignored, citing the Feres Doctrine.
Source: Appeal Democrat, "Former Beale airman sues over losing legs in botched surgery," Chris Vaughn, April 1, 2012
]]>The case was highly publicized following the baby's death. Many commentators said that it served as a cautionary tale for the too-quick and wholesale implementation of evolving medical processes and record-keeping systems in hospitals across the country.
]]> Updates in the way of electronic health record systems and more computerized equipment and link-ups among medical personnel and institutions are strongly pushed by the government and many other parties. The argument -- verified by many measures -- is that the ever-increasing implementation of computer-aided processes increases cost efficiencies and reduces health care costs for consumers.The change sometimes comes too quickly, though, say critics, and they point to cases like the Chicago malpractice matter to illustrate that.
In that instance, the infant was administered a lethal dose of sodium chloride -- described as a "massive overdose" -- by a medical staff member who read the dosage information incorrectly while entering it into an automated computer IV machine. In turn, the machine -- which was programmed to note dosing errors -- was not properly activated. Further still, a lab technician who saw the abnormally high sodium levels did not intervene, assuming they were inaccurate.
The hospital settled the case for $8.25 million and instituted several "double check" policies and steps to help avoid medical errors in future cases.
Source: Chicago Tribune, "Parents awarded $8.25 million in infant's death," Cynthia Dizikes, April 5, 2012
]]>Large truck safety is in fact the focus of the study released late last month by the government. Most specifically, researchers closely culled through data from 20 fleets and nearly 140,000 big rigs from across the country, looking at truck crash information and the precipitating factors in more than 15,000 accidents.
]]> What they found, as stated by Bill Graves, the president of the American Trucking Association (ATA), is that "speed kills."What they recommend is installing speed limiter devices on every commercial motor vehicle in the United States, based on their observation from the study that trucks equipped with such technology are involved in accidents at a rate about half that of trucks without speed governors.
The ATA wants the devices "required on as many trucks as possible," with Graves noting that, "Slowing down traffic is the most important step toward improving highway safety."
The report will likely figure largely in the rule that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states it will formally propose later this month.
Many proponents of a national speed limit on heavy trucks often cite a ceiling of 65 miles per hour as the optimal speed limit.
Source: The Trucker, "Speed limiter report: Trucks with devices had 50% lower 'speed-limiter relevant' crash rate," March 27, 2012
]]>Professional players are role models to many younger athletes and children, and heightened auto accident risks and media stories focused on problematic drinking are the main reasons behind the decision made by 18 teams so far, according to officials. The banning decisions are soundly endorsed by organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which has been rallying for 30 years for harsher drinking and driving laws.
]]> "Celebrities and sports figures are major celebrities and role models in this country," says Jan Withers, national president of MADD. "So it is an effective statement when they ban alcohol in the locker room."The list of 18 baseball clubs banning alcohol includes the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs. Other sports teams continue to decide if an alcohol ban is right for them.
The National Football League has a standing policy to not allow alcohol in locker rooms, and the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association are following suit, but are allowing individual teams to set their own rules regarding alcohol. Some pro basketball teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, prohibit alcohol in dressing rooms, while others do not allow it on team flights or in road hotels.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "Baseball is moving toward alcohol-free clubhouses," Kevin Baxter, March 19, 2012
]]>That might seem like an unduly harsh assessment, and it is certainly true that some teen drivers are exemplary and far more skilled than quite a few older motorists on the road. Collectively, though, objective evaluations such as the one undertaken by AAA see that as less the norm than a rarity.
There is no disputing that car accidents and other driving mishaps are especially prevalent among novice drivers. That owes centrally to the array of gadgetry and mobile tech toys -- cell phones, DVD players, MP3s, GPS systems and so forth -- that often accompany a teenager when he or she is in the car.
]]> The AAA study takes a look at that. Although its relevance is certainly national, older North Carolina drivers might be inclined to take a special interest in the findings, given that researchers examined the driving behavior of newly licensed teen drivers from 50 different North Carolina families.Fundamental takeaways from the researchers' six-month scrutiny include these two points. Initially, teens are "highly dangerous" for the first several months of driving because they are essentially involved in on-the-job training, that is, learning while they go. And, second, their engagement with distracting behaviors -- talking, texting, reaching, turning -- actually increases following that period, owing to their increased comfort level behind the wheel.
Source: Ocala, "Study shows level of distracted driving among teens," Michael Sykes, March 27, 2012
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