Did you know? Oct. 98

Did you know?

More than half a million people are killed each year on the world’s roads and a staggering 37 million are seriously injured. America’s road toll is about 46,000 at a ratio of .24 fatalities per 1,000 vehicles. India has a road toll of 30,471 with 10.9 deaths per 1,000 vehicles. Liberia has the worst record with 37 people killed for every 1,000 vehicles.
Australian Safety News, July 1998

China had 70,000 traffic deaths last year - roughly 630 per 100,000 cars, in comparison to 21 deaths per 100,000 cars in the US, according to Stanford University China scholar Mike Oksenberg. He blames the fact that China has many new highways with inadequate passing signs, warners about oncoming hills or even traffic lights, and no free press to report on it.
Globe & Mail, July 16, 1998

Units of blood usually needed for:
Gunshot wound: 15 units
Vehicle collision: 4-6 units
Hip replacement: 3-4 units
Brain aneurysm: 4 units
Abdominal surgery: 2-4 units
Heart bypass surgery: 1-6 units
Canadian Blood Services

In Ontario, adults 25 to 49 years of age account for almost half of all drowning victims. The Lifesaving Society pinpoints risk-taking male Baby Boomers engaged in recreational activities such as fishing, powerboating, swimming, canoeing and snowmobiling.
The Drowning Report, 1998 Edition

In the US, fatal crashes at traffic signals increased 19 per cent between 1992 and 1996, far outpacing the six per cent rise in all other fatal crashes. Red light running is a big part of the problem. The number of fatal crashes due to red light running rose from 702 in 1992 to 809 in 1996, a 15 per cent increase. A California study showed that red light running violations dropped 42 per cent after the introduction of red light cameras. The program received strong public support - 80 per cent of residents favoured use of the cameras.
Status Report, July 11, 1998 (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

Recently released US statistics show that alcohol involvement - either for the driver or for the pedestrian - was reported in nearly half of all pedestrian fatalities. Nearly one-third of children between five and nine years old killed in traffic were pedestrians. Nearly half of all young pedestrian fatalities (under 16) occurred between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Traffic Safety Facts 1996: Pedestrians (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Three American workers die every day due to collisions. Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the United States between 1980 and 1992, accounting for the deaths of 15,830 workers. Truck drivers had the highest fatality rate.
NIOSH Alert, July 1998 (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

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