| Transportation: Accidents |
The number of accidents in the United States by means of transport.
Many Adults Lack Vaccinations That Could Save Their Lives
Published Monday, July 27th, 2009
A survey of adult vaccinations completed by the Centers for Disease Control and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reported that diseases which are easily preventable by adult vaccines kill more Americans, over 50,000 adults, each year than car wrecks, breast cancer, or AIDS. The surveys show that generally Americans are unaware or misinformed about the dangers and vaccines available for diseases like the flu, Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal disease, Meningitis, Shingles, Human Papillomavirus, Tetanus, Pertussis (whooping cough). One of the major problems is that Universal Coverage of vaccines stops at age 19. Plus, many adults think that vaccines are just for children, or they are concerned with vaccine safety. The CDC states that vaccines are among the safest medical products available. The result is that of the vaccines for adults are used no greater than 32% by high risk Americans baring the flu shot and tetanus shots.
Over the years of successful campaigns, the CDC has reported that over 95% of children have been vaccinated for various diseases. The CDC states that lack of awareness, resources and knowledge about adult vaccines, infrastructure, and access to health care are causes for low vaccination percentages among adults. The average annual health care expenditures per American has nearly tripled since 1990 to approximately $3,000 per annum. To compound the problem, nearly 15.3% of the population does not have health care insurance, which makes preventative care “unimportant” to some who believe they cannot afford non-emergency medicine.
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Metro Crash Worst in 33 Year History
Published Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
On Monday, Washington DC Metro experienced a collision between two above-ground commuter trains, resulting in 7 deaths and 76 people taken to hospitals, including two in critical condition. The crash site is still being treated as a rescue scene because there may still be bodies uncovered. In Metro’s 33 year history, there were 2 other major crashes—one in January 1982 where 3 were killed and a crash in 2004 that left many injured. In a report, issued by the National Transportation Safety Board in 2006, the Washington Transit Authority was warned about some of the cars that were involved in the Monday crash calling for either retrofitting or phasing them out. Recently, two crashes in Boston and Los Angeles occurred because of cell phone use. As a result, Los Angeles banned transit workers’ cell phone use while on duty.
In the last 13 years, the number of commuter rail transit mileage has increased 3 times from 4150 miles to 7000 miles in 2006. With President Obama’s energy plan calling for new construction projects and a greater emphasis on using mass transit as a way to cut greenhouse emissions, that number is expected to increase with the plan’s approval from Congress. Accidents with transit rail, even with the extra mileage, have remained relatively constant at about 3,000 separate incidents annually, ranging from minor to major, since 1985. The rate of accidents for rail continues to be the second safest mode of transport behind commuter air travel.
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Flying Still the Safest Mode of Travel
Published Friday, January 16th, 2009
In a report put out by the FDA, USDA and the US Department of Transportation and the US Wildlife Service, bird strikes, since 1990, have risen from 1,759 to 7,666 in 2007. Causes include quieter engines, disrupted migratory patterns, increase in air travel and identification of strike objects as birds. In 1995, the US military reevaluated its Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard Program after a fatal $270 million US Air Force E-3 Sentry struck a flock of 31 Canadian Geese during takeoff. The result was the use of habitat modification, which means the planting of specific types of grass distasteful to birds, aversion tactics that scare birds away, and lethal control to reduce the population. Commercial airports also use tactics to scare birds by using hawks and falcons to ward off sea gulls and geese.
As for a mode of travel, air travel has statistically been the safest mode versus automobile and trains. By far the most fatalities have come from automobiles and in of 2005 there were 43,443 deaths attributed to cars, 563 from airplanes and 16 from trains. Moreover, after the military study in 1995, the measures taken have consistently reduced airplane fatalities. Accordingly, since 1988, wildlife strikes have amounted to a worldwide total of 219 airline fatalities.
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U.S. Department of Transportation - http://www.dot.gov/
Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future.
National Safety Council - http://www.nsc.org/
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, public service organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. The NSC is a membership organization, founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953. Members include more than 48,000 businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals.