Recent Research and Reports
Unsafe TV ads: A University of Toronto study examined the prevalence and types of unsafe driving portrayed in televised automobile commercials as well as the use of safety promotion and disclaimers. They found that of 250 total commercials, unanimous agreement as to the presence of an unsafe driving sequence was found in 63 (25 percent). Aggressive driving accounted for 85 percent of these sequences, including 56 percent with speed violations; both are often factors in crashes. Safety promotion was present in only 30 (12 percent) of the commercials. The researchers raised concerns that the way commercials portray driving may affect consumer driving behaviour.
PC Shin et al. Unsafe driving in North American automobile commercials. Journal of Public Health 2005; 27(4): 318-25.
Helmets for skiers and boarders: A major case-control study at eight Norwegian alpine resorts during the 2002 winter season has confirmed that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury among snowboarders and alpine skiers. Researchers from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences looked at 3,277 injured skiers and snowboarders and 2,992 noninjured controls. They found that head injuries accounted for 578 injuries (17.6 percent). Using a helmet was associated with a 60 percent reduction in the risk for head injury. The risk for head injury was higher for snowboarders than alpine skiers.
S Sulheim et al. Helmet use and risk of head injuries in alpine skiers and snowboarders. Journal of the American Medical Association 2006; 295(8): 919-24.
Driveway back-overs: University of Utah researchers found that backing up in the driveway is an underrecognized and often very serious type of mishap for small children. They analyzed data on 495 children treated for injuries sustained in auto-pedestrian accidents over an eight year period, of which 128 occurred in the driveway. Six percent of the children died. Cars, trucks, and sports utility vehicles were involved in 55 percent, 25 percent, and 12 percent of the incidents, respectively. The number of cases increased over the last four years of the study.
SJ Fenton et al. The prevalence of driveway back-over injuries in the era of sports utility vehicles. Journal of Pediatric Surgery 2005; 40(12): 1964-8.
Falls Top the List of Serious Injuries
Injury is the leading cause of death in Canada among those under the age of 45 and is also a leading cause of disability. Yet about 90 percent of injuries are preventable.
In January 2006, the Canadian Institute for Health Information released statistics on injury hospitalizations in Canada. Over 194,000 patients were hospitalized annually for trauma during the 2002-2004 fiscal years. Falls represent well over half (57 percent) of injury hospitalizations, followed by motor vehicle collisions (13 to 14 percent). Being struck by objects or colliding with another person accounted for four percent of injury hospitalizations, about the same number as assault.
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